AUTHORS NOTES: Okay first I apologize for the extreme delay in updating, but real life has a nasty habit of taking up all your free time with things that are more important if not more interesting. Hopefully I'll be able to update more frequently for awhile. Thanks for all the reviews. Keep em coming. To clarify a few points that were raised (1) I thought I remembered a few times during the series, comments made about Xander trying to get away from his family. That's why I thought it would make sense for him to be walking to school. (2) Although we all saw Dawn's 16th birthday party I figured that going back to the day they first arrived in Sunnydale would take them back before her 10th birthday. (3) Darla was indeed at the school in the middle of the night, but for the purposes of this story I altered that slightly. The high school being directly on top of the hellmouth probably allowed any of the Master's minions to come and go rather quickly anyway.

CHAPTER 3

The Master's lair

"The sleeper shall" Luke never got to finish the ritual. The Master, instead of ascending in a solemn, dignified manner, practically leapt up out of the pool, snarling in an almost blind rage.

Glaring at the roof of the mystical prison he was trapped in he screamed one word. "NOOOOO"

Luke was stunned. He was the Master's oldest, but he could not remember ever seeing him like this. The Master was always in control of himself. Rarely did he even lose his temper, but when he did he was methodical in his punishments. He waited as the Master raged, knowing he might be risking his own life if he dared try and ask what had happened. Finally the Master had calmed enough that Luke felt it safe to approach him.

"Master?" he asked, falling to his knees and bowing his head as the Master turned towards him. He heard the footsteps as the Master approached and was unceremoniously jerked off his feet.

"Darla's dead" he said looking into Luke's eyes, waiting to see what his reaction would be. If it was anything other than surprise and shock he would make his death slow and more painful than he could imagine. Watching the play of emotions over his face the Master nodded to himself, satisfied that Luke had nothing to do with what had happened. He would still be able to fulfill the role of The Vessel.

Releasing him he began to pace once more inside the confines of the barrier. Unlike most other vampires he was able to feel those he created. Of all his creations Darla was the one who had taken the greatest joy in being a vampire. Her pleasure was always felt by him, even when she thought she was surprising him. It was a constant that had kept him from going mad when he had found himself trapped underground in a church after his disastrous attempt to open the hellmouth over half a century before. Now she was dead. Only a day before the Harvest, when he would walk the earth once more, she had been taken from him. He would find out who killed her he thought to himself. After the Harvest. He turned back to Luke.

"How go the preparations for the Harvest?" he asked, slowly putting the matter of Darla's death on hold for the moment.

"The site has been chosen Master" Luke replied warily. He was surprised to hear of Darla's death but not particularly affected by it. He knew how the Master had felt about her however and didn't wish to do or say anything that would incur his wrath.

"Good. Now leave my presence and bring me some food." "And Luke" he continued "Bring me something unsullied and pure. Make sure you choose it yourself. You know what I prefer"

Luke smiled and walked out. This will allow me check the site tonight he thought to himself.

The library

Buffy pushed open the doors of the library looking for Giles. She was hoping that like Dawn, he and the others remembered. She didn't know how she would be able to explain to his younger self what had happened if he didn't. Seeing Xander and him sitting at the table, each looking at a book, she was certain they did. What else could explain a 16 yr old Xander voluntarily reading a book she thought to herself with a certain sense of amusement. As she drew closer to him Xander looked up.

"Buffy" he cried as he jumped up and hugged her. "Boy am I glad to see you."

"Um…do I know you?" she asked, deciding to tease him a little. It worked as he jumped back like she was a live wire.

"Uhh…" he wittily replied as he thought franticly to himself Oh shit. How the hell am I going to explain that. The look on his face while he was trying to get his thoughts in order was to much for Buffy and her face broke into a big grin.

"Relax Xander. I was just having a little fun" she said as she turned to Giles and asked him if he knew what was going on.

"Not really. I have some suspicions but we need to wait until Willow gets here." he replied as Xander sat back down in his chair in relief and then glared at Buffy.

As if on cue the library doors opened and Willow stepped inside. When she saw Buffy, Giles and Xander together she rushed forward and immediately began to apologize.

"I'm sorry." "I didn't mean to." "After Dawn I should have known better." "This is all my fault" she got out before she began to cry. She knew that they would think she had caused this by some spell. On the way to school she was turning the situation over in her head, trying to figure out why that wish, at that time had been granted. Heaven knows that wasn't the first idle wish she had made. The only thing that made sense to her was that she had attracted something while she was still working her magic. The more she thought about it the more she was certain that was what happened. The feelings of guilt she had been suppressing slowly began to increase the closer she got to the school. Now, facing her friends it was overpowering, paralyzing and accompanying it was fear. How would they react? Would they still want to have anything to do with her? She got her answer when both Buffy and Xander walked over to her and simply hugged her. She closed her eyes and just hugged them back. When she finally opened them back up she looked over to Giles. He had a guarded expression on his face. She could tell that he wasn't going to be as quick to accept her back. Sensing that she was calm enough Buffy and Xander released her from their arms.

"How exactly is this your fault?" Buffy asked. She was hoping that Willow had not started using magic again. What else but magic could have caused this though? she thought to herself.

"I, uh, made a wish" Willow said. She then told them everything that had happened and her suspicions about why it was her fault.

Buffy didn't say anything but she looked at Xander out of the corner of her eye and then at Giles directly. He had followed her look and knew immediately what she was thinking. He was about make a comment when the first period bell rang.

"OK. The three of you go to class. As long as we're here we're going to have to act as normally as possible."

"Oh great" Buffy groaned "I get to relive Principal Flutie's welcome to Sunnydale High speech."

By the time she got thru listening to Principal Flutie and having to share a history book with Cordelia, Buffy was having a serious case of déjà vu. When class was over she wanted nothing more than to get back to the library and see if Giles had found anything. The rest of the class watched in amazement as the new girl completely blew off the most popular girl in school, the self-styled Queen C, Cordelia Chase, who was herself completely dumbfounded to see Buffy meet Willow and go off with her as if they had known each other for years.

She narrowed her eyes as she was suddenly determined to find out who exactly Buffy Summers really was and why she was hanging with a loser like Willow Rosenberg. Nobody blows me off like that in front of everybody and gets away with it she thought.

Buffy and Willow were walking back to the library while commenting how everything seemed new and old at the same time. For example Willow wasn't very happy with the fashion statement she was making at the moment and was letting Buffy know about it.

"We have got to go shopping for some new clothes for me" she said. "I must have really been out of my mind." "This is the exact same dress I was wearing the first time I saw you"

Buffy just grinned and didn't say anything, letting her rant. She knew it was partly because Willow was still nervous about the situation, thinking it was her fault. What was really funny though was seeing young Willow being concerned about fashion.

When they entered the library their light hearted banter ceased immediately. Sitting across the table from an apparently stunned Giles was

"Tara?"

"Anya?"

Willow ran over and hugged Tara before she could say anything. When she began to protest laughingly because of lack of oxygen Willow let her go and stepped back, her earlier fears beginning to resurface. Trying to distract both Tara and herself she asked the first question that popped into her mind.

"How did you get here so fast?" "Why is Anya with you?" Tara began to reply when Willow finally noticed the necklace Anya was wearing. Suddenly everything fell into place. Anya's invitation, her wanting to talk about Xander and the fact that she had been a former vengeance demon.

"You're responsible for this aren't you?" Willow said loudly, her voice beginning to rise. She was furious. She had believed that she was somehow responsible. Anya said nothing avoiding looking in her eyes. Willow felt her power begin to stir within her, looking for an outlet, a release of some kind. Without knowing it her eyes had turned pitch black. She was still looking at an increasingly nervous Anya when Tara placed herself between them. Looking into her eyes she was able to come back to herself and realize that she had done what she had promised not to do. Suddenly her feelings of guilt returned along with shame. She had blown it this time for sure she thought. Just when I was getting her to trust me again

She sank into one of the chairs, putting her head in her hands in despair. She felt some one touch her on her leg. Leaning back she found herself looking at Tara.

"We have to talk later about your magic Willow" she whispered, then smiled. "Don't worry I'm not going anywhere for at least the next 3 years" then, as if to reassure herself as well as Willow, Tara leaned forward and kissed her softly. She stood up, smirking slightly at the goofy face Willow was now making.

"If the two of you are quite finished, perhaps we could explain to Buffy and Willow what exactly is going on" Giles said rather testily, interrupting the silence. He was still adjusting to the idea that he would now be sharing his flat with 2 teenage daughters. One of whom was an accomplished witch and the other being a former former vengeance demon. The fact that Tara said that there wasn't anyway for Anya revert this time wasn't comforting in the least. They had all experienced to many things for him to believe in absolutes. Of course the revelation that they were stuck here didn't exactly thrill him either. He could only wonder how Buffy was going to react. He looked up at her and sighed.

"I think you're going to want to be sitting down"

"I prefer to stand" Xander said. He had seen Buffy and Willow enter the library a few seconds before he did. No one had noticed him until now. After hearing Willow accuse Anya however he had to know. He walked over to her.

"Did you do this Ahn?" he asked, silently begging her to say no, even if it was a lie.

"Yes" she answered, in quiet defiance.

"I see" he said, stepping back from her. "So you're a vengeance demon again?" before she could answer he looked at Willow and Buffy. "You can fill me in later. I think I need to leave before I say…or try to do something we all regret" he then quickly left, before anyone could say anything.

"Giles" Buffy said wanting to get this over with. He sighed again, and proceeded to tell her and Willow everything, with Tara and Anya making occasional comments to clarify certain points.

"So you and Anya are Giles daughters now, legally?" Buffy took one look at Giles and began to giggle uncontrollably. She couldn't wait to get them alone and instruct them on the finer points of embarrassing the male of the species. Especially when it came to the purchase of certain feminine hygiene products.

"Yes" Tara looked at him somewhat impishly and then told him in no uncertain terms were she and Anya going to share a 1 bedroom apartment with him.

All of them looked at her confused. Finally Anya broke the silence. "Then where the hell are we staying?" she demanded.

Tara smiled. It wasn't a smile any of them except Willow were used to seeing. It was her 'I know something you don't know' smile. "At our mansion" she said.

"MANSION?" Anya shouted "What mansion?" "You never mentioned a mansion" "How big is it?" "How many rooms does it have?" "Do we have servants?" she would have continued but stopped at the glares she was receiving from Buffy and Willow.

"Perhaps the most important question is how can I afford it? Giles stated. "I certainly don't remember being wealthy enough to afford even a house"

"It was part of her wish" Anya said, rolling her eyes. She smiled at Tara again "That was some wish you made." "How rich did you make Giles for him to afford it?"

"Rich enough" Tara said with an enigmatic smile "We can get into that later though. First we need to find the estate the mansion is at" She looked somewhat embarrassed as she pulled a piece of paper with an address on it out of her purse and handed it to Willow. "When Anya granted the wish this appeared along with these" she held up a set of house keys.

Willow looked at the address in her hand. She continued to look down at her hands as she bit her lip to keep from laughing. It didn't work and she handed the address to a very concerned Buffy before she began to giggle like Buffy had earlier.

"Will?" Buffy asked wondering what was going on. Willow just pointed to the address and kept laughing. Finally Buffy looked at it, hoping to find out what was making Willow act so strangely. She read and then reread it. She looked up at Giles with sympathy and gave the address back to Tara.

"Giles" she said, trying not to lose control "Your next door neighbor is Cordelia Chase"