Real-World
"This isn't going to work, Willow" Tara reluctantly told her girlfriend as spell once again failed to send them back in time. They had already tried three times today and that wasn't counting the countless other tries they had made over the last two weeks. They had just used the last variation of the spell Tara could come up with and the blonde witch was exhausted and out of ideas for how to change the spell so that it might work. She wanted Buffy back as much as everyone else but this was getting them nowhere.
"B-but we can't give up!" came Willow's defeated protest. There were tears forming in her eyes as if she would break into tears at any moment.
Tara stood gently pulling Willow up with her then wrapped the redhead in a loving embrace. "We're not giving up. But we need time to rest and think this over. I know we're on the right track, I can feel it, but we're doing something wrong. Let's get some rest and think this over with clear heads, okay?" She smiled as felt Willow nod against her. The two Wicca took one last look at the grave of Buffy Summers and then reluctantly left the cemetery.
Alt-verse
Cordelia admired the smooth curves and the catlike grace of the Slayer as she moved through another of the exercises Giles had designed to re-tone her muscles before she got back to her normal training exercises. She winced and was halfway out of her seat as Buffy mis-stepped and fell forward onto the training mat, but quickly relaxed as the she saw the other girl get up fairly quickly none the worse for the fall.
The others thought that she still believe this was the Buffy their world, but the truth was that even before Anya had told Giles that she didn't think this was their Buffy, Cordy had noticed that this wasn't the same person she had fallen in love with. They look the same, talked the same, and even had the same loving soul and hero's heart, but she had noticed some difference even before the Slayer had awakened in her hospital room. But even now she pretended not to believe this wasn't her Buffy, maybe even more than before because of the failure of the spells Willow and Tara had tried.
When Buffy had asked why the spell hadn't sent her home and bought their Buffy back to this world the Wicca had reluctantly admitted that the only reason the spell wouldn't work was if one of the two principals to be switched was dead. And the thought of her Buffy not alive was something Cordelia Chase would go to any lengths to avoid.
She walked over to the sweating Slayer and handed her a towel. But even this Buffy was one person she didn't feel the need to pretend around. That day when Anya had told Giles what she thought, Cordy had put on the best act of her life acting as if she didn't believe a word of what had been said. And everyone including Giles had bought it. Everyone but Buffy. Somehow Cordy had known that she wasn't fooling the blonde Slayer as she lay in bed and watched Cordy's every move with those concerned eyes. Eyes so like the ones she had fallen in love with what seemed like so long ago.
When the others had left she had tried to keep up her act even knowing it was pointless, but with Buffy's eyes following her as if she'd fall apart at any second that's exactly what she had done. And Buffy had reached over and taken her hand pulling her onto the bed with her where she held her until she had cried herself out.
And then they had stayed up the entire night (the staff having learned the futility of trying to force Cordelia to leave) talking. Buffy telling Cordy the things she had gone through on her world and Cordy pointing out the differences on this one.
"Riley Finn!" Cordy had shouted at one point. "Angel I can see 'cause well, I was there and I saw it, but you dated Riley Finn!" She had lightly slapped the Slayer on the back of her head.
Buffy had responded with, "At least I didn't go out with Xander!" sticking out her tongue at the grimacing brunette.
Now as the Buffy grabbed her crutches and they left the training area at the back of Giles' store Cordy felt the need to ask a question that had been bothering her for a while now on an issue that to her at least was of vital importance. "Do I really have powers on your world?"
Real world
As the sun rose on another day in Sunnydale Tara watch worriedly as Willow thrashed around in her sleep wondering if she should just go ahead a wake her. She habitually enjoyed watching her lover's peaceful face as she slept, but recently her sleep had been anything but peaceful. Just as she started to reach out for her, Willow suddenly sat straight up in the bed. For a moment she just sat there with a wild look in her eyes then she suddenly focused on Tara with a huge smile lighting her whole face. And Tara smiled back knowing deep in her heart that Willow had found what they needed.
"You were right." Willow told her as she wrapped the blonde in a tight hug and kissed her cheek.
"W-what do you mean?" Tara asked as she hugged Willow back.
Willow released her and sat back so she could look at her face as she talked. "We are on the right track! We were just going about it the wrong way! What if instead of trying to go back and warn ourselves or to save Buffy ourselves we instead bring Buffy from then to now?" she asked excitedly.
"T-that could work!" Tara agreed.
But a suddenly crestfallen look showed on Willow's face. "But we'd still need something to send back in her place. And we both still remember her falling" she said suddenly feeling down.
Thinking for a moment Tara suddenly perked back up. "We can solve two problems at once!" she said as she took Willow's hand in her own. "Since this doesn't actively involve the rift we need only send back something about the same size and that belonged to or represents what we want to bring forward. And since we both remember Buffy falling…"
"Oh, oh!" called Willow bouncing on the bed and raising her hand as if in class, "We send the Buffy-bot back!" she called out grinning. "That way we get the other Buffy, the past doesn't really change, and we can switch this Buffy for ours. This could actually work! You're brilliant!" she called pulling a non-resistant Tara into her arms for a long steamy kiss.
Vision/Memory
After checking on last time on Dawn and seeing that Angel, Wes, and Gunn had all settled in for the night Cordy went back to Buffy's room to get some rest herself. As she fell asleep she felt herself slipping into another of the now familiar memory/visions from the other Cordy. Other than dreaming of Buffy, the good thing about these visions was that they had become painless. Too bad the same couldn't be said for her normal ones.
This time she remembered Faith's arrival in Sunnydale not to long after she and Buffy had returned from LA. It was before they had told the rest of the gang about their relationship. From the very first she had seen that the new Slayer was attracted to Buffy. She had known that the whole show of killing the vamp in the ally behind the Bronze was Faith's way of showing off. And for the briefest of moments she had felt defeated. After all Faith was a Slayer with the powers and more importantly the understanding that came with it and she had nothing to offer Buffy but herself. Then the moment passed and she narrowed her eyes in determination. If Faith wanted Buffy she's have the fight of her life trying to take her.
As the fight for Buffy's love began Cordy had had a definite lead over her adversary. Following her lead the others Buffy included had been on seemly friendly terms with the new Slayer while at the same time not letting her into the inner circle of their group. Then something had happened. Or maybe it was a lot of little things, but slowly Buffy had begun to truly befriend the other Slayer. Almost overnight they started hanging out and skipping school. Faith had even found out about Angel's return before Cordy had and she had been royally pissed. Words were exchanged and then suddenly they weren't speaking to each other at all.
She had been sure she had chased Buffy right into Faiths arms. Then the whole mess with Allen Finch had happened. Buffy had shown up at her house looking stressed with almost the same look she had worn after sending Angel to Hell. She had asked her to runaway with her. Knowing something was up Cordy had played along not wanting to spook the slayer away by saying yes and making a game of choosing where they would go. When the Slayer had relaxed enough Cordy had asked her what was really wrong. Buffy answered by asking Cordy if she really loved her and if she would love her no matter what to which she had answered 'I'll always love you Buffy. You should never doubt that' while gently stroking the hair of the now crying girl.
Through her sobs Buffy had managed to tell her what had happened. Cordy held her jealousy in check as she heard about how Buffy had skipped class yet again how she and Faith had spent the day. All hint of jealousy had vanished as Buffy told her how she had thrown the man up against a wall thinking him another attacking vamp and Faith in pure reflex driving her stake for his heart even as Buffy realized her mistake and called out the younger slayer to stop her. But the call came too late. Instead of the usual dust after a staking this time it was followed with blood. Innocent human blood.
Cordy held her as she cried tears coming to her own eyes as well. Then in a flash of inspiration she knew what she had to do. She had gotten dressed and she and Buffy had gone to Faith's hotel. While Buffy had coaxed and finally threatened Faith into Cordy's car, Cordy had used her cell phone to call Giles and tell him something had happened and that he should meet them in the school library and that he should not bring Wes. She would have said more but didn't want to tell him about it over the cell phone.
Looking at the pitiful and frightened girl now on her back seat huddled into herself she felt a wave of guilt at the way she had treated her and encouraged the other to treat her. Looking back on it she saw that they had treated her the same way she, Harmony, and the others in their circle had treated Willow and others they saw as unworthy. And that Buffy wouldn't have been Buffy if she hadn't given Faith the same chance she had given Willow and Xander. Maybe she had read too much into why Buffy had decided to spend time with the other Slayer. But there would be time to worry about that after Giles had helped fix this mess. And hopefully it wouldn't be too late to make friends with Faith. As long as she understood that Buffy was hers!
Cordy woke a heavy heart to the sun shining through the branches of the tree outside Buffy's window. If the other Cordy had found the courage to forgive and understand Faith's actions and motivations then why had she not been able to do the same? Angel had more than once tried to get her to visit the dark Slayer in prison but until now she hadn't once thought that the girl was truly sorry for what she had done. Looking back on events in this world after a vision from the other motives became clear and all too easy to understand.
This Faith had been on the verge of a relationship with Buffy only to lose it all, first with the reemergence of Angel and again because of a stupid accident that Cordy now saw could have happened to anyone. No wonder Buffy had tried so hard to get the rouge Slayer back after everyone else had given up. She must have realized that it could have just as easily been her. What kind of life could Faith have had that she could leave Boston and not once have anyone call or try to find out if she were even alive. Thinking gloomy thoughts Cordy resolved to visit Faith after things were set right here. And Buffy was going with her even if she had to drag her.
"This isn't going to work, Willow" Tara reluctantly told her girlfriend as spell once again failed to send them back in time. They had already tried three times today and that wasn't counting the countless other tries they had made over the last two weeks. They had just used the last variation of the spell Tara could come up with and the blonde witch was exhausted and out of ideas for how to change the spell so that it might work. She wanted Buffy back as much as everyone else but this was getting them nowhere.
"B-but we can't give up!" came Willow's defeated protest. There were tears forming in her eyes as if she would break into tears at any moment.
Tara stood gently pulling Willow up with her then wrapped the redhead in a loving embrace. "We're not giving up. But we need time to rest and think this over. I know we're on the right track, I can feel it, but we're doing something wrong. Let's get some rest and think this over with clear heads, okay?" She smiled as felt Willow nod against her. The two Wicca took one last look at the grave of Buffy Summers and then reluctantly left the cemetery.
Alt-verse
Cordelia admired the smooth curves and the catlike grace of the Slayer as she moved through another of the exercises Giles had designed to re-tone her muscles before she got back to her normal training exercises. She winced and was halfway out of her seat as Buffy mis-stepped and fell forward onto the training mat, but quickly relaxed as the she saw the other girl get up fairly quickly none the worse for the fall.
The others thought that she still believe this was the Buffy their world, but the truth was that even before Anya had told Giles that she didn't think this was their Buffy, Cordy had noticed that this wasn't the same person she had fallen in love with. They look the same, talked the same, and even had the same loving soul and hero's heart, but she had noticed some difference even before the Slayer had awakened in her hospital room. But even now she pretended not to believe this wasn't her Buffy, maybe even more than before because of the failure of the spells Willow and Tara had tried.
When Buffy had asked why the spell hadn't sent her home and bought their Buffy back to this world the Wicca had reluctantly admitted that the only reason the spell wouldn't work was if one of the two principals to be switched was dead. And the thought of her Buffy not alive was something Cordelia Chase would go to any lengths to avoid.
She walked over to the sweating Slayer and handed her a towel. But even this Buffy was one person she didn't feel the need to pretend around. That day when Anya had told Giles what she thought, Cordy had put on the best act of her life acting as if she didn't believe a word of what had been said. And everyone including Giles had bought it. Everyone but Buffy. Somehow Cordy had known that she wasn't fooling the blonde Slayer as she lay in bed and watched Cordy's every move with those concerned eyes. Eyes so like the ones she had fallen in love with what seemed like so long ago.
When the others had left she had tried to keep up her act even knowing it was pointless, but with Buffy's eyes following her as if she'd fall apart at any second that's exactly what she had done. And Buffy had reached over and taken her hand pulling her onto the bed with her where she held her until she had cried herself out.
And then they had stayed up the entire night (the staff having learned the futility of trying to force Cordelia to leave) talking. Buffy telling Cordy the things she had gone through on her world and Cordy pointing out the differences on this one.
"Riley Finn!" Cordy had shouted at one point. "Angel I can see 'cause well, I was there and I saw it, but you dated Riley Finn!" She had lightly slapped the Slayer on the back of her head.
Buffy had responded with, "At least I didn't go out with Xander!" sticking out her tongue at the grimacing brunette.
Now as the Buffy grabbed her crutches and they left the training area at the back of Giles' store Cordy felt the need to ask a question that had been bothering her for a while now on an issue that to her at least was of vital importance. "Do I really have powers on your world?"
Real world
As the sun rose on another day in Sunnydale Tara watch worriedly as Willow thrashed around in her sleep wondering if she should just go ahead a wake her. She habitually enjoyed watching her lover's peaceful face as she slept, but recently her sleep had been anything but peaceful. Just as she started to reach out for her, Willow suddenly sat straight up in the bed. For a moment she just sat there with a wild look in her eyes then she suddenly focused on Tara with a huge smile lighting her whole face. And Tara smiled back knowing deep in her heart that Willow had found what they needed.
"You were right." Willow told her as she wrapped the blonde in a tight hug and kissed her cheek.
"W-what do you mean?" Tara asked as she hugged Willow back.
Willow released her and sat back so she could look at her face as she talked. "We are on the right track! We were just going about it the wrong way! What if instead of trying to go back and warn ourselves or to save Buffy ourselves we instead bring Buffy from then to now?" she asked excitedly.
"T-that could work!" Tara agreed.
But a suddenly crestfallen look showed on Willow's face. "But we'd still need something to send back in her place. And we both still remember her falling" she said suddenly feeling down.
Thinking for a moment Tara suddenly perked back up. "We can solve two problems at once!" she said as she took Willow's hand in her own. "Since this doesn't actively involve the rift we need only send back something about the same size and that belonged to or represents what we want to bring forward. And since we both remember Buffy falling…"
"Oh, oh!" called Willow bouncing on the bed and raising her hand as if in class, "We send the Buffy-bot back!" she called out grinning. "That way we get the other Buffy, the past doesn't really change, and we can switch this Buffy for ours. This could actually work! You're brilliant!" she called pulling a non-resistant Tara into her arms for a long steamy kiss.
Vision/Memory
After checking on last time on Dawn and seeing that Angel, Wes, and Gunn had all settled in for the night Cordy went back to Buffy's room to get some rest herself. As she fell asleep she felt herself slipping into another of the now familiar memory/visions from the other Cordy. Other than dreaming of Buffy, the good thing about these visions was that they had become painless. Too bad the same couldn't be said for her normal ones.
This time she remembered Faith's arrival in Sunnydale not to long after she and Buffy had returned from LA. It was before they had told the rest of the gang about their relationship. From the very first she had seen that the new Slayer was attracted to Buffy. She had known that the whole show of killing the vamp in the ally behind the Bronze was Faith's way of showing off. And for the briefest of moments she had felt defeated. After all Faith was a Slayer with the powers and more importantly the understanding that came with it and she had nothing to offer Buffy but herself. Then the moment passed and she narrowed her eyes in determination. If Faith wanted Buffy she's have the fight of her life trying to take her.
As the fight for Buffy's love began Cordy had had a definite lead over her adversary. Following her lead the others Buffy included had been on seemly friendly terms with the new Slayer while at the same time not letting her into the inner circle of their group. Then something had happened. Or maybe it was a lot of little things, but slowly Buffy had begun to truly befriend the other Slayer. Almost overnight they started hanging out and skipping school. Faith had even found out about Angel's return before Cordy had and she had been royally pissed. Words were exchanged and then suddenly they weren't speaking to each other at all.
She had been sure she had chased Buffy right into Faiths arms. Then the whole mess with Allen Finch had happened. Buffy had shown up at her house looking stressed with almost the same look she had worn after sending Angel to Hell. She had asked her to runaway with her. Knowing something was up Cordy had played along not wanting to spook the slayer away by saying yes and making a game of choosing where they would go. When the Slayer had relaxed enough Cordy had asked her what was really wrong. Buffy answered by asking Cordy if she really loved her and if she would love her no matter what to which she had answered 'I'll always love you Buffy. You should never doubt that' while gently stroking the hair of the now crying girl.
Through her sobs Buffy had managed to tell her what had happened. Cordy held her jealousy in check as she heard about how Buffy had skipped class yet again how she and Faith had spent the day. All hint of jealousy had vanished as Buffy told her how she had thrown the man up against a wall thinking him another attacking vamp and Faith in pure reflex driving her stake for his heart even as Buffy realized her mistake and called out the younger slayer to stop her. But the call came too late. Instead of the usual dust after a staking this time it was followed with blood. Innocent human blood.
Cordy held her as she cried tears coming to her own eyes as well. Then in a flash of inspiration she knew what she had to do. She had gotten dressed and she and Buffy had gone to Faith's hotel. While Buffy had coaxed and finally threatened Faith into Cordy's car, Cordy had used her cell phone to call Giles and tell him something had happened and that he should meet them in the school library and that he should not bring Wes. She would have said more but didn't want to tell him about it over the cell phone.
Looking at the pitiful and frightened girl now on her back seat huddled into herself she felt a wave of guilt at the way she had treated her and encouraged the other to treat her. Looking back on it she saw that they had treated her the same way she, Harmony, and the others in their circle had treated Willow and others they saw as unworthy. And that Buffy wouldn't have been Buffy if she hadn't given Faith the same chance she had given Willow and Xander. Maybe she had read too much into why Buffy had decided to spend time with the other Slayer. But there would be time to worry about that after Giles had helped fix this mess. And hopefully it wouldn't be too late to make friends with Faith. As long as she understood that Buffy was hers!
Cordy woke a heavy heart to the sun shining through the branches of the tree outside Buffy's window. If the other Cordy had found the courage to forgive and understand Faith's actions and motivations then why had she not been able to do the same? Angel had more than once tried to get her to visit the dark Slayer in prison but until now she hadn't once thought that the girl was truly sorry for what she had done. Looking back on events in this world after a vision from the other motives became clear and all too easy to understand.
This Faith had been on the verge of a relationship with Buffy only to lose it all, first with the reemergence of Angel and again because of a stupid accident that Cordy now saw could have happened to anyone. No wonder Buffy had tried so hard to get the rouge Slayer back after everyone else had given up. She must have realized that it could have just as easily been her. What kind of life could Faith have had that she could leave Boston and not once have anyone call or try to find out if she were even alive. Thinking gloomy thoughts Cordy resolved to visit Faith after things were set right here. And Buffy was going with her even if she had to drag her.
