"No way!  I knew it!" the tall beauty giggled, "I knew it!  I'm a slayer!  I'm chosen!  How cool is that?"

            "Freeze Missy!" Buffy commanded still in shock.  She turned to her watcher.   "Uh- uhn.  There's no way, Giles!  First my life is destroyed by this damn calling and now they want to ruin my little sister's life.  You go and you tell them not just no but hell no!"

            "Buffy, it seems you missed the part of the conversation when I mentioned that all of the council was destroyed.  Not to mention they have no control over who is and isn't called.  The Powers That Be designate who is going to be chosen and…"
            "Tell The Powers to sit and spin.  There's no way."

            "Well, I dare say that's a bit brash, Buffy.  I know how you're feeling and I can assure you my emotions are the same, but..."

            "Not going to happen.  One Summers' life, err, LIVES is well enough to satisfy the Powers.  No way in hell Dawn is going to…"

            "You really must understand Buffy that…"
            "WILL EVERYONE SHUT UP!!!!" Dawn screeched in her high-pitched tone.  All eyes were again fixed on the brunette, who was now a feverish red.  "Enough!  *I* am chosen.  Me.  For once it's not Buffy.  This is my life and my calling."  She turned to her sister, her face twisted in anger and loathing, "You just can't handle it can you?  'The All Powerful Buffy' isn't going to be all-powerful anymore.  Admit it.  You can't stand the fact that you're not above me."

            "Dawn," Buffy began, jaw clinched, "We'll talk about this later."
            "No!  Don't you get it Buffy?  This isn't about you.  For once it's not all about you.  This is MY destiny too.  You just can't share it.  You always have to be the best, the strongest, the most important, the most miserable… now I have power too."  Her eyes lit up at the thought.  "Probably more so since I'm still a key too."

            "Dawn, dear, I do believe you're jumping ahead of yourself.  You're still way in line as far as the hierarchy of trainees go and…"

            "Are you my watcher too?" she interrupted with another squeal.  "This is just too awesome!"

            The rest of the Scoobies stood in shock at the display before them.  Willow's eyes had practically fallen out of her head and Xander's jaw was on the floor.  Only Anya stood with a look of puzzlement instead of shock.

            "Doesn't she whine too much to be a slayer?" she whispered to her ex-fiancé. 

-In the newly rebuilt SDH basement –

Spike squirmed under the gaze of the demon before him.  "What pesky soul?  I don't have a soul.  Grr.  Argh.  See?" he growled making a pathetic attempt at an evil snarl.  "Demon just as yourself here," he fumbled mindlessly over the words he sputtered.

"Don't play games with me boy!  You cannot fool me!  I can see it, burning inside of you.  And you did it for HER!" he growled as he shoved his fist into Spike's side, eliciting a loud cry from the torn man.  The First, in the guise of the Master, twisted his hand inside of the victim's flesh, only to pull it out just as forcefully and lick the dripping blood from his fingers.  "I can taste is too you know.  All of that love for her… desire… longing.  You think you can be equals with her?  Hmmph," the Master snorted.  "its time you saw what is to come, my son.  You switched to the wrong side.  But I do believe that I can persuade you to rejoin my team," and with a wave of his long fingers the earth began to quake.  A vision appeared before Spike in the form of a misty cloud above the seal. 

Visions of Buffy and her friends fighting endless armies of minions and demons flashed in the brilliant sphere.  First Xander was brought down, then the demon bird.  Soon came Willow and the Watcher.  Spike cringed as he saw Dawn's form run through with a sword before it too fell to the ground.  Last was Buffy, fighting as bravely and passionately as ever against the sea of evil.  She battled until they completely surrounded her and engulfed her form completely, ripping her limb from limb.

"NOOOOO!" came a terrified yell as he watched the woman he loved being feasted upon by greedy vampires.  The scene then changed to one of a world only imagined in nightmares.  Demons running rampant all over town, killing humans in some of the most gruesome ways Spike had ever seen flickered in the light of the mist.  It was truly hell on earth, and Spike should know.  He had been there.

The vampire waved his hand again, the sphere disappearing into thin air.  "See my childe, what the world will be like once we are victorious?  Isn't just like you had imagined?  All chaos and evil.  I know you will love it as much as I do.  I have seen visions of your cruelty in my slumber.  Images of you and your dark princess." Spike trembled at the mention of Drusilla.  "Yes," he hissed.  "Drusilla.  The love of your life as it were.  Don't you want her back?  The two of you can reign at my side over this world of wickedness."  The vampire walked away from Spike, hands behind his back.  "She, dear boy, has already agreed.  Isn't that right my beautiful queen?"

A lithe form floated from the shadows and took the creatures hand.  Spike's eyes broadened at the sight before him.  "Yes, my master," came the all too familiar accent.  "The stars have willed it so.  They scream of the death and destruction that is to come." Her head twitched slightly as she turned it to the right and approached Spike's bloody form. 

"My Spike," she whispered huskily, "My William."  She ran her hands over his muscular chest.  "It's everything we dreamed of.  All the cakes and tea we want.  We can walk in worlds that no one imagined."  Spike tightened at the reference she made.  Her hands roamed seductively over his body until they reached his zipper. "But first, mummy has come to make her boy all better," she smiled with a wicked gleam in her eyes.  Spike inhaled sharply and prayed for the first time in over a hundred years as Drusilla began to work her evil magic on his betraying body.

TBC