Part 21

"So you're going to use the DSN as decoys for me?" Willow was trying to wrap her mind around the idea of multiple Willows running around.

"That's one of the plans. The Shapeshifters can also be inanimate objects and animals besides taking human form."

"Why don't they shift into Ethan and control his army?"

"You think like a shifter, Willow."  Stacy's empathic abilities were slowly getting back to normal though she kept a discrete distance from Willow. "That's a little known fact in the last war. They didn't shift into Ethan but one of them did shift into a high ranking wizard and turned the battle to our favor."

"I don't mean to be rude but have you ever fought in a war in your world?" Robert asked Willow as he took a seat on a nearby chair. "Wesley and Rupert have told us a little about your life so we know that there are parallels and that magick isn't prevalent in your reality."

Willow nodded, she understood the question that Robert was asking. This would be a war not a fight against the big bad of the week. "I fought alongside Buffy, our Slayer, since I was fifteen so I've battled demons, vampires and a Mayor that wanted to Ascend into a demon. Hell, I've been on the other side as well but no I haven't fought in a war like atmosphere like this will be."

Faith got a belligerent look on her face as she turned to the Council members. "I've not fought in a war either. Sure skirmishes with Gwendolyn, Ethan and his army but the last big battle happened six years ago before I was even called. Hell, half of us here haven't fought in a war. Willow has more experience to draw on then most of us, probably even you."

Willow hoped her mouth wasn't hanging open. It was a surreal experience to have Faith defend her to others. Rupert smiled at Faith as he reached for Willow's hand. It might take a while for his Slayer to like you but once she did you were part of her family and NO ONE messed with Faith's family.

Robert cleared his throat but Willow interrupted before he could respond to Faith's declaration.

"Thank you, Faith but I think Robert was just making sure that I could take care of myself and others in a war situation where everyone is a target or a potential threat. You all have taken a lot on faith and my word and I can't tell you how much that means to me but the Council knows about me even less and they can't afford to take my word for anything." 

Willow turned to Robert and Stacy, "In my world most of the demons, vampires and others are after the Slayer and the Slayerettes are sort of in the background. Oh we help Buffy and in some cases have saved her but in the end it's the Slayer that does the fighting. However, you'll find there's nothing more menacing than a powerful witch on a rampage defending those that she cares about." 

In a quiet voice she told the Council and the others in vivid detail what she had done against Warren, her Giles and friends. When she finished talking the silence was deafening to her ears. Rupert absently rubbed the back of Willow's hand that was grasping his tightly. He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her temple.

Wesley had a shell-shocked look on his face while the Council members looked at her with interest. It looked like they were calculating the best way to use her now they knew what she was capable of.

Jesse stood and walked over to Willow and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "My Willow would have done the same thing if I'd have died."

Willow whipped her head around as Jesse's words sunk in. He wore a sad smile, "I told the others not to tell you, I didn't want you to feel awkward around me. It was bad enough for you here without knowing that Willow was my fiancé before she died."  He reached down and wiped a tear off her cheek.

Faith and Tara looked at her with a mixture of awe and wariness. "Damn, Red remind me not to piss you off and can I be the one to tell Veruca what you can do?"

A soft sigh escaped Willow's lips as the tension in the room got noticeably lighter after Faith's comment. Rupert and Dru had been the only ones that knew the true extent of her powers and actions back in Sunnydale. Dru because she glimpsed it in Willow's mind when they first met and Rupert because she wanted him to know EVERYTHING about her. Stacy slowly relaxed the tension from her body. Now she knew the causes of the extreme emotions that she felt when she'd shaken Willow's hand. She could erect better shields now that she knew the extent of Willow's past.

"Our operative in Ethan's army said that Ethan felt your power as soon as you entered our reality. Now I can see why he did and why Gwendolyn became obsessed with you," Amy said. "She's powerful but not enough that it would cause a magickal ripple to be sensed half a continent away. You must have given her nightmares." A slow smile spread across Amy's face as she said that.

The ringing of the doorbell interrupted the meeting. Wesley looked around curiously before he asked the Council members, "Are you expecting anyone?"

Amy shook her head no, "Only a select few even know that we're here."

Jesse stood to answer the door, "Well, obviously it's not an attack otherwise they wouldn't have rung the bell."

"What the hell!!"

The others came running to the front door at Jesse's exclamation.

Standing on the front porch were two Jesses and a Wesley.

Wesley stopped dead in his tracks as he took in the two Jesses and the other him. It always spooked him when he saw a shapeshifter using his body. The first time he'd seen one he thought it was a robot that Jonathan had made.

Faith dropped into fighter stance, reached for a stake and stood in front of Wesley. She let her Slayer instincts take over but she couldn't tell the differences in the Jesses. "Jesse what's Xander's favorite food?"

Both Jesses turned to her, one said Twinkies the other said Ho-hos.

Damn, they even sounded alike but she grabbed the arm of the Jesse that had said Twinkies and pulled him behind her. The other Jesse smiled and then morphed into Faith before saying, "Very good, Slayer."

The others watched in fascination as the shapeshifters morphed into their true forms. Willow took an instinctive step back when the two suitcases morphed into a humanoid form.

Amy whispered in her ear, "We did say they could be inanimate objects as well."

Darla, Angel, William, Dru and Xander had heard Jesse's exclamation, the accelerated heartbeats and the sound of running feet, which brought them into the courtyard in full vamp face.

"Everyone alright?" Angel asked as his face slowly relaxed into its human form.

"Yeah, it just caught me off guard." Jesse said over his shoulder. He hadn't taken his eyes off the form that had been him.  He didn't think he'd get over the shock of seeing himself on the other side of the door any time soon.

"I am Erado of the DSN. We offer our services on behalf of our government and the Wizarding Council."  One of the shifters came forward and shook Rupert's hand and then turned to Robert, Stacy and Amy. "Have they been briefed?"

"We gave them the latest intel on Ethan and his plans for attack and that the DSN have been called."

Erado turned to Willow, "We believe that Ethan will target you, Rupert and the mirror himself. The others will have their hands full fighting Ethan's armies all over this city and others. There will be two prong assault and we hope to meet him on both fronts."