DISCLAIMER: Don´t own, please don´t sue

Notes: I realize this is not my brightest hour…so much groundwork to lay before the next chapter! So please forgive me and bear with me! Next chaper will be much better! I promise!

FROM SHADOW

„ Buffy:" The word hung in the air like thunder. It was as though time had stopped for an instant as everybody stood there in overwhelming quiet.

Mal arched an eyebrow, clearing his throat at the uncomfortable silence. Of all the times he´d ever been in a tight spot, this was the first time that Malcolm Reynolds really contemplated the concept of being in over his head.

"Now …..everybody just hold on for a minute…." He said, watching the doctor trying to gather his sister up from the floor. River didn´t seem to care much for that. She shook her brother off as though he was nothing more than a nasty mosquito, remaining in her crouch in front of Alice. Angel had turned to glare at Spike while Alice´s angry gaze was wandering between the two vampires.

" …last time I heard, this girl was supposed to be dead, right?"

"Right." Angel ground out.

"So …how is this workin´?"

It's not!"

"In our world, death is not the end." Spike ground out between his teeth.

"You said that to me once, remember?

"Spike, this is not the time!"

"The hell it is!" Alice hissed at him, standing up in one smooth motion. She held her hand out to River without taking her eyes from the two vampires. River attentively took it and let the other girl pull her to her feet. The slayer wasn´t much taller than Simon´s dainty sister. Standing next to each other they both looked frail, vulnerable, so small and very, very young.

Still; Mal had seen what Alice could do and her actions belied the deceiving frailty of her body. There were moments when he was certain that one day, River might also turn out to be more of a surprise than any of them might be able to handle.

"There will be no more secrets." Alice said coldly. "You tell me , you will tell me now or I will walk away from this and find out myself! I am not a child, I am the slayer! So was she ….you both loved her and for whatever reason she is obviously not done with you yet!"

"It was a long time ago, Alice. Things were different then." Angel told her quietly.

"What did you mean…….when you said that death is not the end?"

"We´ve seen things in our time."

"People…..coming back from the dead?" Simon asked wearily.

"Not like that."

"Not like vampires either…" Spike cut in. "There are more levels to death, to heaven and hell ……rules can be broken."

"Buffy is long gone. She had her life. Her bones have turned to dust on earth that was long before we ever met you." Angel said to Alice with a note of anguish in his dark voice.

"Then why is it that she took me over? If she is gone as you say …if she has moved on, what does she want with me?" The slayer shook her head, long auburn curls shifting over her back like waves.

"This girl …..she saw it. She told me!"

" My sister is ….crazy. She is not herself, most of the time I don´t even know what she says!" Simon interjected carefully. Alice could hear the sadness and fatigue in his words.

"I wouldn´t say that."

Mal turned his head to find the green, red- horned demon standing in the corridor. He leaned against the wall, his shoulders hunched.

"Your sister is probably the sanest person I have ever met. She sees things more clearly than any of us and she speaks only truth. She is just ….overwhelmed with what she perceives."

"She was traumatized…."

"Call it what you will…." Lorne returned with a shrug, his gaze shifting towards Angel.

"I can´t believe that after all these centuries you would drag me into this!"

"Oh ….C'mon Lorne! This is hardly my fault. I didn´t know this was going to happen!"

"More pressing point is what do we do about it?" Spike asked, with a glance at the still furious slayer.

"Lorne?"

The demon rolled his eyes elicited an angry snort.

"When did I become the go to guy for this kind of stuff?"

Both vampires gave him impatient, ironic looks.

"If there is a way you can help….. Please tell me…." Alice pleaded softly.

"Well, pumpkin …I might know of someone who might be of assistance." Lorne sighed heavily. "I have never met this …person myself. I don´t really know her and truth be told I never planned to, but she might be able to help you muddle through all this."

"How do we find her?"

The demon pursed his lips.

"I had a few patrons who talked about her quite a lot, but …and I cannot stress this enough, I did not plan on meeting her …ever!"

"Who?" Spike asked impatiently.

"Well, this is going to sound a bit melodramatic, but…."

"Out with it!" Angel growled finally.

Lorne gave Alice a tired smile and shrugged.

" Her name is Shae….."

" Now that doesn´t sound very dramatic!" Mal opined.

" The betrayed, the shadow queen …, the enchantress, the spell weaver…..the witch-queen of Emmen Roth."

"Oh ….." Mal narrowed his eyes. "Emmen Roth? I heard of that place."

"Can you take us there, to that planet?"

Serenity´s captain pursed his lips. " It´s not a planet. It was a third or fourth moon..once ….now it´s just bits and pieces. Not much more than an asteroid field. Alliance blew the damn system apart during the war with weapons tests, there´s not much left."

"Can you take us there? Money will not be a problem."

"Oh …that won´t be the problem, lil´lady."

"Then what will?"

"Nobody goes there…..blast threw the whole thing outta orbit. There is no sun, no light …..and of course the story that that whole region is …..well, guess you people have heard and seen stranger things, judging from my limited experience….."

"Bloody place is haunted, isn´t it?"

"That's what they say."