A/N Thanks Willow. Thanks to you this fanfic might reach one hundred reviews. The most yet for me.

To dogbertcarroll come on man how many times have the Scoobies made stupid mistakes. Like Buffy still dating Angel during season three. She knew what would happen if they went to far and trust me in season three they came close. Another example of them doing something stupid was also in season three when they sent that evil version of Willow back home. She could have went back and killed alot of people for all they knew. Luckily she was dusted. Also here's another example, season six when Xander summoned that demon called sweets in once more with feeling. How dumb was that? How many people would think that you could summon and demon and everything would be cool? So come on, give the kids a break.

Also thanks Shawn P.

Summary of events so far. Faith never influences Buffy to steal because now she has a strong family struture. Doppplegang land (the episode where vamp Willow comes to play) never happens, since Anya's gone. Earshot still happens, except Faith is the one affected by the demon blood and she hears people's thoughts. She even talks Johnathon down from the school tower. And she feels his pain, when he tells her it was because he was lonely, hurting, and because people were messing with him. She then introduces him to the Scoobies.

Finch finds the Scoobies and tells them about the Mayor's plans and about the box of Gavrock. They later find him dead, because of the Mayor's goons. They also do the exchange for the box. Johnathon was the one that was captured. Joyce talks to Angel about Buffy after the prom. So now he's thinking about leaving for LA. Also Buffy get's her mom to take Dierdre and Dawn out of town so they would be safe. Not finding out much about the Ascension Xander decides to let the Hunter out.

Chapter 23

Ascension day pt. 1

"You've never seen a demon." the Hunter said looking at them all in turn.

"Uh, excuse me?" Buffy said raising her hand. "Kind of professionally, four years running."

"All the demons that walk the earth are tainted, are human hybrids like vampires." The Hunter corrects her. "The Ascension means that a human becomes pure demon. They're different."

"Different?" Giles asks.

"How?" asked Kendra with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, for one thing, they're bigger." The Hunter said remembering how he died.

"What about the spiders?" Faith asked interrupting him. "The Mayor had a box of spiders that he had to eat. The Box of... I want to say Grav-Locks?"

"Gavrock." Wesley corrects her.

"It doesn't ring a bell."

"Well, there must be something that you can remember that would be helpful?" Buffy asks.

The Mayor suddenly enters, alone. The group pulls back, Willow pulls Tara back as Buffy slips the newspaper "PROFESSOR FOUND MURDERED" out of sight.

"So, this is the inner sanctum." The Mayor says walking up to them. "Principal Snyder tells me this is where you folks like to hang out, concoct your little schemes. I tell you, it's just nice to see that some young people are still interested in reading in this modern era. So, what are kids reading nowadays?"

The Mayor walks to the table and picks up a book. Giles stands his ground and doesn't flinch at the proximity. Although the Hunter's eyes start to glow a milky white.

"The beast will walk upon the earth and darkness will follow. The several races of man will be as one in their terror and destruction. Aw, that's kind of sweet." The Mayor says sincerely. "All those different races coming together."

"You never get even a little tired of hearing yourself speak, do you?" Kendra asked.

"That's one spunky little girl you've raised." The Mayor says with a chuckle towards Sheila. "I'm gonna eat her."

The Hunter grabs Wesley's sword from the table and thrusts it through the Mayor's chest. The Mayor staggers back but regains his balance.

"Whoa! Well now, that was a little thoughtless." The Mayor says as he pulls the sword out of his chest. "Violent outbursts like that, in front of the children? You know, for somebody as old as you, you should know better." he says recognizing the seal of the Hunter.

"Get out." Buffy says through narrowed eyes.

The Mayor takes a handkerchief and slowly wipes the blood from the sword.

"I smell fear." The Mayor says smiling. "That's smart. Some of your deaths will be quick, if that's worth anything. Well, see you all at graduation." he says as he tosses the sword back to The Hunter.

"You don't want to miss my commencement address. It's going to be one heck of a speech." he says as he walks out of the library.

"W...why didn't you k...kill him?" Tara asked looking at the Hunter.

"Because my child." The Hunter said as his eyes returned to normal. "He is still protected by the magic of the one hundred days. Even I can't kill him now. We just have to wait."

"Wait for what?" Kendra asked.

"For him to Ascend." he said sadly.

In Willow's room

later that night

Tara is typing on the computer. Willow is laying on the bed, reading.

"Oh, this is so frustrating." Willow said throwing her hands up in the air.

"Nothing useful?" Tara asked as she stopped typing.

"No, it's great." Willow said with fake enthusiasm. "If we want to make ferns invisible, or communicate with shrimp, I've got the goods right here."

"O...our lives are different than other peoples'. "

"Oh, who am I kidding?" Willow said closing the book. "I'm not going to find a spell to stop the Ascension. Sheila and Giles already told me to forget about it and just let things happen the way they are gonna happen."

"Then stop worrying so much." Tara said as she got up and sat beside Willow.

"Tara could you just pretend to care about what's happening? Please?" Willow begged.

"You think I don't care?" Tara asked.

"I think we could die tomorrow and you just seem like you don't care."

"Well I'm not worried." Tara told her. "We have a whole group of people who say that we're gonna live to see another sunrise. And I trust them. Especially Xander. He saved me from a bad place and..." she stopped for a second and looked down at her hands. "I trust him with my life. If he says that we're all going to live, then we're all going to live. So stop worrying."

Willow leans forward and kisses her, slowly.

"What are you doing?" Tara asked shocked.

"I'm sorry." Willow began to babble. "I didn't mean too. I..." she's cut off as Tara's leans forward herself and kisses her softly.

"It's okay." Tara told her as they stopped kissing. "I just didn't know you liked me the way that I like you."

"You like me?" Willow asked. Tara didn't respond in words. She just looks into Willows eyes and the two kiss again.

In Professor Wirth's apartment.

Buffy and Faith are collecting papers and books and putting them in a file box. Angel appears at the front door and stumbles over the door jamb.

"Ow." Angel says as he stubs his toe.

"Very stealthy." Faith said grinning up at him.

"Not my best entrance." Angel said looking back out the door. "I think they were mopping in the halls."

"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked.

"I think we need to talk, but not now and not here." Angel said looking over at Faith.

"Hey I get the hint." Faith said picking up the box with the doctors info in it. "I'll catch you guys later." she said heading for the door.

"No. No, Faith you stay. Angel you've been acting wierd towards me lately so if you have something to say, then say it." Angel just stay's silent. "Angel, drop the cryptic. You're scaring me."

"I've been thinking... about our future. And the more I do, the more I feel like us, you and me being together, is unfair to you."

"Is this about what the Mayor said?" Buffy asked. "Because he was just trying to shake us up."

"He was right."

"No. No, he wasn't. He's the bad guy."

"You deserve more. You deserve something outside of demons and darkness. You should be with someone who can take you into the light. Someone who can make love to you."

"I don't care about that."

"You will." Angel said with a shake of his head. "And children."

"Children? Can you say jumping the gun? I kill my goldfish." Buffy said trying to lighten the mood.

"Today. But you have no idea how fast it goes, Buffy. Before you know it, you'll want it all, a normal life."

"I'll never have a normal life." Buffy scoffed.

"Right, you'll always be a Slayer. But that's all the more reason why you should have a real relationship instead of this, this freak show." Buffy looks stunned by his confession. "I didn't mean that."

"Faith let's go." Buffy said not wanting to hear this.

"I'm sorry." Angel said grabbing her arm. "Buffy, you know how much I love you. It kills me to say this."

"Then don't." Buffy said jerking her arm out of his grasp. "Who are you to tell me what's right for me? You think I haven't thought about this?"

"Have you, rationally?" Angel questioned.

"No. No, of course not. I'm just some swoony little schoolgirl, right?"

"I'm trying to do what's right here, okay? I'm trying to think with my head instead of my heart."

"Heart?" Buffy asked with tears in her eyes. "You have a heart? It isn't even beating!"

"Don't."

"Don't what?" she asked angrily. "Don't love you? I'm sorry. You know what? I didn't know that I got a choice in that. I'm never gonna change. I can't change. I want my life to be with you."

"I don't." he replied quietly.

"You don't want to be with me? I can't believe you're breaking up with me."

"It doesn't mean that I don't ..."

"How am I supposed to stay away from you?" Buffy asked cutting him off.

"I'm leaving. After the Ascension, after it's finished with the Mayor. If we survive, I'll go."

"Where?"

"I don't know." he said as he walked out of the room.

"Is this really happening?" Buffy asked as she surprisingly pulled Faith into a hug. Faith had her eyes opened wide, but returned the hug.

"I'm sorry B." Faith said patting her on the back lightly. "But I have to agree with him. He's right."

"How can you say that?" Buffy asks as they break their hug.

"Buffy you are going to want more. Every woman does when she get's older." Buffy thinks about this as her tears start to subside.

"Come on." Faith said looping an arm around her shoulder. "I'll get you something to eat."

"Can it be a fat free yogurt?" Buffy asked with a sniffle as she looked up at her.

"Damn B." Faith said with a shake of her head. "If you're going to hang out with me, you're going to have to pig out sometimes."

The next day

Six hours before Graduation

"Can you make this fast, Mr. Giles?" Larry asked as he walked into the library. Johnathon was already there talking animately to the older man. Thay had already got done setting up the bombs, but Larry wanted to go home and get ready. 'Hey if you're going to go out in battle, you might as well do it in style.' Larry thought to himself. (Giles had only a few books left in his library, before he packed them up.)

"Right. Right." Giles said as he heads for a bookshelf.

"What are we here for anyway?" Larry asks Johnathon.

"It was something about the demon." he answers.

"The local villagers near the volcano site made reference to the legend of Ollokai." Giles says as he appears from the stacks. "Might be a bastardization of Olvikan."

"Who's Olvikan?"

"I know it's a demon, a very old one. Might have a picture."

"Boy, it's a good thing no one ever wanted to check any of these books out, huh?" Johnathon asks.

"Yes, very convenient." Giles answers while flipping through the pages.

"Come on Olvikan. Hey." Larry says as he spots something on one of the pages.

Giles stops flipping pages. Larry unfolds a page, twice, like a centerfold.

"Damn I wish I had of been held back a year." Larry mutters.

Willow's bedroom

Clothes are scattered on the floor and draped over Amy-rat's cage. Willow and Tara cuddle in the bed. Tara strokes Willow's hair.

"I feel different, you know. I-I guess that makes sense. Do you feel different. Oh, no, you've already, probably, no big change for you. It was nice. Was it nice? Should this be a quiet moment?" Willow babbles.

"I know exactly what you mean." Tara says with a smile.

"Which part?"

"Everything from 'it's different'."

They kiss, then suddenly the phone rings. With a sigh Willow answers.

"Hello." she listens, then hangs up. "That was Xander, we've gotta go."


As Willow and Tara got to Sheila's house they saw alot of kids from school. As they walked into the living room they saw, Xander talking over a map of the school and the core Scoobies (All except Cordelia) and a few non- Scoobies giving him their undivided attention.

"Hey Will's, I'm glad you're here." Xander said as he looked up and saw the two together.

"Tara where were you last night?" Xander asked. "Did you sleep over at Willow's?"

"Y...you could say that." she said blushing, as she hid her face behind her hair. Xander just looked at the two in confusion and moved back over to the table.

"Alright, during the fight I want you two here." he said pointing to a spot on the map. "Tara are you sure that you want to go through with this?" Xander asked.

"I...I'm sure." she replied.

"Okay." then Xander started to go over his plans from the top with them. Then Sheila entered the room, wearing a huge smile.

"I'm sorry to interrupt." Sheila said to Xander.

"That's okay. What's up?" he asked.

"I have a couple of friends who want to help defeat de Mayor."

"Cool, who are they?" as soon as he said this two people stepped into the room. One he recognized and the other one was a beautiful woman with short raven hair.


Cordelia had just come from the bathroom from throwing up again. She had just had a vision, about the gruesome deaths of alot of her friends and other people from school. But the one death that stood out the most was Xander's. He had fought bravely in her vision, but in the end he had died as well.

Then her mind wandered back to a conversation, the two had a couple of days ago.

Flashback

In a hallway of Sunnydale High, students are picking up graduation caps and gowns. Cordelia and Xander are signing for their gowns.

"I can't believe this loser look." Cordelia said trying on a hat. "I lobbied so hard for the teal. No one ever listens to me. A lone fashionable wolf."

"I like the Maroon." Xander said trying on a gown. "Has more dignity."

"Dignity? You?" Cordelia asks increduously. "In relation to clothes? I am awash in a sea of confusion."

"I just want to look respectable in this, considering I'm probably gonna die in it."

"Excuse me?" Cordelia says with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm telling you. I woke up the other day with this feeling in my gut. I just know there's no way I'm getting out of this school alive."

"Wow, you've really mastered the power of positive giving-up."

"I've been lucky too many times. My number's coming up. And I was short! One more rotation and I'm shipping state-side, if you know what I mean?"

"Xander don't talk like that." Cordy said getting worked up.

"Hey, I was just kidding." Xander said half seriously as he put his hand around his shoulder.

"Hey after the Ascension, me and Ken were going to the movies. You want to come?" he asked as they walked off.

End Flashback

'That was so like, Xander.' Cordelia thought to herself. "Always the one to laugh in the face of danger." she said aloud. Biting down on her pride, which was hard for Cordelia Chase, she picked up the phone.

Cordelia knew that even if she warned him, Xander would still fight to the bitter end to make sure his friends were safe. Her decision made she dialed his number.


"Duncan." Xander said with a wide smile. "What are you doing here?" he asked as the two shook hands.

"I got a call from a friend..." he said as he glanced at Sheila. "And she said that you guys might need some more muscle."

"Cool man, thanks for coming." then he noticed the woman standing beside him. "Sorry for being rude, you are?" Xander asked as he extended his hand to her.

"My name is Amanda." she said taking his hand. "Hey Sheila you were right, he is a stud muffin." Amanda said taking a good look at Xander.

Kendra started to rise from her seat, but Faith put a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"Easy sis." she said with a smile. "We have an Ascension to worry about." with that said, she sat back down and glared at the newcomer.

After explaining to the Immortals, where and what he wanted them to do, the people started to pile out of the house so they could get ready. Leaving only Faith, Xander, and Kendra in the room.

"So this is the big day." Xander said as he pulled Kendra into a lingering kiss.

"Yes it seems so." she said enjoying the taste of his lips.

"Damn if you two get all mushy and shit, I'm leaving." Faith said as she started for the door.

"Faith wait!" Xander shouted out. Faith looked back at him with a little smirk.

"I don't do all of that kinky shit, Xan." she said with a wink. "At least not anymore."

"It's not..." Xander started to say. Then his eyes started to cloud over as he thought about him being in the bed with the both of them. He was brought out of his musings, as Kendra saw the far away look in his eyes and elbowed him in the ribs.

"Sorry." he said with a smile. "I just wanted you here to be a witness to something." he said as he looked from Faith to Kendra.

"Kendra I've been in love with you since we first met. I can't imagine my life without you." he said as he got down on one knee and took a black box out of his pocket. And presented her with a huge diamond. "That's why after we get done with the Mayor, I want to know if you would do me the honor of being my wife?"

Kendra just looked down at her boyfriend and smiled, then she started to cry. Getting down on her knee's herself, she kissed him fully on the mouth.

"Yes, Xander." she yelled out. "I'll be your wife."

"She said yes." Xander said as he stood to his feet and did the Snoopy Dance. Then he pulled her into a hug and twirled her around the room.

"Well shit sis." Faith said as she hugged her Sister Slayer. "I can't wait to be an aunt. So when are you two going to put some buns into the oven?" Kendra was saved from having to answer that question, because the phone rang.

"Hello." Kendra said into the phone. "Hi Cordelia... I ..." she stopped to listen to what Cordelia was saying and her eyes widened. "Yes... thank you for calling." she said as she hung up the phone.

"Honey who was that?" Xander asked as he pulled her into another hug.

"Dat was Cordelia... she just called to let us know dat she was sick." Kendra lied.

"Oh." Xander said as he noticed a certain look in Kendra's eyes. Before he could ask her what was wrong, she kissed him on the lips. This kiss was different though. Like she was saying goodbye.

"Listen we should go." Kendra said as she looked over Xander's shoulder. "Xander could you pass me dat battle axe?"

"Yeah." he said turning his back to her. Once he did, Kendra picked up a huge table lamp and broke it over his head. Before Xander slipped into unconciousness, the last thing he could think to say was..."Not again."

TBC...

Please review

If you want a picture of how I think Sheila should look, email me and I'll send you some pics.

A/N I know some of the scenes are the same from the show, but hey...

Also there's two more chapters left. One will be my ending and the other one will be some alternate endings for the fic. Also I know that Faith seems out of character but this is my version of her, if she was properly nurtured.