Title: Demons from the past

Rating:PG-13

Disclaimer:Not smart enough, or enough money so it ain't mine. DAMN YOU WHEDON!

Summary: My first real sequel, all others have been fakes, kind of an AU of S7 so a bit more original than most.

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It's times like these she misses the coven. She had her own room and bathroom. Everyone got three meals a day and a warm comfy bed. Now she shared her room with two other people.

The fact one of them snored wasn't the bad part.

The fact one of them kept flirting with her and making her blush wasn't the bad part, not bad at all.

No, the bad part was that there was twelve people in one house, and only one bathroom. Which meant that if you ever wanted to see a shower or toothbrush before breakfast, you had to get up before dawn. It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't spend each day staying up until ungodly hours training, patrolling or researching. And to top everything off, it seemed the demon activity was building again. Willow sighed as she walked to the bathroom.

Things were getting worse.

The fight that had been slowly building was picking up speed. But so had the number of people in the house.

Two weeks after Slice-n-dice ended the rampage he had been on, Giles arrived. They were at Buffy's house at the time, all eating/researching some spell that made certain demons heads explode. They were arguing over who got the last donut when the doorbell rang and Buffy snatched it while getting up. They immediately ran to the door when they heard Buffy's scream. Course they had mistaken a squeal of joy for a scream of terror.

Willow thought about how that reflected the level of tension.

They all were in anticipation. They knew the fight was coming and were in full attack mode when they reached the door. What they found was not what they had expected. A teary eyed slayer hugging a slightly red Giles. The redness was either from the fact the slayer was not checking her strength, effectively cutting off his air supply, or from the fact there were three men and women standing behind him watching.

Buffy noticed their audience and let go of a slightly panting Watcher.

Later in the living room Giles briefed them on the situation at hand. The Watchers counsel had been destroyed, blown up apparently. Fortunately he was able to warn them, though his warning had gone mostly unheard, a hand full were able to walk out before the building exploded. They then had set out to warn the field watchers. Sadly though there were few left.

After consolidating their forces the began gathering potential slayers and sending them to different covens that could protect them and safe-houses around the world. The few potential slayers who already were being trained and had watchers assigned to them were sent to Sunnydale.

The men who came with Giles were watchers. And the women were their slayers in training. The three men were Davis O'Neil, Charles Winthrop and Augustus Chamberlin.

Davis was the same height as giles except he had straight black hair that was cut short in a business like way. His face was a picture of italy. He looked to be in his thirties. He was dressed in a semi casual manner and looked like he could have been a hot teacher.

Charles Winthrop was the tallest of the three. He looked to be in his 40's and looked to be a snobbish New Englander. His hair was receding and dressed in the usual tweed. His face was long and narrow. He looked and acted like he could be a mean principle.

Augustus was short, tweed dressed man with a small face and beedy eyes. He looked like he could be the Janitor no one noticed. The slayers themselves were a clear result of their watchers.

Davis's trainee, Rona, a seventeen year old Girl with cocoa skin and braided black hair, was strong and independent, but relied on him much like Buffy relied on Giles, but because of his age he lost that fatherly stature, becoming more of a teacher and a friend.

Charle's, or 'Mr. Winthrop' as he so promptly corrected Willow, potential was Alice, a mousy girl who you had to tell to do something all the time. She was obviously a product of the teaching "A slayer is a tool, a weapon" and had almost now self-assuredness or confidence. Because of his belief in the "weapon" belief he often wore a disapproving grimace whenever around Buffy or her friends. Even more so was his discouragement of Alice in interacting with them. So she always kept her distance. Only taking orders.

Finally Augustus's trainee was Kennedy. Keeping with his looks, he was not confident or commanding, often giving up to her suggestions. This in tern made her very argumentative and bossy. Also very stubborn, she wouldn't give up until she got her way. She and Rona often clashed. The potential was very obviously gay and made a habit of making Willow blush.

Willow herself didn't really know how she should be feeling about it. For some reason this was stirring up feelings that had been labeled long ago "Tara feelings" but this wasn't Tara, so what did that mean?

Shaking it off she felt his presence outside the house. It was faint, like a feather across the skin. Not enough to keep you awake, or alarm you, just enough to let you know he was there. They had asked that he not show up in front of their guests. Oddly enough Willow couldn't think of a reason why. But there had to be one, because when he showed up like clockwork one night to see if they needed help they all told him. He didn't say anything, but she could tell he didn't like it. That was about a week ago. From then on he would approach them when they were alone. Willow noticed that he talked to Buffy more than anyone else. What did that mean?

Since the time they had arrived things started getting worse. They had seen their first demon in a long time. And soon they were all fighting at least three demons a night.

What scared her was the fact she knew slice-n-dice, as Buffy dubbed him, was patrolling also, and if three demons could get past him, then how many were actually hunting. Patrolling itself was a daily debate, and through it the chain of command was set up.

Mr. Winthrop would often try to talk over Buffy to Giles about certain decisions that had to be made. Davis would throw ideas out everyone, but hesitated from taking orders from Butty. Augustus just did what he was told.

Giles was actually the most surprising, Buffy had fallen into the leader position, giving orders on training, patrolling, everything. But Giles still tried to be that role, because he had always been the one to give orders and Buffy to kinda follow them. Willow knew it bothered Buffy, but there had yet to be a confrontation. She knew though that it was building on the horizon.

The potentials themselves were easier to deal with, well except for Kennedy. She would often try to listen in on Scooby meetings as if she was one of them or would challenge an order from Buffy she didn't like. That pissed Buffy off to no end and she showed it freely.

Things were not going along smoothly.

There was a little itch at the back of the witches mind. She still didn't understand why they all had insisted he stay away.

Finishing her shower and scrubbing her teeth she turned to go down the hall.

Out of the corner of her eyes she caught a glint of metal. Acting out of instinct she ducked down just as a axe buried itself in the door frame. She looked up to see Augustus, only his face was twisted into a angry sneer as he struggled to get the axe out of the frame. Thinking quickly she threw her hands up to create a electrical shock, but nothing happened. It was as if he was protected. He finally managed to rip the axe out. He then looked at the witch on the floor with a sickening smile. She opened her mouth to scream but before she could he silenced her with a word laced with magic.

"Goodbye witch."

His voice had become something high-pitched and throaty. The terror she hadn't felt in a long time coursed through her as he raised his axe. She closed her eyes when she saw it start to move down.

But the blow never came, instead she heard the distinct sound of a fist meeting a head at high speeds, and then the sound of a body and axe hitting the floor.

Opening one eye she saw that Chamberlin had been knocked out and was bleeding from a cut on the head. In an instant Buffy was at her side.

"God Willow you okay!?"

The witch suddenly got her voice back.

"He, he was going, and I couldn't."

"What the Bloody hell is going on here!"

They both looked to see a very irate and tired Winthrop in his bathrobe. Willow had to bite back a small laugh at the way his hair was going in all directions,

well what was left of it.

Her body was still shaking from the adrenaline rush. The scoobies were sitting with along with the potentials around the kitchen island. Giles and the other watchers were standing outside of it. Giles was rubbing his glasses like they had been in a big puddle of mud.

"Are you quite sure?"

He sounded a bit more than angry.

"Yeah, it's kinda hard not to be sure when he's swinging an axe at your head."

Catching himself his voice took a softer tone.

"What I mean is, are you sure it was him doing it, could he have been controlled?"

Willow thought about it for a moment.

"I'm pretty sure, I mean when he missed, I tried to call out for help, but he magiced me so I couldn't."

Winthrop scoffed.

"A member of the counsel working for the other side, it's preposterous."

Davis interjected.

"Actually it's really quite strategic, what better way for them to strike at us, but from within."

Willow could almost see the crush forming in Dawns heart.

Xander commented.

"But how did no one notice, I mean, He must have been with people on a regular basis, so how did no one notice."

Kennedy's sad voice was heard.

"Well they could have killed him and replaced him. I mean the man would take walks during the night. They could have gotten him and replaced him."

They all nodded and discussed what they should do with the, whatever it was, downstairs. Dawns voice interrupted them.

"Wait, Buffy how did you know Willow was in trouble. I mean he magiced her so she couldn't speak, so how did you know?"

Buffy's brow furrowed.

"I'm not sure. I I heard a voice telling me to wake up, and when I got up to look I heard a noise, probably the axe hitting the door frame. Before I knew it there was Chamberlin, holding the axe."

Everyone pondered for a moment trying to figure out who might have been able to wake her. The sound of the newspaper slapping onto the counter brought everyone's attention to the vengeance demon.

"It's so obvious."

Xander was the first to ask.

"Who Anh?"

Rolling her eyes she looked straight at Buffy.

"Who isn't here and would have most likely figured out something was wrong?"

They could see the realization wash over the Slayer. Xander made eye contact, the question shining.

"Slice-n-dice."

"Who?"

Xander was the one who answered the question.

"Our resident do gooder demon. He came with Willow."

His eyes reached Giles who took it from there.

"Slice-n-dice, from what the coven has told me and I will not ask why you all call him that, was the only creature able to banish the first evil. The followers of that evil seek to resurrect it. So naturally they summoned him and sent him here with Willow."

When it was obvious Giles had no more information Kennedy was the first to speak up.

"So when do we meet him?"

The gang looked at each other nervously, except for Buffy who just looked at Kennedy. Willow could tell the slayer's mind was debating something, but she just didn't know what. Dawn was the one who answered.

"We kinda asked him not to come here in front of you guys."

She said the last part quickly as if hoping to soften the blow.

"Why on earth did you do that?"

Dawn cringed at the slight harshness in Giles tone. Davis came to the defense in a casual tone.

"Well obviously Chamberlin knew this Slice and dice fellow could make him, so he probably put a spell on them to keep him away, fortunately it didn't work."

Willow caught Dawn's shy smile. They all agreed, even Xander, though he was a bit hesitant.

"When he comes to see you ask him to stay so we might meet this 'do-gooder demon."

Willow wondered if Winthrop was a demon himself. Before she met him she thought she would never meet anyone more condescending and snobby than Cordelia.

She was wrong. He was looking at Giles as he spoke.

"Now to the subject of interrogation of the prisoner..."

Willow almost moved from the table when Buffy got up. But to her surprise the slayer was calm when she spoke.

"Actually I don't think that will be a problem."

Everyone looked at her with questioning gazes. She wore a smile that said she was enjoying putting Winthrop in his place.

"Everyone meet Slice-n-Dice."

Holding her hand out toward the basement door they all turned to see the figure clad in black leaning casually against the basement door. The guests stepped back as they noticed that he was slowly wiping his blood covered hands with a rag. They stood silent for a moment before he threw the rag in the trash and turned his head toward Buffy. The watchers and potentials noticed that even though the kitchen was well lit they couldn't see his face. The potentials were startled when he spoke.

"Your going to need a mop and bucket."

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A/N:That was the longest friggin chapter yet. I hope you like it, I really didn't feel like writing so the beginning might be a bit off or sloppy.

I also didn't have the energy to edit it really well, so there are probably a lot of errors.

I beg that you review this, and I command that you visit my favorite stories and authors. Obey or suffer. kidding :) (mostly)