Author's Notes: Set four years after 'Becoming' part two. Buffy ran away, and didn't come back. Now, four years later, she's about to be reminded of who and what she really is.

Rating: PG-13. Language and strong themes. Sorry, kiddies.

Disclaimer: Nothing you recognise is mine. Don't sue, please.

Feedback: Very welcome. Constructive criticism is welcome; flames will be used to help me toast marshmallows.

Chapter Notes: Language gets a bit heavier from now – Spike does like his words – so the rating may go up soon. Sorry. It's also a bit of a shorter chapter – but I've got a hundred pages now, all told, which is...fifty more than the chapter below. Yay, go me.

Chapter Nine: Problems

She regained consciousness with a scream that brought everyone running into the training room at the back of the Magic Box. Max was already there, sitting researching, watching over her. He was the first at her side, helping her stand on shaky legs.

"Are you alright? What happened?" he demanded.

She blinked several times. "I...I had..." She put a hand to her head, as if she could stave off the impending headache. "Ethan?" His cool hands came to rest on her temples, and the headache receded. She leaned into his arms with a grateful sigh. "Thanks."

"Buffy, what happened?" Angel demanded. "You wouldn't fight her..."

Buffy closed her eyes. "It's The Beast," she heard herself say. "She's The Beast."

Whilst her words meant next to nothing to those of her friends who had not been in Phtygiktha, to those who had it was as if their death knell had been sounded. Max staggered back, stopped from falling only by Spike's support. Marcus did fall, knees hitting the wooden floor as he stared in disbelief. Sarah gave a whimpering noise and backed away from the group. Ethan let go of Buffy in shock.

Willow frowned. "Well, yeah," she said cautiously. "We knew that already." She looked accusingly at Spike. "Didn't you tell them Glory's names?"

"We did," Spike said defensively.

"Not all of them," Giles realised with a thoughtful air. "Glory and Glorificus, yes, but not the Beast."

"Well, you might have thought of that before dragging us all the way here," Buffy said quietly. She turned to Max. "Call everyone, tell them I'm very sorry, but we're packing up and going home."

He nodded. "Right. Of course." He left to use the Magic Box phone.

Buffy turned to Sarah. "Sarah, can you buy some supplies? Anything we'll need to close up the portal at home." The woman nodded and followed Max. "Marcus, could you pack up all the stuff here?"

"Sure thing, Annie," he nodded. "Are you alright? She didn't do anything to you, did she? We all felt the pull..."

Buffy shrugged. "I needed to push her off me. She...didn't do anything. Pulled some hair." Her hand drifted up to her scar. "Called me some names." She tried to joke. "She's a real bitch."

Ethan enveloped her in a hug. "You're not whatever she said you were," he told her firmly. "You're not, Annie."

"Hold on, let me see if I've got this right," Faith broke in, looking pissed off. "You're leaving? Just because you've heard of her before?"

"We haven't just heard of her," Buffy told her sharply. "She's from Phtygiktha, Faith. She's one of the triumvirate of rulers there." She shook her head. "I was there the longest out of our group, and even I'd never seen her. I guess I know why, now. But the stories...by Haghd, the two I faced were bad enough. By Haghd, I'm not facing a third, not with Hattie in this town, not with my family here, not when I've been trying to build a new life for myself."

"Annie," Max called from the front of the shop. "Charlotte's here, with Hattie."

Buffy swore in the other language, and stormed into the front of the shop. "Charlotte! I told you to stay away!"

Charlotte shifted Hattie on her hip and glared at her mother. "Really, mom. You actually thought I'd listen to you?"

"Charlotte..."

"It was the Beast, wasn't it?"

Buffy looked away.

"Mommy!" Hattie cried impatiently. "Hug!"

Buffy gathered her daughter into her arms and buried her face in Hattie's curls. "Hey, sweetie."

"Mommy hurt?"

"No, Hattie, I'm not hurt." She set the little girl onto the ground. "You're getting too heavy for me to carry you around," she smiled.

"I'm growing," Hattie nodded seriously. She turned her attention to the other people in the room. Ignoring the ones she knew, she focused her attention on Dawn. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "You look like mommy and Jake!"

"Jake?" Dawn questioned.

"My brother," Hattie said proudly. "He's big and grownded up." Her face wrinkled into a frown. "You're different," she pronounced. "You don't belong." She lifted her hand and pointed before Buffy could stop her. "You don't belong," she said again clearly.

Several things happened at once. Charlotte grabbed Hattie and spun her away so she wasn't pointing at her 'aunt' anymore. Sarah reached her arms out and raised a shield around the child. Buffy leapt at Dawn, trying to grab hold of her. Dawn flickered in and out of reality, panic evident on her face. Buffy screamed, pain wracking through her body as she and her sister were pulled through dimensional walls.

And then they were gone.

Silence.

Hattie started crying softly.

Spike was at her side in a moment, lifting her up by her jacket, eyes yellow. "What the fuck did you do?" he growled. "Where the hell is Dawn?"

Max came at him, pulling Hattie out of his hands. "Leave her alone," he snapped. "She's just a child."

"She made Dawn go!"

"She didn't mean to!"

"Mommy's gone to the bad place," Hattie said quietly. All eyes turned to her. "She's gone to the bad place with the Key." She tilted her head, eyes fixed on Spike, who was staring at her with an angry gaze. "Are you going to save her?"

"Why should I?"

"Because you're the Alpha," Hattie said earnestly. "You're like she is."

"Take her back to the hotel, Charlotte," Sarah said after a moment. "Marcus, go with her. We'll stay here." Marcus looked as if he was about to hesitate. "Dammit, Marcus, for once in your life do what you're asked!"

The three left. Ethan started feeling out the spot from where Dawn and Buffy had disappeared. After a moment Giles joined him, the two old sorcerers working together. Max tried to reach out to his former mate through their bond, but couldn't reach her.

Then Ethan cursed.

"What is it?" Angel demanded. "Do you know where she is?"

"Yes," Ethan nodded grimly. "They're in Phtygiktha."

There was silence for a moment, then Anya raised her hand. "At least Glory can't use Dawn now," she offered. Everyone stared at her. "Well, you gotta look on the bright side..."

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Coming next chapter:

Buffy and Dawn in Phtygiktha.