Chapter 7. There is No Place Like Home.
In England, everyone is busy in the library researching portals and beings that can open portals. Dawn and Connor head over to a solitary place in one of the aisles. Dawn puts a book back and sees Connor right behind her.
"What?" asks Dawn as she noticed that he was staring at her. She smiles at him.
"We didn't really get a chance to talk," says Connor as he walks closer to her.
"Talk about what?"
"Besides the fact that your life has been as freaky as mine. By any chance, you've never been to another dimension, have you?"
"Not of the late. But I think I came from one. Not too sure about that."
"Huh?"
"It's a long story. You see I was this thing called the key and I opened a portal to some hell dimension that some hell god wanted to open."
"Really?"
"And she had to bleed me to open the portal. My blood was the key." Dawn bows her head. "It's pretty weird."
"I can see that."
"How do you know so much about portals and stuff?"
"I haven't myself had a normal life. Got thrust through a portal when I was really young. I was taken away from my father."
"That's so sad."
"When I came back, all grown up, it had only been like maybe months since I left."
"You're dad must have been happy to have you back."
"Yeah, but we had some issues. I was told that my dad was evil and I guess most people would say he was once." Connor sighs. "I know what he did for me, trying to give me a normal life, it was great and I got to meet you online and meet you in person, which I wasn't planning on. Anyways, he's not a popular guy and especially not with you."
"What are you talking about? I don't know your dad, do I?"
"The reason I know Spike is because Angel's my dad."
"What?"
Back in the real world, Xander drives the girls back to Kat's house and they all get inside. As the three enter the house, they see that someone else is in the house. Buffy gets ready to fight whatever evil is lurking around the corner, until they see Tammy, Kat's best friend.
"Hi," says Tammy. "Where is Kat? What are you two doing here?"
"Kat's in their world and they're here because someone is causing portals all over to open randomly and take beings to different dimensions," Xander explains.
"Wow," says Tammy as she puts her notebook down. "Sounds like a big bad is coming."
"That's what I said." Xander goes by Tammy and heads over to the kitchen.
"I drank the last Hawaiian punch." Xander stops in his tracks and rolls his eyes.
"I should have known."
"Sorry. I was thirsty."
"There was diet coke."
"But I didn't want any. I was craving Hawaiian punch."
"Don't tell me you're pregnant, too?" asks Cordy.
"Who else is pregnant?" asks Tammy.
"Me," replies Buffy.
"Finally."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, I mean you did it with a lot of guys, dead and alive and you never got pregnant. I know those pills aren't full proof you know."
"What?"
"Tammy, she is so funny," says Xander as he leans over to her ear and whispers. "Don't get a pregnant woman mad, especially Buffy."
"Okay, so what are we going to do?" asks Tammy. "Who's the big bad? Let's kick his ass."
"Um, that's the problem we have."
"Problem, which is?"
"We don't know who the big bad is."
"Yep, that's a problem."
"I'm getting a reading," says Wesley. "Some seismic energy of some sort. It must be a portal."
"Good," says Kennedy. "Now Willow taught me something about portals and how to back track to where the portals originally opened."
"You mean who really conjured up the opening of the portal."
"Yeah, it's like a computer trick when you try to hack into a system. The same with the portal."
"That's actually a smart idea."
"Thanks."
"So, we can track whoever is opening the portals," says Angel.
"Yes," replies Wesley. He messes around with a device that he has in his hand and points it at the portal. The portal appears and starts to change colors and rotations. "This should take us to whoever opened this portal." Fred quickly grabs Wesley's hand and begins to shake a little. "Fred, you can stay here. You don't have to go."
"No," says Fred. "I want to go." She takes a deep breath.
"Alright," says Wesley. "Fasten your seatbelts." The four of them enter the portal and it pulls them in. All they see is a whirl of scatter lights then suddenly a scene starts to appear and they stop spinning. The four walk up some white stairs. On the sides they see a million windows and all of them are open.
"What is this place?" asks Fred.
"I have no idea," replies Angel as he looks around.
"It's a nice reality," says Kennedy.
"I know where we are," says Wesley. "We are in the mist of time and space."
"Huh," Angel and Kennedy both say.
"It's the place where time and space is kept. A guardian should be here."
"So, all of time is controlled here," asks Fred.
"Yes, it keeps the different times or dimensions from opening into one another."
"Which is what's happening now," says Kennedy. "That means the guardian is…"
"Dead," Wesley finishes her sentence.
"How can we bring about order here?" asks Angel. "There has to be a way."
"The guardian uses an octagonal crystal, which moves like a puzzle piece to create balance."
"Look there," says Fred when she sees someone lying on the floor. They all go over to the body. It's a woman with golden long hair in white. She has a wound in her gut and bled to death. "But where's the crystal?"
"Someone killed her," says Angel as he begins to use his special vamp skills. "I bet you whoever did has got the crystal."
"We need to track the crystal," says Kennedy.
"How are we going to do that?" asks Wesley.
"The crystal is a belonging of hers, right? So, scry for her." Kennedy pulls a piece of hair from the woman guardian.
"I guess it's our only chance."