Somewhere in Boston, February 27th 1998
The young woman named Faith Lehane stared at the old English lady called Diana Dormer. "You wanna run that by me again?"
"You're a Potential Slayer, Faith," Professor Dormer told her, and after all the complicated explanations, the woman began to train her new charge in case she was Called as the new Slayer (which was considered somewhat unlikely). Diana had no idea that Faith would become the next Slayer during the summer of 1999, after Kendra met her end at the hands of Spike and Drusilla...
Otherwise, the Harvard professor would have done a lot of things differently, in no uncertain terms.
Elsewhere, Glory was in no rush to return home any longer. Mostly because she'd heard about DELOS and its theme parks. So she went ahead and had her minions book a trip for her to Westworld next year. The company was promising its theme parks would be up and running again by then, after all.
In the Summers family car, Buffy and her mom were talking. "So that gym in Los Angeles… it really was full of vampires?" Joyce asked, still trying to wrap her mind around everything she'd learned after the whole kidnapping and rescue business.
"Yes, mom, it was. And I promise, I won't burn down the Sunnydale High gym even if it ends up full of vampires - there's other options nowadays," Buffy replied with a sigh. "Am I in trouble, mom?" Buffy hoped she wasn't in trouble with her mother now knowing *why* she was always sneaking out at nights.
"No, dear, I'm just glad that you're not doing drugs - or other stuff like that," Joyce replied, before parking the Jeep in the driveway. Buffy felt relieved that the parental unit had no further questions as they got out of the car, entered their home and quickly went to bed. No way did she want to tell her mom that her ex-boyfriend was a vampire, that was for sure - or that she'd died once already!
The next morning at school, Cordelia told her friends that she and Xander were now dating. { If they can't handle that, then to hell with them, } she thought to herself in annoyance before adding, "Yes, you heard right - we're officially together now."
"WHAT?!" her popular friends all screeched like a flock of harpies.
"Cordelia, have you lost your mind? Xander Harris is NOT date-worthy material!" Aura White said in no uncertain terms.
{ Well, it's not exactly surprising they aren't happy to hear the news, } Cordy thought to herself. "Yeah? Who says so, Aura? You? Or what about you, Harmony? Do you agree with her?"
Harmony still hadn't told anyone about seeing Cordelia and that loser making out in one of the school utility closets, she'd kept it to herself – thinking it might be useful blackmail material one day. Except now it wasn't. "I don't care how strong he's become, Harris is still a horse's ass you shouldn't be touching with a ten-foot barge pole!"
"Well, that's kinda rude," Xander's voice from right behind her almost made Harmony shriek in fear, she hadn't heard him approach. "Especially from someone who's got the kind of locker room reputation you do, Harmony."
"What? What locker room reputation does Harm have?" the Cordette named Gwen immediately asked, her gossip antenna instantly vibrating.
"Hey. Do I look like the kind of guy who'd spread rumors and gossip about someone as important in this town, as one of the Kendall's? No, wait, don't answer that," Xander quickly cut everyone off, as several of the Cordettes opened their mouths to reply. "Cordy, honey, we need to talk – in private."
"Hey, wait a minute – we aren't done here yet!" the Cordette named Katherine fumed angrily.
"Really? Because what else is there for us to talk about?" Cordelia demanded. "As I said, Xander and I are together now. You guys can accept that or not, I don't care. C'mon, doofus, we're outta here!" She then grabbed Xander by the arm, and then they swiftly walked off – before Cordelia almost started hyperventilating. "Oh, God. They're never gonna talk to me again, are they?"
"Oh, sure they are," Xander said comfortingly. "And if they don't, look at it this way - high school is gonna be over in a year and three months, so what have you got to lose either way?"
Elsewhere, a short while later, the Scooby gang were talking in the library. "Should we go after Ms. Calendar?" Buffy asked with a worried look, after the topic of conversation had turned to the undead teacher.
"No, no need. That, um, that's already been taken care of, Buffy," Giles said in a tired voice.
"Hey, everyone! What'd we miss?" Xander asked, as he and his girlfriend entered Slayer Central.
"What do ya mean, Mistah Giles?" Kendra asked, giving Giles a puzzled look.
"Well, uh, Jenny is – she's, um, no longer an issue," Giles said hesitantly, trying to keep his emotions under control.
"Yeah, uh, I staked Ms. Calendar last night," Xander nodded, with a sad look on his face.
"You killed her, Xander?!" Buffy yelled in disbelief. She was instinctively about to kick his a ss, but was stopped by Kendra.
"Yes, I-I told Xander to care of Ms. Calendar," Giles said with a heavy sigh.
"Giles, how could you DO that? I mean, we could have -" Buffy started to say angrily.
"Could have what? Locked her up? Given her her soul back?" Cordelia demanded haughtily. { Someone sure is projecting about their undead ex, aren't they? } "Seriously, how was any of that supposed to help?"
"She's right, Buff," Xander shook her head. "Only good vampire is a dusted one."
The argument began, before Buffy eventually stormed out of the library upon learning that no one actually disagreed with Cordelia and Xander's position on the matter. She'd had enough of her so-called friends for now.
Elsewhere in Sunnyhell, Alduin was still doing some sightseeing. It'd been centuries since he'd sensed an active Hellmouth. And this one seemed ready to blow up like a volcano! { No wonder there's way too many cemeteries in this town, } he thought to himself in amusement.
Later that night, at Willie's Bar, the human avatar of a Power That Be was trying to get drunk. He'd had enough of the so-called plan for the Scooby gang and friends. It was total chaos Up There right now, and he'd come Down Here to get away from it all.
"Not everything has to be about the blasted Scooby gang and their pals!" the Power said with a semi-drunken sigh.
"I don't ever get your kind here, ya know. Like, never," Willie replied. He wasn't sure what to make of this guy's story, wasn't sure whether or not to believe he was a Power That... Was – but hey. As long as his money was good, the bartender/snitch didn't care all that much, either.
"If you hate being a Power That Be, why don't you just quit?" Willie then asked.
"Give up my powers and what, become mortal or something for good? Not going to happen," the Power said with a hard laugh.
Curiously enough, a demon in a black suit appeared - the same person who'd recently poured that strange green liquid on the ground, which had turned the dead into vampire zombies, and who had left behind the vials which Buffy and Kendra had found. The demon took a seat next to The Power That Was, ordered a beer from Willie, and then both of them started to talk to each other.
Moments later, both the demon time agent and The Power left Willie's Bar, teleporting away. And by coincidence, that meant the vacationing Power avoided the fate of the other PTBs did in the near future….
The same time, Xander and Cordelia met up in the Chase manor pool house, since her parents had returned home by now and the two crazy kids didn't want to get caught in a compromising position. "So, honey, what exactly happened today?" Xander asked cautiously.
Cordelia sighed, knowing exactly what her boyfriend was talking about. "The coach kicked me off the cheerleading team, probably because all my so-called friends threatened to get her fired if she didn't. And since my parents don't know about 'us' yet, I can't play that card against them either."
"So...what can I do to help?" Xander asked. This was kind of new territory for him, after all.
"Right now? Just shut up and give me comfort, the best way you know how," Cordelia replied, and with that – they spent the rest of the night together, briefly getting some sleep along the way.
Thank God the next morning was a Saturday, and neither his parents nor Cordelia's were in any hurry to find their kids, or things could have gotten really awkward!
Sunnydale High School, Sunnydale March 2nd 1998
After history class, Xander saw Amy use magic to make her homework appear. As she handed it over to the teacher, Xander had an idea. So he caught up with Amy before her next class.
"Hey, Xander. What's up?" Amy asked somewhat nervously. { I hope no one saw me use magic just now, } she thought to herself.
"Amy. I saw ya use the mojo to make your homework appear, and just gotta say - that was pretty cool! Still totally cheating, of course, but pretty cool." Harris ignored Amy's glare and added, "So, can you use magic on my Blade Runner blaster to make it real?"
"And if I don't?" Amy snapped in annoyance.
"Hey, I ain't gonna narc on you or anything," Xander spread his hands open in supplication. "Just askin' for a favour is all. I'll owe ya one and pay you back somehow, if you like?"
Amy sighed and said, "Fine, but don't tell anyone, Xander. I mean it, or I might turn you into a talking cat like Salem, on Sabrina The Teenage Witch!" she warned him.
"Can you really do that, or what?" Xander instantly had a shocked look on his face.
"I dunno for sure. But I could give it a try," the teenage apprentice witch laughed at Xander's shocked expression.
"I'm not going to tell anyone, Amy!" Harris promised her. Honestly, Xander didn't want to get turned into a cat. Animal transmogrification totally wasn't his thing.
Grinning for a moment, Amy told him to come over to her house after school so she could cast her magicks on the Blade Runner blaster. She didn't know it but somehow, Xander knew one day he would face the Gunslinger again, but this time for real. So Xander went to his next class, and Amy also went to her next class as well. To her lack of surprise, Amy found herself sharing a class with Cordelia for this period, and she noticed the Chase girl appeared to be deep in thought.
Amy didn't know that Cordelia was thinking on what she would do with her free time, now that she wasn't part of the cheer squad anymore – while trying not to fall asleep, as the teacher talked and talked about the wonders of biology...
DELOS facility, summer of 1999
At Westworld, within the room of the hotel that Ethan was staying at, Jareth sat in an armchair drinking whiskey - while Rayne was in the bathroom, shaving his face.
"How did the testing go with your vampire robots?" Ethan called out to his host, as he finished shaving with his old-fashioned razor blade.
Jareth set down his drink on the side table. "The vampire robots made short work of the robot Slayer that was used for the test," he replied with a short laugh.
"I see. And what will become of this robot Slayer?" Ethan asked, wondering if Jareth had any plans for it.
Jareth considered it briefly. "The robot Slayer may be used as backup to deal with Buffy and her friends, Ethan, once they arrive here." He chuckled darkly…
Then Jareth decided to change the topic of conversation. "I have a new movie theme park in the works, you know," the demon called out to the warlock, a grin appearing on his face.
"Really?" Ethan washed his face after shaving. "What kind of movie theme park?" the Englishman asked, as he grabbed a towel and dried his face.
"A horror movie theme park," Jareth replied, finishing off his drink.
"A horror movie theme park?" Ethan raised his brow with a puzzled look, before exiting the bathroom and joining his demon host. Pouring himself a glass of whisky, Ethan sat down on the armchair across from Jareth. "Do tell me more..."
1420 Truman Drive Sunnydale, March 1st 1998
After school, Xander brought his replica Blade Runner blaster over to Amy's house. Her father wasn't there, he was still at work. But they headed downstairs to Amy's basement anyway. Xander placed the Blade Runner blaster on the floor - and after drawing a sacred circle-seal around it, Amy cast her magic on it as the toy glowed blue - and then morphed into the real thing.
Elsewhere, Buffy and Kendra were doing some sparring - while the Willow-bot and Cordelia were engaged in some girl talk about their boyfriends. Given the new scarcity of female friends, Cordy had decided to confide in the redhead just how serious things between her and Xander had gotten. And even though the brunette didn't go into details about their new sex life, far away in DELOS – the neural feedback from the trapped Willow nearly made the robot duplicate explode, in a shower of sparks and fried circuitry!
All things considered, it was probably lucky that the Oz-bot was with his band at that moment, jamming and writing new songs – otherwise, the Willow-bot might have physically attacked him, tearing off his clothes so as to try out all the things Cordelia had mentioned during their little chat.
Back in Amy's basement, the Blade Runner blaster stopped glowing before Xander picked it up off the ground. "So, do I need to recharge the blaster with magic or anything?" Xander asked Amy.
"No, Xander," she told him. "The weapon is enchanted – as long as the magic doesn't run out, you'll be fine. By the way, do you know how to actually fire a gun?" Amy *hoped* he wouldn't do anything stupid with it, anyway.
"Yeah, or at least sort of. My uncle took me to a shooting range while I was a kid, a few times." So saying, Xander quickly thanked Amy and left, before meeting up with the Scooby gang and Kendra.
Deciding on doing a group activity for once, the group went to see a new release movie at the local Sun Cinema. The Big Bads hadn't made a move yet, and Angelus had decided to hole up in the old mansion for a while, coming up with a new plan…
Ending up dusted like Jenny Calendar had been didn't feature as part of his plans, after all.
TBC...