Original of the Species 2B: The Mayor and the Saiyan: Wilkins

by Muad'zin

Multiple Crossover (mostly DBZ, some SG-1, some Eddingsverse, some Lyonesse) Goa'uld? Schmoa'uld! Will the wannabe demon mayor of Sunnydale present more of a challenge for the Z-Scoobies?

10. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

'Döppelgangland II - How to Disappear Completely'

x

x

AN: Part 2 of this hugely bloated and sentimental piece of shit. But I liked writing it, and as I write this these two chapters are now my most favorite chapters of the entire series so far. The title is taken from one of Radiohead's most haunting songs. For those interested in useless statistics. This eight chapter pushes part 2B past the length of the original part 1. And I still have 6 planned chapters to go.

x

---

x

The next day Belmovekk and Joyce sat together on the bench on the porch of the now mostly empty 1630 Revello Drive. Joyce had one of the twins in her lap, the other one lay asleep in a carrying basket next to her.

"It's been a crazy couple of days," Joyce sighed tiredly

"It sure has," Belmovekk echoed.

"I mean it's not often you find you have another child," Joyce said, then she held up the child she was holding and giggled into her face, "You have a new sister, yes! You have a new sister yes you do!"

The child giggled with laughter.

"Technically she is not really your daughter, dear," Belmovekk tried to say but Joyce cut him off.

"Nonsense Belmo," she said resolutely, "I may not have given birth to her but she's my child through and through. She's Buffy, and that's the end of that. I will not have any more talk of this or you can spend another night on the porch."

"Yes dear," Belmovekk said in a docile tone.

"And you will convince her not to go back to that ghastly place she came from," Joyce continued, "cause if she does this will be your permanent bedroom."

"Yes dear ," Belmovekk said meekly. Outwardly that is. Inside his mind was racing with trying to find solutions to their current problems. Neither he, nor Buffy, Willow or Xander had told Joyce that in that other reality they had seen the other Buffy die. He didn't like doing it. Part of him screamed to tell her. There had been too many messy secrets that had come out at the wrong time lately. But the other part feared that if he told her right now, Joyce would go into uber-mother mode and never let the other Buffy go.

"We must find a room for her where she can stay," Joyce said, "I was thinking of either the attic or the basement, what do you think?"

"I am not so sure I want to answer that question," the Saiyan said wearily, "because I have this sinking feeling that whatever I say will be taken the wrong way. And I do not desire to spend my last nights in Sunnydale for an indefinite time here out on the porch again."

Joyce looked at Belmovekk and gave him a cold stare.

"You might as well spit it out cause you're not really helping your case," she said coldly. Belmovekk swallowed as he carefully tried to choose his words.

"I fail to see the point to make plans for where the girl stays if she has not yet made up her mind if she wants to stay here at all. Suppose she does stay in this reality. It does not mean she desires to stay with us."

"Wouldn't that be convenient for you?" Joyce said as she looked away from him.

"Oh come on, Joyce," Belmovekk protested, "That is not fair! I hold everybody dear! Buffy is like a daughter to me. The same goes for the others. Xander, Willow, Oz, Faith and Master Giles. I would do anything in my power to help them if they needed it. I will do anything in my power to help her as well. But I cannot force her to do anything. She may look like Buffy and be your daughter biologically, but she is not Buffy. She's a lot more like Faith in that respect. Fiercely independent. The more you or I will push, the more she will move away. She takes a more gentle hand."

"I suppose," Joyce said, sounding not that convinced, then she turned her head and rested it on Belmovekk's shoulder, "I wish I could help her. When I heard her story my heart broke. I held her in my arms, Belmo. She's damaged. She's been taken to the breaking point and beyond. If we don't help her she will die. Like all those Slayers you told me about. Who saw so much death and only death that ultimately they wanted to die."

Joyce lifted her head from Belmovekk's shoulder and held out little Mayan in her arms.

"I took her upstairs last night to see her sisters, Belmo. And she smiled when she held them in her arms. I don't think she has smiled a lot in a long time, Belmo. We have to change that."

"Do not worry, dear," Belmovekk said as he smiled at Joyce, "We will. Besides, we already have our secret weapon at work."

"What do you mean?" Joyce asked. Belmovekk began to smirk and tapped his nose.

"Xander's with her now," he said slyly, "showing her the place and I have no doubt his charming personality."

Joyce looked nonplussed for a moment, then she smiled.

"I thought I noticed him glancing at her a lot," she said.

"You know Xander," Belmovekk grinned, "Forever the knight in shining armor."

"Who just so happens to be without a damsel in distress," Joyce said, "until she came along."

"We cannot argue with fate," Belmovekk shrugged, "Especially since fate has me employed."

Joyce chuckled a bit, then she put her head on Belmovekk's shoulder again.

"What are we going to call her? Can't have two girls called Buffy. Maybe we should call her Anne? Use her middle name?"

"I'm sure it will work itself out," the Saiyan sighed, "One of them will come home all beaten up, the other one will smile a lot and we will know."

"I can't hardly wait," Joyce said all dreamy, then her smile faded, "What do you think will happen to that girl?"

"Who, Buffy?"

"No, that demon girl."

"What, Anya?" Belmovekk said puzzled, "Frankly my dear, I meant what I said to her. She may look all vulnerable now, but she did some terrible things when she was a demon. Do not feel pity for her."

"I was more thinking of the other girl," Joyce said, "the Indian girl.".

"They are demons, dear," Belmovekk replied offhand, "She defied her boss, They do not give slaps on the wrist. More likely they will cut off her wrists, then re-attach them so they could do it all over again."

"That's horrible," Joyce shivered.

"She made her bed, now she has to sleep in it, dear," Belmovekk said dismissively.

"I suppose," Joyce said, "So when do you have to leave again to look for those androids? I could really use your help right now."

"I think the mighty US Air Force can handle things for a while without me being present to hold their hands," Belmovekk said as he gave her kiss, "Until I get word they have found a new lead or present me with my new trainees I will try to stay here for as long as possible."

"That's nice," Joyce sighed and she rested her head against him and closed her eyes.

Then the scenery suddenly changed. Suddenly Belmovekk was no longer sitting with Joyce and the kids on the porch of 1630 Revello Drive. He now sat on a much harder wooden bench in front of his dome in the Vale of Aldur. And instead of having Joyce falling asleep next to him he now faced the grinning face of himself wearing gold armor.

"Not you again," Belmovekk moaned.

Unlike the other sorcerers in Aldur's Vale Belmovekk had opted against building a tower. There are only so many things a young impetuous sorcerer of Saiyan origin would stand for and towers weren't part of them. Saiyans preferred to live in domed structures so once Belgarath and Beldin taught him the art of building through sorcery, Belmovekk chose to erect a nice Saiyan dome for himself. Naturally the others frowned on it, but who cares. After all, they didn't have to live in it.

Belmovekk's dome was made out of re-enforced concrete, as it was the only material that could span the great size Belmovekk was striving for and still look somewhat natural with its surroundings, as was the intention. Inside was everything a person could need to live a civilized life. It was still the only structure in the Vale to have indoor plumbing instead of an outhouse. Something that was not lost on Polgara, who often sneaked into the place to take a hot bath whenever she was in the Vale.

Next to the great dome was the small dome. It had only one purpose. To serve as a training hall for Belmovekk to hone his combat skills and anyone he chose to train there. It was also the place where he kept his scrolls with every known martial arts technique he knew off. His most prized possession.

But now Belmovekk sat with Amūn in front of the main entrance of the great dome, looking at the garden his late wife had begun and maintained for their growing collection of cats to hide and play in. When he was away it tended to go wild, but whenever he returned he restored it as it was. Now he and the Goa'uld both looked at it.

"She has to go back," Amūn said with absolute certainty, "she can't stay here. The girl must return to her own reality."

"Up yours, worm," Belmovekk said defiantly as he folded his arms across his chest and looked away, "I will not send the girl to meet her doom. Nor will I break Joyce's heart."

"You have no choice, Saiyan," Amūn said, "It is her destiny."

"Oh, lest we not forget the many chats the great Goa'uld formerly known as Amūn had with destiny," Belmovekk said annoyed as he rolled his eyes, "and I am using sarcastic quote marks here."

Amūn wanted to say something but changed his mind.

"Let's be reasonable," he eventually said, "You heard D'Hoffryn. For some reason that reality still exists. Even if it only keeps repeating itself. Who do you think is keeping it intact? They are examining it for possibilities. Your actions here have them both puzzled and reeling. They might decide to break the cycle and switch their attentions to a place where you cannot influence them. We cannot allow this to happen. The vision of Anubis must not come to fruition! Not even in a different reality. You must send word to your counterpart telling him what's at stake. She has to go!"

Belmovekk got up and walked towards the edge if his garden, looking away towards the west, where the mountains of Ulgo lay.

"I will not send the girl to her death and that is that, worm."

Amūn sighed and went after him.

"You may not have a choice, Saiyan," he said hovering on the edge of Belmovekk's vision, "She may make that decision for you. Sure, you may think the boy will sway her. And who knows, they may even end up bedding each other. But you're consort is right, Saiyan, the girl is beyond repair. I have seen it happen in some of my Jaffa. Once you become like that you no longer feel you are worthy enough to return from the abyss."

Belmovekk looked down. Deep down he feared the Goa'uld was right. She may have experienced too much. He had had similar experiences in the past and it had taken him a lot longer then most human life spans to recover.

"If you care for her so much, why not train her?" Amūn suggested seductively, as he tried a different approach, "With your training she need not die. She could then tell your counterpart herself what he needs to know."

"You do realize what happens if we send her back like that," Belmovekk said as he looked over his shoulder into the Goa'uld's face, "The cycle would be broken. Instead of a repeating loop we would jump start that reality into a universe of its own. We would do it. Not them! Once she goes we would be powerless to give her and my counterpart further aid."

"Have faith in the both of them," Amūn replied smiling, "and at the least by restarting that reality it would be by our choosing. Not according to their designs and timetables. The initiative would be ours again. You know your own rules, if you give away the initiative in a fight you practically have lost the battle already."

Amūn walked around Belmovekk until the two faced each other. Then he took the Saiyan by the shoulders.

"You know she will want to go back eventually. It's all she really knows. If it's Joyce you worry about, what greater good could you do in her eyes then to train her so she can survive? It will put her at ease. And when the decision to go back is hers, the blame won't be yours."

"You are contemptible," Belmovekk spat to the Goa'uld.

"So they say," Amūn shrugged, "better to be thought so then to have no one left to judge you so, Saiyan."

Belmovekk considered the Goa'uld's words. A cat came by and rubbed against the legs of the Goa'uld. Curiously the Goa'uld picked the animal up and began to pet the cat.

"Curious creatures," he said smiling as the cat began to purr, "unfathomable, yet strangely pleasing."

"No," Belmovekk suddenly said.

"No what?"

"I will not train her for that," Belmovekk said as he turned around and walked back to the dome, "I will not aid her in any way to return from where she came. She is the daughter of Joyce and once I marry her she will become mine as well. Since I came here I have lied and I have cheated against the people that I love. I made friends and family here and I caused them hurt and no good came of it. It stops here."

"But the others…," Amūn tried to say but Belmovekk waved his objections away.

"I will instruct Willow to send a package that will explain everything," he said, "that will have to do."

"And what if Willow can't?" Amūn asked, "What if all she can send back is the girl?"

"Then you and I must have faith that my counterpart will find a way. He is me. He might even have you in his head as well."

"This won't do," Amūn protested.

"Well, too bad," Belmovekk said and waved his hand dismissively, "Now leave me and go back to wherever you go when you are not around!"

"Is something wrong," Joyce asked as Belmovekk found himself back on the front porch of 1630 Revello Drive.

"No," Belmovekk said and kissed Joyce on her hair, "everything is fine, dear."

x

---

x

"And this is where Will was nearly sucked into the ground," Xander said as he pointed to a spot on the stairs of Sunnydale High.

"Wow," The other Buffy said as she hunched down and touched the spot, "and here I was thinking Cleveland was weird. But you guys really lived the whacky life here. While I was fighting vamps and demons every night you were fighting them evil poltergeists."

"But those can be really, really scary," Xander said as he ignored her sarcasm, "and besides, it could have been worse for the both of us. We could be in Detroit, right?"

The other Buffy just shrugged as she missed the Kentucky Friend Movie joke, then she leaned against the wall. And damn if she didn't look mighty fine like that. A bit too fine, as Xander Junior began to whisper bad thoughts into Xander's brain. Thoughts he thought had died long ago.

For most of the day Xander had skipped classes showing her around town and now school. There was probably going to be Hell to pay for it afterwards with Snyder, but the Troll be damned. After he had first heard her story it had stirred up his white knight complex in him again. Making him wish he could do something to help her. Even if it just was helping her feel at ease and getting to know this place.

And truth be told, she was pleasant company to be with. When Xander had first met Buffy and fallen badly for her he had probably overdone it. Too much trying to be funny, too much of an imbalance of power between them, not knowing which buttons to push. There was still the imbalance between him and this other Buffy. But at least this time he had power of his own, so no need to re-address that imbalance with a constant barrage of bad jokes. And while she was different from Buffy, there were still enough similarities as well for him to use. All in all he thought it had been a good day for the both of them. The fact that she hadn't bolted had to be good, right?

"Look," Xander said as he put his hands together, "the place may seem quite dull right now. But we fought hard for that. This place has twelve cemeteries already and without us they would have been adding a thirteenth. Last month the Hellmouth opened and we took on the minions of Hell itself. It's basically lots of boredom interspersed with moments of sheer crap your pants terror. After that you kinda appreciate the boredom."

"I suppose," The other Buffy said and looked up, "What's there?"

Xander looked up. Above them was the access hatch to the roof and a foldable ladder that could be lowered to give access to that hatch.

"Oh, that," he said, "That goes to the roof."

"Does anybody go there?" the other Buffy asked with just a hint of mischievousness.

"Only the janitor," Xander replied, "but he's done the monthly checkup."

"Good," the other Buffy smirked as she jumped up using her Slayer enhanced strength and grabbed the cord that pulled the ladder down.

"Let's go," she said once she had lowered the ladder. Then she climbed it until she reached the hatch.

"You know, it's locked," Xander said as he looked around uncomfortably to see if somebody saw them. Which might very well be the case as a few students were still about on this floor.

CRASH!

"You know, if Snyder sees that Buffy might get in trouble," Xander said nervously as the other Buffy broke the lock and swung the hatch open.

"Even better," the Other Buffy grinned, then she went up the roof and turned around so she could look down, "come, Fly Boy."

"Yeah, but…"

"Don't be such a baby," came the reply.

Looking around nervously Xander climbed the ladder and stepped unto the roof. The other Buffy stood by the edge of the roof as she looked over Sunnydale.

"It's hard to believe there's a Hellmouth below us," she said contently, "it looks so peaceful up here. Nice view by the way."

"That's why we used this as our command center when we established the Edict," Xander said as he stood beside her, "Oh, and technically the Hellmouth is no longer exactly below us. Giles did some checking after the last battle and found it had shifted a hundred yards that way and…"

Before Xander could say anything the other Buffy turned around, grabbed Xander by his head and kissed him on the lips.

To surprised to say anything or protest Xander shrugged and gave in. After what seemed like an eternity the other Buffy broke off and smiled.

"You talk too much," she smiled lewdly.

"So I've been told," Xander said deadpan, "Good way to stop me though. Good technique as well."

The other Buffy pulled off her top.

"Come," she said, "let's do it!"

"What! Here?" Xander exclaimed.

"We could do it downstairs," The other Buffy said as she unzipped her new trousers, a loaner from Buffy, "but there are fewer spectators here. Unless that's what you like?"

For a moment Xander hesitated. There was no denying he liked the girl. And she looked so much like the Buffy he had once loved that it hurt. Xander Junior already had no objections and was already making sure his brain was getting starved of the oxygen needed to do the right thing. And damned if this wasn't what he had been dreaming about for so, so, so very long during all those lonely nights. And here she was offering herself to him without any love spells. That should account for something, right? Maybe the old cliché that there was somebody out for everybody was true. Be it that that somebody was from another reality and…

What are you thinking? a little lewd voice yelled in his head, nail her!

Thy will be done!

Then Xander looked upwards to the sky and folded his hands together in a prayer.

"Thank you! Thank you, you kind, green, be it somewhat nosey God," he said softly, "you do look out after me! But please, for the love of you, look somewhere else for the next ten minutes. Right?"

"Actually, make that fifteen."

x

---

x

"Well that was interesting," Xander sighed afterwards as he rested his head on the roof.

"Don't worry your fragile male ego," the other Buffy smiled as she relaxed against a relaxed Xander and tapped his bare leg, "you didn't do so bad."

"Well, thanks I guess," Xander said quasi-insulted.

"Or did I just insult your fragile male ego?" the other Buffy smiled impishly.

"I've been insulted worse," Xander sighed as he looked up and began to count on his fingers, "In the past two and a half years I've been stepped on, punched on, had my jaw broken, possessed twice, and nearly been eaten alive by a demonic praying mantis lady. In addition to that I had a lovesick mummy chase me, the coach of the swimming team tried to turn me into a fish, then there were the ghosts, snakes and worst of all, the one thing in my life that I could count on to give me comfort, that had always been there for me, that became cursed."

"What, your little security blanket," Buffy grinned.

"No, my candy," Xander said deadpan.

"You're weird," the other Buffy chuckled.

"You try living in the 'Dale for 18 years," Xander grinned, "weird's our unofficial town motto.

"I don't pla….," The other Buffy said, then her face turned serious, "are we having a conversation?"

"I guess we are," Xander smiled.

"I don't do conversations," the other Buffy said as she got up on her knees and began looking for her clothes, "especially after sex."

"What's the big de….," Xander tried to say when he saw somebody climb out of the hatch, "….oh shit!"

"Xander, Cory said you were here. We have to talk," Cordelia said as she climbed out of the hatch. Then she saw Xander.

x

And Buffy.

x

Both naked.

x

"OHMIGOD!" a shrill shriek erupted that made Xander wish he had three hands, so he could cover both his ears and his genitals.

"Cordelia," Xander said, then he muttered softly, "talk about lousy timing!"

"You're lying there half naked with Buffy!" Cordelia exclaimed and pointed to the both of them, "And it's the wrong part of you that's naked!"

"Have a cow, sis," the other Buffy said dismissively, "Never seen two people who just have had sex before?"

"Uh, no?" Cordelia said flabbergasted as she looked at the other Buffy dressing herself.

"Well, now you have," the other Buffy grinned and reached for her bra. Taken aback Cordelia turned to Xander and put her hands against her waist.

"So Xander finally got it with the Slayer he's been lusting after," she said angrily, "I can't win, can I? I came here looking for you to see if we could make up and instead I walk into Bizarro world?"

"Oh, you have no idea how much of that is true, sis," the other Buffy said as she pulled her top over her head.

"Shut up," Cordelia yelled at the other Buffy and gave her a very girlie punch, "you..., you…., you Xander stealing whore!"

And with that Cordelia turned around and stomped off towards the stairs. Xander got up and tried to go after her.

"If you're going after her I suggest you put on your shorts and your pants first, Fly Boy," the other Buffy sniggered, "or you'll draw a lot of the wrong kind of attention!"

Then she began to laugh.

"This is not funny," Xander said agitated as he reached for his clothes.

"But it is," the other Buffy laughed, "this is like straight from one of those TV shows. Xander the vampire Slayer Layer!"

"Ha ha," Xander said bitter, "very funny! My ex just walked in on us! Why couldn't you be a little more helpful? We just had sex together!"

The other Buffy stopped laughing.

"Excuse me," she said snide, "I wasn't aware that it obligated me to anything."

Xander who just finished putting on his shorts wanted to say something, then he bit on his lip and looked away for a while. Then he sighed and looked at her again.

"Look," he said, as he put his hands on his waist, "it was lousy timing on behalf of Cordelia, and probably me as well. I…, um, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. Can we start again?"

"Oh, I think you did mean it," she said and began to walk towards the stairs, "I think the mistake was me making you think it meant something. Well, listen up, Fly Boy, it meant squat. I don't do relationships. Club 'em, fuck 'em and then dump 'em, that's my motto! "

"Buff, please…" Xander tried to say but she cut him off.

"You confuse me for somebody I'm not," she said coldly, "my name's Buffy. Buff's the other one."

Then she stepped through the hatch and went down the stairs.

"Shit!" Xander yelled frustrated, "Fuck! Shitfuck! Way to go, you dummy!"

Frustrated Xander sat down on a ledge and let his head fall down, his pants still in his hands. He sat there like that for a minute.

"It doesn't take much imagination to see what happened here," a voice said. Xander turned his head to his left and saw Buffy standing there looking amused. The real Buffy this time, well, this reality's Buffy.

"You ran into her?" Xander said sullenly but Buffy shook her head.

"Cordelia," Buffy said and then she looked upwards for a moment, "she looked pretty spooked when she saw me. Then she began to freak out. Calling me, and I quote 'a Xander stealing whore'."

"You know Cordelia," Xander sighed, "Hell hath no greater fury then a woman who always walks in on Xander at the wrong moment."

"Well, Xander," Buffy grinned as Xander just sat there, "was it everything you hoped for?"

"Buffy, I'm an almost 18 old male," Xander said looking up, "I could just have had the worst sex ever and still be grinning from ear to ear."

"So are you?" Buffy chuckled as she sat down next to Xander, "Grinning from ear to ear that is?"

Xander looked away for a moment.

"I dunno, Buff," he said shaking his head, "I think I just made the biggest mistake of my life in a long list of biggest mistakes."

Buffy's grin disappeared and she sat down next to him, extended her arm and put it around Xander.

"Welcome to the club," she said, "Open only to those with a long list of biggest mistakes."

"Do they serve Twinkies?" Xander asked as he put his head on Buffy's shoulder.

"Whatever you want," Buffy said in a comforting tone.

"I'd like that," Xander sighed, "I fucked up, Buff. I fucked up good!"

Buffy gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze

"Welcome to the club," she said. After that neither said much for a few minutes until Buffy broke the silence.

"Xander? That Maria girl you brought to Willow's welcome home party, why does she freak out every time I pass her in the hallway?"

x

---

x

"Hi mom," Buffy said as she stepped inside her house and closed the door behind her, "what's for dinner?"

"Indonesian fried rice," Joyce answered from the kitchen.

"Oh, adventurous," Buffy said as she dropped off her books and went to see the twins who were in their playpen. One constructed of the hardest material Belmovekk could conjure up together with the brainiacs from Capsule Corp. After all, they were half Saiyan.

By now they were a few months old and should both have been sleeping. But, as usual, one was very much awake by the time Buffy looked inside.

"You're like clockwork, aren't you Dawnie," Buffy said disapproving as she picked her little sister up. Little Dawn's only reply came in the form of giggling. Buffy shook her head and walked into the kitchen.

"Hi there Dawnie," Joyce cooed as she saw Buffy with Dawn.

"I think she's mocking me," Buffy said frowning. It might very well have been true. As the Slayer, Buffy possessed some telepathic abilities like Belmovekk had. While the Twins in Belmovekk's absence had learned to read their mother's emotions and feelings, it was only to Buffy that they could also connect. As Buffy tried to read what the infant was projecting Dawn's only visible response came in the form of bubbles she blew from her mouth. Buffy held Dawn so she could look right into her face.

"Mock me all you want, Dawnie, " she said seriously, "once I get one of those digital cameras I'll be there dogging your little footsteps all the way. I'm going to photograph every embarrassing little moment of your life and show them to your friends once you become a teenager."

"That's cruel, Buffy," Joyce chuckled, "Also very creative. How's school?"

"Same old," Buffy said as she sat down in on of the chairs besides the dinner table, little Dawnie now being held against her shoulder, "with lots of schooly things. Nothing special. Xander managed to get himself in trouble though."

"What! Again?" Joyce said as she began to lay out the table, "What did he do now that got him into trouble with 'Kommandant' Snyder?"

"Uh, um," Buffy mumbled as she tried to come up with a story that was a little less X-rated. As if she could read her mind little Dawn began to giggle.

"Let's just say his Supreme Cockiness suffered from a bad case of timing today," Buffy eventually said, "women problems."

"That poor boy," Joyce said, still busy setting the table, "So how did things go with your, um, sister?"

"Mom, please," Buffy shuddered, "its hard enough that she's here. It's even harder to think of her like that."

Joyce stopped setting the table for a moment.

"You've gotta get used to it at some point, Buffy. She's gonna live with us."

Buffy shuddered again at the thought.

"Does she know?" she said, "Where's she going to sleep? I'm not sharing my room, you know? Can't fit a double bunk bed in there."

"You don't have to share your room, Buffy," Joyce sighed tired.

"And how are we going to call her?" Buffy continued, "Can't call us both Buffy."

"I don't know," Joyce said as she returned to the stove, "there are more variations of Elizabeth then just Buffy. There's Lizzie, Beth to name a few. And there is your middle name."

"Which also happens to be mine," Buffy said in a possessive tone.

"It's hers as well, Buffy," Joyce countered.

"What did our fearless leader suggest?"

Joyce looked up for a moment.

"He thinks you girls should fight it out. The winner gets to keep Buffy."

"That sounds like Belmo alright," Buffy said as she gave a mild snort.

Then the sounds came from the front door being opened.

"Joyce, dear! We are home!"

"Speak of the devil," Buffy said.

Then Belmovekk walked into the kitchen, with the other Buffy following in tow.

"Joyce," Belmovekk said as he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, "it smells good."

Then he walked over to Buffy and hunched down so he could look at Dawn.

"How is my little girl?" he said as he took the baby into his arms.

"Curious," Buffy replied as she handed her sister over, then she saw the wet patch on her shirt, "and also drooling."

"She just feels comfortable with you, young lady," the Saiyan smiled as he looked Dawn in the face, "do you not, little lady?"

Dawn's only reply was to blow more drool bubbles.

"And you know who else you like, do you not, little lady?" Belmovekk said as he walked over to the other Buffy, "your new big sister Buffy."

As Buffy's jaw nearly dropped to the floor Belmovekk gave Dawn to the other Buffy.

"But…," the other Buffy tried to say but the Saiyan just put the child in her arms.

"Shush," he said, "just hold her a little and think of nice things."

Still unused to having a baby in her arms the other Buffy stood there looking at the sister she never had. As she did Buffy turned to Belmovekk and pointed at her own 'twin'.

"Why does she get to be called Buffy and I still get the young lady treatment?" she protested, sounding both surprised and injured at the same time.

"She is many things, young lady, but certainly no lady," Belmovekk shrugged as he walked towards the sink, leaving Buffy flabbergasted.

"How did she do?" Joyce asked as the Saiyan went to the tap to get himself a glass of water.

"Not bad," he said as he drank from the glass, "I took her up to five G's in the gym, then I tested her. On average she is better then the young lady was when I first met her."

"Hey," Buffy called out, but Belmovekk ignored her.

"But that is to be expected. She's a year and a half older since first we met and had to operate more by herself. I think her technique is less sloppy and while she is as headstrong as the young lady she is more willing to listen when something is explained to her."

"Perfect Watcher poster girl," Buffy muttered under her breath.

"You're just jealous," the other Buffy said as she leaned against the fridge with Dawn.

"I think she maxes out at 134," Belmovekk continued, "again higher then the young lady was when I first met her."

"I'm 6309 now," Buffy pouted

"Big deal," the other Buffy snorted, "you had Moe to train you. I had to make due with that idiot they sent to replace Merrick!"

"Buffy's, please," Joyce said trying to allay things.

"Come, let us eat," Belmovekk said as he reached for a small bottle of baby milk that stood ready at the kitchen working top, then he extended his arms towards the other Buffy, "I will take the little lady and put her back in the box with her sister so she can have some dinner of her own."

Once he had put the child in its box he rejoined the others at table. Then Belmovekk began to serve food to everybody from the large wok Joyce had used. Not because out of pretense that he was the man of the house, but more because he was the only one who could make sure there was enough of it for everybody. As he served the other Buffy couldn't be struck by how the wok never seemed to empty.

Once he had served everybody Belmovekk excused himself and began to eat. And eat. And eat.

"Unbelievable," the other Buffy said incredulously as the Saiyan kept shoveling food in his mouth, "how can he eat like that?"

"It's his way," Joyce smiled, "so how was your day? I heard Xander showed you around?"

"And then some," Buffy sniggered, then Joyce and the other Buffy glanced at her, "oops, did I say something?"

"Buffy," Joyce said frowning.

"Sorry," Buffy said as began to shove some food into her mouth of her own. Everybody began to eat.

"This is good eatin', lady," the other Buffy said appreciatively towards Joyce.

"You don't have to call me that," Joyce said as she laid down her cutlery, "only yesterday you we're still calling me mom."

"That was then," the other Buffy said uncomfortably, "it doesn't feel right anymore."

If Joyce was hurt she hid it well. Instead she kept up her chip mood.

"Have you thought of where you're going to stay?" she asked.

"Dunno," the other Buffy shrugged, "I have no where to go, I don't know anybody here."

"You know us," Joyce smiled.

"Can't crash forever on your sofa, lady," the other Buffy countered as Belmovekk helped himself to his third serving.

"I suppose…., we could…, make room for you," Joyce smiled hopeful.

"But not my room," Buffy quickly added.

"If you want we could convert the attic or the basement as your room," Joyce quickly added, "it's no big deal."

"Or if you like I could make you a nice dome in the garden," Belmovekk said before he assaulted another plate, "Domes are nice. Maybe I should build one for all of us."

"Good luck convincing City Planning to give you their approval," Buffy sniggered.

"I dunno," the other Buffy said as she looked at both Joyce and Belmovekk, "it all seems like a lot of effort."

"It's no big deal," Joyce said as she reached out and put her hand on that of the other Buffy, "like I said, it doesn't matter how you got here, you're my daughter."

"Very subtle, mom," Buffy coughed discretely, "why don't you suggest she goes to Sunnydale High as well?"

Joyce gave Buffy an odd look, then it turned into a smile as she turned to the other Buffy.

"That's not a bad idea, Buffy."

"You're not serious?" Buffy said aghast, then her look changed into a wicked grin, "although the idea of Snyder suddenly seeing two of us and have his head explode seems strangely appealing."

"Uh thanks, but no thanks, lady," the other Buffy said taken somewhat aback, "me and school don't mix so well."

"But that's just because they kept you from school, Buffy," Joyce said, "You need an education."

"For what, slaying?" the other Buffy countered, "No thanks lady, but I got all the education I need in that department. Besides, from what I hear the other Slayer doesn't go to school either."

"But she loves what she is doing," Belmovekk suddenly said as he stopped eating and looked at her, "you on the other hand do not."

The other Buffy gave him an odd look.

"I did more then just measure you, girl," he said, "I studied you in that gym. Your moves are good, well executed and to the point. You did not waste any movements, in fact you were all business. But there was no passion in there. The young lady here on the other hand is sloppier in her moves, but she has passion. Faith, she is even worse technically but she also has passion. You on the other hand do what you have to do, but I do not think you like what you are doing."

"Geez, all that from just a little practice," the other Buffy said as she took a mouthful.

"It's all his kind ever does," Buffy grinned.

Then the front door rang.

"I'll get it," Buffy said as she got up and went to the front door. As she opened it she found Xander standing there.

"Xander?" she said somewhat surprised.

"Buff," Xander nodded looking a bit apprehensive. A lot actually.

"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked, then she realized, "Oh."

"Yup," Xander nodded solemnly, "she here?"

Buffy looked at her friend and felt sorry for him again.

"Look, now may not be a good time," Buffy said shaking her head, "mom, she's on the…, and she…, be smart, Xan!"

Xander looked down and bit his lip, then he sighed deeply.

"Well, you know me," he said sad-faced, "lousy timing and never the one to shy away from doing the stupid."

"I'll go get her," Buffy sighed and went inside. Leaving Xander to stand outside, leaning against a post as he looked up towards the sky. Then the door opened and he heard a familiar voice.

"Hey."

"Hey," Xander replied as he turned around. The other Buffy gave him a hard look as she folded her arms across her chest.

"What d'ya want?" she asked.

Xander had thought long and hard about what he was going to say and yet as he stepped up he changed it again.

"I was going to tell a long story but on second thought, could we just…. start again?" he asked hopefully.

"I told ya, I don't do seconds," she said shaking her head.

"That's what I guessed," Xander said as he bit his lip again, "which is why I asked for a restart instead."

"I don't do those either," she said deadpan.

Xander looked down and sighed. Then he pointed to the wooden sofa that was on the porch.

"Let's sit over there," he said. To his surprise she actually sat down with him. Then they began to talk.

Inside the house however two people were eavesdropping, trying to follow what was going on as they hid themselves behind the curtains in the living room.

"Come on," Joyce said hopeful, "just say yes."

"She's not going to do it," Buffy said gloomily as she peeked below her mother.

"Sure she is," Joyce said confidently, "all girls like Xander."

"If they're demons that is," Buffy snorted softly.

"Buffy!" Joyce said aghast as she looked at her daughter, then she resumed spying on the scene on the porch.

"It's the truth," Buffy shrugged.

"Then what about Cordelia?" Joyce asked.

"She's a demon at heart," Buffy said, almost grinning.

"I cannot believe you girls are spying on poor Xander," Belmovekk said as he came from the kitchen carrying a large tub of ice cream.

"I thought you used to be in the spying business?" Buffy said as she glanced quickly over her shoulder.

"It does not mean I spy on my friends," the Saiyan shrugged as he dipped his spoon in the tub of ice cream, "So, how does it go?"

"Xander has said he'd like to get to know her a little better," Joyce said giving a quick recap, "she's putting up a struggle but I do think she likes him."

"She'd better, they already had sex together," Buffy sniggered, then ignoring her mother's protest she looked at Belmovekk eating his ice cream, "Wait a sec, I thought you didn't spy on your friends, mister sanctimonious?"

"I am not," the Saiyan said deadpan as he spooned another spoonful of ice cream, "I am just….., accessing my informants?"

"Oh oh," Joyce said, "this is not going well, I've seen that look before."

"Yeah," Buffy said in agreement, "on frightened animals about to run. And yep, there she bolts."

"Poor Xander," Joyce said sympathetically as she inadvertently put her hand on her heart.

"I told him his timing was lousy," Buffy said as she got out from underneath her mother and sat down on the couch, "that he should wait. But he didn't listen. He never listens. He always acts like he hears and sees everything yet he never seems to do the right thing. No, I take that back, he does do the right thing, just never at the right time."

Shaking her head in sympathy Joyce closed the curtains and got up from the couch she'd been spying from.

"Alright, I'm taking over," she said and pointed at Belmovekk, "you, go to Xander and

comfort him. Take another spoon with you and keep that ice cream flowing. And you Buffy, go after your sister and talk some sense into her."

Buffy looked at her mother with a why me look.

"My sister?" she tried to say, but then she caved in under Joyce's forceful look, "alright."

x

---

x

In the end Buffy didn't have to look long for her 'twin'. Using the age old technique of 'where would I go if I was her' and her 'unique' insight into her own character Buffy discovered her 'twin' sitting in the old abandoned factory on an empty wooden crate.

"Hi sis," the other Buffy said without looking as Buffy approached, "how'd ya find me?"

"We have our ways," Buffy said as she stopped behind her 'twin' and took in the place, "I've learned to sense a person's life force. And since you're still bigger then the average camp or demon here…"

"Nifty," the other Buffy said melancholic, "must be a handy trick."

"It is," Buffy agreed, "although if you thought vamps and demons felt wrong before, it's nothing compared to being able to sense their life force."

"That gross?" the other Buffy chuckled softly.

"Bite your head off," Buffy said, then she folded her arms across her chest, "but that's not how I found you. I had a hunch I'd find you here."

"Perverse as this may sound, this place feels like the closest thing I have of home," her 'twin' said as she gestured around.

"Yeah, I thought you'd think like that," Buffy agreed, "the place could do with a few homely touches though. Some nice paint, complete clean up, something better to sit on."

For a moment neither girl said anything and Buffy began to look around. While the place looked totally different from the one she had seen inside Willow's memory there were the occasional familiar nooks and crannies. The platform the Master had used to address his vampires was there. And the storage room that had been used to house the human captives.

"How's Fly Boy?" the other Buffy suddenly asked concerned, surprising Buffy.

"Could be better," Buffy said, "but he'll live. He's faced and endured far worse. Although I'm sure right now he'd rather face and endure all of it all over again."

"You must all think I'm a horrible person," the other Buffy said sullenly, still staring ahead of her.

"I don't think you're horrible," Buffy said, "skittish maybe, frightened probably. You've had a lot dumped all over you these past days. But I have to say girl, boning Xander, not a good idea. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I dunno," the other Buffy shrugged, "he looked hot and was nice, it seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Famous last words," Buffy couldn't help but smile for a moment, then her smile went away as she asked the hard question, "Do you like him?"

"I dunno," the other Buffy said after some hesitation, "maybe."

Buffy patted the other Buffy on the shoulder.

"Whatever you decide, there's no need to rush it. Xander's certainly boyfriendly but dateville will still be there tomorrow. Or the day after that. Take all the pre-posy you need. After all, he's still got his left hand to keep him company until then."

The other Buffy turned her head around and looked oddly at Buffy.

"Sometimes I don't get a word of what you're saying, sis."

"I hear that a lot," Buffy echoed, "usually from Giles and my English teachers. Come to think of it, from all my teachers. Belmo and Giles on the other hand just nod and pretends they understand. Just before they make me do 200 push-ups."

Another long uncomfortable silence followed.

"I've come to a decision," the other Buffy suddenly said.

"Oh," Buffy replied, thinking she wasn't going to like the answer.

"I'm going back," the other Buffy said solemnly, "this place, it's too much."

Yep, it was bad.

Not knowing what to say Buffy sat down opposite her 'twin'.

"Everybody keeps on being nice to me," the other Buffy said, a tear beginning to roll down her cheek, "and I can't take it any more."

Buffy thought of reaching out to her 'twin' but decided not to at the last moment as the girl wiped her tear way and held it out towards Buffy.

"Look what you guys did to me?" she said accusingly, "The day Lothos killed my parents was the last day I ever cried. I put it all away. Became the perfect warrior. And I was good at it. Now I'm here and all of a sudden I can't stop crying. First seeing mom, well, your mom again, then learning I have sisters. Now your mom wants to have me to move in with her, become her daughter. And then there's Fly Boy who wants to date me. I can't take it any more, sis. It's too much"

"Look," Buffy said as she carefully tried to measure her words, "I know mom's on the warpath to keep you here and Xander's got lousy sense of timing. It doesn't mean you have to run away. If you want I'm sure Belmo can find a you a place to stay far from here."

The other Buffy pulled up her feet so she could rest her head on her knees.

"It's this place," she said, "this reality. It's too bright. Too happy."

"Are you sure about that?" Buffy said incredulously, "that's kinda hard to believe. Ever since I became the Slayer I've gone through seven kinds of Hell. I've seen friends die, I've had old friends betray me, when I fought the Master I was brain-dead for several minutes spawning a 2nd Slayer, I've had the man I love turn on me and become a demon, I even had to kill him when he was cured to save the world, I've had the man I thought was like a father to me betray me, the US government knows I exist, I've twice fought evil robots, we had to fight to keep the Hellmouth closed, evil Watchers, a double crossing Council on my 18th birthday, and to make things absolutely worse I have Princess Margaret nowadays for a Watcher. What could be so absolutely more dire in your reality?"

The other Buffy looked Buffy in the eyes.

"Lothos is still out there," she said before looking down again.

There was no argument against that as Buffy suddenly understood. The thought of finding and killing the vampire that had killed and turned her parents was probably the only reason her 'twin' had lasted this long without the kind of support mechanism she had had.

But revenge was a poor motivator once you got the one you were after. A man or in this case girl needs more then one reason to live if they are to continue on living.

"Suppose you catch him, what then?" Buffy asked.

"We'll cross that river once I catch him," her counterpart said sullenly.

"If you go back you'll die," Buffy countered, "even if you catch him, they, the Council, they'll just keep on using you till you die."

"Then I'll die," the other Buffy shrugged indifferently.

Buffy gasped at the almost utterly alien mindset of her 'twin'. Shocked Buffy reached out and grabbed the other Buffy's hands.

"You can't go back," Buffy said worried.

"Why not?" the other Buffy asked surprised, "Isn't that what demon dude said? Your friend suddenly can't do the mojo no more? Or won't you allow her to do so?"

"It's not like that," Buffy said vehemently, "trust me!"

The other Buffy eyed her wearily and pulled her hands from hers.

"Excuse me if I find it hard to believe right now, sis."

Buffy bit her lip. What to say? Getting somewhat desperate herself she reached for the one thing still left in her arsenal.

"Look," she said shaking her head as she again reached for her 'twin's hands, "you really don't want to know this."

"Yeah well, try me, sis," the other Buffy said suspiciously, "Why can't I go back?"

There was no way to sugar coat this, Buffy thought.

"Because if you do go back you'll die."

Her 'twin' didn't quite look shocked but she was taken aback.

"Oh," was all she said

"You asked for it," Buffy said as she gently squeezed her hands, "you were taken from one point in time. But it was not the endpoint. We saw what happened afterwards. You died. The Master snapped your neck and it was game over as far as you were concerned. The other Belmo then went berserk. He and Vegeta had a big fight over Anya's necklace. He won and destroyed it but not before their fight ended up being the big one as far as California was concerned."

"Oh," was all the other Buffy could say.

"Now you understand?" Buffy said concerned, "it's really, really bad if you went back."

"Show me," the other Buffy suddenly said as she reversed Buffy's hold on her hands, "show me what happened!"

To her surprise Buffy suddenly felt her mind invaded as the other Buffy pushed her unprepared mental defenses away with such forcefulness it stunned Buffy. And suddenly they were back in the other factory. The one full of brawling vamps. Buffy stood next to her 'twin' as they both watched how the other Buffy squared off against the Master and then got gripped in an iron head lock. With a crunch her neck was snapped. Then the vision halted and the other Buffy walked up close to the scene of herself dying, with Buffy following in tow angrily.

"You had no right to do that," Buffy said angry after her, but her 'twin' ignored her. She was even resetting the scene back in slow motion.

"Oh, like you lot have a right of keeping me in your reality against my will?" she said indifferently as she studied the movements.

"We were only trying to help you," Buffy said.

"I don't want your help or that of anyone," the other Buffy said transfixed on the scene, "in the end the only one I can rely upon is me."

"Must be a bleak existence," Buffy snorted aggrieved, "me, myself and I."

"I get by," the other Buffy said, then she froze the scene again and pointed to the Master's head lock, "I think I can beat this. Now that I know what he's doing I can reverse it."

"So that's it?" Buffy asked, "You've found your ticket home and now you're going to bail on us like you did with Xander on the roof?"

"He's a big boy, he'll get over it," the other Buffy shrugged, "you'll all get over it."

"Can you get over that though," Buffy said as she pointed towards the back of the factory, where one of the two Saiyans had begun his transformation.

"Moe?" the other Buffy said surprised as she saw the half-transformed Saiyan, "What's that?"

"How do you think they blew up California after you were gone?" Buffy said, then she took control of the vision and showed her what happened after the other Buffy's death, the two Saiyans dueling over Sunnydale, "It's called Super Saiyan. I'm still not sure what it is, only that it's the ultimate power up and that in that state they could blow up the planet."

The other Buffy re-took control of the scene again, It was reset back a few minutes to her death and this time she studied the two Saiyans as they reacted to what happened in the factory in slow motion.

"He wasn't kidding," she said impressed, "he really was being strictly observer guy. He's studying and commenting on my every move."

"Well duh," Buffy replied and pointed to Belmovekk, "that's what he always does."

The other Buffy walked up to the two Saiyans as she studied Belmovekk's face.

"When your Moe put me to my paces he was interested in what I could do," she said, "but look at this guy, he's way more interested."

"Duh, of course he is," Buffy said as she rejoined her twin, "Belmo knows me for a year and a half. He knows what a Slayer can do. This one probably sees one for the first time."

"That's not it," the other Buffy said shaking her head, "he's almost….obsessed. I remember what he said the first time we met. He said he'd come to Earth to help me. Me as in this person. Your Moe more or less stumbled on to you when he was sightseeing and decided to stick around. He however specifically came for me."

The other Buffy nodded impressed.

"Giles once said he thinks my Belmo also came to Earth to help me," Buffy said, "only that he didn't know it yet at the time."

As the girls talked Belmovekk's face contorted in a mix of concern and rage, probably they had arrived at the time of the other Buffy's imminent death again.

"Look at him," the other Buffy said pointing at his face, "he's about ready to tear the world apart for me."

"Belmo would do the same for me," Buffy quickly countered.

"Yeah, but he got to know you first," her 'twin' replied, "you're like his daughter now. You will be once your mother marries him. He however hardly knows me at all. Hmm, I can use that."

Then the vision ended and they were back in the old abandoned factory. The other Buffy let go of Buffy's hands and got up.

"Let's go," she said and walked towards the exit, "time to tell the others of my decision."

"You're crazy," Buffy said as she got up and walked after her, "You saw what happened, you still want to go back?"

"More then ever."

x

---

x

To say things went well when the other Buffy told them of her decision was an understatement. At first things went well. As soon as the two Buffy's walked back into 1630 Revello Drive, Joyce broke all speed records in order to hug them. While Joyce then hugged her latest daughter solo Buffy quickly went into the kitchen and found Belmovekk and Xander behind their jumbo jug of ice-cream.

"You might want to hear this," she said as she beckoned them to follow her. After they had all congregated in the living room the other Buffy told them of her desire to return. From there things happened as Buffy thought they would go. Her mother was first shocked, then angry, heartbroken and then she began to cry. Xander wasn't that particularly happy either and the both of them tried to talk her out of it. Naturally, as Buffy had foreseen it only served to strengthen the other Buffy's resolve.

"This isn't working," Buffy whispered as she took Belmovekk aside, "she's like a trapped animal. The more they push her, the more she feels trapped and tries to escape."

"I agree," Belmovekk replied.

"We have to do something," Buffy whispered. Belmovekk wanted to say something but didn't. Instead he looked aside absent minded for a moment.

"Hey, Earth to Belmo," Buffy said waving a hand in front of him, "you're choosing this time to go Rainman on me?"

"I may have an idea," the Saiyan said as he responded to her hand waving.

"Then why the grim?" she asked.

"Because it may sound strange and illogical what I am about to propose," he said.

"Is it ever anything else?"

Shooting a quick glance at Buffy Belmovekk stepped in the argument between the others.

"You cannot return," he said adamant, "or you will die."

It stopped the argument.

"Way to go, Mr. Subtle," Buffy muttered very softly.

"I thought….," Xander said, he had a clear idea what the Saiyan was meaning but even up to now he hadn't said it yet. Joyce of course still knew nothing of it.

"What do you mean?" she asked shocked. Belmovekk explained to her what they had seen inside the memories of Willow and she became outraged.

"You're not going back and that's the end of it, missy," she said towards the other Buffy, "even if I have chain you to the bedpost!"

"Oh yeah? You and whose army, lady?" the other Buffy said defiantly.

"Him, him and her!" Joyce yelled as she pointed towards the others, "I'm not going to send a daughter of mine out to die!"

"You're not my mother and you got no right to keep me here against my will," the other Buffy yelled equally outraged.

"I don't give a rat's ass how you got in this world, you're my daughter and that's the end of it!" Joyce said, then she turned towards Belmovekk, "you knew, and you didn't tell me? You should have told me, you bastard, You…."

"Joyce, dear, please," Belmovekk said as he tried to allay Joyce's temper, "you can put me out on the porch again if you want but please, hear me out."

"You lied to me!" Joyce said angry.

"Mom," Buffy said as she stepped in between, "don't blame him, this was my decision! We just didn't want to worry you."

"Buffy," Joyce said aghast, then she turned towards Belmovekk, "this isn't over yet."

"I know, the porch," Belmovekk sighed, then he turned to the other Buffy, "listen. Like I said, if you return, you will die."

"I know," she said defiantly, "I heard you the first time. And sis over there already showed me what happened. But hear me out. I think I can beat that vamp, Moe. I've studied what he did to me. I'm confident that if Red puts me back I can get out of his headlock and kill him."

"But what if Willow puts you back a fraction to late," Belmovekk said dead serious, "she may have great power as a sorcerer, but her magic is, for lack of a better word, unreliable? Do you really want to risk everything on the off chance that she might actually put you back at the right moment."

"She might also put me back a little earlier," the other Buffy replied without batting an eyelid, "which would improve my odds. That's still a 50-50 chance I'm gonna make it! Those are good odds, Moe."

"But it's not good enough for….," Joyce said but Belmovekk cut her short.

"Why not make it a 100% instead?" he said.

The other Buffy thought of it for a moment, as she looked at everybody for a moment,

"No!" Xander said aghast.

"What are you proposing?" the other Buffy said softly.

"I will train you so that when you go back you will make more then mincemeat out of that vampire. There will be nothing left of him to sweep up. I will make you just as strong as the young lady here, if not stronger."

"You're kidding, right?" both Buffy's said out incredulously.

"That's your plan?" Buffy then said shocked.

"It's going to take me forever to catch up with her," the other Buffy said pointing to Buffy.

"No," Belmovekk said shaking his head and holding up one finger, "just one year."

"One year?" Buffy exclaimed, "Then how come it took me this long?"

"One year?" the other Buffy shrieked, "I don't wanna stay here for one more day!"

"And that too," Belmovekk said as he began smirk, then he folded his arms across his chest, "those are my terms, Buffy. Take them or stay here indefinitely."

"I accept," the other Buffy said sullenly. Upon which Belmovekk turned to Buffy.

"Call Willow," he said, "tell her to fire up the old infernal machine and order three tickets for the first flying machine flight going to Albuquerque tomorrow."

"This is madness!" Xander said angry as he turned his back to the Saiyan. Joyce meanwhile was also fuming with anger.

"How could you," she said angry, "I expected you to back me up, This is beyond belief!. Not even the porch will do. Tomorrow I…."

Belmovekk cut her short and stood up to her, took her head into his hands and then touched her forehead with his. For a moment neither said anything. Then he let go and her anger seemed to have lessened.

"I still don't like it," she said still indignant as he put his arms around her.

"Polgara does it all the time. It is the only way, we cannot keep her here against her will," Belmovekk said before he gave her a kiss on the forehead. Then he let go and turned to Xander.

"Young man," he said pleadingly, "Xander, good friend. I need your help in this."

"What? Don't tell me you want me to help you training her," Xander said incredulously.

"You got to be kidding, right?" the other Buffy said as she looked at both Xander and Belmovekk.

"I am not kidding and as a matter of fact I do need your help," Belmovekk said as extend his hand towards Xander, who still had his back turned towards him, "Please, my good friend. I know your feelings are inclined otherwise but I do have need of you for this. In fact you are crucial."

Xander didn't immediately reply. Then Buffy came back into the living room carrying the cordless phone.

"Will says you got three tickets and that the plane leaves at 11:15."

Hearing Buffy say that Xander shook his head.

"No," he said, "I can't do this. Not this."

"Please," Belmovekk pleaded but to no avail as Xander walked towards the door and opened it. Belmovekk tried to walk after him but Xander signaled him to stop.

"No, big guy," he said coldly, "I don't like you very much right now."

Then Xander walked out. Belmovekk went to stand inside the door post.

"If you want to say goodbye, we leave at 11:15," he said, "and your ticket will still be waiting for you if you change your mind."

"Don't count on it," Xander called back.

x

---

x

The next day the Summers household arrived at Sunnydale's airport, where they found Xander waiting for them with a bag in the departure hall.

As they saw him sitting there the other Buffy walked up to him and he stood up to greet her.

"I thought you weren't coming?" she said as she put down her own bag. Full of loaners and gifts from Buffy and Joyce.

Xander shrugged as she pocketed both hands and looked somewhat uncomfortable.

"Ah well. Let it never be said that the Xand-man shirks away from the girl he likes," Xander said putting on a brave face, "Even if she wants to run away from him. I meant everything I said to you on that porch. And even though you're going I'd rather have some time with you then no time at all."

The other Buffy shook her head.

"I can't give you what you want, Fly Boy."

"Story of my life," Xander shrugged as he tried to sound like he wasn't falling apart inside. Then she suddenly kissed him on the cheek and smiled.

"But I'm glad you're coming anyway," she smiled.

"Me too," Xander said, for the first time smiling again

After that Belmovekk, the other Buffy and Xander boarded the airplane that would fly them to Albuquerque.

"Why are we taking an airplane?" Xander asked as they strapped themselves in their seats.

"Because by now the US Air Force has several flying machines carrying radar looking for those two androids," the Saiyan replied, "and I do not think it is wise that we advertise our own movements by flying ourselves. Nor create any false alarms that inadvertently could aid the Androids."

"Bummer," Xander said, "we could have been faster."

"Once I have some time I will try and get Goku's instant transmission technique to work," Belmovekk said, "Until then it is Delta Airlines for us."

"At least we're not flying coach," Xander said and rubbed his hands together in glee, "Unlimited peanuts!"

Once the plane was in the air Belmovekk quickly fell asleep once the in-flight movie began, giving Xander some time to talk with the other Buffy. And he even had the good sense not to talk about her decision to leave which put her at ease.

Once the plane landed at Albuquerque airport Belmovekk surprised Xander by renting a helicopter and producing a pilot's license.

"Since when did you learn how to fly a helicopter and is that even real?" Xander whispered as Belmovekk waited for the rental agency employee to fill in the forms.

"The license I made up," the Saiyan whispered back, "but I did not spend my entire time at a US air force base waiting for Willow to do her assignments. Nor for them to come up with leads regarding the androids. I asked them if they could give me some lessons and they did."

"A few lessons are hardly enough to learn how to fly one of those things," Xander objected.

"Relax," Belmovekk said as he waved away Xander's objections, "I was trained to be an Infiltrator, remember? Part of that is to be able to operate any transport machine I come across."

"We're gonna die," Xander cried softly as he thumped his forehead on the counter.

The helicopter ride was bumpy, way too bumpy for Xander's taste, as Belmovekk at times struggled to get to grips with the thing. The other Buffy seemed to like it though.

"Yeahaw," she yelled excitedly as the helicopter made a pass towards the ground that was way too close for Xander's liking.

"This one is somewhat different then I practiced on," Belmovekk said through gritted teeth as he fumbled with the steering levers.

"You think so?" Xander yelled as he fought his airplane meal fighting to get out again.

Finally Belmovekk landed the helicopter not far from a Native American settlement. One of the locals came to see who they were and then waved towards them as they seemed to recognize Belmovekk.

"Sweet mother Earth," Xander said as he kissed the ground once he stepped out of the helicopter, "how your lost son truly embraces your sweet loving embrace again!"

"You're such a baby," the other Buffy said amused as she saw him perform the Pope maneuver, "it was fun!"

"Maybe to you it was," Xander said as he stood up, "but to me that was the kind of fun that's not."

"Come," Belmovekk said as he gestured the couple to follow him.

"What about the helicopter?" the other Buffy asked as she looked at the machine, its doors still open.

"They will look after it," Belmovekk said as he waved towards another local in the distance.

They walked for a brisk ten minutes before suddenly, to the other Buffy's and Xander's amazement, a tower suddenly materialized from thin air. A tower that seemed to impossibly stretch up into the clouds and beyond.

"You've got to be shittin' me!" the other Buffy gasped, "How's this even possible?"

"How come nobody even sees such a thing?" Xander asked equally impressed. The tower might not be large at its base but its length easily made it the largest structure on Earth. Aside from the Chinese Wall.

"And now?" Xander asked looking at the Saiyan.

"Now we go up," Belmovekk grinned.

"You've got to be shittin' me," the other Buffy exclaimed, "it's going to take me a year to climb that thing.

"Relax, we'll fly," Belmovekk said as he shouldered her luggage and held out his arm.

"Is that safe?" Xander asked, "I mean, aren't those radar planes out there?"

"Here they won't see us for the same reason nobody sees this," Belmovekk said as he gently patted the tower, "Divine power."

"What's up there?" she asked wearily as she allowed herself to be taken in his embrace.

"God," the Saiyan said and lifted off, soon followed by Xander. The ride to the top took what seemed like ages to the other Buffy and she was screaming with joy all the way.

"Yeeeehaaw," she yelled when they passed through the cloud cover. To her surprise the tower stretched even further into the sky. As the thing went on and on she could suddenly see the tower broadening, like somebody had built a large bulge into the thing. As they got closer she noticed it was a home. Somebody actually lived there. And as they passed she could see a large white cat standing up straight carrying a wooden staff. It even greeted her as she passed.

"What the fuck was that?" she asked bewildered.

"That's just Carrin," Belmovekk answered offhand, "he lives there."

"God's a cat?"

"No," Belmovekk replied, "that's just Carrin. God lives up there."

As the other Buffy looked up she saw that the tower was finally coming to an end. High in the sky the tower flared into a huge bowl and once they neared it Belmovekk and Xander veered off and slowed down as they made their final approach. Once they crossed the bowl's edge the other Buffy could see it was flat on top, with a small palace complex on top.

When they landed they found a small black man waiting for them, dressed like he was straight from Aladdin or something.

"He's God?" the other Buffy said incredulously as Belmovekk put her down, "cause I know some people back home who're gonna be mighty pissed if they hear God wears a turban."

"No, he is," the Saiyan said as he pointed to the old man that approached them, "Mr. Popo is just your friendly neighborhood djinn and caretaker of his divineness, Kami Sama."

"God is green?" the other Buffy said surprised, "And he's got antennae?"

"Hello there," Kami said as he joined the new arrivals, "Belmovekk, Xander."

Then he turned towards the other Buffy.

"Greetings, Chosen One from an alternate reality. Welcome to my little corner of the world."

"Wow," the other Buffy said," you know me?"

"Of course, young Buffy," God smiled and tapped his ears, "after all, these work."

Xander put his hands together and gave Kami a solemn look.

"Speaking of those, your worship, did you by any chance happen to hear my little prayer lately?"

Kami nodded and patted the teen on the shoulder.

"Your dirty secrets were safe from me, brave one."

"I faithfully worship at your altar, your Greenness," Xander smiled gratefully as he bowed.

"You're really God?" the other Buffy asked, still having a little trouble with the concept that God was an old green man with antennae on his head, "did you really part the Red Sea? Hand out the ten commandments? Did you…"

Belmovekk suddenly put his hand on her mouth.

"You must excuse her, Kami," he said as she struggled to get his hand of her mouth, "I forgot that deep down she has many things in common with her namesake. Including her talent to forever keep asking a million questions."

"It's alright," Kami said and signaled Belmovekk to let go, "no I'm not the God of the Bible. I know him though. He's a bit stuffy, but he likes his followers. Even if they do give him grey hair all the time. I myself am more the Guardian spirit of this world. I'm called Kami. I look out after this world. Middle-management they would call it these days. Now Belmovekk, what brings you here? More visits to our archives?"

As soon as Belmovekk removed his hand the other Buffy began to ask questions again.

"But could you split the Red Sea if you wanted to? Turn water into wine? Make it rain food? Cure the crippled? Send a whale to eat somebody? Turn…"

"You're still not cruising past his Godhood, are you?" Xander said looking at the other Buffy.

"I have need of your facilities," Belmovekk said as the group walked towards the buildings, "the RoSaT to be specific."

Kami stopped a moment to look over his shoulder at the two teens.

"I see where you're going," the divine Namek said, "follow me."

"What's this RoSaT?" Xander asked but he didn't get an answer.

"…the sun?" the other Buffy continued to ask, "Walk on water? Become a burning bush? Be a…"

Once they went inside Xander quickly learned that there was more to Kami's floating palace then met the eye from the outside. It looked like there was no end to the many rooms, storage places, corridors and stairways.

"This place looks like a friggin' labyrinth," Xander said as the tour just went on and on. He wouldn't be surprised if the place violated a few laws of physics. Then again, it stood on top of a pencil thin tower high in the stratosphere. Its very existence violated the very laws of physics. After that what's one more anyway. At least the other Buffy had run out of stupid questions to ask. It was an annoying habit she shared with Buffy. But then again, who was perfect?

"This is it," Kami said as he stopped the group before a door. "This is the Room of Spirit and Time."

"Now I get it," Xander exclaimed, "RoSaT!"

"And what are we supposed to find behind door Nr. 2?" the other Buffy asked and Kami opened the door in response. Inside was what looked to be a living quarters.

"What? It's a college dorm room?" the other Buffy said somewhat disappointed. But Belmovekk walked inside and gestured them to follow them. Once they were inside it was like they had stepped into another universe.

"This place feels odd," the other Buffy said as she looked around the place. It looked sterile. There was a small kitchen with a huge well stocked supply room, a small living room with two beds, a bath room. There didn't appear to be any walls as the whole room was surrounded in drapes and curtains.

"It is the finest training grounds this side of the universe," Belmovekk smiled and walked towards a curtain and pulled it aside. As it opened they could see what lay on the other side.

Beyond a set of steps there was absolutely nothing but a vast expanse of white nothingness.

"Holy shit," Xander said flabbergasted as he dropped his bag. The infinite featureless whiteness was just too much for a person to comprehend.

Belmovekk walked off the steps until he stood on the white nothingness and turned around.

"It's getting harder to breathe," the other Buffy said as she followed him and stepped off the steps. Once she did she suddenly fell backwards.

"What the…" she exclaimed surprised as immense gravity pressure had taken hold of her and seemed to crush the life out of her.

"The gravity here fluctuates, as does the atmospheric pressure," Belmovekk said as he helped her up on her feet and back on the steps so she could stand again, "once you step onto the white you will feel the change in gravity. Right now it's a standard 10 G's. The longer you stay here however the higher it will become. After a year it will be 100 G's."

Then he walked back into the living quarters.

"It is basically a pocket universe," he continued, "although no one has ever tried to discern how big it is."

"When Goku was here he couldn't last a month," Kami said standing next to Belmovekk.

"I can imagine," the other Buffy said as she took in the vast white expanse, then she turned around and looked at the green Namek, "who's Goku?"

Belmovekk began to rub his hands together and began to look way too smug for Xander's sake.

"There's a catch, right?" Xander asked wearily.

"There is," the Saiyan smirked, then he pretended to look aside for a moment as if he was thinking, "well, two in fact. First of all, time runs faster in here then outside. You can spend a whole year inside this place and then leave, only to find that only a day has passed in the world outside.

"You want me to spend a year inside this place," the other Buffy gasped, "you're kidding, right, Moe?"

"I do not jest, Buffy," Belmovekk said deadpan, "I told you it was going to take a year and this is it."

Buffy took another look at the white expanse and shrugged, "maybe this is not so bad?"

"Uh, Big Guy," Xander asked, "riddle me this, if we're going to train her, why are there only two beds in here?"

Belmovekk began to smirk from ear to ear as he put his hand on Xander's shoulder.

"Young man. Xander. Dear friend!" he said solemnly, "this place holds only room for two people. You know everything that she could learn in a single year. I am but redundant here."

Then he let go and he and Kami walked out.

"Wait," the other Buffy protested, "him only? You gotta be serious!"

"But I am," Belmovekk grinned as he held the door, "I'm pulling a Polgara on you both. Do not bother to come out before your time is up, for Mr. Popo will lock the door. See you in a year's time!"

BLAM.

The door was closed. The other Buffy ran to the door and tried to open it but it wouldn't budge.

"Damn him!" she yelled angry as she pounded the door, "Damn him and his alien trickery!"

"It's not so bad," Xander said as he picked up his bag and walked to one of the beds. She turned around and walked to her bag as well.

"Maybe for you it isn't," she muttered, "this must be your fantasy. To be locked in a room with me for a whole year with no way out."

"Indeed," Xander grinned impishly.

"This was his damn plan all along," she muttered as she threw her bag on the other bed, "stick us together in here and hope that the old Fly Boy mojo would convince me to stay."

"He is wise beyond comprehension," Xander smiled shaking his head in awe at the Saiyan's trickery as he suddenly got the Polgara reference. Polgara the sorceress who prided herself on her matchmaking abilities by locking an intended couple up together until they both came out in love.

"Well, it's not going to happen," she said as she overturned her bag on the bed, "there's going to be some rules if we're going to get along, Fly Boy."

"I get it," Xander smiled and began to point from his bed to hers, "there's my side, there's your side. My side, your side, my side, your side, my side, your side. And, uh…"

Buffy just gave him an odd look.

"…and I guess you didn't get to watch a whole lot of TV in Cleveland, right?"

x

---

x

The 24 hours were almost up when Belmovekk returned to the Tenka bowl from his business. After having said his respects to Kami he went inside the complex until he found Mr. Popo standing outside the RoSaT door.

"Good day to you, Mr. Popo," he said courteously. The black djinn greeted him with a bow.

"It is almost time," the djinn said.

"I know," Belmovekk nodded, "I am sorry. I was delayed. Some stupid delay at the airport. Human transport can be so woefully inefficient."

Then both men waited for a while until the djinn pulled an hourglass from his vest.

"It is time," he said and twisted the key that stick from the door, then he looked at Belmovekk," should we go in?"

"No," Belmovekk said shaking his head, "let us give them some more time."

Then Belmovekk leaned against the wall and put on his old trusty and battered scouter

"You still use those?" Mr. Popo asked somewhat surprised.

"Yeah," Belmovekk nodded as he tapped the scouter, "Sensing is all great and useful, but there are times when you just cannot beat the old scouter. Bulma did some modification to it, thinking it can now scout androids as well. It is not perfect, you have to be really close and hope that they do not differ from the models we have examined so far. Still, better then nothing, right?"

"I suppose," the short pudgy djinn said

"This is beginning to take a little longer then I thought," Belmovekk said as nobody came out, "maybe I should go in?"

The Saiyan put his hand on the door handle and opened the door.

"Hello," he called as he peeked inside, "everybody decent in here?"

There was no immediate reply so he stepped inside. There didn't seem to be anyone inside the living quarters as he walked through them. But his scouter began to beep.

"Ah," he said and pulled the curtains aside. There they were. Out dueling in the white. He sat down and studied them. The were going at it at full power. Throwing energy attacks all over the place as they battled each other in extreme high speed combat. Xander had clearly done a superb job. As he tapped his scouter he measured each of them. To his amazement he found that they were both nearly identical in strength. They had passed the 10,000 with Xander just above the 14,000 and she just below.

Not bad at all, Belmovekk nodded impressed.

Then the two suddenly stopped as they saw him sitting there. They both flew towards him and landed as Belmovekk stood up again. A whole year training and fighting had done terrible things to their limited wardrobe. Which why it was smart thinking on his part to have brought some new clothes for the both of them.

"I, um, brought you some new clothes," Belmovekk said as he pointed to the exit. Neither of them replied immediately. Then the other Buffy walked up to him.

"It-it feels strange to suddenly see somebody else?" she said as she examined his face, "You haven't changed one bit, Moe."

Then she swung at him and decked him with one big punch that sent him back on his ass again.

"That's for sticking me in this fun dimension!" she said angry, then she cheerily walked past him, "It's good to see you again though, Moe! Poeh, I'm hitting the shower."

"She still angry?" Belmovekk said as he rubbed his jaw as Xander helped him up.

"Not really," Xander smiled, "but she promised herself she'd do it once she saw you again. I think she saw through your great master plan, Dr. Evil."

"Did it work?" Belmovekk asked hopeful as he rubbed his jaw, "did you manage to..?

"No," Xander said shaking his head in defeat, "she's still going."

x

---

x

The flight down from the Tenka bowl was uneventful. After having changed into the new clothes Belmovekk had brought they said their goodbyes to Kami and left Mr. Popo to the arduous task of cleaning up the RoSaT after them. Then they jumped off and this time all three of them flew on their own power down. Past the bulge where Carrin again waved towards them, all the way down until they landed near the base of the tower.

There they found the rental chopper gone and instead there was a Capsule Corp. tiltfan waiting for them.

"What happened to the old ride?" Xander said as Belmovekk opened the door for them.

"I had some business to attend," Belmovekk shrugged, "besides, it had to go back anyway. Since I had to make a stop over in San Francisco I asked if I could borrow one of Bulma's rides."

"Uh, you sure you could fly this thing?" Xander asked wearily as he strapped himself next to Belmovekk in the cockpit, "Cause I remember the last helicopter ride…."

"Yeah, sure," Belmovekk waved dismissively as he began his pre-flight checks, "Yamcha gave me a few pointers."

"We're doomed," Xander said over his shoulder towards the other Buffy.

x

---

x

"Albuquerque, boys and girls," Belmovekk said as he landed the tiltfan on the airport.

"Excuse me," Xander said as he quickly unbuckled himself, "I think my stomach crawled clear up my throat and strangled my tongue."

"You're in love too?" the other Buffy grinned cruelly as Xander sped past her. Then she wanted to unbuckle herself but Belmovekk reached over his chair and stopped her.

"You're not getting off here," he said shaking his head.

"We're not?" she asked as she gave him a surprised stare.

"Sit," Belmovekk said as he unbuckled himself instead and walked past her, picking up Xander's bag in the process. Then he left the tiltfan and joined a puking Xander on the tarmac.

"Are you alright, my friend?" he asked over the sounds of the still active engines as he put the bag next to Xander.

"I've had worse," Xander said as he wiped his mouth, then he looked up looking forlorn at Belmovekk, "she's leaving, Big Guy. She's really leaving me."

Belmovekk nodded and then pulled an airplane ticket from his jacket.

"Your plane leaves in one hour," he said, "Me and Buffy have a little detour we must do first."

"Why can't I come?" Xander asked, then his face turned hopeful, "You still have one trick up your sleeve, right?"

Belmovekk hated to dash the teen's last hopes but he had to.

"No, my good friend," he said shaking his head, "no more tricks, plans or schemes to keep her here. We promised her we would live up to our deal and we shall. Even if it pains me greatly."

Xander looked down dejected, at his vomit.

"You guys were….. intimate?" Belmovekk asked. Xander chuckled weakly.

"She's like a magnet that constantly switches polarity," he said sullenly, "first she wants me, then she pushes me away, then she wants me again, you get the picture, right?"

"Was it hard?" Belmovekk asked concerned.

"Bite your head off," Xander nodded and Belmovekk put his hand on the teen's shoulder.

"Oh, my friend," he sighed regretfully, "I am truly sorry for you that it did not work out as I hoped it would. Usually when Polgara does it, it works like a charm. I am sorry to say I am not her."

Xander looked up and smiled weakly.

"It wasn't that bad," he said, "When she was in a good mood we did it like the ruttin' energizer bunnies. I mean people talk about the ten mile high club or they discuss zero-G sex. I can tell you from first hand experience that 60 G sex, while far more exhausting, makes for some pretty powerful orgasms. I wouldn't want to have missed it for the world."

"Then at least that gladdens my heart, Xander, dear friend," Belmovekk smiled, "I will see you when I return with her to Sunnydale."

Belmovekk wanted to turn around but Xander stopped him.

"When she goes back, I will go with her," he said.

Belmovekk smiled at Xander.

"I would have been surprised if you did not, good friend."

x

---

x

Belmovekk landed the tiltfan at Capsule Corp's private airstrip near a black SUV with tinted windows.

"Come," he said to the other Buffy as they left the tiltfan and made for the car. Belmovekk opened the backdoor so she could put her bag inside.

"What's this?" she asked as she saw a basket lying in the back.

"Stuff," the Saiyan shrugged evasively

"Where are we going?" she asked wearily, "This is not some other crazy scheme to keep me her, is it?"

"No more schemes," Belmovekk said as they got in the car and drove off, "At least, not to keep you here. You did as we asked, we will live up to our bargain."

"Then why are we in San Francisco?" she asked as he started the car and made for the exit, "Or is there some evil we have to fight here first?"

"Firstly, there is no evil here," Belmovekk said, "that is, if one discounts the preponderance of men fornicating with men and women fornicating with women here."

Then he shuddered in disgust.

"Strange," the other Buffy said as she gave him an odd look, "I never pegged you for a bigot."

"I am a product of my upbringing," Belmovekk shrugged, then he took out a cassette from his jacket and put it into the car stereo. Soon the chugging guitar riff of Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love filled the car. The other Buffy picked up the casing and studied the insert.

"Strange. I never figured a 4000 year old alien would go for 70's rock."

"Joyce made it for me," Belmovekk smiled, "I discovered the music amidst her music collection. Do not get me wrong, I like the music Oz plays with his band. I can even bear the music Buffy likes to listen to, but this… "

"...is more your thing," the other Buffy smiled, "I get it. It's okay. But if you put on disco inferno I will rip your head off and shit down your neck."

Belmovekk grinned as he looked at her.

"It is a pity you are leaving, Buffy," he said, "I am really starting to like you."

"You guys only like me because I look like her. I'm not that Buffy, I only happen to share my good looks with her," she said looking out of the window as Belmovekk passed the junction leading towards San Francisco and took a different turn instead, "isn't 'Frisco the other way?"

"We are not going there," Belmovekk said as he took another junction that led him off the main road," and for the record, we do realize you are not her."

"Then where are we going?" she asked curiously.

"A parting gift," Belmovekk said as he drove the car into the hills, into wooded country. He drove like that for another half hour until he reached a clearing. There, beside a fire stood a familiar looking figure.

"Is that…?" she asked as Belmovekk halted the car and turned off the engine.

"His royal highness and Prince of all Saiyans," he said half joking, half seriously as he got out of the car and the other Buffy followed suite.

"Movekk," Vegeta said annoyed as Belmovekk and the other Buffy walked up to him, "you took your sweet time."

"We are here now, are we not, my Prince?" Belmovekk shrugged.

"Couldn't you have come sooner," Vegeta snorted unimpressed.

"We came as fast as we could," Belmovekk replied as he looked around, "unless you

do not mind the US Air Force knowing we were coming."

"Stupid insects," Vegeta snorted again, "its bad enough they can track us already, the heavens forbid they get their hands on your scouter technology. I don't care about you precious androids, Movekk, but I absolutely forbid you to ever give them scouter technology."

Then Vegeta turned to the other Buffy.

"So this is the wench this is all about?" he asked as he leered at her.

"It's good to see you too, Tweedledum," the other Buffy grinned, and she even meant it. In a strange crazy way he was the first person she met in this reality who behaved exactly like he did in hers. The familiarity almost made her heart ache.

"She's even more insufferable then the other one," Vegeta sneered. Then the girl did the unthinkable. She stepped up to the Saiyan prince and patted him on the cheek.

"That's okay, Tweedledum," she said deadpan, "I love you too."

"Oh," Vegeta grunted as his eyes shot pure venom at her, then he turned around and walked away, "let's get this over with quickly, Movekk!"

Vegeta disappeared into the woods and Belmovekk went to the back of the SUV, which he then opened.

"So, Moe," she asked as he rummaged inside, "what are we going to do here? Have a goodbye picnic with Tweedledum?"

"Since you are so hell bent on leaving us I arranged for a little parting gift," Belmovekk said as he took out the basket, "although the size of that gift will depend on you."

"Oh," she said excited and clapped her hands, "presents! I love presents! My Watcher gave me a nice knife for my 17th birthday."

Belmovekk walked towards the fire and began to unload stuff from the basket, apparently all magical paraphernalia.

"Well, this is going to be a little different, Buffy," Belmovekk said as he drew a circle in the sand and pointed to it, "come, sit in here."

The other Buffy did as instructed. Then Belmovekk handed her a large bust of a two faced man, one normal face at the front of his head, another in the back. Then he erected a small altar opposite her and placed various bowls of herbs and powders on it.

"Could you…?" he asked as he signaled she should return the statue.

"Who's he?" she asked as she gave it back.

"Janus," Belmovekk said as he placed the bust on the altar, "a god worshiped by an ancient people called the Romans.

"You're gonna do ma…." The other Buffy tried to say but then Vegeta came flying out of the air, "what's this?"

As Vegeta landed he carried with him a large net that held ten tightly bound, blindfolded and gagged men. They were absolutely trussed up like rolled meat. Then he picked up one of the men like he weighed nothing and brought him towards Belmovekk and the other Buffy.

"Let's get this over with, Movekk," he grunted impatiently, "I got training to do."

"What's going on here?" the other Buffy asked incredulously.

Belmovekk reached into the basket and took out the last item, a cruel looking knife, which he held up.

"You must understand, Buffy," he said looking at the knife, "that I am Saiyan. We Saiyans are a proud warrior race and to us our house and our family matter above everything. I cannot refuse my mate anything, nor my children or the members of my household. In the short time that you are here you matter greatly to my mate. And as such you matter to me as well. Joyce fears greatly that you would die if you return. Which is why I had Xander train you. I had hoped he would change your mind so you would stay. Alas, such is not the case and we must live up to your departure."

"But there are greater evils to worry about in your reality then that insignificant vampire who killed your parents. Because my counterpart is there also it means the doom that awaits us in this realm is there also. I promised Joyce that I would do my utmost to keep you safe in that other realm. And I will.

"You talk too much," Vegeta muttered as he positioned the first prisoner beside the altar.

"Did Xander tell you what happened with Angelus?" Belmovekk asked the other Buffy.

"If ever! He couldn't stop talking about him and…..," she said, then she looked aghast, "that ritual, the one he used to make himself stronger…"

"A life for each gain in power," Belmovekk said as he handed Vegeta the knife, "times ten. When he returned, Angel explained me the ritual. I could never hope to use it for Buffy or the others. Probably why he felt safe to tell me. Well, perhaps maybe Faith would consider. And I suspect Xander might agree if things were truly dire. But she would never. She is too wrapped up in the mythos of being humanity's defender. You on the other hand, you do not care anything about humanity, the great balance, or the great battle between good or evil. You have your own agenda."

"Your friend is right," she said looking up, "you really do talk too much."

Belmovekk walked up to Vegeta and stood next to the first bound man beside the altar. Then he ripped off the blindfold so the man could see. And she could see his frightened eyes.

"Here I have ten of the most vile and reprehensible men in the San Francisco area, Buffy. This man, Chen Long Sui, runs one of the largest triads in Chinatown. Besides gambling, extortion, drugs and murder he deals into the trafficking of Chinese girls from the Chinese country side into the local brothels. Theirs is a life of abject misery. I dare say this piece of human garbage is as great a parasite on the human race as any vampire or demon. All these men are. Vile reprehensible scum each and everyone of them. They think themselves untouchable from the law and usually they are right. I will kill these men. The question is, Buffy, should I just kill them for who and what they are, or to also make you stronger?"

x

---

x

Knock knock.

"Come in."

In his dungy basement back in Sunnydale Xander was packing his stuff when somebody knocked on the door. Since his parents never bothered to knock, nor came in much for that matter Xander just knew it had to be a visitor. And he had a pretty good idea as to who.

"Hi, Buff," he said without look up as Buffy came down into Xander's dungy dungeon.

This was the first time she was here. And she could instantly see why Xander had never taken any of them back to his place. And suddenly she understood him a little better as well. His friends really were all he had in this life, no wonder he was so protective of them. Even if it had meant jumping into harms way just to buy her an extra few seconds by letting the big bad pound on him. And suddenly Buffy wished she had come here earlier, just so they would have understood each other a little better and avoided some of the big arguments they had had in the past.

"Wow, this is, um, impressive," she said as she looked around the place.

"It is, isn't it?" Xander said packing. Buffy stopped looking around and turned towards her friend.

"Will said you were going," she said uneasily, "that you were going with her?"

"That's right," Xander said as he stopped packing and looked at her, "if I can't be with her here, I'm going to be with her there."

Xander looked around his place and shook his head.

"What am I going to do with my collection of Babylon 5 tapes?" he said wistfully.

"I'm sure we'll find a good home for them," Buffy smiled, "Will says there's this place on the internet called E-bay and…."

"No," Xander said vehemently as he shook his head, "anything but that."

Buffy grinned and gave him a playful punch on the shoulder.

"Of course not, silly," she said, "I'll take them home and give them a nice dark spot. So I can occasionally look at them and think of my good friend Xander."

"Thank you Buff," Xander said as he looked down and bit his lip, "you're a good friend."

"I might even watch a few episodes," Buffy smiled.

"Don't make promises you can't keep Buff," Xander smiled, then his face turned serious, "I'm sorry."

"For what," Buffy asked surprised

"For everything," he said solemnly, "for going away when I should have stayed to help you. For not being there with you when the end comes. For not having been there when you needed me. For not having said the things I should have said to you. For being such a jerk when it came to you and Angel. For lying to you when Willow told me to tell you she was going to try again."

Buffy took Xander in a strong hug.

"What's there to forgive?" she said choking, a tear rolling down her cheek, "We live, we make a mess. You gave me life, Xander. Despite everything that happened since, good or bad, without you I would never have lived to see any of it."

"So we're cool?" Xander said also choking.

"We're cool," she said wiping away her tear and smiled again, "so you got me in the end. Wore me down."

"It was a labor of love," Xander smiled, "but it wasn't something I regret. Fate kept you from me. Yet it gave her to me instead. And while she's not you, she has a spirit like you. And that's what always really attracted me to you in the first place."

Buffy nodded, not knowing what to say.

"See you later at school," she said and turned around, going up the stairs. On top of the stairs she put her hand on the door handle and turned around.

"I left you a present on the bed," she said and pointed to a package lying on the bed, "something to remember me by."

Then she stepped out of the basement and closed the door behind her. Curious Xander walked to his bed and picked up the package. It weighed next to nothing. He tore off the paper and gasped.

It was a little stuffed toy pig. And not just any stuffed toy pig. It was Mr. Gordo.

x

---

x

It was way past midnight when Xander walked into the Library to find everybody was there. Oz and Faith were present, Willow sitting in a recreation of how she sat a few days ago with Anya. Belmovekk was there with a heartbroken Joyce, each holding each other's hand while using their free arms to hold the twins, Buffy greeting him with an encouraging nod. Angel beside her also nodding, Giles sitting with a stack of magic books spread out across the table. Everybody except the other Buffy.

"Where is she?" he asked looking around.

"She's waiting for you in the lounge," Buffy said.

"Why's she there?" he asked surprised as he put his bag on the counter.

"You'll have to ask her," Buffy said, "go."

Xander nodded and left the Library again. He walked across the hallways until he found her, staring out of a window into the night. She was dressed again in the same clothes she wore when he first met her, in that alley near the Bronze. Which suddenly seemed like an eternity ago. He walked up to her until he stood behind her, then he kissed her on the neck. She reacted immediately and pulled her neck back, giving him better access.

"Hmm," she said appreciatively, "you smell good."

"I showered," Xander said as he put his arms around her, "so how was San Francisco? You got to meet the Prince of Dorkness?"

"Tweedledum?" the other Buffy chuckled, "Yeah I met him."

"You called him that?" Xander chuckled as well, "In his face? Brave girl, few have dared to insult TAFKAP and lived to tell the tale. Strangely enough though they always tend to be Summers girls."

"I guess he has a weak spot for us then."

"I reckon so," Xander said as he rested his head on her shoulder, "so the B-man gave you a nice present there?"

"You could say that," the other Buffy said as she held up a hand and balled it into a fist, still amazed at the power she now felt coursing inside her. She was also amazed that she still didn't feel any guilt. Even though Tweedledum had used that god-awful knife to gut each of those humans from ear to ear, letting them bleed over that altar until they were bled dry. And even though she basically only had Moe's word that those men where criminals of the worst kind.

"Then I'm glad," Xander said and both said nothing for a while as they stared in the night..

"It is strange," she finally said, "for so long I've wanted to go back. And now that it's about to happen I feel hesitant to leave."

"You can still change your mind," Xander suggested, but she shook her head.

"No, it's better this way."

"Why did you ask me to come here?" Xander asked. She looked over her shoulder somewhat dumbfounded and Xander couldn't help thinking that little scar on her lip looked so damn cute.

"Why, to say goodbye of course," she said, "I thought maybe it was better to do it not in front of the others?"

"Ah, that," Xander said as he let go and involuntarily took a step back, "there's still that matter to discuss. I'm afraid there's a slight change of plans."

She turned around and began to thump his chest.

"You're not going to say what I'm thinking you're thinking, asshole. You're not going to even think what I'm thinking you're thinking!"

"Relax, Buffy," Xander said holding up his hands, I…."

"Don't you relax Buffy me," she said again thumping his chest. To Xander's surprise each thump began to hurt more and more.

"Look," Xander said taking another step backwards, "If you're thinking Xander, 'the Xand-man' Harris is going to sit idly by as the love of his life leaves him for some godforsaken dimension, destination unknown she really doesn't know him at all. I'm coming with you and that's that!"

"Raaah!" the other Buffy yelled in frustration, then she began to violently kick against things and rip them to shreds. The comfy sofas Xander had spend so much time on, the candy vending machines that had recently been moved into the lounge, the potted plants in the corner. She all ripped or kicked them to pieces.

"Obstinate fool!" she yelled angry, "You just had to do it! Couldn't you just leave it be?"

"You know I can't!" Xander yelled back, something he and her had done a lot over the past year, "I love you! I'll be damned if I'd let you walk out my life! If I can't have you in mine, then I'll cross over to yours! Either way I'm coming!"

"You don't love me, you love her!" she bit back

"NO!" Xander yelled as he reached for the only thing left in the lounge that she hadn't destroyed, the message board where students hung their adverts and messages on. He ripped it off the wall and threw it away in anger, sending the thing crashing through the window and flying away in the night. His chi flame even sprang to life and light debris began to roll all over the place.

"I'm fed up with you forever thinking you're an undeserving piece of crap," he said pointing at her, "has it ever occurred to you that maybe, just maybe, you are a person

some people would be attracted to in her own right!"

"DAMN!" the other Buffy yelled and rammed her fist through a wall, then she fell on her knees crying, "Why does it always have to be so bloody difficult with you? Why do you always make things difficult? Why couldn't you just let it be? Accept that we had a few good moments and leave it at that? Like everybody else did?"

Xander kneeled in front of the sobbing girl and reached for her chin. Then he lifted her head up and kissed her on the lips.

"I'm not everybody else," he said gently, "I could never leave it at that."

The other Buffy looked him in the eyes.

"Do you love Buffy Summers?" she said tear stricken, "not her, me?"

"Beyond hope," Xander smiled.

Then she smiled at him and Xander felt like the lounge suddenly lit up just for him. She reached her hand out, put it behind his head and then she kissed him. Then she closed her eyes and put her forehead against his.

"I do know the Xand-man, even better then he knows himself," she suddenly said in a tone that was way to alarming for Xander's taste. Before he could react she moved her hand from behind his head and slammed it against the side of his head.

It was immediate lights out for Xander and he went limp in her arms.

She stood up, picked him up and carried him over to a part of the lounge that was the least littered with debris. She kicked some of it aside, then she put him down gently. Next she reached for a damaged pillow and put it underneath his head. Then she reached inside her pocket and took out a letter which she placed in his hands.

"We're in the hands of fate now, you and I," she said and kissed him one last time. Wiping away a tear she stood up and left for the Library.

x

---

x

In another reality, after he had just managed to throw off Anyanka Giles slammed her amulet on his desk and looked around desperately for something heavy to smash it with. Seeing his marble paperweight he grabbed it as Anyanka got up from the floor.

"You trusting fool," Anyanka yelled desperately, "how do you know the other world is any better than this?"

"Because it has to be," Giles replied desperately as he looked at her.

x

---

x

The Master easily stopped Buffy's attempt at grabbing him and instead used Buffy's momentum to grab her instead. Pulling her by the shoulders he yanked her to him in an iron grip, his face suddenly grinning in victorious elation.

"No," Belmovekk suddenly yelled as he began his transformation into Super Saiyan.

x

---

x

Giles raised the paperweight to start the long swing to crush Anyanka's amulet.

"No," she yelled desperately.

x

---

x

The Master grabbed Buffy's head in a fatal hold.

Seeing his fellow Saiyan transform and attack Vegeta shrugged, then he yelled and also began his transformation into Super Saiyan.

x

---

x

Elsewhere Giles had reached the high point of his swing.

x

---

x

The Master was about to give Buffy's head a fatal snap when for an instant the world turned to white. Then when her neck should have snapped like a twig it suddenly felt like he was trying to twist a millennium old Californian redwood.

"What the….?" the Master exclaimed in surprise.

"My turn," Buffy suddenly grinned evilly as she looked into his surprised eyes. Next she broke free effortlessly and swung her head in a reverse headbutt into the Master's face, smashing his teeth. The Master reached for his mouth and staggered back. As he did so she got up, turned around and was suddenly enveloped in a bright blaze of white chi.

The transformed Belmovekk was suddenly stopped in his tracks, as was Vegeta.

x

---

x

In Giles apartment he swung down the paperweight onto Anyanka's amulet. It shattered into thousands of pieces and emitted a burst of green light.

"NO," Anyanka wailed in agony as she faded away into nothingness

Giles took a moment to catch his breath and rested with his hands on his desk. Then he looked up and began to check his apartment. Something was wrong as nothing seemed to have happened other then Anyanka dying. Yet the world continued on as is.

"Uh, shouldn't it have ended by now?" he asked to nobody in particular.

x

---

x

"What are you?" the Master spoke through a bloody mouth as he slowly walked backwards as Buffy advanced towards him, right arm pointed at him with the hand at a 90º angle, "Who are you?"

"What I'm supposed to be," Buffy smirked as she waited for the Master to step back far enough until there were no more humans behind him. Then a yellow energy ball started to form in front of her hand

"Be gone!" she said and fired the energy attack. It slammed into the master and pushed him at breakneck speed through the wall of the factory into the air where it went up fast into the sky and then exploded with the force of a thousand suns over Sunnydale.

The explosion drew Giles from his depression as he suddenly remembered Buffy and the Saiyans. Forgetting everything about safety he ran outside where he saw the aftermath of an equivalent of a nuclear attack high in the sky.

In the factory both Belmovekk and Vegeta recovered from their shock and rapidly started killing off the remaining vampires. It was over in seconds. Too scared to want to stay after seeing what happened, both Oz and Larry led out the survivors to safety leaving Belmovekk, Vegeta and Buffy behind in an empty factory.

The two Saiyans then walked towards her.

"Who are you?" Vegeta yelled angry as he pointed towards her, "And why did you pretend you were so damn weak all the time?"

Belmovekk didn't say anything but studied her intently.

"It is still you," he finally said, "but you have changed. Suddenly you have surpassed even Tien and he is the strongest human on the planet. How did you do this?"

To his surprise she jumped around his neck and began to hug him.

"You did, Moe," she smiled in his face.

The Super Saiyan suddenly was lost for words and de-transformed.

"Moe?" Vegeta said flabbergasted as he looked at the Slayer and the Saiyan.

Belmovekk turned his head towards Vegeta and gave him the mother of all puzzled looks. Then she let go of him and turned around. Where she had previously fought the Master there now stood a large carrier bag which she picked up and slung over her shoulder.

"Where did that come from?" Belmovekk said as he picked up his cowboy hat that had fallen on the ground.

"Let's go back to Jeeves" she said, "and I'll explain everything. I have a message for you from you."

x

---

x

"I can't believe she's really gone," Willow said as she and Oz helped Giles clean up after the ritual had been done. Giles was putting away his books as Willow was on herbs and powder clean up detail while Oz was busy sweeping up the holy sand that somehow seemed to be everywhere.

"She's back where she belongs," Oz said understanding her sentiment.

"I wish I'd gotten to know her a little better," Faith mused sitting on the counter, "she seemed like a fun version of B."

"I can be fun," Buffy called out from behind the table, then she turned to Angel, "I can be fun, right?"

"Tons of it," Angel echoed at her.

Meanwhile on the stairs to the upper Library Belmovekk sat, staring blankly ahead. Joyce lay with her head in his lap, her face all sad.

"My baby's gone," she said mournfully, "she's really gone."

"It is my fault," Belmovekk said softly as he caressed her hair, "I should have done more. I should have come up with a better plan. I should have stopped her. I should have…"

"They're hit hard," Angel said looking at the two on the stairs. In his arms he held one of the twins who looked at him with little twinkling eyes.

"Mom really had her heart set on having her stay," Buffy said as she held her other sister, "I'm amazed at how easily she accepted her as her daughter."

"You mother's a great woman," Angel said, "you're lucky to have her."

"I think so too," Buffy said, then she looked at Belmovekk, "and I think he really wanted her to stay as well. If it made mom happy then that was all the reason he needed. I think he really believed she would change her mind at the last minute."

"Coulda, woulda, shoulda," Angel sighed regretfully. Buffy reached her out towards Angel.

"I'm glad you're still around," she said, "your friendship means a lot to me at times like this."

Angel looked at her hand touching him, then at her. Then he smiled.

"What are friends for?"

"Ï can't believe tomorrow its back to the daily grimes," Buffy sighed, "Back to dreary old school, with dreary old Snyder. And afterwards that dreary Princess Margaret to deal with."

"So how's the new Watcher handling?" Angel asked.

"I'm still not sure if he's either stupid or evil," Buffy sighed, "He's either that or stupid evil. Or is it evil stupid?"

"I think the correct term for that is criminally insane," Angel chuckled, then he suddenly lifted up the child and began looking at her behind, "Oh, Buffy, I think she just did a Nr. two."

"Let me see…" Buffy tried to say when suddenly the doors to the Library opened and Xander walked in, holding one hand against his head.

"Where is she?" Xander asked looking around, a look of desperation on his face.

"You're too late," Faith said from the counter, "she left 20 minutes ago."

Xander turned to Willow.

"You let her go?" he said coldly, "You let her go without me?"

Before Willow could reply Giles spoke up.

"She told us you two had a fight and that you left."

"And you believed her?" Xander hissed incredulously.

"In all fairness, it did sound like you two had an argument" Faith replied, "Come to think of it, maybe they didn't hear you guys in China but I wouldn't be surprised if they did."

Xander suddenly began to stagger and only barely managed to grab a chair so he could steady himself.

"She's gone," he said softly, "she's really gone."

"What happened Xander?" Faith asked as she, Willow and Oz came to stand around him

"She made me think she'd given in," Xander said softly, "And then she knocked me out cold. All she left me is this letter."

Xander pulled out en envelope that he looked upon. Then he put it away again and looked at his friends, who now had all gathered around him.

"Send me there!" he said desperately, "Do whatever you gotta do but send me there!"

Giles looked at Willow and she at him. Meanwhile Belmovekk tried to put his hand at the teen's shoulder.

"Young man, Xander, good friend, if I could I would…"

"Don't you good friend me," Xander said edgy, "either send me there or get me somebody who can!"

"We can't, Xander," Willow said, "she was the key. With her we might have sent you through with her, without her we can't!"

"Then get her back," Xander said vehemently, "do whatever you did before and bring her back!"

"Xander," Giles said as he tried to reach out but the teen recoiled from him, "what ever brought her here was a fluke. We can't repeat that. And even if we could the circumstances have changed. Her reality has taken on its own life now. It's no longer repeating."

Xander turned to Belmovekk, now looking very desperate.

"The Dragonballs! If they can revive the dead then surely they can punch a hole through the dimensions?"

"They were used, good friend," Belmovekk said, not knowing how to allay the teen's grief, "we used them to revive Miss Calendar, remember?"

Xander turned away and began to think.

"If you wish it I will gather the Dragonballs once they become active again," Belmovekk said, "but there are no guarantees. As far as I know of they have never been used to bridge realities."

"The hands of fate," Xander suddenly said and looked away.

"Xan, what do you mean," Willow asked,

"Don't bother," Xander sighed as he shook his head, "it's obvious she doesn't want me in her world."

"So what are you going to do now?" Oz asked.

Xander didn't immediately reply as he seemingly had reached a decision. He walked to his carrier bag still on the counter and slung it over his shoulder. Then he turned to the Scoobies.

"I quit," he said deadpan.

The announcement hit the Library like a spirit bomb

"What do you mean, you quit?" Buffy asked incredulously.

"Precisely what it means," Xander replied, "I'm through with this. I'm sick of this life and having fate again spit me in the eye. I'm through being fate's buttmonkey. I'm skipping town. I'm vamoosing out of this hell hole. Today!"

"But Xander," Willow protested aghast, "you can't leave! We're friends! There's school. And you're still not 18 and…."

"Will, can it!" Xander said as he interrupted he, then he turned to Oz and signaled him not to speak out, "Oz, mate, don't say anything! Don't say anything before we start something that we'll both regret."

"But you can't go," Willow said mournfully.

"Watch me," Xander said, then he pointed to the group, "and if you guys really claim to be my friends you'd let me go."

Nobody said anything until Buffy spoke up.

"We need you. I need you. You're my team partner, remember?"

Xander wanted to say something nasty but decided not to at the last moment.

"In all fairness, Buff, we needed you last summer and that didn't stop you from running away. But that's okay, I understand that now. You needed that time off. Now it's my turn."

Buffy lowered her head in defeat and Angel gripped her shoulders. Xander turned around and made for the door

"Where will you go, Harris?" Angel asked at the last moment before he stepped out.

"Wherever the winds take me, D.B.," Xander said choked, "I'm in the hands of fate now."

x

---

x

In a different reality a Capsule Corp. tiltfan flew over California northwards. Behind the pilot's seat at the controls sat Belmovekk dressed in his cowboy outfit. Next to him looking extremely bored as usual sat Vegeta.

On the passenger seats behind them sat Giles with several trunks carrying his precious library stowed behind him. Next to him looking out of the window sat Buffy. No longer the other Buffy, just Buffy. She reached inside her jacket, which had been a gift from Joyce, her mother, she finally came to grips with that. She took out a small booklet and leafed through it. It was full of photos. Had she known that Joyce had put it inside the jacket she wouldn't have accepted it at the time. But now that she was here and looked through it she was glad Joyce had hid it from her. Apparently Joyce knew her better then she had given her credit for. That's what mothers were there for.

She looked at photos of her with the gang. Joyce, her little sisters, her 'twin', crazy Moe, hell, everybody. She hadn't realized how many pictures they had taken of her with everybody. And she smiled at every picture of them.

But there was one picture missing. She reached inside her jacket once again and took out the only picture she had planned to take along. While they had been at the airport in Albuquerque, waiting for Moe to arrange a chopper, Xander had talked her into going into a passport photograph machine with him. The photo's that had come out of that had been interesting. In some she looked like a trapped animal wanting to get out. But there were also some in which she smiled at him. And one special picture, which she fingered now, where Xander surprised her by kissing her.

She wasn't going to cry, she told herself as she looked at those pictures. She allowed a single tear to roll down her cheek. Then she wiped it away, put away her photos and put on her Slayer face.

"Are you okay?" Jeeves asked concerned next to her.

"Sure," she said in the same cold disinterested voice she had when they first met, "everything's peachy."

x

---

x

A truck sped down the highway, from inside came the sorrowful tunes of Johnny Cash singing his songs of pain. Inside a large trucker sat behind the wheel as he drove his rig. Next to him on the passenger sat Xander and he was reading a letter.

Hello my love,

It's not easy for me to write these things. But saying them is even harder. As I write this I realized I never told you I loved you. You must have told me a million times. Usually when I didn't want to hear it. But I want you to know that every time, I liked it when you said it. So here goes, I love you too. I love you so much it pains me even now for what I'm going to do to you.

As you read this I will be already back in my own reality. I'm sorry that I did what I did to you. A part of me wanted you to come along desperately. But there is also another part of me. You know that part. You've spent a year with me. You must be the only person in two realities who really got to know me. Three if we count Moe's funky training dimension. That other part of me however still has a job to finish. And that is why I don't want you in my reality. If you are ever going to pay attention to what I say then heed this. If you really love me then don't come here. Because if I ever were to see you here I don't think I could take it. I can't use distractions. I still have Lothos to kill. And I don't think you would have liked my reality. All your friends are either dead here or different. Jeeves is not Giles, and my Moe is not your Moe. The only one who's the same there is probably his royal Pain in the Ass. And I don't think you like him where you are either.

So don't bother to force your friends into sending you here after me because until I finish my job I cannot have any distractions. But know that you've given me something else to live for besides killing vamps and demons. For that I both hate and love you. You once said it was like the hands of fate had brought us together. You also said you hated fate and wished you could spit it in the eyes, knock it over and steal its wallet. Well, my love, we are in the hands of fate now. And if fate wills it we will be together again.

Until then, my love, live your own life for me. And who knows, maybe one day even she may come to realize what I saw in you.

Buffy

The letter had come with a small passport photo of Xander and the other Buffy in the photomat booth. One where she had put her head on his shoulder and smiled.

Xander took one more look at the photo and then folded both letter and picture in his jacket and began to cry.

"You okay, buddy?" the trucker that had picked him up earlier hitchhiking asked.

"It's my dear John letter," Xander said wiping away his tears. The driver nodded in sympathy and reached out to pat Xander on the shoulder.

"We all get one of those at some point in our lives," he said in sympathy.

"I guess," Xander said sullenly.

"Funny how they always want to stay friends after they rip your heart out," the trucker said as he reached behind him in the cabin and took out a half empty bottle of bourbon which he gave to Xander, "here! My treat! I can't drink with ya for obvious legal reasons but you can finish the bottle if you like."

"Thanks," Xander said as he accepted the bottle and uncorked it.

x

---

x

Cue dramatic music

x

How to Disappear Completely

Radiohead, album: Kid A

Lyrics: Tom Yorke

That there, that's not me

I go, where I please

I walk through walls, float down the Liffey

I'm not here, this isn't happening

I'm not here, I'm not here

In a little while, I'll be gone

The moment's already passed, yeah, it's gone

I'm not here, this isn't happening

I'm not here, I'm not here

Strobe lights and blown speakers

Fireworks and hurricanes

I'm not here, this isn't happening

I'm not here, I'm not here

x

x

AN 2017: Yeah, still one of my favorite couple of chapters after all these years. I'm not into writing shipping fics, I don't think I have the chops for that to pull it off right, but this is probably the closest I've come.