Chapter Seven

The world swam in swirls of dark colours. Willow scrunched her eyes shut again with a low groan.

Head hurt -- bad. What had happened? Her muddled thoughts started picking themselves up and trying to arrange back into understandable order. Vampires. She had been attacked; she had been going somewhere…Were the others alright? Where had Buffy been? That was weird, she didn't recall the Slayer being with her. Evil Willow…blood…a crying girl. Limp bodies and red stained mouths…a face crumbling into dust before her…voices in her mind…Oz! Willow gasped and sat up with a start.

She remembered.

She quickly put a hand to her forehead as a swell of nausea washed over her. Moving too fast equals sickness, she decided. After a moment, she made another attempt to open her eyes. She was laid out on a couch in a softly lit room -- the library office. A restless creak from the door drew her attention and Willow turned towards the sound before abruptly jerking back with a sharp breath, faced with a glinting cross bow levelled directly at her chest.

"Who are you?"

A young woman stood across the room in the doorway, holding the weapon with a steady hand, straight at Willow's heart. Her dark eyes were hardened and fixed on the other girl in sharp suspicion. She looked older than Willow and held herself in a defensive stance that echoed her toned body that was poised for action under the black tank top and combat trousers. Black hair was pinned up in an untidy ponytail, around a face that looked deceptively delicate, with fine high cheek bones and a small slender nose. The most eye-catching physical detail however, was the angry slash that ran up from the crease of her elbow in a faint red scar, and disappeared over the back of her shoulder.

Willow quickly held her hands up in appeasement.

"I'm not a vampire!" she squeaked, the words tumbling out of her in a rush, eyes fixed on the deadly weapon. The woman was silent and the bow wasn't lowered. "I'm-I'm sorry! I was just looking for…"

Willow was saved from the icy stare as another person appeared at her captor's shoulder. Her eyes grew round; she breathed out the name in shock.

"Giles!"

The familiar face of the librarian looked in at her curiously. She was off the couch and half way across the room before the silent woman stepped forward warningly, forcing Willow to stop to avoid impaling herself on the vicious arrow still pointed at her.

"Giles - you're here! I mean…" Willow trailed off in the face of the blank stares she was receiving. She closed her mouth and decided maybe quiet was a good idea for the moment.

"I thought she was dead."

Willow's eyes darted from the dark haired woman who had spoken, to Giles who was looking tired and perplexed. "Oh, you think... No, it's ok -- I'm not her! Well, I mean I am…but not. In the sense that I'm alive, and very not evil…"

Willow locked eyes with Giles, as if somehow she could get him to recognise her. To see her as he once did. The Watcher looked almost the same as she remembered and Willow felt a sudden swell of home-sickness. She saw his brow crease in that familiar thoughtful expression; but he wasn't her Giles. This Giles looked worn and beaten down by the tide of evil that had washed over this reality; carried much guilt and blame at all he wasn't able to hold back. But, he was still here; still fighting. Willow felt a tentative warmth grow inside her in spite of everything. She still had Giles. Did that mean Buffy was here too?

"Annie, I think you can put that down."

The young woman shot him an incredulous stare but slowly obeyed. She stepped aside and Willow cautiously moved past her, following Giles back into the main library.

"You seem to have recovered from your…attack." The Watcher leant against the long table, turning to face the girl who was hovering nervously in the middle of the floor. Annie lurked against the wall behind her; absently fingering the cross-bow and keeping a close eye on the stranger.

"Y-yes. Thanks. How did I get inside though? Did…?" Willow cast a quick glance behind her at the scary weapon lady and back at Giles, who cleared his throat and removed his glasses, his gaze locked down as he scrubbed at the lenses.

"Yes, well, we heard fighting and went out to investigate. You fell unconscious." He looked up at Willow and she saw the barely concealed bewilderment in his face. "You…it can't be a coincidence. You look exactly...But she can't..." He was half muttering to himself, casting confused glances between the fidgeting redhead and his glasses that were still in his hand.

Willow opened her mouth, ready to attempt to offer some explanation and perhaps get a better grasp of the way things were in this world; but she was interrupted before she could speak.

"All clear outside."

Willow turned at the sounds of feet and voices, and saw two boys enter the swinging doors.

All three of them froze.

The two young men were completely staggered to see one of the most feared vamps in town standing in the middle of the library; not to mention the fact that one of them had personally seen her turn to dust. Something very bad was going down…

The girl was staring wide-eyed. The world narrowed down to a single face. Her heart seized in her chest and she couldn't move.

"Oz…"

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