A.N. The universe is against me. The problem with working at a school means that work starts at the same time as the new school semester. So that slowed writing down. Then just when I'm doing one last read-through to make sure it's ready to publish, Word crashes and completely deletes the chapter. Luckily I had an earlier draft saved in another location so I didn't have to start over from scratch. So I apologise for any errors. I'm just too frustrated to give this my usual editing attention.

Buffy was up late looking at real estate options for her business headquarters. Though she was back in Sunnydale she had no intention of staying there permanently. Between the new young slayer assigned there, and Angel seeing it as his personal duty and penance to stay, Buffy had no guilt leaving the town. She looked for a city with demon/alien activity but without slayer/UNIT/Torchwood/etc. guardianship. Luckily Giles had a list, and UNIT was willing to work with private parties (especially ones that had been past employees) and give her their own list. When she showed the lists to her friends and now colleagues, they had somehow voted unanimously for Seattle. So that's where Buffy was searching for buildings online. Some were quite promising and a few very beautiful, but narrowing it down was mostly finding which had the most accessibility for all species of clients rather than which was the most aesthetically pleasing.

She was clicking through pictures from one site when the ground started shaking. She didn't move and just kept clicking until the shaking stopped. A few moments later her cell phone rang.

"Hey Dawn," she answered. "Nothing like an earthquake to say 'welcome back to California.' Kind of a big one, a 6 or something?"

"Buffy, that wasn't an earthquake. Well, it was… of course it was… um, just go look outside. I'll be waiting at the Magic Box for the big meeting." Dawn hung up.

Buffy was perplexed, but stood to go out anyways. Her phone rang again. "Hey Willow. What's up?"

"Buffy, tell me you know what's going on."

"We had an earthquake?"

"In the sky… this is your thing, isn't it?"

Not understanding, Buffy hurried out the door and looked at the night sky. Instead of the usual site of stars and the moon there were potentially dozens of planets, all large and very near the Earth.

"You see this, right?" Willow asked. "You know what to do here? This isn't magic; I think it's made my magic senses all wonky and flibbity. Please tell me you know what to do."

"Willow, calm down," Buffy said. Her phone was beeping with other incoming calls. "I know who to call and we'll handle this. I need you to do something for me first. Can you do that?"

"Yeah, whatever you need."

"I need you to call everyone to a meeting at the Magic Box. Dawn's already on her way. I need to get in touch with a few people to see what's going on. Once I do that I'll meet you guys there."

With Willow's agreement, Buffy hung up and tried ringing the Doctor. It didn't go through. Her next call was to Torchwood. Jack and Gwen would probably be on the phone, Tosh would be working the computers, who knows what Owen would be doing but he wouldn't pick up, so that left Ianto.

"Buffy," answered the Welshman's voice with little indication there was an ongoing crisis. Yes, he sounded mildly annoyed about something, but she could hear everyone's voices in the background indicating that the annoyance was more than a malfunctioning coffee maker.

"Hey Ianto, you guys wouldn't possibly have any idea why the Earth suddenly decided to go on vacation, would you?"

"Not the slightest," he answered. "We've got 27 planets up there, spaceships headed for Earth, and according to Martha that the Doctor's not answering."

"Same here," she said. Then there was more noise in the background. "What's that?"

"Incoming transmission," she heard Tosh's voice say from a distance.

Then came the robotic voices saying "exterminate" followed by panicked shouts from Jack, the word "daleks," and then just general confusion. Ianto may have said something about calling her back, but Buffy wasn't sure. After a moment of silence, she broke out of her stupor and ran to the Magic Box.

There was something about those voices, something about the daleks that was firing in the back of her brain. She knew it was the Timelord part of her. If that part was instinctually afraid of these aliens then the world was in really big trouble.

She was bombarded with questions as one big wave of noise when she walked in.

"Everyone needs to be quiet!" she yelled. "Be calm and quiet. Yes, the Earth has been moved, and yes, we're about to be invaded."

Several people started talking again.

"Enough!" Buffy yelled again. "You can't fight them. I don't know who they are, but I know you cannot fight them. But you can prepare. Get as many people hidden as fast as possible. Basements, sewers, caves, bunkers, get everyone out of sight and protected from any sort of explosions or laser beams."

Angel opened his mouth to say something, but Buffy cut him off.

"No, don't argue. This is crazy, this is all out of a sci-fi movie, I know. Just trust me. There's no time."

"You keep saying 'you' and not 'we,' Buffy," said Xander. "What are you going to do?"

"I have experience with this, you don't. So I'm gonna do what I've been doing these past years and work with the people who do have experience. So that's everything. Get going, stay safe, and don't confront whatever these things are. I have a really bad feeling about them."

With some nods and more mumbling, they separated out. Angel took charge giving assignments. Spike looked reluctant to leave and Connor looked downright mutinous.

"Please, just do this," Buffy asked. Spike nodded and he, Connor, and Dawn left together. Willow and Tara stayed behind with Willow's laptop open.

"You'll need my computer wizardry," Willow said.

Buffy smiled. During the past couple weeks they had worked at renewing their friendship. It was slow, and trust wasn't easy to build again, but there at least was an easy truce of sorts. Magic was a subject they avoided, but now Buffy needed to bring it up.

"I may need real wizardry too," said Buffy. "I'll need to get to Great Britain in a hurry."

"Are you sure?" Willow asked nervously.

"What other choice do I have? While I'd sooner rely on science I don't have anything here that can do it. Magic is unreliable, but it's all we've got."

"But it might not work," Tara said. "Our magic is tied to the Earth, but the Earth has been moved. Magic is still there but off balance. Like someone took one of the legs of a table—it can stand with three, but it could also topple over if pushed the wrong way. This could go horribly wrong."

"But we can do it," Willow said with shaky confidence. "Tara and I can get you there when you need to. I'll keep the table steady."

Buffy slowly nodded.

Willow turned back to the computer. "Ok, looking at reports around the world, you were right about getting people underground."

"Will we be ok?" Tara asked nervously.

"For now," Buffy said. "Once I'm gone there's the quick sewer access out back. You'll be fine."

"Woah, hang on," Willow said.

Buffy looked over her shoulder at the computer. The screen was covered in static. "What did you do?"

"Nothing," replied Willow. "It just did it on its own."

"Can… me? The sub… open; you… hear my voice." Through the static there was the flickering image of a person. "Is there… there? This… utmost import… We… time… hear me?"

Willow stood and rushed to set up the webcam.

Buffy looked at the laptop closely and then at other computer paraphernalia Willow was messing with. "Can we fix the signal?"

"I don't know," Willow said, "but this will let them see us and we can talk back."

"Who do you think it is?" Tara asked. There were still word fragments coming through.

"That voice sounds familiar," Willow said. "I think I know who it is. Maybe…"

The screen was clearing and then suddenly changed into six boxes. Five were filled with different locations and the last was still covered in static. There was Jack at Torchwood, Martha with her mom, a woman with a young boy, and another woman.

Martha looked at perplexed as Buffy felt. "Hello?"

"Martha Jones!" Jack exclaimed. "Martha, where are you?"

"I guess Project Indigo was more clever than we thought. One second I was in Manhattan, next second maybe Indigo tapped into my mind, because I ended up in the one place that I wanted to be."

Martha's mother smiled softly. "You came home. At the end of the world you came back to me."

Martha smiled back. "But then all of a sudden it's like the laptop turned itself on."

"It did," Harriet said. "That was me. Harriet Jones, former Prime Minister."

"Yes, I know who you are."

"I didn't," Buffy mumbled while Willow was happily telling Tara that she knew it.

Harriet gave a brief smile. "I'm glad the signal was able to reach you, Buffy. I wasn't sure if we could with how far away you are. But I thought it was about time we all met given the current crisis. Torchwood, this is Sarah Jane Smith."

Jack nodded. "I've been following your work. Nice job with the Slitheen."

"Yeah, well I've been staying away from you lot. Too many guns." Sarah Jane indicated to the boy next to her.

"My sentiments exactly," Buffy chimed in. "Last time I was with you guys I got shot. Again!"

Jack only rolled his eyes. "All the same, might I say… looking good, ma'am."

"Really? Ooh." The older woman seemed flattered.

"Not now, Captain," Harriet said with her own eye-roll. "And Buffy Summers and Martha Jones, both former companions to the Doctor as well."

"But how did you find me?" Martha asked, cutting through the banter straight to the point.

"This, ladies and gentlemen," Harriet explained, "this is the subwave network. A sentient piece of software programmed to seek out anyone and everyone who can help to contact the Doctor."

"What if the Daleks can hear us?" Martha asked.

"No, that's the beauty of the subwave. It's undetectable."

"And you invented it?" Sarah Jane asked.

"I developed it. It was created by the Mr. Copper Foundation."

"Yeah, but what we need right now is a weapon," said Jack. "Martha, back at UNIT, what did they give you? What was that key thing?"

"The Osterhagen key," Martha said.

"What?" Buffy shouted. "No, nuh-uh, don't use that."

"But what is an Osterhagen key?" Jack pressed.

"Not something we need right now," Buffy said. She knew what the key was from her days in San Diego, and she had fought against it back then. She didn't know they continued with the project. "We just need to reach the Doctor."

"Buffy is right," Harriet said. "Forget about the key, and that's an order!"

"Has anyone gotten a hold of the Doctor?" Buffy asked.

Martha shook her head. "I've been trying to find him, the Doctor's got my phone on the TARDIS but I can't get through."

"That's why we need the subwave," said Harriet. "To bring us all together, combine forces, the Doctor's secret army."

Jack was looking off screen for a moment. He disappeared for a moment and pushed Tosh forward. She seemed to look at him for permission before speaking. "I think we could boost the signal if we put the call through Torchwood and use power from the Rift."

"And we've got Mr. Smith!" said the boy next to Sarah Jane. "He can link up with every telephone exchange on the Earth. He can get the whole world to call the same number all at the same time, billions of phones calling out all at once!"

"Haha, brilliant! Who's the kid?" asked Jack. Tosh had left the screen—presumably to get back to her computer.

"That's my son!" said Sarah Jane with a mix of pride and indignation.

Ianto then pushed Jack out of the way. "Sorry, hello, Ianto Jones. Um, if we start transmitting, then the subwave network is going to become visible. I mean, to the Daleks."

"Yes," Harriet agreed, "and they'll trace it back to me. But my life doesn't matter—not if it saves the Earth."

"Wait, no," Buffy protested. "There has to be some way to get you out of there."

"There isn't, not if we want this to work," Harriet said. "There are people out there dying… on the streets."

Jack saluted her. "Ma'am."

"Thank you, Captain, but enough of words. Let's begin."

There was a flurry as Harriet worked with Torchwood and Sarah Jane to send out the call. Buffy could only sit back and wait.

"So that's who and what you spent…" Willow said slowly and trailed off.

"Yeah," said Buffy.

"Wow."

"Do you think they'll do it?" Tara asked.

"Just wait and see," Buffy answered. "But yeah, we'll do it. Willow, when the Doctor comes will you be able to send me to his location?"

"Using the trace from this call? That should make things easier."

"And safer," Tara added.

While the call was going out, Willow hooked up a second laptop left in the Magic Box so she could be ready to trace the Doctor's location when he landed. Buffy was stuck sitting and waiting while Tara gathered magic supplies for the teleportation spell.

"Ms. Jones, they've locked onto your location," Buffy heard Tosh say. "They've found you."

"I know," Harriet replied. "I'm using the network to mask your transmission. Keep going!" There was a tense pause. "Captain, I'm transferring the subwave network to Torchwood. You're in charge now. And tell the Doctor from me—he chose his companions well. It's been an honour."

Harriet moved from the screen to stand and face the Daleks that had entered her flat. Maybe to some it would appear cowardly or disrespectful, but Buffy couldn't watch. Not when sacrifice was supposed to be her responsibility. Not when she had the luxury of coming back from that end when others didn't. She turned away until there was a horrid sound and Harriet's screen turned to static. It took only a few moments for that empty square to switch to an image of the Doctor with Donna beside him.

"Where the hell have you been?" Jack shouted. "Doctor, it's the Daleks!"

"It's the Daleks," Sarah Jane added. "They're taking people to their spaceships."

"There all alive, it's not just Dalek Caan," said Martha.

"Doctor, the Earth has surrendered," said Jack.

"Sarah Jane!" the Doctor said with a big smile. "Who's that boy? And Buffy! Hello. That must be Torchwood. Aren't they brilliant? Look at you all, you clever people."

"That's Martha." Donna pointed, "And who's he?"

"Captain Jack," the Doctor answered. "Don't, just don't! Don't."

"It's like an outer space Facebook," said Donna.

The Doctor muttered something, but the connection broke and the whole screen went blank.

"What just happened?" Buffy demanded.

"I think the Daleks took over the signal and it broke our connection," Willow explained. "It wasn't very strong since we're all the way on the other side of the planet."

"Okay, but you can still track down the Doctor, right?"

"As soon as he lands," Willow assured her. "You've got everything ready, sweetie?"

"It's all set," Tara replied. "Let's hope Anya doesn't mind our using her store supplies."

"I think the whole alien invasion thing gives us a 'get out of Anya's jail free' card. Don't ya think?"

"If it doesn't you can always threaten her with rabbits," Buffy said.

"That's true," Willow nodded. "Oh! Here we go! The evil villain has made his gloating speech and the Doctor has landed in London."

"How do you know there was a gloating evil villain speech?" Tara asked.

"There's always an evil villain gloating speech," Buffy said. "Can you narrow it down? London's kinda big."

"Yup, it's a street in Chiswick."

With the spell prepped, Buffy stepped into the circle drawn on the floor. The two witches said their incantation, and with a pop Buffy was pulled through a brief darkness and landed on a dark street. The Doctor and another blonde girl were running towards each other. Donna stood back by the Tardis. Then Buffy noticed a strange robot, like a trash can holding a plunger and a whisk and covered in bubbles, coming around a corner. She yelled to the Doctor, but she was unable to reach him. The blast from the Dalek hit him and caught her as well. Buffy's vision went black and she fell to the ground.

A.N. Why do I keep killing Buffy? 1)Narrative convenience. You'll see why. 2) Killing a character that can't stay dead is fun. Why wouldn't I kill her? She's a Whedon character that can't die. It's practically canon that she should keep biting the bullet.