New Year, new chappie! Consider this a late prezzie. Still don't own anything.
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Sunnydale Library
"That's the last one," Xander said as he disarmed the last of the homemade bomb. "Kind of a pity. I was looking forward to blowing up the school."
"Alright, DECA, you can take the last of the explosives," Andros said into his morpher. Moments later, the last of the home made bombs vanished in a streak of light.
"Maybe another time, Xander," Buffy said with a laugh, patting him on the back.
"Weren't taking any chances, huh, Elsbeth?" Zhane said. Buffy scowled as everyone turned to look at her.
"Elsbeth?" Xander said with a grin. Oh the amunition that...
"Say anything and I kill you. Slow and painful like," Buffy threatened with a growl. Xander gave a loud gulp. Right, Slayers are scary peoples. Some people didn't see that.
"Elsbeth?" Crodelia said with a huge smile. "What are you an alien?"
"Yes, actually," Buffy said smoothely. "I was originally born amongst the human settlers of the planetary colony KO-35."
"But...you're human," Willow said while Cordelia sat there quietly and ate her own words.
"You think Earth is the only planet Human's colonized on?" Zhane questioned.
"Be nice," Karone said slapping him lightly on the arm. "They weren't to know."
"Yeah," Buffy said. "It's not like Earth had actual interstellar contact til Rita."
"Does this weird anyone else out?" Xander asked. The Scoobies all raised their hands.
"You'll get used to it," TJ said, patting a somewhat confused Wesley on the back.
"So, how'd you end up on Earth?" Oz asked. Buffy gave a sigh, leaning against the book cage.
"It's a long story," Buffy said.
"I wouldn't mind hearing it," Xander piped up.
"Yes, I, uh, I think we all wish to hear the tail," Wesley stated. Buffy glared at them before exhaling sharply.
"Okay, but we need to finish here, first," she said. "There's someone else that needs to be there for this."
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One hour later
Summers residence
Joyce Summers looked with some shock into the very annoyed face of the Red Ranger. "Andros?"
"Hello, Aunt Joy," Andros said coldly. The other Rangers and Karone looked at each other worriedly. They had never seen Andros act this coldly towards anyone, not even their enemies.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, looking at the new people. One of them seemed awfully...familiar...
"I called him," Buffy said. "We needed a plan B for the Mayor, so..."
"I see..." Joyce said, lips pursing, looking at the group. Her gaze once again fell on the honey blonde in the one piece leather suit. There was something familiar about her...
Joyce's eye suddenly went wide in recognition. "Astronema!" she spat. The blonde flinched as Buffy moved between them quickly, Andros moving close to her. "Buffy, get..."
"It's Karone!" Buffy shouted. Joyce froze. "When she was taken, during the first attack, Dark Spectre, he brainwashed her. He made her into...it's my twin sister, mom. It's Karone."
"Oh my..." Joyce breathed, stepping closer. Karone took a step back.
"Why did you take her?" She asked. "Elsbeth should have been looking for me with Andros. That's the way it was supposed to be. Her, Andros and Zhane were supposed to rescue me. I would have recognised him if she was there," Karone's voice sounded so small, so hurt. Joyce's reaction had brought it all back, everything she wanted to bury.
"I think we all need to sit down," Buffy said, wrapping an arm around Karone's shoulder.
"Yes, I think that would be the best idea," Giles said. "And maybe some tea. Joyce, could I...?"
"Oh, go ahead, Mr Giles," Joyce said, watching Karone and Buffy walk past. "In fact I think I might help you," And maybe get something a little stronger for myself.
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Thirty minutes later.
The entire assemblage was sitting in the Summers lounge room. Andros, Buffy and Karone were all on the couch. Joyce and Giles had taken the lounge chairs, with the rest sprawled around the place. Funnily enough, the Rangers were all positioned around the siblings, almost in defensive positions.
"So..." Xander said, noticing the tension in the air. "Is this going to be a 'long time ago in a galaxy far, far away' sorta story or 'space, the final frontier'?"
"I'm sorry, what?" Giles said, clueless, as always, to any and all pop-culture references. Chuckles ran around the room as the tension eased a little bit.
"I guess we should start at the first attack," Buffy said, looking at her siblings. Karone gave a slight shiver while Andros nodded. "Karone really saved us back then. If she hadn't insisted on that picnic, we would have been toasted in the attack on the city."
"And Darkonda probably would have grabbed the both of you," Andros remembered, hugging Karone tightly. "Her scream made him drop Elsbeth before he could get away, clutching his ears in pain."
"Yup, little sis has a big set of lungs," Buffy said with a grin.
"By two stinking minutes!" Karone objected loudly, causing another chuckle to flitter across the room.
"So, this Darkonda guys was going for both of you, but only got Karone instead," Xander confirmed. "I'm guessing things didn't go smoothly from there."
"After Dark Spectre's troops had left, search parties were sent out looking for any survivors," Andros continued, a faraway look in his eye. "They found Buffy and myself clutching each other tightly, crying. We told them about Karone, but...they wouldn't even organise a search party. They said she was lost to us. She very nearly was."
"After that, Auntie Joy decided it was too dangerous to stay," Buffy said. Joyce flinched, noticing that Buffy was no longer putting up any pretence as to their relationship. She really didn't blame the girl. "She paid passage on the first transport off world. She wanted to bring Andros, but he'd already enrolled in the Kerovian Defence Force.
"She contacted Zordon and asked for help integrating into earth society. The rest you guys know."
"Short version, huh?" Xander said.
"I'd...rather not tell my side," Karone said awkwardly.
"Understandable, and no offence or anything, but I don't think I want to know," Xander said flippantly. "'Cause from the news, you were baaaaaaad."
"Xander!" Buffy snapped out with a glare. Xander, being a typical male, had to add one thing.
"Though that costume you used to wear? Hot,' he added. Two glares hit him like a buckshot.
"Xander..."
"Oh..."
"Harris..."
"Crap..."
"Run for it!" Willow advised. Xander followed the advice, bolting for the door as two Kerovians came after him, leaving a room full of laughing friends behind them.