If There Was No Buffy

Chapter Five

Slayers Two

After most everyone was seated, Anya said, "Well, it's time to go. Now that the Slayers are here, no need for us to hang around." She was tugging at Xander's good arm, trying to get him to leave with her.

"You are Anyanka…"

"…the Vengeance Demon."

Anya didn't know which twin to look at, so she shifted her eyes back and forth.

"It's just Anya. Anya Christina Emmanuela Jenkins, soon to be Harris. Haven't been in the vengeance business for a while now. Okay, Sweetie, time to go for real."

Xander allowed himself to be pulled through the front door, across the porch, down the stairs to the driveway where his car was parked. They left with Anya driving.

"Do you always finish each other's sentences?" Dawn asked.

"Sometimes…"

"…not always."

All this time Willow was carefully watching them. Despite their height and slenderness, or perhaps because of it, they were both delicate looking. But if they were Slayers, she knew their strength belied their looks. Giles was sitting in the overstuffed easy chair, and Mary and Marie were standing on either side of him, almost as if they were guarding him.

"So, just what kind of evil are you talking about?" Tara asked. "Something coming up out of the Hellmouth?"

"Well, it's not that easy to put a definite finger on it," Giles answered cautiously, as if he was reluctant to reveal too much too soon.

"That doesn't give us much to go on," Willow said. "How are we supposed to fight this 'thing' if we don't know anything about it?"

"Fighting it isn't your job…"

"…it is ours."

Willow allowed the ever so faint tendrils of her mind to barely make contact with the psychic auras of Mary and Marie. She felt their connection with each other – it was almost as if two bodies were sharing one consciousness, and she then understood why there were two of them. Unprecedented, indeed!

"As I was saying," Giles continued. "This evil is marshaling its – evilness. It will take some time before it is at full strength, which is why we have come here, to the Hellmouth, to try to stop it before it is at its peak."

"So if only the platinum twins are going to do all the fighting, then why are you here, in our house?" Dawn asked.

"This is a – courtesy call, if you will. I thought it important that you meet. But as you can see, your patrolling duties are no longer necessary, nor needed. You can resume your normal day-to-day lives."

"What about Spike? Are you going to let them meet him?" Dawn asked.

"Spike…"

"…William the Bloody."

"He is no threat to us, but he is a vampire…"

"…he should be put down regardless."

"The hell you say!" Dawn shot back. "Willow! Tara! You can't let them do that!"

"Don't worry, Dawn. It won't happen. Will it?" Willow was looking hard at Giles.

"Well, we'll have to see how things play out."

"I th-think it's time for you to leave. Everyone's m-met everyone," Tara spoke up. Willow looked curiously at her. Usually she was Giles' biggest supporter, but she liked what she heard.

Giles stood up and walked to the door, followed by Mary and Marie, then turning he said, "It was nice to see you all again. Stay safe."

To Be Continued