["Shall we continue?" The Adversary said.

"Mind if I stretch my legs and go for a smoke break?"

"Miss Mars, you do not smoke."

"Figure of speech," I said. "Give me a second to stretch. I feel like I've been sitting down for days."

I wasn't exaggerating. The Adversary and I were still sitting in the somewhat transfigured version of the Echolls poolhouse, and I wasn't just listening to him narrate; I was watching the highlights along the way, in TV-style. Hearing about Cordelia's and Graham's injury were one thing; seeing the shard of glass enter her back, watching him take a bullet that couldn't have missed the heart by more than an inch, was something else entirely.

"Very well," he said. "Five minutes. And it is not as though you could run, anyway."

True, that.

So I went for a walk – dodging around the still-frozen bodies of my friends – went into the Echolls house, and got a soda from the refrigerator.

I probably could have asked the Adversary for one, but for all I knew that could have started a new transaction between us, and the old one? Not shaping up to be one of my fondest memories, even if I do win.

Idly, I thought that after this long a time period I should probably have to use the bathroom too, so apparently he'd frozen all of my physical needs; I wasn't actually thirsty, either, but I was going to drink the soda anyway.

The way things were shaping up, it was entirely possible that it could be my last action before receiving my punishment. Not what I would have chosen for a heroic last stand – "If those are my last words, I can do better -" but you take what you can get.

I headed back to the poolhouse, sat down, and the fun began again.]

The Summer between Seasons 4 and 5:

Angel, your father, Mr. Miller, Mr. Gates, and the rest of the Initiative leave town. Mr. Finn is invited, but declines, for obvious reasons.

Mr. Osbourne also departs, saying that while he now knows he can control himself when necessary, it is a skill he needs to master. He promises, however, to return when he is ready. "You might need me," he says.

Miss Chase leaves the hospital, still in her wheelchair. She and Mr. Harris take Mrs. Summers up on her offer; Mr. Harris, Miss Summers and Miss Kelly construct a ramp for Miss Chase, who takes the opportunity to bluntly inform Miss Kelly, "Look. Thanks. I appreciate it. But if you apologize one more time I'll leap out of this chair and beat your brains in. Got me?"

Mr. Echolls transfers from UC-Sunnydale to UC-Irvine to be closer to you.

Mr. Snyder, despite his unpopularity with a number of people, was the only mayoral candidate behind whom a number of people had coalesced, and with his forced departure from the race, there is something of a scramble. Sheriff Lamb – no need to have a heart attack, Miss Mars – declines, perhaps understanding, at least dimly, the concept of the Peter Principle.

The people who had backed Mr. Snyder – who retreats, muttering, to his job as a history teacher, though he is fortunate to still have that – eventually decide on an emergency candidate. The forces arrayed in opposition have their own nominee, and she wins.

["I would guess I've heard of the she. Jenny Calendar?"

"No."]

Ms. Calendar was, in fact, approached, but also declines; she stays on as principal largely because she fears that her replacement would once again be Mr. Snyder.

Mrs. Summers was also asked to run, but declined because she already had a full-time job. The new mayor is a woman you have never heard of and who will prove a perfectly competent and conscientious public employee.

Buffy vs. Dracula:

Happens similarly, though Miss Summers is more resistant to the thrall, and Mr. Harris is able to pull free of Dracula's hypnosis sooner, as in this timeline he no longer considers himself "everyone's butt monkey." This results in several changes, most of them trivial, although this time Miss Summers, Mr. Giles and Mr. Finn embark on the rescue together, while Mr. Harris stays well away, just in case.

It ends identically, with Dracula leaving town, and the younger Miss Summers showing up for the first time.

The Real Me:

Only part occurs; one of the reasons, of course, is that Harmony Kendall was never turned into a vampire, and therefore is not available to kidnap the younger Miss Summers, and her "minions," who were stupid enough to let her be the one to organize her in the first place, are scattered, or dead, in the altered timeline.

We discover that the younger Miss Summers admires Miss Chase for her fashion sense, courage, and willingness to speak her mind and dislikes Miss Kelly for causing the accident.

Ms. Mistwood requests help from Ms. Calendar and Mr. Giles with her magic store; they agree to assist occasionally but recommend Mr. Harris and Miss Chase; as Ms. Mistwood needs the assistance and Mr. Harris and Miss Chase need the money, this proves a beneficial arrangement all the way around.

And then the elder Miss Summers calls you for some "Short outcast blonde" solidarity and to complain about her sister, and you bring her up short by asking, "What sister?"

The Replacement:

Takes place approximately as in the original timeline, except that people figure out that Mr. Harris has been split in two considerably sooner. The mature half does a good enough job at reorganizing the basement of the magic store that she gives him a raise, but does not have time to procure an apartment.

However, after talking to Miss Summers and others for the better part of a week – especially Miss Kelly and Ms. Mistwood, who are able to convince them that, given your magic-nullity, that your inability to remember the younger Miss Summers means that something is wrong with the world, not with you.

Mr. Finn is still convinced that Miss Summers does not love him.

Out of my Mind:

Prior to the events of this episode, Miss Summers, with the assistance of Mr. Giles and Ms. Calendar, performs the same spell she did in the original timeline, a couple of weeks earlier, and, this time around, makes a beeline for her younger sister's room, and watches it change from a storage room into the bedroom of a teenaged girl.

She and Mr. Finn take a a protesting younger Miss Summers to the library, where the two of them plus Mr. Giles, Ms. Calendar, Miss Rosenberg, and Miss MacLay ask her who she is.

"Are you mental?" the younger woman shrieks. "I'm your sister."

Miss Summers explains the spell, as does Mr. Giles, but nothing convinces the younger woman. After a few minutes Miss MacLay says, "She's telling the truth."

"Of course I am!" the younger Miss Summers says.

Miss Summers nods her head. "I did that spell right, Giles, I know I did."

"Mind if we repeat it?" Miss Rosenberg says.

"Be my guest."

"Dawn, do you trust us?" Miss MacLay asks.

"Yeah. You," she says.

And so Miss Rosenberg assists Miss MacLay in performing the ritual once again. Miss MacLay pulls clear and looks around the room, and, of course, gets the same results. "Dawnie, I'm sorry," she says. "Buffy's right."

"Why are we treating – this – as though it were real?" Miss Summers asks.

"I'm not a this, Buffy. I'm your sister!"

"Hold on," Mr. Finn says. "Tara, you said she's telling the truth, right?" Miss MacLay nods. "Buffy, whether she's your sister or not, she's not part of it."

"How do we know she's not some kind of programmed assassin? I don't want -"

"Dawn? Can we examine you?" Miss Rosenberg asks.

"Yeah," the younger woman says, half in anger, half in sadness.

The events of the actual episode take place approximately as in the original timeline, minus the presence of Spike, of course – so the surgery proceeds smoothly and Mr. Finn is cured.

The Misses Summers spend the entire episode not communicating with each other; the only thing they appear to agree on is not informing Mrs. Summers of what is happening, and that the argument is over something else entirely.

No Place Like Home:

Before the normal events of this episode, Miss Summers speaks with you again. You tell her that when she called you immediately after Buffy vs. Dracula was the first time you ever heard her mention a sister; that a week before she'd said she to leave her mother alone, given where they lived.

A couple of days later, there is a meeting in the library. Everyone is there and Miss Rosenberg and Miss MacLay reveal what they've learned: That the younger Miss Summers is not a pre-programmed assassin, is not evil in any fashion, and is completely human – but with a very strong aura of magic that neither one of them can figure out. Miss Summers adds what you told her, and then apologizes to her sister for believing her to be bent on killing them all.

"I get it, I get it," the younger woman says, grumblingly.

"And I think I know when you suddenly showed up, too," Miss Summers says. "I was talking to Veronica – you know, no-magic-can-bug-her gal – and she says the first time I started mentioning you was right after we finally kicked Dracula's ass."

"I remember that, though. I remember Mom letting him in -"

"You would, Dawnie," Miss MacLay says. "You seem to have been created with full memories, and with our memories altered as well."

"But why?" She says. "Why would someone do this to me? To you? To all of us?"

"I don't know," Ms. Calendar said. "But, trust me: We're going to do our best to find out. You're an innocent victim in all of this, but you were obviously put here for a reason."

"Do we know that?" Miss Chase says. "I mean, how do we know that things like this don't happen all the time? Like, what are those birds that lay their eggs in other birds' nests?"

"Cuckoos," Mr. Giles says.

"Right? How do we know she's not one of those? I don't mean exactly like it, like she hatched out of an egg or anything, or even that she knows it, but is there some magical race like that?"

[And once again, the first prize for tact goes to . . .]

"Yes, there is," Mr. Giles says. "They're called changelings."

They assure the younger woman that they do not mean that she, personally, is a changeling; merely that that is the best analogy they can come up with. She is not entirely convinced.

All agree not to inform Mrs. Summers, who has, of course, been feeling ill recently.

The main events of the episode take place with changes, the most important of which is that Miss Summers is already aware of her sister's recent insertion into reality. The parts of the episode which depend upon this simply do not occur, and neither does Miss Summers believe that her sister is causing her mother's illness.

The battle with Glorificus occurs as it did originally.

The dialogue with the dying monk also has alterations. After the monk says, "Made it human and sent it to you," Miss Summers says, "That makes sense."

"It does?"

"Yeah. This would have been a few weeks back, right? Mid- September?"

"Yes." He then explains that the younger Miss Summers is the Key and begs the Slayer to protect her. "She does not know she is not human," the monk says.

"She does now. But I'll protect her anyway."

'Good."

By the end of the episode, everyone knows what the younger woman is – and all agree to protect her. "You might not have been born my sister, but you're my sister now," Miss Summers says.

Family:

Occurs, though the discussion about the younger Miss Summers does not, and the debate over Miss MacLay's birthday presents takes place at the Espresso Pump, not at the magic shop.

"Still hangin' out in high school, sis? Thought you'd've outgrown a place like this by now," are Donny MacLay's first words, as he discovers Miss MacLay, Miss Rosenberg, Mr. Giles and Ms. Calendar in the library.

Mr. Finn does not go to Willy's place; while still convinced Miss Summers does not love him, he lacks the sense of exclusion he felt in the original timeline. Therefore, he is at both meetings described below.

Miss MacLay casts her spell while Miss Summers and most of her friends are gathered in the library discussing the younger Miss Summers' condition, and Glorificus. Miss Chase and Mr. Harris, however, are not present when the spell is cast, as they are working.

No significant changes for the majority of the remainder of the episode; the Lei-Ach demons track Miss Summers to the library, but Mr. Harris and Miss Chase see them enter.

Mr. Harris fights the demons alongside Miss Summers, with Miss Chase calling out directions.

The battle ends more swiftly, but not before Miss MacLay lifts the spell. The ensuing confrontation happens similarly until Mr. Harris says, "You're dealing with all of us."

"Damn straight," Miss Chase adds. "So back off."

"Are you going to roll over me?" Mr. MacLay says.

"Don't think I won't, buster," is the response.

"This is insane. You people have no right to interfere with Tara's affairs. We are her blood kin. Who the hell are you?"

"We're family," Miss Summers says.

Donny MacLay takes a step forward. "Tara, if you don't get in that car, I swear by god I will beat you down."

Miss Chase thrusts her wheelchair forward as hard as she can, striking Donny MacLay and knocking him backwards. "Yeah, I doubt it," she says.

Beth MacLay says, "I hope you'll all be happy hanging out with a disgusting demon."

After a moment, Ms. Calendar says, "Things are disgusting only if you think you are. Tara isn't disgusting, whether she's part demon or not. The rest of you, on the other hand -"

"She's evil!" Mr. MacLay says.

"I think," Mr. Giles says, "That we have well established who here is evil, and who here is not. Now, Mr. MacLay and the rest of you: This is a high school library. I am the librarian. Ms. Calendar here is the principal of the school. You are trespassing. Your actions, now, are limited to the following: Leave voluntarily and never return to Sunnydale again, or be thrown out forcibly and never return to Sunnydale again. It is, of course, entirely up to you which option you choose."

Mr. MacLay says, "Tara. For eighteen years your family -"

Miss Summers interrupts. "Hey, Giles. Does that sound like voluntarily leaving to you?"

The Watcher's answer is, "No, Buffy. It doesn't. If you, Riley and Xander would assist me -"

They all take a step forward, and Mr. MacLay, his bluff called, turns and leaves, the remainder of his family following after.

Miss MacLay is grateful, but asks what they'll do "if, if my demon ever comes out and I hurt people."

"That's not going to happen," Miss Rosenberg says firmly.

"But -"

"Shh."

Fool for Love

The main plot, of course, does not happen, with Spike deceased; in its place, Miss Summers calls Angel and asks her what he can recall about Spike killing his Slayers. (He knows almost nothing about the second one, but a good deal about the first, secondhand, of course.)

Mr. Finn keeps a more level head, and Mr. Harris and Miss Rosenberg are somewhat more professional, so he does not become "mad, bad, and dangerous to know."

Mrs. Summers still has to head to the hospital at the end of the episode.

[Sighing, I said, "Joyce Summers is still going to die of that aneurysm, isn't she?"

"Most probably. You did nothing to prevent it, after all."

"Does it count against me?"

"Yes, Miss Mars, although not dramatically so. It is unlikely you could have done anything to prevent it, but you may have been able to forestall it."

"She probably would have died no matter what I would have done?"

The Adversary nodded. "Yes. Which is why it does not count significantly against you."

Better than horrible, I guess, but every little but hurts.]

Shadow:

Occurs as in the original timeline, except that Mr. Finn does not go off and seek a vampire, and Glorificus' spell-created snake finds the younger Miss Summers in the Summers home, not in the magic store.

Listening to Fear:

Happens approximately as it did the first time. Mr. Finn is present for the vampire hunt at the beginning; the Misses Summers and Miss Rosenberg recognize that the insane reacting to the younger Miss Summers probably means something (given her resent insertion into existence) and intend to try to figure out what; and Mr. Finn gets the army and Miss Summers' group to share information and work together, instead of trying to stop the Queller using simply military means.

Into the Woods:

Is significantly altered, beginning with Mr. Finn not leaving Miss Summers to go to the vampire "whorehouse." So when he returns to his apartment and finds Mr. Miller – who made a full recovery from his injuries, though it took him months - and Major Ellis, he is not in nearly so bad a mood. He hears them out, asks a couple of questions, and says that he will consider it, but he has some thinking to do. They thank him for his time and leave.

Without Miss Summers' anger at the existence of the vampire "whorehouse"'s existence, it continues to operate. But, as Mr. Giles pointed out in the original timeline, its presence in Sunnydale does very little harm, so its continued existence in this one does not count against you.

[Well, that's good to know.]

Miss Summers is training in her backyard when Mr. Finn approaches her and says that they need to talk.

"About what?"

"Us."

Miss Summers stops. "That kind of talk," she says.

"That kind of talk," Mr. Finn confirms. "For a while now I've been pretty much convinced that you don't need me – that you don't love me." He does not say this angrily, but sadly.

Still a bit upset, she says, "Why do you think that?"

"Because of what's been going on the last couple of months." Holding up a hand to forestall any objections, he says, "Hear me out." And then he explains himself. "I know you've been busy with your mother being ill. I know you've been busy trying to figure this stuff out with Dawn. That's not what's been bothering me." And after the explanation is over, he says, "Graham and Colonel Ellis want me to go to Belize with them," and explains what became of the remains of the Initiative.

"And you want to go," Miss Summers says.

"Part of me does. Part of me never wants to leave you, ever. I love you, Buffy. But I don't think you need me. Do you?"

"Do I get the whole ten seconds?" she asks sarcastically.

Trying to lighten the mood, he says, "Go ahead. Take twenty."

". . . but that I'm taking any time at all answers your question, doesn't it?"

"Unfortunately. Unless you think you could love me."

"Yeah. Problem there is, I honestly thought I had been. I've never thought of you as a "rebound guy" or anything like that. I swear." She is crying, though not heavily.

"I know. That's what makes it hard. That's why it took me so long to figure out," Mr. Finn says.

They hug.

"So off you go to Belize?"

"Yeah," he says. "But – I talked to Colonel Ellis. One of the conditions of me rejoining is that I get to come back here on a moment's notice when all hell breaks loose."

Miss Summers asks, "How do you know it will?"

"I was here last May," he says.

"Oh. Right."

"And besides, this woman you've been fighting, and this situation with Dawn, it'd be a dereliction of duty for me just to take off no matter what happened between us."

"What did just happen?"

Mr. Finn sighs. "I think we broke up."

"I know."

And Mr. Finn gets on the helicopter that evening, with Miss Summers, Mr. Harris (who declines to rake Miss Summers over the coals, although he does gently reprove her), and Miss Rosenberg waving goodbye.

["So there's a chance we might see Riley Finn again?"

"We saw him again in actual canon, Miss Mars."

True, that. "You know what I mean."

"Probably. But I have always preferred precision."

"Never mind, then." I took a sip of my soda. "Let's move on to Triangle, okay?"

He smiled. "If you insist."]