"You trusting fool. How do you know the other world is any better

than this?"

"Because it has to be."

-Anya/Giles

Chapter 20

The dream was bothering her, more than she cared to admit. Not just because of what had happened, though being drowned was not high on her list of 'ways I don't want to die' it was still a terrifying prospect. What had really worried her was that the dream was too close to her previous life's path. The Master had drowned her, she'd broken Spikes back. Was it hard to believe that Angelus would do both this time?

So she'd called Giles, who then proceeded to call everyone else, for lunch at his house to deliberate. She wanted to find Spike, make sure he was okay, but for now she'd have to wait. Once night fell she'd go out looking and, hopefully, not run into Angelus on the way. For the moment she snagged a cup of tea from Giles, coffee was way better but the man was English after all (she had to compromise somewhere), and made herself comfortable on his couch as her friends ranged around her.

There wasn't much space, not with the nine of them crammed into the otherwise decently sized living room. With Amy sitting comfortably on Jesses lap, Cordelia lounged on Xander's and Oz sitting on the ground against Willows legs they managed to fit; leaving Giles, Jenny and herself to sit on the longest of the couches. Spread out across the coffee table were various books and other items Jenny and Giles had pulled out after hearing the account of her dream.

"Ok so we're trying to do what?"

"Well, as you all know, Buffy, our Buffy, has received the memories of a different version of herself through dreams." Giles answered Cordelia automatically, as an adult would a difficult child. Unfortunately they hadn't, technically, discussed the specifics of said dream. Such as the um-Other Buffy part. She hadn't really known when to drop that bombshell, or even how.

But now that that's out in the open...

"Excuse me?" Jesse, because of course it would be Jesse that paid attention (She missed those brief days of ignorance, when she'd thought him a good-hearted, if not goofy, skater boy. Other Buffy had thought Commando Riley was bad, Jesse could, probably will, kick Riley's ass.), the man was a menace. He was also the best second in command she had ever dreamed of. He delegated, and could read her better then she could herself some days. He knew when she needed to be left alone, and found ways to keep the others at bay. When she wanted to spend time with her friends one-on-one he made the others feel not so left out. If she had to go save the world he'd hold everyone back, for two seconds and then they'd head after her. He was, in essence, her brother.

Amy was her friend; the quiet one who would, occasionally, commit horrific acts of violence when her friends where threatened. Xander was, as always, her BFF; her corny, sometimes scary, jester of a knight in shinning armor. Willow was, and always would be, her sister; braver and stronger than before, but just as sweet and just as kind. Cordelia was...Cordelia; Beautiful, confidant, and much nicer than she pretended to be. Oz...Oz was talking to her. Shit! She'd hoped Jesse had dropped it. Nope, just dropped it into Oz's court. Man's like a dog with a bone...Literally.

"Buffy?"

"Hmm? Oz, ya...What's up?"

He smiled good-naturedly, was it her or had it gotten quieter, "Not much, Giles here was just telling us about, you know, you're from the future."

"I am not!" She shot back automatically, "I just got another Me's memories and stuff rammed into my head one night. Totally different." Her eyes sought Giles, who missed the look entirely. Thankfully, wonderful woman that she was, Jenny came to her rescue.

"It is a very big difference. Buffy is the only Buffy in this world, in this timeline. If she had come back then she would have changed where she was from."

"Like the grandfather paradox!" Willow shot out, excitedly. Even Buffy was confused on that one, Giles agreed immediately.

"Yes, exactly."

"I think you should share with the rest of the class." Xander tossed out, doing his best imitation of Snyder,(He'd been caught with a 'Will you be my boyfriend?' note he'd been asked to pass along. The boy he'd been asked to pass it too had not been interested.).

"Oh you know, if you go back and kill your own grandfather how could you have been born to go back. That person was stupid, his grandpa will die someday. I would've gone back and bought Prada, or Gucci, I'd be rich."

"And you'd get the best ones free." Buffy allowed agreeably.

"Ohhh I hadn't thought of that."

Giles stared at them both for a moment both shaking the glazed look out of his eyes, they looked decidedly haunted. Thinking of what Cordelia would do in the past was not a happy thought. Feminism would start early, or she'd burn on a pike.

"Essentially, yes. What seems to have occurred is that a Buffy from a different dimension had, somehow, managed to find a version of herself whose dimension was almost identical to hers."

"Then she burned all her memories into my skull."

"Thought you said it was a Slayer dream."

"Well, to be honest, dumping the 'By the way I know the future' bomb on top of the 'I kill vampires' one seemed a little bit much. And then...well...I didn't really know how to say it. I mean Giles fainted when I told him."

"I did not. I was perfectly fine when you told me of your situation."

"Oh." Buffy frowned, "So it was the Spike thing?"

"Well one does feel a bit faint when one learns that his Slayer is in love with a century old vampire who has killed two Slayers in his lifetime."

"Centuries. Two." She corrected, an impish smile on her face. Giles frowned down at her, Ripper in his eyes.

"Two then, my apologies." He was so much more fun this time around. She looked around at her friends, sighing. It was going to be a long day.

Spike had decided, oh about halfway through the fight that he was screwed. The look-a-like was faster than he could ever remember even Angelus being. He was also much, much, stronger and the bastard wasn't even trying. He'd also, apparently, added a few new styles. One of which was unmistakably Buffy. Not that it had stopped him much

"You need to get stronger!" No shit the thought reverberated through his mind, along with the words. He'd sat. Obeyed. Just to listen to the look-a-like tell him he was going to lose her, the Slayer. He wasn't sure what this thing was between them, didn't want to imagine that she might love him, or that he truly loved her, but he had decided he wanted her. Wanted her safe, happy. Wanted her covered in sweat, laughing as they danced through the blood, or dust if that's what it took. Wanted her hot and naked under him, above him. Wanted his teeth in her neck, her blood pounding in his veins as she climaxed around him.

"Bullshit mate. She's mine, I want her and she'll stay alive until I say otherwise."

The other him stood, stiller than stone. With eyes haunted, ghosts lurking in a turbulent sea.

"Oh cause that worked out soooo well the first time didn't it?" Came the scathing reply, cracking under the force of its rage. "Everything was just peachy, PTB just came strolling through the door one day and said 'Hey, Spike, wanna go kick your own ass?' while Buffy stayed at home to have a girls night with Lil Bit and Red. It's not like she died." Spike was horrified to realize that tears had pooled in his look-a-likes eyes. "or I died." This was said with less force, like an afterthought. "Twice the both of us. Future's all sunshine and flowers."

Spike felt, for the first time in his un-life, a strange kind of unity with all aspects of himself. For so long he'd just been Spike, the final result of the union between William and Demon. The other two popped their heads in from time to time, like cobwebs in his mind. When he rose William was determined, Spike was confidant, and his demon was pissed off. Which seemed to please the other him.

"You want to make it out of this alive, with her, you've got a lot to learn and we don't have much time. If you don't give a shit about her there's the door. As soon as you wake up get out of SunnyHell."

Like Hell he'd run. The gauntlet had been thrown and, like Angelus always said, Spike never learned.

"Good. Now where to start..."

Miss Edith was gone, but Miss Edith had never really been there in the first place. Miss Edith was the name of her doll because her doll looked so much like her little sisters doll. The one she'd had in her hands when her 'Daddy' had drained her dry. For years she had the dreams and, for years, she ignored them. If she'd paid attention she might have seen the demon before he could see her. She'd never have gone into that church, and she'd have taken her family as far away as possible. No matter the cost. Failing that she'd have, at least, stayed away from the nuns, her sisters of the cloth.

She'd seen what would happen to her family, seen the man with an Angels face coming ever closer, and she'd done nothing. Too scared, too weak, too confused and with no one to believe her. No one but- She stopped herself. If she remembered their names, their faces, she'd hurl herself over the abyss. As it was her grasp was thin, at best, but enough, maybe, for her to do what needed to be done. She'd have to look into the stars and make herself see what she needed to see, to control what she could change and understand what she couldn't. Not much time.

He'd wake up soon.

By the time night came they had a plan. Giles's nose was stuffed in a book, his eyes scanning the words carefully, but rapidly, even as he reached for another. Jenny was on the phone, making calls to anyone in her family, or associated with it, that could provide clues. Amy and Willow were scouring the interweb. Cordelia was offering alternative ideas, most of which actually made sense. Oz and Xander were discussing strategy and Jesse was coming up with a new patrol schedule. One in which their demonic allies were in agreement with. Apparently Angelus had managed to hurt a few of them in their last bout. That, combined with his attack on an otherwise helpless Buffy, had them all edgy. If they lost Buffy they were back to square one, fodder for any demon or vamp that decided the Hellmouth was theirs.

She'd managed to escape. Without a buddy! Only because she'd straight up refused one. While the rest would manage working in teams Angelus was after her. If he was anything like last time anyone in her vicinity had a target on their heads. He'd expect, if he caught her alone, that she'd be heartbroken. That she'd be too betrayed and, while she had made it obvious she didn't not love him, he was still her friend. She still cared for him and he'd expect that to slow her down.

It wouldn't. She couldn't let it come close to last time. Last time had been far too close for comfort. Her goal was simple, stop the apocalypse before it got close to happening. Just like she did with the Master. Fuck the Legend of Buffy Summers, she couldn't care less. At the very least it would save Kendra. Buffy stopped, huffed. She'd wanted to find Spike, her feet had instantly moved towards the crypt. She was almost there now but thinking of Kendra reminded her he wasn't there yet. She felt a fluttering against her mind, sensed him even as he spoke.

"There you are."

"Hey Angel." She'd said it absently, not wanting to deal with him. Not even bothering to glance in his direction. He didn't answer, not with words. The pain that exploded in the back of her skull accompanied her sudden descent into darkness.