Willow sat on a chair in the small, dirty, and smelly motel room staring at the stranger who was wearing her oldest friend's face. Alex as he went by sat there after allowing them in on the bed looking bored and uninterested as Mrs Calendar tried her best to explain why they were here and who Willow was along with the whole alternate reality theory. "You got to be kidding me," he muttered after she explained the theory a second time. Lighting up a cigarette which made Willow look at him in slight disgust. It would seem he smoked here. He turned back to face her the redhead. "So, you know me in that world then huh?"
Willow nodded. "We are… were… still are best friends," she said shifting a little uncomfortably. "I've known Xander since we were children."
"Xander?" he questioned.
"That is his nickname he goes by in his reality," Alex just shrugged indifferent at the news. "How did you end up here?" Willow cried unable to help herself. "Like this? In this state?" she gestured at his appearance and body language.
"What the other version of me lives in far better surroundings?" he sarcastically asked her before flicking his cigarette into the small pool within a bowl on a table he sat up and sighed. "I only had one friend growing up Jessie," Alex started explaining. "But nearly two years ago he was captured by a few of the Master's minions, and he was turned into one of those things," off her look he smiled sadly. "Guess he didn't have a golden ticket in your world too," he mused before carrying on. "Anyway, I was a wreck after that. I mean how does a teenager cope with their best friend dead? My parents were any help, they never even cared about me before so why should they change their tune after an incident like that right? But so, I kind of shut down at school however I knew about vampires… and I wanted to kill every last one," he finished grimly. "Of course, Buffy the slayer and Giles her watcher wouldn't hear of it. They both said it was too dangerous for some mere mortal boy to get involved," he finished with bitterness.
"Mr Giles just wanted to keep you out of harms way," Jenny spoke up from where she was leaning again a wall. "He didn't want you to get hurt… besides you are leaving out a big part," the woman said pointedly at him.
Alex glared at the woman before he smiled ruefully before turning back to Willow. "I forgot they heard rumours and thought my performance was impaired… cause I sort of snuck into my mother's stash of drugs. I don't really know what I was thinking. I just wanted the pain to go away. But one pill led to another, and one hit led to about fifty. Next thing I know…" he held up his hands in classic TADA pose. "Anyway, I'm sure Mr Giles narked on me. So, I had to go to detox last year and what a fun experience that was. I was the only one in there under the age of eighteen. Although, that surprised me, this being California and all. But I guess it's not close enough to Hollywood," he flashed Willow a pretty large sarcastic grin that was almost a mockery of the lopsided grin she was used to seeing from Xander on a daily basis.
She bit back tears as she looked at the shell of her friend before her. Xander's zest for life and silliness had been ripped away from this version before her. He simply wasn't the same person and it scared her. He looked like he had lost a lot of weight probably due to his drug habit. "But how did you kicked out of school?" She asked him interested in his history in this universe.
"Well once Synder caught me being late for class and gave me a dressing down," Alex explained to the girl. "Said I was tardy almost more than I was present. Finished by saying it a shocking lack of protocol… so I told him where he could stick his protocol." Willow's eyes went wide. Principal Synder would not have liked no matter what universe he was from. "Should have seen his face," Alex recount with a sly grin. "He actually smiled and sent me packing." She looked sad but he just let it roll of his back. He didn't care. High school for him was a constant state of mockery and ridicule. He didn't fit in, and the world made sure that he were constantly reminded of it. He recalled his science teacher who once flat out told him he wouldn't pass if he kept dressing the way he did. "Anyway, for my parents that was the last straw… they kicked me after. I thought they would least let me pay for rent in the basement," he muttered bitterly.
Willow looked crushed at the state of her friend. She had experienced enough of Xander's parents to know that they would never win any awards for parents of the year. In this universe he had no one. As one of the Scoobies she had enough experience to know that losing friends was bad. When you don't know someone, it doesn't affect you much. It's just a name, a number, an abstract concept. But when you have a face to put with the name, memories of you and that person talking and doing stuff together and laughing at some dumb joke... that is what makes the battle real. That and spending the night at the cemetery with Buffy standing there, stake in hand, watching the fresh grave while listening to the leaves dancing in the wind. As his best friend in like forever she knew a great deal more about him and his home life far more than Xander would like his alcoholic mother, and not to mention his most likely abusive father. Did he still have the same dreams and aspirations like at one time dreaming of joining the Air Force and becoming a pilot? or did he have that same week during Junior High were he had joked with her and Jessie about becoming a gourmet chef? She had always been there for him, but it had seemed that no one had been here for him in this reality and the cost of that was sitting right in front of her.
After a few moments of quiet Mrs Calendar spoke up. "We should go," she suggested to Willow who looked conflicted but decided that there was nothing else to say. She made her way to go before Alex spoke up just as she was exiting the room.
"So, what he is like in your universe?" Alex asked Willow. "What am I doing there?"
Willow shifted awkwardly trying to be fair - this Xander, sorry Alex as she corrected herself knew nothing about Xander and all he'd been through. She could make him look good; some of what he'd done could make him look awful in a stranger's eyes. And this alternate person was, for all intents and purposes, nearly a stranger. Even the unvarnished truth looked different through different eyes. And how much of the real truth should she hand over, and how much of it did Alex who came back need to know? Mental babbling again... Honesty, as she knew it, was the best policy. "He was my best friend since kindergarten," she explained to him. "You, me and Jessie pretty much did everything together then we lost Jessie," she got sad before perking up. "But we gained Buffy we became like a group, the three amigos! The Scooby gang! We helped her in slaying and helped each other in life." She looked at him sadly. Knowing that the person who she was talking about was not the same person she was looking at. Experiences and such had changed them to basically becoming two different people.
"Does he have any special powers? Like did he gain any?" He asked her curious. Willow shook her head, and he snorted in disappointment.
"He saved my life, Giles and even Buffy's on occasion," Willow told him trying to defend Xander. "He might stumble and get in the way sometimes," she admitted before quickly speaking up when she realised, she might be offending her audience. "But he always pitches in and helps whenever is required. We all do we are a team."
A team, Xander mused sounds… kind of different as the redhead and the computer teacher left him.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
"Here it is! I've found it," Giles proclaimed coming out of his office. "Look!" He sets down a book which is opened to a page with a sketch of Willow's pendant right down to actual pendant that was sitting on the table. "It's what, um, Mrs Rosenberg was wearing. It's the, the, uh, symbol of, of Anyanka."
Mr Zabuto, Kendra the vampire slayer's watcher looked at unimpressed. An elderly man with soot black skin, a clean serious face and wise blue eyes. "I don't believe I am familiar with her," the man commented examining the picture and text written alongside it.
"Well, no. Um, Anyanka is a sort of a Patron Saint of scorned women," Giles explained to the other man as he sat on the table. "Uh, sh-she grants wishes." He was well aware how ridiculous how it all sounded but Watchers, by nature, could not ignore supernatural forces of any kind.
"Grants wishes?!" Zabuto scoffed in disbelief incredulous at what he was hearing. "We are scholars and academics dealing with myths and legends not fairytales! Really Mr Giles you said that you had something important to discuss with me not some child's fantasy!"
"But the redhead she knows things," Giles stubbornly argue gesturing to his notes that he had forced Zabuto to go over when he had arrived. "Things that no living person could know. She about me, my past, Angel and his soul, Mrs Calendar and even more!"
"I am not surprised she knew such things. We both know you having been very good at keeping secrets about the slayer!" Zabuto fired back at the ex-Watcher. "Did you forget the oaths you took as a Watcher? The Slayer must work in secrecy," he recited. "For security."
Giles sighed seeing the aristocrat traditions and bureaucrat nature of the Watchers Council in the flesh in front of him. "Nevertheless, it proves that her story about an alternative reality had weight," the man continued to the sceptical watcher before him. "She talks about a world were the Master is dead, William the bloody is dead and then it was all undone because of Anyanka's magic. Look at the text here," he reads. "In order to defeat Anyanka, one must destroy her power centre. This should reverse all the wishes she's granted, rendering her mortal and powerless again." He looked up again Zabuto looked unimpressed. "You, see? Without her power centre, she'd j-just be a-a-an ordinary woman again, and all this would be, um... well, different."
"You have gone insane man!" The official Watcher told the fired one. "When you should be working to reclaim your place among us by assisting me and the Slayer to fight the forces of evil in this town you chasing up fantastical leads and dead ends!" To Zabuto this was crazy and had never heard of any like this. The item reality had been changed by one little girl's wish. It was too impossible to sound real.
"But Mrs Rosenberg is detailed in her reports and information," Giles said picking up his notes from when he cross checked everything Willow had told him. "She lists events that correspond to events that occurred here. Names, faces, events, and key dates they are very much similar to our own but with clear changes I accept yes but after the time we have spent on the hellmouth and seeing the chaos and forces that are drawn to it one cannot simply dismiss this!" He argued with conviction.
The two men look at each other for a beat. Mr Zabuto is quite tense, a man who needs answers to make a difficult judgment while Giles looks grim as a man who has been forced to accept the difficult judgment. "You are talking about altering the timeline… I need more," Zabuto quietly asked him.
"I am talking about restoring the timeline." Replied Giles looking at him. He can't help him. "But there is no more," he admitted. "I wish there was. I wish I could prove it. I can't… the only way of knowing for sure is summoning the demon, Anyanka."
"Summon a demon!" Zabuto shook his head in almost disgust as he rose from his seat walking back and forth pacing. The Watcher's Council would fire them both for even talking about such an action.
"There is no other way," Giles explained to the man.
"And who is to say this history is any less proper than the other?" Zabuto countered to the man turning to the man. "Yes, even if it were true with there being no Master and such but look at what you are giving up!" The coloured man gestured to the notes which had Jenny Calendar's death noted.
"I am aware of all the differences," Giles said softly. Knowing but being unable to explain, his normally calm nature cannot mask his frustration for him this is more frightening than anything he had ever known. The thought of losing Jenny… was a pain worse than death. "And I also know… that there is a chance that this… is wrong."
"Not good enough!" Zabuto snarled at him in anger. "Not good enough in the slightest!" He practically yelled before looking away trying to calm himself. "What is the guarantee that by destroying the pendant we will succeed?" Giles gave him a look which was clear, there is none. "I cannot… sacrifice the Slayer based on a whim!"
"Meaning you are willing to sacrifice Kendra!" Giles argued back at the man causing him to flinch and look away ashamed. "You don't have to pretend in front of me Zabuto," he said softly in sympathy. "I know you care about Kendra… more than you should. That's why you haven't sent her in the Master's lair armed with only a crossbow. I was with the same with… Buffy." He recalled fondly and sadly. "She caused me no end of grief but there was no way I was about to let her down and send her on some kind of suicide mission. To the Council the Slayer is nothing more than a tool or part of a machine. One could easily be replaced with another, but I think… we know better than that."
Giles swallowed hard knowing that what he was suggesting would cause him to lose Jenny forever. "You mentioned our oaths before, and I remember them well. We took an oath to defend the weak and humans. In this lifetime there are people who are dead, and we have the chance to bring them back and put things right. That's what we teach the Slayer isn't it? Fight evil and make things right in the world but we never tell her about the cost of it all do we? Never talk about the sacrifice it requires."
Zabuto looked uncomfortable but didn't fight against that point.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
They were up ahead, just a little farther up the trail. He could smell them, now, on the wind that blew into his face, and the mouthwatering fragrance of their blood and the salty smell of their flesh made his hungry stomach churn just a little harder. Moving carefully and silently, he approached the area where they were standing, making no noise whatsoever as he moved through the trees like a shadow, blending into the darkness like a droplet of water rejoining the ocean.
He reached the edge of the woods, where the trees thinned out and the cleared area began, and he could see the car with the two teens inside making out. His eyes rolled at the horror cliché that they were engaging in, making out at a night in a car parked by the woods. Didn't the media say that horror films were making a comeback? If the kids of today were not going to pay attention at school, they could at least take some lessons in cinema. His senses focused on the real reason why he was in the area as he tried to determine where what he had been truly tracking was.
Harmony moaned as Devon kissed her in the back seat of his car. The blonde and the lead singer of the local high school band were enjoying a good make out session. While the blonde might be too ditzy or talkative for his tastes and he might be scruffy and lazy for her tastes they were both enjoying the physical act of making out. He lowered his head to neck and kissed her there gingerly as his hands dashed all over her body. Back… arms… shoulders… With her just in her bra he explored her bare skin savouring every curve of her body. The blonde let out a moan as she felt Devon's hands running over her skin. It felt fantastic having his arms roaming her back and his lips searching hers. She savoured every second; not wanting it to end as her nails ran down his bare back, his t shirt had long since been removed.
She moaned again and pulled back meeting his eyes. She smiled slightly and leaned back lying back on the back seat. Devon decided to seize the moment and take his chances. He leaned forward once more and softly brushed her lips with his. She slid her hands around his shoulders. He took her lead and kissed her once more. This kiss was longer, more hungrier and needer as the bare skin of his bare chest and hers rubbed against each other. She broke apart from his lips again. "Please tell me you have protection," she hissed.
But before Devon could answer the question a powerful arm burst into the car window shattering the glass. Harmony let out a loud scream as she saw Devon shriek and duck out of the way of the clawed hand. They heard a growl outside, and both saw one of those monsters that everyone talks about, but you never see in the news. Panicked they both screamed again as they saw it's fangs. The large hulking vampire moved closer before being tackled by Angel, the vampire with a soul who had been tracking this one since he caught whiff of his scent from the sewers. The vampires grappled and rolled on the dirt as Devon moved quickly to the front seat of his car, starting the car, and flooring it not bothering to look back or stop and see what was happening. He and Harmony slightly vowed never to come back here again.
Angel broke away from the vampire and got to his feet as did his opponent. He realised that he wasn't facing some fledging vampire, but a battle-hardened veteran who had to have survived more than just a few attacks like this, to judge by the scars running across the side of his face. "Tell me are you working for the Master or Spike?" he asked the vampire. An angry roar occurred at the mention of his former student Spike which he took as the answer. "Figured as much," Angel mused as he knew that Spike never did like hanging around vamps more powerful than him. He darted forward, then shifted left, trying for a quick attack to the chest, looking to wound his enemy and finish this matter as quickly as possible, but his opponent was too experienced to allow him to do that, and merely dodged his punches and kicks, before pivoting back and attacking Angel in turn.
Angel dropped back for a moment to get out of range, then sprang forward again with a double strike, the follow-up attack raking across the side of the giant's face, opening up a few old scars again. Sadly, that did was seem to make the vampire mad and he held his ground, blocking the next strike and kicking out at the Angel's inverted knee. The souled vampire cried out in that hideous multi-layered roar as he dropped to one knee. He barely had time to look up before he saw a fist flying down connected to his face. He was on the ground as the menacing vampire leered over him. Angel briefly wondered if this was really how he was going to meet his end before he caught a glimpse of figure in motion and connecting to the vampire. Angel shook his head to clear it and saw the vampire slayer, Kendra battle against the vampire using carefully trained attack to her advantage staggering the vampire but not penetrating the demon's defence deeply enough to do serious harm.
Growling Angel got to his feet ignoring the pain in his knee to join the fight. The large vampire growled as he now had two attackers to deal with. Kendra and Angel worked as a team as they kicked, punched, dodged, and duelled with the demon slowly beginning to gain the upper hand until Angel managed to kick out the vampire's legs causing it to fall on his knees. Kendra's stake hit home with a satisfying hit, and the vampire around it burst into a pile of dust that blew away on the sweet, nighttime breeze. Angel let out a relieved sigh and he lowered himself to on one knee clutching his other one that had been kicked.
The Jamaican vampire slayer turned and eyed the vampire with suspicion still holding her stake up. "You can lower that thing you know," Angel remarked. "I don't bite." His stomach growled at such a comment, a reminder that crouching there and staring did nothing to help him feed himself. His blood lust told him that he was a vampire, and she was a slayer however thanks to soul his conscience told him that he didn't listen to his blood lust.
"We both know that is not true vampire," Kendra's statement with a clear threat of violence but she did lower her stake ever so slightly as she began to walk away.
"Wait! You just leaving?" Angel commented with clear annoyance. "Not even going to help me?" He gestured to his condition.
"My watcher said I should not converse with vampires," the slayer muttered. "So, I am certainly not about to help one." It was true her watcher Mr Zabuto, ever the harsh taskmaster had placed strict orders on limiting her interactions with Angel, Mr Giles, Mrs Calendar, and any others. He saw them all as negative outside influences one that had caused the previous slayer to lose sight of her calling and purpose and he did not want that to occur in Kendra. Her life was to be a life of duty, violence, and death. Indeed, it was only Angel's heroic triumph over the Judge that had earned him 'borrowed time' in Mr Zabuto's eyes as there was the unholy war between Spike and the Master to deal with.
"I am not like other vampires," he pointed out. "Look I just need you put my knee back into place and then I will be on my way. Listen if you want, I can give you some pointers on your fight. You technique is good but it's too rigid and obvious. You left some holes in your defences. Just because this vamp was stupid, doesn't mean that the others you face will be."
"What holes?" she asked, all business. She seemed ready to attack if he so much as gave her an answer.
"First help me with my knee then we will go over the fight," Angel said. Kendra reluctantly agreed mainly because resetting his knee involved giving him some pain as she wrenched his knee to one side hearing a loud crack causing him to grimace. Then she and Angel went through a re-enactment of the fight, him showing her where she'd had been too obvious in her attack or when she could have used an impulsive strategy. Despite the fact that she had major issues with his kind she seemed to respect him as a warrior having seen him fight many times. She listened and took on his advice from someone more experienced in combat than herself.
"You need to be more flexible in your fighting," Angel informed the slayer. "Your technique is strong, but you focus too much on this. Mix up your styles, be more impulsive and throw a vampire off it's game. Otherwise, one will defeat you, there are plenty out there who could do it."
"Like yourself?" she asked him. "I have studied the texts and know all about your history as Angelus."
To his credit the vampire didn't look away ashamed but rather stood firm holding her gaze. "I am telling you this to keep you alive Kendra. Besides I am not that… person anymore I am a friend."
"As I have told you many times I don't need a friend vampire," Kendra replied with the training and influence from her watcher.
Angel chuckled as he began to walk away a little slowly and a little sore. "And as I have you many times slayer… I never said I was yours." And with that he disappeared into the night.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Amy Madison shook with fear. She'd been walking along, minding her own business, heading to the shopping mall to hang out with some friends when two scary looking guys grabbed her and knocked her over the head. When she woke up, she found herself strapped to a chair in a dark, dank basement surrounded by vampires and one human.
The existence of vampires was a surprise for Amy, but it didn't stun her like it would have most people. After all, when a girl wakes up one morning to find herself in her mother's body, not much else can shock her. Eventually, her mother's lust for greater magic power had driven the body-thief to try more dangerous spells. Somehow, Mr. Giles, the librarian, had found out and he and the new girl what was her name? Britney? No Buffy! Anyway, they had banished Amy's mother back into her own body, and then arranged for the woman to be locked up in an insane asylum. Fitting, because so much unchecked magical power had driven the woman completely mad. After being placed back into her own body, Amy had vowed never to follow in her mother's footsteps. A magic-fried brain was nothing Amy wanted out of life.
But now Amy was at the mercy of a group of people she didn't know, and completely defenceless. For the first time in her life, Amy wished she had attempted to learn some of her mother's magic. Then at least she could have fought for her life.
When the human - the others called him Ethan, and he was obviously more proficient at magic than even her mother - spoke, it was in a cold, emotionless voice that scared her more than the vampires did. He obviously had no qualms about kidnapping her and holding her hostage, which made her wonder what else he was willing to do to her. Amy realized that letting her imagination run away with her wasn't wise when she needed to keep her wits about her. So, she banished any fearful thoughts to the back of her mind and concentrated on with the man was saying. "… name is Ethan Rayne, and these ugly blokes are what is known as vampires," the man identified himself. "Feel free to scream your cute little head off now. We won't mind."
Amy remained silent and just stared at him, waiting to see what he would say or do next.
Ethan smiled cruelly. "That's a smart girl. I'm sure you've guessed by now that you're in a scream-all-you-like situation. No one will hear you down here. No one will come charging up on a white horse to rescue you, and you can just forget about ever escaping. It's not going to happen, girlie."
Amy rolled her eyes, trying to put up a brave front. "OK, I get it. I'll never escape. Now can we please get on with it?"
Ethan raised an eyebrow in a bemused fashion. "Get on with it?" He actually had a longer speak planned.
"Yeah, get on with it," Amy replied. "You know, the part when you tell me why you've kidnapped me and brought me all the way down here…"
Ethan didn't reply at first. It would seem the people in this town were either very smart or very stupid. This one must be one the of the smart ones. After a long pause, he said simply, "I think you'd better ask him that question, my dear." Ethan gestured to a figure partially concealed in the shadows.
Amy squinted, trying to determine who the elusive person was, but to no avail. Finally, she couldn't be patient any longer and demanded, "Well?" she said half in fear and half in annoyance.
"You're going to become my lover," said a bleached blond man walked out from the shadows and looked her up and down. Amy felt like a piece of meat. She wanted to tell him to get over himself, but her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, and she couldn't speak. All she managed was a tiny squeak.
"Don't worry your pretty little head about rape," the man said. "I meant what I said more literally. My lover died, and when we bring her back, she's going to use your body." She would be the vessel to his beloved. Dru would walk this earth again. She would help him, lead him and be with him forever. Drusilla was not one of the strongest vampires he'd ever met. Physically, she was only slightly above the average vampire. What she was, was the most dangerous vampire Spike had ever met. She was wildly unpredictable, owing both to her own insanity and her natural talent to catch glimpses of the future.
She would complete him.
"Why me?" Amy managed to gasp.
Ethan took that question. "You have quite a bit of magic potential, young lady. I smelled it when I got to town. That will make it easier for Drusilla to stick in your body - she was quite accomplished in the dark arts during her un-life, as I understand it. And there's even a whiff of transfer-experience around you. Have you ever traded bodies with anyone before?"
Amy's mind flashed back to waking up in her mother's body that fateful morning. During that body switch, she'd been put into a different body when her mother's consciousness forced her out of her own. But this time, there was no body for her to go into. That was when she started screaming.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Alex sat unmoving on the bed in his crappy, smelly motel room staring at the phone.
He felt uneasy but he picked up phone and spoke up. "Hi Mom, it's me," he said before pausing slightly. "Alex… Alexander," he said confirming his identity to his own mother. "No, I know I what the time is… yeah, I know… I just wanted to call you… No, I don't need money for drugs," he sighed shaking his head. "I'm clean Mom… I don't care what Dad says," he gritted his teeth. "I'm clean… I just wanted to call and catch up… I AM NOT LOOKING FOR MONEY MOM!" He said very slowly down the phone. "I'm just phoning to see how you are… well Dad would say something like that wouldn't he," the young man stated in a huff. "I just… I just wanted to see how things are. Maybe I don't know," he shifted his weight a little looking uncomfortable. "Maybe I could come round for dinner like old times… yes, I know that… I understand sometimes you work nights… then I will cook… okay I understand," he said slightly chest fallen. "No, it's fine… yeah we don't want to upset Dad do we… okay well another time then…" he put down the phone and pushed it away. He just sit on his bed, staring at nothing with this huge emptiness inside of him that needs to be expressed but there was no one to express it to.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kendra entered the library frowning. She wasn't used to seeing her watcher Zabuto here and certainly not used to working with Mr Giles. Mr Zabuto had been very clear that Kendra was to have little interaction with the former Watcher and the company he kept. In some ways it made sense as she knew that the vampire Angel worked closely with the Mr Giles, but it did make her slightly… curious as to why she should give Mr Giles such a wide breath. What had the previous Slayer's relationship with the former Watcher been like? Why was it considered such a failure? What was the previous Slayer like herself? Kendra had never met of course as she had been called after the Slayer's death, but she had wondered what kind of person she was to give up her calling and run away from it. Kendra couldn't even imagine to do such an act. A lifetime of preparation had prepared her to be the Slayer and she wasn't about to disappoint her mentor Mr Zabuto. However, she found since coming here to Sunnydale that it was a town of… complications sometimes forcing her to go outside the Slayer's handbook which at one time she could never imagine herself doing.
Besides the point she was surprised at the amount of people who were in the library and we as uncomfortable in such a space. There was her Watcher Zabuto and the former watcher Mr Giles but there was also Mr Giles's partner Mrs Calendar, Angel the vampire who it seemed had made his own way to the library and some redhead girl who she never met before. Attempts to enquire who the red head was and why she was here had been dismissed, skirted around, and dodged by members of the group. Just who was this girl? She couldn't help but notice that Mr Zabuto seemed to be on guard with her.
Willow was feeling slightly nervous and expectant as she set down book on the growing pile of books that the group had already gone through. If this spell would work, then she would return to her own world. She took a quick look around the room to gauge their moods. Angel was leaning against the stacks, all silent and glowery, just the way Willow remembered him. His were crossed, and he watched the others with a cool look of feigned indifference. Kendra the slayer was there and very much the good student to Mr Zabuto's teacher or rather instructor as Willow felt. There was none of the playful tone that she had seen from Kendra and Mr Zabuto that she was so familiar with in Giles and Buffy. It was all business. Zabuto came across as the stern headmaster. In fact, it was the same for the whole group. There was none of the innocent banter, the flippant tone or just silliness that was ever present in the group's interaction. She guessed she should have expected it. The group didn't have that closeness and warmth due to having different people involved.
And then there was Jenny who tried to avoid looking at her, and the one time she did... She sworn she saw some pain in her eyes. And Willow knew why… Willow represented the woman's death. Kendra's as well but she noticed that no one was telling the girl anything. A small selfish part, the little petty part of was a little… surprised that she made such a difference. She had always felt that no Buffy would have made a massive difference in all their lives. Maybe even Giles as well but a world without Willow… she never expected to have such an impact.
There were times when Willow couldn't believe how terrible a person she could be.
Shocking her out of her depression came a familiar sound. "Oh, hello salty goodness," came a flirty voice behind the group and they turned to see a rather pale looking Cordelia there. She looked confident and seemed to be enjoying the view of Angel.
Kendra quickly produced a stake from her pocket and moved forward between the vampire and her mentor Mr Zabuto. Giles likewise pushed Jenny behind him as Willow looked shocked as she saw Cordelia as a vampire. Even though they were often rivals and enemies it still hurt to see her like this. "Cordy," she whispered softly to which the vampire in question picked up on and made a face to her clearly not recognising her like everyone else in this town which once again reminded her of how lost she was once again. The twisting feeling in her heart echoed on her face but then she snapped out of it as Angel spoke up.
"You new vampires really are stupid," the elder vampire growled at the vampire before him.
"What are you doing here Mrs Chase?" Giles asked her levelling a crossbow at the woman's heart having grabbed it when he saw the vampire before him.
"I came to warn you," the vampire declared. She didn't looked scared or fazed by the forces in front of her.
"Warn us? Of what?" Giles demanded he didn't trust her as far as he could throw her - he didn't even trust her as far as a human-sized slingshot could throw her.
"Spike is trying to bring Drusilla back. You've got to stop him. You'll find him in the basement of a demolished house over by the university," she tossed Angel a slip of paper and with supernatural reflexes he caught it. "Here's the address." Kendra flinched slightly as Cordelia moved, she was blatantly ready to attack the vampire at a moment's notice.
Angel stared at the words scrawled on the paper in handwriting giving Giles a questioning glance, but the Englishman looked as puzzled as he was. So did the new red head girl. "Why should we believe anything you say?" asked Angel pinning the brunette with a hooded gaze. "How do we know that this might be some sort of trap?"
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "The good ones are always so dense," she muttered. "Dru was fine and dandy when she was here. Crazy yes but for a while I was all right with being her handmaiden of sorts. But now she's gone, and I'm queen. Do you think I want to give that up?" She snorted derisively. "Yeah, right."
Mr Zabuto still didn't buy it. He didn't believe anything he had heard from the woman. "How would this even work?" he asked her. "Vampires turn to dust when they die." He had never heard of any acts or spells that would resurrect a vampire despite the Watcher's council heavy research into the matter. The organisation had spent much time investigating the matter as they feared what might happen if certain vampires known in history might be resurrected to terrorise this world again.
"Of course," Cordelia replied as a matter of fact. "That is why Spike arranged for the kidnapping of a young witch Amy Madison and a warlock some Ethan Rayne to help him in casting the spell."
The English man felt the hairs on his back stand on end at the familiar name being mentioned. "Ethan Rayne," he growled under his breath. He felt Jenny's questioning gaze on him as he glanced at Angel and the vampire with a soul sighed slightly. When the pair looked back at Cordelia she was gone.
"I should go after her," Kendra hissed stepping forward to rid the world of that vampire.
"No Kendra save yourself your strength!" Zabuto ordered the girl. "You will have to go to the location that the vampire provided and investigate her claims. If Spike is there trying to resurrect Drusilla, then you must stop him."
"Zabuto," Giles hissed quietly grabbing the man's arm and pulling him to one side preparing for another argument on the subject. "This is pointless!"
"She doesn't need to know what we are planning and doing," Mr Zabuto urged the Englishman. "If there is even a slightest chance that your spell does not work or if something goes wrong then we cannot allow Spike to gain such an advantage like this! We have to proceed like the world may not change." Giles looked like he might argue but decided that the man might have a point. If something did go wrong, then and Spike did bring back such a dangerous monster like Drusilla then there is no telling what kind of chaos and death she might bring. The pair turned the others in the room and prepared a battle plan.
Walking away from the school library Cordelia had a pleased smile. "Men," she said out loud. "Still as easy to manipulate as ever. Nice to know I haven't lost my touch."
A fellow vampire appeared from behind a corner of the corridor. "Do you need anything else, mistress?" he asked her.
She looked over at Jonas with a pleased smile. "No, you've done enough. But I'd stay clear of Spike for a while." She smiled winningly at her spy who kept her informed of Spike's actions.
"I think I'm going to grab a snack," Jonas thinking of slaughtering the group of kids he had spotted on the sidewalk.
Cordelia smacked Jonas on the head. "Don't do that!"
"Why not?"
"Because we are not far enough away yet from those goodie two shoes," she pointed out to the fellow vampire. "If they catch us snacking then they won't be able to stop Spike's plan." The vampire grunted in disappointment but seemed to agree with her plan. "Now give mamma some sugar," she said seductively and kissed her spy.
Men dead or alive were so easy.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Spike sat in a hard, wooden chair in his basement. Ethan bustled about, preparing his magic supplies for the spell. There was an odd, little smile on the man's face that Spike didn't trust. He hated partnerships, but what other choice was there? The girl, Amy, had stopped screaming, and was following Ethan's movements with as much attention as Spike. The vampire looked her over, again marvelling that such a suitable girl had been found on short notice. And once the annoying humanness was gone from her nature, she would actually be quite attractive. Aside from Dru, he'd always had a thing for blondes. Spike envisioned what a pleasurable act it would be changing the girl into a vampire once Dru was safely inside her body. "How much bloody longer, man?" Spike finally demanded.
"Calm down," Ethan replied with that same smile on his lips. "Magic takes time. If you rush me, you'll get a faulty spell. This is a revivification spell, of a sort, and contacting spirits gone on to the afterlife takes care."
Spike sighed and glared at Ethan. "I'm not comfortable at having to send the other vampires away, but don't think I can't take you down if you're messing with me."
"Quit worrying," Ethan said. "I'm fairly fond of my own skin. Don't worry about that. And I told you, the more beings there are in the room, the more difficult the spell is. You do want Dru, don't you, and not some other random spirit?" Seeing Ethan had the upper hand with all this spell stuff, Spike contented himself with a growl in the man's direction and sat back again to wait.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"We could be walking into a trap," Kendra suggested to Angel who walked alongside her. Something was off about tonight. Not the night or the town as it still pulsed with power, a power that her carefully trained Slayer senses could feel resonating within her bones. No, it was her teacher Zabuto and the fact he was so keen on seeing her leave the library. She understood time maybe of the essence but why suddenly was he keen for the vampire with a soul to go alongside her? Was he doubting her abilities? Did she do something wrong? It was true that since arriving to Sunnydale she had struggled in her duties. Cleansing a small town was something she was familiar with. It was rarely all that difficult. A few nests to clear out, and a town would be relatively safe from vampire activity for sometimes several years. When the vampires learned a Slayer had hit a small town, they generally avoided it for some time. But in Sunnydale due to the hellmouth vampires and other demonic beings were drawn it. And in the form of Spike and the Master were stronger and more powerful than she could ever considered.
"That we could," agreed Angel. He had a few encounters with Cordelia, and she had proven to be a tricky opponent despite her short time as a vampire. Still, he made no effort to slow his stride or change direction. Neither did Kendra. A trap could a challenge. And the Slayer was always up for a challenge. The pair found the place with relative ease. Angel looked around and saw only one entrance/exit. There were a few vampires. He briefly wondered why, and then he heard a scream. Unsheathing his sword he charged into the Spike's hideout with Kendra alongside him charging at the vampires standing there keeping guard.
Inside the basement Spike stood when Ethan started a Latin chant. The man walked around gesturing and flinging a liquid concoction over his shoulder. The chant went on long enough that Spike began to get bored. He walked toward Amy and ran a finger over her cheek. "Soon, pet, you'll be mine again," he told her speaking to his Drusilla whom in moments he would be reunited with.
Then something in the chant made Spike whirl around. Ethan called upon "Grantoc!" The word Drusilla had never crossed the man's lips.
"Wait just a bloody minute," Spike yelled. "Grantoc is a chaos demon! Even I know that!" He grabbed the passing man by his collar. "You're trying to double cross me!"
Ethan laughed wildly. "It's too late." Spike looked up and saw a huge, slimy, reptilian demon sliding toward him. Razor-sharp teeth lined a huge mouth, and it had a hungry look in its eye. Behind Spike, Amy screamed. "Next time you'll think twice before conscripting me against my will," Ethan yelled. "And for your information, even I am not strong enough with magic to raise the dead." With that last blow to Spike's most cherished hope, Ethan - who was behind the demon - scurried for the door and disappeared.
Spike looked around for a weapon and found an old pipe that must've belonged to a washing machine. He grabbed it up and began to pummel the demon right in its slimy face. The demon didn't react well to the blow, and actually swelled and glowed with rage. "Oh, bugger me!" commented William the Bloody eyeing the monster rushing towards him.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Giles pulled out another tome from the stack he had before him. He scanned the first few pages before he leaned against the library bookshelf, wiping his glasses with a small cloth. Every time he tried to concentrate; all he could see was Jenny... and how he would lose her because she wasn't alive in other reality… or in the current reality… or in the alternative reality… Never in all his life had he heard of anything like that the theory before. He looked over at Jenny, who was at the desk diving into her research. She was doing her best to avoid thinking about anything related to alternate realities, different dimensions and well just about anything. Even Giles could see that.
Mrs Calendar could feel Rupert's eyes on her. She spared a glance in his direction, and he looked away. He was currently reading a book with what Jenny had long ago learned was his Watcher's face. It was a look that hid the deep concern that Giles never let anyone knew he actually felt for his allies. It had taken Jenny many months to really see past Giles's stuffy facade. She couldn't help but go over to where he was reading. "Rupert?" she said softly.
"Yes?" The computer teacher replied as she looked up from her book.
"Are you okay?" She asked him.
"Yes, I am just doubling checking on the words and the order of some of them," he said in his ever-serious Watcher tone.
"I said are you okay?" She repeated trying again.
The man sighed setting the book away. It wasn't telling him anything he didn't already know. Truth was he was stalling for time, and he knew it. "Not in the least," he admitted. "This is an event I never could have foreseen." Jenny nodded agreeing wrapping her arms around herself. Taking a look at her and how was clearly struggling Giles made a decision. "We should just ignore it," he said forcefully causing Jenny to frown at him. "Just focus on battling the Master and Spike. Just stop this foolish pursuit!"
"But you said yourself the evidence was overwhelming," the computer teacher replied to him.
"Well, I was wrong!" Rupert swore harshly to her. "I'm just a stupid man trying to chase some silly little fantasy!" He would have said more had she not cut him off by leaning forward again, pressing her lips softly against his own. Giles felt the warmth of Jenny's lips against her own as he moved his hands around her desperately. It felt so right. They held each other until oxygen forced them to break apart. "I can't lose you," he admitted.
"But you have to," she told him. "If the girl is right then everything will change. Spike, the Master and other evils will be dead and people who should be alive will be living."
"But you will be dead," he countered almost defeated holding her tightly. "And every time I think about it, every time I look at you, I almost see it... This just isn't fair."
"Life rarely is," Jenny summed up.
Giles couldn't argue with that. Life was darkness and never easy as he had experienced so many times over. "I'm just scared," Rupert confessed.
"So am I Rupert..." Jenny responded softly. "So am I."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"End of the hall!" Kendra cried over the sounds of battle at the foot of the stairs. She sent a double fisted blow across a vampire's jaw, sending it careening into two of its brethren. A quick snap kick sent another doubling over, and she vaulted over its back to shoulder-block another. Angel leaned back, a swiping claw barely missing his throat, and retaliated by grabbing the wrist of the vampire, yanking him backwards and into another. He took a quick to see what the vampire slayer was talking about and saw a door at the end of the corridor. No doubt that is where Spike was. The problem was the mass of vampires between them and the door. The two warriors were having a hard time holding their own, let alone breaking through the vampires in their way.
Just then a man came running out of the door ducking under a few vampires to make his escape. The souled vampire gave the man a cursory glance but then looked back to see Spike come flying out of the room. The blond vampire crashed into some of his own guards. Angel and Kendra looked up to see some snarling, hulking, blood lusting hell demon come roaring out of the doorway. All the corridor's occupants from Kendra, Angel, Spike, and the guards all were frozen at the sight of such a creature before Angel finally spoke up. "Well, Dru's looking a bit the worse for her stay in hell."
"Oh, piss off you wanker!" Spike groan from the floor at his grandsire. "That bloody Ethan double crossed me. The next time I see him, I'm going to make a wreath of his intestines and hang it on my door."
"Never did think your plans through," Angel muttered to the bruised brawler as he eyed the demon that back handed a random vampire nearly taking his head clean off as it was thrown to the wall.
Kendra charged into the demon knocking it aside. She launched into a complex series of moves clearly careful studied and designed to overwhelm the demon. But sadly, the demon seemed to absorb the hits and back handed her causing her to cry out and lose momentum. It threw her backwards and she hit the stairs painfully. Several of Spike's guards rushed over her making their escape clearly deciding that Spike's employment was not worth this. Angel gripped his sword tightly as he stepped forward to the demon before him. He slashed at it's midsection but only received the demon's bad breath in his face as it roared.
"Great job genius I think you just made it mad," Spike grunted as he tried to back on his feet. As far as he was concerned, he was getting out of here and fast. Angel and the Slayer could deal with this, and he would go back and lick his wounds elsewhere.
Angel was forced back as the demon swung his claws at his head. He kept trying to hack and slash at the demon, but the sword seemed to be useless against the demon's thick skin. "I take it you aren't going to help me stop the demon you unleashed on Sunnydale?" Angel demanded as he dodged another swipe.
Spike started moving at little shakily it must be said. "Ethan released it mate, not me. Not my problem."
Angel swore under his breath as he spun around to grab Spike and shove him into the demon's path. "Sorry Spike I'm not cleaning up another one of your messes without your help!" Angel said. Spike barely had time to react before the demon attacked him stabbing him in his right thigh with one of his claws. Spike couldn't even spit out the blood before the demon tried to rip him in two as he dodged out of the way.
Kendra looked up only to see both Spike and Angel attack the demon but to little avail. Angel was punched hard in the shoulder staggering him back causing him into a wall to drop the sword. Despite his handicap, Spike lunged at the demon and the pair began trading blows before he was knocked back. Kendra got to her feet and moved into the battle.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Back at the library Jenny, Giles, Willow, and Mr Zabuto are working to summon the demon, Anyanka. There are several bags and bowls of various herbs and powders laid out on the main table. Jenny grabbed a couple of them and goes over to the desk with them, where Giles is standing next to a golden goblet already smouldering. She pulls bits of an herb from a bushel and drops them into the goblet as Giles recites the ritual to summon Anyanka with the Mr Zabuto overseeing things holding a crossbow.
"Oh... Anyanka," Giles spoke reading the text. "I-I beseech thee...," he put on his glasses to read. "Um...," he turned a page. "In the name of all women scorned come before me," he motioned to Jenny to put more herb in the goblet, and she did so causing a flash of light to almost blind them. The tiro look around the library to see where she might appear. Mr Zabuto kept the crossbow high up looking around with a keen eye while Giles motioned his girlfriend to get behind him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement in the shadows, and he turned to see the demon Anyanka as she walked into the dim light of the room. "Oh!" he let out a startled, nervous breath. Mr Zabuto moved into a better firing position poised to making a move at a second's notice.
"Do you have any idea what I do to a man who uses that spell to summon me?" Anyanka asked them unimpressed at the people in front of her.
Giles gazed at her with a look of foreboding as Anyanka slowly approaches him. "You casted a spell for this girl," Giles asked bravely standing his ground. "Willow Rosenberg."
"I had no idea her wish would be so exciting!" Anyanka commented as the familiar sensation of one of her completed spells shivered along her skin. She could always feel the effects of a spell and feel big or small a change maybe. This for such a simple spell it had such a dramatic change.
"You caused all of this!" Willow cried out. "People are dead! Buffy is dead because of you!"
"No Willow you caused all of this," Anyanka replied to the redhead coolly and cruelly. "One woman's worth! A reminder that anyone can make the slightest difference. I hope you like it. It must give you a nice warm feeling to know that the whole world falls apart because of you little plain jane."
Willow chewed her lip as she couldn't deny there was a tiny part of her that was somewhat in awe that she could make such a difference. Buffy naturally would have made such a difference and removing her from the timeline would no doubt cause the end of the world but Willow. There was a little girl inside of her that was doing a little dance about the fact that the shy geek as so many people considered her could cause such a shift in the world.
"You have change it back," Jenny told Anyanka behind Rupert. "You have to set things back." Anyanka moved ever so close, and he takes a couple of steps back pushing Jenny backwards keeping himself between the demon and Jenny.
"Not a chance," Anyanka teased the group.
"We're not afraid of you," Giles told Anyanka. "Your only power lies in the wishing." At this Mr Zabuto decided to he had heard enough and let loose a bolt aimed at Anyanka's side to wound her. However, Anyanka snatched the bolt out of the air almost effortlessly. She then made a sudden and hard grab for his neck.
Anyanka smiled. "Wrong!" She slams the crossbolt into his stomach.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kendra grunted as the large demon slammed a heavy foot into her chest, causing her to flip over sideways and crash into a parked car on the sidewalk. She coughed and groaned, spitting up some blood. She blinked away stars as she sat up, trying to gain her bearings. For a moment she couldn't seem to get her body to listen to her. This demon seemed even stronger than the last one, and a much better fighter. She was pretty sure the demon had broken a few ribs. The two vampires in front of her were not fairing much better. William the bloody was leaning more on his left leg with a nasty gash on his face while Angel was suffering was protecting his left side, keeping his arm dropped down close to his body to absorb the demon's strikes. The vampire's angelic features were also ruined with a clearly broken nose from a powerful punch. The inhumanly strong and fast monster seemed to recognize the weak spot and drove it's attack at Angel's midsection.
She got to her feet quickly, just in time to see William the vampire backhand the demon, sending him staggering back. She felt a brief wisp of hope surge through her, but it was quelled when the demon surged back, tackling the bleached blond vampire, and punching him hard across the face. Spike fell backwards with the man on top of him, thick fingers gripping Spike's neck. The vampire's neck bulged as he flexed the muscles there, and he breathed raggedly through the demon's grip. Angel growled in full vampire face grabbing the demon's head attempting to twist it but it growled managing to take a bite out of his arm. He cried out clutching his arm staggering back. It still gripped Spike's tightly as he still struggled against it. Kendra run up to the man, bracing her left foot against the ground before performing a powerful stomping kick at the back of the man's head, leveraged against the ground and with her full Slayer strength behind the hit.
The demon tumbled off of the vampire… with his head. Kendra's eyes went wide as she saw the demon holding Spike's head. The headless body on the ground blew up into ash. The demon roared at Kendra full of fangs and rage and she met it's attack desperately batted away a fist that swung at her face. She returned the compliment by delivering a roundhouse kick which only caused it to stumble. The demon grunted as it was knocked to the side by Angel. The vampire had leaped at it knocking them both on the pavement before slamming his fist repeatedly against its face.
Kendra was there in a moment's notice grabbing one of the demon's arm that it was about grab Angel with. She grabbed hold of the thick arm and twisted, pulling, and pulling until she heard a snap of broken bone. The creature howled in pain as Angel continued to punch it with all his might. On another hit, the demon snarled back at Angel, eyes white and glowing. On the second it blinked, and on the third the glow faded. The vampire hit him again and again, each time his fist echoing with a wet smacking sound.
The monster's head lolled to one side and Angel finally stopped. His fist felt heavy as he winced moving it away from the demon's head. Part of it's face was now swollen and almost crushed from where Angel had been punching it. Angel exchanged a look with Kendra who winced holding her side tightly.
All of a sudden, the demon roared again coming back to life and tossed Angel from above him. The vampire flew back landing painfully on his back. Kendra screamed at her body to catch up to her mind as she staggered to the side. She grabbed a hold of the metal bumper of the car next to her and with a furious yelled ripped it clean off the car. The demon growled wordlessly and sprang back at her, but she caught his face with the bumper, causing blood to spurt from its nose. She screamed and pressed the attack, swinging her makeshift weapon at the creature. The hell demon stumbled backwards and fell, slamming into the ground. The Slayer continued her assault slamming the metal bumper on the demon again and again beating it to a bloody pulp. She then raised it high over her head. With a heaving scream, she threw it down on his chest as hard as she could.
The creature cried out as the metal punched through its chest and it finally dropped down dead. Angel winced a little as he managed to sit himself up right looking at the demon that now had a metal bumper sticking out it's chest to Kendra. She was enraged in anger, muscles rippling as she breathed heavily ready to attack it again it the creature so much as twitched. "I think you killed it," Angel told her.
Kendra nodded but still crouched down taking a firm grip of the demon's head and snapping it breaking it's neck. "Just making sure," she told him as she got to her feet. "Now how is that for impulsive fighting?" she asked him offering him a rare smile and a hand to help him get back up.
Angel let out a soft laugh and accepted the hand.
They had live to fight another day.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Giles felt blood coming out of the wound that Anyanka made. He can hear Jenny cry out his name and rush to his side. He noticed the amulet around Anyanka's neck begin to glow green, and made a grab for it, wresting it from her neck. This causes her to let go of him, and he backhand punches her in the face, sending her staggering across the room. He tossed the amulet to Mr Zabuto with the last of his strength as he collapse to the ground as Anyanka let go of him.
"Giles!" the tearful Willow cry out rushing over to him restrained anguish along with Jenny who crouched down next to him.
Mr Zabuto threw the crossbow at Anyanka who was forced to duck out of it's way. This allowed him a moment or two as he scrambled to his desk, placing the amulet on it, and searching frantically for something to smash it with. He soon managed to a paperweight in his hand as Anyanka came before him. "You trusting fool!" she yelled at him. "How do you know the other world is any better than this?"
Jenny took Giles in her arms and holding him close while Willow put a hand on the wound trying to stop the bleeding. The Englishman couldn't even feel their warmth, but imagined it was there as he watched the exchange between the Watcher and the wish granting demon as his remaining vision began to darken from the outer edges.
"Because it has to be," Mr Zabuto replied with a grim expression on his face. He raised the paperweight and started to swing it down with full force at Anyanka's amulet.
"No!" Anyanka cried out as he swung the paperweight down.
Jenny looked into Rupert's eyes focused only on him. "I love you," she told him as Mr Zabuto brought the paperweight further down. The Watcher smashed the paperweight onto Anyanka's amulet. It shatters into thousands of pieces and emits a burst of green light.