Author's Notes: This idea has been living rent-free in my head for years. Having this be an exciting combination of Degrassi and Buffy the Vampire Slayer would be fun. However, I thought the only way this could work was not to have it be a character become a slayer or something like that. Not a bad idea but it's been done to death. I thought of something different. What if the reformed rogue vampire slayer Faith was related to a certain Degrassi bad boy? How would that work? The answer: with enough time manipulation, it might work. For logistic's sake, the beginning of the story takes place near the bottom half of Season Four of Degrassi and a few months after the end of Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended.

It could change a bit of Faith's arc but not much because she's still Faith and a damaged young woman. By how much will things change? You'll have to see to find out. The title is a reference to the canon then non-canon middle name Sean had for a while "Hope".

Disclaimer: I own absolutely none of the copyright creations, I'm just having fun with them.

That being said, welcome to Faith & Hope.

Wasaga Beach, 2004

Sean Cameron is working on a car in front of his parents' trailer. It had been three months since he decided to stay with his parents after the shooting. Since he chose to run away from what he had done to Rick. He understands that it was in self-defense but Rick was still dead.

As he finishes tightening a socket, Sean hears footsteps walking up behind him. "My dad's not here right now. Whatever you need, come back later."

"I'm not looking for your dad, kid." A female voice called to him.

Sean's eyebrow raises a bit at the sound of the voice. It was gruff but sounded familiar. He looks up then turns his head and sees a woman about 21 years old with long dark hair and smoldering brown eyes. She wore a denim jacket, a sleeveless red top, black slacks, and combat boots. What caught his eye was a necklace around her neck with a clear blue crystal attached to it.

"I'm sorry. Do I know you?" Sean asked the woman, staring at her.

The stranger smiles and walks a bit closer. "Your parents haven't told you, did they?"

"What-" The revelation hit Sean like a brick to the chest. He realizes who this woman is. "Faith?"

"In the flesh, kid," Faith said with a warm smile.

Sean walks closer to her and gets a good look at her. "Last time I saw you-"

"You were ten and barely at my shoulders," Faith said as she got a good look at Sean. "Puberty didn't hold back, did it?"

"Pretty sure you aren't supposed to say that to your brother," Sean replied which caught Faith off. "They told me a month ago."

Faith sighs and looks at him. "Think there's a place we can go to talk?"

Sean looks around and nods. "My parents are out. Dad's at work and mom went to the store."

"Guess we have some time to play catch up," Faith said as Sean escorted her inside the Cameron residence.

Unbeknownst to them, a figure watches the two from a distance.

Sean closes the door after Faith walks inside. "You want a drink?"

"Nothing alcoholic. I got to stay sober for what I have to say." Faith said as she looked around at the mess around the trailer. A familiar mess.

"Why I had a half-sister and no one bothered to tell me? Doesn't seem that difficult to explain." Sean said as he handed her a can of soda while holding one for himself.

"Well, you must've figured it out by now." Faith pops the can. "Your mom was really friendly with my dad, remember?"

"My mom hasn't spoken to him in years. At least that's what she tells me." Sean said as he sat on the couch. "I found my birth certificate in the garage. I was helping Dad clean it out and I saw who my dad is."

"And that I wasn't your cousin?" She said as sat next to him on the couch.

Sean nods as he sips his soda. "Yup."

"Wish you hadn't found out that way. I can't imagine what you're going through." Faith stated as she sat next to him on the couch.

"I've already been through a lot back in Toronto." Sean told her and, after a long pause, he stated "I killed someone."

Faith swallows hard, the revelation throwing her for a loop. "What happened?"

"There was a shooting at my school and me and two of my friends ran into the gunman. He was a student who was getting bullied badly." Sean explained. "He was going to shoot my friend and I wrestled him for the gun. One thing lead to another and-"

"It was an accident," Faith said, harsh memories being brought to the surface.

"Yeah… it was." Sean stares at his newly discovered half-sister. "You okay?"

Faith sighs and nods. "I think there's something I need to tell you."

"About what? Are you gonna tell me something that's gonna shatter how I view the world? Because I like the world how it is, thank you." Sean said.

"Well, buckle up, kid, because there's so much you don't know," Faith told him which made him look at her with a puzzled look on his face. "I'm-"

All of a sudden, Nona Cameron walks through the door with a bag of groceries in her hands. "Sean, you mind giving me a hand with-" She looks at Faith with an expression of bewilderment. "What did I say about inviting people over, Sean?"

"Mom, this is-"

"Hope." Faith finished which caught Sean off guard. "Hope Lyonne. I'm from out of town and my cell died. Your son is letting me use the phone."

"You in some kind of trouble, Ms. Lyonne?" Nona asked as she set down the groceries on the kitchen table.

"Just trying to get a hold of a friend. She's staying at the Sanddollar Motel and I want to let her know I'm okay." Faith told Nona as Sean continued to stare at Faith in shock.

"Well, that place is a few blocks away. All you have to do is head north from here." Nona instructed 'Hope'.

"Thanks but I'm not from around here. It's kinda why I got lost. Think your boy can show me the way, I would appreciate it." Faith said as she turned to Sean.

"That's up to him. I don't mind though." Nona said.

Sean stands there dumbfounded until he speaks. "Sure, I can show F- Hope back to the Motel."

"Just be back before it gets too dark. Been a few people going missing on the beach at night." Nona warns him. "Ever since that town in California became a sinkhole, the world's gone nuts."

"I promise to make it home before then, Mom," Sean assured his mother.

"I'll make sure he does," Faith tells her as the two of them walk out the door.

Nona smiles as she continues to put away the groceries.

Sean and Faith walk down the street heading towards the Sanddollar Motel. Sean continues to stare at Faith in surprise which Faith notices. "Got something on your mind, kid?" She asked.

"You tell me, 'Hope'?" Sean said, emphasizing the alias. "Why did you give my mom a fake name? It's only been eight years since we last saw you. You haven't changed THAT much."

"She wouldn't have recognized me anyway." Faith points out at the crystal on her necklace. "This thing's enchanted so no one but you will recognize me. I'm trying to keep a low profile."

"Who gave that to you? A witch?" Sean asked as they continued walking.

"You hit the nail on the head, kid." Faith points out. "Woman is a wicked strong witch."

"Wait, witches are real?" He asked. "Magic is real?"

"Oh, magick is very real. Among other things." Faith said to Sean. "We can talk about this when we go to my room. My friend is waiting for me and she can help me explain what we can."

The two of them reach a rustic-looking motel with two floors and a few cars parked in the parking lot. Faith leads Sean into a second-story room number 303. She knocks on the door. "It's me, open up."

The door opens and a familiar face opens the door: Willow Rosenberg. She was in a pale green Bohemian-style hippie dress and her red hair was pulled back. "You took care of what-" Willow looks over at Sean and then at Faith. "That answers my question."

"Sorry, Will. I tried to talk to him but his mom came home early." Faith explained.

"And why are you guys acting like I'm not here?" Sean said, trying to put things together.

"Sorry. You must be Sean." Willow said as Faith let them inside and closed the door behind them.

"Yeah. That's me." Sean asked.

"Willow, this is my half-brother Sean Cameron." Faith began with the introductions. "Sean, this is my friend Willow Rosenberg."

Willow extends her right arm for a handshake. "Nice to meet you, Sean."

Sean stares at the pretty red-haired young woman with mild skepticism until he accepts her handshake. "So… you're the witch Faith told me about?"

Willow looked at Faith who was removing her jacket. "You didn't tell him?"

"I tried but his mom was there. I couldn't spill any details with her there." Faith said.

"Well, it might make this easier if you told him before you brought him here." Willow insisted.

"Could you two stop acting like I'm not here!" Sean said, his patience was at its limit. "Look, if you joined some kind of cult or whatever, that's your choice. Well, I still don't know how you did the whole magic crystal thing-"

"It's not a cult. Trust me." Willow told him.

"And that's exactly what a person in a cult would say." Sean points out, crossing his arms over his chest. "Faith, I'm happy you came to see me but, unless you give me some clear answers, I have to bail."

Faith looks over at Willow who lets out a sigh and snaps her fingers which makes the door to the motel room vanish before Sean can open the door. Sean touches the wall where the door once was and finds there is no way out. "You can't leave, not until you hear out what we have to tell you."

"How did that- Where did the door go?" Sean asked, still looking at the wall where do once was.

"I sent it to a different dimension… temporarily of course. I'll put it back once Faith can explain things." Willow explained in a matter-of-fact tone.

Sean looks back at Faith and sighs. "Guess you have my attention."

Back at the Cameron residence, Nona was finishing up dinner when there was a loud knock at the door. A knocking so loud it made Nona jump. She turned to face the entrance and saw the silhouette in the door didn't look like Sean. The figure was taller with wavy hair.

Nona walked closer to the door and heard a voice call out to her. "Door's open. Give me a second-"

"Open the door. I know you're in there."

The voice had a singsong cadence to it. Playful. Sinister.

"Please let me in. I just want to talk."

A cat playing with its food.

The figure pounded on the door again. Louder. Shaking the walls of the trailer.

Nona's blood ran cold, she recognized the voice. She knew who the monster was huffing and puffing at the door.

She ran into her and her husband's room in a mad dash. She was looking for something as the pounding grew louder. She opened a dresser drawer and breathed a sigh of relief as she grabbed what she was looking for: a crucifix.

Suddenly, a loud crash is heard from the living room. Whoever was knocking at the door was now inside.

"Where is he?"

Nona winced as she held the cross up, ready to face the beast in her home.

"Just tell me where he is."

"I won't let you come near him!" Nona yelled as she pushed the door closed.

However, before she could close the door fully, a clawed hand forced it open which knocked Nona backward off her feet. She tried to get up then remembered the cross and searched for it.

When she found it, the figure kicked her in the face.

Sean sat at the edge of the bed, lost in his thoughts. He blinks as he stares at Willow and Faith who are standing in front of him. "So, vampires and demons are real?"

"Yep," Willow said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible.

"And… you're a Slayer who fights them, right?" Sean asked, pointing at Faith.

Faith nods, trying her best not to scare him.

"But they do have help. We humans help out too." Willow informs him. "Whether it's with magic or with research on certain baddies."

"Wait, Slayers aren't human?" Sean asked.

"Technically they are. They're just infused with mystical energy from an ancient demon." Willow explained to the best of her ability. "There used to be only one in a generation… until… well-"

"Until an uber-powerful witch used an ancient weapon to give the Slayer powers to everyone who might be a Slayer," Faith replied, hyping up Willow without saying her name, making Willow blush.

"But I take that you guys came here because you wanted to tell me more than just what the world really works." Sean realized. "Let's be honest, I could've lived my entire life without this info… unless there's something else I need to know."

Faith and Willow exchange looks of surprise and worry. Faith just shrugs and says, "Told you the kid isn't as dumb as he looks."

Sean glares at Faith and asks, "Tell me why you guys are here.

Willow exhales and nods, "There's someone who is trying to find you. Someone who wants to see you."

"Who is it, exactly?" Sean asked.

Willow looks over at Faith who is hesitant to tell Sean who is after him. "You need to tell him."

Faith nods as she stares at Sean in the eyes, "Your dad… your real dad."

Sean's eyes widen in shock. His real dad?

At the Cameron residence, Nona was slowly coming to after the blow she took. She blinks and starts to get her vision back to normal until someone grabs her roughly by the chin.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it Nona?"

Nona looked up at who was grabbing her when she saw a man who looked to be in his early forties sporting long light brown hair that was styled in a mullet. He wore a denim jacket and snake-skin cowboy boots. "Ben?"

The man smiles at her, a devilish and sinister smile. "I haven't been called that in a long time. People call me Balor these days… well, those who still have their tongues, anyway."

"What- what do you want? I don't have anything you want." Nona said, her voice shaking in fear.

"That's where you're wrong, sweetness… You know where my son is." He said as he placed a hand on her lower belly. "The seed I put in your drunken womb. To hold for me until I needed him."

"He is my son, not yours!" Nona managed to scream out until the man snapped his finger and made her mouth disappear.

"Tsk tsk, Petal," Balor said in a sickeningly sweet tone. "That wasn't very nice. And you are very incorrect. The boy is mine. You were just the... Incubator. The… filth where my seed can grow."

Tears flow down Nona's cheeks as she tries to comprehend what was happening to her.

Balor strokes her face to wipe away her tears then snaps his fingers to return her mouth. "Now, I'm going to ask again… where is my son, Nona?"

"He- he's of no use to you." Nona whimpers. "He- he's got no magic."

"Oh that's where you're wrong, Petal," Balor said. "He's half of me but that boy can have the potential to have the power to wipe out an entire branch of the multiverse… with the right teacher of course."

"He's not a weapon… he's just a boy. A boy who's-"

"Let me guess, has lots of rage bubbling inside him? Reckless? Anti-social? Sounds like he's a chip off the old block… then again he does sound like that meat puppet I used to plant the seed… Pat, was his name, yes?"

"Faith's father?" Nona asked.

"Yes… that little firecracker… shame she sided with her and those ignots. She could have been quite an asset." Balor stated.

"Don't hurt her-"

"Oh please, she's done more damage to herself than I ever could. Well, not for a lack of trying, mind you." Balor stated. "Been moving those pieces since my boy crawled from your filth. And he even spilled his first blood." He places a hand over his heart. "Warms the old heart."

"He's not a monster!" Nona shouted. "He didn't mean to kill that boy."

"And yet I can still smell the blood on him… I can find him with no problem just by the smell alone.." He stares into her eyes with a malevolent grin. "I just wanted to see if you would tell me where he is on your own… disappointing."

Nona tries to scream but he snaps his fingers to make her mouth disappear again.

"I'm not going to kill you… sweetness." Balor touches her face. "Death is… too easy… too final… but if he doesn't come home soon… I'll make him watch…"

Nona tears up again, terrified of what was going to happen next.

Back at the Sanddollar Motel, Sean was still sitting on the bed after what seemed to be a long explanation from his sister and the red-haired witch. "Let me see if I got this right, my real father is an extra-dimensional demonic wizard who used Faith's dad to impregnate my mom?"

Faith and Willow nod simultaneously.

"So, what does he want with me? I'm not an expert on demons, wizards, or demon wizards but he's probably not looking for a family reunion." Sean points out.

"From what my source told me, he is not exactly a wizard. He's an immortal demon sorcerer who is trying to absorb the magical energy in your body," Willow explained. "They didn't say why but-"

"Magical energy?" Sean asked in confusion. "I don't have any magic."

"Well, technically all beings can channel magic but few know how to use it," Willow answered. "Your dad needs the raw untapped magical energy for some kind of ritual and we-"

"We need to get you somewhere safe so he can't get to you." Faith finished the sentence.

"If he's so dangerous, couldn't he just find me whenever he wanted or know exactly where I am?" Sean asked.

"Depending on the magicks he's using, he can," Willow told him. "But I have a plan."

"And what is that plan, Red? You haven't gone into the details since you warped me here." Faith asked.

"She didn't tell you?" Sean asked in a frustrated tone. "What's gonna stop him from finding me right now?"

"The boy does raise a good point?"

The three of them are frozen in fear as they turn to face where the voice came from and find Balor standing in the room, standing where the front door once stood.

Faith reached for a knife strapped to her left hip but Balor flicked his wrist and sent Faith flying across the room before she could act.

"I see Richard never taught you any manners, did he?" Balor said to the downed slayer.

Faith glares at him as she tries to stand up but is forced back down by the sorcerer.

"Relax, I only came to talk," Balor assured the people in the room.

"How do we know that? From what I'm told, your reputation doesn't speak highly of your character." Willow said, her hands up to cast a spell.

"People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, Ms. Rosenberg," Balor said, wagging his finger. "The blood of the Mears boy is still on those pretty fingertips of yours."

Willow scowls at him as her eyes flash a bit darkly until Sean walks closer.

Sean stares at the man who was his father and tries to get a grasp on who this 'man' is. "So… you're my dad… I expected you to be taller."

"This isn't my true form, kid. It's why I needed the meat puppet your sister calls a father." Balor said with Faith's icy glare. "But as I said, I am only here to talk."

"So talk… I'm willing to listen." Sean told his father.

Balor scoffs and looks at Faith, "See, despite how he was raised, the boy knows his place."

"I said I'd listen, never said I'd agree to whatever it is you had to say," Sean said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well… I spoke a bit too soon." Balor replied, a smile radiating malice. "I'll cut to the chase. I'm looking for you because I need your help."

"Really, because they told me you wanted to absorb whatever 'magical' energy you people claim to think I have because if I had magic, frankly my life would be a hell of a lot less complicated," Sean said spitefully.

"Oh just because you never used it doesn't mean it's not there," Balor assured him. "It takes time to practice the kind of magicks you possess, son."

Sean scowls at Balor, "Don't call me that."

Balor gets in his face, "You cannot deny who you are. It's denying breathing. Besides, you say you have no magic but answer me this: how did you survive that bullet?"

Faith and Willow exchange surprised looks as Sean's face morphs into an expression of abject shock, "I moved the gun away from me towards Rick. It didn't mean to but… I didn't want to die."

"Yes… but do you remember even touching the gun?" Balor said, helping Sean put it together himself.

"No… I felt the steel from the barrel. It was aimed at my chest." Sean said, trying to convince himself rather than his father. "I know I did…"

Sean had a flash of a memory of when he jumped on Rick to wrestle him for the gun, he was struggling with the barrel of the weapon… until a swift and unseen force pushed the gun toward Rick's body and the gun fired. The gunshots snapped him back to reality.

"All happened so fast, didn't it?" Balor replied as he looked at Faith. "Remind you of anything?"

Faith's glare became more ferocious as she got back to her feet and slowly walked over to Willow.

Balor focuses back on his son and smiles, "You saved yourself after nearly dying for two people who couldn't care less about your existence… that self-preservation always saves us from that type of heroics … we aren't heroes, Sean… we're survivors."

Sean tried to come to terms with all that was happening as Balor placed a seemingly fatherly hand on his shoulder. "It's… it can't be. I'm not a monster."

"Oh, monster is just a label, kid. The kinds that do-gooders like them place on those who can't see the forest for the trees." Balor reminds his son.

Sean shakes himself out of his stupor to scowl at his father and pull away from Balor. "I may have done a lot of bad stuff… and I'm probably going to do much worse later… but I am NOTHING like you."

Balor shakes his head, "You sound exactly like me… right before my mother disowned me because I smelled of the stench of humanity… Well, it didn't save her from being murdered by her rivals after she banished me from her holy court, did it?"

"Your… mother?" Sean asked.

Balor chuckles at Sean's further confusion, "Did you think I simply sprouted from the primordial ooze? I was birthed by the self-proclaimed God-King of the Primordium… Well… birthed is a strong term, it's all rather bizarre for mortal ears."

"What do you want from me? To kill me?" Sean asked, trying to regain his toughness back after being worn down a bit by his father.

Balor laughs at this, "Oh if I wanted you dead, I wouldn't have entertained this conversation, Sean. You'd be a greasy puddle of goo on my boots and I hate getting these bad boys covered in that kind of nasty business." He looks at Willow and Faith, "And frankly, you two would've joined him."

Faith glares at Balor and Willow's eyes flash a bit of darkness for a brief moment.

"I came here because I need your help," Balor told Sean. "Technically, for all intents and purposes, I do need your magical energy… but not to absorb it. I need it to help me with a ritual."

"What kind of ritual?" Sean asked, entertaining this idea.

"To open a gate… A portal in time." Balor vaguely explained.

"A portal?" Sean asked in surprise.

"Yes. I need to open a portal to a different plane. This realm has become rather… unsafe for someone like me. Thanks to Ms. Rosenberg and her friends."

"Why would an immortal being be afraid of a couple of Slayers?" Faith said in a teasing manner.

"Oh, I could handle a couple of Slayers. An army of them? That's a battle I refuse to sully my hands in fighting." Balor scoffs. "I want out of this dimension and Sean is my ticket out."

"And what happens to this dimension if you do get out? I speak from experience when I say that when one of you immortal types wants to open portals, it doesn't exactly end well." Willow replied, remembering Glory's 'Big Day'. The Day that cost Buffy her life.

Balor smiles at this, "The Folly of Glorificus is not lost on but where she went wrong was she used a much more unstable method of getting out of this dimension. The only upside was the second death of that nuisance, Buffy Summers. For however long that was, anyway."

"And what happens after?" Sean interrupted the tense scene. "You leave this dimension, what happens to me?"

"With my help, you stand a small percentage of survival. You do have a chance of making it out of this unscathed." Balor informed him.

"How much are we talking?" Faith asked, all but done with his crap.

"That information is on a need-to-know basis. But he can trust he stands a chance of making it out in one piece." Balor replied.

"And what if I don't help you?" Sean asked.

Balor grins as snaps his fingers and Nona Cameron appears in the room except she is bound in chains and trying to scream without a mouth.

The image startled Willow and Faith as it horrifies Sean when Balor snaps his fingers and Nona disappears.

"Don't worry, she's not dead. I'm just keeping her until you do as you're told, " Balor tells him.

"Keeping her where?" Sean asked, an uncharacteristically voice trembling in fear.

"Ohhh… you ask too many questions." Balor chided as the sound of an ambulance was heard in the distance. "I'll be in touch… Toodle-oo."

In the blink of an eye, the demonic sorcerer was gone.

Sean goes to where the door is and bangs on the wall where the door should be frantically. "Door… WHERE'S DOOR?!" He screamed in desperation.

"Will, the door!" Faith halfway ordered the witch.

Willow nods and waves her hands to cause the door to reappear.

Without a second thought, Sean opens the door and makes a mad sprint home.

"Go after him," Willow commanded Faith. Faith glances at Willow with a look of concern. "I'll be fine. Go."

Faith nods and rushes after her brother, using her Slayer speed to catch up to him.

Sean ran and kept running until his feet were on the verge of giving out. He still did not give up and continued his journey home. However, he is stopped by a protruding stone on the ground that causes him to trip and fall flat on his face.

As he lay there in agony, Sean tried his best to get to his feet when Faith reached where he had fallen. He gritted his teeth and managed to get up as Faith checked on him.

"You okay, kid?" Faith asked. "Are you hurt?"

"Who cares about me?" Sean said, limping his way home.

Faith watches as the young man goes to try to make his way home and she slowly follows behind him.

Sean made it home to find an ambulance parked out front with its lights flashing. He hobbles towards the trailer but is stopped by a police officer.

"Oh, easy there. This is a crime scene." The officer told him.

"I live here. Is everything okay?" Sean asked through the pain.

"Sean!"

Sean looked up and saw his father standing near the ambulance as a gurney loaded his seemingly unconscious mother into the back.

His father, Joe, walks over to Sean and he doesn't look happy to see him. "Where the hell were you?" He asked angrily.

"I- I was at the store." Sean lied, he knew he couldn't tell him the truth. "Mom said she needed eggs but forgot my wallet. What happened?"

"I don't know! I came home, found the front door unlocked and your mom passed out on the floor!" Joe screamed at Sean.

"Sir, I'm gonna need you to calm down." The officer ordered.

Joe growled and begrudgingly got into the back of the ambulance to tend to his wife and accompany her to the hospital.

Sean remained in there, a mixture of shock and pain on his face.

"Son, I'm going to ask you some questions. Are you okay with that?" The officer asked.

Sean nods quickly.

As the police officer questioned the distraught young man, Faith hung back with the rest of the onlookers at the trailer park. She didn't want to draw attention to herself. She flinches as she hears a voice in her head.

"Is he okay?" Willow's voice is telepathically in her head.

Faith sighed and remembered to respond to her back with her thoughts so no one would think she was crazy. "It's bad, Red. Really bad."

A few hours later after the trailer park quieted down and the police had left. Sean sat inside his parents' house. He was drinking a can of pop to ease his nerves but also to ice his injured knee.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Sean slowly got up from the couch, wondering whether it was his father… or his father.

Sean grabs a broom from the corner of the room to use as a weapon and quickly opens the door only to find Faith and Willow standing at the door. He dropped the broom on the floor and relaxed his shoulders. "What took you?"

"Sorry, but a certain brunette is trying to avoid the long arm of the law," Willow told him as he let the two women inside.

"I'm completely justified. I did break out of maximum security prison." Faith said then quickly changed the subject. "Have you heard anything?"

"Just what the cops told me. My dad found my mom unconscious on the floor. She looked… normal. Still had a mouth too," Sean said, that frightening visage burned into his brain.

"If she's unconscious but she's alive, that means your demon dad just has her mind or soul held hostage," Willow explained. "There's still hope we can save her-"

"By what? Giving myself up to that prick? I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer but I'm smart enough to know that as soon as I do, I'm as good as dead."

"Which is why that's not what we're going to do," Faith reassured her brother. She then turns to Willow. "You said you had a plan, right?"

Willow nods, "It's gonna take a lot of temporal and inter-dimensional energy but I do have a plan"

"Interdimensional what?" Sean exclaimed.

"Temporal? As in time traveling?" Faith asked, which got a surprised expression from Willow. "What? I saw Back to the Future."

"I'm still confused, you're gonna send me back in time to keep me away from him?" Sean asked.

"Technically… yes," Willow said with an embarrassed shrug. "Before either of you start shouting, let me explain. I have a… friend who showed me how to do this spell where I can send a person's soul into the body of the same person from another dimension. Another timeline."

"So you think that'll work?" Faith asked.

"It's a bit… experimental but it's our only choice," Willow said.

"And why does it require time travel? Can't you just send me there in the here and now?" Sean asked.

"We can but sending you back to a different point in time will let you develop the magical energy into actual magic," Willow explained. "Teach you how to use those powers so you can-"

"Kick his ass?" Sean asked, an eager smile on his face.

"Or at least buy you some time. Give you a fighting chance." Willow told him.

"Okay, I get it. It's insane but I get it." Faith said. "But do you have a specific point in time to send him?"

"That's where I'm gonna need your help, Faith," Willow replied. "Had you ever come in contact with Sean before you came to Sunnydale? Like your early days as a Slayer?"

Faith's eyes widen as she remembers a decision she almost made but chose not to. "Uh… yeah. There was."

"Wait, this is the first time I've seen you in years," Sean stated.

"Technically not for me," Faith told Sean. "After my Watcher was killed, I crossed the border into Canada to lose the guy who killed her and-"

"Wait, hold on," Sean said, stopping his sister. "Before you continue… What's a Watcher?"

"Oh, they're like mentors for Slayers. They trained and looked after her as their Slayer… well, slayed." Willow said in layman's terms. "It's more complicated than that but we don't have time for that seminar."

"Umm… okay," Sean said, still a bit confused, as he looked at Faith. "Go ahead. I'm listening."

Faith nods, "Well, I crossed the border into Canada and had the idea of hiding out with your family until the heat died down. I changed my mind because I realized if he could kill my Watcher, he'd have no problems killing members of my family. So I left and high-tailed it to Sunnydale."

"Wait, I think I remember. I thought I saw you watching me outside of school. I told my mom but she didn't believe me… I was right…" Sean realized.

"You were… but that's not why I'm telling this story." Faith said to her brother then she looked at Willow, "Think there's a timeline where I didn't leave?"

"There might be… but it's probably gonna be a timeline where his parents died and he has to go on the run with you," Willow told Faith.

"Wait, my parents have to do what?" Sean asked in horror.

"That's how alternate timelines work." Willow said, "You know what the butterfly effect is, right?"

"I don't give a shit about butterflies!" Sean shouted in a panic. "I care about being sent to a place where my parents are dead."

"We need to have you in a position where you can have more time to discover your magic," Willow explained. "I wish it wasn't like that but we are out of options… otherwise-"

Sean sighs, "He's gonna kill me."

Faith hangs her head in shame then nods, "Yeah."

Sean sighed, he knew there was no other way. He needed to save his mom and he needed to stop his demonic father. He looks at Faith and Willow. "What do I have to do?"

Faith nods at Willow. "This is your show, Red."

Willow exhales, "Well, for starters, we're gonna need somewhere a bit more… cozy."

Willow snaps her fingers and the three of them end up inside a cave. The room was adorned with ancient runes on the wall and a large ritual circle in the middle of the room.

Faith and Sean get their bearings and look around where they are. "Well… cozy isn't exactly what I would call this place but it's private."

"What is this place?" Sean asked as he looked around the cave.

"It's my home away from home… well if I had a permanent home that is," Willow said nervously. "I set up the ritual in case you were open to this idea."

"How long is this… ritual gonna take?" Sean asked. "My non-biological dad is gonna wonder where I went."

"Well, time is gonna move a little wonky for you. What's going to feel like years for you, will only take seconds here and out there." Willow told Sean. "But what my friend told me, you won't be alone."

"What do you mean?" Faith asked.

"The temporal energies I'm borrowing didn't come from my normal sources of magic. A lot of beings who wield powerful light magic want Balor gone so they're more than willing to help." Willow told them. "I think I got in their good graces after I gave all the potential Slayers their full powers."

"At least they're helping, I guess," Faith said with a shrug.

Sean stares at the ritual circle with a determined look on his face, "So… how do I do this? Do I sit in the circle and chant 'Kumbaya'?"

"It's a bit simpler than that. It's a big enough circle to lie down. The runes will do the rest." Willow explained.

"You sure you're ready?" Faith asked.

Sean exhales, "Nope… but I'll do it because I have to."

Sean steps into the ritual circle and lies down in the center of the circle. He blinks and looks at Faith and Willow.

"Breathe deep and let the energy flow into you," Willow said softly as the runes glowed in white and light blue energy and she began to chant. "Lucis vires, audi preces meas. Praesta huic puero praesidium tuum ut iter minus iter facias. Ducet per calles suos, ut tollat tenebras spa- tium."

Sean closes his eyes as Willow repeats the chant. He feels his mind drifting until the chanting fades. He opens his eyes and finds himself in a wooded area in the middle of nowhere. No ritual circle and, even more worrying, Faith and Willow were nowhere in sight.

Sean sprang to his feet and looked around for any sign of life. His voice echoing in the vast area, "Hello?... Faith? Willow?... Anybody?"

Suddenly, he hears a twig snap a few feet away from him. Sean looks up and finds a buck standing in front of him. "Okay… so I found Bambi's dad… yeah, this makes sense."

The buck slowly starts to walk deep into the woods, seeming to want Sean to follow him.

Sean sighed and started to follow the buck into the woods for miles until the buck led the young man into a clearing that had a small glowing pool in the center.

The buck motions downward at the pool as Sean stares down at the reflection in the water. Instead of a reflection of the buck, he sees an older version of himself with long wavy hair that reaches his shoulders, a long black coat, and a scar over his left eye standing next to his reflection.

Sean blinks and looks up at the buck only for it to have vanished from sight. He was alone facing this glowing pool. What had he just seen?

"Well… guess I'm going for a swim." He said as he stepped into the pool. He noticed the pool wasn't very deep but just enough for him to not drown.

Sean sits down in the water and lies back in the glowing water. Only his face was visible in the water. He looks around, breathes deep and a bright light flashes in front of his face.

A light so bright it forced him to shut his eyes…

The bright light faded and Sean tried to catch his breath. He realized that he was underneath a blanket in an unfamiliar bed. He groans in pain but his voice sounds slightly higher in pitch. Almost prepubescent.

Sean pulls the blanket off of himself and looks around the room and sees he is in a room in the Sanddollar Motel only it wasn't as rundown as it was when he saw it earlier. He then looked at his hands, they were slightly smaller. Like a younger child.

"What the hell?" Sean asked, but he noticed how different his voice sounded.

Sean rushes into the bathroom of the room and looks in the mirror. He sees he is still himself. However, he was ten years old.

Wasaga Beach, 1998

Sean had short reddish brown hair and clothes a grade school student would wear. What had remained from before was a bloody bite mark from a vampire that bit him. And the blood was fresh. He was stuttering and trying to recover from the shock of everything that had happened.

Sean managed to get something out of his mouth but it was mostly a loud scream.

That was a bit long but I wanted to set up the story the best I could. I hope I did a good job.

Also, I want to warn you all ahead of time, that there might be some bits in this story going forward where Sean starts to become a tiny bit of a Gary Stu. I assure you, I have a plan and it isn't to make him perfect. I just wanted to play with this story idea and I hope you like it.

Please let me know what you guys think and I hope to see y'all soon.