Chapter 7

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Richard Wilkins was upset about this betrayal by Wesley and the others. He had trusted them, but the whole time they were plotting against him. Still, that weapon had been his fail safe, he still had a week to win the election and attain power by legitimate means. Wilkins campaigned relentlessly. He visited all the states, charmed average voters. His campaign ads were aired repeatedly in a media blitz. One such commercial showed immediate aftermath of terrorist attacks, and natural disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes. Richard Wilkins narrated "One political party wants to ignore the threat that terrorism poses to the American way of life. The other party refuses to accept the fact that climate change threatens us all. We need a change, an independent who will face the hard realities of both and fight the challenges that they present. One who will truly fight for all Americans. I'm Richard Wilkins and I approve this message." Wilkins was able to appeal to people's fears of both terrorism and global warming. But he did it in a folksy way, one that made him seem somewhat harmless. He talked about old fashioned values, but also denounced racism and bigotry. His origin was somewhat shrouded in mystery. When asked about his age he joked "The constitution allows a person to run for president if they were born in America, or if they were born in the colonies and living here when the constitution was written. I fall into the second category." Most assumed he was joking. Wilkins sometimes talked about his wife Edna Mae, who was now deceased, but noone was exactly sure when she died. His daughter Faith was adopted. Buffy and her Scooby gang dealt with relatively minor threats in Sunnydale. Lyle Gorch returned, seeking revenge for the death of his brother and wife. It seemed that in this new timeline Buffy had killed his wife Candy, then killed his brother Tector. In whatever order, Buffy was finally able to dust Lyle Gorch for good. Then there was the time when Xander and Willow somehow switched bodies briefly. Willow denied having done any spell, but she was able to reverse it. Buffy suspected that Wilkins was just trying to keep them all distracted. Buffy wasn't entirely sure why he was bothering with that, it wasn't like she knew how to rig an election. In the end it didn't seem to matter. On November 2nd 2004 Richard Wilkins was elected president with 342 electoral votes.

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A few days after the election Buffy and Giles were in the highschool library. Buffy had to admit, she missed this place, glad it had survived. Angel and Spike were also here, discussing what could now be done about president Wilkins. And to their shock Wilkins just walked in, along with Faith.

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Wilkins: Hello everyone.

Giles: What are you doing here?

Wilkins: Touring local schools, I think it's important to stay in touch with real Americans. Now, Ms Summers, I realize you didn't vote for me. But nonetheless I won in a free and fair election. So, for the next four or eight years, I will be president of your country.

Buffy: And what then? What will you do when you have to leave office and give up this power?

Wilkins: We will see. But in the meantime I hope we can all work together.

Angel: I tried working with evil, it didn't work out.

Wilkins: Yes I heard about your little arrangement with Wolfram and Hart. But right now we have common interests, and common enemies.

Buffy: What are you talking about?

Wilkins: Well Angel, you are correct in your opinion that I want power, the power to rule the world even. But, in order to do that, I need for the world not to be destroyed. I assume that none of you want the world to be destroyed.

Buffy: Who wants the world to be destroyed?

Wilkins: The Master, Glory, various doomsday cults. From what I understand your wish kept these people from succeeding, but sadly they were not destroyed, and they are still determined to see the end of all life. So, unless any of you want to see a genuine Apocalypse, I suggest we work together. In two months I will be sworn in as the 44th president of the United States. Take this time to consider an alliance. Oh, and remember to recycle. Not much point in stopping the doomsday cults only to destroy ourselves with global warming.