A/N Okay, so this is sort of a cross with one of my existing aus, one of the fun ones. I say sort of because only one character from it will actually show up, but she'll recognize the people who come looking for Dawn. 😜
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"How exactly do you get her back?" Faith asked.
"I can see her portal and reopen it." Xander explained. "Unfortunately, other realities don't stay still and Dawn's portals are unstable, so we don't come out where she did, which means we have to track her once we're on the other side."
"Xander explained it's like using a whip." Cordelia explained as she headed toward the bathroom to get cleaned up and changed. "The handle is the opening to the portal and barely moves compared to the tip, which can move several feet, depending on the length of the whip. We've ended up the equivalent of several hours drive away from where Dawn ends up, but Xander can portal within the same reality, something Dawn hasn't been able to do yet. I'll be ready in a few minutes, Doofus." Cordelia shut the door behind her
"You going with, B?" Faith asked Buffy.
"No, Xander won't let me." She glared slightly at him. "Says I act like a chicken with my head cut off when I think Dawn might be in danger and lose half my IQ points."
"You do." He shrugged. "And it's distracting and we don't have time for it, she's encountered demons more then once when portaling and we need to be alert and not distracted by you."
"I know, I know."
"Can I come with? Maybe see another me?" Faith asked.
Xander hesitated a moment and made a split second decision, he needed to know how she handled a crisis anyway. "Sure, there's a hall bathroom upstairs, you can get cleaned up there."
"Be back before Queenie, I'm sure." She grinned and headed upstairs. Xander took the time to fortify himself with some snacks, we have mentioned how superpowers make them burn through calories, right? Both girls returned within fifteen minutes, possibly a record for Cordelia, who had Dragonfang back on her necklace and Faith strapped Warpath's knives in their sheaths to her belt and watched curiously as Xander held up his hand with the sling ring on it and her eyes widened as he drew the energy in a circle, creating the portal, on the other side of which appeared the side of a building. The three stepped through, alert for trouble. They looked around curiously.
"An alleyway, but not a city alleyway." Faith observed. "Too clean and no dumpster at the end of it."
"I'm not feeling the Hellmouth." Xander offered. "We didn't land in Sunnydale or it's shut down here too."
"Okay, so we need a map to do a locator spell to track our girl down." Cordelia moved toward the end of the alleyway. "Best bet is a convenience store, so let's find one. Clock's ticking."
"How do you know you need to do a locator spell?" Faith asked, following them.
"Because Dawn's necklace has a homing beacon in it, but it has a limited range." Xander answered. "If she was in range, my ring would be signaling."
"You've got a lot of bases covered."
"Trial and error and a year of Dawn working on control." Xander answered, looking around the area they found at the end of the alleyway. "I'm thinking small town." He looked up at the sky. "About noon."
"There's a restaurant over there." Faith pointed down the street at a sign that said Weathervane. "Weird name for it." Looking through the window they could see a teen, about fifteen, sitting in a booth. She had two long braids in her black hair. As they watched, three older teens, all boys, entered the small restaurant and gathered around her. Xander's eyes narrowed.
"I think they're bullying her. Something about their expressions."
"Contempt." Faith muttered. "Literally and figuratively looking down on her." As they watched another teen about the same age as the other boys approached and appeared to be trying to calm things down. The girl stood up abruptly and got in the face of one of the boy, who sneered down at her. And then she was moving, kicking ass.
"Wow." Xander grinned. "She put them in their place, way to go, kid!" He cheered, seeing the small girl take down all three bigger boys was fun to witness.
"I like her." Faith decided. "Girl doesn't take shit from anyone."
"And those guys will be calling her a bitch tomorrow for daring to stand up for herself." Cordelia reminded them. "Bullies hate when their victims refuse to be victims. Still, she has the makings of a Bitch Queen herself. Own it, girl!" Cordelia cheered too. A man in a police uniform entered the restaurant and spoke to the girl and the awestruck boy, who was clearly defending the younger teen's actions, followed by a middle age woman entering and the girl going to her side. The girl looked confused as the man in the uniform said something to her and followed the woman out. She stopped when she saw them.
"Cousin Xander, I do not need you to protect me." She glared at him. "I am well able to take care of myself, even if I am going away to boarding school for the first time. Cordelia, couldn't you convince him to not follow me? And Faith, you too? I don't need a Slayer bodyguard! Does Manny know you're here?"
"Manny?" Faith managed to ask.
"Your boyfriend, my cousin?" She narrowed her eyes. "Cousin Xander, those are not at all your normal clothes, did Cordelia finally burn your obnoxious Hawaiian shirts?"
"Yeah. Oh boy." Who was this girl who thought he was her cousin? "I think we need to talk. Let's start with your name."
"It's Wednesday." Now she really looked suspicious. "And if you're shapehifters pretending to be my cousin and his wife, I'll nailgun your heart."
"Ouch."