Part 8: Hearing Voices
(Demonic Possession, Multiple Personality Disorder, Or Just A Really Wacky Situation? Also, How To Freak Out A Fairy)

St. Wolf Residence
Sunnydale, California (the Wandererverse)
Late hours
12 December 1998

As Angel started forward, Buffy muttered, "We'd better---"

"No," Robin said, grabbing Buffy's arm. When she looked at him, he said, "Let him go. Trust me."

Angel moved up to Vamp Willow and Vamp Xander, who looked at him with tears flowing down their cheeks. They knew that if anyone in the training room deserved payback, it was him. Angel looked at both of them, raised the stake up...

...and dropped it at their feet.

"I forgive you."

Vamp Xander huddled the sobbing Vamp Willow closer to him, not sure he'd heard Angel correctly. In a choked voice, he said, "What?"

Angel knelt down, and put a hand on Vamp Xander's shoulder, and said, "You didn't torture me, the demons did. I understand that. I know what you're going through. No one else here can but I do. You're remembering how it felt. Killing your parents, your friends, everyone. I know how it feels, the guilt, not just over what you did but how good it felt. Over being powerful, over the power you had. I know how it feels to have it all hit you at once. You'll never forget their faces. You'll never forget their screams. They'll always be with you. But they can only haunt you if you let them."

"You don't understand," Vamp Willow cried, shaking her head. "I killed Mom. I killed Dad, I killed so many people."

Now it was Angel who shook his head. "I do understand," he said, tenderly removing a tear from her cheek. "I'm two hundred years older than both of you put together and I spent over half of that ripping through Europe. I've killed more people than you could hope to. I killed them, I tortured them, I arranged their bodies into shapes, I drove towns insane with fear..."

"Um, pal," Wish Buffy said with a dark frown, "if this is your way of convincing me not to stake all three of you, you ain't selling it well."

Angel ignored the Slayer, looking deeper into Vamp Xander and Vamp Willow's eyes. "My point is this; I know what you're going through. It's the same thing I went through. And at first, I wanted to die, too. But I decided to do something that made me count, to pay them back for what they did. It won't erase what you've done. Nothing can. But maybe, just maybe, you can make peace with yourself."

"Like you have?" Xander asked.

Angel snorted in sadness. "I'm not there yet. But I may be someday. And so can you."

Angel looked over his shoulders at Steve, and asked, "Can the three of us take this outside?"

"Are you kidding?!?" Wish Buffy demanded. "You wanna let THOSE. . ."

"Buffy," Joyce said softly, drawing Wish Buffy's eyes. "Don't."

Wish Buffy started to speak her comeback, but Buffy said, "Don't even open your mouth, sister."

Wish Buffy glared at her, and Steve took the opportunity to nod to Angel.

Angel helped Vamp Xander to his feet, and with his hold on Vamp Willow, brought her up as well. Angel guided them out of the training room.

Wish Buffy turned on Steve, and snarled, "Don't tell me you trust them."

"I trust Angel," Steve said. "And by the way, *you've* been pretty quiet throughout all this."

Steve turned to the subject of his statement, Joan, who stood by silently.

"The decision must be theirs, Wanderer," Joan said. "And please, do not ask me what they will decide, because He has not told me. But now, I must go."

Joan faded from view, at first becoming transparent and then simply vanishing.

"Don't forget to write," Robin called out to the empty spot.

Axel looked over at Joyce, and asked, "Did we just see Joan of Arc help three Amazon witches restore the souls of a couple of kid vampires from another dimension only to find out that they're suicidal, leading Angel to give 'em the 'win one for the Gipper' speech after they tortured him for two years?"

"Yes," Joyce replied dully.

"I thought so," Axel groaned. "Want a drink?"

"I'll get back to you on that," Joyce replied dully.

*****

Angel led Vamp Willow and Vamp Xander outside, and softly closed the door behind him. As they stood in the back yard, Vamp Willow slowly laid her tear-streaked eyes on Angel.

"How can you forgive us for what we did to you?" she whispered, horrified at the memories engraved on her consciousness. "Oh, God. The things I did..."

"Listen to me," Angel snapped, frightening his fellow vampires. "Look, you two. I know what you're going through. But we need to talk about what we're going to do."

"Angel man, what CAN we do?!? The only thing I want to do right now is drive a stake through my heart!" Vamp Xander shouted.

Vamp Willow nodded in despairing agreement.

"Fine. If you want to commit suicide, I can't stop you," Angel told the pair. "But let me say this; these people didn't owe us a anything. In fact, the majority of them are pretty mixed up over this like we are. But they put it aside to give you, to give US, a second chance. You two were robbed of your futures, and you have a lot to work out, but all you need is one thing to make a start."

"We have SHIT, Dead Boy!" Vamp Xander berated Angel. "We killed our families, we lost everything when we got turned, and I *sure* as Hell ain't going back to that bald son of a bitch! Give me one reason to stay alive...yeah right. Alive, ha, ha, ha."

Angel folded his arms, and leaned back against the house. "Okay, I'll give you a reason. The bald son of a bitch."

Vamp Willow and Vamp Xander both stared at him in shock.

"What?!?" Vamp Willow shrieked in terror.

Angel looked over his shoulder, and said, "What I'm going to say can't be repeated in front of the others. Some of them know, but others don't, not yet."

"What are you talking about?" Vamp Xander asked suspiciously.

Angel sighed, and said, "As far as most of the Slayerettes..."

"The Slayer-whats?"

"Xander, the other Xander, named this team the 'Slayerettes' after Buffy being the Slayer," Angel told Vamp Willow. "But listen to me. The fighters here are just part of a very big army that fights vampires and demons. As far as most of the kids here know, Steve's plan is to find us a way home, a way back to our reality. I think you both know we can't stay here."

"I hear a 'but' coming," Vamp Xander said.

"But," Angel said, not wanting to disappoint Vamp Xander, "they have to find a way to get us back first. That's the sticking point. And, to keep you two from saying anything, there's another 'but' coming."

"And that is?" Vamp Willow asked, not understanding.

"Steve intends to bring along a few friends to, shall we say, pay their respects to the Master and his little factory," Angel said, spelling out Steve's plan.

"These kids against four hundred vampires?!?" Vamp Willow babbled. "They can't do that! That's suicide!"

"Willow, remember your fight in the park?" Angel asked. When both the kids cringed, Angel smirked. "Okay. Of the ones you faced, Cordelia and the other Willow are Amazons, like the women warriors of ancient Greece. Willow's also a witch. Xander's been given equal abilities by Robin, the guy who blasted you into that sandbox. Steve and the Buffy from this universe carry the Slayer swords, Japanese versions of Excalibur. Oz, well, he's a special case."

"Oh, yeah. We got to fight Bigfoot," Vamp Xander muttered disgustedly.

Angel decided not to go any further. "And that's just the ones you DID face."

"That Robin guy, the fairy? Who the Hell is he?" Vamp Xander asked. "I can't believe he shot us like that."

"Either of you ever read Shakespeare?" Angel asked.

Vamp Willow perked up, despite her depression. "I did."

"Mid-Summer Night's Dream," Angel said. "Robin Goodfellow."

Vamp Willow paled as the name registered. "He's..."

"Not Puck. Don't ask, because I'm too scared to ask him," Angel said, not joking in the slightest. "But to bring up the point, Steve is known as the Wanderer. I've never heard of the guy, but imagine a demon hunter who was once a Green Beret. I assume you know what THAT is."

"Yeah," Vamp Xander and Vamp Willow muttered. Seconds later, Vamp Xander moaned, "You mean this guy's planning a 'Rambo/ John Wayne/ Full Metal Jacket' fight on the Master?!?"

"A bit different from what the Master's used to fighting, wouldn't you say?" Angel asked with a cruel smile. "You think four hundred vampires can stand up to a few Green Beret/Navy SEAL-type fighters?"

"Uh..."

"Right," Angel said. He looked at Vamp Xander, and said, "So, I can give you one reason to stick around, it's just not a pretty one."

"Payback," Vamp Xander said as he returned Angel's look. "And then what?"

"I don't like it," Vamp Willow said, her depression reinforcing itself. "That's something the demon would do."

"Thanks for the effort, Angel," Vamp Xander said, taking Vamp Willow's sobbing form into his arms. "But I think, no cigar."

Angel looked at the back of the weeping Vamp Willow, and then back at Vamp Xander. He shoved off from the house, and turned to go back inside.

"Well, I can't stop you. I see that you have two choices," he said with tangible regret. "You can either take your own lives, and end it here and now, never getting the redemption that you want, or...you can think about the one thing you DO have, that's closer to you than you realize. Think about it, Xander. The one thing that means more to you than anything. It's too bad you can't see past your depression to help it out of its own pain."

He then walked into the house.

Vamp Xander stared at him, trying to get through the hidden message he knew was in there.

<The thing that's closer to me? The thing that means the most to me is. . .> he thought, before it hit him right between the eyes. He looked down at the silently grieving woman in his arms, and his shoulders sagged. <Angel man, I gotta teach you not to be Cryptic Boy.>

Vamp Xander softly said, "Will, it's going to be all right."

Vamp Willow jerked back, but stayed in his arms. "How can you *say* that?!?" she cried, tears bursting anew. "Xander, all we did..."

"Will, hon, listen to me," the male vamp said, drawing her into his eyes, "Angel said, if we can find one thing to keep us going, we can make a start. We can make it."

"But what?" Vamp Willow said as her lip trembled. "What do we have?"

Vamp Xander, deciding to go slowly, said, "Well, look at this world. I'm in love with Cordelia, you're in love with Oz. Funny, huh?"

"I'm not laughing," Vamp Willow snapped. Her mouth opened as a fresh wall of guilt came up, and she nearly wailed, "Oh, god, how could I laugh through it all? Mom, Dad, Jesse, your parents, everyone. How could I laugh."

Vamp Xander took her up against him in a hug, and he whispered into her ear, "It wasn't us, Will. Not really. You know that."

"I wish it could go away." Vamp Willow cried into his shoulder for a few seconds, and repeated her wish. "I wish it had never happened. None of it."

Vamp Xander moved her away, a small amount of desperation showing in his eyes. "Don't say that. There's one thing I am glad happened."

"What?" Vamp Willow asked, her eyes knitted in confusion over his outburst.

Vamp Xander smiled, and said the one thing that he was glad that happened as part of their vampirism.

"Us."

Vamp Willow looked into his eyes, and saw his honest emotions. "Us?" she breathed silently, but Vamp Xander knew what she had said.

"Yeah, honey. US," he repeated. "Don't you still feel it?"

She swallowed, and tried to speak, but couldn't find the words. "You mean?"

"I mean," he said with the trademark Xander grin.

"You still?" Vamp Willow said, trying not to hope too much.

"I still."

Vamp Willow's tears began to flow again, and she said, "You..."

"Will, I think we've already established that," Vamp Xander grinned.

Vamp Willow began crying harder, and threw herself against her lover, nearly bowling him over onto the ground. She threw kisses all over his cheeks, and finally grabbed his head in both hands and gave him the smacker of all time directly into his lips, not neglecting to slide her tongue in between his teeth. Vamp Xander hugged her for all he was worth, luckily for him she didn't need to breathe.

After three minutes of reaffirming their love for each other, Vamp Willow backed off, tears of regret in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Xander. I can't tell you how sorry I am," she blurted out, shaking her head in guilt.

"For what?" Vamp Xander asked in confusion.

"For what? I killed you, I turned you, I made you this! Me!" Vamp Willow cried to him. She shook her head mournfully, and told him, "When the demon took over, it just took all the feelings I always had for you and drove me to you and it just wanted to make you mine. Oh, God, you must hate me."

Seeing the source of her guilt, Vamp Xander took her chin in his hands, and said, "I could never hate you, Will. Never. Look, that night when you came to my house...."

"Oh, God, don't remind me," Vamp Willow wept, looking at the ground.

Once again, Vamp Xander took her chin up to look into his eyes. "Look, just before....you know....you told me you loved me, remember? And I know I should have been paying more attention to how you were coming on so hard and everything but, well.....I was just going to say I felt the same when....you know....."

She shook her head at the memories. "Oh, god, what we did together. For 'love.' Those demons loved, Xander, but us....."

Vamp Xander cut her off, making the point once and for all after what they'd just done. "Willow, I love you. Not the demon, me. I guess I always did but never really faced it. But it's true. What's happened..... well, I guess we could think of it as a fresh start. That Angel guy's right, this isn't going to be easy, trying to live with what we've done and make up for it. But, if you want me to, I'll help you. I love you and I want to do that. Please."

Vamp Willow looked at him, looking at the man she still loved, even after having her soul restored, and asked, "You mean it? You really mean it? All of it?"

"Every word. Hell, Will," he said, chuckling at this admission, "if I'd been turned first, I'd have made you."

Vamp Willow smiled at Vamp Xander's declaration. "That's so sweet," she purred, leaning her head against his chest as he held her. Her face scrunched up as she took in his comment, and said, "Incredibly disturbing on second thought, but still kinda sweet."

Vamp Xander decided not to say anything more. Neither of them needed to.

*****

When Angel walked into the kitchen, he saw Axel waiting for him with a cold beer in his hands.

"Were you listening?" the vampire asked his friend.

"Nah, man," Axel said, somewhat to Angel’s surprise. "I just can’t figure you out."

"What do you mean by that?" Angel asked as Axel took a long sip from his bottle.

"I don’t get you," Axel said, wiping his sleeve across his face. "Last night, you were ‘let’s wipe them out,’ now you’re helping them! These two put you through Hell!"

Angel shook his head regretfully. "The demons did that. That’s not who they are anymore."

"Hey," the detective protested, "after what they did..."

"I want you to imagine something, Axel," Angel interrupted harshly. He sighed, and continued. "Imagine that one moment, you’re going through your life like normal. The next thing you remember, it’s a couple years later, you’re trapped in the body of a demon, you crave blood no matter what and you suddenly remember killing a few dozen people in horrific ways. I had a century on both of them, Axel, and I was a lot more creative. So cut them some slack, okay?"

Axel listened intently to Angel’s plea, and let out an exhausted sigh.

"Okay, man," he said, looking outside. "This whole ‘demon did it/ soul kid didn’t’ thing is confusing."

"Think of it as the ultimate form of being possessed by a demon," Angel offered.

"Without George C. Scott in sight," Axel punned. "So what are they up to?"

"Well, if my message got through to them, one of two things. One, they’re deciding whether or not to join the fight we’re going to take to the Master, or two, they’re making out in Steve’s back yard."

"Making out?!?" Axel screeched. "Angel, they’re vampires!!"

"So?" Angel shrugged. "They’re in love."

"They’re *teenage* vampires!!" Axel exclaimed.

"The point, Axel?"

"What, vampires don’t have hormones?" Axel sarcastically asked. "Dude, they might be dead, but they’re dead teenagers! They ain’t gonna stop at ‘making out!’ And in the dude’s back yard!"

Angel buried his face in his hands as he got Axel’s point. "Okay, I’ll bring them back in."

"You don’t have to," Vamp Xander’s voice said from behind.

Axel jumped in fright, beer sloshing out of the bottle and onto his Mumford High School t-shirt.

"Don’t DO that!!"

"Don’t do what?" Vamp Willow innocently asked, smiling through Axel’s glare.

"Angel, we need to talk to this Steve guy about going back, right?" Vamp Xander asked.

With a smile of approval, Angel nodded and said, "Let’s do that."

Vamp Xander and Vamp Willow led the way, but Axel touched Angel’s hand, wanting to ask him something.

"Dude, how do you guys do that?" the cop asked.

"Do what?"

"The whole commando, sneak-up-on-the-bad-guys thing? Damn, you guys scare people when you do that. What do you do?"

Angel just shrugged, and said, "We just try not to be seen."

Axel rolled his eyes, and said, "That's easy for you to say, you don't have a reflection. Seriously, man, I want to know, just how do you *do* that?"

"I don't *do* anything, it just.....is."

Seeing that Angel couldn’t explain it any better, Axel looked at the Heavens, and said, "You just had to screw with my vacation, didn’t you!"

Thankfully, he didn’t get an answer.

*****

The Slayerettes had filtered into the living room, discussing the subjects of their spell casting.

"Man, I can’t believe I shrieked like that," Willow said after sitting down on the couch. "What must have she done while she was a demon?"

"Hit on everyone in Sunnydale?" Xander said without any intent for humor.

"XANDER!!"

"So Willow there is..." Cordelia started, before taking pity on the pathetic pleading in Willow’s eyes, "you know. What about Xander?"

Xander’s eyes bulged as he moved to defend himself. "Hey, I’m not like that! I’m straight, I like women, I LOVE women!"

Cordelia turned to face him, and arched an eyebrow. "Ahem?" she asked.

"I love one woman," Xander quickly amended with a gulp in fear.

Cordy grinned nastily at him. "Good recovery."

Before anyone could speak further, the trio of souled vampires and Axel walked back into the living room. Willow and Xander looked at their doubles, and the witch decided to see how Vamp Willow was coping.

With a great deal of trepidation, she asked, "You okay?"

Vamp Willow shyly nodded, but started looking Willow up and down. After a few seconds, she said, "Wow. You don’t look anything like I did when I was alive."

"What do you mean?" the confused Willow asked.

With admiration in her eyes, and a playful smile on her lips, Vamp Willow declared, "You look GOOD!"

Everyone (with the exceptions of Vamp Willow, Angel, Shaw and Robin) blinked.

Cordelia, overcoming her shock, turned to the slack-jawed Buffy. "What was that you were saying about vampires being nothing like the people they were?"

Willow turned and walked away, looking confused and angry. Vamp Willow looked at her retreating double, and said, "What?"

"Nice going, Willow," Xander muttered.

Vamp Xander looked angrily at Xander, and said, "Hey!"

"Hey, don’t blame us," Cordelia snapped haughtily. "You’re the one dating a gay vampire."

"She’s not gay!" Vamp Xander protested.

"She’s hitting on Willow," Xander pointed out.

"And she loves ME, dumbass," Vamp Xander came back. He tried to settle down a little, and said, "If there is just one good thing that came out of all of this, it's that I realized how much Willow means to me."

"And you only had to give up your humanity to do it?" Xander asked. He then snapped, "Good call!"

"Hey, you’re the one dating Cordelia. You got no room to talk," Vamp Xander retorted. "Trust me, my Cordelia is the lucky one."

Vamp Willow, moving to defend her Xander, said, "Yeah, she and Xander didn't have to get together."

"HEY!" Xander and Cordelia snapped.

Vamp Xander’s game face started to come forth as his temper grew, but Steve stepped into the middle of the group that was quickly taking sides.

He snapped, "That’s enough. I’m stopping this before it gets out of hand." He looked at Vamp Willow and Vamp Xander, and said, "You two, I want you two to wait in my office, over there. Shaw, go with them."

"Me?" the ranger asked.

"I think you and these two have a few things in common involving homes, don’t you?" the Immortal asked. When Shaw nodded, he said, "Good. You want anyone with you?"

Shaw’s eyes narrowed, as if she thought that Steve was thinking she needed backup, but she then nodded.

"Yes, that would possibly be a good idea," Shaw answered. She looked at Jenny, and said, "Jenny?"

Jenny smiled a little bit, and said, "Okay, Shaw."

"What are you doing?!?" Wish Buffy bit off. "They’re vampires!"

"Buffy," Jenny said with a sympathetic look, "their situation’s much like yours. They’re from your universe, aren’t they?"

"Well, yeah..." Wish Buffy started, but looked at Vamp Willow and Vamp Xander, who were staring at her as they realized that their world’s Slayer was in the same boat as three vampires. Wish Buffy turned away, and said, "Yeah, they are. I can relate."

"Fine," Steve said with a sigh of relief. "Go ahead. Angel, Robin and both Buffys, we need to talk in this room over here and talk about some things. The rest of you, stand down and CALM down. We’ve got enough tension as it is without anyone losing their cool."

Steve turned towards the room housing his computer, and the four people he’d named, Angel, Buffy and Wish Buffy, followed without comment. When the people bound for other rooms left, Xander turned to Cordelia.

"I’m going to get Willow and bring her back out here, okay?" he said.

"Yeah, go ahead. But take Oz with you, I don’t want you two talking behind our backs," Cordelia ordered him.

"Why?" Xander confusedly asked.

"Because I said so, Dweeb Boy," the Amazon said, putting her hands on her hips. "And that’s NOT open for debate if you know what’s good for you and your love life."

"Fine," Xander moaned as the Slayerettes got some laughs in. "Come on, Oz."

The rock band member left with Xander to get his girlfriend.

*****

Jenny and Shaw led Vamp Willow and Vamp Xander into Steve’s office, and offered the two vampires their choice of which seats they wish to take.

Vamp Xander looked at Shaw and asked, "What did your boss mean by having something in common with us?"

Shaw smiled. "It is nice to see that there *are* some things that are consistent with dimensional counterparts."

"Like what?" Vamp Willow asked cautiously.

"That for all of his humor, Xander Harris is much more observant than one would believe at first glance," the half-elf said.

"Thanks," Vamp Xander said, before thinking about it. "Or maybe, ‘Hey!’"

Jenny smiled, but held in her laughter as Shaw continued. "Perhaps a bit of both would suffice. But to answer the question in simple terms, Earth is not my homeworld."

Both vampires stared at her.

"This Earth, you mean?" Vamp Xander asked.

"ANY Earth," Shaw countered gently. "I am from a world known as Abeir-Toril, commonly referred to as Toril. My homeland is Deepingdale, which is about two or three hundred miles due south of Shadowdale..."

"Wait a minute!" Vamp Xander shouted. "Shadowdale?!? As is ELMINSTER’S Shadowdale?!?"

"It is hardly the property of that hawk-nosed, pipe-smoking, spell-casting mother-wenching bastard offspring of a whore born of a pile of orc dung..."

"Shaw..." Jenny warned.

Shaw collected herself, and wearily said, "I am never going to live this down, am I, Jenny?"

"What? Being from a Dungeons and Dragons world?" Jenny asked with a grin at Shaw’s discomfort, having heard all about this weeks ago. "Or that a certain wizard comes to Earth and allows people to write books about your home?"

"The latter," Shaw said sourly, before noticing the stunned gazes of Vamp Xander and Vamp Willow. She sighed. "Yes, I am from that world, in fact I spent eighteen months in Shadowdale a long time ago, training with a Harper in that community. But, as it turns out, one of my ancestors was from Earth, who migrated to Toril and married there. So, I have ancestry on both planes, and it does become confusing at times for me, so I can relate to the confusion and other emotions that you are feeling. Plus, I do not have to worry about what my double might be like in your reality or any other."

"Why not?" Vamp Xander asked.

"Because, according to Robin, Toril is one of those few planets that has no alternate timelines," Shaw said. "He told me this privately after our initial confusion regarding you and the others."

"Wait a minute. You don’t have a copy like me and Xander?" Vamp Willow asked.

"And I never will," Shaw said with a shrug.

"Lucky kid," Vamp Xander muttered. "So, you’re really from another world?"

"Yes," Shaw said, moving to more comfortable ground. "Earth is my home now, because I have chosen to live here. But you do have some advantages over me; you might be in another reality, but you do not have to learn about such things as automobiles, airplanes, or...role playing games."

"Very funny," he said.

"I was not joking," Shaw muttered.

"You weren’t?"

"Xander, think about it," Jenny said in good humor. "The books and games about Shaw’s home are based on things that actually happened."

"So?" Vamp Willow asked. "That’s good, isn’t it?"

Shaw glared at Jenny for poking fun at her. She looked at Vamp Willow and Vamp Xander, and asked, "How would you like it if you found out that someone had come to your universe, and decided to go to another universe and sell your life stories? For example, would you want someone to make a television series about the lives of Buffy, Angel, and yourselves on the Hellmouth?"

The vamps didn’t answer, but it didn’t seem to bother them that much.

<Good comeback,> Jenny thought wryly.

"Uh, okay. So how do you find Earth so far?" Vamp Willow asked, switching to another subject.

"It is so different, I try to find the enjoyable aspects in the many things I would never had imagined, let alone experienced, on Toril," Shaw told her.

"Like what?" Vamp Xander asked with a grin. <This should be good.>

"High school," Shaw replied, drawing a dropped jaw out of Vamp Xander. "It is the best way for me to learn about my new home. Then there is your technology, especially recording devices, which have allowed me to ‘tape’ the music I play and to give it to Amy and Willow. Your video cameras that let us record experiences to share with friends and loved ones at a later date, and so forth. I could go on, but it would take hours."

"Oh," Vamp Willow muttered distractedly. "Okay."

"Willow, is something wrong?" Jenny asked.

"I just wanted to talk about the others. I mean, why are they so Wigged out over us?"

"First of all, your behavior," Shaw answered before Jenny could get in a more tactful answer. "Willow does not appreciate your advances. Your doing so frightens and confuses her. Secondly, as I said, like you they are having problems dealing with the knowledge of the changes in your reality. Foremost among these is the fact that the two of you are in love with each other, in addition to Willow’s sexual preferences. I am not one to judge people on those matters, thus Steven choosing me to sit with you and explain these matters."

"So they’re freaked because me and Willow sleep together? That’s what they find strange?" Vamp Xander asked the half-elf. "Okay, I can understand that. They think we’re strange because it didn’t happen in this universe. We’re a pair of teenage vampires in love."

"They do not find that strange," Shaw said.

"But you said..."

"No, I said they are having problems with the situation, not the circumstances."

"Xander, Willow," Jenny said with a smile, "believe me when I say that your relationship is not all that out there. Not compared to some of the relationships we’ve seen."

Vamp Willow looked at the honesty and friendliness emanating from the Gypsy, and asked, "Why are you like this? It's not like we're the same people you know."

With a shrug, Jenny said, "Except for a bite on the neck, you could have been." She stood up, and walked over to Vamp Willow. "Willow, Xander, I’m not going to claim that I know what you’re going through, or what you’re feeling. But I’ve known your counterparts for over two years now, and I can tell you, you don’t seem all that different from them when they were the age at which you were both turned. You just have some catching up to do, if you take my meaning."

"How do you know so much about us?" Vamp Xander asked cautiously.

"Well, let’s see," Jenny drawled. "First of all, I’m from the same Gypsy clan that restored Angel’s soul a hundred years ago. Second, I’m a witch. Third, I’m an Amazon. Since the Willow from this universe qualifies on the last two, I know her very well. As for the first, I know what it was like for Angel, so I know what you might be going through. The fourth, and last reason, is even easier to understand."

"What’s that?" Vamp Willow asked.

"I’m their computer teacher," the smiling Amazon told them.

"Not in our universe," Vamp Willow said. "I’ve never seen you before."

"That doesn’t really surprise me, Willow," Jenny told them. "It seems that so much is different in our universes. I just want you both to know that I’d be willing to listen to anything you want to get off your chest before you leave for home."

"A teacher wanting me to get something off my chest?" Vamp Willow said with a seductive smile. She looked down at her own cleavage, and then at Jenny once again, her intent unmistakable. "If you say so."

"Stop right there," Jenny said with a frown. "That’s part of the reason the others are nervous around you. You can’t just go hitting on everyone in plain sight."

"Why not?" Vamp Willow asked innocently.

"Because they most likely are not interested in having such relationships with vampires from another reality," Shaw answered.

Jenny sighed. "Shaw, tact. Remember?" she asked, before turning back to the kids. "Xander, Willow, the others will try to get closer to you, and they might even become your friends in the short time you’ll be here. I can tell you that Rupert, Steve and I will gladly help you out with any emotional problems you might have, and I’m willing to stand up for you with the others. I can be your friend, the choice is yours."

"The same would go for me, Willow, Xander," Shaw added.

"Okay, now that we’ve got the ‘Movie Of The Week’ moment out of the way," Vamp Xander said with a wisecrack, "what do we do about the other us’es who don’t like the way we act?"

"I’d suggest that you use restraint in your advances, Willow," Jenny said off the bat. "Like we said, the kids were surprised by the fact you’re sleeping together, and then you were hitting on them. But, I believe that once the kids see that you’re not all that different than the Willow and Xander we know, they’ll loosen up considerably."

"How about you?" Vamp Willow asked Shaw with a seductive smile.

Shaw stared at her, and said, "You cannot be serious."

"Uh Will..." Vamp Xander said warningly under his breath.

"Oh come on," Vamp Willow smiled playfully. "We have a lot in common. I’m from another dimension, you’re from another dimension. I’m not human, you’re not human..."

"I am not interested in such a relationship," Shaw said in a tone of finality.

Vamp Willow caught the tone, and said, "Oh well."

Jenny said, "Let’s go to another subject. I’ve already told you, they were surprised by this whole situation, but I hope it’ll work out. They simply need some more time to know who you really are, and to accept it."

"You think they will?" Vamp Xander asked her.

Jenny smiled. "Well, in your case, Xander, you’re not all that different. And to be honest, I could see Cordelia asking you to help Xander dress up like you do. She’s always complaining about his lack of a fashion sense."

"No kidding," Vamp Willow said quietly.

With a smile, Vamp Xander said, "In defense of myself, ‘Hey!’"

Jenny looked at Shaw, and asked, "What did I just do?"

"I believe the Earth term is, ‘created a monster,’" Shaw replied with a cocked eyebrow. "Not that he needed the encouragement. Now, if you will excuse me, I will go talk to the others. Perhaps we can accelerate their acceptance of the situation."

Shaw got up, and left the room, and the Vamps looked at Jenny.

"Why do I suddenly feel sorry for the other us’es?" Vamp Xander asked.

Jenny smiled wryly, and said, "Because she’s the one person less tactful than Cordelia."

*****

Xander and Oz walked into the training room, where Willow was pacing furiously as she rubbed her arms with her hands. She looked up in fright, only relaxing when she saw Oz accompanying Xander.

"Oh God, can you believe her?!?" Willow asked desperately. "She’s STILL hitting on me!"

"Hey, chill here Willow," Xander pleaded, holding his hands up in a peaceful gesture. "It’s not like she didn’t do it when we saw her in the park."

"SHE DIDN’T HAVE HER SOUL!!!" Willow shouted. "She’s got her soul back and she’s still hitting on me!"

"Willow," Oz said, walking up and putting his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down, "She’s a different you. You don’t have to worry about it."

"But..."

"I’d like you no matter what you’re like," Oz promised.

Willow looked him in the eye, and saw his love for her again. She swallowed a bit, and said, "I just don’t like this. This whole evil us thing."

"Hey," Amy’s voice called from the doorway, "you’re not the only person having problems."

Xander turned to see Amy and Buffy standing in the doorway, and he said, "Amy, you don’t have that problem."

Amy folded her arms, and said, "Hey, this is hard on all of us."

"You don't have the double who's a vampire," Xander returned with a touch of anger.

"Or one who’s gay," Willow added.

Buffy looked at Willow, and said her piece. "Or deader than both of them inside."

Another voice rang out in condemnation of their attitudes.

"And the three of you refuse to see that they have it worse than you," Shaw said, walking past Buffy and Amy into the training room. She took up a central position, so that all of the other Slayerettes present would have to look at her.

Xander, Willow and Buffy all said, "What?!?"

Shaw looked at Xander, and asked, "Xander, your double. What is he like?"

"Uh, he's me."

Shaw nodded, and told him, "And with any other person like that, you would have become fast friends. Yet you are avoiding him because he is a vampire." The priestess then turned to her best friend. "Willow, what problem do you have with your double?"

Willow said, "She's gay..."

She was quickly cut off. "No, she is bisexual, but I thought you were not the type of person that would judge someone on such matters. Also, she and Xander have both just had their souls restored, and Angel can only help them with this, the guilt they feel, so much. Also, you can help them by listening to them, as they need someone they can confide in. And you are the best choices."

Dreading the possible butt chewing she might receive, Buffy asked, "And me?"

Shaw gave her a neutral look, and told the Slayer, "You are having problems dealing with her because she is not the same person you are, in terms of character. Buffy, she is, personality wise, much like the type of person I was when I first escaped here to Earth. And you have been a great help to me in changing from that person, as you did not judge me for my past deeds or personality. I can relate as well as almost anyone to how she feels, but you are the one person who knows her, her true self, better than anyone."

She then addressed all three of them, and said, "And all three of you together, and to a lesser extent the others, save for Steven, Giles and Jenny, have failed to see that they are dealing with seeing what their lives could have been in this reality, had that Cordelia not made her wish. Also, as the people who have those lives, they think you do not want to help them deal with being ripped away from their homes through no fault of their own. Even the demon inside of Willow, before having her soul restored, said that this world was ‘no fun.’ That is because she misses her home. They all do. And believe me when I say, with a GREAT deal of authority on that matter, that I know, more than anyone, how much that can weigh on one's soul.

Shaw started to turn, but looked at Willow. "Willow, I have told your counterpart about your discomfort over her behavior. But at the same time, you might ask yourself, is there any common ground upon which you might be able to reach out to her and see if you can at least build a common understanding. You could both use it. You, to overcome your fear over what might have been. Her, to overcome her regrets that things did not come out as she would have liked."

"What could we have in common, Shaw?" Willow asked doubtfully.

"Your first love, Willow," Shaw said cryptically. She started to move out, but stopped at the door. "Think about it. The one thing you and her likely had in common, no matter what world you come from."

Shaw left the room, leaving Amy, Willow, Xander, Oz and Buffy to look at each other.

After a long silence, Amy asked, "Does anyone else here feel like kicking themselves?"

Everyone raised their hands.

"What did she mean by your ‘first love?’" Xander asked Willow.

"I don’t know," Willow asked, truly trying to get the meaning behind Shaw’s answer.

"I don’t either," Amy said, looking in the direction her cousin had gone. "But it’s funny, with all our being ahead of her world, it’s the techno-challenged half-elf from another dimension that gets a point across."

"Techno..." Willow whispered to herself, and she brightened when she thought of something.

"Come on," she said, acting surprisingly confident after only a couple seconds. "Let’s go."

*****

Part 9: Reach Out And Recruit Someone
(Yes, We Just Love Our "Volunteers")

St. Wolf Residence
Sunnydale, California (the Wandererverse)
Late hours
12 December 1998

Steve led his group into the computer room and closed the door behind them. While Buffy and Robin stood next to the computer, Wish Buffy and Angel stared at it.

"Oh my God--we’re on the Enterprise!" Wish Buffy shouted.

Angel dryly added, "Which one?"

"Does it matter?"

"Okay, if we can get down to business," Steve asked, turning his attention to the alternates’ situation. He glanced at the most powerful member of the quintet in the room and asked, "Robin, please tell me you can at least figure out a way we can travel to their universe."

"Of course," Robin said, looking quite offended. "We just have to scan their dimensional signatures to determine which reality they’re from. It’ll take a little time to narrow it down exactly, but that’s not much of a problem. Then we get someone like Arty or Obe to get us there..."

Robin stopped, beginning to choke on his explanation as the other four people watched him. Eventually, he spoke.

"US?!?" he freaked.

"Yeah," Steve answered.

Robin began sputtering. "B-b-b-b-but...US?!?!?"

Steve looked at Buffy. "Okay, we’d better figure out who’d work out in this new universe. Buffy, maybe you should call Mulder and Scully..."

"Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" Robin cut in, panicking. "We are NOT Gods damn going!"

"Robin," Steve pointed out, "weren’t you the one who said there was fate in all this?"

Robin stiffened, but replied, "Fate is one thing, Steve, but this is insanity! Do you understand the implications of what you’re planning? Forget for a moment the problems of interacting with your doubles in this universe. What gives us the right to interfere in theirs? Huh? What do you want to do next, go to the universes where the Nazis won World War II and try to stop them? The worlds where America’s fallen and it’s all chaos? As someone who knew Pandora, Steve, I can tell you that opening that box is easy, closing it isn’t so easy, and getting all the contents back inside, is damn-near impossible. Are you going to place us on that slippery slope?"

Buffy pitched in. "Robin, they need our help."

Robin started to shake his head. "Ohhh, no. You cannot lay the guilt trip on me. I want to help them as much as you do, but there has to be a line. And crossing over into alternate realities with muchos doubles does not fall on our side of the line!"

Wish Buffy looked at Angel and asked, "What the Hell are they talking about?"

"Steve’s planning to come with us to our universe and take out the Master," Angel replied with a smile. "He’s going to assemble an assault force to eliminate the threat to our Sunnydale."

"And what happens after that?" Wish Buffy asked, directing her question to Steve and Buffy.

"After we eliminate the Master," Steve answered with a straight face, "we’ll return home. But we won’t return without making sure you and the others are set up to handle any other threats to the Hellmouth."

"What about the REST of the world, you dingbat!" Wish Buffy snapped. "Won’t you do anything for them?!?"

"We aren’t GOING!" Robin screeched. Waving his hands in the air, he snapped, "It’s bad enough we have you guys here, not in the ‘we don’t want you here’ mode, but in the ‘alternate realities encountering each other mode.’ But going to your Sunnydale is bad enough as it is, now you want us to save the REST of your world?!?" The fairy looked at Steve and said, "You see what I mean, Wanderer? This is already spinning out of control!"

"Robin, we wouldn’t try to affect their whole world," St. Wolf assured the spastic fairy. He laid his hands on the table. "We’d take out the vampires in the alternate Sunnydale and set up the people there with a local group like ours."

Wish Buffy’s mouth dropped. She glared at Steve and said, "Great, you and my 'Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm’ double are gonna come crashing in like Mighty Mouse to save the day this one time, then you return to your own world and leave me to handle my shithole world by myself. Do you guys get off on fucking with people or is it just a hobby?"

"Hey!" Buffy snapped in response. "We wouldn’t just do the Lone Ranger ‘save the day and disappear into the sunset act’ on you! We’d find out who else is fighting vamps and demons on your world and try to get you in touch with them. Do you really think we’re that dumb?"

Robin muttered, "Do you really want me to answer that, Buffy?"

Steve and Buffy glared at Robin. Steve said, "Robin, what would you have us do? Send the four of them up against however many vampires are in that Sunnydale?"

Robin hesitated before answering. "Well..."

Steve asked another question. "What else would you suggest then, Robin? Giving them our phone numbers and hoping that one in ten is the same in their universe?"

"Well, no. But..."

"And we *have* done this before," Buffy reminded the sprite.

"Yeah, I know. Still..."

"You’ve done this *before*?!?" Wish Buffy spat.

"Once," Buffy nodded with a grin at her double’s amazement.

"No, no, no, NO!" Robin screeched. "We can NOT just say, ‘road trip to an alternate reality.’ We need to think this through. We have to really, REALLY think this through."

"I have," Steve promised. "We’ll take a selected few from here, but leave major groups out."

"Wait a minute, Steve," Angel objected in surprise. "We’re talking a minimum of three hundred vampires, more likely four. How can you leave your people here when we desperately need them?"

"As much as it surprises me, I’m agreeing with Dead Boy here," Wish Buffy snapped angrily.

"It’s simple," Steve said with a devilish grin. "We leave them here and call in their counterparts from your universe."

Robin moaned and buried his face in his hands. "Oh Gods, we’re dead. Wanderer, do you realize we only have about twelve hours to get them back home?"

"WHAT?!?" Wish Buffy and Angel cried out.

"When you got zapped here, it knocked your auras out of sync," the fairy told the dumbfounded Slayer and vampire. "In another half day or so, your auras will be in sync with our reality. It’ll be impossible to tell exactly which reality you originated from."

"Ohhhhhh, SHIT!!!" Wish Buffy shouted.

"All right, now we’re on a timetable," Steve declared. He turned to his Buffy. "Buffy, you get Willow together enough to discuss this in a rational manner and bring her to the living room to vote on this proposal."

He looked at Wish Buffy and Angel. "You two talk to the other two, and explain the situation to them; make sure they understand we are NOT leaving them in the lurch. Go."

Angel and Wish Buffy quickly moved to fulfill Steve’s directives. Once the other three had left, Steve looked Robin in the eyes.

"Let me take a stab at what you’re about to ask me," Robin sighed. He met St. Wolf’s gaze, and he said, "I didn’t think I’d *have* to tell you since I didn’t know you were planning this psycho joy ride. I thought you’d send them back home to their little slice of the multiverse, but nooooooooooo. You’re going to play the cavalry for them. I’m not trying to be cold here, but I’d appreciate being kept in the loop, you know?"

Steve rested his knuckles on the desk and said, "Point taken, Rob. Now, give me your opinions. One, how do we get an assault force to their universe?"

"Call Arty," Robin said without preamble. "Call her in and she can probably get it done within the time limit. But not before we set up some ground rules. If we break one... Hell, if we even bend one of them, we take the chance of making things worse than they are in that one town."

Steve sighed. "Really? What would you suggest, given your vast experience, for the ground rules?"

"Now you’re listening to reason," Robin said. After breathing a sigh of relief, he formally said, "Rule number one; thou shalt not dilly-dally in said alternate universe. In English, we get in, we do the deed, and we get out. We are not going to change or save the world, we’re going to rescue one town, ixnay on the sightseeing, tourism, or looking at how your doubles are living. Which leads to rule number two; thou shalt not interfere with thy doubles’ lives. If they don’t have it as good as you, let them make it better on their own. If they’re evil, let some other good guy take ‘em out, it’s not your responsibility. The other Willow and Xander were something of a special case because we were too sentimental to just waste them. If it becomes necessary to call on some of the doubles, we limit it to those we KNOW we can trust. And another thing; when calling in people to go along, I’d suggest we try to keep it to those who’ve gone to other dimensions or those who don’t live anywhere near our Sunnydale. Cuts chances they’ll screw things up for their doubles and you know who I’m really talking about."

"Mulder," Steve sighed.

"Right," Robin huffed. He started to tick off on his fingers. "The third commandment; thou shalt not bring back people from the alternate reality. I don’t care if their life sucks so bad they’re willing to drop that universe in a heartbeat so as to live their own life here. That’s their universe, they have to live in their universe, just like the four people we’re sending back. And that leads to the last item; we do NOT mention alternate realities to people in the other universe unless we know they either have experience with alternate realities or are open-minded enough to accept the possibilities. In that case, Mulder’s a prime example. He believes in anything, including stuff *I* would find preposterous."

Steve waited for a few seconds. When Robin didn’t go to a number five rule, he asked, "Are you finished?"

"Yeah," the sprite said with a sigh. "Steve, I don’t like acting like the party-pooper, you know that. But what we’re dealing with..."

"Is a town of people who need our help," Steve reminded him. When Robin started to moan, he added, "And one town it is. As tempting as it might be to help others."

Robin was tight-lipped, but nodded to the Immortal. "All right, you damn boy scout. As long as you understand that you need to rein in the people. I know you humans; you’re too curious for your own good. Eve, Pandora, Alice..."

"Alice?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, Alice," Robin said. "Wonderland? You never read Lewis Carroll?"

At Steve’s look, Robin shrugged. "Never mind."

"Fine," Steve said with relief. "Second, who do we take?"

Robin cupped his chin, and said, "Starting with the simple stuff, most of our team. Also, the Fab Four currently taking up our dimensional space. As for backup, that depends on whom we can get here quick, easy and loaded for bear. One thing to consider is whom we leave here to hold down the fort. The Kendra/Joe/Shaw connection worked last month, but they’re only two-thirds strength right now."

"Okay, I’ll leave Joe and Kendra for patrols, Shaw can at least do research. Anyone else?"

"How about Amy?" Robin asked, much to the Wanderer’s surprise. "Hey, it can’t hurt to have at least one spell caster in reserve. Since she’s an Amazon, and our only blonde Amazon, she could pass for Buffy at first glance."

"So we take Giles, Jenny, Xander, Cordelia, Willow, Oz, Randi, Buffy and you," St. Wolf stated. Working mentally, he added the first group of fighters. "That’s fourteen, counting me and the four natives of the other reality. Axel stays here, since he offered to help. Who would you suggest we ask to go with us?"

"Duncan’s team," Robin started off. "They’re close and I might be able to loophole a teleport since we ARE gathering our forces for a fight against a Big Bad."

"Dana and Fox, too," Steve said next. "Let’s see how they react to this situation. Any others?"

"Please, this’ll be right up ‘Spooky’s’ alley, much as I might wish otherwise," Robin admitted. "And how about Connor? He can bring Max along, let her start earning her keep with Arty. That’s a start."

"All right," Steve said as Buffy walked back in. "Yes, Buffy?"

Buffy had a gleam in her eye, and she said, "The vamps and other me say we kick that bald piece of shit all over the Hellmouth. So did all of us. But we need to keep it on the QT with Mom."

Steve grinned. "Road trip’s on, Robin."

Shaking his head sadly, Robin groaned, "Fine. But when it all ends in tears, don’t say I didn’t warn you."

"Robin," Steve sighed with shrinking patience, "you seem to think that we can’t control ourselves."

"Steve, I’m going to put it this way one time," the sprite said, his lips forming a tight, thin line. "Giles, Jenny and you, I know you have no interest in finding your doubles. Giles obviously is a special case since he’s in that Sunnydale. But what about the kids, huh? They’re teenagers, Steve! They’re going to be teenagers and want to know what it’s like in that other world. Not to mess things up, but because they’ll think it’s cool. Now, part of my problem is that I’m here to protect the guys I empowered; I’m not really one of your soldiers like the Knights, and neither are they. They’re kids. I’m not really your subordinate, Wanderer. I’m someone with people to watch out for, on Obe’s orders, and going to an alternate reality where anything can happen is NOT my idea of protection."

"Are you saying that if we go, you keep the guys here?" Steve asked in a quiet voice.

"Of course not," Robin sighed. He looked at the door and said, "If you order the guys to go, they’ll go since you and Buffy are the leaders of this little band. If they go, I’m going. I’m just NOT happy about it. Steve, this is already starting to spin completely out of control! Have you even talked with Mark and Horace about what the mission is? Do you really think they’re going to jump on the bandwagon to help another reality? They need their people here! You’re reacting with your heart, Steve, and that’s not a good thing. You haven’t given any thought to the rationality of packing up and heading into their universe? You’re trying to help people, I understand. But you need to use your head, not your heart."

"And your suggestion about leaving Amy here? She’s not empowered by you."

Robin’s face flushed a bit and he said, "You know why I suggested that she stay."

Knowing the answer was all he was going to get, Steve nodded. "Right." Steve looked around the room one more time and said, "Okay, we’ll get the others in here and start working on a battle plan. We’ll get going as soon as we can."

"No, you won’t," a crackly voice barked from nowhere.

Steve started, but Robin just sighed in obvious relief. "Finally," the Goodfellow said, "Someone with an objective head on his shoulders."

Merlin appeared out of thin air, his eyes glowing with righteous anger. "I’ve been listening to this bullshit for the last few minutes, Steve. I have just one question for you: What in the Gods’ names do you think you’re doing?!?"

Steve started to answer, but Merlin cut him off.

"You listen to me Wanderer; it was bad enough you went on your little dimensional jaunt back in August, but I let it go because the Q’s can help us prepare for a Gray invasion. It’s bad enough that you have a dimensionally displaced Faerunian on your team, living like an Earth woman, but I let it go because she has some sort of destiny here, plus the fact I don’t want to be on the bad sides of Joanie, Millie and Robin at the same time. But this time there’s no logical, strategic, or sane reason for you to go to this alternate reality, since you had nothing to do with its situation."

Steve couldn’t believe what he was hearing. "Are you saying that I should tell these kids, ‘Sorry, but I can’t help you out since it’s not my reality?’"

While he did have some regret on his face, Merlin nodded. "That’s exactly what I’m saying."

"Sorry, boss. I’m not going to do that," Steve declared. "The Amazons are calling Artemis..."

"Steve, I’m giving you an order!" Merlin snapped. Squeezing his staff, the archmage said, "You listen to me, and you listen to me good, Knight Lieutenant. You’ve been to one dimension to save a person, now you plan to go to a dimension to save a town. In a few months, you’ll have the idiotic brainstorm of scanning through every single, scattered alternate reality in existence with the hair-brained notion of saving every world you can get to! Well I’m stopping this idiocy right here and now. And before you talk back to me as my adopted son, my personal champion, or as a goody two-shoes Boy Scout with a Sword of Destiny, I’m telling you straight up that I will NOT accept your resignation from the Order just so you can head off to realities unknown, and that if you try to do this...I’ll order Marc and Horace to pull any and all support from your group."

Steve couldn’t believe what he was hearing; the depths Merlin was going to in order to keep the team in this reality surprised even Robin.

Desperately grasping at the proverbial straw, Steve asked, "What if you went along? To keep things from going out of control."

"Robin would have done that, Wanderer. Nice try but no cigar."

"Then what WILL it take, Merlin?" the Immortal snapped at his mentor. "You don’t want to leave these kids hanging; I can see it in your face. But that’s exactly what you’re doing; leaving them to fight a battle they can’t win on their own. And another factor in this is Artemis; do you really think she’d let us go overboard? What is it that’s making you go this far to stop us from doing our jobs?"

"That’s the problem, Steve. It’s not YOUR job," Merlin replied with a scowl. "It’s the job of our counterparts in this alternate reality. I can ask Arty if she’ll try to contact the groups that can help these kids, but that’s the best I can do, and the most I’ll allow."

"Nothing will change your mind, then?" Steve asked, feeling defeated for the first time.

"Nothing short of a divine order," Merlin declared with a tone of finality.

Robin snapped, "You don’t ask for much, do you Mer?"

"Consider it given," a raspy voice called out.

"Oh sure, come on in, the more the merrier!" Robin snapped as he looked to the Heavens.

Merlin and Steve looked at JP Withers instead. The brown-clad Atlantean was just starting to puff on one of his trademark cigarettes.

"JP? What are you doing here?" Steve asked. For some reason, he began to feel a dread coming to his stomach since JP was probably here to reinforce Merlin’s orders.

He was wrong.

JP looked at Merlin and drawled, "Divine order, huh? Well, let’s say it’s been handed to you."

"By WHO?" the magician of Camelot demanded.

"You been talking to Joanie?" Robin asked innocently.

JP drew six raised eyebrows with a shake of his head and two words.

"Nope. Mike."

Merlin started to sputter and choke. "MICHAEL?!?" he rasped in shock.

JP gave the wizard an evil smile and blew a smoke circle in Merlin’s eyes. "You really think Joanie would go to all the trouble of going straight to the Big Guy, bypassing Michael altogether, if HE wanted these kids to go it alone? Michael was talking to me at the time, dropping not-so-subtle hints in the way that Archangels are so fond of doing, telling me that it was sort of a needed thing that I get off my ass and head over this way for something that needed doing. And I’m sure you know, Mer, that certain Big Guys are very strict about making sure that their directives are carried out."

"JP, do you realize the troubles this can cause?" Merlin bleated.

JP smiled and said, "That’s why I’M going along, Mer. Between me and Robin, plus a couple of people we might pick up, those being Mike’s words not mine, will keep things somewhat under control."

Merlin and Robin groaned, "Somewhat?!?"

"Hey, there’s going to be UDI," JP replied with a smirk. Sensing Steve beginning to draw breath, he quickly explained. "Universal Duplicate Interaction. We’ve already got the two Willows, two Xanders, a souled vampire, two Buffys, we’re going to have a pair of Ruperts going at it, so we’ve already had some damage. It’s just lucky for us that the Vamps had their souls restored since that negated any damage to OUR timeline. So don’t get on the punk for the restoration, because it actually helped in this case."

"I wouldn’t have ordered their execution, if that’s what you’re asking," Merlin snapped. "I would’ve ordered them sent back as is."

"Knowing what they’re like as soulless vampires?" Steve asked in disbelief.

"Steve, you know what my position’s like!" Merlin snapped. "I’ve had to make hard choices before. One of those was letting Joanie be burned at the stake, when Michael personally came down and told ME not to send a company of Knights to break her out of her prison all those centuries ago! Do you think I have no feelings, Steven? My heart hurts more than yours does, because your decisions only affect a few people. Mine are meant to protect the whole planet. You know I wouldn’t do anything cruel unless I had no other choice!"

Steve watched Merlin for several seconds. Finally, he asked, "Do you have any additions to the rules that Robin suggested?"

"Oh yes," Merlin hissed. Seething at the potential catastrophe that was developing before his very eyes, the wizard decreed, "If and when you get to this alternate Sunnydale, you will NOT go looking for allies in that reality."

"WHAT?!?"

Surprisingly it was Robin’s voice that sounded out. Looking at Merlin in shock he said, "You expect us to take them ALL out by ourselves?!? I know you acted senile last month with this whole Torilian thing but this takes the cake! I’m not thrilled we’re going in the first place, now you’re cutting us off at the knees!"

"If you’d shut up and listen for a second, Goodfellow, I’d finish what I was about to say," the mage sighed in despair.

Goodfellow slowly reigned in his exasperation, took several deep breaths, and said, "Okay. But this better be good."

"I think so," Merlin said before turning to Steve. "This is what I’m going to say to you, Steve. And you better listen up. When you go to the other reality, two people will be in charge of getting allies for you. Those people will be Robin and JP."

Steve looked at Robin and JP in turn. While they both looked surprised, they nodded in agreement. Knowing how rare an agreement between those two (with no comments or wisecracks from either of them) was likely to be, he realized that it was the best offer he was going to get.

"Agreed," Steve reluctantly consented.

"Good!" Merlin snapped in relief. He told Steve, "Wanderer, I don’t like being the hardcase like this. . ."

"Yes, you do," Robin grinned.

"...but I have to put the good of our Earth ahead of all other considerations," the old man finished. "Just be very, very careful about how you do this."

"We’ll keep the youngsters in line," Robin promised. He looked at JP and said, "Right, JP?"

"Right," JP said with a smirk and a puff of his cigarette.

Merlin looked between the two and began to wonder just how much interpretation of his orders the two could come up with between themselves.

<Oh shit.> he thought.

*****

Vamp Willow and Vamp Xander walked into the living room and noticed the uneasy glances that some of the teenagers still gave them. Vamp Willow scowled, walked over to an isolated chair, and sat down. She didn’t look at anyone and had decided they’d tell her about the next phase of the plan.

Willow glanced at Shaw, who cocked an eyebrow at her. Collecting her courage, Willow walked over to her counterpart while Vamp Xander warily watched her.

"Willow?" she asked gently, hoping to find a common ground for a fresh start.

The dejected Vamp Willow softly snapped, "Yeah, what?"

"I'm sorry about freaking," the witch began gingerly. "I just Wigged when you kept hitting on me."

"Oh, so if I don’t hit on you, we can hang, is that it?" Vamp Willow snapped, now glaring at her.

"No!" Willow blurted out. "That’s not what I meant!" She stared at Vamp Willow, then said, "Will...I’m sorry, okay? I'm just not comfortable with it. Well, it's more than that. It's also the whole 'double from another dimension' thing." She paused, then muttered, "I wonder how Patty Duke ever put up with this stuff?"

A surprising burst of laughter escaped from the souled vampire. "I was just thinking the same thing. But really, we don't have anything in common, so I can understand why you don't like me."

Willow protested again. "Hey, I do like you!"

Vamp Willow looked at her strangely, then Willow added, "Well, just not in THAT way, you know?"

"You really think we have something in common?"

"Come take a look at something," Willow challenged her, "and you tell me."

Willow started walking and Vamp Willow looked at Vamp Xander. Vamp Xander looked at Angel, who nodded in partial understanding. Vamp Willow took it as a good sign and followed her living double into another part of the house. Five seconds later, Vamp Willow let everyone know what she thought.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The Scooby Gang just smiled knowingly, but Vamp Xander started to freak.

"What the Hell did she do to my girlfriend?!?" Vamp Xander shouted.

Shaw provided the answer. "Willow showed her Steven’s computer."

Vamp Xander looked at her, then at Wish Buffy, who just shrugged.

"Computer?" he repeated.

"Yeah," Wish Buffy confirmed.

"Some things never change," Vamp Xander chuckled. "That’s my little Net Demon."

*****

Vamp Willow just stood there, her game face showing due to her excitement. She walked up to Steve and demanded, "What the Hell is that, where do I find one, and who do I have to sleep with to get one?"

Steve, Robin, JP and Merlin just stared at her as Vamp Willow looked around in confusion.

"What?" Vamp Willow asked. "I like computers."

"No kidding," Robin said with a roll of his eyes.

"Uh, sorry," Vamp Willow said, concentrating on getting her human appearance back. "Stupid demon."

"Would you mind waiting outside, you two?" Steve asked. He indicated the trio of men in the room with him and said, "We’ll be out in a minute."

Seeing JP and Merlin in the room, Willow muttered, "Oops. Sorry, Steve."

Steve nodded to them, signaling for them to leave. The two Willows quickly left the room, and Vamp Willow leaned in towards the Amazon.

"Where can I get one of those?" she asked eagerly.

"That’s the only one I know of," Willow replied with a grin. "But maybe the Steve in the other universe has one. If you guys hook up..."

Vamp Willow grinned as the pair rejoined the others. She sashayed up to Vamp Xander and said, "Xander, you won’t believe the computer this guy has in that room!"

Vamp Xander chuckled. "You always did like your computers, hon."

Xander asked him, "How about you, dude? How are you dealing with this?"

Vamp Xander looked at him and sighed. "Okay, I guess. This is going to take a lot of getting used to. You don’t know what it’s like to have all that stuff hit you."

"Maybe not," Xander offered.

He started to say something else but Steve said, "Xander?"

"Yeah?" Both Xanders asked in perfect unison, then groaned in perfect unison.

"I’ve heard of surround sound, but this is too much," Cordelia muttered. When everyone looked at her, she said, "What? I can’t make jokes?"

Willow asked Vamp Willow, "Will, when you remembered, you said something about Mom and Dad?"

Vamp Willow jerked and tears started to flow down her pale skin. "Yeah. I killed them."

"You killed Mom and Dad?" Willow asked in surprise.

"Yeah. Yeah, I did," Vamp Willow said tearfully. "God help me, I did. But, you know, when I looked at Mom...just before...you know...I saw something there I hadn’t seen in such a long time. She finally looked at me like a daughter, not a patient." When Vamp Willow looked back at Willow, expecting to see some form of fear or anger, she instead saw understanding and sympathy.

"I know the feeling," Willow dryly admitted. "She’s never gotten past that."

"I guess," the young vampire agreed.

"Hey, do we really want to know every little detail about these guys’ alternate histories?" Cordelia asked.

"Hey, Cordy," Robin said with a frown, "you’re just jealous because you can’t talk to your double."

"Hey!" Cordelia snapped, before looking at Vamp Xander and Vamp Willow. "Did you two really kill me? The other me?"

When they sheepishly nodded, Cordelia sighed. "Well, that just makes sense. You guys have been a pain in my neck for years."

"HEY!!" the Willows and Xanders snapped in perfect unison.

"Cordelia, although I know this is asking a lot, please try to be a little more sensitive," Jenny suggested. "They’ve no doubt know very little about us; it’d be courteous to listen to them and what they’ve gone through."

"’Cordelia’ and ‘sensitive’ don’t go together very well," Xander said with a smirk. He looked over at Vamp Xander. "How about you? You kill your parents, too?"

"What?!? You’re shocked that I killed Mom and Dad?" Vamp Xander asked.

Xander thought about it, his head moving back and forth a bit, before saying, "No. I'm shocked that I actually understood why you did it."

Vamp Xander nodded. "Drunken rages?"

"Hey, let’s not broadcast it to the world, huh?" Xander begged.

"Which world?" Vamp Willow asked playfully.

"Will..." Both Xanders warned in perfect unison.

"Hey, Xand," Xander asked his double. "What about Jesse? He still alive there?"

Vamp Xander stared at Xander. "He’s not alive here?"

Xander said, "No, dude. He’s not."

"So, Jesse's dead in your world too, huh?"

Xander’s eyes took on a look of sad remembrance, and he said, "Yeah. He got turned. I had to kill him. What happened to him in your world?"

"Vampire drained him," Vamp Xander said in a tight voice.

Xander frowned. "Fine. When we go to your universe, it’ll be payback time. Know where I can find that son of a bitch?"

Wish Xander’s eyes teared up. "You're looking at him."

It took several seconds for his words to register with Xander. When he finally regained his voice, he stammered, "You...you killed Jesse?"

His head nodding, Vamp Xander said, "Yeah. Now you know why I know where Angel's coming from."

"B-b-b-but...this was Jesse!" Xander blurted out. "You killed him!"

Vamp Xander looked straight in his eyes and said, "I know that, dammit! And I’m going to have to live with it forever! So you don’t have to make it worse, okay?"

Xander blinked at the guilt in his counterpart’s voice, and took several seconds to collect himself. He walked over to Vamp Xander, looked him in the eyes, and threw a brotherly hug around him.

"Let me tell you something, dude," Xander said truthfully. "You're not the only one who feels it. Trust me."

Robin mused over this similarity in dimensional outcomes and said, "Interesting. You two both killed Jesse in your own worlds. Guess some things never change, huh?"

The two Xanders, and the other Slayerettes, turned to glare at the fairy, who realized he’d overstepped his boundaries.

"I’ll be leaving now," he said, heading for the kitchen.

"Okay, let’s get back to basics," Steve ordered, getting everyone’s attention. "This is what we’re going to do..."

Steve went into the basic plan for getting a force to the alternate Sunnydale to eliminate the vampire horde ruling the town. It only took a few minutes, but there was already one protest, and despite the many dirty looks thrown towards Merlin over his position, it wasn’t the wizard whom someone decided to have words with.

"You’re leaving me here?!?" Amy snapped at Steve. She looked at the kitchen and shouted, "AND IT WAS YOUR IDEA?!?"

"I plead the Fifth," came the answer from the kitchen.

"You’re the only blonde Amazon we have," Steve said once again. "Robin figures you can pass for Buffy with any non-local vampires."

As Amy fumed, Buffy asked, "Amy, is it that you’re being left out or that you want to see what your double’s like?"

"Oh, please!" the witch snapped. She laughed out loud and said, "The way things look right now, MY double is probably stuck in my Mom’s body while my Mom is still in my body and with my luck drained and turned into a forty-something witch in a seventeen-year-old body with the nightlife curse and spell casting abilities of a witch."

Merlin sighed and said, "Well, at least ONE of these kids has common sense."

Amy glared at Merlin, and said, "Oh, shut up, you Old Fart. You got no room to talk with me after you pulled that shit last month. So don’t EVEN talk about what happened with my Mom."

She felt several eyes boring into her and she looked up to see Wish Buffy, Angel, Vamp Willow and Vamp Xander staring at her.

"Long story," she mumbled. She turned back to the Wanderer and asked, "Steve, do you really think Kendra, Joe, and I can handle this by ourselves?"

"It worked out well enough last month," Giles offered. "And you will have Charlie and Larry to assist, should it become necessary.

"Yeah, but still ..." she said, before giving in. "Okay, okay. I’ll stay."

"Thanks," Steve smiled at her acceptance of the inevitable. "Going with us are; Buffy, Angel, Willow and Xander from the other reality, of course. From our group will be Buffy, Giles, Jenny, Xander, Cordelia, Willow, Oz, Randi, Robin, and myself. Added to the group will be JP."

"Uhm, I have a question," Vamp Xander said, raising his hand. "Why not take the glowing chick with the French accent who shot our souls into us?"

"She’s got other duties, besides she can’t interfere with local stuff or stuff in other realities," Robin answered.

"Who was that chick, anyway?" Vamp Xander asked.

With a sly grin, Buffy answered, "An angel."

Vamp Willow and Vamp Xander’s jaws dropped several inches.

"An angel?" Vamp Willow breathed out in dumbfounded surprise.

"Joan of Arc, if you want to be specific," Xander finished.

"I just called Joan of Arc a ‘chick?’" Vamp Xander asked in fear.

"Yep," Wish Buffy replied.

Xander suddenly stepped away from Vamp Xander, who looked at him in confusion.

"What?" he asked.

Xander gave him the trademark silly smile and shrugged. "I don’t want to get hit by the lightning."

"Shut up, Xander!" Vamp Willow snapped, partly out of frustration, mostly out of not wanting to give certain Heavenly Powers any ideas. She looked at Steve. "Are all the girls here really Amazons?"

"Not all of us," Willow said with a grin. "Me, Amy, Cordelia, and Jenny are. There are a couple of other Amazons around, too. Jenny, Amy and I are witches. I’m Wicca, Amy calls on Hecate and Jenny’s a technopagan."

"You can cast spells through computers or something?" Vamp Willow asked.

"Not exactly," Jenny said with a thin smile. "But it’s been known to happen."

"And you’ve all got boyfriends?" Vamp Willow asked in doubt.

"Of course," Cordelia said with a short snap. "Why wouldn’t we?"

Vamp Xander said, "I thought the Amazons were all lesbians."

The Amazons all moaned while Cordelia shouted, "WE’RE NEVER GOING TO LIVE THAT DOWN ARE WE?!?"

Robin, having walked out of the kitchen, smiled and said, "Better talk to the Anti-Amazon Defamation group or hire a public relations firm."

"Who knows," Vamp Willow purred. "Maybe inside of you..."

Cordelia glared at her, and snapped, "Don’t hold your breath."

Vamp Willow shrugged. "Vampire. Breathing not an issue."

"Aw, GAWD!" the brunette Amazon moaned.

Willow whispered to Vamp Willow, "Uh, Will? Don’t tick off Cordy. Not exactly conducive to one’s longevity."

"Or my love life," Xander added.

Vamp Willow regarded Willow and challenged, "Well, what about you? You’re dating the white hat."

"The what?" Willow asked.

"Him," she elaborated, pointing at Oz. "They told me he’s a werewolf. And you’re dating him?"

"Of course," Willow confirmed. "What’s wrong with that?"

"He’s a werewolf!" Vamp Willow blurted. "I mean, does he change during the full moon and everything?"

"He can control it any other time," Willow said proudly, prompting a small smile from the guitarist.

"He can?" Vamp Willow whispered. When Willow smiled and nodded, she looked at Buffy. "And you think I’M kinky? Even I have my limits."

Willow started babbling.

"Could we please halt this foray into the gutter?" Giles pleaded.

"Here, here," Steve said, seconding the motion. "Listen up. We’ve only got a few hours to get to your universe, so we’re going to call in some backup. We will also try to do our level best to get more from the groups that I’m going to assume operate in your universe. So let’s get cracking! Jenny, would you and the others be so kind as to summon Artemis?"

The teacher nodded as she and the other three went to do just that.

"Xander, Oz, Joe," Steve barked, "Get some weapons selected for anyone who can handle them. H&K G3’s, Uzis, handguns for close in work and hand-to-hand weapons, swords, daggers and knives. We’ll go along as reinforcements get here, see who needs them or brings their own gear." Turning to Angel, he said, "Angel, Charlie, Larry, Randi, Shaw, help them out. Larry, you’re about to get a crash course in heavy military gear. Shaw, start laying blessings on anything you can get your hands on. Standard blessings only, I don’t want to drain your spell reserves. Xander, go through the swords in the armory, see if there’s anything that Angel and the other Buffy might be able to use. Robin, JP, Merlin, let’s get back into the computer room and come up with a battle plan."

The several armory-bound people started to move, and Steve looked at Vamp Willow and Vamp Xander. "You two, come with me. Willow, you seemed impressed with my computer."

Vamp Willow’s face lit up in anticipation, and Steve smiled back at her. "You’re going to give me, JP, and Robin some detailed plans on the Master’s base of operations based on the layouts we have of the counterparts here. Xander, your input will help us plan an assault. Let’s go."

Vamp Willow virtually sprinted into the computer room and Steve couldn’t help but admire the way her bottom moved in the tight leather outfit she wore.

"Giles," Steve said to the librarian, "go through the spell books and decide what spells might come in handy during a group assault. I get the feeling we’re going to need them."

"Of course," Giles said, bursting into action.

Steve turned to Buffy and said, "Buffy, come with me, and bring Buffy with you."

Buffy nodded as the Wanderer headed for the computer room, but paused as she saw Wish Buffy taking off for the front door.

Buffy rushed to catch up and caught her double just as she stepped out the front door. "Hey, where do you think you’re going?"

"I need to be alone," Wish Buffy snapped. "Go back inside."

"Hey, we need you in there," Buffy protested to Wish Buffy.

The alternate Slayer began laughing humorlessly. "Why? It’s not like I’ve ever been to this hick town. I never even heard of it before my Watcher told me to show up." She looked up at the sky, and sadly lamented, "And that’s the entire reason for this. I never came here."

Buffy stepped around her and saw tears flowing out of her eyes. She couldn’t believe that this cold woman was crying so easily.

"Hey, what’s wrong?" Buffy asked.

Wish Buffy looked at Buffy and Buffy could see not only sadness in her eyes, but anger. Anger directed at her.

"I'll tell you what's wrong! I'm jealous of you, that's what! You've got everything here and I ain’t got crap! You've got Mom, you've got friends, you've got a boyfriend, and you've got a frickin' life! I don't have any of that! And you know what? I can see what I am because of one frickin' change in this universal shit, it wasn’t even MY fault, and it makes me sick! I haven't got anyone to help me, I haven't got anyone to love, and I can't even feel shit anymore. Do you know what that's like? Of course not, you bitch, because you haven't had to lose anything!"

Buffy stiffened at her outburst. She still felt some sympathy but wasn’t happy about the criticism. "Yeah, well I can tell you what I lost. That night, instead of losing Mom, I lost Merrick in the amusement park. And I said the Hell with it; I almost quit right then and there. I lost Angel because of the fine print in his curse that he'd lose his soul if he ever became happy. It was my fault that he lost his soul. And he killed God knows how many people because of that. And it WAS my fault."

"I don’t get it," Wish Buffy said through her tears. "How is it your fault?"

"I made him happy," Buffy told the other Slayer. "We fell in love and I made him happy. And before you ask, I'm sure you can figure out how I made him happy. So my life hasn’t been anything like the ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ picnic you’re thinking it’s been. But, if you need to talk to someone, there is somebody you can talk to."

Wish Buffy let out a bark of sarcastic laughter. "Who? You?" she snapped harshly.

Buffy just let her twin vent. "No," she replied. "Mom."

Wish Buffy whirled on Buffy, bewilderment in her eyes and on her face. "You can’t be serious!" she got out despite her shock.

"Why not?" Buffy asked sincerely. "You need someone to talk to, don’t you? You want to talk to her, since she IS Mom, even with all this dimensional junk going on. She’ll listen in a heartbeat. I know it’s not easy..." Buffy rolled her eyes and confessed, "Okay, it’s way hard for both of us, but hey, I want to try to get off on the right foot here. Heck, it’s almost like having a sister I can argue with and stuff."

"Arguing?" Wish Buffy asked with a weird look on her face.

"Hey, it seems that’s what we do best, right?" Buffy asked, a small grin tugging on her mouth. It faded and she said, "But seriously, if you want to, go ahead. I don’t mind."

Wish Buffy watched her for several very long seconds, and swallowed a couple times. Finally, she carefully said, "Think she’s available now?"

"Just ask her," Buffy smiled.

*****

Joyce sat in the kitchen, nursing a cup of coffee while the others made whatever preparations were needed to make. She had decided to head home after she finished the cup, since her presence would only distract the others. As she took a sip, she was slightly startled when Wish Buffy entered the kitchen.

"Uhm," Wish Buffy said with an equal mix of eagerness and hesitation, "Joyce, do you think it’d be okay if we, well, talk a bit?"

Joyce smiled and put her mug down. "Of course, Buffy," she said, patting the chair next to her. "Sit down and tell me what’s on your mind."

Wish Buffy sat down in the chair and Joyce looked at her. "What is it, honey?"

The Slayer started to speak, but stopped when she couldn’t figure out where to begin. After a few moments, she shook her head. "I’m sorry, this was a mistake. Sorry I wasted your time."

Wish Buffy started to rise, but Joyce grasped her wrist. Wish Buffy looked at the wrist, then Joyce.

"Buffy, you’re not wasting my time. I don’t mind talking. If you need to talk, I’ll listen."

Wish Buffy waited for several seconds before slowly settling down. Joyce released her grip and waited patiently for the alternate Slayer to speak her mind.

Figuring it was as good a place to start as any, she said, "Tell me something, Mo--- Joyce. Are you still married to...Hank?"

Puzzled by this starting point, Joyce shook her head. "No, Buffy. We divorced about two years ago. That’s why Buffy and I moved here."

"He cheated on you, too?" Wish Buffy growled angrily.

"No, Buffy," Joyce quickly answered. She moved to negate the young woman’s anger. "Hank and I were faithful to each other. It’s just that over time, we fell out of love with each other. That’s all."

"My Dad cheated on you...I mean, my Mom," Wish Buffy grumbled. A tear fell down her cheek. "When she died, I left him. I just up and left with Merrick..."

Wish Buffy gazed into Joyce’s eyes, her own glistening with tears as the barriers started to fall. "Why did this happen?" she blurted out with a sob. "I didn’t do anything to her! Why did she have to ruin our lives? Why did...why did she have to KILL YOU?!?"

Joyce reached over and took the crying girl into her arms and just held her while Wish Buffy cried into her shoulder.

Holding onto Joyce like a lifeline, Wish Buffy softly wept, "Why did this happen?"

"I don’t know, honey," Joyce softly answered while she stroked Wish Buffy’s hair. "I don’t know. But I refuse to believe that it was your fault. And deep down, I think you know that, too."

Wish Buffy pulled back, and said, "I *don’t* know that! I don’t know anything anymore! I’m not supposed to *be* here! My whole life... Hell, my whole WORLD is a lie! For all I know I should be like HER!"

"Who?" Joyce asked, despite having a good idea who "she" was.

"HER!!" Wish Buffy snapped as she waved an arm towards the living room. "ME!!! But no! Thanks to Wishy Woman, I’m a cold-hearted killer! I’m like this because SHE took you away from me! I didn’t deserve that, Mom! I don’t deserve to lose you just so God could rub it in my face with this sick-ass ‘This Should’ve Been Your Life’ ripoff!"

Joyce stood up, and said, "You’re not being fair, Buffy."

"Of course it isn’t fair!" Wish Buffy said hoarsely. Looking around, she said, "How can it be fair at all when I get to see everything another copy of me gets to have?!?"

"I meant you’re not being fair to yourself," Joyce firmly said. With a calm voice, Joyce said, "Buffy, come sit down, and I’ll show you that you’re not the cold person you think you are."

Wish Buffy glared at her and asked, "How do *you* know?"

"Because I know what to look for," Joyce replied kindly. "Buffy, when you walked into my shop, when you broke down, I could see in you...I could see the *real* Buffy in your eyes."

"I’m not ‘real,’ Joyce," Wish Buffy snapped in frustration. "Don’t you get it? I’m NOT real! I’m...I’m just something that was dreamed up by some stupid chick with a chip on her shoulder! I..."

Joyce stood up and walked forward. She grabbed Wish Buffy’s wrist, and stared into the Slayer’s eyes.

"You ARE real, Buffy," Joyce decreed. "You’re standing here, right in front of me. I can feel your pulse, you can feel my touch. You aren’t the figment of someone’s imagination, you’re Buffy Summers, the Slayer and a champion of humanity for her world. A new world, perhaps, but a real, living, breathing world that NEEDS her. And when I died in that universe, you didn’t quit, you went on. You did your job. You just made one mistake, Buffy. You became afraid to feel anything, afraid to care about others. You haven’t lost your heart, Buffy. You just closed it off."

Wish Buffy listened to Joyce’s impassioned speech and whispered, "How can you be so sure?"

Joyce placed her hands on Wish Buffy’s shoulders. "Because in my opinion, no matter what world you’re from, no matter who you are, or what you’re afraid you are, I can still see it in your eyes. It’s in there, waiting to get out. I know you may not believe it, but I know you can feel it, in your heart. I may not be the Joyce who raised you, and you may not be the Buffy that I raised, but you are still Elizabeth Anne Summers, Buffy. And that means that you ARE my daughter."

She looked into Joyce’s eyes and simply couldn’t argue against the surety in them. She continued to shed long-overdue tears and threw her arms around Joyce, holding on like a small child hugging her mother. Joyce just held her and let this girl, no, her daughter, sob her heart out.

"I miss her so much," Wish Buffy finally said softly.

Joyce just whispered, "I know, honey. I know."

They held onto each other for a few minutes before Wish Buffy released Joyce and gazed at her Mom’s twin.

"Why do I feel like I’m gonna lose you again when I leave?" Wish Buffy asked in a sad voice. "I mean, I know you’re not her, but..."

"Buffy, just remember this," Joyce told her. She cupped Buffy’s face in her hands. "Whether it’s me saying it or me saying it for your Mother watching you from Heaven, I just want you to remember one thing; I’m VERY proud of you. You’ve been through hard times, you’ve been through sad times, and you’ve been through angry times. But you’re still a fine young woman I’m proud to call my daughter. And remember what I told you; don’t be afraid to feel, or to let others in. Let your heart open back up, and you’ll be the person you want to be."

"I’d like to believe that, Mom, but--"

Joyce cut her off. "Buffy, you talked to the spirit of Joan of Arc less than two hours ago. Then you watched three Amazon witches restore the souls of two vampires whose twins are the best friends of the Buffy from this world. And if I can say that without thinking I’m drunk or on drugs, then believe me when I say that *anything* is possible. Especially you becoming the woman I’m so proud of."

Wish Buffy stared long and hard into Joyce’s smiling eyes. Then she gave Joyce one final hug they knew would be the last embrace they ever shared.

Although reluctant to end the moment, Wish Buffy finally released Joyce, and said with a lopsided smile, "Thanks, Mom. I gotta go. Steve’s holding a powwow on how we’re gonna take out the Master when we get back."

"Take care of yourself, honey," Joyce said in the tone of a fussy mother. "Be careful."

"I will. YOU be careful on the way home," Wish Buffy countered before doing the bravest and most difficult thing she’d ever done.

Buffy Summers turned and walked away, leaving her Mother for a second time.

As she left the kitchen, Joyce sadly whispered, "God, please let her be happy."

"She will be," an accented voice answered behind her.

Startled, Joyce whirled to find Joan standing there with a smile on her face.

Joan just smiled at the open question on Joyce’s face. "Oui, Madame Summers, she will be happy," Joan promised. "I am permitted to tell you that much."

Joyce was originally doubtful, but then felt like kicking herself when she realized just ‘Who’ Joan was really speaking for. She asked, "Will you watch over her?"

"She already has someone watching over her, in her own reality, Madame," Joan said, her smile growing a bit. "Someone much more suited to that task than I."

"Who?" Joyce asked in disbelief. "You report to an Archangel! Who could possibly be more suited than you?"

Joan’s smile became mysterious. "As to whom watches over either Buffy Summers, in this their situations are similar. The Buffy Summers of that reality simply needed you to remind her."

Joyce shook her head in confusion. "I don’t understand..."

"Yes, you do," Joan countered. "After all, as you once said, a mother always knows."

Joan vanished with that and Joyce watched the spot for a long time before smiling herself as the answer became clear. She felt at peace then, as she had the knowledge that Wish Buffy would indeed be looked after.

*****

In the computer room, Vamp Willow was showing that she was up to the task of dealing with the "computer from Hell," as Vamp Xander put it. She’d quickly outlined the alternate Bronze, along with the basement and every single nook and cranny in the club they knew about, based on floor plans from the Bronze that the Slayerettes so often went to.

As she let her fingers fly over the keyboard, under the watchful eyes of Steve, Buffy, JP and the others, Wish Buffy quietly walked in. Buffy gave her an inquisitive look, which Wish Buffy returned with a terse nod.

Wish Buffy leaned in and said, "Mom’s on her way home."

Buffy nodded, and she could see that the other Slayer’s talk with Joyce had done some good.

Wish Buffy looked at the holographic blueprint of the layout of the converted factory as the others stared at it, and her face became grim.

"That’s the place this all started," she said.

"Tell me about it," Vamp Xander said dryly. With a shake of his head, he said, "I mean, that was it? The Master’s big plan? Turning humans into organic soda cans. No demon raising, no Hellmouth opening, no world domination, no mayhem? He fell so far in my eyes."

"Then why were you spouting something about a golden age?" Angel asked.

"Self preservation," Vamps Willow and Xander said together.

Steve looked at Wish Buffy and asked, "Buffy, would you like to add anything?"

Wish Buffy looked at the hologram for several seconds. "Maybe if you did this in 3-D?"

"Gotcha," Vamp Willow cheerfully said, setting her fingers into motion. "You want external or internal view?"

"Say what?"

Steve translated by saying, "Do you want to see the factory from the inside or outside?"

"Outside was pretty standard stuff," Wish Buffy answered. "So inside’s okay."

As the view of the factory shifted, Vamp Willow asked, "Eye level, elevated or overhead?"

Wish Buffy watched in awe as the young vampire’s hands literally flew over the keyboard for several seconds. Vamp Willow looked at her, awaiting an answer.

"Uh, elevated. Angel and I broke in through one of the upper windows," she responded. As Willow adjusted the view, Wish Buffy said, "Damn, you’re good."

Vamp Willow looked at her with a seductive smile on her face. "Has Xander been talking?"

Wish Buffy started to speak, but caught herself. "You ever consider being subtle?" she asked.

"It’s overrated," Vamp Willow declared. "I tried that with Xander for sixteen years, and it never worked."

"Hey!" Vamp Xander blurted, while JP cracked a grin.

<I like this kid’s attitude,> JP thought to himself. <Reminds me of a couple friends of mine.>

An idea began to form in JP’s head, and he made a note to pick up those friends for some fun in the alternate reality.

Wish Buffy looked over the plans and finally said, "I got nothing to add. These two know the place better than I do."

Merlin looked at Steve and asked, "So, are you still going to go on this suicide run, Steve?"

Steve sighed and said, "I thought we had this discussion settled."

"The what, why and how," Merlin admitted. With a sigh, he said, "Okay, Steve. Just be very, very careful."

"Uhm, excuse me," Wish Buffy said uncertainly, "but this is the Master we’re talking about. The big enchilada. Have you guys ever faced anything even remotely this big?"

Steve looked at Buffy, who shrugged. The two Immortals turned to the expectant quartet.

"Keep in mind, this isn’t *everybody*," Buffy said sheepishly. "Just the big names."

"Let’s hear it," Vamp Xander said eagerly. "This should be good."

"Okay," Buffy said with a smile. "First there was Luke, and Darla."

"You took out Luke and Darla?!?" Vamp Xander blurted out.

"Yeah, they were easy compared to the Master," the Slayer said easily. Then she said, "Then there was Spike and Dru..."

"Hmmmm. Spike..." Vamp Willow said dreamily. Noticing the stares from Steve, Buffy and Wish Buffy, she huffed. "What? Dru was staked, and Spike needed some comforting."

Noticing the sick looks from all but Vamp Xander and JP, she confessed, "Okay, okay. It was just a twelve-hour stand. Sheesh. You guys act like I have no stamina."

Buffy looked at Steve and said, "You realize it’s going to take me weeks to get THAT image out of my head?"

"You killed Spike and Drusilla?" Angel asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Not exactly," Steve confessed. "We ran them out of town along with Angelus."

"Who’s next?" Vamp Willow asked.

Steve and Buffy looked at each other, then at Robin and JP, who both shrugged.

"Katherine Plantagenet," Steve started.

"Throlog the Merciless," Buffy added.

"Reginald DeBrachy," JP continued.

"Pinhead the Cenobite," Robin put forth.

"Dracula," the Wanderer said, raising his right hand.

"The Headless Horseman," the Slayer continued, raising her right hand.

"And Ares," Robin finished.

While Vamp Willow, Vamp Xander and Angel listened in mute shock, Wish Buffy threw her hands up and moaned, "Great! Just great! I’m being serious, and these guys are bragging about fighting somebody because of his horoscope sign!"

"Ares," Robin repeated, spelling it out. "A-R-E-S."

Wish Buffy cocked an eyebrow in question, but Vamp Willow and Angel both stammered, "You mean the GOD?!?"

"The Greek God of War," Steve answered in full seriousness. "But in all fairness, we had help from Artemis on that one."

"Why did a Goddess help you trash her bro?" Vamp Xander asked in doubt.

"Hello?" Buffy said. "We have Amazons on our team, remember?"

When Vamp Xander nodded, the Immortal said, "Look, we’ve faced our share of bad guys doing the ‘bringing on the end of the world’ gag. Sometimes, it’s like we’re doing it every week."

"Like a TV show," Wish Buffy muttered. Finally, she admitted defeat. "Okay, okay. But what’s Mom gonna say about you going to another universe?"

"Uh, I was kinda hoping she wouldn’t find out," Buffy confessed. Off Wish Buffy’s shocked expression, she blurted, "Hey, it was bad enough seeing double us’es in her shop, how do you think she’ll react if she finds out I’m going dimension hopping?"

"Good point," Vamps Willow and Xander muttered, with Merlin nodding his head in approval.

"You two stay out of this," Wish Buffy snapped at them. She turned back to Buffy. "And how’s she gonna react when she finds out you went behind her back?"

"I’ll get time off for good behavior," Buffy shrugged. "Besides, what good is it to ground me if I have to break the grounding to save the world every month?"

"Good point," Angel agreed.

"You stay out of this, too," Buffy snapped before continuing. "Look, Buffy. If we just sent the four of you back like Merlin wanted, what chance would you have against the Master? Really, really think about that."

Wish Buffy did think about it, and did something that would have been unthinkable for her less than a week ago. She turned to the three souled vampires and asked, "What do you guys think?"

Vamp Xander and Vamp Willow looked to Angel, making him the spokesman by default.

"You know how I feel," Angel said to all of those present. "I’m all for going back and taking him out. We just can’t do it alone. And if they just help us with this, we can at least make Sunnydale safe again."

"We need their help," Vamp Willow agreed. "Besides, I wanna see these guys beat up someone besides me and Xander. And fighting gets me in the mood for..."

Seeing the looks off the others (except for Vamp Xander and the chuckling JP), she said under her breath, "Shut up, you damn demon."

She meekly looked at Steve and asked, "Anything else on the computer?"

"No, Willow. Thanks a lot," Steve said. He looked at the four displaced people and said, "Why don’t you four take a break while we call in the people we’re taking with us."

Wish Buffy shrugged and head out, followed shortly thereafter by Angel. When the door closed, Vamp Willow looked at the people still in the room.

"Uhm, can we talk about something?" she asked.

Buffy said, "Of course, Will. What’s up?"

"Well..." Vamp Willow said gingerly, "I’m sorry I killed you earlier."

Buffy waved her off. "Demon. End of story."

"We understand that," Vamp Xander put in. "It’s just that, well...when we kill people, they usually tend to stay dead."

Buffy looked at Steve, and the two considered what to tell the teens. Finally, Steve decided to come clean.

"Angel already knew in his universe," Steve said, more to Merlin than anyone else. "Willow, Xander, it’s pretty simple; Buffy and I are Immortal."

Vamps Willow and Xander looked doubtful, to say the least.

Steve launched into an explanation of the concept of Immortality, the Game, and the recent history of Immortals and the revelations brought forth by the scroll of Krevar and Shiva’s announcement in Los Angeles. He then gave them specifics on Buffy and himself, leaving out details he felt best left unsaid, such as beheadings. When he finished, Vamps Willow and Xander took several long, silent seconds to digest the story.

Finally, Vamp Xander asked, "So what's this Prize that you Immortal guys were supposed to fight over?"

"Ultimate power. The power of every Immortal who ever existed," Steve answered.

"Not the sort of thing you'd find in a crackerjack box, huh?"

In the background, Robin tensed a bit.

Vamp Xander looked at the door and asked, "Is that Buffy..."

"No," Steve and Buffy answered together.

"Are you sure?" Vamp Willow asked softly.

"Yes, Willow," Steve told her. "We have ways of detecting Immortals when they come within a certain range, so we would’ve known immediately if she was an Immortal."

Merlin jumped in at this point, telling the two vampires, "And you kids have to know something. You can’t tell her what you just heard, any of it. She has to find out on her own. She might be an Immortal-to-be, or she might not be. She may be completely mortal. Think of it as another one of those timeline differences you’re not allowed to talk about."

"Okay, sure," Vamp Xander agreed, not wishing to argue with a wizard. "So, are we going to call in your friends now?"

"Yep," Steve said firmly. "We’ll see if Robin and Artemis are ready to go and grab some of our allies, then start calling up people to ask for help. And thanks to you two helping out with these plans, we’ll be able to come up with a battle plan that will hopefully limit any casualties from our side."

Vamp Willow and Vamp Xander beamed at Steve’s compliment, which was seconded by a nod and smile from JP. Buffy let herself grow an inward smile at their brightening moods.

"Let’s start dialing," St. Wolf said as he pulled out his cell phone. "Buffy, would you see is Artemis is willing to bring people here?"

Buffy nodded and said, "Xand, Will, come with me. I’ll introduce you to some of our out-of-town friends as they get here, and you two and Angel can get some better clothes on."

"What’s wrong with my outfit?!?" Vamp Willow demanded, putting hands on hips.

"It’s not magical, bulletproof, lightweight body armor," Buffy smiled at Vamp Willow. "Think of it as full body, magic bulletproof vest."

Vamp Xander smiled at that thought, but his girlfriend didn’t seem so eager to try on combat armor.

"But. ."

"And there’s a button in the glove that lets you choose what color it is," the Slayer added without hesitation. "Seven choices."

Now the vampire seemed a little receptive. She asked, "Is it tight in all the right places?"

"We can adjust it," Steve assured her with a mental sigh.

"Cool!" she said with a smile. "Let’s go."

As she headed out of the room, Vamp Xander said, "Great. Fashion tips for the Green Berets."

"You just have to know how to talk to girls, Xander," Buffy grinned.

As they left to catch up to Vamp Willow, Merlin muttered, "Gods, I shudder to think of what the other doubles might be like."

JP blew some smoke and said, "I like ‘em, Mer."

"You would," the wizard moaned.

*****

Part 10: A Convergence Of Forces
(Why Should Pantovich Have All The Fun?)

DeSalvo's Gym
Seacouver, Washington (the Wandererverse)
Late hours
12 December 1998

Robin appeared in the dojo with little fanfare, having used the rationale that he was enlisting a master swordsman to help fight evil to get a teleport spell to Seacouver. He looked around at the dark training area, and cupped his hands over his mouth.

"Hellooooooo?" the sprite said loudly. "Anybody home? That is, anyone of the long-lived, sword-swinging persuasion?"

After a few minutes, Robin was about to call out again when he heard the elevator activate. After a few seconds it reached the first floor and its door slid open to reveal the occupant.

Duncan MacLeod stared at his guest for just a second before replying, "Robin? What's happened?"

"We got a hot one this time, Duncan," Robin snorted. He looked around and asked, "Where's Amanda?"

Duncan hesitantly said, "In Paris on a shopping trip. Or so she says. The others are out of town, too. Richie and Justin went to Vegas, while Jarod and Andrea traveled to London for the holidays."

"So you're the only one available?" Goodfellow asked, suddenly less than enthusiastic about the prospects of ally gathering.

"Methos can come," Duncan answered. With a sly grin, he added, "Why shouldn't we have him help out a bit?"

"Okay," Robin said as he nodded and pursed his lips. "But don't tell him what we're doing, or he'll never agree to go."

"Which is?" the Highlander asked. <This should be good.>

Robin took a deep breath and said, "Taking the Buffy, Angel, Xander and Willow from an alternate universe back home, where Buffy never went to Sunnydale and is still a Pre-Immie, Angel never lost his soul and is still the brooding hero, and Willow and Xander were normal, soulless vampires until Jenny, Amy, and our Willow got their spell casting claws into them about an hour and a half ago, so we can help them wipe out the Master and a few hundred vamps in the Sunnydale in that universe."

Robin watched Duncan regard him with a blank look on his face.

He asked Duncan, "Need me to go over that again?"

"I'm not certain," Duncan confessed. "Do I want you to?"

The fairy quickly considered the question and shook his head. "No, not really."

"Good," the Scotsman said. Turning towards the elevator, he said, "Let me grab my sword and we'll be off."

*****

Residence of Connor MacLeod
Manhattan, New York City, New York (the Wandererverse)
Late hours
12 December 1998

Connor MacLeod stirred from a sound sleep as the Buzz hit him quite suddenly. Centuries of battle-hardened reflexes asserted themselves as he rolled out of bed.

As his feet touched the floor, Connor crouched and wrapped the fingers of his right hand around the hilt of his katana. With the reassuring feel of the carved ivory handle under his fingertips, Connor took up a defensive posture facing the doorway to his bedroom.

"Not bad," a husky feminine voice said from behind him.

Connor struck with amazing speed, aiming his katana at what he estimated to be the level of the intruder's neck.

Artemis caught the blade of the Masamune in her left hand, abruptly halting its deadly arc.

With a cocked eyebrow and a mischievous smile, the Goddess said, "Nice reflexes, Connor MacLeod."

Connor stiffened in surprise as the identity of his "guest" registered. Yanking his blade free and snarling in disgust, he asked, "What do you want, Artemis?"

"Not to be skewered by your fine weapon," the Goddess said lightly.

Maxine boldly walked into Connor's room and crossly snapped, "Jeez, Connor! Just cut the Boss Lady's head off, why don't ya!"

<Great. Now I'm getting double-teamed,> Connor thought before asking the first thing that came to mind. "May I ask you ladies the purpose of your visit?"

"Some people who need help have come to the Wanderer's attention," the Huntress explained. "Steven plans on helping these people, but there is a deadline for getting these people back to their universe of origin. So, he is calling in those who can come immediately, with the plan of contacting fighters in that universe for help once they arrive."

"Excuse me, Artemis," Connor said as he held his hand up. "Did you say, 'their universe?' As in another dimension?"

"Alternate reality is the actual term, Connor, but yes," the Goddess informed him. "I thought this would be a fine first test for Maxine as an Amazon, as well as offering her a chance to bond with her sisters. But as you are her Immortal teacher, I thought you would prefer to accompany her."

"'Sides, Connor," Maxine said sweetly in her Bronx accent, "if I go an' get my head lopped off, you're gonna have ta break in a new 'slave' at the store. An' you been pissin' and moanin' about St. Wolf since the Boss Lady here laid Her mojo on me. Now you can bust his chops in person."

Connor looked back and forth between the grinning women several times, the only sound being Maxine popping a bubble with her gum. Then, he began to shake his head and laugh while his shoulders sagged in defeat.

"You two discussed this before coming here, didn't you?"

The Goddess and Amazon just continued to grin.

"All right, Artemis," Connor finally said. A grin much like the women's crept onto his face, and he said, "On one condition."

When Artemis cocked her eyebrow, the Highlander said, "You don't tell Mulder and Dana the details of this situation beforehand."

Maxine's snort of laughter sharply contrasted with her Goddess' more sedate giggles.

With a bright smile on her face, she nodded, "It's up to you to have the others in position when they arrive."

"My pleasure," Connor grinned.

*****

Residence of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully
Washington, D. C. (the Wandererverse)
Late hours
12 December 1998

Mulder and Scully walked into their home, their clothing and hair disheveled and covered with large amounts of dust. As Mulder began engaging the door locks, Scully sent out a silent call.

<Tigger?> she asked telepathically. <We're home.>

//Not for long,// came the Guardian Spirit's reply.

<What's that supposed to mean?> Mulder asked the orange tabby.

"What it means, Fox," Artemis said as she casually walked through the wall of the Agents' bedroom, "is that you're needed immediately in Sunnydale."

"Has something happened, Lady Goddess?" Scully asked with growing concern. "Are the kids all right?"

"They are well," the Goddess assured her. "But of the Immortals in Seacouver, only Duncan and Methos were available for this mission. Steven doesn't have time to call in all of his usual allies, who are on missions of their own. He is gathering a core group to build his assault force."

"Who's in this 'core group?'" Mulder asked cautiously. "And if you don't mind my asking, why were you waiting for us in our bedroom?"

"As for the first, your friends in Sunnydale, save for those protecting the Hellmouth," Artemis began. "Added to those will be Duncan and Connor MacLeod, Methos, and Maxine Thomasson. As to the second question, I expected to find you in there."

"We were on patrol," Scully told her, showing off their dusty clothes. "But we'll finally get to meet Maxine?"

Mulder grinned. "Maybe we can compare methods for picking on Connor."

With a resigned sigh, Artemis said, "Dana, you have my deepest sympathies."

"For what?" Mulder and Scully asked together.

"Your choice of mates," Artemis smiled.

She snapped her fingers before Mulder could protest, sending the two Immortals on their way to Steve's house in a flash of light.

*****

St. Wolf Residence
Sunnydale, California
Late hours
12 December 1998

Mulder and Scully arrived in a brief, blinding flash of light. When the light faded, the husband and wife swiftly looked around to get their bearings. Seeing that they'd been teleported into Steve's training room, they began to relax despite the Buzz hitting both of them.

The doors to the training room burst open seconds later, and Xander and Cordelia rushed in, weapons at the ready. Upon seeing the FBI Agents, they calmed down and put their weapons away.

Cordelia asked, "Artemis?"

"Yes," Dana sighed. Her countenance took on a more professional appearance and she asked, "Can you tell us what's going on?"

"And who's involved?" Mulder asked with a vested interest in the answer.

"Follow us," Xander sighed. The young man turned and led the way towards the living room. "This is one time when seeing is believing."

As they walked, Mulder shot Scully a suspicious glance.

//Are you thinking what I'm thinking?// he asked Dana.

Scully looked at him. //That this mission will be way out there, even for Steve?//

The Agents walked into the living room and stopped dead at the sight that greeted their eyes.

A second Xander, two Willows, two Buffys, and Angel, not to mention all of the others, watching them for their reactions. Scully was shocked into silence, but a quirky grin spread across Mulder’s face.

"This is going to be a fascinating story," he said. "I can tell."

"Shut up, Mulder," Scully snapped as she recovered from the shock. With a look at the Buffys, she asked, "What's the story, Buffy?"

"Well, it starts like this..."

Buffy told the new arrivals the story that the Slayerettes had pieced together through their conversations with the quartet of alternate Sunnydale residents. After the tale had been told, Steve relayed the basic elements of their plans once they arrived in the alternate universe.

When he finished, he asked, "Any questions?"

"One, yes," Mulder said. Looking at Vamp Willow, who was still in her leather outfit, Mulder asked, "Hey, isn't that the leather getup that waifish, red-headed porn star, Bambi Bimbo, wore in 'Sissy the Vampire Layer?'"

The rest of the room fell silent until Cordelia, the implicitly appointed spokesperson said, "Mulder, I think I speak for everyone here when I say...Ewwwww!"

"What?" Mulder asked, addressing all of the people in the room.

Then Vamp Willow smiled coquettishly and purred, "Why yes it is. The costume designer from the movie gave it to me before I ate him. Do you like it?"

Everyone now stared at Vamp Willow, who addressed all of the people in the room. "What?"

"Never mind," the implicitly appointed spokesperson said. "Never mind."

"Okay, moving on to SERIOUS matters," Steve snarled at Mulder, "do you have any problems with going with us?"

Mulder shook his head. "Hey, we're in. Every hero worth his salt has to take a trip to an alternate dimension, right?"

"Like who?" Steve asked in confusion.

Mulder began ticking off on his fingers. "The Justice League, X-Men, Superman, Batman..."

"We're screwed," Robin and Merlin moaned.

"...but I'm wishing this was one of your setups," Scully finished for Mulder. "Here we go again."

With a glance around the room, Mulder asked, "This is it?"

"So far," Steve admitted. He patted his pocket and said, "We're waiting for answers from a couple of others."

"Who?" Duncan asked from the back.

Methos added his two cents as well. "Yes, St. Wolf. Please enlighten us."

After a soft mumble about smart mouthed Immortals, Steve replied, "Well, the bad news is that Casey, Mack, Hannibal and Remo are all busy, and the Knights are on missions in Europe, Asia and Canada. Merlin dropped by to discuss a few things with me for the trip, but he's not going to join us. Something about dimensional activity or the like."

Mulder then asked, "So who IS going, POSSIBLY going, or might know someone who could go?"

"Horace is sending some people," Steve answered. "He was sending someone to pick them up."

"The Ghostbusters?" Amy asked with a snarl. "Don't tell me he's sending them with us after what happened last month."

Steve glared at her. "Not exactly."

*****

Team Tunafish Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois (the Wandererverse)
Early hours
13 December 1998

The alarm began to blare at only three minutes after midnight. As it did so, Bureau 13's finest fighting team responded with the professionalism and rapid deployment one might expect from elite Federal Agents.

Eddie and Jessica Alvarez were the first to enter the living room, followed quickly by George Renault and Tina Blanco. Eddie had quickly grabbed his .357 Magnum with its Dutch load of silver, lead and wooden bullets, while George was armed with his custom-made M60 machine gun.

Raul Horta phased through the wall of his bedroom like a ghost, his mage's staff gleaming with spell energy just waiting to be unleashed. Mindy Jennings, the team's resident martial artist, came out in a more traditional manner, carrying her enchanted katana with its blade shimmering with every color of the rainbow.

Bringing up the rear was Father Donaher, his 12 gauge double-barrel shotgun in his hands.

"Report!" Alvarez barked as he held his pistol at the ready.

Raul closed his eyes and waved his staff around a few times. Finally, he said, "Someone teleported into the computer room."

"I thought the building was shielded against that kind of infiltration," George pointed out.

"It is," Raul said.

Before he could go on, Jessica said, "I sense three people. One's blocked, but the other two..."

"That would be us," came a feminine voice from above.

<Above?> Team Tunafish thought in perfect unison.

The momentary delay in their reactions was enough for the two women to drop from the ceiling and land in the middle of the team's formation and launch their attack.

The taller of the pair, a statuesque woman standing over six feet tall with red hair falling to her waist, attacked Eddie. With surprising speed, the woman grabbed his pajama top with one hand and yanked the .357 out of his hand with the other. She rolled backward and monkey flipped the team leader into Tina Blanco, sending mage and private investigator sprawling to the floor in a heap.

The second attacker, a short woman with blonde hair cut at shoulder length, grabbed the barrel of Renault's machine gun and pulled with apparent superhuman strength. As the rotund soldier stumbled forward, the woman ripped the gun out of his hands while throwing a spinning heel kick that connected with George's large stomach.

Raul began to chant a spell, but the blonde woman, warned by his voice, threw the machine gun at him before he could get the magic to take effect. The Belgian nobleman was sent falling back as the heavy weapon collided with his chest.

Jessica fired a brain blast at the taller intruder, and felt a great deal of satisfaction when the woman went to her knees. Before she could follow up, however, a hand clamped onto her shoulder and spun her around.

As the Chinese woman's eyes widened in surprise, a large cloud of cigarette smoke promptly blinded them.

Seeing her opening, Mindy prepared to capitalize on the advantage handed to her by Jessica. As she prepared to knock the woman out with a punch, so as to have a prisoner for later interrogation, a loud thud distracted her.

Looking over to the side, she saw that the shorter woman had literally thrown George into the wall, taking Donaher with him in the process.

The blonde turned on Mindy and drew a pair of sai short swords, their distinctive trident-style prongs reflecting the light being cast by Mindy's katana.

As the two armed women began to advance on each other, a raspy voice ordered, "HOLD!"

Recognizing that voice, Mindy was suddenly filled with the cold dread that every Bureau 13 Agent felt when the legendary JP Withers was in close proximity.

<Ohhhhhhhh shit!> Mindy thought.

//You took the words right out of my mind,// Jessica shot back at her.

Mindy looked over at Jessica, and noticed JP smirking at her team, a cigarette dangling from his lips. Jessica, on the other hand, was rubbing at teary eyes.

JP took in the sight around him and checked his watch. Nodding in satisfaction, he said, "You kids get an eight point five for reaction time, and a nine point five for performance."

Amid the moans from most of the people present, Jessica blurted, "Eight point five?!? We reacted almost instantly!"

"Emphasis on 'almost,'" the redhead, fully recovered from the telepath's brain blast, replied.

Mindy glared at the taller woman and snapped, "And a nine point five for performance? Jess and I are the only ones still standing!"

The Atlantean approvingly said, "Emphasis on 'still.' Especially against these two. I added a point for Jessica getting the drop on Sonja here."

As the other members of Team Tunafish tried to stand while suffering many aches and pains, Eddie asked, "Yearly ambush readiness review?"

"Pre-Cise-Ly," JP agreed, a small cloud of smoke exiting his mouth with each syllable. "Horace moved you yahoos up on the schedule. Wanted to be sure you weren't getting soft on vacation after helping out against Drac last month."

"Mind introducing us to your... friends?" Renault asked as he held his aching head.

JP grinned at him. "No problem." He pointed to the redhead and said, "Meet Red Sonja of Hyborea, onetime companion of one Conan of Cimmeria. Call her Sonja."

"Pleased to meet you," Sonja said with a grin.

Some of the members of Tunafish didn't recognize her name, but they certainly recognized the name "Conan." Their jaws dropped as they realized this was for real, and that JP was NOT pulling their legs.

"And this," Withers said, feeling a great deal of enjoyment at their shocked expressions, "is Gabrielle, the Battling Bard of Potadea, Amazon Queen, and formerly partner of Xena the Warrior Princess of Amiphobis."

The seven Federal Agents took several seconds to get over their fellow Agent's dual proclamations. Eddie finally said, "Did we pass?"

"'Course not," JP grinned at the Tunafish leader. "If this had been for real, five of you would be dead or injured right now. But in all fairness, you're the first team that had *any* survivors. Congratulations."

"Thank you, sir," Eddie muttered.

"Don't thank me yet, Alvarez," JP said through another cloud of smoke. "We've been handed a mission by Michael."

"Michael?" Mindy asked. "Who's Michael?"

"An Archangel, and General of the Divine Host, the Armies of Heaven. That's who Michael is," JP grinned at them. "Horace okayed the mission, though."

To their credit, Tunafish quickly absorbed this news and stiffened to attention, waiting for their orders.

Eddie seriously asked, "What's the mission, sir?"

JP grinned and looked at the two Immortal women. "I told you these kids were professionals." Turning back to the team, he said, "Your mission, should you choose to like it or not, is to accompany me to Sunnydale, California, to aid one Steve St. Wolf and Section Seven in a mission to eliminate a horde of vampires. This horde of vampires is located in Sunnydale, California, in a previously uncontacted alternate reality. Should you or any of your team be captured or killed, Horace Gordon is sending me along to blow away the bastards who do so. However, despite your fondest wishes, or deepest fantasies, I will NOT self-destruct in five seconds."

JP took one final puff of his cigarette.

"So get cracking."

Tunafish quickly moved to obey his orders.

Sonja nodded approvingly. "You've got them well trained, you old bastard," she said.

"Thank you," JP grinned.

*****

St. Wolf Residence
Sunnydale, California (the Wandererverse)
Early hours
13 December 1998

"That was Horace," Steve said as he closed his cell phone. "He's sending Tunafish."

"And friends," JP's voice said as he and his entourage arrived.

The crowd turned to see the brown clothing-clad Immortal, with Sonja, Gabrielle, and the seven-member Bureau team behind him.

Eddie walked forward and shook Steve's hand. "So what have you been up to, Steve?" he asked with a smile.

Steve grinned back at him. "Just kicking the asses of certain demons and Greek Gods."

"Yeah, I read Spengler's report on that little fight," Eddie chuckled. He backed up a bit and asked, "So is it true you've added even more boy and girl scouts to your little group?"

"I wouldn't go that far," Steve laughed. He looked at the people still behind JP and said, "To those who haven't been here previously, let me welcome you to the Casa St. Wolf."

Sonja and Gabrielle moved towards the Slayerettes while Tunafish just stayed together and watched the other people in the room.

Steve said, "For those who haven't been briefed on the entire story, here's what's been going on during the last week. . ."

Steve quickly gave the scaled-down report for what seemed like the umpteenth time. When he finished the story, Eddie and his teammates were nodding in understanding.

"I see why Horace sent us," Eddie spoke confidently. "We've been to a few alternate realities ourselves, so it's just another mission for us."

"At least it's not a boring trade meet in Klick," George said as he worked on a sucker he'd stashed in his gear. "Sounds like we'll actually get to have some fun this time around."

"Damn straight," JP agreed gleefully. "Now, punk, you gonna introduce them to your newest rookies?"

"Sure, why not?" Steve consented. He looked at the dimensional refugees, and then indicated the newest arrivals. "Angel, Buffy, Willow and Xander, meet Team Tunafish. They're with Bureau 13, which is the covert operations division of the FBI. That's Eddie Alvarez and his wife, Jessica. George Renault. Tina Blanco. Raul Horta. Mindy Jennings. And finally, Father Michael Donaher."

Steve looked over at Sonja and Gabrielle and offered their names. "And that's Sonja and Gabrielle, they've worked with us before and sometimes help with our training at times."

The two women nodded greetings towards the four doubles. Then they noticed Vamp Willow staring at them.

"Is something wrong, Willow?" Sonja asked curiously.

"Nope," Vamp Willow said as she continued to stare at them. A smile came to her face as she said, "Nope, nothing at all."

Most of the younger Slayerettes softly moaned, causing Gabrielle to ask, "Is something wrong?"

"Gab---" Cordelia started to say before realizing just whom she was talking to. "Never mind."

With a mischievous grin on her face, Sonja purred, "Wow, Willow, I don't mean to be crude, but the other you really looks GOOD!" Sonja purred.

"She’s hot!" Gabrielle added.

Steve quickly took the opportunity to move on. "Eddie, you and your team remember Mulder and Scully?" When Tunafish nodded, the Wanderer said, "Okay, allow me to introduce you to those you haven't met."

Steve started with Duncan, and moved along the line. "That's Duncan MacLeod, he lives in Seacouver. Next to him is his kinsman Connor, who lives in New York. The Susan Powter look-alike is Maxine Thomasson, Artemis' newest Amazon," Steve said as Maxine just stuck her tongue out at him. Moving along, he continued with, "This is Methos. Next to him is Detective Axel Foley, Detroit P.D. He sort of got dragged into this by Angel when he arrived in our universe. The young woman is Kendra, she's the current Slayer. Next to her is Sir Joe N'Gato, a Knight with the Order of the Grail."

As Tunafish memorized the names and faces, Steve moved to the last quartet of those who'd been absent from San Francisco last month. "That's Charlie, he's our resident undercover man. The smaller man is Robin Goodfellow of the Fairy Kingdom. He's not Puck, let's just leave it at that."

"Thanks for saving me the trouble," Robin laughed. Upon seeing the looks on their faces, he shrugged. "Will was drunk when he wrote the play."

"May I continue?" Steve asked with a frown. Without waiting for an answer, the demon hunter pointed at the last two. "And last, but not least, the newest members of our team, Shaw Hunter and Larry Blaisdell."

Tunafish just nodded or waved greetings, but Renault looked at Shaw, then back at St. Wolf.

"She's the one?" the soldier asked, a note of hostility in his voice.

Steve was somewhat confused by the question. "I beg your pardon, George?"

George jerked his hand back in Shaw's direction and asked, "Is that the kid who nearly fried our newest Bureau team last month?"

Now the others looked as one directly at Shaw, who ignored their gazes.

Amy stepped forward to defend her cousin. "George, it was..."

"Spare us, kid," JP said with a sneer. He walked up to Shaw and looked down into her eyes. "I was going to talk to St. Wolf about that matter myself, but instead I'll just ask you. Care to tell me how the Ghostbusters nearly got treated like a bag of microwave popcorn in New York?"

Shaw folded her arms and coldly replied, "As it so happens, what happened in New York was an accident. The Ghostbusters and I reached an understanding, so I fail to see how it is any of your affair."

"They're part of the Bureau," JP replied. He shot a blast of smoke into the ranger's face and told her, "That MAKES it my affair."

"Is that so?" Shaw asked. She cocked an eyebrow and said, "Then perhaps you would care to tell me how your Bureau sends inexperienced, ill-equipped, untrained field operatives into a combat situation when they cannot tell the obvious differences between a seventeen-year-old, blonde-haired, Amazon witch and a two-hundred year old, headless ta'narri equipped with a bastard sword and battle axe?"

While Tunafish listened in confusion, JP countered by saying, "They're Federal Agents who were sent to take out the Headless Horseman. You launched that spell at them while they were performing that duty."

"I cast that spell at them while they were assaulting my cousin with their energy weapons," the priestess answered back. She then asked JP, "If you saw the *only* family that *you* had being attacked by potentially lethal opponents, and believed her to be in mortal danger, would you stand by and do nothing? Or would you move to protect her?"

Shaw, being the subject of JP's gaze, was the only one who noticed the way his eyes tightened at the question.

"I'd do whatever it took to protect her," the demon hunter answered in a dry whisper.

"Then kindly refrain from being a hypocrite who condemns someone who took the same path you yourself would take."

JP put his face closer to Shaw's, being only inches from her nose. "This is different, BREED."

To JP's (and most everyone else's) surprise, Shaw's reaction was somewhat less than spectacular. She cocked her right eyebrow a bit higher.

Then, the young woman asked, "Is that the most potent insult you can come up with, you arrogant, ill-mannered, poorly dressed, foul-smelling, mother-raping, inbred bastard of a pox-ridden, self-pleasuring, twentieth-generation two-copper WENCH?"

Surprisingly, no one gasped, commented, or otherwise made a sound.

They were too frightened to.

<D-d-d-d-d-did she just...> Raul thought to Jessica.

//Oh, yes!// Jessica beamed in a mounting panic. //Raul, can you 'port us back to Chicago?//

<Not all of us. Sorry.>

<OH, SHIT!> Eddie screamed in his head as JP slowly stared to smile. <Someone got any ideas?!?>

//Draw straws to see who gets to leave with Raul?// an unknown voice asked.

Eddie looked around in confusion until he saw Robin staring at him.

//It was only a suggestion.//

Through his smile, JP snarled, "Do you have any idea who I am, rookie?"

"No, nor do I care to know," Shaw retorted. "But considering that in the last three months I have faced Scorpion, a Yautja, a killer of children, the Headless Horseman, Merlin, and Ares Himself, I do not think that YOU can be that much of a threat."

Gabrielle looked at Sonja, who seemed to be thinking the same thing.

<Ignorance is bliss.>

Steve finally moved forward to keep the confrontation from becoming anything more than verbal.

"JP, Shaw, I'm quite fond of this house," Steve told the pair, "and I'd like to keep it in one piece. Now back off, both of you."

JP didn't move, but instead asked Shaw, "Tell me one thing, kiddo; you think the 'Busters are tough enough for the Bureau?"

"Based upon my observations, and what my friends have told me," Shaw began, not backing down in the least, "they have courage, honor, determination, intelligence, and heart. But such qualities can only serve one so much. Compared to others, their training has been woefully lacking."

"How'd you like a taste of Bureau training up close and personal, Pretty Girl?" Mindy snapped, no longer willing to accept this unknown's disparaging of the Bureau. "I'd be happy to show you some of *our* training, Missy!"

"Jennings!" Ed Alvarez snapped in an attempt to rein in his Agent.

"Hold it, Alvarez," JP cut in. He exhaled another puff of smoke and said, "Breed has a point. The kids haven't had the standard Bureau Academy training. At the same time, I see no reason why Jennings' point can't be made."

The Atlantean looked at Steve. He asked, "You've seen Jennings in action, Wanderer. What do you think?"

Steve shook his head. "Shaw dug herself in this hole, it's up to her to dig herself out."

JP and everyone else looked at Shaw, who simply nodded once and turned her attention to Mindy.

"Very well, Mindy Jennings. I will allow you the choice," she offered, her voice taking on a note of ritual. "Do you wish to choose the weaponry or the venue?"

Thrown off by the question at first, Mindy quickly recovered. A feral grin broke out on her face, and she answered. "Swords, Missy. You have any problems with that?"

"Actual steel or training swords?" Shaw asked, looking nonplussed.

Once again, Mindy was caught off guard by Shaw's calm demeanor. "Training swords are fine with me. Whatever floats your boat, kid."

"Very well," Shaw said. Without any deliberation, she added, "The training room will suffice for our purposes."

"Training room?" Ed asked Steve.

Steve nodded, not surprised by the ranger's decision. "I've got a fully functional training room-slash-dojo-slash-weight room, Eddie. It's big enough."

Shaw nodded, obviously considering the matter settled. "Shall we go?"

"You're going to wear that?" Mindy asked doubtfully as she took in Shaw's blue jeans, sweater, and running shoes.

"This clothing will suffice," Shaw said easily.

Mindy was finally starting to realize that this "sparring match" might not be so easy, but she wasn't going to back down by any means.

"Fine by me," Jennings finally said with a shrug. "Let's go."

"Of course," Shaw said, turning for the training room.

*****

Mindy followed Shaw's lead. Once the two had disappeared from the living room, someone amongst the assembled fighters decided to break the uneasy silence.

"George? Raul?" Xander mumbled. When the two men looked at him (as did everyone else), he smiled. "Ten bucks apiece on Shaw."

George responded first. "You're on, Harris," he grinned.

"Agreed," Horta seconded, waving one hand and pulling a ten spot out of thin air.

As the betting started, two had their minds on the fight itself.

*****

"I wish I could see that match," Vamp Willow said wistfully.

"Me too," Wish Buffy nodded in agreement. "But for the fight, not your reasons."

"Spoilsport," Vamp Willow grinned. She felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned around to see Willow grinning at her. "What?"

Willow asked her, "You wanna see the fight?"

Vamp Willow nodded eagerly, and Wish Buffy looked at the two, sensing some mischief was about to take place.

"What are you two up to?" she asked.

Willow's grin widened. "Come on," she ordered the two, heading for the computer room. "We have cameras set up in the training room, and Willow can get another shot at the computer."

"All right!" Vamp Willow said gleefully.

The three headed for the computer to get a look at the fight.

*****

As Xander opened up a can of worms, Steve groaned and said, "Thanks a lot, JP."

"Don't mention it," JP answered as the others began to place their wagers.

"Twenty dollars on Mindy," Father Donaher barked out, looking for any takers.

His challenge was quickly taken.

"Done," Connor said with a sly grin. He looked at his kinsman and asked, "Are you in, Duncan?"

To Connor's surprise, Duncan nodded with a grin. "You have another twenty in you, Father?"

Donaher nodded and growled, "You're on, Scot."

Tina looked at Amy and asked, "Do you wish to make wager?"

Amy gave the White Mage a sly one-over. "Considering that a, she's MY cousin, and b, it was MY butt the Ghostbusters shot at, yeah I'm in. But let's make it interesting."

"How interesting?" the Russian asked with a smile.

Jenny jumped in, saying, "We have copies of Michelangelo's Demons and Monsters, Circe's Spells and Charms, and Wiccan Rituals, Spells and Wards in Celtic."

"JENNY!" Giles blurted, completely aghast at Jenny's offering.

Tina's eyes gleamed at the mention of the priceless volumes, as did Horta's. Tina looked at him, and he said, "One ring of invisibility, six healing potions, and four wizard scrolls."

Jenny shook her head. "Amy and I are witches, we have our own healing potions, and these are *original* copies."

That did it, if the wide-as-dinner-plates looks in the mages' eyes were any indication.

"Ring of Invisibility, *six* wizard scrolls, an enchanted athame, a book on alchemy Eddie *thought* he burned in the fireplace..." Tina started, before Raul threw in his own bombshell by saying, "and we'll make copies of every spellbook in our library."

Jenny and Amy looked at Giles, who carefully said, "We bet copies of our library. We keep all originals."

"DONE!!" the two mages eagerly decreed.

"I'm never going to hear the end of this," Steve said as he buried his face in his hands.

"It fosters unit cooperation, kid," JP offered with a smirk.

"Shut up, you old bastard," Steve snapped.

"Thank you."

Eddie, conscious of the glances his teammates were sending his way, smiled and called out, "Wanderer, fifty on Mindy."

Everyone's eyes switched to Steve, anxious for the Immortal's reply.

"Oh no, you don't," Steve said evenly. Glaring at JP he said, "This was a serious matter, and I am NOT getting involved in this argument."

"Oh, come on Steve," Xander suggested with a smile. "This is the whole college rivalry/team spirit thing. You're the leader, the coach, our Obi-Wan, so you're supposed to set an example for the rest of us."

As everyone called out in agreement, Steve defiantly shook his head. "Nope. Not this time."

"Fine," Buffy snapped. She told Eddie, "I can match ten, Eddie." Looking around, she asked, "Some help here?"

"I'm in for twenty," Scully quickly replied as she reached into her pocket. "Anyone else?"

"Oh, why not?" Gabrielle surprisingly said. "I'll cover the last twenty." When Sonja cocked an eyebrow at her, she shrugged. "We've seen Shaw in action."

Sonja nodded. "True."

Mulder then called out, "I'll lay twenty bucks on Mindy."

Scully stared at him. "Fox William Mulder! How could you?"

"After the way she embarrassed me in October?" Mulder grinned. "Very easily."

"I'll add a twenty to that," Methos added. "I owe her."

"She wasn't in her right mind at the time, Methos," Duncan protested.

"Does she even have one?" the Greek shot back.

Jessica said, "I'll take both your wagers."

As Tunafish stared at Jessica in shock, she just sent a small grin Eddie's way, which led to Eddie getting a sinking feeling in his stomach.

<What do you know?> Eddie asked his wife.

//Sorry, dear,// the mentalist relayed. Eddie could hear the humor in her voice. //Trade secret. You'll find out soon enough.//

Eddie's shoulders sagged.

*****

Xander looked over at Robin and asked, "Yo Rob? You gonna join in?"

"Please," Robin snorted in disgust. "I have my standards." He looked at JP and asked, "Well, JP, what do you say? Shall we teach these youngsters how to make a wager?"

<Youngsters?> Sonja, Methos and Gabrielle thought.

"Name your price, Goodfellow," JP said with a sneer.

Robin put his hand to his chin for a few seconds. "I got it. How about two hundred thou I've got in a Swiss bank account against..." He eyed JP and laid down the gauntlet. "...that Masterson you used n the DeBrachy fight?"

"You're on," JP answered. With a simple shrug he said, "I've got a couple extras."

Eddie looked at Jessica, who asked, //Eddie, what scares you more? That JP Withers is willing to be a Masterson Assault Cannon on a sparring match, or that he has a COUPLE EXTRAS?//

<Neither.>

//WHAT?!?//

<What scares me,> Eddie thought in dread, <is who Horace is likely to assign the task of finding out where JP GOT the extras.>

With a sick look on her face, Jess groaned, //Oh, God!//

Amy stared at Robin and cautiously asked, "You're betting on a gun?"

Robin smiled at her and said, "It'll help finish a little project I'm working on."

No one was brave enough to ask just what kind of project needed a Masterson Assault Cannon to finish it.

*****

Seconds later, someone walked into the living room. Everyone turned to see who it was, and most of Team Tunafish felt their stomachs beginning to flip-flop.

"Good God, Ed," Father Donaher hissed. "She's not even breathing hard."

Shaw, with only the barest beads of sweat on her forehead, took in the multiple stares directed at her. She just shook her head in resignation and asked, "Who bet on me?"

Those who did so raised their hands, while the losers just glared at the winners.

"I see," Shaw muttered. She walked up to JP and said, "I apologize for assuming that the Ghostbusters' training was the norm for your organization. But could you explain why they have not had such training in the first place?"

JP was somewhat surprised by her apology, so he decided to oblige her. "The rookies are a different case. Since they work for an established parapsychologist, we can't just ship them off to the Academy."

Shaw nodded in understanding, but Eddie wasn't letting it go that easily.

"Excuse me," he said, reluctantly catching her attention, "but just how long did that match last?"

"About ninety seconds," she replied.

Tunafish paled almost as one. George whispered, "Did you really beat her that badly?"

"No," the woman replied. "I simply found an opening to exploit before she did. It was a very even match." Unaware of Mindy entering the living room behind her, rubbing at her stomach, Shaw added, "I must confess, it was refreshing to fight a normal opponent in a sparring match for once."

Mindy stiffened. "Define normal."

Robin beat her to the answer. "In her case, she means someone who isn't a Slayer, Amazon, or man given enhanced physical abilities by a certain fun-loving fairy who shall remain nameless."

Mindy looked at Shaw in shock. "How do YOU keep up with Slayers and Amazons?"

"Forty years of training and experience," Shaw answered. Off the doubtful looks from the Agents, she looked at Steve. "They were not told I am half-elven?"

When Tunafish looked at JP for an answer, he shrugged. "I thought Jennings could take her."

"Speaking of which, JP," Robin said with a smile, "we had a wager."

JP shrugged uncaringly. He snapped his fingers and pulled out the massive assault cannon out of thin air. He handed the entire assembly to Robin, then said, "Take good care of her. She's got a few miles on her."

Robin nodded and threw the entire thing over his shoulder like a duffle bag, holding it by the end of the barrel.

"I know I'm going to regret asking this," Amy muttered. Raising her voice, she asked, "Robin, exactly what kind of project is that thing for?"

With an easy shrug, Robin said, "I just took a big step towards finishing my Christmas shopping."

After a few seconds of stunned silence, the Slayerettes shouted, "WHAT?!?"

"I always try to finish my shopping a couple weeks early, to avoid the crowds," Robin told the team. He looked at Amy and said, "I was stuck on a present for Xander..."

"WHAT?!?" Cordelia shouted.

"Yeah," Goodfellow admitted with a smile. He turned to Xander and said, "I saw how much you admired this baby in August..."

Robin was cut off by a loud "THUD" that reverberated throughout the living room. He looked over and saw everyone in the room staring at the sight of Cordelia, lying on the floor, fainted away. The Slayerettes, Immortals and allies all stared at the unconscious Amazon for several seconds, and then turned to look at the confused Robin.

"What?"

"Cordelia fainted?" Vamp Xander asked. "Cool."

Xander said, "This is not cool, Xander."

"She's being quiet," Vamp Xander pointed out.

Xander thought about it, then nodded. "Just help me get her into the office."

*****

As the two Xanders took Cordelia to Steve's office, Willow, Vamp Willow and Wish Buffy came out of the computer room, animatedly discussing the Shaw-Mindy bout. Steve turned his head towards them, but they just grinned at him with synthetic innocence.

"If you guys want to see the tape," Willow suggested, "we got it edited."

"All angles, too," Vamp Willow grinned. "Side, overhead, reverse angle, Shaw's POV, Mindy's POV, elevated and it's all in 3D and stereo."

"Tekken fighters, eat your heart out," Wish Buffy added.

Merlin sighed, "Young ladies, I think we have more important things to consider than computer games."

"Man's got a real winning personality, don't he?" Axel said, nudging Angel.

"You have no idea," Shaw muttered.

Merlin's patience ran out at that point. "Enough!" the archmage bellowed. To Steve, he said, "Wanderer, I know you'll take this seriously, so I'll be brief in the recap for EVERYONE! First, under NO circumstances are you to mention alternate realities to ANYONE, unless you know they can be trusted. Second, once the situation's resolved you call Arty to bring you back posthaste. Third, you are not to bring back anyone from the alternate reality. And most importantly, DO NOT INTERFERE WITH YOUR DOUBLES' LIVES. I will NOT be raked over the coals by the Powers That Be because the natural course of someone's life was altered by interference on your parts."

Mulder raised his hand, and Merlin said, "Yes, Agent Mulder?"

"What about duplicates in the other reality if we don't have the people WE know?" Mulder asked the wizard. "If we don't have the ones from our universe, that is."

Merlin pondered the question, but Steve moaned, "You can't be serious."

Of course, Mulder nodded that he *was* serious. "While we're there, should we try and find their versions of Jarod and Parker?"

"No, three reasons," Steve said, taking on a hard look. "First, for all we know, on this world Parker's the Pretender and Jarod's hunting her. Second, if Jarod doesn't want to be found, we won't be able to locate him in time. And third, this is already turning into a circus. We don't need to find out the differences of every single one of our allies."

"Spoilsport," Mulder grumbled. He kicked the ground like a disappointed child.

"Oh Gods, why me?" Merlin moaned.

"Karma?" Robin suggested.

Merlin glared at Robin, and said, "How many others are you waiting on?"

"As an old favorite of mine once said," Robin suggested, "th-th-th-that's all folks!"

Merlin looked around at the entire group, a look of concern coming to his face.

"This is it?" he asked.

"Yes," Steve confirmed. He folded his arms and said, "You heard the calls; the others all have fights on their hands already. I will say this; we were lucky to get Ed's team, and Sonja and Gabrielle are a pleasant surprise addition. No one else is available."

Merlin looked quite less than happy with the news. He looked at Vamp Willow, who shrunk back from his look. "How many vampires does the Master have at his beck and call?"

Hesitantly, Vamp Willow said, "Usually, something like two hundred. But after what the Slayer and Angel did last week, he'll add a lot more. It's been a week, he'll have about three or four hundred."

"Four hundred sixteen," Artemis said as she appeared in the room. She looked at Merlin and said, "Also, twenty-five demons of varying types. Not to mention two assassins he's called upon to eliminate that world's Giles, Oz and Larry."

"WHAT?!?" Vamp Willow and Vamp Xander shouted.

"It's nothing we can't handle," JP grinned. "Already been there, Arty?"

The Goddess glared at him and said, "It's nothing you cannot handle, until you consider the fact that he plans to add another one hundred or more servants tomorrow night." With a look at Steve, she said, "Steven, I have determined exactly which universe the children hail from. And, as you yourself said, time is of the essence. Is this the entire group you can muster?"

Steve sighed and said, "Apparently so, Artemis. We've got a well-rounded group, I just wish I could add more in a timely fashion. Unless anyone here has an emergency phone number they've got hidden on their person?" As he said that, he looked around to show he was only half-joking.

While most of the others remained silent, one person reluctantly spoke up.

"I have such a number," Shaw admitted.

Merlin turned on her and demanded, "Why didn't you say something earlier!"

Shaw looked at him through hooded eyes and said, "Because I asked for their aid only a month ago, and I hesitate to do so again."

Steve knew who she meant by that, and he said, "Shaw, you can tell him."

Shaw tensed, but upon looking at Steve, who nodded for her to continue, she said, "I have contact with a fighter-mage of Elfhame Fairgrove."

"Some of their people work for the Bureau," Merlin informed the group. "But it's early morning in the Eastern Time Zone. What are the chances he's in his office right now?"

"Oops," both Xanders said in perfect unison.

"Shut up, Xander," Vamp Willow and the now-awake Cordelia snapped.

"Any other bright ideas, Miss Hunter?" Merlin asked rhetorically.

"As a matter of fact, one," Shaw told him. "I am quite certain that the people are awake and aware at this point. But I would need your help."

Merlin actually perked up. With a nod, he said, "What do I have to do?"

Shaw's face became grim, and she told him, "Open a two-way portal to Shadowdale, so that I could enlist the aid of a few Chosen of Mystra."

Merlin paled and began to stammer at that suggestion, but Robin hid a smile since he could sense that she was completely serious about it, if the need arose. Artemis, on the other hand, felt an idea forming in her mind.

"Excuse me, Mer," the Huntress said, a smile forming on her lips. "A portal might not be a bad idea."

"You're not seriously suggesting I open a portal..."

"To Faerun? No," Artemis assured him. Looking at Shaw, she said, "But to Fairgrove, yes. I could easily send her there, and she can ask her friend directly."

Shaw looked at Steve, Buffy, and Robin in turn. When all three of them nodded, she looked back at Merlin. "Well?" she asked.

"I hear the Lord of Fairgrove is a fair man," the magician said. "Do you mind looking the part of the proper envoy? It'll make a better impression on him."

Shaw watched Merlin for several seconds before muttering, "Why do I get the feeling I am going to regret this?"

Merlin moaned and stalked away. "That girl is impossible!"

"Buffy, Amy," Steve quickly called out, "help Shaw pick out some appropriate attire, body armor and such. Robin, would you help out? You probably know more about elves than anyone here."

"Got me there," Robin chuckled. "C'mon girls."

Buffy, Amy, and Shaw looked at each other.

"I think we're in trouble when Robin offers fashion advice," the Slayer muttered.

No one disagreed before the three Slayerettes began heading for the armory.

*****

Steve said to the group, "Okay, people. Hang loose for a while and try to relax a bit. JP, Ed, George, Merlin, come with me into the computer room. I've got the plans for the vampire lairs in the computer thanks to our visitors, so I want to come up with a preliminary battle plan. Shall we?"

As the people Steve had named joined him, the others began to mingle.

Brian walked up to Sonja and Gabrielle, and he gave them hugs.

"How are you, Brian?" Sonja asked him with a smile. "Or should I call you Marcus?"

Brian rolled his eyes and the two women began to giggle. The young man quickly recovered and said, "Sonja, Gabrielle, I've got presents for you."

Sonja cocked an eyebrow and asked, "What are they?"

"I'll be right back!" Brian exclaimed before scampering off for the staircase.

Gabrielle spotted Randi chuckling. She said, "Okay, Randi, spill it. What's he bringing down?"

Randi just shook her head at her, telling her, "Oh no. I'm not spoiling this."

Brian came downstairs, carrying two long cardboard tubes like those used by the Postal Service. He ran up to Sonja with a big grin on his face and said, "Merry Christmas, Sonja." He then handed the other one out to Gabrielle.

Sonja took her cylinder and removed the plastic cap off of one end. With a smile, she took out two rolled up sheets and then set down the container.

As she unrolled the papers, Gabrielle looked over her shoulder to get a good look for herself. Sonja stared at the top sheet for several seconds, while Gabrielle promptly began laughing under her breath.

Sonja grinned at Brian and said, "You know she looks nowhere near as tough as I do."

Brian returned her grin and replied, "Look at the other one."

"I'm afraid to look," Sonja grumbled with a chuckle. She looked at the poster underneath the first one, and shook her head at Gabrielle's laughter became quite vocal. She said, "Now Arnold, at least, looks like Conan. On a smaller scale, that is."

Gabrielle looked at hers and asked, "Is this going to have what I’m afraid it’s going to have?"

"Open it and find out," Randi joked. "At your own risk of course."

Gabrielle opened up her tube and pulled out the poster. She unrolled it, looked it over, and she and Sonja broke out into laughter.

"At least your actress looks like you," Sonja joked.

Gabrielle shook her head in helpless laughter for several seconds, and then gave Brian a hug of thanks. "Where did you find these?" she asked Brian.

"We found them at an auction house in San Francisco," Randi told her. With a shrug, she added, "Brian bought these, so Steve had to settle for Dracula's ashes."

Sonja and Gabrielle stared at Randi and Brian. Gabrielle said, "Tell us everything. JP only gave us the basics."

*****

Jenny and Giles walked up to Raul and Tina.

"Tina, Raul, I believe we had a wager?" Jenny asked sweetly.

Raul sighed in defeat and twirled his hands around. Tina cupped her hands, and the promised items, sans the books, materialized in her palms.

"Can we give you an IOU on the library?" Raul sadly muttered as Jenny began to look over the items.

"Of course," Giles agreed. "In return, I'll talk to Steve about making copies of some of our more esoteric volumes. Jenny could scan them and send them to your computer, if you have one."

Jenny arched an eyebrow. "You're awfully quick to volunteer my computer skills, Rupert."

"You were the one who offered the books in the first place," Giles reminded the Gypsy. "Therefore, you should be the one to handle the transaction."

"Does he talk like this always?" Tina asked Jenny.

Jenny shrugged. "I can't tell if it's from being a librarian, a mage or British."

"Hey!" Tina, Raul and Giles protested in perfect unison.

Jenny took the ring out of the pile of magical items and looked it over. The ring was made of slightly tarnished silver, but was fairly unremarkable. She placed it on her finger, and it magically shrank to fit her finger. The teacher smiled approvingly and turned to Giles.

"Since you will obviously take the scrolls," Jenny said to him, "Amy'll get the athame."

She asked Raul about its enchantments, and the senior mage said, "This particular athame can act as a portable storage unit. Any witch can 'store' any combination of spells, up to a maximum of six, for use at a later time. If she adds a seventh, it drops one spell at random. Other then that, it's a standard witch's athame, usable in all rituals."

Jenny looked to be reconsidering her choice of the booty, so Giles quickly grabbed the knife. "I'll give it to Amy when she comes out," the Watcher said as he placed the item in the pocket of his jacket. With a grin, he said, "You did say Amy would get it."

Jenny glared at him as the mages laughed.

*****

Mulder and Scully walked over to Duncan, Connor, Methos and Maxine. Mulder shook hands with Duncan, while Scully engaged Maxine in conversation.

"Maxine? I'm Dana," the Federal Agent said as the two women shook hands. "It's good to finally meet you."

"Yeah, you too," the Bronx-raised woman agreed. "Connor's told me a lot about ya."

"Oh, really?" Mulder asked, glancing at Connor.

"Don't worry, Maxine," Scully said with a smirk. "Only eighty percent of it's true."

"That's all?" Maxine asked as she popped her gum. She said, "That's a letdown for sure."

"I'm liking this girl," Mulder said.

Connor grumbled, "You would."

"So what've you two troublemakers been up to lately?" Methos asked the Agents. "I heard it was something involving...Dracula?"

Mulder and Scully both glared at the Greek as they nodded in memory of the fight. Scully then asked Methos, "By the way, Adam, how's the butt? Still using it as a pin cushion?"

The MacLeods and Maxine began chuckling at that.

Methos grumbled, "At least I didn't get a sword in the gut, Connor."

"Wasn't a big deal," Maxine said with a smile. "I've been tempted to do that lotsa times."

Now it was Connor who was glaring.

At this point, Father Donaher, Jessica Alvarez and Mindy Jennings walked over to the grouped Immortals.

"Agent Mulder, Mr. Pierson, I believe you owe me some money," Jessica said with a grin.

"As did we and the good Father," Duncan said, pointing to himself and Connor.

As the people reluctantly handed over their money, Mindy looked at Scully. "Is it true my own teammate bet against me?" she asked.

"Mulder and Adam bet on you," Scully grinned. With a glance at Jessica, she asked, "Well, Jessica, who did you peek at? Shaw?"

"Read a psi-screened empath? Right," the telepath scoffed. "I got a quick rundown from Robin. He just gave me the 'tale of the tape,' so to speak, and let me know how they stacked up against each other. When he told me about her training with certain 'experienced' swordsmen, that did it."

Mindy looked Connor up and down. "You trained her?"

"I had a hand in it, yes," Connor grinned.

Not liking that grin, she asked, "Think you could take me, Claymore Brain?"

"Against your indestructible sword? I don't think so," Connor joked. "I wouldn't dare offend you by facing you with just a Masamune that was folded only two hundred and twenty times."

Mindy's eyes bugged out. "Did you say, a MASAMUNE?!?"

"Forged for his son-in-law, husband of his wife Nikiko," Connor smiled.

"Miss Jennings, perhaps my blade might survive against your blade," Duncan said with a small grin. "That is, if a mere Masahiro is acceptable to your high standards."

"A Masahiro?" Mindy rasped out. When Duncan, followed by Connor, showed off the handles of their blades, she looked at Jessica. "I'm starting to think I had the wrong sensei."

She then looked at Mulder and asked, "Which of these two trained you?"

"I had the misfortune of being their teacher," Connor laughed. Ignoring the glare from the Mulders, he said, "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"You?!?" Scully blurted out. "WE were the ones who got shot!"

"And who had to wait for you to revive?" Connor said with his infamous smirk. "You should've believed me when I said I didn't take those heads."

"Rub it in, Connor," Mulder growled over laughter from the others in their little gathering. "Rub it in."

Connor looked at Duncan, an eyebrow raised.

Duncan shrugged.

"He did insist, Connor."

"Yes, he did."

Scully smacked Mulder on the back of the head.

*****

In the armory, Amy and Buffy were helping fit Shaw with a suit of armor provided to Steve by the Order of the Grail.

"I still don't get why you won't wear the other one," Buffy complained. "I mean, it's just as good as this one..."

"This suit has no insignia on it," Shaw explained with a sigh.

Buffy and Amy stopped their work, looked at each other, then looked at the chuckling Robin.

"Wait a minute, Hunter. Is this a Millie/God/religion thing?" Amy asked in disbelief. "You don't want to wear the other one because of the damn cup?!?"

"That is part of it," Shaw admitted. "Also, I am not in the Order. That would be..."

She looked at Robin for help, and he nodded. "Amy, Buffy," he smiled, "think 'Truth In Advertising.' If she goes in with a Grail symbol on and then admits she's not in the Order, it's not a good way to start off."

Buffy threw up her hands and moaned, "Why didn't you just say so?"

"I just did, Buffy."

Amy started giggling, but Buffy snapped, "It's not funny! Shaw, do you realize how close you came to getting your ass kicked down there?"

The ranger nodded and replied, "Mindy is very good, Buffy. So yes, I do know."

Amy promptly stopped laughing. She angrily snapped, "She means JP, you nitwit!!"

When Shaw's look became extremely doubtful, Buffy said, "Shaw, JP's eighteen THOUSAND years old!!! He's from Atlantis for God's sake!! He could kick me and Steve's asses like THAT!!" The last word was emphasized by a snap of Buffy's fingers. "Capiche?"

Shaw looked at Robin, who nodded in support of Buffy's statement. "Could happen. I wouldn't want to place bets on that fight."

Shaw solemnly nodded as the point was made. She looked back at Buffy and asked, "Do you think it was wrong for me to stand up for myself and Amy, Buffy?"

"No, no, no," Buffy quickly answered. With a sour face, she said, "But you didn't have to lay the smackdown on him with that insult. I thought he was gonna blow us all up for that one. It WAS taking things a bit too far."

"A bit?!?" Amy repeated in surprise. "Buffy, I can't take a deep enough breath to say that much!"

"And this is a female teenager with a cell phone saying that," Robin seconded.

"Thanks, Robin," Amy said before getting the joke. "Hey!"

"Seriously!" Buffy said sharply. Focusing on Shaw, she said, "Look, Hunter. I'm not saying don't stand up for yourself. God knows, you need some more self-confidence."

Shaw's eyes began to narrow a bit at that statement, and Amy jumped in at what she saw as a danger sign.

"But try using some tact, cuz," the witch said in support of their team leader. "I think JP just wanted to get our side of things. He did ask you what you thought about the 'Busters."

Robin snorted, "And look where that led. I'm almost finished with my Christmas shopping."

No one commented on that remark.

"Okay, back to business," Buffy ordered. Looking Shaw over, she asked, "Can anyone think of anything else?"

"Perhaps some boots?" Shaw inquired. "Something of a military or outdoor nature, which might be more appropriate than running shoes."

Buffy nodded in approval and asked, "Amy?"

Amy quickly conjured up a pair of military boots, which Shaw began putting on. "What else?"

"Well, since she's going to an Elfhame, she should look the part of a Cha'Tel'Quessir," Robin said, rubbing his chin. "A cloak of the proper colors in the Millie style, her swords, daggers, and whatever weaponry she might normally use."

"Magic sword, short sword, a couple daggers, and a Beretta," Buffy ordered firmly. "No Uzis. THAT might make them a little nervous."

Shaw didn't argue. In fact, she looked reluctant to carry the Beretta.

"Cloak coming up," Amy sighed. She cast the proper spell, then handed the cloak over. "Please tell me that's it."

Shaw tied on the cloak. It was red, with white accents and a hood, and fell to the back of her knees. She nodded in satisfaction despite her reluctance for this formality.

"Okay," Robin nodded. "We shouldn't need anything else."

"Except for this," Shaw said. She pressed a button in the gauntlet, and the suit changed from black to a deep forest green.

Amy and Buffy just rolled their eyes.

A crackle of energy alerted the four people, who quickly turned around to see Artemis, waiting for Shaw to finish getting ready.

The Goddess of the Hunt said, "Allow me." She waved a hand, and weapons and sheathes started flying towards the startled half-elf.

A sword belt containing Soulreaver and the short sword that belonged to Shaw wrapped around Shaw's waist and buckled into place. Two silver daggers inserted themselves in her boots, while a third went into a scabbard at her waist. Finally, a shoulder holster carrying the Beretta wrapped into place, with the gun nestled near Shaw's right arm.

Artemis looked Shaw up and down, and asked Buffy, "What do you think, Buffy? Does she meet with your approval?"

Buffy smiled and said, "Yeah, Lady Goddess. Now if you could just pull that trick when we drag her out to the Mall..."

Artemis, Buffy, Amy and Robin just laughed at Shaw's venomous glare.

"Let us be off," Artemis answered. She waved her hands and She and Shaw disappeared.

"But Steve and Merlin..." Buffy began to protest in futility. She sighed and looked at Amy. "We are so dead."

*****

Fairgrove Industries
Savannah, Georgia (the Wandererverse)
Early hours
13 December 1998

Shaw materialized in a flash of illumination, appearing in what seemed to be a garage of some sort. Upon one glance, it seemed the garage was deserted at this early hour. She looked around and, seeing no sign of Artemis, knew she was on her own. She continued to peer at things using her special sight, because her empathic senses were screaming. Forcing down a queasy feeling in her stomach from the spell, she looked around the car-filled garage.

She felt multiple touches in her mind, as over a dozen mental probes tried to breach her defenses. However, she could tell that few of them had the power to do so.

Focusing her empathy on a particular signature, which was still something of a challenge, she focused on...a car. Previous talks with Tobabaird and Robin sparked a memory, and she realized who (or what) was trying to read her mind.

<As Xander would say, 'Showtime.'> Shaw took a relaxed, nonthreatening posture and plainly said in Elvish, {I bid you greetings, elvensteeds of Fairgrove. I come in peace, seeking to speak with my friend, the Magus known as Tobabaird. May I request that someone notify him of my arrival?}

Several engines revved a bit and Shaw could feel confusion and curiosity emanating from the "cars." One of the vehicles, a type that Shaw didn't recognize, began to shimmer. It quickly took on the form of the largest, most magnificent mare Shaw had ever seen, standing eighteen hands high and sporting a jet-black coat.

The elvensteed, now in her true form, sent a probe directly at the waiting half-elf. After a few moments, Shaw could hear faint words and scattered syllables coming through.

//Lee...Dhu...Fai...not elf...//

Shaw nodded in partial understanding at the last part. She drew a breath and told the creature, {I am half-elven, born of a daughter of the Tel'Quessir of Faerun. I apologize, but my block against telepathy is constant and cannot be lowered. If you apply more power, you should be able to converse with me.}

The elvensteed nodded once and stamped a hoof, sending a few sparks flying across the concrete floor. The mare peered at Shaw more intently. //I am Rhosaleen Dhu, elvensteed of Lord Keighvin Silverhair. Who are you and what is your purpose here?// she demanded imperiously.

<Goddess, even the steeds are arrogant,> Shaw thought wryly, knowing that Rhosaleen would pick it up. As the elvensteed snorted in anger, Shaw gave her a terse nod and switched to English. "I am Shawukay Madison Hunter of Sunnydale, ranger and cleric in service of the Goddess Mielikki. As for why I am here, that will be for Tobabaird to tell your or not tell you."

The steed snorted again and demanded, //How did you penetrate our wards?!?//

"I did not," Shaw said innocently. "That was the doing of the Lady Artemis of Olympus. Perhaps you should take up teleportation issues with her."

That stole quite a bit of the bluster from the mare's attitude. She looked over Shaw's shoulder once, then considered Shaw once again.

//Why are you here, servant of Mielikki?// Rhosaleen asked once again.

Suspecting why she'd looked behind Shaw, and noticing that the steed didn't make an issue of her mixed heritage, Shaw looked straight into the steed's eyes to convey her sincerity and urgency. "I am here to ask Tobabaird to lend his aid to my leader by going to an alternate reality with residents of that alternate reality. The mission is to eliminate a horde of vampires and demons in the town of Sunnydale, California in that reality, by assembling an assault force consisting of warriors from both realities. Currently, the assault force consists of the Wanderer, the Slayer, the demon hunter JP Withers of Atlantis, a team of Bureau 13 Agents, and several Immortals, Amazons, witches, mages, and one Child of Oberon."

After several seconds of vocal and mental silence, a voice rang out.

"Shaw," Toby's pleading voice came from behind her, "please tell me this IS a joke."

Still eyeing the beautiful mare, Shaw answered, "I am afraid not, Toby."

Toby sighed and said, "Blessed Danaa. Who's leading the assault?"

"Steven will be in overall command," the priestess informed him. "As for more specific elements of the assault plan, I would not know."

"Because you're holding down the fort in Sunnydale again," the fighter-mage reasoned.

Shaw's posture became noticeably cooler. "Not exactly, no."

Tobabaird looked Shaw over for several seconds before softly asking, "Shawukay, what happened?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"To someone who's known you before," Toby told her. He placed hands on hips and said, "But I'll take it that's a story for another time." He looked at Rhosaleen and relayed, //I'll vouch for her, Rhosaleen. I'm taking her directly to Keighvin. I suspect they will need more than just my magical skills for this battle.//

//Shall I inform him of this?// she asked.

//No,// Toby firmly ordered. A smile crossed his lips and he said, //Imagine the look on his face when he learns that the Child of Oberon that Shawukay mentioned is none other than the Goodfellow.//

//Oh, Danaa help him.//

As Toby led Shaw into Fairgrove's complex, he said, "Shawukay, if I ever *do* get that 'dance,' it better be a doozy."

A look of confusion crossed Shaw's face. "What kind of dance is that?"

"Never mind," he sighed.

*****

Keighvin Silverhair sipped at his champagne and sent a glance at the man sitting to his right. The man cocked an eyebrow in question, and Keighvin smiled internally.

<Now comes the sales pitch,> the elf lord thought before turning his attention to the other person in the room.

Sitting at the opposite end of the room's conference table was an elf dressed in high elven finery. The man had eschewed donning or kenning any sort of mortal clothing, such as the business suit worn by Keighvin or the simple shirt and blue jeans favored by the single human in the room.

"Lord Dharinel," Keighvin said as he leaned back in his chair, "I'm sure you can see the benefits of an alliance such as the one I propose. We at Fairgrove have made excellent progress in forming ties in mortal society, as you yourself have seen these last two days. Also, you can see how easily our fosterlings adapt to living in the mortal world, many of whom choose to work at Fairgrove or branch out with SERRA. Do you truly think my proposal a poor one?"

Dharinel folded his hands as he considered his question. In an attempt to be tactful, he said, "Lord Keighvin, our situations are somewhat different. The Folk of Misthold and Sun-Descending live amongst humans, but they do not work with them, except for rare exceptions such as Arvindel. Unlike yourself, we have no industrial base to build upon, as you have with these racing engines. Tell me, if you please, how you propose to work out this alliance."

"The first step would be a formal defense against the Unseleighe," Keighvin said, reigning in a smile of triumph; he'd been ready for this question. He knew Dharinel would be reluctant to commit on this subject, given his well-known feelings for mortals. <Or that is, most mortals,> he amended. He said, "If it was known that the Elfhames of Misthold, Sun-Descending, and Fairgrove were allied with each other, it might give pause to any possible adventurism such as that played by Madoc Skean or Perenor. The second step would be envoys to each other's Elfhames, to see how the other groups operate and live. My warrior Tobabaird made excellent progress in making tentative ties with the Elfhames in Europe last summer, and Eldenor of Sun-Descending is his third cousin. I'm sure you have suitable candidates as well."

Before Dharinel could respond, there was a soft knock on the door. The three men looked up from each other and watched as a third elf entered the room. He neglected to close the door behind him, but rather left it open a crack. The new arrival lowered his head in respect to Dharinel, then faced Keighvin directly.

Keighvin's face split into a smile as he greeted the elf. "Tobabaird, we were just talking about you and your skills in diplomacy."

Tobabaird's face was tight as he replied, "My Lord, a matter of some importance has been brought to my attention."

Sensing the urgency in his subject's voice, Keighvin's smile was quickly replaced by professionalism. "What is this matter?" he asked.

"A daughter of the People has come to ask the aid of Fairgrove," Toby began delicately.

Keighvin held up a hand to stop the speech. He asked, "Tobabaird, would this be the same person who asked for your aid just weeks ago?"

"She does not ask it for herself this time, my Lord," the Magus hastily explained. "She makes this petition on behalf of her leader, having volunteered to come here herself to avoid discovery of our Elfhame by those with whom she is not familiar. She only came here, for all intents and purposes, as a last resort." With the briefest of pauses, he added, "I would like to add that it was the Goddess known as Artemis who expedited her arrival."

Keighvin and the human next to him blinked, but Dharinel raised a finger to speak.

"Excuse my interruption, Tobabaird," the Master Mage idly asked, "but what Elfhame is this woman from that she has to come here for aid?"

Tobabaird hesitated and said, "That is somewhat... complicated."

Dharinel raised an eyebrow but did not comment.

Tobabaird looked at the human and asked, "Tannim, will you stay for this?"

The mage looked at Keighvin, who nodded with the tiniest of grins. Tannim smiled and said, "Yeah. This should be good."

Tobabaird moved back to the door, opened it a bit more, and said, "Shawukay?"

Keighvin watched as a young woman entered the conference room. He and the others in the room appraised her, and she did so in return. The elf lord scanned her pale skin and dark hair, the mix of features that plainly told him she was of mixed blood, and the hard look in her eyes. He noticed the dark green breastplate that she wore, as well as the heavy enchantments upon it. The same could be said of one of the swords at her waist, the ring on her right hand, and the ammunition of the handgun she was carrying. Completing the ensemble were a red-and-white cloak, as well as an ivory pendant that Keighvin could tell was blessed with the power of an Old God, though he couldn't tell which Power it was dedicated to.

Before anyone could speak out, Dharinel distastefully said, "A halfling? A halfling comes to ask the aid of an elven Lord?"

The woman casually focused her eyes on Dharinel, but the look in her eyes was anything but casual. To Keighvin, it looked like she was sizing him up, much in the way a warrior would evaluate a likely opponent.

{I beg your pardon?} she asked in an Elvish dialect he'd never heard before. {I am not a halfling.}

Startled by her use of the elven tongue, and a bit perturbed by her lack of acknowledging his rank, Dharinel evenly said, {If you are not a halfling, then what exactly are you?}

The woman cocked an eyebrow. {I am a half-elf, sir. There is much difference between myself and the average halfling.}

With Dharinel growing red at this seeming mockery, Tobabaird moved to smooth his ruffled feathers. He told the girl, {Shawukay, this is Lord Dharinel, Master Bard, Master Mage, and Liege Lord of Elfhame Misthold, which is located in the area of San Francisco and Oakland.}

The young woman nodded and simply said, {Very well. Lord Dharinel, as I said, there are great differences between a half-elf and a halfling.}

{And what, pray tell,} Dharinel growled, {are those differences?}

{Compared to myself, halflings are two feet shorter, fifty or more pounds heavier, and have very hairy feet.} The woman's eyes narrowed, and she added, {I believe you Earth people refer to them as 'hobbits.'}

Tannim was the first to catch on. "Did you say, Earth people?"

"Yes, sir. I did."

Dharinel was staring at this impertinent half-elf, and Keighvin was fighting to keep a smile off of his face, since he already knew who this girl was. With disbelief in his voice, the Lord of Misthold demanded, {Who ARE you?}

The woman now ignored the others to stare directly into Dharinel's eyes. In a perfectly respectful tone, she said, {I am Shawukay Madison MacLeod Redarrow Hunter of Sunnydale, daughter of Trocar Flamingarrow, son of Myokar and Mishaya Flamingarrow, son and daughter-in-law of Varrokash Flamingarrow of Deepingdale and Alison Madison of New Salem; daughter of Miyana Redstar of Evereska, daughter of the Redstar clan, blood kin to the House of Nightstar, servants of her Royal Majesty, Amlaruil Moonflower, High Queen of the Tel'Quessir of Evermeet; fourth generation Harper, inducted into the ranks of Those Who Harp by Master Harper Storm Silverhand, Master Bard and Chosen of the Goddess Mystra; student and adopted kinswoman of the Immortal warriors Connor and Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod of the village of Glenfillen, on the shores of Loch Scholl, in the Highlands of Scotland; and seventh generation servant, sworn in service as ranger and priestess, to the Goddess Mielikki, Our Lady of the Forest, Supreme Ranger of Faerun, and Goddess of Faerie of the Suomi Pantheon of Finland.}

Shawukay then bowed her head slightly, as if to indicate that she considered Dharinel her equal. In the same, respectful tone, she said, {That, Lord Dharinel, is who I am.}

Keighvin kept his silence, primarily because he was afraid he'd start laughing at Dharinel's shocked expression over her lengthy recitation. A quick glance told him that Tobabaird and Tannim were of a similar mind. One thing, however, had caught in Keighvin's mind. //Toby, did she say...//

//This is the first I have heard of this,// Tobabaird relayed. //But before all else, she is a servant of the Gods.//

Keighvin smiled. //Then she does not like mentioning this.//

//No,// the younger elf replied. //She prefers that judgment be based on her own merits. Unlike some.//

Keighvin smiled and nodded. He looked at Dharinel and asked, {Lord Dharinel, was her answer satisfactory?}

Although he looked like he'd rather swallow a worm then acknowledge the half-elf in front of him, Dharinel had no choice but to agree. {Yes, it was sufficient. Thank you, La--}

{Lord Dharinel,} the girl interrupted, {I prefer simplicity. Please, simply call me by my name or, if you feel titles are preferable, the title that truly suits me is Selli.}

Surprised at being given so obvious an "out," Dharinel switched to English. "Very well, Shawukay. If that is your wish."

Shawukay nodded simply and turned to face Keighvin. "Lord Silverhair, has Tobabaird informed you of the situation which brings me here?"

Keighvin shook his head and said, "No, Shawukay. He felt it would be best if you told me in your own words." He extended a hand and said, "Please. Tell us what brings you here."

Shawukay nodded and began to spell out the situation. The ranger used as much brevity as she could without leaving out any pertinent details. Once she finished the general outline, she asked, "Do you have any questions, Lord Silverhair?"

The head of Fairgrove Industries nodded. "A few, yes," he admitted.

"I will answer them to the best of my ability."

"If I may," Dharinel put in, looking for an opening, "who is the leader of this assault force, if you can tell me?"

Shawukay looked at Tobabaird, who nodded. She took a deep breath and said, "The overall leader is Steven St. Wolf of the Knights of the Order of the Grail. His second in command is Buffy Summers, the first known Immortal Slayer. Steven and Buffy wield the Slayer swords, and you may have heard of Steven through his alias, the Wanderer."

Keighvin nodded in understanding, having heard of the man through Toby's earlier reports of his meetings with Shawukay. Dharinel, on the other hand, was gripping the table with white-knuckled fingers.

"The demon hunter?" Misthold's leader asked.

"Yes, Lord Dharinel," Shaw replied. Glancing between the two elf lords, she asked, "Will there be any more questions?"

"Who's in the group overall, as far as numbers?" Tannim asked quickly.

Shaw replied, "Twelve Immortal warriors, with support from Amazons, witches, specially empowered fighters, and one Bureau 13 team. Any other possible allies are currently engaged in battles of their own, and are unavailable at this time."

Keighvin silently pondered the totals for many seconds. He glanced at Shaw and asked, "Shawukay, would you mind waiting outside?"

Shaw didn't reply; she knew an order when she heard one. She just bowed slightly, turned around, and exited the room, graciously closing the door to give them true privacy.

After twenty seconds of silence, Keighvin asked, "Comments?"

Dharinel quickly said, "I'll not risk any of Misthold's warriors in this alternate reality."

Off the shocked anger coming from the others, he added, "On the other hand, I am willing to aid those left behind to guard the Hellmouth. I, personally, will accompany you, Keighvin."

Surprised by this pledge, Keighvin asked, "May I ask your reasons, Dharinel?"

"I think it's simple, Kevin," Tannim replied, using Keighvin's "common" name. "If a man who wields a Sword of Destiny asks someone for help, it's because he needs it."

"Also," Dharinel acknowledged, "there is the matter of the Wanderer and the Slayer being on the Hellmouth." Off the surprised looks off of the others, he said, "Gentlemen, I *do* have my own Seers. And they were adamant that my people were not to become involved with that fight outside of preventing any possible Unseleighe antics. That is why we did not offer to aid these warriors against the Prince of Wallachia last month. But now, I am willing, however reluctantly, to aid them. But the safety of Misthold and Sun-Descending must be my top priority."

"Of course," Keighvin agreed with folded hands. "As for Fairgrove, I'll go, as will Tannim and Tobabaird. Toby, you have prior experience with some of this group. What can we expect?"

"The unexpected," Toby grinned. "Anything more is like asking for the meaning of life."

"Right," Keighvin grinned. "Toby, Tannim, prepare to leave within the hour. Toby, ask Shawukay to come in, please."

The Magus and wizard quickly left to make their preparations. Shaw cautiously entered the room and said, "Lord Keighvin?"

"Dharinel, Tobabaird, Tannim and I will be accompanying you," the Lord of Fairgrove informed her. "But I know you held some things back in your report. Please, fill in the blanks."

"As you wish," the half-elf consented. "The first thing is that besides the Slayer Swords, we also have a holy relic in the arsenal of magic that will be utilized in the fight."

"I see," Keighvin mused. "No matter. Is there anything else?"

Shaw gulped and hesitantly said, "I left out one participant in the assault group. Robin Goodfellow."

Keighvin and Dharinel's faces went pasty white, more than matching Shawukay's natural complexion. After a few moments, Keighvin hoarsely asked, "In a town of only thirty-eight thousand people, you have four Amazons, three witches, three Immortals, three fairy-empowered men, two Slayers, two Swords of Destiny, a holy relic, a mage, a werewolf, a daughter of Faerun and the Merry Wanderer?!?"

"And a partridge in a pear tree," Shaw replied with a friendly smile.

Dharinel testily asked, {Selli Shawukay, is there anything else at all that we should be informed of sooner rather than later?}

Reluctantly, Shawukay nodded. "Merlin is present at our headquarters, but will not be accompanying the task force. Lastly, the Lady Artemis will be the one to send you to the other reality."

"Us?" Dharinel asked with a trace of irony in his voice. "You are not going?"

Shawukay's look became slightly hostile. "I was recently involved in a battle involving Ares," she informed him icily. "Suffice it to say that I suffered some injuries, and that I am attempting to recover."

Dharinel started to speak at her lack of respect, but Keighvin cut him off. "Thank you, Shawukay. That will be all."

Shawukay tersely nodded at both of them and walked out.

Dharinel turned to Keighvin and asked, "Why did you cut me off?"

"Because this Ares subject is a touchy one," he told his fellow Lord. "I do not think the 'injuries' she referred to were of a physical nature."

Dharinel's eyes rose at the comment. He slowly considered the statement, then nodded once. "You're right. I overstepped my boundaries. Eldenor has not exaggerated about this group's abilities. But enough of this. I need to Gate to Misthold and gather the group who will help defend the Hellmouth. I will be back as quickly as possible."

Dharinel left the room, leaving Keighvin to think about this situation, particularly Dharinel's willingness to aid this group of mortals.

<This bodes well for our potential alliance,> he thought. He smiled and said, <I shall have to see if I can make a similar arrangement with the Wanderer.>

*****

St. Wolf Residence
Sunnydale, California (the Wandererverse)
Early hours
13 December 1998

An hour later, Shaw walked into the crowded living room, followed by Keighvin, Dharinel, Tobabaird, Tannim, and a trio of people that she had not become acquainted with after the short introductions by Dharinel.

Steve was the first to walk over and stand in front of her.

"Care to make the introductions, Shaw?" Steve asked.

At the sour look on her face, Steve buried a smile. <Yep. The formal intros. I should've guessed.>

Stifling a groan, Shaw said, "Very well. First, Lord Keighvin Silverhair, Master Mage, Liege Lord of Elfhame Fairgrove, Lord of the Seileighe Court. His companions are Tobabaird, Magus Minor, Knight Defender of Elfhame Fairgrove, and envoy to Elfhames of Europe; and Tannim, Magus Major and student of Chinthliss the Dragon."

As the others (save for Steve, JP, Robin and Merlin) wondered what the Hell was going on, Shaw turned a bit to face Dharinel and his companions.

"On this side," Shaw said, starting with the Lord of Misthold, "are Lord Dharinel, Master Mage, Master Bard and Liege Lord of Elfhame Misthold. Accompanying him are Korendil, Magus Minor and Knight Defender of Elfhames Misthold and Sun-Descending; Bethany Kentraine, witch of Wicca; and Eric Banyon, Bard and student of Lord Dharinel's."

That last bit did catch Steve a bit off guard. <A Bard, huh?> the Wanderer asked himself. <And I'll bet it's this Dharinel who asked for the pomp and circumstance. Yes, the old elven tradition of establishing your credentials. Well, old son, ask and ye shall receive.>

Steve nodded once and let an evil grin spread across his lips. He bowed slightly and said, "Esteemed Lords, welcome to my home. I am Sir Steven St. Wolf of Houston, Texas, student of Eagle Soars, shaman of the Cherokee; student of Master Khan, priest of Shao Lin; former member of the 82nd Airborne Division and 5th Special Forces Group of the US Army; student of Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod; Knight Lieutenant of the Knights of the Order of the Grail and personal champion of Merlin and Niume; friend and ally of the C'est Dei, the Sons of Asgard, High Priests and Priestesses of Wicca, Bureau 13, Children of Oberon and the Council of Dragons; and wielder of Demon Slayer, the Fangs of Tyr, and the Bracers of Hercules."

Most of the arrivals couldn't hide their reactions, but Dharinel shot a look of anger at Shaw's back when Steve mentioned the Fangs of Tyr and Hercules' Bracers.

<Ahhhh. She didn't mention those items,> Steve thought. He chuckled and told himself, <Probably didn't want to scare them off. Well, now it's on to the second salvo.>

Steve motioned Buffy forward and said, "And this, is my second in command. The Chosen One, Elisabeth Anne Summers of Sunnydale, daughter of Hank and Joyce Summers of Los Angeles, California; charge of the Watcher Rupert Giles and student of Steve St. Wolf; Slayer; Defender of the Hellmouth; defeater of Tiamat; and wielder of Vampire Slayer."

Even though Buffy's introduction was shorter than Steve's, it was still impressive since Buffy technically *had* forced Tiamat back into Hell a year and a half ago. Steve hoped that this little tidbit would help keep either of the elf Lords from thinking that they might be able to assume command. He hoped.

Steve waited for a response, and quickly received it.

Keighvin stepped forward and said, "Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, let us dispense with any pretense, Wanderer." A grin split his face and he said, "You have vampires to trash and we came to help. So let's kick some undead butts."

The majority of the Slayerettes seemed stunned by such casualness from an elf, but Steve grinned as he and Keighvin shook hands.

"Welcome to the Hellmouth," Steve said with honest friendliness. "Lord Dharinel, my thanks for your willingness to help us."

Dharinel nodded and said, "Of course, Sir Steve. Your reputation precedes you, and I know you would not have asked for our help if you did not need it. You are known to be very... resourceful."

"Thank you," Steve said. "If you'll allow me, I'll introduce some of the bigwigs in the room."

Steve pointed to Merlin. "My immediate superior, Merlin of Camelot." He then went along to the other leaders and more experienced of the assembled fighters. "JP Withers, demon hunter. Robin Goodfellow of the Fairy Kingdom. Ed Alvarez, team leader of Team Tunafish, Bureau 13. Sonja of Hyborea and her partner, Gabrielle of Potadea, Amazon Queen."

Without moving his head, Keighvin sent a telepathic message to Toby. //You were right, Toby. Calling for our help was their last resort, if they need help with these fine warriors already here.//

//Yes, my Lord,// Tobabaird agreed softly. //Do you think Dharinel can accept commands from this human?//

Keighvin sent a mental shrug. //If Arthur Pendragon himself can follow the Wanderer, then surely Dharinel can.//

From the way Dharinel's eyes tensed minutely, it was obvious that Keighvin had sent him the same message.

Steve looked to Keighvin and said, "Lord Keighvin, if you please, I'll show you to my computer room, so that you can see the plans we've been laying out. I'm sure Dharinel's and your experience will come in handy."

Keighvin gave him a nod. "Call me Kevin, Sir Steve."

"Then call me Steve." Steve turned to Dharinel. "Lord Dharinel?"

Dharinel nodded once, extending an arm for Steve to lead. "Sir Steve."

*****

As Steve led the two Lords, as well as JP, Merlin, Sonja and Eddie out of the living room, Robin grinned.

"Okay," the sprite said, claiming everyone's attention, "Now that the brass, suits, and head honchos are gone, let's party. So to speak."

Over to the side, Axel leaned over towards Jessica Alvarez. "Does this kind of thing happen to you often?"

"Every two or three weeks," she returned. "Interested in joining?"

"Nah," Axel cringed. "Detroit's weird enough as it is."

*****

As the Fairgrove and Misthold people started to branch off, Robin quickly walked over towards Tobabaird.

"Toby, Robin," Robin said while extending a hand. "I just wanted to personally thank you for watching over the kid last month."

Despite the sprite's infamous reputation, Toby smiled. "It was my pleasure. Shaw speaks and thinks highly of you."

"Highly, or loudly?" Robin grinned, leading the two to share a laugh. "But before you ask what I know you're going to ask, based on what Shaw's told us about you, I'll ask Steve if you can get a look at the computer. Then you can bug your boss for one."

Toby laughed. "Thanks. But I'm assuming there's a reason you wanted to speak with me?"

"There is," Shaw said from behind him. The two Fey men turned around to look at her. She said, "Tobabaird, I want you to swear, in Keighvin's and Oberon's names, that you will not discuss anything with any females except in matters of battles, computers, or racing engines."

The elf raised an eyebrow in inquiry. "And if I don't?"

With a straight face, she said, "Then I will ask Robin to play a prank on Lord Keighvin in your name."

Realizing how much trouble he could get into because of *that*, Toby nodded. "I swear."

"Thank you," Shaw said with a grin before moving off to talk to Scully.

Watching her go, Toby asked, "What was that about?"

Robin smiled and said, "In two words, my friend; Amazon matchmakers."

Tobabaird quickly began chuckling. "Got it. But between you and me, she's not interested right now. And to be honest, I've started seeing someone at Fairgrove. I am still interested in Shaw, perhaps in the future, but for now I'm committed."

"But we don't have to let the girls know that," Robin offered.

"Exactly."

Both men laughed again.

*****

Beth Kentraine hadn't moved two steps before a young blonde woman and two identical redheads approached her.

Somewhat cautiously, she said, "Hi. I'm Beth Kentraine."

"Amy Madison, and these two are Willow Rosenberg," the blonde woman said with a friendly grin. "You're a witch too, huh?"

<Too?> Beth looked at the three women again, then really LOOKED at them. She quickly saw how powerful two of them were, and the third...

"What are you?" she asked curiously.

"Vampire," Vamp Willow shrugged. "That a problem?"

"No," Beth said. When Vamp Willow relaxed, she said, "It's just that you have a great deal of potential for witchcraft, but you're letting it go to waste."

Vamp Willow was very surprised. "I'm a vampire. How can I be a witch?"

Beth smiled at her. "Just because you're technically not alive doesn't mean you can't use magic. To be honest, there are some types of magic your unique nature makes you more suited for. Voodoo, necromancy, Blood Magic..."

Amy frowned. "Blood Magic? Could be bad for her karma."

With a nod of agreement, Beth continued. "There's Wicca, Sex Magic..."

Willow paled a bit at the mention of Sex Magic, but Vamp Willow was grinning fully.

"NOW you're talking my language," she happily declared.

Beth stopped, then looked at Amy. "Why do I get the feeling I just put my foot in my mouth?"

Amy chuckled. "Trust me, Beth, you're not the only one. This whole dimension thing has us all off guard."

"Duh," both Willows said.

Vamp Willow asked her twin, "Why didn't you tell me I could do this witch stuff?"

"I didn't know you could," Willow answered.

"Willow," Beth said to both of them, "less experienced witches have to really Look at someone to see potential inside of someone. I have more experience."

"Are you going to the other universe with them?" Amy asked.

Beth shook her head. "No, I'm staying here to help you out. Dharinel's going with the group, as are Keighvin, Tobabaird and Tannim. That's still four mages, three of whom are also warriors. That's nothing to sneeze at."

"Cool," Amy grinned. "It'll be nice to have someone to talk shop with. And your two friends are cute."

"Sorry, Amy," Beth smiled, although there was a tiny hint of warning in her voice. "They're taken."

"By who?" Vamp Willow said with tangible disappointment.

"Me," Beth said.

Vamp Willow smiled, while Amy and Willow were surprised.

"Lucky you," Vamp Willow said, to which Beth nodded.

"Yep," the San Francisco witch said.

Vamp Willow asked, "Wanna give me some pointers?"

Amy and Willow just sighed in resignation.

Vamp Willow testily said, "Oh, come on. You're guys can't complain!"

"WHAT?!?" the Scoobies blurted out.

Beth arched an eyebrow and asked, "They can't?"

"No way!" Vamp Willow said firmly. "Amy's an Amazon witch dating a fairy out of Shakespeare, and I'm sleeping with a werewolf in a rock band."

"You are NOT!" Willow said quickly. When all three looked at her, she mumbled, "I mean...you know...Goddess, I hate dimension stuff."

Beth asked Vamp Willow, "And you?"

"Bi."

"Is that all?" Beth said. She looked at Willow and asked, "Do you know if there's anyone in her universe that can teach her witchcraft?"

"Only their Giles," Willow said. When Vamp Willow snorted, she said, "What?"

"The Watcher teach me witchcraft? Suuuure," the vampire scoffed. "He'll just want to stake me."

Willow protested, "Hey, once we explain everything..."

"Riiiiiight."

"What is your problem, Willow?" Willow snapped.

"You're the one with the problem," Vamp Willow snapped back.

Before Willow could respond, Amy ordered, "Outside, you two. Settle this in private."

Both Willows looked ready to argue, but Amy jerked her head towards the front door. Reluctantly, two sulking Willows trudged outside.

"They don't get along?" Beth asked in confusion.

"Well, yes and no," Amy sighed. "When they're talking about stuff they have in common, like computers, they're fine. It's when the talk turns towards sex that our Willow wigs out."

"Because her double's bisexual," Bethany said.

"Yeah," Amy shrugged. "I don't think our Willow would mind so much if the other Willow wasn't so...'public' about it."

Beth thought about it and said, "Have you kids considered the fact that maybe she does it *because* she knows it bothers you? Maybe she figures that she needs to keep it up until you get used to it, and it doesn't bother you anymore."

Amy considered the question for a few seconds. Finally, she said, "Maybe you're right. Of course, it could be that she just likes being that way."

"That, too," Beth said before suggesting, "All the more reason for you to accept it." She looked over at Kory and Eric, who were talking with Robin and Toby. "I'm going to talk with Eric and Kory. Want to join us?"

"Sure," Amy said with a smile. However, her mind was already considering what Beth had said. She realized that Willow wasn't the only one with some thinking to do.

*****

Vamp Willow and Willow walked outside and into the front yard. As Willow turned around to close the door, Vamp Willow turned and folded her arms, defiantly staring at her double.

Willow turned around and stared at Vamp Willow, waiting for her to speak.

Vamp Willow finally said, "What's your problem?"

"You are!" the Amazon snapped viciously. "Your attitude, hitting on people, acting so...so..."

"Confident?" Vamp Willow asked dryly. When Willow stopped and stared at her in mute astonishment, she smirked. "Wrong word? Okay, let's try...liberated? Open minded? Aggressive?"

"Yes!" Willow snapped before she could catch herself.

Vamp Willow nodded triumphantly. "Okay. Let's talk about that."

"You need to stop," Willow told her. "That's not how I act!"

"But it's how *I* act," Vamp Willow countered. She unfolded her arms and waved them around. "What did you expect from me, Willow? That you'd slap my soul back into me and get the nice, normal, sweet, innocent, STRAIGHT Willow Rosenberg back? Well, did you?"

Willow shuffled nervously, not understanding how Vamp Willow could be so perceptive. "Well...yeah. I was hoping. ."

"Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, sister," Vamp Willow shot at her, "but what you see is what you get. But it's not really what's scaring you."

"Oh, really?" Willow asked sarcastically, now looking at the other.

"Yeah, really," Vamp Willow replied with certainty. Quickly and unexpectedly, she vamped out and moved closer to Willow. Watching for a reaction, she asked, "Is THIS what you're afraid of, Willow? This face?"

Willow stared at the distorted reflection looking back at her; the fangs, moonlight glinting off of them; the ridges over her eyes; and finally, the eyes themselves, glowing in their sickly shade of yellow. She stared for several seconds before shaking her head.

"No," she answered, sounding surprised.

Vamp Willow nodded, since she'd expected this answer. "It's not the demon face you're frightened of, Willow. It's your true face. THIS one."

She changed back into her human appearance, a perfect match for the woman she continued to watch. After a few seconds, she spoke again. "I know what you're afraid of," she declared, watching Willow's face for any reaction. "You're afraid of us."

"What?" Willow asked in confusion. "What do you mean, 'us?'"

Vamp Willow said, "You're afraid, because deep down you know that what I'm like is what you're like, after you strip away everything else."

"No I'm NOT!" Willow shouted in her face.

Vamp Willow just accepted the outburst before continuing. "Yeah, Willow, you are. But you just don't seem to get it. When you get turned, yeah, the demon takes over. But it doesn't change you as much as you think it does. Willow, the demon doesn't have a real personality of its own; it only strengthens your personality traits, it doesn't create new ones. It takes the memories and personality of whomever it goes into. Yeah, the demon is evil but it's basically an infant. It only knows that it wants, that it needs. But it doesn't know WHAT it wants, or WHAT it needs until it joins with a human host. That's why vamps are all so different--different wants, different needs. Thus you have it in you to constantly search for something better, to never be satisfied because in the end you find that too constricting, too much of 'Willow in the Box.' And you always fight against that, don't you, Willow? Basically, all the demon does is take your personality traits to the extreme; it *doesn't* change who you are. But like I said, you're too busy being that 'Willow-in-the-Box' to admit it, hiding that part of yourself. And that's YOUR problem, not mine."

She waited several seconds for Vamp Willow to say something while looking at her expression. She could tell that Willow was thinking about what she'd said, and that it scared her.

"Look, Willow," Vamp Willow said, attempting to lower the tension between them, "all I'm saying is, the demon only showed me parts of myself that I didn't know about, traits we *both* have. Look, you, we have the tendency to be bisexual. Now if you choose to suppress it, that's your choice and more power to you. But don't condemn me for making a different choice."

"It's. . "

Vamp Willow cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"It's not the bi thing that bugs me, at least not all of it," Willow confessed. She gulped, then told the other, "It's the aggressive part---"

"Mine or yours?" Vamp Willow asked, wondering if she might have been a little bit off in her assumptions.

"Mine," the witch told her. "There's times when I...well, I don't try to kill vamps quickly or mercifully. I toy with them, like a cat with a mouse. It's like it's. . fun. And that scares me."

Vamp Willow watched as Willow turned away and looked at the front door. She could sense the fear Willow felt, so she waited for her living twin to continue.

"I've heard the others talk about it sometimes," the Amazon said quietly. "Xander and Cordelia have been scared by the way I fight sometimes. Like it's really hunting instead of patrolling. I've talked to Oz about it, and he says he understands, 'cause it's like when the wolf comes out a bit more than usual. It's like. ."

"You're letting yourself cut loose," Vamp Willow finished for her. When a surprised Willow whirled to face her, she added, "Or maybe, you feel like you’ve lost all control."

Very softly, Willow said, "Yeah, something like that."

Vamp Willow gripped Willow’s shoulder and said, "You *are* in control, Will. The fact that you see that part of us proves it. But you can't let it freak you out for the rest of your life. Just accept it; tell yourself, 'This is part of who I am and that's all there is to it.' Believe me, you'll be happier for it. Being assertive is fine. As for the sex, if you're straight, that's fine. But you can't judge someone else because of that. So be straight if you like. But it's not fair to judge me because you're not making the same choices I have made."

For several minutes, the young vampire watched in silence as Willow considered what she had said.

Finally, Willow said, "I'll think about it."

"Okay," Vamp Willow shrugged.

Willow then blurted out, "I'm sorry."

That did catch Vamp Willow off guard. But she smiled and said, "Remember that when we get to my world and the Watcher and the white hats want to stake me." Before Willow could protest, she said, "What, you think he's going to say, 'Oh, she has her soul, all's forgiven?' Willow, I'm still ashamed about what I did."

"It wasn't you," Willow reminded her. "It was the demon."

Vamp Willow said, "Look, we could go on all night about that. Let's talk about something else, huh?"

Willow nodded softly and said, "How about comparing notes on our boyfriends? That's a girly thing."

Vamp Willow shuddered and said, "Oh, like I want to hear about sex with a werewolf. And the fact that you picked him over Xander..."

Willow cocked an eyebrow. "Well, no offense, but from what I hear, you spread yourself out too."

"But you're not dating Xander," Vamp Willow blurted out. She babbled, "I mean, this is Xander. Xander. We've loved him since grade school, how can you just-----"

"Because he loves Cordelia," Willow told her. She shrugged and said, "We had a chance, but didn't take it. Oz loves me and I love him. Different world, Will, different rules. I guess in a way you're the one who got the man you always dreamed of."

"Yeah," Vamp Willow said, her confident manner fading a bit, "and I only had to enter a living nightmare to do it."

"Willow," Willow said tenderly, "it's not a nightmare."

"Right," Vamp Willow shot back, "it's live, uncut and in living color. And I have to live with it forever, Willow. I'll never be able to forget

all those faces."

Vamp Willow felt Willow place a hand on her arm and give it a gentle squeeze.

Willow said, "Look, Will. I'm not gonna say I know what you're going through, but I do know about seeing people die. There's been people we couldn't save, even with all the people on our team. I saw the fight in L.A., I've seen people here, who we couldn't save in time, like Charlie. So, in a way, I see faces, too. But that's where you have one advantage over me; the faces you see are the only ones you'll see. Me, I know there'll be more and more. And I know I can't do anything to stop it."

Vamp Willow considered that. "But it won't stop you from trying, will it?" she asked.

"No," Willow answered. "I couldn't live with myself if I did."

"So what am I supposed to do?" the vampire asked. "What do I do when I get home?"

Willow said, "That's up to you. Look at Angel; he tries to help. And he can help you out if you let him. Maybe you can work with Giles, once we explain everything; believe me, if he's anything like OUR Giles, he'll need someone who knows how to turn on a computer, let alone hack like we can."

Vamp Willow burst into laughter. She quickly stopped as it registered that she had truly considered Willow's suggestion. She now donned the thoughtful look that Willow had sported only minutes earlier, realizing that she *did* have options once she returned home.

<Can't think about it now,> she told herself. <We have a fight to win first.> She considered her double for a few seconds, and said, "I guess we are a lot alike, huh?"

"And I'm thinking that it's not a bad thing," Willow confessed. "Do you?"

Vamp Willow quickly answered, "No."

The two girls shared a few seconds of silence as they stared at each other, watching the other's eyes.

After those seconds, Vamp Willow stuck out her hand and asked, "Friends?"

Willow considered the hand for a brief time, then impulsively moved forward and hugged her double.

"Sure," Vamp Willow heard her whisper.

Vamp Willow grinned mischievously. Seconds later, Willow jerked and started squirming, shouting, "Hands! Hands in new places!"

Vamp Willow backed off, a miserably false innocent look in her face.

Willow jumped back as if she'd been hit by a cattle prod. She glared at Vamp Willow for a second, but her anger was drained at the laughter in her eyes.

Willow just sighed and said, "Goddess, I can't take you anywhere!"

"Not here at least," Vamp Willow grinned at her. "Maybe when we get to my reality?"

With a sigh, Willow just rolled her eyes and said, "Come on. Let's get inside before the guys think something happened."

"Okay," Vamp Willow said. "And thanks."

"No problem."

Vamp Willow let Willow put an arm around her shoulders, and the two reentered the house.