She Is the Slayer - Prologue The blade caught in the demon's rotting flesh. Snarling in frustration, Slayer released her sword, leaving it sticking out of the demon's neck, and dropped instinctively to the ground. The claws of the second demon whistled over her head and finished the job begun by her blade. It had no time to regret its mistake, however, for her knife was swiftly buried in its heart. "Two down, one to go," she said, turning to the last demon. "If I'm not mistaken, you're the last of your kind... on Earth, at least." She tapped the side of her jaw. "Now, should I go after Succubi next or track down that last Chaos Demon?" "W-wait! Don't kill me! I can make it worth your while! Grant your every wish! I can--urk!" Slayer grabbed the demon's throat and laughed. "You can die, that's what you can do. There is NOTHING you can offer me..." She smiled faintly. " Wait. I take that back. I wish I could kill all of you... again." "DONE," intoned the demon and everything went black. ***** Slayer opened her eyes to stare blankly at the starry sky above. Her combat instincts kicked in and she sprang to her feet in a crouch, scanning her surroundings. Then she stopped and stared. WELCOME TO SUNNYDALE, proclaimed the sign. "Crap." ***** She Is the Slayer - Chapter 1 Buffy Summers opened her eyes with a groan. She had definitely overdone it yesterday. Her leg muscles burned from her sprint through Sunnydale High. Not that she had noticed at the time. Having a full-blown Demon chasing you was definitely an incentive. Richard Simmons should book a demon as a personal trainer. Then again, that probably wasn't a good idea. I'd have to kill it on national TV. She climbed out of bed, stifling another groan. Come on Slayer healing powers, get with the program! I've got things to do today! Her body stubbornly resisted her efforts to rise, but she eventually got to her feet. "That's more like it," she said, swaying slightly. She looked at herself in the mirror and blew an errant lock of hair away from her face. "I sure don't look like the Slayer who saved the world, blew up a high school, and barbequed a local politician," she groaned. "No, I look more like a girl who was dumped." A frown fought to surface on her face. She had known Angel was going to leave. He had told her well in advance... and it had still hurt to watch him walk off into the smoke of the burning school. He had left her life without another word... as mysteriously as he had entered it. She shook her head, trying to clear it. He was gone... and that was for the best... right? "OK... It's time for the new, improved, post-Angel Buffy to come out!" she ordered herself. But she never had been very good at following orders. "Crap." ***** Slayer took stock of her surroundings. The factory was a burnt-out shell. There was no sign of Spike or Drusilla and she had seen the collapsed staircase where Cordelia had been impaled. That narrowed down the possible date. "Definitely 1999... but before or after Ascension?" she muttered. Well those questions would have to wait. She found a clean (well, cleaner) spot and curled up in a ball, falling asleep instantly. ***** Beneath the streets of Sunnydale lies a warren of tunnels, some natural, some... not, unknown to mortal man. Dim, unnatural green light cast a sickly fluorescence over the caverns, permeating them, seeping through the earth and stone. The inhabitants of the warren called it the Light of Hell. For them, it was a touch of home. It was the only thing one demon found even vaguely welcoming. "You are not wanted here, D'Hoffryn," gurgled a noxious Ooze Demon. "Known your tricks are now," added a Chaos Demon, all slime and antlers. "It is no trick!" D'Hoffryn insisted, desperately. "All of demon kind will be destroyed if you don't heed my words." "Demons will exist as long as there is evil in the hearts of Man," a Succubus chuckled. "I see no danger of that changing." "Please, listen to my plea," begged D'Hoffryn. The demons paused at this simple request. Sincerity was not a common ability in demons, but D'Hoffryn's words rang of it. And usually only fear would make a demon tell the truth. Taking their silence as consent, D'Hoffryn began to speak. "Mine is the power of the Wish. Me and mine have the ability to alter reality in an unlimited fashion." "Unless it is to benefit us!" spoke another demon angrily. D'Hoffryn spread his hands in supplication. "The limitations on my powers were ordained by the First Evil. It prevents any of us from misusing our power." "This know we," said the Chaos Demon. "To the point get." "I am here to tell you that reality has been altered... to OUR benefit. But if we do not act soon, we shall all be doomed." ***** Slayer was out and moving as soon as sun had set. Keeping to the shadows, she made certain that no one saw her. She had to get the lay of the land before anyone knew of her presence. She paused by the smoldering remains of the high school. "After Ascension," she whispered to herself. That confirmed the dates she had seen on newspapers in town. "One last thing to check," she said. Still keeping to the shadows, she headed in the direction of Revello Drive. ***** "Aw, c'mon Wills, you've GOT to come to the Bronze tonight!" Buffy said into her cordless phone. Her head was crooked to one side, holding it against her shoulder while she held one outfit after another against her petite frame. "Sunnydale is like deadsville in the summer. Oh, that was bad... Almost a Xanderism. OK, OK, oh wicked witch of the Wills. I won't make fun of Xander behind his back anymore. All slighting remarks will be made to his face... once he gets back." She smiled. "You know I'm going to LA in a week to spend time with my Dad, so we have to make the most of it. Bring Oz, he'll add that silent brand of fun that is, well, Oz." She listened for a moment. "Out of town gig? Oh. Well, it'll be a girl's night out, then. What do you say? Oh, family dinner... Yeah, I understand. It's not everyday you graduate AND survive your school blowing up. Don't worry, I'll deal. Yeah, talk to you later. Bye!" She put the phone down and collapsed backwards on her bed. "Well, everyone is bailing on the Buff tonight... Unless Giles has some new prophecy of the end of the world for me." She lifted her head and stared at her phone... but it failed to ring. "Well, guess, I'll go out. If I patrol after Bronzing, Giles can't complain, right?" With that rationale in place, Buffy went back to dressing with a vengeance. ***** Slayer hid herself among the shrubbery, watching the Summers house intently. No expression crossed her face as Buffy stepped out, but her body tensed slightly. Then she was off, following her chosen target. ***** Buffy felt almost like skipping as she made her way to the Bronze. Another school year had ended, another grisly prospect of death and destruction, and they had dodged the bullet again. But not everyone had. The thought robbed the spring from her step. Larry, the other students, even that rat Snyder... too many dead. She was almost glad when the vampire jumped at her, even while berating herself for not being more observant. ***** Slayer watched dispassionately as the vampire attacked. Buffy was careless not to sense her foe before she did, but there was nothing wrong with her fighting skills... unless you considered that she didn't notice a second vampire coming up behind her. ***** Buffy grinned to herself as the vampire reeled backwards from the force of her blows. While it was stunned, she produced a stake from the inner pocket of her jacket. One quick thrust and 'bamf,' no more vampire. She took a step back and smiled smugly. That lasted all of a second before the other vampire slammed into her from behind. Buffy went sprawling, her stake flying from her hand. Dammit! I should velcro that thing in place! She rolled desperately on her back, trying to put some distance between her and the vampire. He was quicker, however, and leapt on top of her. Pinning her to the ground, he smiled, showing a mouth full of fangs. "Slayer blood smells so sweet, almost too good to eat." "Poet AND vampire. I am SO not impressed." Buffy prepared to head butt him when he went for the bite. She didn't have to. Suddenly someone leapt on the vampire. The vampire was pushed down against his victim. Growling, he raised his head to face his attacker-- --and a garrote slipped around his neck and cleanly decapitated him. Buffy stared up in shock at her rescuer, a small, dark- haired girl, apparently no older than her. She wore a dark leather duster over a skin-tight, seamless black bodysuit that left only her face and hair uncovered. A silver cross hung from her neck. Buffy recognized the cross. Its twin hung from her neck. She recognized the face of her rescuer as well. It was her own. "Careless," Slayer said. "No wonder he got the drop on you." "Excuse me?" Buffy asked as she picked herself up. "Who the hell are you, anyway?" "I am called Slayer. I need you to answer some questions." "Ooh, great name. What's next? 'The Slayer Formerly Known As Buffy'? Puh-lease." Slayer grabbed Buffy by the neck and lifted her effortlessly off her feet. "I was not making a request," Slayer said coldly. "Now, this is the year 1999?" Buffy flailed at the arm holding her, but to no avail. Slayer merely tightened her grip. "Y-yes!" Buffy croaked. "Tell me if any of this sounds familiar: Faith, Trick, Ascension, Wesley, Spike returning, Angel leaving." "Yes! All of it!" Slayer dropped her. "So, this does seem to be the past." Buffy slowly got to her feet, rubbing her throat. "What are you, the Ghost of Hellmouth Future?" "I had to ascertain whether or not this was the true past or an alternate world." "Thank you, Seven of Nine. So, are you me? And how come alternate people always go for the skintight leather look?" "I am a possible you." "Gee, can you vague that up any?" "It is not my place to educate you." "Hey, wait a minute. I'm the Slayer; I deal with all the Hellmouth weirdness. So, spill it. How did you get here and how do we send Your Annoyingness back?" "Were." "Excuse me?" "You were the Slayer. I'm here now. Go home." "Now hold it just a moment!" "I'm Slayer and I'll kill them all. You can go and have a normal life." "Why don't YOU retire, then?" Slayer gave a small, almost Buffy-like smile. "I love my job." She turned and stalked off into the shadows, leaving a very 'wigged' Buffy. ***** She Is the Slayer - Chapter 2 "Giles! Open up! We've got a problem here!" Buffy banged again on the door of her Watcher's apartment. The wood began to splinter before Giles could open it. "B-buffy? Whatever is the matter?" he asked, tightening his bathrobe. "We've got trouble, Giles," she said, brushing past her Watcher. Giles' apartment was a mess, full of books saved from the Library. "Remember when Evil Willow came here?" "S-she's back?" "No, _I'm_ back." Giles blinked. "Pardon me?" "It's a version of me. Says she's from the future. Just calls herself 'Slayer' if you can believe it." "Wait... you met a... well, Buffy from the future?" "Yeah, and she gave me the wiggins. So let's get cracking with the research thing and send her back. Like now." "How extraordinary," Giles said, adjusting his glasses. "No, not extraordinary! Bad! Very bad!" Buffy said, waving her arms. "Was this 'Slayer' a v-vampire?" "She was wearing a cross. Not your usual vamp accessory." "What exactly happened?" Buffy sketched out the encounter. He was frowning at the end of her description. "She cut this vampire's head off with a garrote? Easily?" "Pop, dust, gone," Buffy said with a throat-cutting gesture. "Amazing. S-she could be quite dangerous, Buffy. You must be careful." "I'll very carefully kick her ass," Buffy muttered. "W-what?" Buffy smiled at him. "I'll be careful, Giles. Just find a way to send her home." "Y-yes, well, do inform Willow. I'll need her tomorrow-- well, today, I suppose. For researching the spell, I mean." "Right. See Buffy do messenger service." She snapped off a salute. "Buffy--" "I know, I know. I'll be careful." ***** "A double of you? Major weirdness," Willow said to her friend as they ate lunch together. Buffy was now wearing a white sundress. Her red-haired friend had a pink blouse/skirt combination. "Tell me about it. I _really_ didn't like her." "But she's... you. Isn't it like... bad to hate yourself?" "Excuse me, Wills, I didn't see you getting down with your bad-self." Willow blushed. "It wasn't because she didn't try." She shuddered. "Could we talk some more about YOUR double?" "Well, for one thing, my fashion sense has gone downhill." ***** Slayer crept slowly through the sewers. Demons tended to live below ground, like water seeking the lowest level. They used sewers for getting around town, but they wouldn't live here. Somewhere had to be a connection to the deeper caverns. She would find it, and then the killing would begin. She could hardly wait. A faint splash caught her attention. Her first catch of the day. ***** "She told you to quit?" "Yeah... The nerve of her!" "But... You seemed to like the idea of quitting when Faith- -" Willow clapped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry, Buff." "No... It's alright, really," Buffy said unconvincingly. "I _was_ glad, sorta." Willow took a bite of her sandwich and waited for her friend to continue. "Being the Slayer... it's not something I would wish on my worst enemy. But...." She sipped her drink, collecting her thoughts. "I guess it's that I am the Chosen One. If I quit, who's going to do it?" ***** Ashes scattered as Slayer yanked her stake back. She pivoted on her heel to grab the vampire coming up behind her. ***** "I mean... being a Slayer is important... And it's something I do well. Okay, there isn't exactly a space on my resume to put 'Saved the world - twice.'" "Yeah, I think it definitely over qualifies you for most positions in food services or telemarketing." "Puh-lease. If I ever kill all the vampires, I'm becoming Buffy the Telemarketer Slayer." "I'd call that a public service. But we're getting away from the 'you' problem." "Sorry. Well, maybe 'Slayer' will get tired of Sunnydale and want to go home." ***** Slayer grinned as she tossed another vampire over her shoulder. Her short stature gave her a decided advantage in the sewers. Her stake plunged into the vamp's chest, reducing him to ashes. She then took off in a run, making the others chase her. ***** "Well, if you don't want to quit, you should discuss it with... Slayer." "You're right, Willow. I am going to go and tell Slutcutus of Borg that _I_ am the Slayer for this town." "I'm sure she'll understand. I mean, she's you, right?" ***** A precise snap-kick shattered the vampire's kneecap. Another kick broke a rib as he dropped to the ground. "Tell me how I can get into the lower caverns," Slayer said. "Then the pain will stop." "F-fuck you, bitch!" "Wrong answer," Slayer said sweetly. She dragged him to his feet, ignoring his screams of pain, and kneed him in the groin. Twice. "Let me explain," she said, holding him up by his shirt. "If you tell me, I kill you quickly. If you don't tell me, I kill you slowly." She slammed her head into the vampire's face, breaking his nose. ***** "I wonder what year she's from? Did she look much older?" "No, she looked much the same, except for the hair." "Oh...." Buffy stared at her friend. "What oh? I don't like mysterious ohs, Willow. They're only one step from 'uh-oh.'" "It's nothing, really, Buff. I should go help Giles... You know me, always got my nose in a book." "Yeah, and me Buffy, me hit things. No read." ***** Slayer rammed the vampire's head into the wall, cracking the cement. "How do I get to the lower caverns?" she asked again. The vampire only moaned. ***** "Spill it, Wills. You know something in that brainiac of yours." "It's nothing, Buffy. Just something I need to check w- with Giles." "I can tell you're lying, Wills. You've got your liar-face on." "I've got an liar-face? Why doesn't anyone tell me these things?" ***** The vampire's head came back from the seriously cratered wall, but most of his brains were left behind. Slayer sighed and dropped the rapidly dissolving corpse. "Why doesn't anyone tell me what I want to know? Now I have to find someone else to kill." ***** "It's just that if she's not much older, then whatever made her her and not you must happen soon." "Oh, way to go, Wills. You know how to cheer a Slayer up." "Oh... Sorry, Buff." "Oh, it's no biggie... Just another great evil I need to keep an eye out for." ***** SUNNYDALE - 100 mi. The black car sped past the sign at 90 mph. ***** Giles put down another book. There was not much on time travel in his books. The closest thing was the spell Anya had tricked Willow into casting. And he didn't think it could be used to dismiss something it hadn't summoned. "Find anything, Giles?" Willow asked from the couch. "Eh? Oh, n-no, nothing." Willow put a book down. "I didn't realize you had so many books when they were so neatly organized in the library. Not that they are DISorganized. They are well kept in all these boxes. And I think I'll shut up now." "No, Willow. I plan to s-shelve then as soon as I can get some bookshelves. Until t-then, we will have to make do." "Oh, I don't mind. It makes it a journey of discovery. You don't know what you'll find in any box. For instance," she said, digging into a random box, " who knew I'd find... 'The Joys of Tantric Sex'? Um... Oh, Giles." Willow blushed. "Y-yes, well, enough research for tonight. It's getting late. You better g-get home before it gets dark." "R-right." ***** The setting of the sun has, throughout history, been important to man. Until reliable lighting was available, it defined the useful hours of the day, for example. In Sunnydale, it serves a similar purpose, defining the hours of safety. "You didn't have to come with, Wills." Safety is, of course, a relative term. Especially when in a cemetery at night with a Vampire Slayer. "I want to help, Buffy. Besides, I'm our resident witch, so maybe I can help identify how Slayer was sent here." "I'd warn you that this is dangerous, but the vamps seem pretty quiet tonight." "That's a bad thing?" "It makes me feel all warm and paranoid inside." "Oh." "Just be careful if we do meet Slayer. I don't think she's playing with a full deck." "You think she's a little...." Willow twirled one finger near her head. "No, I think she's a LOT...." Buffy made the same twirling motion. "But, what makes you think that?" "Wills, the last person I saw enjoy the idea of slaying that much was Faith." "Oh. But--" "Shh!" Buffy held up a hand. Listening closely, she heard it again, the sound of fighting. "Come on, Wills!" No less than five vampires were circling a dark-clad figure in the graveyard. If their prey was worried by the odds, she gave no sign. The first vampire charged at Slayer, followed closely by the others. They were intent on piling on her, using their numbers to overwhelm her. "Stay here, Wills. As much as I think she's a _prime_ candidate for Smear the Queer, I've got to help her." But it quickly became apparent that Slayer needed little help. She ducked under her first attacker, helping him along into the tightest knot of her attackers. All three vampires went down in a heap. Without missing a beat, Slayer took off at a run, followed closely by the other two vampires. She only ran long enough for the faster one to get ahead of the other. Then she spun around, stake out. In quick succession, two piles of ash fell to the grass. By now, the other three vampires had untangled themselves. More warily than before, they approached Slayer. Slayer charged them. Holding one stake ready, she produced another from her duster. The vampires closed on her, eager for the kill. Too eager. As soon as she got close, she kicked the lead vampire in the balls. As he keeled over, her stakes plunged into two chests. "Ouch, harsh much?" Buffy said as she came on the scene. "I told you to go home." Slayer picked up the vampire by the scruff of the neck and slammed him head first into a tombstone. It cracked under the blow and the vampire slumped to the ground. "Newsflash, that was last night. And this is my town, my time. You don't give orders here." "I don't want you killed." "Gee, I didn't know you cared." "I don't. But your existence might impact on mine." "Right... If Buffy dies, you might go poof," Willow interjected, startling both Slayers. "Willow, you should have stayed back," Buffy said. "Willow?" Slayer said, staring at the redhead as if struggling to remember something. "Gee, amnesia much?" Buffy said. "Willow died. They all died," Slayer said emotionlessly. "Not on my watch," Buffy said fiercely. "Yes," Slayer said. "On your watch. Even him." "Oh... Oh! No wonder you... I mean that's what... Er, how did we... they die?" "Vampires. Demons. They swarmed on us...." Slayer trailed off. "It happened a long time ago." "Is that why you try so hard to kill them?" Willow asked. "It couldn't have been that long ago. You aren't much older than I am." Slayer laughed hollowly. "If you only knew." "Knew? Knew what?" "Ask yourself why the Watchers try so hard to kill us when we turn 18." Buffy looked puzzled, but Willow's face cleared. "How old are you?" she asked compassionately. "About 115... 116? I forget exactly." ***** The black car slammed into the WELCOME TO SUNNYDALE sign, knocking it off its supports. The driver stepped out and spat on it. "Sunnyhell, Sunnyhell... My bleeding home away from home." He lit his cigarette, illuminating his high cheekbones and peroxide-blond hair. "I'll be buggered if I ever come back again... once I find the Gem of Amara," Spike said. ***** She Is the Slayer - Chapter 3 "One HUNDRED and sixteen? One HUNDRED and sixteen! You're joking!" "Slayers have extraordinary healing abilities. Why not long life? We rarely live long enough to know for certain." The vampire at their feet began to moan. Slayer focused on him again. "Leave me now. I have work to do." "What, we can't watch you stake him? We've seen it all before." "I'm not going to stake him. He's going to tell me what I want to know." "Vampires don't establish meaningful dialogue with Slayers, I'm told." "He'll do all the talking." She slammed her boot onto his kneecap, shattering it so the vampire couldn't run. "What are you doing?" "Interrogation." Slayer's stake plunged into the vampire's guts. "W-was that really necessary?" Willow stammered. "Yes." Slayer twisted the stake, making the vampire scream. "How do I get to the lower warrens?" "Fuck y-you!" "They all start this way," Slayer said. "Slowly, I peel through the layers, getting to the truth." Her voice became a singsong. "Sometimes, they die first." Willow tried not to vomit. Slayer removed the bloody stake. "He is strong. Maybe he will last long enough to tell me." "Tell you what?" Willow asked. "How to find them, how to kill them. In the lower warrens." Buffy darted forward, stake outstretched. Slayer grabbed the stake just before it entered the vampire's chest. Buffy put all her weight on the stake, but Slayer held it back effortlessly. "You can't slay him yet." "Well, you can't torture him!" "I need the information." "So look it up! Torture is wrong!" Slayer began to laugh. It was a harsh, mocking sound. "Wrong? What's wrong is that I had to watch as demons killed the man I loved. I had to see him be torn to pieces and then watch as they fought each other to see who would claim me as their prize. I killed them all. I hunted them down and slew them. Like I was supposed to. And I will not let you or anyone else stop me from killing them again!" Buffy and Willow both stepped back, surprised at Slayer's sudden outburst. The brunette's fiery rage frightened them both. Then Slayer took a deep breath and the mask was back in place. "Go home, Buffy," Slayer said in calmer voice, though she did not release Buffy's stake. "You still have a life. Leave death to me." "Um, you know what, Buff?" Willow asked. "I think that's a great idea. Why don't we go home? Like now? Please?" Buffy released the stake and stood back. "Yeah," she said, shakily. "I think you're right, Wills." The two friends backed away slowly. Slayer seemed unconcerned and returned her attention to the vampire. Buffy and Willow kept their composure until the high-pitched screams began. Then they turned and ran. Once they were out of sight, Buffy stopped. "What is it, Buffy?" "Willow, you go on and tell Giles that we've got a serious whacko on our hands here. I'm going to go back and stop her." "But you can't!" "Look, Willow, I'm the Slayer. It's my job. Don't worry; I'll be okay. No Runner-Up in the 'Miss Psycho Skanky Ho' competition is going to beat me." "No, I mean you REALLY can't! You saw her fight. And she, like, stopped your stake without even trying hard!" Buffy got a mulish look on her face. "I can take her." "Let's both get Giles and call for help. We can get Oz... And we could try to find An--" Buffy's head snapped up. "No way! I am not going to ask him for help." Willow grabbed her friend's arm desperately. "Buffy, we need a plan!" "I go back and kick her ass. That sounds like a plan to me." "It's a plan that will get you killed." Both turned at the voice. To their surprise, an ancient- looking demon in red and black robes stood in the shadows nearby. "Greetings. I am D'Hoffryn and I have a deal for you." ***** Spike dropped his cigarette and smiled grimly. To find the Crypt of Amara, he would need some minions. At the least he needed someone to alert him when the Slayer came nosing around, like she always did. Bleeding hell. She was like a gnat, always buzzing around. Well, this time he would play it smart. She wouldn't know he was around until the Gem of Amara was around his neck. And then he'd kill her. But first, he would enter this oh-so-stylish nest, knock some heads, rip out a few not-beating hearts, and get some minions. The door to the abandoned warehouse splintered under his boot. "Knock, knock," he called out. The vampires, a motley collection of fledglings, looked up in surprise. Mostly frat boys and coeds. He hated frat boys. They tasted like chicken. Spike stalked over to a scarred wooden desk and sat down behind it, propping his feet up. A few of the fledglings flinched at the sound of his boots. He made a note of them. The easily cowed made good cannon fodder. "So," he said. "Who do I have to kill to become your leader? Come on, don't be shy." He shifted to his game face and smiled. " You only die once." "I'm the leader!" a frat boy called out, strutting like a gorilla. Probably was a rugby player, Spike thought as the self-proclaimed leader stalked up to the desk. "Hey, no-neck, your shoe is untied," Spike said. To his amazement, the gorilla actually looked down. Spike flipped the desk over, knockinq the frat boy over. He snapped off a desk leg into an impromptu stake. The frat boy wasn't totally stupid. He tried to roll away from Spike. But the blond vampire leapt over the desk and brought his stake down. "Right! Who's next?" The fledglings milled around uncertainly, but made no move. Spike smiled. No doubt one or two entertained ideas of challenging him later, when they felt they were ready. And then he'd stake them too. "If you are quite finished....?" said a low, husky voice. Spike looked up and for a moment he thought he saw Drusilla, his Black Queen. The the image wavered, becoming smaller, before changing back to Dru. He had seen this sort of trick before. "A succubus? Be still my heart. Hang a moment... I'm dead. " He grinned at her. "So drop the act, luv. I'm not buying." The succubus smiled slowly. "I had expected as much from William the Bloody." "Yeah, yeah, flattery will get you most places. So, what's a doll like you doing with a bunch of losers like this?" The fledglings stirred slightly over that, but no one said anything over it. Spike would have been surprised if they had. They were cowed, for the moment. "Perhaps I'm here for you," the succubus purred. Spike sat back behind the desk. "No offense, pet, but I thought your kind preferred someone a bit... livelier in the sack. Not that I couldn't satisfy you," he said with a leer, "but you'd still be peckish afterward, right?" The succubus laughed. "True, but I do understand the difference between business and... pleasure." "So do I, luv," Spike said. "So why don't you tell me what the hell you want?" ***** "Sorry, but business hours are 9 to 5, Monday through Friday," Buffy said to D'Hoffryn, bringing her stake up. "Please leave a message at the sound of the stake." "Wait! I can tell you about Slayer!" ***** "She is from a future where our kind is almost wiped out," the succubus said. Spike kicked the old office chair so hard that it broke into several pieces. He started pacing back and forth, running his hands through his hair while his newly acquired pack scattered. "I KNEW she would be trouble. I just KNEW it! I should have killed her last year!" "Yes, you should have," the succubus agreed. "Why didn't you, I wonder?" She eyed the vampire curiously. "None of your soddin' business," Spike snapped. "So, what do you want of me?" "Just your assistance in solving our mutual problem." ***** "You want me to do WHAT?" Buffy asked incredulously. "To turn a blind eye while we clean up our mess. You have had truces with vampires before. How is this different?" "First, Angel was a special case. Second, that deal with Spike was a one-time thing, and I've regretted letting him get away more than once. Third, those deals were for saving the world, a category this situation does NOT fall under." Buffy paused and looked over at Willow. "It doesn't, does it?" Willow shook her head. "No, not that I know of...." D'Hoffryn sighed. "The world is not in danger, but your future is. Do you truly wish to become like Slayer? To see your friends all die before your eyes? Let us deal with Slayer and we will swear binding oaths to never kill your friends while you live." "That's all?" "Would you believe us if we promised more?" "I don't even believe this." ***** "In that future, an error was made in dealing with Slayer that made her our most determined foe," the Succubus said. "She's already bleeding determined, how could it get worse?" Spike said. "According to D'Hoffryn, she has lived for over a century, hunting us methodically and enlisting the aid of as many mortals as she could. She no longer limited herself to traditional weapons, but used the mortals' technology." "Bollocks," Spike said softly, imagining Buffy at the head of an army of high-tech slayers. "So, what do you want of me? I've bagged two Slayers in my time, I can take on a third or fourth." "You, we want to do... nothing." ***** "You can just forget it," Buffy said firmly. "No demon gets a free meal in my town, even if she is an amazingly annoying me." D'Hoffryn sighed. "As you wish. I had hoped you would have been wiser." With that, a vortex opened up beneath his feet and he fell into it. "Didn't even stick around for the stake du gras," Buffy grumbled. ***** Slayer reached into one of her duster's copious pockets and pulled out a pair of sophisticated binoculars. She wished for a moment that she had one of her plasma rifles. A moment of nostalgia, a desire to finish off her foes the old-fashioned way, and look where that left her. She brushed the recriminations aside. It was inconvenient, but not disabling. She just had to establish her bonafides with this era's military. Once they accepted the fact that there was a threat, she could give them the specs on her weapons, all nicely stored on her Personal Data Assistant. While scanning the cemetary, she ran down her inventory again. Monafilament garotte, vibroknife, body armor, duster, her 'vitamins', the PDA, her binocs, and a comm unit that was useless except for parts. Nothing in this time could match its encryption. No matter. She still had the most precious commodity of all: time. The computer in her binocs pinged. Something was moving down there. It didn't match any of its programmed threat profiles, which made it either a human or a vampire. Then she got a closer look and swore to herself. ***** "Where is she?" Buffy grumbled. This was the third cemetary she had checked, looking for "herself" and there was no sign of Slayer. "I should just LET the demons hunt her," Buffy complained half-heartedly. Duty aside, she just couldn't turn her back on Slayer. In a way, they were family, and she didn't have much of that left. "Why are you here?" Buffy whipped around at the sound of the cold voice. Slayer was standing nearby, shadows hiding everything except her pale face. Fingering her stake nervously, Buffy tried to smile. "Hi," she began. "I, uh, didn't hear you." "I know." Slayer's face showed no sign of the disapproval in her voice. "Geez, lighten up a little." "Why are you here?" Broken record much? Buffy thought to herself. "I'm here to help you. Look, there was this really skanky old demon, and--" "I need no help." Slayer melted back into the shadows. Buffy wasn't about to let her go so easily. "Excuse me? You could at least listen when someone is trying to warn you that an army of demons is coming after you." There was a pause. Buffy began to wonder if her doppelganger had left anyway. "How many and where?" "I don't know. They weren't exactly in total share mode when I told them I wouldn't let them munch on ANYONE in my town." "I will handle this," was Slayer's response. "Hey, you may be big stuff in YOUR time, but _I_ am the Slayer-in-Residence." "I told you. I don't want you killed." "Your concern _really_ gives me a warm fuzzy." The two stared at each other for one long moment, until the sound of a match striking got their attention. "Right touching moment, pet," Spike said nonchalantly, the light from the match illuminating his face. This got a reaction from both Slayers. "Great, just what I need. Spike." She looked up at the sky. "Do You hate me or something?" Slayer just stared at Spike, her mouth gaping open. For several long seconds, she just stood there. Then her brain remembered how to work her voice. "S-spike?" she stammered. "Is it really you?" "What, were you expecting the big poof?" "What happened, Spike? Dru dump you again?" Buffy asked snidely. "Maybe I dumped HER," he shot back. He had forgotten how much he hated this girl. Before the mutual hatefest could go further, it was rudely interrupted... by Slayer throwing herself in Spike's arms and kissing him deeply. Both Spike and Buffy's eyes bugged out as Slayer attempted to perform an emergency tonsilectomy on the vampire. Spike was the first to recover. Noting Buffy's look of utter shock, he decided to return the kiss with as much passion as he could muster. It wasn't hard. Slayer was a great kisser. Buffy's look of shock turned to one of outrage. She knew Spike was trying to provoke her. Well, guess what? It worked. She reached over, grabbed her double by the shoulder, and pulled her back roughly. "What the HELL--" she began, only to stop in horror. Slayer snarled in protest, yellow eyes blazing, forehead protruding, and her mouth full of fangs. Slayer was a vampire. ***** Slayer10