~~~~~ Part 4 ~~~~~
~ The Bronze, One Hour Later ~
Pretty much most of the crowd had been dispersed and only a handful of people remained to give statements to the Police which included the Buffy, the Buffy double and the rest of the gang.
Buffy sat looking dejected over her shoulder towards a cordoned off area where Cordelia was sitting with a few members of the Sunnydale PD along with Detective Jonathan Richards. Wherever there was something paranormal going on Richards was there digging through the dirt.
"Damn it," Buffy muttered under her breath as she looked back to the others, "how long is this thing going to take."
"Buffy, this is a serious matter," Willow softly answered, "we could be dealing with murder here."
"But, Cordy wouldn't do this." Xander said as he paced back and fourth. "It's just not in her nature, no matter how much she'd hate somebody."
"Sorry to say, but this is living proof to the contrary," Oz said unhappily as he took Willow's hand into his own and gently squeezed it.
The gang fell into a thoughtful silence as they tried to piece together the events of the previous hour, where they were, what they were doing. They were all trying to justify Cordelia's innocence in this matter but the sad truth of it was that there was no way they could added to the fact that the victim was a person that Cordelia hated with an intense passion.
"Ms. Summers," the sound of Detective Richards echoed from where he was sitting.
Buffy looked back and saw him looking at her and the rest of them.
"You might as well go Ms. Summers, we have your witness statements and there is nothing more you can do here."
"But what about Cordelia?" Xander asked looking at the Detective.
"Ms. Chase isn't going anywhere I'm afraid, at the moment she is being charged with first degree murder. Unless you're a lawyer, I'm afraid there's nothing more you or her friends can do for her." The Detective turned back and carried on talking to Cordelia.
"But," Xander said completely shocked at the statement, "she can't .. she just."
They turned their heads towards the entrance as they heard a quick pacing of footsteps and Giles appears through a crowd of Police officials.
"Buffy what's happened?" Giles said as he approached the table. "You were supposed to bring the Buffy double back by now."
"There's trouble Giles," Willow murmured as she pointed her head in the direction of Cordelia who was at this time being handcuffed by an officer.
~ Sunnydale High, The Following Morning ~
It had been pretty much a sleepless night for the gang as they were all concerned for Cordelia, as well as being troubled by the actual murder of Harmony. This time around it certainly didn't look like a killing by Vampire or Demon, rather than by flesh and blood human with a conscious and soul.
Buffy and the gang sat around the large desk in the Library, all of them looking totally tired and exhausted from the events of the previous night. Their only saving grace was that fact that today was Saturday and that nobody else was expected to be there. In the center of the table lay a pile of document procured from the Sunnydale PD through the Council's authority. It included witness arias from all the customers and staff who were on duty that night along with gruesome and detailed photos and forensic reports and autopsy notes from the Coroner.
"So what have we got here?" Buffy mused as she fiddled with the edge of the nearest folder.
There was a moment's silence before anybody answered.
"Well, it seems .." Willow started.
".. She did it," Xander cut in before Willow finished.
Willow didn't say anything, just looked at him, her eyes telling him what he needed to know.
"Well," Giles said, "there maybe another possible answer."
"There isn't." Xander sighed.
"Xander you don't know this," Buffy said, "there could be .."
"Could be what!" Xander suddenly exploded, much to everybody's shock and surprise. "The key to Cordy's freedom? Sitting here and reading these damned report's won't do anything for her while she's behind bars."
Not finding anything that he could hit nearby, he took the file he was holding and threw is across the table, throwing the contents everywhere and walked earnestly out of the library.
Buffy saw that Giles was about to say something and gently shook her head. This was one battle that couldn't be won with a stake or any other type of weapon.
~ That Night ~
It had been quite some time since Angel was re-souled in the corridors of Sunnydale High, but he had definitely made his intention to keep well away from Buffy and her friends, he especially kept a wide birth from the school after almost murdering Jenny Calindar.
Now he had turned his back from both human and demon life and shunned anybody who maybe looking for him. He was spending all of his time now in a boarded up mansion which was located on Crawford Street, only venturing out into the world when it was absolutely necessary, like to get blood.
He never left, even at night time, in case of a chance encounter with Buffy.
This night Angel decided to put aside the books and perform a little T'ai Chi, not that a Vampire needs to exercise, no, Angel just thought it was helpful in keeping in focus and help concentration if and when it was called for. He stood peacefully in front of a crackling fire, the motions his body goes through, gentle and so gracefully, going from one movement to another in one fluid motion.
He slowly moved his hand together, palms touching each other before extending both hands outwards away from his body, then upwards above his head. His arms went mid-way before he sensed a familiar presence in the room. He exhaled and slowly opened his eyes.
"What are you doing here?" Angel muttered softly.
~~~~~
Xander hadn't really spent any time taking to Buffy and his friends since his little outburst in the Library earlier on that day, and although in some respects he was right, he had to admit they were only doing what they could under the circumstances, and that thought had put Xander Harris into a huff.
In some respects it hadn't been long before Xander and Cordy had come to accept the feelings they had for each other as actual feelings and not some weird effect caused by the Hellmouth and now she was slumming it in one of the cells at the Sunnydale PD for something that she couldn't have done.
He had spent a lot of the night sitting at his desk, writing and now looking through his photo album at all the pictures he's got of his friends, and of the good times he shared with them. He flicked over the page and saw what he called the first two-some shot, of him and Cordy at the pier when they went to the sea side for the day. A smile passed his lips as he remembered how they had so much fun that day that when the day was over they was disappointed and kept nagging Willow for some sort of spell to be able to repeat the day over again, just for the sake of it.
A knock on the front door brought Xander back to the moment. He looked around behind him and thought for a moment weather or not to answer it. He knew that both of his parents weren't home and it was too early for either one to get back, besides neither of them would usually knock.
Xander sighed softly, then there was another knock. Getting up from the chair Xander slowly made his way into the hallway and down the stairs. Maybe it was Buffy and the others to check up on him. That thought made Xander smile, he did miss spending the day with them, even though he chose to steer clear from them for some of the time. He reached the bottom of the stairs and approached the door as there was a third knock.
"Okay," Xander called reaching for the latch, "I'm here."
He pulled the latch releasing the door and opened it up to see who was outside.
For a couple of moments there was a strained silence before Xander spoke in a low tone. "Holy crap!"
~~~~~
Surprisingly enough, Buffy and her friends weren't out patrolling as usual, but rather still in the Library. They had near enough spent the whole day investigating and researching, and they were finally reaching their wits end.
Giles and Willow were still looking at the mound of evidence and still not coming up with anything. Behind them stood a large white board with notes scribbled on it describing the events from all of them as they remember it, and Buffy had her head on her hands, lightly dozing.
"Giles," Willow softly said as she looked up from a folder. "Where's the Buffy double?"
"Hmm," Giles replied, "oh, yes, she's just gone to the bathroom to freshen up."
"Ok." Willow said putting down the folder and standing up.
With that over and done with, the silence returned to the room. Giles sat, cleaning his glasses as if there was a piece of dirt on it obscuring the view of the answer they so desperately need and Willow paced back and fourth with an expression of exasperation on her face.
"A-HA!" Willow suddenly exclaimed, causing Giles to jump in surprise and Buffy's head to shoot up from her place of rest.
"I'm awake," Buffy blustered, "I was just, hmm, was, just pondering the situation."
"Indeed." Giles simply answered as he looked at her before turning his attention to Willow. "A-ha, what Willow?"
"Magic," Willow simply exclaimed. "Do either of you know what 'relive les événements' mean?"
"Hmm," Buffy pondered, "is it 'turn back the clock'?"
"Close," Giles answered, "after a fashion at least. No it means 'relive the events' doesn't it Willow?"
"Yep," Willow said smiling, "there was a magician in the fifteenth century who perfected this spell in which a selected person can go back to a certain time frame and relive specific moments in their lives."
"Fascinating, but I don't understand." Buffy said as she sat up in her seat.
"Well in a normal day," Willow explained as she sat back down, "there's so much going on that you end up ignoring most of that things that pass you by. With this spell though, it amplifies the emotions and feeling resonating from the people around you as well so you can get a better understand of what they're feeling."
"So what, one of us goes back to last night and go through it again to pick up on and weird feeling that might be floating around?" Buffy asked.
"And get a clearer picture of what was going on at that moment." Willow clarified.
"Can you do this spell Willow?" Giles asked.
"Yep, I'm almost definite that I can do this."
"Good." Giles said, "In which case I'd suggest that Buffy do this as she was first to find Cordelia."
~~~~~
"So? What are you doing here?" Angel asked again.
He hadn't moved from where he stood and his eyes were locked intently on the other person who was now circling the room and singing loudly.
"Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens. Bright copper kettles, and warm woollen mittens. Brown paper packages, tied up with strings .."
"DRUSILLA!" Angel barked loudly, making her stop in her tracks.
" .. These are a few of my favourite things. Don't shout, you know it's rude manners to shout daddy." Drusilla spoke as she stopped in front of him. "hmm everything's falling nicely tonight."
"What is?" Angel asked.
"No, no," Drusilla said wagging a finger, "not telling you, now that you're all soul having again. Besides you're going to find out very soon enough."
"So what if I killed you right now." Angel suddenly said. "Maybe this thing won't come to pass."
"But you won't," Drusilla said. "You can't kill me, because, just maybe you would have done it before now."
"There's always a first," Angel snarled taking a step forward.
"Now, now," Drusilla replied taking a step back. "I know you've been avoiding the Slayer and her friends since the night you were cursed again, but if I were you I'd be going out of my way to make sure they were well protected."
"Why?" Angel asked. "Is something happening that I don't know about?"
"Perhaps," she simply answered. "In any case I'd make it my business to see what's exactly going on."
~~~~~
"So what happens next?" Buffy asked as she sat cross-legged on the table.
"Just relax," Willow said as she finished lighting a set of candles that were placed around the Slayer. "If all goes well, this will just take a moment. Now, I want you to drink this for me, then we can begin."
"What is it?" Buffy asked as she took a glass that was filled with a pale pink liquid.
"A little mixture just to slow down the old Slayer metabolism and get you to relax," Willow replied.
Buffy put the glass to her nose and sniffed the mixture. "It smells a little like cherry soda."
"Yep," Willow said, "for the taste. Now drink."
Buffy smiled at her friend as she took the glass and began drinking the liquid as Willow reached out to Giles who handed her an open book.
Willow smiled briefly at Giles before reading, "Guardians of Darkness I beckon thee, Keepers of the Sacred Time I implore."
As Willow recited the spell, the candles around Buffy suddenly flared up and blue flame blew high from the candle which made both Willow and Giles recoil slightly.
"I call upon thee to send the Slayer back through her time and relive her events from twenty-two hours previous. Send her back, now!"
Both the candles and the lights in the Library flickered out for a moment then came back to life again.
"The spell is done." Giles said. "Very well done indeed Willow."
Willow looked down and then a slight murmur passed her lips.
"Is there anything amiss Willow?" Giles asked walking over to her.
"Well," Willow replied. "Last night, both Buffy's were there. Would this spell be able to differentiate between the two?"
Giles stopped in front of her and knotted his brow in thought. "You know, I honestly never thought of that."
With their thoughts trained on the moment, neither one of them noticed the pair of eyes gleering through the Library window at them.
~~~~~
The Buffy double for all this time had decided to take a little time out and take a slow wonder through the deserted hallways of the school. It wasn't that she didn't want to be around Buffy, Giles and Willow, it's just that cause she really didn't know what was going on in there she decided to have a little time just for herself.
In a way she's a little happy that they haven't had the time to perform the spell to re-merge her with her other self, it gave her a chance to compare her lives. One of a Slayer and protector or the planet, and the other as plain old Buffy Summers of Los Angeles, and those lives were very different indeed.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the sound of something being kicked along the other end of the corridor. She spin around quickly looking for whoever was there but she couldn't see anybody.
"Oh rat," the Buffy double muttered. "I should have stayed in the Library."
~~~~~ Part 5 ~~~~~
The Buffy double started to get anxious. She suspected that trouble was nearby and she wasn't trained to defend herself from it. Instinctively she double-backed on herself and made a quick walk back to the Library to where she at least hoped it was safer.
She turned a corner just as a dark figure was coming the other way which gave her the fright of her life and fell backwards.
"Buff!" a raised voice suddenly called. "Please don't do that, y'a scared the heck outta me."
"Xander?" the Buffy double said from her new position on the floor.
"Yeah," he said taking a couple steps forward. "I guessed you were still here so I thought I'd stop by."
Smiling and half giggling, the Buffy double stood back on here feet and glared at Xander.
"You know, for a moment I thought you might have been a vampire."
"Well don't be too safe." Xander said in a slightly lower tone. "There's a small cadre of vamps around the back of the building. I saw them on my way in."
"Well we've gotta warn the others." Buffy quickly said.
"Don't worry, Oz is on it, but quick we've gotta get out of here."
Xander took Buffy's hand and they made their way further into the school.
~~~~~
"This is freakier than I thought," Buffy muttered to herself.
The music was playing and the crowd was jumping, but the thing that the Slayer couldn't understand was that she was standing in front of both herself and the Buffy double.
"Wasn't I supposed to be one of these?" Buffy asked herself as she looked at them both.
The spell had worked and Buffy was re-living the events of the previous night, but it seemed that the spell had taken a slightly different turn and made Buffy a person which could neither be seen or heard, which she was more than happy with.
Buffy looked around for the moment, but through the mass of bodies couldn't really see much so she took the staircase to the upper level to get a better look. As she reached the top she walked a short way as she catches sight of a tall man lighting a cigarette. She was about to make a comment before she was cut in by another female.
"Hey good looking," she called walking towards the figure.
The figure looked sideways as a tall slender brunette approached and smiled.
"You got one of them matches spare?" she asked holding a cigarette in her hand.
Buffy looked on in silence as she got the light that she wanted, then smiled and walked off. Buffy shook her head and took a couple more steps forward.
"Larry," she moaned, "quit smoking."
Buffy looked over the railing to the crowd below and sighed. "I don't even know what I'm looking out for."
She looked down again and over to the bathroom doors, she wasn't going to get any form of head's up as to what was going to happen so she decided the best course was to simply loiter near the bathroom to see who goes in and out. She turned her back on Larry and so didn't see him take a few steps forward and straight through where she was standing.
She felt every nerve tingle throughout her body and her senses were alive for that moment, then everything was back to normal.
"Freaky," Buffy said straightening herself out again before heading to the stairs.
~~~~~
Drusilla sat, almost impatiently in one of the many abandoned warehouses that dotted throughout the town, her little visit to Angel had gone without a hitch and everything was on course from her point of view. The impatience was because she didn't know bout the rest of the plan.
"Oh where have you gotten to," Drusilla mumbled as she picked up Miss Edith.
"I'm here," a voice echoed through the open space.
"Where have you been?" Drusilla said standing to her feet.
"Sorry," the figure replied.
"Sorry?" Drusilla repeated.
The figure pulled out a box of matches and lit one, then lighting a cigarette in it's mouth tossed the used match aside. "Yeah, sorry, had to make sure things were in place remember."
"Yeah, well, I can feel it in the air I can," Drusilla said as she started moving around the room. "Magic in the air there is tonight. Buffy is using the spell you said she would, you'll be found out. We'll be found out."
"Relax. We needed her to do this so we can claim the one thing she could never share with us."
"Oh?" Drusilla wondered, her interest now piqued.
"Sure, we use this magic against her and take the skills necessary to be a Slayer."
Drusilla pondered over the plan for a few moments before a wicked grin spread across her lips and a loud laugh began ringing through the warehouse.
"That is just perfection my dear," she squealed with delight.
~~~~~
'Buffy in trouble, Buffy needing help', that was all that ran through Angel's head as he raced head-long through streets of Sunnydale. Despite spending plenty of time reflecting on past events as Angelus and brooding about it, he was also torn about wanting to be by her side, fighting and protecting her both at the same time.
He reached the green opposite the High School and then he noticed them, bout nine vampires on the lawn and approaching the entrance of the school. He needed a way in and quickly.
"The Library," Angel muttered. "I can get in through the back."
Before thinking, he was off hoping to keep the element of surprise.
~~~~~
Giles stood gazing at the still form of his Slayer, Buffy Summer. Her expressionless face, the healthy colour in her cheeks, and the slight curve at the edge of her lips. Giles closed his eyes for a moment and re-called the very first time he met Buffy and smiled as he remembered taking her under his wing and taught her to become one of the finest Slayers he has had the privilege to know.
"Hey Giles," Willow whispered with a slight giggle in her voice, "she's not a statue you know"
Giles shifted his gaze slightly towards Willow and a smile came across his lips. "No, I know. I was just wondering what Buffy was experiencing at this moment in time that's all."
"Giles," Willow said as she moved across the Library floor, "this maybe a personal question, but how many Slayers have you taken change of since you've been a Wather?"
Giles cleared this throat and sat down at a nearby chair. Taking off his glasses and cleaning them, he looked at Willow with a blank expression.
"Buffy," Giles began. "Buffy is my fourth Slayer since my employment as a Watcher, and by all accounts, the most unique person I have had the pleasure of knowing."
Willow was about to say something else when the Library doors swung open. They both looked back to see who walked in.
"Oz," Willow smiled brightly, "I'd hope you'd arrive."
"Yeah, sorry I'm late." Oz said as Willow enveloped him in a hug.
"Where's Xander and Buffy, err, I mean her double?" Giles asked.
"Well that's why I'm late," Oz answered. "I stopped off at Xander's place but neither he or Buffy's double was around. I thought they got bored and decided to get here early."
"No," Willow said looking into her boyfriend's eyes, "they've not been here all night."
"I wonder where they could have gotten to?" Giles pondered.
"I'm a little worried," Willow said as she threw a glaze around the Library.
At that moment one of the windows exploded in fragments and all three covered their eyes and faces to protect themselves. They looked back at the windowless frame as two Vampires leapt through and growled at the sight before them.
"Your worries are well advised Willow," Giles almost yelped as he made a hurried bee-line towards the weapons cabinet and opened it as quickly as he could.
~~~~~
Buffy was getting more and more accustomed of her new circumstances as she calmly strolled through the packed floor of the Bronze with nobody bothering her in the slightest, although she couldn't say the same about the thoughts she was hearing. Part of the spell's effect was to enhance her surroundings, which included, in this case, mind reading abilities. Buffy stopped off at the bar area and scouted the area once again for any suspicious activity. Nothing out of the ordinary, though she did notice herself making a quick bee-line towards the fire exit at the back of the club, which meant the murder will take place at any time.
Buffy took a few quick steps forward, straight through the drink carrying Oz. The view of her surroundings shimmered for a moment and she felt goose bumps, then everything returned back to the norm.
"That's way too freaky," Buffy mumbled to herself as she turned back and strolled quickly to the ladies restroom.
Her now even heightened hearing heard muffled screaming from the bathroom and Buffy swore knowing she had to pick up the pace now. She started to jog fast, the door to the restrooms just around a corner and as she ran she didn't realise she ran straight through Xander who was walking in the opposite direction. As she passed through the other side, Xander stopped for a moment and ran his hands down the front of his shirt flattening the cloth against his skin ever so slowly.
It was also at that time, Buffy stopped in her tracks before she reached the corner. A thought passed through her mind .. A disturbing thought which made her head back the way she came from.
~~~~~
The sharp edge of a samurai sword sliced effortlessly though the neck of a Vampire which reduced it to a solid statue of dust before crumbling a heart beat later. Willow, Oz and Giles was fighting the small group of Vamps, both to protect themselves but also to protect Buffy who was still in the state of catatonia from the spell.
Giles looked back to Oz and Willow only to be greeted by the sight of a Vamp leaping towards him, throwing the Librarian back and pinning him against the framework the contained the weapons locker.
"A little assistance, please," Giles coughed at the Vampire gripped Giles by the neck with both hands.
"We would if we could," Willow replied.
Giles managed a glance and saw another Vampire struggling with Oz while Willow was bearing down on him from behind with a stake.
"Oh dear," Giles mumbled as two more entered through the Library entrance.
An eternity seemed to pass, but it was mere seconds before the Vampire that had Giles exploded into hot ash and crumbled to his feet. Regaining his composure, Giles looked around for sight of the person who saved his life only to see Angel jump through the smashed window pane armed with two crossbows.
"Thank God," Giles mumbled with a small smile on his lips.
"Giles!" Willow screamed from the floor.
~~~~~
"Can I get least get a glass of water here," Cordelia hollered, "I'm dying of thirst!"
"Here," a Police officer replied appearing from nowhere. "Hopefully this'll keep that pretty mouth of yours quiet."
"Not forever." Cordelia commented as she took the glass and took a sip. "Is this tap water," she suddenly yelled. "I specifically asked for chilled bottle water, not stuffed that came from lime-scale filled pipe-work buddy."
Cordelia sighed and sat on the edge of the bed looking up at the barred up window. Her imprisonment in the Sunnydale PD had been, up to now, as tolerable as it could be. The main thing that annoyed her the most was that her so-called loving parents hadn't even bothered visiting her or seeing if she was okay. The way she saw it was that, seeing her father was currently being investigated by the Inland Revenue Service for possible tax fraud they wanted to get as little trouble as possible .. and Cordelia Chase was just a little too much trouble for them at this moment in time.
She put her glass on the floor and sank her head in her hands. The past twenty four hours had definitely been too much for her, and also she wanted right now was her nice comfortable bed in her room curled up next to her Xander Harris.
The sound of chattering made her raise her head from her hands to listen. The voices were familiar. She smiled a little as she stood up and walked over to the door of her cell to see if she could get a glimpse of the people talking.
~~~~~
The last of the Vampire's turned to dust as Willow got up from her position on the floor. Everyone looked around at each other making sure they were still okay before breathing a sigh of relief.
"That was intense," Oz murmured as he walked over to Willow and gave a hug.
"Thanks for your help Angel," Willow said smiling at the Vampire, who smiled back at her.
"Yes indeed," Giles added, "thank you for your help, but I was curious as to what you were doing this way."
"Sunnydale's a small town," Angel replied looking at the Watcher, "besides I was tipped off that something was going to happen."
"Oh, by whom?" Giles asked as he sat down at the nearest chair.
"Drusilla." Angel simply said as he glanced at Buffy.
"Oh," Willow said, "Buffy's under a spell. She's gone back to her previous twenty four hours to see if she can see anything she missed the first time."
"Interesting." Angel muttered softly looking at her soft skin and peaceful expression. "But, why?"
"Well," Giles answered, "It seems that our Cordelia may, or may not be implicated in a murder of a youth at the Bronze last night. Buffy has gone back there to see who might have done it."
"But," Angel murmured, almost to himself. "What if, the person involved is skilled in magic and realises Buffy's presence."
There was a hushed silence as Giles, Willow and Oz looked at each other then back to Angel and Buffy.
~~~~~
"Everything is so perfect," Drusilla sung happily as she danced around a large cavern room underneath the streets of Sunnydale. "I never thought that things would go so smoothly, and so deliciously."
The acrid smell of a match could be smelt from behind Drusilla as a figure walked towards her lighting a cigarette.
"It's not over yet hon," the heavy British accent drifted around the room.
Drusilla stopped and smiled as she looked over her shoulder. "Oh but it is, my Spike. The tables have been turned, the stage has been set, and they'll be a new Chosen One running this little town."
"You've not forgotten about the Slayer and her cohort of medalling friends have you?" Spike asked as he stopped in front of Dru.
Drusilla giggle loudly as she reached out and lightly brushed Spike's cheek. "My baby, there's nothing anybody can do. Not the Slayer's friends and not even the Slayer." Drusilla laughed loudly and threw her head backwards towards the roof. "Tonight history will be re-written and only the people who need to know, will know. Destinies have been re-set and events have been altered, well to a small degree anyway, but enough to secure Sunnydale and it's Hellmouth."
This time it was Spike's turn to laugh loudly as he watched Drusilla with glee. "Well, let the games commence."
~~~~~
"Giles, how long has it been now?" Willow asked the Librarian as he walked around the Library in silence.
Giles looked at Willow and then down towards his wrist watch. "Almost twenty minutes already, Buffy should have found something out long before now. Willow, I think you better perform the counter spell and revive Buffy."
Willow walked down from the back stacks where she was standing towards the still form of Buffy.
"Guys," Oz said looking back from the broken window, "I can't help but to wonder where the Buffy double has gone?"
Giles looked a little flustered at that comment. All the while they were at the Library, they never gave the Buffy double a second thought until just then. Giles lowered his gaze to the floor and rubbed his forehead momentarily before replying. "It seems that the Buffy double is in no real danger at the moment. We'll go looking for her after we break this spell."
"What do you mean, Buffy double?" Angel asked, not realising what has been happening.
"Well," Giles stuttered, "it story isn't an issue at the moment, I'll inform you later on Angel."
"We'll it seems that Willow is making an issue of this Buffy double." Angel said show a little sign of agitation. "Why is she so important?"
Willow hopped cross legged on the table facing Buffy, the large book in her hand ready to perform the counter spell. She threw a glance at Giles and nodded slightly. "Giles I think it's fair he should know, maybe he can go out now."
Giles breathed heavily looking at Willow and then at Angel. She was right, Giles knew it, and even know he help save them against the Vampire attack, he still had a couple reservations about the Vampire.
"Very well," he simply replied. He crossed the floor and stood nearby to Willow, then he removed his glasses and gave the lenses a wipe before answering. "This Buffy double was created through an incantation that Buffy accidentally read aloud. It split Buffy into two personas, one with a background and heart of a pure slayer, the one sitting in this very room. The other profoundly skilled scholastically and well educated, but however, has absolutely no Slaying abilities or knowing or Slaying or being a Slayer. These two Buffy's exist because of each other, they were never meant to be apart. Which means .."
"Which means," Angel interjected, "you kill one Buffy and the other one also dies?"
There was no answer from the Watcher.
"So, isn't joining the Buffy's together a priority?" Angel almost burst out with fury.
"It's not that easy Angel," Willow calmly answered, "both Buffy's need to be in the same room for the spell to succeed."
~~~~~
"You!" Buffy's comment was nothing more than a hushed tone. "It was you all along wasn't it? Your mind is full of the images as you killed that person in the toilets. Why?"
The person standing opposite just stood there in silence, not answering Buffy's question.
"Why Xander!" Buffy blurted out in anger.
Xander stood in front of Buffy with a smile on his face, a small chuckle coming from his throat. "Simple." Xander finally answered. "She was expendable. Like everybody else in this backwater town. Just like you."
"You're not a Vampire," Buffy commented with confusion in her voice, "so what in the hell are you?"
"Well at the risk of sounding like a Hollywood cliché, Slayer. You remember that movie, hmm Blade? With, what was his name?"
"Wesley Snipes." Buffy answered.
"Yeah that's the one," Xander exclaimed pointing a finger at Buffy. "Yeah well I've kinda got his deal. I got the Vamp strengths and I can strut my stuff around during the day without having to carry a fire extinguisher with me."
"Who done this?" Buffy asked suddenly concerned. "When?"
"Hmm the who's and when's are long passed Slayer, and if you haven't guessed already, so has your friend Xander. The only question is what happens now?"
"Well," Buffy stated a little cockily, "Even if you can touch me, you can't kill me as I'm not really here. I was brought here through magic."
"Please, you think I want to attack and bite you? That is so passé. Nope, this Zeppo has learnt a few tricks as well, wanna see?"
Buffy looked to either side and edged back slightly. "Look, whoever you are, Willow's gonna break this spell I'm under any moment now, I can feel it. And when that happens I'm going after and beat that demon outta Xander's body!"
"That's not going to happen now." Xander said with an malicious smile. He raised his arms up beside his body, and as he did, faint crackles of blue electricity began to spark and spit around him.
~~~~~
Giles, Oz and Angel stood in baited silence as Willow closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Guardians of Darkness I beckon thee, Keepers of the Sacred Time I implore. I command thee to break what once you evoked. Bring the essence of the one back to the present, back to the moment so she may walk amongst us once again. Guardians of the Darkness, I command. Now!"
As before the candles that were situated around Buffy flared up with a brilliant blue flame, and as the spell was complete the room was hushed into blackness for a few moments before the lights came back on again.
"Buffy?" Giles muttered.
The three guys held their breath waiting for a response. Willow being the closest looked intently at the face of her friend, her eyebrows slightly knotted together.
"It." Willow said after a few moments, "It didn't work."
~~~~~
"It's working." Drusilla screeched with glee.
"Yes," Spike commented in his usual voice. "Very exciting, what is it doing?"
Both Drusilla and Spike were standing in front of a large stone plinth upon which stood a large glowing orb and around it there were sparks of blue electricity appearing as if from nowhere.
"It's happening. Both Slayers are in place and time is being re-written to our desires."
"How much longer?" Spike asked looking at the orb.
"Not much longer." Drusilla beamed clapping her hands together.
~~~~~
"So what now?" An infuriated Buffy asked Xander. "I can't hurt you, hell I can't even touch anything, but I can sure as hell run away."
"Wrong Slayer." Xander replied smirking, "cause I can catch you wherever you may be." A wicked grin formed itself on Xander's face and chuckled. "Ask yourself, has there ever been a time you wished you weren't the Slayer? That you wished somebody else did the dirty work while you enjoyed your child hood?"
"It's not just a responsibility," Buffy replied, "It's a destiny. My destiny, and I wouldn't trade it in for a moment."
"Well it's a shame, not everybody sees it the same way as you. You've become too much of a threat to the underworld community and drastic times call for drastic measures." Xander, still with his hands at either side of his body brought then together fast and sharp. "And now, you're nothing but history."
Buffy's eyes went wide and that moment chose to run. She span hard on her heels and headed towards the back wall of the club, regardless of whom she may be running through at that moment. The arc's of electricity that had been dancing and spiralling around Xander suddenly shot and pulsated along both of his arms and out of his fingers directly aimed at the Slayer.
She couldn't out run it, she knew that, it was just a reflex action bought upon fear. All she could do was wait until it struck her body and did what it was intended to do. The shaft of electricity struck Buffy square in the centre of her back. Every muscle in Buffy's back suddenly went taught and she screamed with unbearable agony as the electricity shot up and down her spine and across every inch of her skin and deep within her brain.
"It will soon be over," Xander mumbled to himself. "Soon."
Buffy's hands were clenched tightly, her nails gigging into the palms of her hands making bloody slowly drip down to the floor. She gritted her teeth as the electricity continued to course through her body, and at the very moment she thought her head was literally going to explode, her eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she collapsed to the floor.
~ The Bronze, One Hour Later ~
Pretty much most of the crowd had been dispersed and only a handful of people remained to give statements to the Police which included the Buffy, the Buffy double and the rest of the gang.
Buffy sat looking dejected over her shoulder towards a cordoned off area where Cordelia was sitting with a few members of the Sunnydale PD along with Detective Jonathan Richards. Wherever there was something paranormal going on Richards was there digging through the dirt.
"Damn it," Buffy muttered under her breath as she looked back to the others, "how long is this thing going to take."
"Buffy, this is a serious matter," Willow softly answered, "we could be dealing with murder here."
"But, Cordy wouldn't do this." Xander said as he paced back and fourth. "It's just not in her nature, no matter how much she'd hate somebody."
"Sorry to say, but this is living proof to the contrary," Oz said unhappily as he took Willow's hand into his own and gently squeezed it.
The gang fell into a thoughtful silence as they tried to piece together the events of the previous hour, where they were, what they were doing. They were all trying to justify Cordelia's innocence in this matter but the sad truth of it was that there was no way they could added to the fact that the victim was a person that Cordelia hated with an intense passion.
"Ms. Summers," the sound of Detective Richards echoed from where he was sitting.
Buffy looked back and saw him looking at her and the rest of them.
"You might as well go Ms. Summers, we have your witness statements and there is nothing more you can do here."
"But what about Cordelia?" Xander asked looking at the Detective.
"Ms. Chase isn't going anywhere I'm afraid, at the moment she is being charged with first degree murder. Unless you're a lawyer, I'm afraid there's nothing more you or her friends can do for her." The Detective turned back and carried on talking to Cordelia.
"But," Xander said completely shocked at the statement, "she can't .. she just."
They turned their heads towards the entrance as they heard a quick pacing of footsteps and Giles appears through a crowd of Police officials.
"Buffy what's happened?" Giles said as he approached the table. "You were supposed to bring the Buffy double back by now."
"There's trouble Giles," Willow murmured as she pointed her head in the direction of Cordelia who was at this time being handcuffed by an officer.
~ Sunnydale High, The Following Morning ~
It had been pretty much a sleepless night for the gang as they were all concerned for Cordelia, as well as being troubled by the actual murder of Harmony. This time around it certainly didn't look like a killing by Vampire or Demon, rather than by flesh and blood human with a conscious and soul.
Buffy and the gang sat around the large desk in the Library, all of them looking totally tired and exhausted from the events of the previous night. Their only saving grace was that fact that today was Saturday and that nobody else was expected to be there. In the center of the table lay a pile of document procured from the Sunnydale PD through the Council's authority. It included witness arias from all the customers and staff who were on duty that night along with gruesome and detailed photos and forensic reports and autopsy notes from the Coroner.
"So what have we got here?" Buffy mused as she fiddled with the edge of the nearest folder.
There was a moment's silence before anybody answered.
"Well, it seems .." Willow started.
".. She did it," Xander cut in before Willow finished.
Willow didn't say anything, just looked at him, her eyes telling him what he needed to know.
"Well," Giles said, "there maybe another possible answer."
"There isn't." Xander sighed.
"Xander you don't know this," Buffy said, "there could be .."
"Could be what!" Xander suddenly exploded, much to everybody's shock and surprise. "The key to Cordy's freedom? Sitting here and reading these damned report's won't do anything for her while she's behind bars."
Not finding anything that he could hit nearby, he took the file he was holding and threw is across the table, throwing the contents everywhere and walked earnestly out of the library.
Buffy saw that Giles was about to say something and gently shook her head. This was one battle that couldn't be won with a stake or any other type of weapon.
~ That Night ~
It had been quite some time since Angel was re-souled in the corridors of Sunnydale High, but he had definitely made his intention to keep well away from Buffy and her friends, he especially kept a wide birth from the school after almost murdering Jenny Calindar.
Now he had turned his back from both human and demon life and shunned anybody who maybe looking for him. He was spending all of his time now in a boarded up mansion which was located on Crawford Street, only venturing out into the world when it was absolutely necessary, like to get blood.
He never left, even at night time, in case of a chance encounter with Buffy.
This night Angel decided to put aside the books and perform a little T'ai Chi, not that a Vampire needs to exercise, no, Angel just thought it was helpful in keeping in focus and help concentration if and when it was called for. He stood peacefully in front of a crackling fire, the motions his body goes through, gentle and so gracefully, going from one movement to another in one fluid motion.
He slowly moved his hand together, palms touching each other before extending both hands outwards away from his body, then upwards above his head. His arms went mid-way before he sensed a familiar presence in the room. He exhaled and slowly opened his eyes.
"What are you doing here?" Angel muttered softly.
~~~~~
Xander hadn't really spent any time taking to Buffy and his friends since his little outburst in the Library earlier on that day, and although in some respects he was right, he had to admit they were only doing what they could under the circumstances, and that thought had put Xander Harris into a huff.
In some respects it hadn't been long before Xander and Cordy had come to accept the feelings they had for each other as actual feelings and not some weird effect caused by the Hellmouth and now she was slumming it in one of the cells at the Sunnydale PD for something that she couldn't have done.
He had spent a lot of the night sitting at his desk, writing and now looking through his photo album at all the pictures he's got of his friends, and of the good times he shared with them. He flicked over the page and saw what he called the first two-some shot, of him and Cordy at the pier when they went to the sea side for the day. A smile passed his lips as he remembered how they had so much fun that day that when the day was over they was disappointed and kept nagging Willow for some sort of spell to be able to repeat the day over again, just for the sake of it.
A knock on the front door brought Xander back to the moment. He looked around behind him and thought for a moment weather or not to answer it. He knew that both of his parents weren't home and it was too early for either one to get back, besides neither of them would usually knock.
Xander sighed softly, then there was another knock. Getting up from the chair Xander slowly made his way into the hallway and down the stairs. Maybe it was Buffy and the others to check up on him. That thought made Xander smile, he did miss spending the day with them, even though he chose to steer clear from them for some of the time. He reached the bottom of the stairs and approached the door as there was a third knock.
"Okay," Xander called reaching for the latch, "I'm here."
He pulled the latch releasing the door and opened it up to see who was outside.
For a couple of moments there was a strained silence before Xander spoke in a low tone. "Holy crap!"
~~~~~
Surprisingly enough, Buffy and her friends weren't out patrolling as usual, but rather still in the Library. They had near enough spent the whole day investigating and researching, and they were finally reaching their wits end.
Giles and Willow were still looking at the mound of evidence and still not coming up with anything. Behind them stood a large white board with notes scribbled on it describing the events from all of them as they remember it, and Buffy had her head on her hands, lightly dozing.
"Giles," Willow softly said as she looked up from a folder. "Where's the Buffy double?"
"Hmm," Giles replied, "oh, yes, she's just gone to the bathroom to freshen up."
"Ok." Willow said putting down the folder and standing up.
With that over and done with, the silence returned to the room. Giles sat, cleaning his glasses as if there was a piece of dirt on it obscuring the view of the answer they so desperately need and Willow paced back and fourth with an expression of exasperation on her face.
"A-HA!" Willow suddenly exclaimed, causing Giles to jump in surprise and Buffy's head to shoot up from her place of rest.
"I'm awake," Buffy blustered, "I was just, hmm, was, just pondering the situation."
"Indeed." Giles simply answered as he looked at her before turning his attention to Willow. "A-ha, what Willow?"
"Magic," Willow simply exclaimed. "Do either of you know what 'relive les événements' mean?"
"Hmm," Buffy pondered, "is it 'turn back the clock'?"
"Close," Giles answered, "after a fashion at least. No it means 'relive the events' doesn't it Willow?"
"Yep," Willow said smiling, "there was a magician in the fifteenth century who perfected this spell in which a selected person can go back to a certain time frame and relive specific moments in their lives."
"Fascinating, but I don't understand." Buffy said as she sat up in her seat.
"Well in a normal day," Willow explained as she sat back down, "there's so much going on that you end up ignoring most of that things that pass you by. With this spell though, it amplifies the emotions and feeling resonating from the people around you as well so you can get a better understand of what they're feeling."
"So what, one of us goes back to last night and go through it again to pick up on and weird feeling that might be floating around?" Buffy asked.
"And get a clearer picture of what was going on at that moment." Willow clarified.
"Can you do this spell Willow?" Giles asked.
"Yep, I'm almost definite that I can do this."
"Good." Giles said, "In which case I'd suggest that Buffy do this as she was first to find Cordelia."
~~~~~
"So? What are you doing here?" Angel asked again.
He hadn't moved from where he stood and his eyes were locked intently on the other person who was now circling the room and singing loudly.
"Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens. Bright copper kettles, and warm woollen mittens. Brown paper packages, tied up with strings .."
"DRUSILLA!" Angel barked loudly, making her stop in her tracks.
" .. These are a few of my favourite things. Don't shout, you know it's rude manners to shout daddy." Drusilla spoke as she stopped in front of him. "hmm everything's falling nicely tonight."
"What is?" Angel asked.
"No, no," Drusilla said wagging a finger, "not telling you, now that you're all soul having again. Besides you're going to find out very soon enough."
"So what if I killed you right now." Angel suddenly said. "Maybe this thing won't come to pass."
"But you won't," Drusilla said. "You can't kill me, because, just maybe you would have done it before now."
"There's always a first," Angel snarled taking a step forward.
"Now, now," Drusilla replied taking a step back. "I know you've been avoiding the Slayer and her friends since the night you were cursed again, but if I were you I'd be going out of my way to make sure they were well protected."
"Why?" Angel asked. "Is something happening that I don't know about?"
"Perhaps," she simply answered. "In any case I'd make it my business to see what's exactly going on."
~~~~~
"So what happens next?" Buffy asked as she sat cross-legged on the table.
"Just relax," Willow said as she finished lighting a set of candles that were placed around the Slayer. "If all goes well, this will just take a moment. Now, I want you to drink this for me, then we can begin."
"What is it?" Buffy asked as she took a glass that was filled with a pale pink liquid.
"A little mixture just to slow down the old Slayer metabolism and get you to relax," Willow replied.
Buffy put the glass to her nose and sniffed the mixture. "It smells a little like cherry soda."
"Yep," Willow said, "for the taste. Now drink."
Buffy smiled at her friend as she took the glass and began drinking the liquid as Willow reached out to Giles who handed her an open book.
Willow smiled briefly at Giles before reading, "Guardians of Darkness I beckon thee, Keepers of the Sacred Time I implore."
As Willow recited the spell, the candles around Buffy suddenly flared up and blue flame blew high from the candle which made both Willow and Giles recoil slightly.
"I call upon thee to send the Slayer back through her time and relive her events from twenty-two hours previous. Send her back, now!"
Both the candles and the lights in the Library flickered out for a moment then came back to life again.
"The spell is done." Giles said. "Very well done indeed Willow."
Willow looked down and then a slight murmur passed her lips.
"Is there anything amiss Willow?" Giles asked walking over to her.
"Well," Willow replied. "Last night, both Buffy's were there. Would this spell be able to differentiate between the two?"
Giles stopped in front of her and knotted his brow in thought. "You know, I honestly never thought of that."
With their thoughts trained on the moment, neither one of them noticed the pair of eyes gleering through the Library window at them.
~~~~~
The Buffy double for all this time had decided to take a little time out and take a slow wonder through the deserted hallways of the school. It wasn't that she didn't want to be around Buffy, Giles and Willow, it's just that cause she really didn't know what was going on in there she decided to have a little time just for herself.
In a way she's a little happy that they haven't had the time to perform the spell to re-merge her with her other self, it gave her a chance to compare her lives. One of a Slayer and protector or the planet, and the other as plain old Buffy Summers of Los Angeles, and those lives were very different indeed.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the sound of something being kicked along the other end of the corridor. She spin around quickly looking for whoever was there but she couldn't see anybody.
"Oh rat," the Buffy double muttered. "I should have stayed in the Library."
~~~~~ Part 5 ~~~~~
The Buffy double started to get anxious. She suspected that trouble was nearby and she wasn't trained to defend herself from it. Instinctively she double-backed on herself and made a quick walk back to the Library to where she at least hoped it was safer.
She turned a corner just as a dark figure was coming the other way which gave her the fright of her life and fell backwards.
"Buff!" a raised voice suddenly called. "Please don't do that, y'a scared the heck outta me."
"Xander?" the Buffy double said from her new position on the floor.
"Yeah," he said taking a couple steps forward. "I guessed you were still here so I thought I'd stop by."
Smiling and half giggling, the Buffy double stood back on here feet and glared at Xander.
"You know, for a moment I thought you might have been a vampire."
"Well don't be too safe." Xander said in a slightly lower tone. "There's a small cadre of vamps around the back of the building. I saw them on my way in."
"Well we've gotta warn the others." Buffy quickly said.
"Don't worry, Oz is on it, but quick we've gotta get out of here."
Xander took Buffy's hand and they made their way further into the school.
~~~~~
"This is freakier than I thought," Buffy muttered to herself.
The music was playing and the crowd was jumping, but the thing that the Slayer couldn't understand was that she was standing in front of both herself and the Buffy double.
"Wasn't I supposed to be one of these?" Buffy asked herself as she looked at them both.
The spell had worked and Buffy was re-living the events of the previous night, but it seemed that the spell had taken a slightly different turn and made Buffy a person which could neither be seen or heard, which she was more than happy with.
Buffy looked around for the moment, but through the mass of bodies couldn't really see much so she took the staircase to the upper level to get a better look. As she reached the top she walked a short way as she catches sight of a tall man lighting a cigarette. She was about to make a comment before she was cut in by another female.
"Hey good looking," she called walking towards the figure.
The figure looked sideways as a tall slender brunette approached and smiled.
"You got one of them matches spare?" she asked holding a cigarette in her hand.
Buffy looked on in silence as she got the light that she wanted, then smiled and walked off. Buffy shook her head and took a couple more steps forward.
"Larry," she moaned, "quit smoking."
Buffy looked over the railing to the crowd below and sighed. "I don't even know what I'm looking out for."
She looked down again and over to the bathroom doors, she wasn't going to get any form of head's up as to what was going to happen so she decided the best course was to simply loiter near the bathroom to see who goes in and out. She turned her back on Larry and so didn't see him take a few steps forward and straight through where she was standing.
She felt every nerve tingle throughout her body and her senses were alive for that moment, then everything was back to normal.
"Freaky," Buffy said straightening herself out again before heading to the stairs.
~~~~~
Drusilla sat, almost impatiently in one of the many abandoned warehouses that dotted throughout the town, her little visit to Angel had gone without a hitch and everything was on course from her point of view. The impatience was because she didn't know bout the rest of the plan.
"Oh where have you gotten to," Drusilla mumbled as she picked up Miss Edith.
"I'm here," a voice echoed through the open space.
"Where have you been?" Drusilla said standing to her feet.
"Sorry," the figure replied.
"Sorry?" Drusilla repeated.
The figure pulled out a box of matches and lit one, then lighting a cigarette in it's mouth tossed the used match aside. "Yeah, sorry, had to make sure things were in place remember."
"Yeah, well, I can feel it in the air I can," Drusilla said as she started moving around the room. "Magic in the air there is tonight. Buffy is using the spell you said she would, you'll be found out. We'll be found out."
"Relax. We needed her to do this so we can claim the one thing she could never share with us."
"Oh?" Drusilla wondered, her interest now piqued.
"Sure, we use this magic against her and take the skills necessary to be a Slayer."
Drusilla pondered over the plan for a few moments before a wicked grin spread across her lips and a loud laugh began ringing through the warehouse.
"That is just perfection my dear," she squealed with delight.
~~~~~
'Buffy in trouble, Buffy needing help', that was all that ran through Angel's head as he raced head-long through streets of Sunnydale. Despite spending plenty of time reflecting on past events as Angelus and brooding about it, he was also torn about wanting to be by her side, fighting and protecting her both at the same time.
He reached the green opposite the High School and then he noticed them, bout nine vampires on the lawn and approaching the entrance of the school. He needed a way in and quickly.
"The Library," Angel muttered. "I can get in through the back."
Before thinking, he was off hoping to keep the element of surprise.
~~~~~
Giles stood gazing at the still form of his Slayer, Buffy Summer. Her expressionless face, the healthy colour in her cheeks, and the slight curve at the edge of her lips. Giles closed his eyes for a moment and re-called the very first time he met Buffy and smiled as he remembered taking her under his wing and taught her to become one of the finest Slayers he has had the privilege to know.
"Hey Giles," Willow whispered with a slight giggle in her voice, "she's not a statue you know"
Giles shifted his gaze slightly towards Willow and a smile came across his lips. "No, I know. I was just wondering what Buffy was experiencing at this moment in time that's all."
"Giles," Willow said as she moved across the Library floor, "this maybe a personal question, but how many Slayers have you taken change of since you've been a Wather?"
Giles cleared this throat and sat down at a nearby chair. Taking off his glasses and cleaning them, he looked at Willow with a blank expression.
"Buffy," Giles began. "Buffy is my fourth Slayer since my employment as a Watcher, and by all accounts, the most unique person I have had the pleasure of knowing."
Willow was about to say something else when the Library doors swung open. They both looked back to see who walked in.
"Oz," Willow smiled brightly, "I'd hope you'd arrive."
"Yeah, sorry I'm late." Oz said as Willow enveloped him in a hug.
"Where's Xander and Buffy, err, I mean her double?" Giles asked.
"Well that's why I'm late," Oz answered. "I stopped off at Xander's place but neither he or Buffy's double was around. I thought they got bored and decided to get here early."
"No," Willow said looking into her boyfriend's eyes, "they've not been here all night."
"I wonder where they could have gotten to?" Giles pondered.
"I'm a little worried," Willow said as she threw a glaze around the Library.
At that moment one of the windows exploded in fragments and all three covered their eyes and faces to protect themselves. They looked back at the windowless frame as two Vampires leapt through and growled at the sight before them.
"Your worries are well advised Willow," Giles almost yelped as he made a hurried bee-line towards the weapons cabinet and opened it as quickly as he could.
~~~~~
Buffy was getting more and more accustomed of her new circumstances as she calmly strolled through the packed floor of the Bronze with nobody bothering her in the slightest, although she couldn't say the same about the thoughts she was hearing. Part of the spell's effect was to enhance her surroundings, which included, in this case, mind reading abilities. Buffy stopped off at the bar area and scouted the area once again for any suspicious activity. Nothing out of the ordinary, though she did notice herself making a quick bee-line towards the fire exit at the back of the club, which meant the murder will take place at any time.
Buffy took a few quick steps forward, straight through the drink carrying Oz. The view of her surroundings shimmered for a moment and she felt goose bumps, then everything returned back to the norm.
"That's way too freaky," Buffy mumbled to herself as she turned back and strolled quickly to the ladies restroom.
Her now even heightened hearing heard muffled screaming from the bathroom and Buffy swore knowing she had to pick up the pace now. She started to jog fast, the door to the restrooms just around a corner and as she ran she didn't realise she ran straight through Xander who was walking in the opposite direction. As she passed through the other side, Xander stopped for a moment and ran his hands down the front of his shirt flattening the cloth against his skin ever so slowly.
It was also at that time, Buffy stopped in her tracks before she reached the corner. A thought passed through her mind .. A disturbing thought which made her head back the way she came from.
~~~~~
The sharp edge of a samurai sword sliced effortlessly though the neck of a Vampire which reduced it to a solid statue of dust before crumbling a heart beat later. Willow, Oz and Giles was fighting the small group of Vamps, both to protect themselves but also to protect Buffy who was still in the state of catatonia from the spell.
Giles looked back to Oz and Willow only to be greeted by the sight of a Vamp leaping towards him, throwing the Librarian back and pinning him against the framework the contained the weapons locker.
"A little assistance, please," Giles coughed at the Vampire gripped Giles by the neck with both hands.
"We would if we could," Willow replied.
Giles managed a glance and saw another Vampire struggling with Oz while Willow was bearing down on him from behind with a stake.
"Oh dear," Giles mumbled as two more entered through the Library entrance.
An eternity seemed to pass, but it was mere seconds before the Vampire that had Giles exploded into hot ash and crumbled to his feet. Regaining his composure, Giles looked around for sight of the person who saved his life only to see Angel jump through the smashed window pane armed with two crossbows.
"Thank God," Giles mumbled with a small smile on his lips.
"Giles!" Willow screamed from the floor.
~~~~~
"Can I get least get a glass of water here," Cordelia hollered, "I'm dying of thirst!"
"Here," a Police officer replied appearing from nowhere. "Hopefully this'll keep that pretty mouth of yours quiet."
"Not forever." Cordelia commented as she took the glass and took a sip. "Is this tap water," she suddenly yelled. "I specifically asked for chilled bottle water, not stuffed that came from lime-scale filled pipe-work buddy."
Cordelia sighed and sat on the edge of the bed looking up at the barred up window. Her imprisonment in the Sunnydale PD had been, up to now, as tolerable as it could be. The main thing that annoyed her the most was that her so-called loving parents hadn't even bothered visiting her or seeing if she was okay. The way she saw it was that, seeing her father was currently being investigated by the Inland Revenue Service for possible tax fraud they wanted to get as little trouble as possible .. and Cordelia Chase was just a little too much trouble for them at this moment in time.
She put her glass on the floor and sank her head in her hands. The past twenty four hours had definitely been too much for her, and also she wanted right now was her nice comfortable bed in her room curled up next to her Xander Harris.
The sound of chattering made her raise her head from her hands to listen. The voices were familiar. She smiled a little as she stood up and walked over to the door of her cell to see if she could get a glimpse of the people talking.
~~~~~
The last of the Vampire's turned to dust as Willow got up from her position on the floor. Everyone looked around at each other making sure they were still okay before breathing a sigh of relief.
"That was intense," Oz murmured as he walked over to Willow and gave a hug.
"Thanks for your help Angel," Willow said smiling at the Vampire, who smiled back at her.
"Yes indeed," Giles added, "thank you for your help, but I was curious as to what you were doing this way."
"Sunnydale's a small town," Angel replied looking at the Watcher, "besides I was tipped off that something was going to happen."
"Oh, by whom?" Giles asked as he sat down at the nearest chair.
"Drusilla." Angel simply said as he glanced at Buffy.
"Oh," Willow said, "Buffy's under a spell. She's gone back to her previous twenty four hours to see if she can see anything she missed the first time."
"Interesting." Angel muttered softly looking at her soft skin and peaceful expression. "But, why?"
"Well," Giles answered, "It seems that our Cordelia may, or may not be implicated in a murder of a youth at the Bronze last night. Buffy has gone back there to see who might have done it."
"But," Angel murmured, almost to himself. "What if, the person involved is skilled in magic and realises Buffy's presence."
There was a hushed silence as Giles, Willow and Oz looked at each other then back to Angel and Buffy.
~~~~~
"Everything is so perfect," Drusilla sung happily as she danced around a large cavern room underneath the streets of Sunnydale. "I never thought that things would go so smoothly, and so deliciously."
The acrid smell of a match could be smelt from behind Drusilla as a figure walked towards her lighting a cigarette.
"It's not over yet hon," the heavy British accent drifted around the room.
Drusilla stopped and smiled as she looked over her shoulder. "Oh but it is, my Spike. The tables have been turned, the stage has been set, and they'll be a new Chosen One running this little town."
"You've not forgotten about the Slayer and her cohort of medalling friends have you?" Spike asked as he stopped in front of Dru.
Drusilla giggle loudly as she reached out and lightly brushed Spike's cheek. "My baby, there's nothing anybody can do. Not the Slayer's friends and not even the Slayer." Drusilla laughed loudly and threw her head backwards towards the roof. "Tonight history will be re-written and only the people who need to know, will know. Destinies have been re-set and events have been altered, well to a small degree anyway, but enough to secure Sunnydale and it's Hellmouth."
This time it was Spike's turn to laugh loudly as he watched Drusilla with glee. "Well, let the games commence."
~~~~~
"Giles, how long has it been now?" Willow asked the Librarian as he walked around the Library in silence.
Giles looked at Willow and then down towards his wrist watch. "Almost twenty minutes already, Buffy should have found something out long before now. Willow, I think you better perform the counter spell and revive Buffy."
Willow walked down from the back stacks where she was standing towards the still form of Buffy.
"Guys," Oz said looking back from the broken window, "I can't help but to wonder where the Buffy double has gone?"
Giles looked a little flustered at that comment. All the while they were at the Library, they never gave the Buffy double a second thought until just then. Giles lowered his gaze to the floor and rubbed his forehead momentarily before replying. "It seems that the Buffy double is in no real danger at the moment. We'll go looking for her after we break this spell."
"What do you mean, Buffy double?" Angel asked, not realising what has been happening.
"Well," Giles stuttered, "it story isn't an issue at the moment, I'll inform you later on Angel."
"We'll it seems that Willow is making an issue of this Buffy double." Angel said show a little sign of agitation. "Why is she so important?"
Willow hopped cross legged on the table facing Buffy, the large book in her hand ready to perform the counter spell. She threw a glance at Giles and nodded slightly. "Giles I think it's fair he should know, maybe he can go out now."
Giles breathed heavily looking at Willow and then at Angel. She was right, Giles knew it, and even know he help save them against the Vampire attack, he still had a couple reservations about the Vampire.
"Very well," he simply replied. He crossed the floor and stood nearby to Willow, then he removed his glasses and gave the lenses a wipe before answering. "This Buffy double was created through an incantation that Buffy accidentally read aloud. It split Buffy into two personas, one with a background and heart of a pure slayer, the one sitting in this very room. The other profoundly skilled scholastically and well educated, but however, has absolutely no Slaying abilities or knowing or Slaying or being a Slayer. These two Buffy's exist because of each other, they were never meant to be apart. Which means .."
"Which means," Angel interjected, "you kill one Buffy and the other one also dies?"
There was no answer from the Watcher.
"So, isn't joining the Buffy's together a priority?" Angel almost burst out with fury.
"It's not that easy Angel," Willow calmly answered, "both Buffy's need to be in the same room for the spell to succeed."
~~~~~
"You!" Buffy's comment was nothing more than a hushed tone. "It was you all along wasn't it? Your mind is full of the images as you killed that person in the toilets. Why?"
The person standing opposite just stood there in silence, not answering Buffy's question.
"Why Xander!" Buffy blurted out in anger.
Xander stood in front of Buffy with a smile on his face, a small chuckle coming from his throat. "Simple." Xander finally answered. "She was expendable. Like everybody else in this backwater town. Just like you."
"You're not a Vampire," Buffy commented with confusion in her voice, "so what in the hell are you?"
"Well at the risk of sounding like a Hollywood cliché, Slayer. You remember that movie, hmm Blade? With, what was his name?"
"Wesley Snipes." Buffy answered.
"Yeah that's the one," Xander exclaimed pointing a finger at Buffy. "Yeah well I've kinda got his deal. I got the Vamp strengths and I can strut my stuff around during the day without having to carry a fire extinguisher with me."
"Who done this?" Buffy asked suddenly concerned. "When?"
"Hmm the who's and when's are long passed Slayer, and if you haven't guessed already, so has your friend Xander. The only question is what happens now?"
"Well," Buffy stated a little cockily, "Even if you can touch me, you can't kill me as I'm not really here. I was brought here through magic."
"Please, you think I want to attack and bite you? That is so passé. Nope, this Zeppo has learnt a few tricks as well, wanna see?"
Buffy looked to either side and edged back slightly. "Look, whoever you are, Willow's gonna break this spell I'm under any moment now, I can feel it. And when that happens I'm going after and beat that demon outta Xander's body!"
"That's not going to happen now." Xander said with an malicious smile. He raised his arms up beside his body, and as he did, faint crackles of blue electricity began to spark and spit around him.
~~~~~
Giles, Oz and Angel stood in baited silence as Willow closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Guardians of Darkness I beckon thee, Keepers of the Sacred Time I implore. I command thee to break what once you evoked. Bring the essence of the one back to the present, back to the moment so she may walk amongst us once again. Guardians of the Darkness, I command. Now!"
As before the candles that were situated around Buffy flared up with a brilliant blue flame, and as the spell was complete the room was hushed into blackness for a few moments before the lights came back on again.
"Buffy?" Giles muttered.
The three guys held their breath waiting for a response. Willow being the closest looked intently at the face of her friend, her eyebrows slightly knotted together.
"It." Willow said after a few moments, "It didn't work."
~~~~~
"It's working." Drusilla screeched with glee.
"Yes," Spike commented in his usual voice. "Very exciting, what is it doing?"
Both Drusilla and Spike were standing in front of a large stone plinth upon which stood a large glowing orb and around it there were sparks of blue electricity appearing as if from nowhere.
"It's happening. Both Slayers are in place and time is being re-written to our desires."
"How much longer?" Spike asked looking at the orb.
"Not much longer." Drusilla beamed clapping her hands together.
~~~~~
"So what now?" An infuriated Buffy asked Xander. "I can't hurt you, hell I can't even touch anything, but I can sure as hell run away."
"Wrong Slayer." Xander replied smirking, "cause I can catch you wherever you may be." A wicked grin formed itself on Xander's face and chuckled. "Ask yourself, has there ever been a time you wished you weren't the Slayer? That you wished somebody else did the dirty work while you enjoyed your child hood?"
"It's not just a responsibility," Buffy replied, "It's a destiny. My destiny, and I wouldn't trade it in for a moment."
"Well it's a shame, not everybody sees it the same way as you. You've become too much of a threat to the underworld community and drastic times call for drastic measures." Xander, still with his hands at either side of his body brought then together fast and sharp. "And now, you're nothing but history."
Buffy's eyes went wide and that moment chose to run. She span hard on her heels and headed towards the back wall of the club, regardless of whom she may be running through at that moment. The arc's of electricity that had been dancing and spiralling around Xander suddenly shot and pulsated along both of his arms and out of his fingers directly aimed at the Slayer.
She couldn't out run it, she knew that, it was just a reflex action bought upon fear. All she could do was wait until it struck her body and did what it was intended to do. The shaft of electricity struck Buffy square in the centre of her back. Every muscle in Buffy's back suddenly went taught and she screamed with unbearable agony as the electricity shot up and down her spine and across every inch of her skin and deep within her brain.
"It will soon be over," Xander mumbled to himself. "Soon."
Buffy's hands were clenched tightly, her nails gigging into the palms of her hands making bloody slowly drip down to the floor. She gritted her teeth as the electricity continued to course through her body, and at the very moment she thought her head was literally going to explode, her eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she collapsed to the floor.