*****
Scene: Willow and Anya are chanting. Cut to the factory, Buffy is hit by the Master and he leans in to finish her off. Cut to Willow and Anya. A bright glow emanates. Cut back to the factory, Buffy suddenly falls to the ground. She opens her eyes, sits up and looks around.
"Where am I?" she asks no one in particular as the Master and all his minions have disappeared without a trace. In fact the factory looks as if it hasn't been used for quite awhile. Tentatively she gets up, thinking it's all a trick. She makes her way out of the factory. Confused, she heads for the one person in Sunnydale who can help her.
*****
Willow is shaken up by how powerful the spell is and refuses to help Anya again. She runs away to tell Giles what she has seen.
*****
Buffy bangs on the door again, but still no one is answering. Swearing softly, she looks around and sees a figure running across the cemetary. Without thinking, she takes off after it.
*****
Willow is certain there is someone behind her but she is too afraid to stop and check. Suddenly she hears a yelp and she finally turns arounds. Nothing. She sighs in relieve and runs off.
*****
Buffy has grabbed the feeding vampire from the back and staked it without a second thought. As she looks around, the person she has been following has disappeared. Annoyed, she wanders off, hoping to find whom she is pretty sure she has seen.
*****
Willow gives a silent cheer as soon as she reaches the school. Somehow, it gives her a slight sense of security, although she still can't help but feel she is still being followed.
*****
Buffy suddenly finds herself back at the high school. She notices the light shining from the library. Through the window she catches a glimpse of a shadow pacing back and forth. She knits her brow, shrugs "Why not?" and enters the school building. And got lost.
*****
"Giles! Giles!" Willow calls. The Watcher stops his pacing and turns to look at the redhead.
"Heavens, Willow, what is it?" Giles asks, noting the fear in Willow's eyes.
"I-I-I," Willow stutters. Suddenly a familiar voice speaks up behind her.
"So. What's going on here?"
Willow quickly turns around. "Buffy!" Her eyes bulge at what she sees.
*****
Buffy has heard the two talking and she rushes into the library.
Everyone turns to the new arrival. If possible, Willow's eyes get even bigger. "B-B-Buffy?" she starts but then promptly faints. Giles rushes to her aid, as the two Slayers eye each other suspiciously.
*****
I hope that was confusing. It was meant to be confusing! "Buffy" might be talking about either of them so you have to decide which one was which. BUT if you can't be bothered, or if I'm really such a bad writer that you can't tell the difference:
Here is what REALLY happened.
After Buffy left the factory, she headed for Giles' house and he was clearly not home. As she walked off, she saw Willow running across the cemetary in her hurry to report to Giles about Anya and she took off after Willow. The other Buffy, in the meantime was patrolling. She caught a glimpse of a rather familiar figure and she chased after it. She got distracted as she saw a vampire feeding and she staked it. However, as she had done so, the figure had already disappeared into the shadows. In the other scene, as Willow turned around, Buffy had ducked behind one of the tombstones, holding her breath. She had recognised Willow as one of the Master's minions and she was determined to find out what happened back in the factory so she kept following the redhead.
Willow makes it back to the library without harm. Buffy, confused as she saw someone in the school library (at this time of the night?), was for awhile lost in the school building, not knowing where the library was. The patrolling Buffy had also decided to head for the library to report on her patrol. She walked in to the library, and said a friendly "What's going on here?", thinking Willow and Giles, there must be some researching thing going on. Willow is shocked to see Buffy since she thought she's dead. The other Buffy had found the library by following the voices, and Willow fainted when she realised it was the other Buffy that had died. But huh? Two of them?
So everything's good? So back to the library we go...
*****
Giles sits Willow up, giving her a slight shake. Buffy, keeping an eye on her double, asks Giles, "Is she going to be okay?"
Just then, Willow seems to wake up. Her eyes snap open and she groans. "I thought it was just a nightmare."
Buffy yells, "This IS a nightmare! I mean, I get called to come to Sunnydale to fight a demon. I find the Master, then poof! Everything disappears." She suddenly snarls at Willow. "And you! You're a vampire!" And she pulls out her stake.
Buffy quickly kicks it out of her hand. "Excuse you. Willow is NOT a vampire. She's my friend."
Giles looks at the two, and pinches the bridge of his nose. He feels a headache building up. He sighs, "Willow, do you think you can look up on the 'net how this can happen? We have obviously here a Buffy from a different universe."
"No," is the reply from Willow and it shocks everyone. Well. Giles and Buffy anyway, but not Buffy, who is still looking at Willow suspiciously.
Willow looks at the faces around her and starts again, "I mean, no, we don't need to use the net. I already know why this is happening, sort of." She gestures for Giles to pull up a chair for her. "I-I was doing a spell. With Anya."
"Anya?" Giles asks.
"Yeah, she's one of the new students. Hangs around with Cordelia a lot. Doubts she has much of a brain," Buffy adds.
"But she does!" Willow says emphatically. "The spell! She said it was nothing. But I saw such terrible things! She must have known that was going to happen"
Willow now has their undivided attention. Buffy asks, "So, what does my being here have anything to do with it?" Buffy chips in, "Yeah, Will, tell us what you saw."
Willow continues, "Like, it was at the factory and the Master was still alive!" Buffy and Giles look at each other, clearly puzzled. "And then, there was Buffy," pointing at Buffy, "she was fighting him. And Xander was..." she starts to choke, trying hard to control her tears.
Buffy moves to hug her friend. "It's okay, nothing's going to hurt you." Willow looks up and shakes her head, "Xander and I were both vampires..." Buffy moves back shocked, and she looks up to Buffy who has an "I told you so" expression on her face.
"Then what happened, Will?" Buffy doesn't really want her friend to suffer, but she feels there is much more than that.
"The Master was saying something, I didn't catch it, but a fight erupted. And then, Angel..." she is cut off by Buffy.
"He was there?" Willow nods. Buffy speaks up, "You mean you guys KNOW that creep? I hope you've staked him." Buffy looks daggers at her.
"What? He's a vampire!"
Giles decides to cut in at that point. "Well we've gone through that many of times now. Angel has a soul, he doesn't kill, and he's helped us many times. Now go on, Willow."
"Well, then Angel and Xander were dust," Willow doesn't really want to go into who killed who, "and then so was I." She pauses.
Buffy says, "Yeah, by this really cute guy too." The library door opens and she turns to look at the new arrival. "And he's right here!"
"Oz?" Buffy asks, looking at Willow who nods her head.
Oz, meanwhile, is looking rather confused at the sight of two Buffys. "Um. Hi."
The expression on his face is too funny for everyone to hold their laughter. "Okay. What's going on?"
Buffy tells him, "Yeah, that's what's we're trying to figure out. Your girlfriend's telling us about her 'vision'." Oz noting how upset Willow is, quickly goes to hug her. Her sobs become louder, whilst the others look on.
Buffy speaks up, "Ahem. Sorry to interrupt you, but yeah I've got places to be, vampires to slay, etc etc."
Giles says, "Well, yes, I think the best thing to do now is to bring Anya here and question her. Buffy?"
"Yes?" Two voices answer him.
Giles hesitates. "Well, I suppose both of you may go." He turns to Willow, "Where is Anya?"
Willow sniffles, "The last I saw of her she was chasing me out of her house. On the other side of town. I can give you directions."
Giles continues, "Good. Now," to the Slayers, "I want both of you to go and bring her back." Quietly to Buffy, "I'll see if I can get anymore information from Willow." She nods, then outloud, "I'll see you later G-man."
"And please don't call me that," Giles sighs.
*****
Buffy: Well, it doesn't look like there's anyone here, let's skip.
Buffy: Uh-huh. (pauses, then smiles) Hey, wouldn't it be funny if there were like...lots of us? We can have a roster for patrolling. Then I may have more time for dates.
Buffy: (hesitantly) Maybe. But if we have many more of this conversation, the readers might think I'm really nuts, talking to myself. (pauses) What? You date?
Buffy: (nods) Yeah. I'm told I'm a very lucky Slayer.
Buffy: (looks on jealously) Yeah. So what's life like in this planet?
Buffy: Not too bad I guess. Wait till you see mum, she'll so totally freak!
Buffy: You...still live with her? (the other nods) I...had to...run away from home. I didn't want her to know.
Buffy: I...didn't either. But I feel much better now not having to lie to her anymore.
Buffy: So. (takes a deep breath) What's the deal with this Angel guy?
And the two talk on as they head back to the library.
*****
"Anya's gone," Buffy announces.
"Are you sure?" Giles asks, disappointment on his face. The whole Scooby gang is sitting around the table, a large stack of books in front of them.
"Quite sure. So, any idea who she is?" Buffy continues, as she takes in the new faces around her. "Um, him, he's not a vampire in this reality?"
"No, Xander's about as annoying as those vamps, but he's not one of them," Buffy jokes. She then gestures to the girl sitting nex to Xander. "And that's Cordelia." The other Buffy merely nods.
Giles begins, "Well, Cordelia's been helping us with our research. She says Anya gave her this necklace when they met, saying it's a good luck charm."
A flicker of recognition appears in Buffy's eyes. "That," she says, "I saw that. Mr Giles had it." A general look of conclusion surfaces. "The other Mr Giles."
Giles coughs. "Yes, did he say how he got it?"
"I'm not sure. He said some girl had it, but it belongs to some demon."
Xander says sarcastically, "Well, thank you, oh genius."
Buffy looks daggers at him, "Oh, and something about a wish."
It is like a light bulb going on in Giles' brain. He grabs a book from his collection and flicks through quickly. "Ah-hah! Is this it?"
"Yeah, that looks like it," Buffy replies, looking bored. She yawns.
"Anyanka," Buffy reads. "I guess that's our new student Anya alright."
"Hold it," Cordelia suddenly speaks up, "did you say a wish?"
Giles reads the passage on Anyanka quickly, "Yes, it says here that she grants wishes to women who have been spurned in love." Cordelia purposely turns her face away from Xander, who looks pained. "Um, Cordelia, did you make a wish of any sort?"
"Hey, it happened so long ago! How am I to remember?" The cheerleader retorts. "Anyway, where's Wesley? Isn't he supposed to be Buffy's Watcher now?"
It is Giles' turn to look away. He stutters, "W-well, y-yes, but Mr Wyndham-Price doesn't seem to want to make an appearance tonight."
Buffy asks, "Who's that dud?"
The other Buffy replies, "Oh, you don't want to meet him." An evil smile crosses her face, "But, maybe we can have some fun with him, you and I."
"Perhaps you haven't worked it out. There IS no you and I. I work on my own. I don't need these dopey friends to help me." With that, Buffy starts to stalk out of the library.
Buffy calls after her, "Hey, you're going to need to some place to stay you know. This isn't your world anymore." Buffy pauses and reluctantly rejoins the group. She keeps her distance however, leaning against the counter, trying to look uninterested.
Buffy sighs and turns back to Giles, "So, what can we do? Find a spell to send her back?"
Giles clears his throat (again), "We have established that would not be in the best interest of um...her," gesturing to the other Buffy, who is playing with a crossbow.
"What? Why not?"
"Well, just to make sure we've got our facts right. Buffy, can you please tell us what was happening just as you were taken here?"
Buffy frowns, this is getting worse. **I should have left earlier** "What do you want to know? I stake vampires, they go poof!"
Giles' patience is wearing thin, but he makes another effort, "What about the Master? Did you fight him?"
"Why is it any of your business?" At that Buffy storms out of the library.
"Great one Giles. I'm sure that'll put you in her good book," Buffy says sarcastically as she watches Buffy leave.
Giles says, "Well, yes, yes. I guess she is not ready to admit it."
Buffy snaps her head around to Giles, "Admit what?"
Giles lowers his head and takes his time before saying, "She was fighting the Master, like you did, and she lost. He killed her."
"How did you know that? I mean, she's still living?"
Willow, who has been keeping quiet all night, sitting on Oz's lap, speaks up, "I saw. I mean, I didn't see her die. But he had her. I'm pretty sure he'll kill her..." Willow avoids looking into Buffy's eyes.
Buffy vaguely nods, "I can understand what she's going through."
Giles says, "Buffy, maybe you can talk to her."
"Hm, I can try, but she's not exactly Miss Friendly."
Xander says, "Buff, you weren't exactly Miss Friendly either after that incident with the prophecy..."
"Okay, I'll go and talk to her." At that, Buffy turns and chases after Buffy.
Xander breathes a sigh of relieve, "Can someone feel the tension in here? I'm glad I'm here to share it with all of you here tonight."
"Well I'm not," Cordelia declares, "In fact, I don't know why I bother spending any time with you. That is just so...EWWWWW." She picks up her handbag and prepares to leave.
Giles steps to intercept her, "Tell us as soon as you remember the wish."
Cordelia stares down at the ground, "I-I-I wasn't thinking right? And I didn't really mean what I said to Anya... And..."
Xander interrupts, "Cordie? The point. Get to it."
Cordelia glares at him, before looking pleadingly at Giles, "Please don't tell Buffy. I didn't mean her any harm. I just... I just wished that she has never been to Sunnydale. Amongst other things. But yeah...."
Giles nods understandly, "Don't worry, we won't tell her." He glances at the others. They all nod on cue, though the look in their eyes speak plainly of wanting to strangle Cordelia. "I don't think there's anything else for us to do tonight, so let's split. How's everyone going to get home?"
*****
Buffy: (catches up with her as Buffy walks away from the school) So, Buff, what's up?
Buffy: Go away.
Buffy: Hey. I know what you're going through.
Buffy: (explodes) How can you possibly know? I've had some pretty close calls, but no one's... (breaks off)
Buffy: (moves to hug her but thinks better of it) I know. I've faced him. And... (pauses) I lost.
Buffy: (incredulously) But you're still here! A good liar you are NOT.
Buffy: No wait. (grabs Buffy's arm) There's more. He drowned me, okay? But Xander brought me back. You are nothing by yourself.
Buffy: I've spent all this time all on my own. (tries to shrug off Buffy) Let go of me! I don't need friends. I'll survive. (continues walking)
Buffy: (yells after her) What? You want to go back there and have him kill you to prove how good you are?
Buffy: (stops, turns around to face Buffy) No. I'm going to be here, but I'm going to find a place where YOU're not.
Buffy: Don't you want to see mom?
Buffy: (about to walk off, but changes her mind) I can?
Buffy: (smiles) Sure, let's go.
*****
The two girls arrive at the front porch and the door flies open, and Joyce runs out to greet her daughter(s?). "Oh Buffy," she gushes, hugging each of them by turn, "Giles called and told me what happened." She steps back and examines the other Buffy. Tears trickle down her face. She moves to hug her again, and is surprised when the hug is returned. "Well, come in, I'll get you a drink. You must be exhausted."
After a cup of hot chocolate and more motherly gushing, Buffy smiles for the first time. "Thanks. I mean." All of a sudden the words are choked in her throat, and for the first time since she's left home, Buffy cries. Joyce holds her daughter to her while Buffy looks on.
Joyce says gently, "I think you should go get some rest. Buffy's got the guest bedroom all set up for you. You can stay there for as long as you'd like." At that, Buffy's eyes got large. She has got used to staying in a motel room or even on the streets. She follows Joyce up the stairs like a sheep. She looks around the room, touching the bed, the clothes Buffy has put out for her. She realises how tired she has been all these months, running on her own. Joyce smiles and turns away to leave Buffy to rest, "Sleep tight." Buffy nods absently, she is awed by a feeling of comfort and security. Something she has barely experienced since she found out about her destiny.
*****
"How is she, mom?" Buffy asks as her mom walks back into the kitchen.
"Oh Buffy, I'm so glad you're not like that," Joyce hugs her daughter, tears in her eyes. She laughs, "I'm going to have to call you two different names, I'm going to get confused."
Buffy joins in her laughter, and says seriously, "She was almost killed mom. There would have been no Xander to bring her back. And there won't be any Giles, Willow, Xander, etc etc to care whether she's alive or not. Mom..."
At that, Buffy breaks into fresh tears as she recalls how she has almost lost everything when she was fighting the Master. She begins again as soon as she catches her breath, "And she's so cold. I mean, it's me, but it isn't me. I don't ever want to be like her."
Buffy is going to babble on but Joyce interrupts, "Buffy, you're never going to be like that. You're surrounded by friends, and they'll always help you. What we need to do is to show her we care." Buffy nods. Joyce continues, "Now, you go to sleep as well, you're tired." Buffy nods again, and heads upstairs, leaving Joyce staring into space.
*****
When Buffy enters her room, she is surprised to see the other Buffy sitting on her bed, playing with her soft toys. "Good ol' Mr Goddo," she says, and Buffy smiles.
"You remember?"
"Of course I do. My favourite." They smile at each other. She starts uneasily, "Buffy," then pauses, "it's strange addressing you."
"Same here. Maybe we really should pick different names."
"Uh-huh. So," she pauses again, before asking tentatively, "what's it like to be you?"
Buffy is taken aback by her question. "Me? I don't know. I go to school, I slay, I hang with my friends, and I try to find time to do my homework." She smiles.
"The only thing I do is slay. And you know something?" The other Buffy looks at her encouragingly. She continues, "it's lonely at times." She breathes out. It seems like a weight has been lifted from her mind and she feels free all of a sudden.
Buffy looks at her and is once again thankful that her life has been relatively easier, despite all the pain on the way. She says softly, "I know. I shunned them once. I told them I could face the Master on my own. And yeah, I almost died..."
"But then Xander saved you," Buffy finishes. The other Buffy grins, glad that she has been listening to her earlier. She continues uncertainly, "I guess in a way, Willow saved me. She brought me here when..." She breaks off.
Buffy moves to hug her and the hug is accepted most willingly. "So, tell me about the vampires you've met..."
The End
I have once again turned what was meant to be humourous into something sad, dull and boring. Feedback please if you can spare all those nasty words...