Birth RightBy Alecca
Fire rebornLos Angeles
2053
A graveyard“You’re that girl, aren’t you?” Spike tried hard to remember. “Anne was it? Fred’s granddaughter.”
“That’s right,” Fred 2 smiled politely feeling like she was intruding on a private moment. If she hadn’t been there Spike would have been alone like, she suspected, he had intended in the first place. She also felt relieved that this was Spike standing before her and not Angel who in 2052 had the chance to meet the real Anne at her great-grandmother’s funeral. She supposed that Spike hadn’t attended it due to his fight with Angel, but perhaps he had had a private moment at her grave as he did now at Kalee’s.
“I’m sorry about your grandmother,” Spike said and Fred 2 thought he looked like lightning had just struck him. The fact that he had been crying recently was obvious.
“It was her time,” she repeated the words her mother had once told her about her great-grandmother’s death. “I’m sorry about Kalee,” she felt the need to say.
“You knew her?” he asked and as he looked at her, Fred 2 spotted a strange light in his eyes that was, she could only guess, the seed of desolation.
“I met her, but I didn’t have a chance to really talk to her,” she said with a sad smile.
“Yeah, she left real quick after I did,” he said misunderstanding her words. Then again there was no chance he could have ever guessed what she had truly meant. “She was a good girl. She just...I shouldn’t have...,” the words seemed to choke him. “She shouldn’t have been alone. I don’t even know who to blame. Me or him,” he was referring to Angel.
“You shouldn’t blame anyone. It just happened,” she tried to comfort him.
“Oh, yeah, a demon attacking her in the middle of the bloody arctic just happened,” he said in an angry voice, but then immediately added: “I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right,” she looked down at the grave. “At least she died doing the right thing. You know, fighting the fight.”
“She died saving the world,” he smirked, those words brought up bitter memories inside him. His smile faded: “But I’ll never forgive him for this. He drove her away.”
“I thought she left,” she reminded him of what he had previously said.
“He realized he went a step too far and tried to pull back. Like he didn’t know it wasn’t something he could take back. He made her angry, made her sad. Broke her heart and then she left. Just like that,” he said sighing.
“Why didn’t she come to you?” she asked looking back up at him.
“Because without him, she didn’t have a reason to live. That’s how much she loved him. I tried to find her,” he sighed. “I tried real hard. I chased after her all over the world, but she was always a step ahead of me. And when I finally found her, she was lying dead on a bed of ice. Killing the monster didn’t help, I thought it would, but it didn’t stop the pain, not one bit,” he paused before saying: ”I brought her home. Right on his doorstep.”
“But he didn’t see you,” she realized and Spike nodded.
“You see, even with a soul he can’t help but destroy lives. We can’t help but destroy lives. We’re monsters and nothing’s ever going to change us. Not time, not a bleedin’ soul,” he looked away from the grave as if the very sight of it made his eyes hurt.
“Don’t say that,” she couldn’t believe what he was saying. He and Angel had saved so many people together and alone, not to mention the world on several occasions. “You’re just really hurt ri...”
“Hurt? I’m not the one laying six feet under,” he stared at the ground for a moment. “But I suppose it always hurts when one loses a child,” he smiled weakly. “She was my daughter. Mine and hers. In my eyes she always was,” he muttered. “Well,” he shook himself out of the state of utter melancholy. “It’s about time I get going. It was nice seeing you again.”
“Same here,” Fred 2 said as the vampire walked away, touching Kalee’s grave one last time as he did. Alone, she stared down at the grave again. “This shouldn’t have happened,” she whispered and a sad smile crossed her face. She looked up and around herself and wondered out loud: “What am I suppose to do now?”
Sunnydale
2003“And that,” Buffy said and gestured towards Mina, who was just entering the living room. “Is our latest addition, Mina. She’s a good fighter. Mina, this is Angel,” she introduced her to the vampire.
“Is it just me or have we met before?” Angel asked smiling.
“I don’t think so,” Mina’s said obviously disturbed by the vampire’s presence. An amused Lonny followed the scene from beyond the doorframe of the living room. She had stayed out of Angel’s way so far and the vampire was still clueless to her presence in the house. Though, she had noted with a smile, he had sometimes felt her familiar scent and had been very confused by it. Now, she told herself, it was time to let the cat out of the bag.
“Okay, I think that’s everybody,” Buffy said looking around the living room as if counting the potential slayers gathered there.
“Not quite,” Lonny said as she entered the room.
“Oh, right, sorry, Angel this is...,” the slayer began, but Angel interrupted her already knowing the name:
“Lonny,” he was stunned. What the hell was she doing there? And how exactly had she gotten there?
“Hey to you too, Angelito,” she couldn’t help but smile. That mischievous smile children have when they know they did something wrong.
“You two know each other?” Buffy asked surprised.
“Oh, yeah, me and him go way back,” Lonny said just waiting for Angel to explode in an angry fit or a wave of protests.
“You didn’t sire her, did you?” the slayer turned towards Angel.
“No, I didn’t. I’m pretty sure I would’ve let her bleed to death before I’d ever consider turning her,” the vampire said as he got up and grabbing Lonny by the arm dragged her into the kitchen as she yelled to the others - who didn’t know what to think anymore:
“I’ll be right back!”
“What the hell are you doing here?!” he yelled at her when they were alone.
“Me? Just here to save the world,” she said in a loud voice and added whispering: “from one slayer ubberbitch,” and then yelled for the others to hear in the living room: “From the armies of darkness!”
“I’m here, Spike’s here. We can deal with this by ourselves,” he reminded her.
“Actually, no you can’t,” Lonny smiled. “Cause if you could I wouldn’t be here in the first place. Whatever you two have been doing, you’ve been doing it all wrong, cause when the world’s gonna change and shit - and it will if you keep on dealing with this by yourselves,” she used his exact words,” - I’m gonna wind up being a freakin’ time anomaly and daddy’ll be dead before his time or mine for that matter.”
“What are you talking about?” Angel was confused.
“Okay, let me rephrase that for you: all this,” she gestured around herself, “already happened once. The bitch won. She stopped the slayer line from spreading. And somehow because of that, I was never born.”
“But if reality was altered why am I still here? I should be back in the future, not remembering a thing. If she changed the past the way she wanted to, then I never met her and she never stole that ring from me,” Angel said puzzled.
“Now you’re making my head hurt,” Lonny said. “I don’t care why the hell we’re here and I sure don’t give a fuck about all the mumbo-jumbo you just blabbered on about, but if there’s still a chance to stop that little brat from going through with her plan I’m here to take it,” she smiled. “Now, are you at least sleeping with her or are you just drooling over her like a dog in heat?”
“I was not drooling over her,” Angel said slightly offended.
“Right,” she teased him. “But I suggest next time you at least grab a mop. Just in case a puddle starts forming.”
“Hey,” Angel protested.
“I knew you wouldn’t have the guts to sleep with her. Man, if you’ll screw up the mission again at least do if for something that’s worth while,” she suggested and Angel scoffed:
“And cut Angelus louse in a house of teenage potential slayers? There’s a brilliant plan.”
“Yeah, doesn’t it just give you the chills?” Lonny smirked: “But hey, if you’d turn, you know I’d dust you. Just cause I love you so much.”
“I’m positive you would,” he gave her an annoyed look.
“Maybe Spike’ll beat you to the punch. No curse holding his pelvis still,” she said chuckling. “Where is he by the way?”
“He’s in a house across the street,” he said. “I thought it would be better if he stayed out of it.”
“And you actually believe he will?” she shook her head: “Since when did you become naive?”
“Is everything all right?” Buffy entered the kitchen in an attempt to find out what was going on between the two.
“Peachy,” Lonny smiled. “We were just...going down memory lane.”
“She’s not evil, is she?” Buffy asked Angel.
“Evil, no. Highly annoying, yes,” the vampire eyed Lonny as he spoke the words.
“It’s a vampire thing,” Lonny said.
“Yeah, she’s like a younger blacker feminine less-blond version of Spike,” Angel said, sharing a private smile with Buffy.
Los Angeles
2083
The LA Slayer Association HQ“But, sir, you can’t just take it!” the man followed Rupert as he moved down the hallways of the LA Slayer Association HQ. “There are certain forms that need to be filled and one of the elders has to approve your request personally,” Rupert still didn’t stop. “I’ll have to report you!” the man yelled after him stopping in the middle of the corridor. The young watcher proceeded on his way without looking back. He had been too busy with his own thoughts to actually listen to what the man was saying. He was imagining how he would use the ring of Batt-Hura to stop Willow from erasing the minds of his fellow watchers and perhaps apprehending Mina Parker, if it was indeed true that she had become a hazard to the slayer community.
He stopped in his tracks, the words the man had spoken suddenly ringing in his ears. He didn’t care that what he was doing was illegal, but realized that in case he failed on this personal mission his position in the SA would be endangered. He frowned holding the ring of Batt-Hura even tighter in his hand. The solution was simple: failure was not an option. He’d go through with his plan, even if it meant taking out anyone that stood in his way. Including Willow.
The Hollow Crossroads
Absolutely nowhen“How the hell did he get the ring?!” Willow asked. “I thought there was only one. Which is currently in Sunnydale way back in 2003.”
“There are two. Both of which are currently in Sunnydale. The ring got into the SA vaults by accident. An accident that hasn’t happened yet, but that already took place,” the Hur’dha explained only confusing Willow.
“Something that happened, but hasn’t happened yet,” she rephrased his words, without quite understanding their meaning.
“Precisely,” he smiled happy she had understood.
“I don’t even want to ask,” Willow sighed. “But if everything that hasn’t taken place in the past yet has already happened how come the outcome hasn’t affected reality yet?”
“That’s a paradox. You see, if everything would be predefined from the moment a future person enters the past, then the change would be instantaneous and that just can’t be done,” the Hur’dha said.
“This is a conversation I don’t want to get into,” Willow said rubbing her temples.
“Let’s just say I know most of the things that have already happened, but time still leaves an element of surprise. Like the ring. It got there, I know how, but I still can’t tell you what your heroes and that mischievous vampire will wind up doing in the past this time around,” he explained.
“Stop it, you’re giving me a headache,” Willow said frowning.
“You asked,” a thin smiled crossed the Hur’dha’s lips.
“What’s Rupert planning on doing with the ring?” Willow asked.
“Apparently, kill you,” he looked down at her with an amused look.
“Surprise, surprise,” Willow’s eyes flashed black for an instant.
“He doesn’t quite know everything about you, does he?” the Hur’dha shook his head. “He’s in for a surprise.”
“I don’t exactly go around telling people what happened to me when I came here,” Willow shrugged.
“But I’m afraid that won’t be the end of it,” the Hur’dha continued. “He’s like a fish who suddenly found the triton.”
“Oh, he’s getting a little high on power, huh?” Willow smirked. “Figures.”
“If he gets to kill your past shadow, he could become a hazard,” the Hur’dha pointed out. “I already have one time vigilante to worry about. I don’t need another one.”
“You think he won’t realize he didn’t kill me? If he figures out why, he might go after a much earlier version of me. Then I’d truly be in danger,” Willow said pondering the possibilities.
“We could finally have that long discussion we kept talking about,” the Hur’dha said smiling.
“No offense, but my time isn’t over just yet,” Willow replied looking at the blue creature.
“Well, I can dream, can’t I?” he said jokingly. “Are you going to take care of him or do I have to?”
“I’ll do it,” the witch said resigned. “The boy just doesn’t know when he’s in over his head.”
Los Angeles
The Underground of Wolfram & Hart Demon Hunting Inc
Static Time - no precise dateFor them, time had never changed, they didn’t remember the flash of light or being back in whatever changed part of the future they belonged. They were still there, only a few feet away from her, Mary 7, the psycho slayer that haunted - for the time being - the underground corridors of Wolfram & Hart’s unmentionables department.
“One’s for good luck, twice for old times sake. Three’s more than a coincidence, four’s like something old and five is always rotten. Six is for bad luck,” Mary 7 said taking another step towards them with each number. When she reached seven, she stopped, only a foot away from Wes 2. He could smell the dried up blood on her hands, the stench of death and see the insanity in her eyes. “And 7, lucky 7...”
“Attack her,” Wes 2 whispered towards Harmony who was standing behind him.
“Are you crazy? She’s like a freakin’ slayer! Do you want me dead or something?” Harmony protested out loud attracting Mary 7’s attention. The vampire covered her mouth instantly when she saw the slayer staring at her.
“Seven’s for...,” the slayer spoke again.
“RUN!” Wes 2 suddenly yelled, realizing that the moment her little poetry would be over Mary 7 would attack them. Harmony didn’t need anything more, she made a run for it, leaving Wes 2 far behind.
“Seven’s for something red!” Mary 7 yelled and ran after them. She quickly caught up with Wes 2 and yanking him by the collar of his uniform slammed him on the floor. Putting her naked foot on his chest she said, smiling wildly: “Sit, puppy, I’ll be right back.” Wes 2 was about to sigh relieved - he thought she would leave him there and he’d have a chance to escape - when with a hard kick, the slayer broke his leg. Wes 2 let out a scream of pain as Mary 7 continued down the corridor in pursuit of Harmony. With trembling hands Wes 2 reached out for his leg. Pulling up the pants’ leg he saw that the bone had broken through the skin and he was bleeding hard.
“Oh god,” he let out leaning on the wall and wincing in pain. What was he suppose to do now? He looked down the corridor where the bodies of the five men were laying. He suddenly remembered finding a walkie-talkie on one of them. Realizing it was his only chance to save himself and perhaps Harmony he tried to stand up on his one good leg. He fell back down on the floor as soon as he tried taking a step forward. Deciding there was no other way, he began crawling towards the corpses, trying not to hit his broken leg in the process. He only hoped Harmony could keep Mary 7 busy long enough for him to reach the bodies.
Sunnydale
2003Spike was intentionally missing at the dinner table. Buffy supposed it was because Angel was there, but Lonny knew the truth. Yes, he was staying out of Angel’s way, but not for the reasons the slayer had thought of. Spike was afraid that by being around Angel too much he’d wind up blowing his cover. The cover Lonny had already seen through. Spike hadn’t been able to hide his surprise at the sight of her. Though he tried to brush it off, Lonny hadn’t believed his story of how she reminded him of someone - not any more than Buffy was buying Angel’s story about Mina. Lonny hadn’t revealed to Spike the fact that she had recognized him though.
At the dinner table, she observed the whole scene with amusement. Angel’s stares, Mina’s acting talent, the nervousness of the potentials, the strangeness of this weaker version of Willow, the goofy Xander and his ex-demon ex-girlfriend and above all, the way Buffy regarded Angel and the way, when he took the time to answer her questions, the vampire looked back at her. No wonder the mission had been a total fiasco. Angel, though preoccupied by Mina, was making googly eyes at the slayer and Spike was playing his own game, apparently without Angel’s knowledge.
It was time she did something about the whole situation. She waited until dinner was over and the potentials along with the Scooby gang retired from the kitchen. Buffy was talking to Angel as they headed out of the kitchen:
“It turns out she turned the guy into this huge worm and he was...”
“I need to talk to you for a moment,” Lonny interrupted the slayer grabbing Angel by the arm.
“I’ll be just a minute,” Angel told Buffy urging her to continue on her way into the living room. After hesitating for a moment, the slayer left the two vampires alone. Lonny stared at Angel before, out of the blue, slapping him across the face. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he asked touching his bleeding lip.
“Wake the fuck up, Romeo,” Lonny said coldly.
“You’re lucky I’m not hitting you back,” Angel said pointing a menacing finger at her.
“If it’ll sober you up, go ahead, I can take a punch,” she said smiling.
“What are you talking about?” he asked frowning.
“I’m talking about you not focusing on the freaking mission,” Angel wanted to protest, but she didn’t let him: “You didn’t even notice Spike for god’s sake!”
“I saw Spike,” he thought she was referring to the one from the past.
“But did you actually take notice of the fact that the old Spike is gone and the beloved Spike we both know and love is hear instead of him?” she asked crossing her arms over her chest.
“WHAT?!” Angel asked, totally taken by surprise.