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Chapter 24







NEW YORK CITY, 1977







Spike tore the duster from the Slayer’s dead body. He rose to his feet while he twirled the garment to settle on his shoulders. He looked up in surprise when a whooshing noise sounded at the end of the subway car. A portal opened, and a blond woman leapt out of the center. She looked around with a frown on her face. “Well, shit,” she grumbled.







Spike narrowed his eyes. “Who the bloody hell are you?”







The woman looked down at the body of the Slayer, and then she looked back at the portal for a moment. “Sorry about this, Nikki.” She dropped to her knees next to the dead Slayer. With a quick wave of her hand, the woman made Nikki Wood look just like her.







“Fuck,” Spike said. He stepped back away from the woman. “Don’t you know magic has consequences, you stupid bint?”







“So you keep telling me,” the woman replied. “Now, we need to get the hell out of here before the Shades make it through the portal. They won’t care that you’re not my Spike.”







“I ask again, who the bloody hell are you?”







The woman smirked. “I’m Buffy. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but you can call me Anne for now. I will be that eventually. I’m not born yet here. Now get a move on it, Spikey. Wouldn’t want to miss out on all the fun, would you?” She grabbed the arm of his newly acquired duster, and she pulled him towards the back of the subway train.







“Let me go, Slayer,” Spike growled. He pulled his arm away from the petite blond. “What the hell am I to you?”







“Mine. All mine.”







~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*







“Just when I thought Sunnydale couldn’t get any weirder,” Cordelia muttered.







William snorted. “It’s good old Sunnyhell, Cheerleader. Of course it can get weirder.”







“What could be weirder than having a double?” Buffy asked. She was pretty sure that was the strangest thing she’d ever heard of happening.







Anne looked at William. “Well, that’s nothing new. We had a vampire Willow from an alternate dimension that Anyanka brought here.”







“Oh, and Xander was split in two by that Toth rod,” Anyanka replied. “Remember?”







“William had the Buffybot made,” Dee said. “And of course, the First could pretend to be anyone who’s dead. Did anyone besides you ever see your double, William?”







William shrugged. “Not sure. It liked to pretend to be the Slayer more often than not with me.”







“So, the doubles are no biggie.” Anyanka rubbed her hands together. “So, where’s the pie?”







“It still needs to be made,” Buffy replied.







Giles walked over to Spike, and he started to untie the vampire. “Anne and William, how about you two join us in the courtyard for a discussion? There are things we need to talk about.”







Buffy narrowed her eyes at Giles. “Not without me, you’re not.”







“Not everything is about you.” Spike glared at the Slayer. His attraction the young woman was entirely based on the time he had spent with the older version. However in ensuring the safety of the young woman in question and the dimension in general, this version hadn’t had to grow up like Anne had to do. His Buffy still acted like an immature child at times.







Anne laid a hand on Spike’s arm. “Let her come. She’ll find out eventually anyway, right?”







Here I thought things would be easier if you hadn’t been with the poofter, William thought to his mate. I think these two have more issues than we did







Anne snorted. Yeah, who knew.







Giles herded the two pairs of Slayers and vampires out into the courtyard of his small apartment complex.







“What’s the what, Giles?” Anne asked.







“I’ve spent the last twenty years studying the Key and its powers,” Giles said. “When you were here before you mentioned the Key’s mate…”







William growled. “She’s too young to have a mate.”







Anne snickered while she patted William’s arm. “She’s eighteen, sweetie. She’s plenty old enough for a boyfriend.” Then, she turned to Giles. “Tell me this one isn’t a vampire. Please.”







“No, not by a long shot.” Giles grimaced, and he pulled his glasses off his face. “The Key’s mate is a Hellgod. One of Glorificus’ brothers.”







“Oh, please tell me you’re kidding,” Anne moaned.







“What the heck is a Hellgod?” Buffy asked. “And who is Glorificus?”







~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*







“What the heck is a Hellgod?” Buffy asked. “And who is Glorificus?”







Amon came to a stop when he heard the young woman’s voice and the mention of a very familiar name. He was interested in the explanation to the questions that were to be given.







Another voice that sounded surprisingly like the first, but with a bit of maturity and exasperation added in said, “A Hellgod is exactly like what it sounds like. A god from Hell. Stronger, faster, and harder to kill than everything else you’ve ever come against. Glorificus was one of them.”







“But she can be killed,” the younger voice said.







“Only if you kill the host,” the older replied. “But there’s a catch.”







“There’s always a catch,” a male snarled.







“Yeah, the bitch had a spell that made almost everyone around, except demons, not realize she and her host were one and the same. I had a hell of time trying to convince the Slayer and her lot that there was a spell.” This male sounded the same as the other one.







Amon decided that this must be where he was meant to be.







“We have an eavesdropper,” the first male voice said.







Before Amon could announce himself, two men pushed their way out of the apartment courtyard to confront him. They looked almost the same, but Amon was sure they weren’t twins. They were dressed similarly with bleached blond hair, but one had longer hair that was lightened only at the ends.







The one with the longer hair sniffed the air. He raised one eyebrow while he studied Amon. “Well, I guess this one doesn’t have a lopsided arse and a bad perm.”







~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*







DA INTERLUDE, DIANE AND CLAUDIUS







Diane lay on the ground, panting harshly from her fight with the fledglings. It had been hard fight, but she had persevered.







“Well, well, well, Slayer,” a smug, confident voice said. “Laying down on the job again.”







Diane groaned. “I’m really not up to having a visit with you right now, Claudius.”







“I can see that, my dear,” Claudius chuckled. “However, my sire wishes to meet with you.”







Diane sat up, and she glared at the vampire. She deliberately ignored that he was a thing of beauty despite his evilness. “You can tell Marcus Aurelius he can go to hell. In fact, you tell him, I’ll help him get there.”







“You know, Slayer, the man is your Emperor. You need to show him a little respect.”







Diane rolled her eyes while she scrambled to her feet. “Not anymore he isn’t. Now he’s just another vampire. Same as you.”







“Oh, how you wound me, my dear.” Claudius put his hand over his heart. “There is no way I could possibly be just another vampire. I’m incredibly special.”







“More like incredibly stupid,” Diane muttered under her breath.







“Probably, as it seems I’ve fallen madly in love with you, Slayer,” Claudius replied.







“Oh Hera, tell me it is not so,” Diane moaned in disgust. “The only chance you have with me is if I’m unconscious.”







“That can be arranged.” Claudius snapped his fingers. “Boys!”







Several vampire minions holding a net in their hands appeared. They threw the web-like rope bindings onto the Slayer, effectively containing her.







“Sorry, my dear. Marcus really wishes to speak with his future daughter in law.”







“That’s never gonna happen!” Diane struggled against the net and the minions.







“Never is a very long time, my dear. A very long time.”





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