“If the next phase involves taking my baby daughter away, you can forget it.” Spike said.

“Of course it doesn‘t, Spike.” The Guardian said, gently, “Although, I will have to be there for her, while she grows into her powers.”

“What powers?” Buffy asked.

“I thought you understood. Jennifer Anne is responsible for dusting an entire house full of vampires.” The Guardian said.

“What?!” Spike spluttered, looking down at his baby, who had finished her milk and was now asleep; snuggled in the crook of his right arm. He held her there as if he had been doing it his whole life.

“We thought that you did that.” Buffy said. “How could a tiny baby…?”

“She was threatened and acted on instinct. Nevertheless, she has a great deal of control, for one so young but, as she grows, she will need guidance.”

“Control?” Spike said.

“She destroyed every vampire within this house, save for two. What would you call it?”

“Wow.” Dawn said, looking at her little half-sister and sounding deeply impressed. “The stake is not the power, huh?”

“How..?” Buffy asked, awe in her voice.

“Hard to explain, unless you have the same ability.” The Guardian said.

“Like trying to explain what I feel, when I hold the scythe.” Buffy said.

“Yes. Or the way Dawn feels, in the vicinity of an active portal.”

“OK, what’s this next phase, then?” Buffy asked, looking at the scythe in the Guardian’s hand.

“As you know, Buffy, I am the guardian of the slayer line but, until now, I have been alone. Unlike all of you, there are no other ’versions’ of me and there are many dimensions for me to watch over. The slayer legacy is being exploited by the watchers. In all the dimensions, except this one and that’s only because, in this dimension, they were completely destroyed.

“For millennia, the chosen one has had to answer to a council of power hungry men and women. They use the girls, mercilessly, knowing that, as one dies, another will replace her. They see no need to concern themselves with the individual needs of a completely disposable being.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” Buffy said, vehemently.

“You yourself have personal experience of this.” The Guardian stated.

“Yes. The cruciamentum, when I was eighteen. Since then, Giles, my watcher, has continued to make decisions, concerning my life, without consulting me. He even tried to have Spike killed. For my own good, of course.”

“For your own good.” The Guardian echoed, “And who decides what is good for you? What gives them the right? Since the first watchers - the shadow men - violated a helpless girl and made the first slayer, these people have thought themselves superior, in every way, to their charges. This has to stop.”

“You’re not suggesting we kill them all, are you?” Buffy asked, worriedly.

“I would never ask anything of you, that would be against your nature. So, no, even though slayers have died at the hands of watchers, I am not suggesting that.”

“That doesn’t still go on, though; watchers killing slayers? Not in our dimension.” Dawn put in.

“I’m afraid it does. The poor broken child, Dana, was the most recent.”

Spike swore, under his breath.

“You disapprove?” The Guardian asked, surprised.

“Of course I bloody well disapprove. Yeah, what she did to me was bad but the poor little chit had been through hell, there was no need to…”

“What’d she do?” Dawn asked.

“She mistook Spike for her abuser and cut off his hands.” Buffy said.

“Oh. My. God. They grew back?” Dawn asked, looking at Spike’s hands.

“Not exactly, Nibblet,” Spike said, with a smile, “Surgery was involved and witchcraft too, I think. I was pretty out of it. Good as new, now, though.” He said, wiggling the fingers of his free hand. “Andrew and a bunch of slayers took Dana from Angel. Told him it was on your orders.” He added, turning to Buffy.

“I knew nothing about her, until Robert told me. Before he got in touch, I didn’t even know that you’d survived the Hellmouth. I can‘t believe they killed…” She shook her head in disbelief. “In my name…”

“How did they..?” She asked then , uncertainly, looking at the Guardian.

“Lethal injection. I believe it’s quite popular, in your country.”

“I can’t believe Giles would…”

“On this occasion, he did not. This killing was the responsibility of Roger Wyndham-Pryce.”

“Percy’s dad?”

“Yes, Spike.” The Guardian said, with an indulgent smile, “Wesley’s father. I believe you met an automated facsimile of him.”

“The robot, yeah. Percy shot him. Got all angsty over it; then it turns out his dad’s alive and well - in England.”

“Not anymore.” Buffy put in. “Nowadays, he’s fertilizing the soil around Rome.”

Spike shot her a look.

“Illyria came, after the battle in L.A., disguised as Fred, took him away and killed him.” She explained, “Bits of him keep on turning up.”

“Why would Blue..?”

“He was an abusive parent to his son and, for reasons of her own, Illyria took it upon herself to avenge this.” The Guardian explained. “Justice of a sort. He had passed sentences of death on other slayers, who didn’t live up to expectations.”

“So, we’re agreed that this has to stop. Now, how do we stop it?” Buffy asked.

“Your dimension, is the ideal place to start. It has few watchers and a great many slayers. Once they are trained, some of them can travel to other dimensions to act as watchers. Being slayers, themselves, they will have a unique perspective. For example, Buffy, what was your biggest problem, as a slayer?”

“There were lots, mostly the day to day stuff - trying to work slaying into my everyday life - school, friends, love..” She glanced at Spike, who smiled. “and, later on, not being able to have a career, having to flip burgers for a living…” Buffy shuddered, remembering.

“So, some sort of financial support…”

“Would be good. And, how come some potentials were taken from their families? Kendra didn’t even remember hers.”

“The council had the policy of removing potential slayers, for training, at an early age. Not always with the parents’ consent. In reaction to this practice, the Powers began to choose from undiscovered potentials. With varying levels of success.”

“Faith.” Dawn said.

“Yes. Although, under the right circumstances, she made a very good slayer.”

“Now that she’s reformed, you mean?” Buffy asked.

“No. In the dimension where she did not have to live in your shadow.”

“God, you mean it was my fault?”

“Not at all but, in the dimension where you, Buffy, left the hell mouth to travel to England with your vampire mate; Faith didn’t have to live up to you.”

“There’s a dimension where I left Sunnydale, before Faith came?” Buffy asked, just as Spike said:

“There’s a dimension where Buffy and I are mated?”

“Yes. To both questions.” The Guardian said, with a smile. “In that dimension, the vampire, Angel, left Sunnydale before his curse could be broken - taking your sire with him, Spike. The two of you, found a solace in each other which grew into a deep love. You performed a mating claim on one another, after Buffy’s cruciamentum. On that night, Roger Wyndham-Pryce, believing that Buffy had failed the test, expunged her from every human memory, save for his own. Once her own mother no longer remembered her existence, Buffy was happy to leave for a new life, with Spike.”

“I didn’t even know about the mating claim, back then; how..?” Spike asked.

“The two of you followed your instincts and became bound, in the strongest possible way.”

“Good on ‘em.” Spike said, clearly happy with the way life had turned out for another version of himself and Buffy.

“Is there anything that can be done for William?” Buffy asked. “The Buffy in this world, died without ever meeting him.”

“There is a Buffy, in a dimension where vampires don’t exist, outside of fiction and there is no need of slayers. Her William, died, almost a century before she was born. She has been incarcerated in an institution, ever since she started to dream your life, Buffy, in the same way that Lily once dreamed Spike’s.”

“I remember.” Buffy said. “That demon that stuck me…”

“Caused you to experience flashes of her life. An existence so real, that you almost lost yourself. She realized this and sacrificed her hold on reality, to free you. I think that she and William, if handled properly, could heal one another.”

“Does he know?” Spike asked, “That scrying glass of his…”

“Yes, a very useful device, which he uses with incredible skill. He has been following her life for some time and, if we can persuade him to leave his room again, I will take him to her. We’ll bring her back here and I’ll try to heal her mind. After that, she can start to live her own life, with William.”

“So, guys, what about this new slayers council thing?” Dawn asked.

“Yes, Buffy, how do you feel about it?” The Guardian asked.

“I’m not certain what you want me to do.”

“If you agree that the watchers council must be disbanded, I would like you to either help with it or to allow me to take care of it in my own way - no deaths, I promise - in yours and other dimensions. I would also like to recruit slayers, from your slayer college, to travel to alternate dimensions and act as watchers - training and supporting the newly chosen. This would be on a voluntary basis, of course. You don’t have to answer, right away. First, I suggest that you go back to your own dimension, rest for a few days, think things through. I’ll come to see you, when things are sorted out, here. You can give me your answers, then.” She smiled and handed Buffy the scythe.

“This is yours. Never let it be taken from you again.”

Buffy took the scythe. The familiar feel of comfort and slayer power, filled her heart.

“There’s something I need to know, before we leave.” Spike said, looking the Guardian straight in the eye. “Who opened the portal, on our side of the stones.”

“Acting on instructions from Roger Wyndham-Pryce and using blood samples taken from the slayer medical testing centre, Andrew Wells opened the portal.”

There was a cracking sound and the teacup that Spike still held in his hand, broke. Dawn jumped, startled.

“Sorry Nibblet.” Spike said, opening his fist to reveal pieces of china embedded in his palm. He flexed his fingers and the shards fell to the table, leaving bloodless cuts behind. Cuts which almost instantly closed.

“How..?” Dawn asked.

“He has the Gem of Amara.” The Guardian said. “It was Lily’s gift to him.”

“Andrew’s dead.” Spike growled, ignoring the looks he was getting from Buffy.

“Spike, how did she get the gem? Angel destroyed it.” Buffy asked.

“I’ll explain later. First, I need to kill Andrew.”

“Spike, you know I can’t let you kill him.” Buffy said, her hand on his arm.

“Why not, Buffy? After all he’s done.” Dawn put in.

“Because he’s human.”

“You sure about that, pet?”

“Yeah, maybe he’s a really annoying, dangerous kind of demon that just looks human.” Dawn said, hopefully.

“He can’t be allowed to get away with it. Lily would still be alive, if not for the portal.” Spike added.

‘And I’d still be in Rome, thinking you were dead.’ Buffy thought, selfishly. Out loud, she said:

“He will be punished…”

“Yeah, coz it worked so well, last time.” Spike said, disgustedly. “How many people died because he opened the seal? Starting with the boy he killed…”

He broke off, realizing the awkward decision he would now be facing, if Lily had still been alive. What would he have done? He had loved Lily, as much as he was capable of and adored Jennifer Anne, in a way that only a parent could truly understand but he was in love with Buffy…Lily had never had him - heart and soul - the way that Buffy did and always would. He would have been forced to choose…

“That’s my fault.” Buffy said, “I was so wrapped up in my own grief, after…that I let Giles take care of the details. I should have taken charge and insisted Andrew got locked up or something.”

“Do you really believe that your watcher would have listened to you?” The Guardian said. “Go back to your own dimension. Consider things.”

* * * * *

It was dark, when Buffy, Dawn and Spike - carrying Jennifer Anne and still muttering under his breath all the torments he wanted visited on Andrew - walked the short distance to the stone circle. Buffy went through first, then Spike, then Dawn.

Dawn emerged from the portal to find Buffy and Spike, helping a young man who had, apparently, been bitten by a vampire.

“Who did this to you?” Spike asked, as Buffy helped Garri up.

“It was Lily.” He groaned, holding his hand to his throat.

“She was a vampire?” Buffy asked.

“Yeah and someone’s really fucked up her hair!” Garri replied, more shocked by vampire-Lily’s harsh haircut than by the attack.

Dawn sniggered at the camp young man’s priorities.

“That was the Lily from that dimension.” Spike explained. “She was the slayer, before she was sired. She must have been out of the house when the others were dusted.”

“I think she’s gone home. To Lily’s home in this dimension, I mean.” Garri said.

“God, what if Robert or the servants invite her in?” Buffy said.

She and Spike took off at full speed to the house, leaving Dawn to help Garri and look after Jennifer Anne.

Buffy sensed a vampiric presence as soon as they entered the house and, together, she and Spike ran to Robert’s study.

Robert was sitting calmly across his desk, a blank look in his eyes, holding his wrist to vampire-Lily, as she drank.

Lily looked up from her meal and instantly captured Spike and Buffy, with her eyes. Both of them froze and stood, conscious but unable to move.

“Give.” Lily said, moving to stand in front of Buffy.

Unable to resist, Buffy handed her the scythe. Lily lowered it to the floor and looked at Buffy, through narrowed eyes. Buffy nodded and held out her wrist…