Chapter Two

Buffy pulled a stake out of her boot. ''I am not letting you crash this party, Angel.'' She knew that Angel had been her friend, but it wasn't so anymore. She was ready for some buttkicking.

Angelus licked some blood from his fingers. ''I don't think so, Buffy. You are not going to do anything. I am not going to let you. You're dying tonight, especially if Dru's hungry and wants some Slayer blood.''

Spike rolled out of the shadows. ''No one is going to be killing anyone, unless it's me killing you, Angelus.'' He got out of his chair and kicked it away.

Angelus ran his tongue over his teeth. ''Well, look at that, Roller Boy, you actually were able to get out of your chair.''

Spike vamped. He ran his tongue over his fangs and growled. ''This is the last time you'll ever do anything, Angelus. I'm going to kill you.''

Drusilla vamped. ''Spike, you made a deal with the Slayer?'' She looked very upset at this.

Spike said, ''I'm sorry, baby, I had to. I didn't want to be on Angelus's side anymore. Bugger off.'' He told the Irish vampire.

In the middle of all this was when Cordelia decided to make her appearance. ''Look, you guys, I'm sorry that I came when you didn't want me to, but I had to come and try one last time to say that I'm sorry. Even I didn't know I cared this much.''

Angel grinned and flashed his teeth. Before anyone could do anything, he grabbed Cordy and drank her. He didn't even sire her. Drank her dry. Buffy immediately lept into action, as Willow and Xander lept forward to catch Cordy's body.

Buffy brandished the stake that she had pulled out earlier. ''Angel, Cordelia didn't have to die. Now, however, you do.'' They began to fight, becoming two blurs.

Willow and Xander laid Cordy gently on the ground. Willow wiped tears from her face. ''She was our friend, Xander. Now she's dead. How could this happen?'' She sighed.

Xander said, ''It's her own fault, Willow. She didn't have to sleep with Angel. I mean, I've never liked the guy, so I'm not going to be sad about the fact that he's evil now, and that Buffy has to kill him. Cordelia wasn't a nice person before she started dating Angel. She never was, really. Granted, she didn't have to die, but you know.''

Buffy dodged a punch to her face and stabbed her arm deep into Angel's gut. Spike was fighting the vamp henchmen, and Drusilla was just keeping back, watching the preceedings. Buffy kicked Angel in the head, and reached out with her stake, trying to kill him. He backflipped, and kicked her in the process. She turned it into a roll, and got up safely.

Angel hit her hard in the head, and she fell. She was unconscious. She was up above her body, floating, looking down, thinking she really ought not to be wearing that outfit, when the view changed, and she was watching herself make out with Spike! It was the oddest thing she'd ever seen. Then she heard them talking about going to high school, and being in the same class. That was ridiculous! Spike was a vampire, how could he be in high school?

She was trying to puzzle this out, when Xander appeared beside her. ''In your world, Xander is trying to wake you up. I'm Alternate Universe Xander, by the way. It's not working. That is Alternate Universe Buffy. In our world, she's a normal girl who has a lot of friends and dates the most popular guy on campus, Spike Giles.'' He said woodenly.

Buffy couldn't figure out why she was seeing this. ''Xander, why am I being shown this? Who cares what I'm like in an alternate universe? I'm here, now, I'm the Slayer.'' She said forcefully.

Xander said, ''You're being shown this because you're supposed to be with Spike. That's why you're with him in the other universe. You're supposed to be with him in this universe, too. I don't know when it's going to happen, but somehow, it is. You and your Xander will break up for reasons unknown, and when it's time, it will be time.''

Buffy was very confused. Xander was her boyfriend, and Spike was evil. ''Xander, Spike's evil. Why would I date him? And I love you, I mean, my you! Why would I break up with you to go out with him? Besides, we would just have a million problems. He's immortal, unless I stake him, of course.''

Xander said, ''I can't tell you that. All I can tell you is, you will end up being in love with him. It is going to happen. You're going to have to wake up now, and you will forget you saw this, but deep in the back of your mind, you will remember.''

Buffy was instantly back in her mind and body. Angel was standing over her, holding a sword. She didn't know where he got it, but she was instantly jamming her stake upward. Angel managed to get away at the last second, and she got up and went after him again.

Xander and Willow cheered her on from the sidelines, and tried to stay out of Drusilla's way, so she wouldn't try to kill them.

Angelus knocked Buffy on her back again and said, ''I'm out of here. This isn't over, not by a longshot.'' He turned and walked stealthily out.

Buffy got up shaking, and Xander rushed to her side, to help her up. Buffy turned and looked at Xander. ''Xand, I've got to talk to you. It's really important.''

Giles saw the urgency on her face and said, ''Oz, Willow, why don't we cut Buffy's cake?'' They went over to the table and began to cut the chocolate cake. He could hardly believe that he was continuing the charade that they were still going to carry on with this party when they needed to call the police. As Oz and Willow began to cut the cake, he walked over to the phone behind the counter and began to call the police.

Buffy said, ''Xander, when I was out, I had this weird vision, I guess you would call it. At first, I was just floating above my body. Then, the view changed, and I could see Spike and I talking on a bed, talking about going to school and whatever. Just as I was thinking that he's a vampire and can't go to school, the Alternate Universe Xander showed up and told me that in our world, you were trying to revive me, and that it wasn't working. He told me that the Buffy I was watching was Alternate Universe Buffy, and that she was a normal girl who had lots of friends and dated Spike Giles, the most popular boy on campus. I told him that I didn't care about people in some other universe, because I'm here, now, the Slayer. He told me that you and I are going to break up, and I'm going to end up with Spike. There's nothing we can do to stop it.''

Xander looked surprised. ''I was trying to revive you. But what did I look like? Was I hot?''

Buffy said, ''That's the part you're focusing on? Xander, we're going to break up, and there's nothing we can do about it! What are we going to do?''

Xander shrugged. ''I have no idea, sweetie. I don't want us to break up, either. But we can't worry about this now, Buffy. It's not going to happen any time soon, because Spike is still evil. I am certain that you wouldn't date him unless he obtains a soul, like Angel used to have. So let's finish your party and think of something to do later.''

The next morning was Cordelia's funeral. Her parents were wasting no time making sure that she was put to rest. They were also hounding the police to make sure that her murderer was found. Buffy thought this was funny. They weren't going to be able to find anything at all. She would have liked to see them trying to kill Angelus with guns. It just wouldn't happen.

She, Willow, Oz, Xander, and Giles went in a pack. Harmony Kendall and her friends kept giving them evil stares because they had been the ones to "find" Cordelia. Buffy knew that they thought they had something to do with it. She didn't care, because they couldn't prove anything.

Willow said, ''Harmony and her friends think that we did it because we "found" Cordelia. I can't imagine what they would do if they found out we were there when she died.''

Xander said, ''Probably roast us at the stake. I don't care what they think. We didn't do anything. Angel did, and Buffy's going to kill him.'' He and Buffy weren't talking about the fact that he and she were going to break up. Buffy stubbornly refused to believe it and wouldn't bring it up.

Willow tossed back her red hair. ''I'm getting worried. I mean, Angel's a pretty bad guy now. He killed Cordelia. She's never coming back. Just like he killed Ms. Calendar.''

Oz said, ''I think that we need to just lay low and keep our cool. If everyone thinks we did it, we can't go defending ourselves a lot.''

Willow agreed with this. ''Yeah. If someone asks us, we'll tell them we didn't. Other than that, let's just go about our daily business.''

The small group was interrupted by Principal Snyder. ''Well, if it isn't Buffy Summers and her clan of misfits. Weren't you the ones who found Cordelia? That had to be just tramatic for you.''

Buffy's hand found Xander's as she tried not to take Snyder's bait. ''It was pretty awful. Even though we hadn't spoken to her for a couple of weeks, we still loved her.''

Willow nodded. ''Just because you have a fight with someone, doesn't mean that the love between you goes away.''

Snyder said, ''The general population might just suspect, but I believe that I know. I will make sure that all of you are brought down for this. Just watch yourselves.'' He sneered at them and went on down the hall.

Buffy made a face. ''Stupid Snyder. He can't prove anything. Besides, I don't look good in orange.'' She squeezed Xander's hand a little tighter.

Xander kissed her forehead. ''I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Buff. Don't worry about that.''

While Buffy and her friends were at school, Angelus was pacing the gardens, thinking in full vamp mode. He was at a loss as to what to do next. He had killed Cordelia, and yes, everyone thought that Buffy and her friends had done it, but that wasn't enough. He had to really make the right people believe it.

Drusilla was playing with a puppy that she had gotten to give to Spike. It was for him to eat, but he hadn't been hungry, and now she was attached to it. ''Angel, what are you thinking? Are you thinking of how to kill the Slayer?'' She ran a small bone across the table, letting the puppy grab it with his paws.

Angel stopped pacing to turn to her. ''No, I'm thinking about getting her put in jail for life. If I kill her, then there's just going to be another Slayer to take her place. If I get her put in jail, she's there and can't stop us. We can run wild.''

Spike walked into the room, drinking a beer. ''Aw, come on, mate. Don't tell me that you're thinking of having the Slayer put away. It's a nice thought, but don't you think her little mates would try to help her appeal it? She'd get out of it. Besides, there's no evidence to suggest that she killed Cordelia. The police wouldn't buy it.'' They had chosen to ignore the fact that he had made a deal with Buffy. Angel hadn't, but Drusilla had. She still loved Spike and wanted to pretend.

Angel said, ''That's why I have to do it better than most people would. Look, I've survived for two centuries, Spike. I obviously know what I'm doing.''

Spike nodded. ''You're right, mate. You do know a little something. But I have something to boast about better than you. I have killed two Slayers, and you've killed none. Not to mention, until recently, you were troubled with a soul. So I don't think you're the one we're going to be listening to.''

Drusilla stopped playing with the puppy for a moment. ''You boys should stop fighting. Spike, my Angel is going to come up with a plan, I know it. Don't worry your pretty li'l head.'' She walked over to Angelus to kiss his cheek.

Spike said, ''I am plenty worried, Dru. Angel is being a complete parp about this. He isn't thinking with his head. If he was, then he would just go and kill her, instead of all this mind game shit.''

Angelus said, ''I know what I'm doing, Spike, look at Drusilla. She's got her strength back, but she's completely insane. I must have done something right, if she's so messed up in the head.''

Dru was playing with the puppy again, but she said, ''You killed my 'hole family. That could 'ave 'ad something to do with it.'' She said, picking the puppy up and cradling him to her.

Spike rolled his eyes and walked out of the gardens and back into the mansion. He wished it was time to take Angelus down. He was ready. He was tired of Angel horning in on his time with Drusilla. Not to mention, Dru seemed to like Angelus better than she did Spike. He wanted his girlfriend back. Angel was supposed to be with Darla. If only she hadn't skipped town.

Buffy and Xander were walking home after school, hand in hand. They were going to hang out at Buffy's, see if they could just relax for awhile before Buffy had to patrol. She looked down at their hands. You could barely tell where his began and hers ended. She felt tears prick her eyes.

Xander looked at her. ''Are you OK, Buff? Why the long face? We've got loads of hang out time in front of us this afternoon. I mean, you've got me all to yourself.''

Buffy said, ''I just can't help thinking that there's a me in another dimension that is dating Spike. I just can't believe it. Why would I have anything to do with him?''

Xander shrugged. ''I don't know, Buffy, but you don't want to break up with me, right?'' His brown eyes shone at her, and it was like she was drowning in chocolate.

Buffy shook her head emphatically no. ''No question, of course I don't. I love you, and I don't ever want to be apart from you. I want us to be together always.'' She gave him a kiss.

There was a knock on the door, and Buffy's mother Joyce came out of nowhere to answer it. It was Willow and Oz, holding a pizza and some videos. ''Hello, Oz, Willow. Come on in.'' She said, stepping back to let them in the house.

Willow and Oz came in, smiling as Buffy and Xander jumped apart. Willow said, ''Sorry to interrupt the smoochies. We brought pizza and videos if you guys want to have some.'' She said, placing the pizza on the coffee table.

Buffy said, ''It's OK, Will, pizza sounds great. I'll go get some sodas.'' She got up and headed into the kitchen. She was a little distracted, and she was sure that Xander could tell. He really did know her well.

Joyce was getting out some paper plates for them. She watched as Buffy came into the kitchen to get the cans of sodas out of the fridge. She said, ''Everything alright, Buffy?'' She put the paper plates on the island.

Buffy shrugged. ''Just thought Xand and I would have some time alone this afternoon.'' She couldn't tell her mother what was really going on. Her mother still had no idea that she was the Slayer. She just couldn't shake this she and Xander were going to break up thing. She didn't want to. She loved him so much. She was going to have to come up with some kind of solution. Maybe Willow could help her.