Full Summary: Buffy returns from her summer in L.A. mentally and emotionally scarred after her death at the hands of The Master. After her bad behavior puts her friends in danger, she once again assumes the mantle of Slayer and things appear to be back to normal. However, Buffy is still on edge after her traumatizing drowning experience. She decides to summon a rare and ancient allie to aid her in her mystical duties called The Slayer's Protector. Libby Winters arrives in Sunnydale just in time to help Buffy deal with two new vampires, Spike and Drusilla, who just moved into town, but tensions run high when fatal secrets are revealed and all relationships are put to the test. Especially when Angel's gruesome past comes screaming back to haunt them all.

See how I incorporated her? Lol I do not own 99.99999999% of this passage, it was on the back of my BTVS Season 2 case. I know the story sounds strange and eccentric, but this is how I'm creating the changes I would have liked to see in the series (even though I still love it) as well as providing a way for readers (female, sorry guys) and myself to kind of live in the Buffyverse either through Libby or the idea of Libby (meaning that she randomly showed up). I promise that there absolutely will be original stories and chapters within the re-write of the series and I will not undermine any of the characters! I hope that you'll give it a chance and review to let me know what you think, as long as it's nice. I do not accept flames because I'm a firm believer in 'if you can't say anything nice then say nothing at all.' I hope you read and stick with it even though it will get long now and in future chapters. Thanks!

Chapter One

The Protector

Buffy walked through the cemetery for what seemed like the thousandth time. The tombs filled the green and brown earth marking the potential awakening spots for newborn vampires and they all seemed to say, "Watch out! I might spring out and bite you!" Still, Buffy enjoyed slaying because it gave her some alone time as well a good boost of confidence in herself.

It had been two weeks since she smashed the Master's bones and the Slayer was doing her best to get back to normal while overcoming her post–traumatic stress disorder. However, she still had the nightmares about the memory of the gruesome vampire sinking his brutal teeth into her neck and then dropping her into that dank pool of murky water to die; but they were growing scarcer.

Buffy managed to remain her powerful self in her life and duties, but every night when she was alone she felt as though something was going to jump out from behind and sink its teeth into her neck again. It was an ominous feeling, but the Slayer handled it with courage and cautiousness.

A cold wind blew across the cemetery and Buffy crossed her arms and hugged her warm jacket closer to her chilled form. She couldn't remember the last time she felt truly warm or the last time she felt safe. Not since she became the Slayer and it was never far from her thoughts. How did anyone expect her to survive in a life like this? Oh right, she wasn't supposed to. Not forever anyway and she already died once, so when was she going to die again permanently?

The young Slayer shook her head and quickened her pace. Just because she was able to overcome everything that was thrown at her did not mean that Buffy only sometimes felt the weight of her calling crushing down on her shoulders. Something had to be done.

As Buffy walked around a crypt, she began to hear chanting. She swiftly sprinted towards the sound, all the while using her trained skill of not letting herself be seen. Within a few moments, the Slayer came upon four large and menacing demons chanting over a ceremonial circle. She assumed it was made by them since the circle was made out of human bones, a symbol dug into the ground, and their own orange blood goo.

What put her on edge was that the demons themselves were a dark gray color with black devil horns and knife-like claws longer than her fingers, which made the human blood that was smeared all over their bulky and hideous bodies shine a bright and deadly crimson.

Buffy had to force herself to concentrate on the chant, but all she made out was gibberish and a little bit of pig-Latin, but when they all said the word, "Tégurhes" and raised their arms in commanding unison, it didn't matter what she was trying to concentrate on.

A portal of blinding blue-ish purple light burst through the symbol on the ground and the whole graveyard seemed to shake. Buffy held onto the tombstone she was hiding behind and watched as the same kind of evil creature emerged from the portal and stood before his followers.

The chanting demons all knelt before him and Buffy stared at how gigantic that demon was. It was at least ten feet tall and as wide as two of his followers. His mouth revealed sharp and jagged teeth worse than a shark and eyes of glowing blue-ish purple, the same as the portal. The demon did not look pleasant, but the Slayers had to face him or else he would leave the cemetery.

As the ridiculously enormous demon was greeting his followers, Buffy ran over to them and threw two of the lesser demons behind her and kicked the two others to the ground.

"Do you have an invitation to be here?" Buffy asked.

The leader growled and went to strike her and Buffy ducked. The other four came charging back but Buffy fought them off and killed one in order to knock the leader to the ground with something heavier than her stake.

The three followers attacked her on all sides and the Slayer was trapped. One grabbed her from around the waist while the other two grabbed her arms and legs. Buffy struggled to get free but their grasp was too strong. They lifted her up to their master and as he was ready to slice her in half with his claws, when Angel came flying in from no where and tackled the leader.

Creating a good distraction, Buffy kicked a lesser demon in the face and punched another one between the eyes before flipping herself over the one who held her torso in order to snap his neck. She faced the last two and after a bit of fighting, Buffy drove her stake into one's face and broke the other demon's neck.

The Slayer turned to see Angel fighting the leader and she couldn't help but admire his fighting skills. It was amazing, he was amazing. The way Angel was so quick in countering the demon's moves and executing his own blows, Buffy watched completely mesmerized by his heroism and undeniable gorgeousness.

Then, Angel had his feet kicked out from under him. The Slayer immediately went into action and easily ignored her minor pain to help her beautiful vampire. Together they fought the evil monster but it was a lot harder than Angel made it seem. The demon's strikes were brutal. Buffy could feel her bones bruise and when she didn't get out of the way fast enough, the demon slashed her side with his razor sharp nails.

The Slayer was determined to not fall to the ground, but an enraged Angel fought with new passion and quickly crushed its head into a tombstone, causing lots of orange blood goo to spew and spill all over the soft green grass.

The Slayer straightened up and pressed her hands to her wound and turned to her savior. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of him. He was dressed so nicely in his dark clothes as usual and glowed angelically in the moonlight with his proud yet humble expression that you wouldn't know he just killed a demon in a very disgusting way.

"You're hurt," He said in a worried, but still velvet voice. "How bad is it?"

"Oh, no worries," Buffy tried to cover it up, "It's just a cut, I'll be fine by tomorrow."

Angel took another step toward her and his captivating eyes desperately pried for the truth.

Buffy huffed and confessed, "Ok, ok, it's bad, but nothing that can't be fixed."

The soulful vampire came very close to her and gently held her hands in his, the concern for the woman he loved filling his eyes. "You need to have that taken care of right away," His voice was so soft and caring that Buffy couldn't help but stare at his lips. "I think your bruises will be gone by tomorrow, but you need to bandage your cut or it'll only get worse; even with you."

"I'll be sure to do that." Buffy smiled. "So, how do you know this won't heal all by itself in the knick of time?"

"I know a lot more about how to hurt people than I'd like." Angel answered solemnly, releasing her hands.

"Still," The young blonde continued sweetly, "I appreciate the help. Thanks."

Angel smiled down at her and brushed a strand of hair out of her hazel eyes. She was more beautiful to him than she would ever know.

"Always, Buffy."

Buffy walked as fast as she could to her Watcher's house. The fight in the cemetery was the last straw. Yes, Angel rescuing her was chivalrous and fortunate, but if he wasn't there she would have been ripped to pieces and probably eaten by now. She was totally frazzled and fed up with the fear of dying way too soon. The Slayer had to speak with her Watcher about her growing fear and doubt in her abilities, but more importantly, Buffy had to speak with her father figure about her growing fear and doubt in herself.

The teen knocked on the wooden door and before long Giles opened it with a surprised smile greeting, "Hello Buffy."

The Englishman moved aside so she could come inside and added, "How are you this evening?"

"Not good." Buffy stated as she went straight for the couch and pulled up her shirt to expose her wound.

Giles followed her in concern, but when he saw the blood-filled gash he cried, "Oh Lord! Buffy, what happened? Are you alright?"

The young girl nodded, but winced when Giles began to clean the laceration. Strangely though, her insides were the ones making her feel worse and she didn't understand it. She shouldn't be that nervous; what she wanted to discuss afterwards wasn't that much to ask…was it?

"I almost lost, Giles," Buffy said in a whisper. "It was close."

The Watcher moved a bit closer to her as he began bandaging around the wound and gently replied, "But you didn't lose, you're going to be alright, Buffy."

The Slayer nodded, but knew that wasn't the point she was trying to get to.

"There you are," Giles breathed a sigh of relief. "The bone bruises should be better by tomorrow, but those lacerations need to be looked after for a couple of days."

"Yea, that's what Angel told me." Buffy agreed, pulling her shirt down and relaxing into the cushions.

"Angel?" The librarian asked, removing his glasses.

"He was there tonight," Buffy explained. "There were four big ugly demons who summoned a bigger and uglier demon and he killed the leader as I killed his minions."

"What did these demons look like?" Giles inquired, looking up at his Slayer to see if she was still in pain. "Did you hear a name of some sort?"

"Big, bulky, gray, black horns and long, sharp claws for fingernails. I couldn't understand the chant but at the end, right before the huge one appeared, they said something like Tejas or Toughers or Tegan or something like that."

Giles tried not to smile at how horrible she was with supernatural names, but when he started to think of what might match her description the Watcher got up and grabbed a book.

He sat back down and after flipping through some pages, he pointed to a picture and asked, "Is that what you saw?"

Buffy leaned over and saw the picture of the demons she killed and their leader.

"Yup, that's them. Who or what were they?"

"They were called the Tégurhians. Tégurhes was created by evil forces millennia ago to populate the world as an army and kill every living thing in it. They were all killed off thousands of years ago, but a few escaped until the time was right to raise the original Tégurhes. Which I guess was tonight."

Giles closed the book and plopped it on the table a bit disappointed in himself for not knowing that.

"Wow, big night without even knowing it." Buffy mused as she began to pick at her cuticles.

Giles noticed his Slayer begin her nervous habit and scooted closer to her asking, "Buffy, are you sure you're alright?"

Buffy sighed at his caring question and looked at him with watery eyes. Rupert removed his glasses and rested his hand on her shoulder in comfort so she would know that it was all right now. Nevertheless, it wasn't.

"I'm scared Giles," Buffy's voice cracked and a few stray tears fell from her eyes. "I feel like the last few missions were won by the skin of my nose! I don't think I'm totally over what happened to me with the Master. I thought I was after I smashed his bones, but I don't feel safe when I patrol alone anymore. I mean, it's not like I felt all safe and warm like a little puppy with all the slaying before I died, but this is different, it's worse now. I need protection of some kind, any kind as long as it's powerful."

Giles rubbed her arm in understanding before he removed it and went to clean his glasses in order to answer with, "Buffy, you already have more powerful protection than any other Slayer has ever had. You have family and friends who love you and want to help you and a Watcher who cares about you more than what's required. I doubt that there is any more you could have, especially since Slayers are normally meant to be alone."

The young girl sat forward on the couch and stared up at the man who had looked out for her as much as father would. "It's not enough, Giles. I need to feel safe if I'm going to stay alive."

Giles said nothing and turned his gaze to his bookshelf.

"There has to be something, Giles. Centuries upon centuries of Slayers and not one had any protection? None of them felt like they needed a safety net? A little insurance? I don't buy that."

Buffy had to make him understand. She was starting to feel the fear paralyzing her from the inside out and she needed a way to truly connect to her life so she wouldn't be killed again.

"I don't care if it's dangerous or forbidden or impossible. I'm afraid that I'll die again soon and for good if I don't get the protection I need to fully get my mojo back. C'mon Giles, if you know anything that could help me feel safe and confident again, I need you to tell me."

Giles turned away from her as he put his glasses back on. "In every generation, there is a Chosen One. She alone will have the strength and skill to stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer." The Englishman recited as he grabbed a dusty volume from the bookcase.

He turned back to Buffy as he flipped through the pages and sat down next to her again once he found the chapter he was looking for. Buffy scooted closer and saw that there was more to that line she had learned to live by.

Giles finally met her eyes and said, "There is only one thing that will give you what you ask, but I have to tell you that it isn't a spell or a potion or anything of that nature, it's much greater with severe consequences."

Buffy nodded and Giles read, "If a Slayer needs or wishes it, she may call to her an ally. This being will have insight different than that of her Watcher and will have powers unlike the Slayer's, but her sole purpose is to help and defend the Chosen One. She is the Protector. This girl will be gifted with three powers: knowing, agility, and telekinesis. In the beginning, her powers will be weak, but will grow to extraordinary and dangerous lengths the more she uses them in battle and practices them over time."

"How could you not have told me this?" Buffy shouted, interrupting Giles and causing him to jump. "This is huge! I could've used this from day one!"

"There's more, if you let me finish this passage, you will understand why this is never mentioned."

Buffy huffed at the professionalism in her Watcher's tone, but sat quietly cross-legged on the couch to comfortably face him.

"The Protector can come from any time, place, or reality to be the perfect match for the Slayer since there can only be one Protector for every one Slayer. Therefore, there is only one way to summon a Protector to the Chosen One."

The Watcher went on to describe the detailed and specific summoning spell and then recited something in Latin that made Buffy's eyebrow rise in confusion.

Giles cleared his throat and added, "Which translates to 'I summon you to protect and defend me, I call you to be my trusted ally, I bring you to me to help in my destiny. I am the Chosen One and choose not to stand alone. Fulfill your purpose and assist me with mine. Become the Protector.'"

Giles turned the page and continued reading the passage as Buffy stared in awe at the book and all that it was telling her.

"A Protector has been able to be called centuries after the First Slayer. A Slayer that has summoned a Protector has lived longer to vanquish more evil from the world because they formed a bond stronger and deeper than that of partners and friends. The Chosen One and her Protector become blood sisters through the summoning ritual since the only way for a Protector to gain her powers is to have her blood mixed with the power of the Slayer's. Only six known Slayers have formed this connection (although it is rumored to have happened several times more) and it brought many victories, but also great heartache when the Protector fulfilled her destiny. The core purpose of the Protector is to keep the Chosen One alive longer than her expected lifespan. Consequently, the Protector will never outlive the Slayer. This is why a Protector hasn't been called in over five centuries and how there is little substantial information about them."

Giles placed the book down on the coffee table and looked over at Buffy, who was picking at her cuticles again, along with her fingernails.

"Ok, so in order for me to feel safe, be protected, be one hundred percent confident in my slaying, live my life the way I've always wanted to and have everything be as awesome as all that says, I have to sentence an unknowing girl, who would basically become my sister, to death?"

"To put it simply and rather bluntly, yes." Giles answered, taking off his glasses and placing them on the book.

"That's so unfair! I don't want to bring a girl here just to love her as my sister and then let her die just so I can feel better and live longer!"

"Yes, that would be why only six known Slayers out of nearly all to ever exist have done it." Giles said with truthful sarcasm.

Buffy looked at the book and back at Giles. There had to be a loophole. She needed to find a way to have this protection so she could live her life again, especially if that meant she got to have one person in the entire world that could truly understand her.

"How long did the Slayers and their Protectors live after being activated?" She curiously asked.

Giles reached over for the book, scanned it, and replied, "The longest living Slayer with help was twenty-six and the longest living Protector lasted three years and died at twenty. The shortest lived Protector was two months at age fifteen."

"What are you thinking?" Giles inquired with anxiety lacing his voice.

"A Protector hasn't been called for a seriously long time right? So maybe the longest living Protector only survived three years is because it was forever ago the Slayers didn't know any better than to let their Protectors die?"

"It's possible, but they didn't just let them die, Buffy," Giles tried to explain. "It is out of their control."

"Well it won't be out of mine." Buffy stated as she got off the couch and headed for the door.

"What do you mean?" the Watcher called after her.

"I need help, Giles. Protector kind of help, but I'm not about to doom some innocent girl's life. I'm gonna work with her and she's gonna work with me like partners and that's it. I won't have this Protector working and dying for me stuff."

She was about to turn and leave, but Giles grabbed her arm to stop her. Buffy reluctantly turned around and waited for the logic speech she would end up ignoring.

"I understand your reasoning and approve of how you want your relationship with a Protector to be like, but that's not how this works. The Protector's one and only purpose is to protect you and that will always mean that she will die in order to keep you alive and safe." His voice was stern and convincing, but Giles saw that it wasn't convincing enough.

"Not if I work with her as chosen equals and we just protect each other and slay together. I can make this work, Giles. I know I can. I have to."

"Why do you have to?" Giles persisted. "You are doing very well and will only get better. Why do you need to do this?"

"I'm alone, Giles. I know I have friends and I am so grateful for them and I love them, but they aren't in the same boat as I am. You at least have a council full of Watchers to relate to, I have no one like that."

Buffy's eyes pleaded for him to understand, but they grew strong when it was clear she wasn't getting to where she wanted to be with Giles.

"I know it's selfish of me, but I think I deserve a little selfishness every once in a while. And I promise that I'll make this work and find a way to send her home if and when she ever wants to leave. Now, is the magic shop still open?"

Buffy gathered everything she needed after she left Giles' house and once her mother went to sleep, she began the summoning ritual. Buffy created the sacred circle with the candles, sprinkled the herbs on the inside of the circle, pricked her finger, and squeezed the blood into the largest candle, accidently staining some on the carpet.

"Hopefully Mom won't notice that." Buffy muttered.

She took a deep breath and sat inside circle as she recited the incantation. Nothing happened. Buffy squeezed more blood onto the candle and chanted again with more feeling. This had to work. The moment she made up her mind about this something clicked inside of her and she began to feel better, safer and more confident as if this was the right thing to do. She had to succeed; her life may as well depend on it – literally.

Suddenly, the candles blew out all except for the one with drops of blood; that candle went spectacularly ablaze. Buffy smiled and her heart beat in wild happiness. She did it! The connection had been made. She found her Protector.

A phone rang. It was a loud and standard ring and it kept going like the energizer bunny. Libby's hand reached out from under the covers and turned on the light that stood on the nightstand. She squinted at the sudden brightness and tried to read the caller ID. She peered in closer as her eyes adjusted, but what she saw didn't make any sense. The phone read: Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. What? The young woman picked up the phone in total confusion.

"Hello?" She croaked, still half asleep.

"Ego voco vos protego quod vallo mihi," A female voice recited in concentration.

"What?" Libby asked, getting spooked.

"Ego dico vos ut exsisto meus inquisitor socius,"

"Who is this?"

"Ego addo vos ut mihi iuvo in meus fatum."

Now the teen was fully awake and freaking out. "Ok, seriously whoever this is-"

"Ego sum Electus Unus quod sumo non subsisto unus,"

"Why are you calling me?"

"Presto vestri voluntas quod succurro mihi per mei."

"What are you saying?" Her voice was shrill now.

"Fio Patronus."

"OK! Whoever this is, this isn't funny and if you call again, I'm calling the police."

Libby was about to hang up when the female voice continued, "I summon you to protect and defend me, I call you to be my trusted ally, I bring you to me to help in my destiny. I am the Chosen One and choose not to stand alone. Fulfill your purpose and assist me with mine. Become the Protector."

She sat upright, fear plastered on her face. What did that mean? Why did the voice sound like Sarah Michelle Gellar? What the hell was going on?

The other end was silent but the same voice repeated the Latin incantation. Libby dropped the phone onto the bed when the chant came from outside her room. This was not good.

"Who the fu-OUWW!" The girl screamed in undeniable torture, as she bent over the mattress and held herself.

It felt as though her blood was on fire and all of her veins gave off a hot, sharp and shooting pain as her blood raced through a lot faster than it should. Her heart was pounding so hard and so rapidly that she thought she was going to have a heart attack or a stroke, while her head was throbbing so badly she actually prayed that she would have an aneurism just so the unbearable pain would stop.

The young woman felt like she could pass out, throw up and explode all at the same time the agony was so intense. She looked down and saw the veins on her legs and arms glow blue, to purple, to maroon and then red in mere seconds. It was the darkest, richest and deepest crimson she had ever seen, until it began to sparkle gold.

"That's it!" She grunted in determination.

Libby forced herself to stand and began to walk out of her room and into the hall with the phone in hand. She would make it to the bathroom in order to shower in ice cold water and dial 911. However, when she fell on the tile floor by the toilet, the phone would not allow her to call even though the voice was echoing in the house just repeating the chant over and over again. Damn her mother for leaving town to pick up the new orders herself!

"How can this be happening?" She cried out. "What's going on?"

"Become the Protector." The voice said.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Become the Protector."

"Who are you?"

"Become the Protector."

"Help me!"

"Become the Protector."

"HELP!"

"Become the Protector."

The voice finally stopped and everything went silent. Libby's vision was darkening, but the pain didn't lessen until she went unconscious.

The fire burned out.