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Chapter Text

Standing in the small, supposedly quaint town of Sunnydale made all of Buffy's senses tingle with the notification that there was an overabundance of demons. She had begun feeling them even before they had reached the city limits. The Hellmouth itself was giving off terrible vibes as well. It was different from the symbiotes she had gotten used to being around.

As she didn't spend much time on Earth anymore, especially not in areas with vampires and demons, she had gotten out of the instinctual sensing she had done while she had lived here. Now they were assaulting her senses and putting them into overdrive even though it was daylight and would be for hours.

*Calm yourself, Buffy.* Her symbiote soothed her, *We will not be here for long. We are just going to introduce ourselves and explain a few things, and then we will leave.*

*I know, but my senses are going haywire. There are so many vampires and demons, and I don't even know what in this town. It's kind of amazing, actually. Los Angeles has a lot of demons and whatnot, but it isn't like this.*

She surveyed the street they were on, and it all looked like your typical suburban neighborhood. Rows of houses with neat gardens, a few children playing. There was nothing to imply they were living literally on top of one of the openings to a hell dimension, which she supposed was part of the point. She guessed people either couldn't sense the Hellmouth or they were so used to it that they instinctively ignored it.

She had done the research and knew that her alternate mother was in D.C. attending an art exhibition, thereby leaving her daughter home alone for a few days. It was a short window of opportunity, but it would be better to have this discussion at the Summers house where they were less likely to be overheard than some semi-public place where anyone could drop by.

*Knock on the door, Buffy, or she will sense us first and come out. It will leave a bad first impression if she finds us standing out here staring at her front door. *

*I know, I know.* She knocked decisively on the door, mainly because she despised the high-pitched sound of doorbells. *Happy?*

*Ecstatic,* Egeria replied a little drily. It had taken a few decades but her symbiote had finally gotten onboard, at least a little, to her way of speaking.

It took it a short while, and Buffy followed the other woman's footsteps from what she guessed was her bedroom, out into a hallway, down a set of stairs, and finally over to the front door. She fidgeted a little nervously but composed herself by the time the door opened to reveal her teenage alternate.

Meeting her own startled hazel-green eyes was strange, but it didn't compare to the shock of her younger other self. "Hello, Buffy. Mind if I come in? We need to have a little talk about a few things."

"What? Who are you? And why do you look like an older me?"

"Short answer; I look like you because I am you, or rather an alternate you. I'll explain more, but not out here."

Those hazel-green eyes narrowed, but her curiosity won out and she took a step back as she held the door half-open. "If you can."

Buffy smiled, "Thank you." Then walked through the door and into the house. It was cosy, if a little bare as they didn't appear to have moved in completely yet. It wasn't really surprising as they had only lived there for a short time, and getting settled at school and work was a little more important than interior decorating.

Her host, well, the house owner's daughter, showed her into the living room where they got comfortable before the other Buffy began a barrage of questions again. She allowed it for a few minutes as it would give her starting point for how to try and explain the situation, before she held up a hand.

"Easy on the questions there. As I already told you, I am you but from an alternate time. One that doesn't exist anymore. In that timeline, our lives appear to have been the same until shortly after Merrick sacrificed himself. Our paths diverged from there. You moved to Sunnydale and I remained in LA for another couple of years, and then I traveled after graduation.

"I won't bore you with the details, but I became friends with someone who it turned out was part of a team that crossed over from yet another timeline."

The other Buffy had sort of curled up in a chair across from her, but she looked confused and definitely not like she believed her. At all. "You're not with the sense-making."

She gave a small grimace, "I know, but." And she cut herself off. "You know what? We both know we're bad with the explanations, so I'll just throw you off the deep end because you're not going to believe this anyway." The other Buffy laughed a little at that, and she did, too. Because it was true.

"Okay, here goes. Aliens are real. Yes, there are ones that look a lot like the Roswell ones, no, you probably won't meet them. The big bad is a species called Goa'uld and their foot soldiers called Jaffa. Goa'uld are bodysnatchers and in their natural form look like a small snake/fish thing. They take humans as slaves. Some are used as hosts since it gives they total control of the body and it also gives them opposable thumbs. Yes, they have spaceships, no, Earth does not. Unfortunately. Got that?"

Other Buffy had sat up more properly as she spoke, but all she said was a confused, "Huh?"

*You really are terrible at explanations," her symbiote commented with long-suffering amusement.

*Shhh. I'm explaining things badly here, don't interrupt.*

*As you wish. I will merely watch you confuse the girl even further. Carry on.*

"Perhaps that was the wrong place to start. Okay. Let's try that again. Decades ago, back in the 20s or 30s, an archeological expedition found a huge metal ring buried somewhere around the Giza Plateau in Egypt. They didn't know what it was, but, of course, they kept it. In the 40s it got a transatlantic journey from the Middle East to Colorado Springs, where they ran a lot of tests to try and figure out what it was or could do. This was during World War II so they hoped it could be used as a weapon somehow.

"Fast forward to the 1990s and it's in military hands. They managed to hire a disgraced archeologist who cracked the problem of how to use it to travel to other planets. And-"

That was about as far as she got before the other Buffy interrupted her, "The military uses a giant RING to get to other planets? How? Wouldn't they need a spaceship? You said we don't have any."

"We don't," she reinitiated. "Don't ask me to explain how the Stargate works, it's a lot of unintelligible technobabble I don't understand. But in short, it was created by the first evolution of humans or something more than 10 millennia ago. Their technology is a lot more advanced than ours. You can travel to other planets as long as it has a Stargate. If it has enough power it can even take you to other galaxies, or that's the theory.

"A lot of their technology work because of something genetic, meaning certain descendants of theirs can still use it while the average homo sapiens, or alien, can't."

Other Buffy raised a delicate eyebrow, "Descendants like us?"

"Yes."

"So we can do whacky things with this technology if we find it?"

"Depends on what you find. Some of it might kill you in very unpleasant ways, and others can be amazing. None of it comes with instructions, because apparently, the Alterrans didn't believe that."

She remained silent for a little while, clearly trying to either digest the new information or trying to decide if she believed her. Rather than share her conclusion, she merely commented, "Now I know why people keep telling me to let other people make with the explanations."

Inside Buffy's head, Egeria laughed.

"Do you have an explain-y person who can do that instead?"

*No comment from you,* Buffy warned the tenant in her head.

"I'll see what I can do about that, but not today. I need to explain some other things first before you can meet the other person.

The doorbell chimed and this reality's Buffy got up a little panicked. "You can't be seen! That's probably Willow and Xander. They were coming over to do homework and I forgot all about it."

Buffy rose a lot more calmly. "Don't worry about it. I'll leave quietly through the backdoor so they won't see me. See your friends, but don't tell them anything about me or what I've told you."

"Okay, but I don't think they would've believed me even if I did."

She turned to leave and had just passed through the door to the kitchen when the teenager asked, "Will you be back another day? I don't know if I believe you, but I want to hear more."

Buffy turned back and replied, "Yes, but it won't be for another few weeks at least. I have business to attend to, and it might take a while."

They quickly said their goodbyes as the doorbell rang again.

Once they were out of the house and a few streets over, Buffy commented, *She couldn't sense you. She didn't know you were there.*

*I noticed. I expected her to ask about my presence before she would allow us into her home, but she did not appear to suspect there was anything else happening than what she could see. It was most strange. We must ask about this when you have told her about me.*

As soon as they had left the house, she had pulled on a cap and sunglasses. Unlike her younger self, she had allowed her hair to remain a chestnut brown rather than dye it blonde, but the similarities were still there.

*We'll have to add it to the long list of questions we already have, but that's for another day. I have utterly confused her with my disjointed non-explanation, so hopefully, this will go better the next time. Now we need to get to the car and get back to L.A., we're running a little late.*

Chapter Text

Returning to Sunnydale ended up taking almost two months instead of a few weeks, as Buffy and Egeria had expected. Their business in Los Angeles had taken a few weeks, but then they'd had to return to Lykke to deal with a situation there, and it had just escalated from there, but they were finally back on Earth. 

"So, if I have understood this right you are me, but from an alternate timeline. You traveled to another planet with a team from yet another timeline. One of them sent you and a member of that team called Cam to Egypt in 1929. You and Cam lived on Earth for a few years then traveled through an alien ring to yet another planet where you did import/export for a planet called Vollens before accidentally becoming host to an alien non-evil body-snatcher, except for a short trip to Earth in 1939 to kill an evil bodysnatcher, the two of you have been repopulating the galaxy with non-evil bodysnatchers..." 

The alternate Buffy winced a little, and Egeria laughed in her head. Sighing and lowering her head as she closed her eyes, she told the symbiote, *Your turn.* 

"Greetings, Buffy," The Tok'ra queen said calmly in her dual voice. The Buffy across from them was still startled despite having been warned in advance. 

"Do not be afraid, we do not mean you any harm." 

"I, ..um." Buffy stuttered a little before she reclaimed her voice and manners, "I mean, Hi. Uh, greetings." 

Over the next several hours, Egeria explained both the alternate Buffy's history and a much more abridged version of her own and the Tok'ra's history. The time-traveling Buffy would occasionally make a few comments, but for the most part, the explanations were done by Egeria. 

Afterward, Buffy was back in control. "Egeria is a lot better at the explain-y things, and as she said, I can't even explain things well to another version of myself." Both of them laughed at that because it was true. Some things just didn't change. 

"I'm not with science, but isn't there something about two versions of the same person not being able to exist in the same reality or something? 

"There is but we are not from different realities. I come from a timeline that was created for the express purpose of defeating Earth, and along with Cam we were able to undo that timeline to create this one. Except now there's two of us, and I just wanted to meet you and see how your life is different from what mine was at your age." 

Her younger self frowned for a moment as she was trying to puzzle something out. "Does that mean there are two Cam's as well?" 

"No," and she couldn't help but be sad. "Well, not anymore. If he had been alive he would've been close to 110. No, he died about two decades ago at the ripe old age of 92." 

"Oh. I'm sorry for your loss." 

"Thank you, but his other, alternate self is still alive and they will be more or less the same person when the timestream catches up with him in about 12 years. He lived a long, good life." 

She was so tired of waiting for that to happen. 2008 couldn't happen fast enough so they wouldn't have to tip-toe around the timeline in fear they were going to mess something up badly. Hers and Egeria's children were also looking forward to making their mark on the galaxy, but mostly they wanted to meet their siblings, the Tok'ra, and that couldn't happen until Ba'al was truly dead. 

"Are you expecting me to become a host to this timeline's Egeria or another Tokkra?"

"Tok'ra," Buffy corrected automatically before answering, "No, we're not expecting you to become a host. We've checked, and unless something's happened that we don't know about, then I am the host to this timeline's Egeria. Actually, we really don't want you to become a host at all. " 

The whole timeline thing was confusing, but she had been in this timeline when she became a host so that meant there weren't any others. It had caused the Pangerans' timeline to diverge drastically, but there had been nothing they could do about it unless Buffy was willing to let the symbiote be essentially tortured for decades so a group of arrogant humans could temporarily have perfect health. 

It was the younger Buffy's turn to frown, "Why not? You said it was a good thing." 

"It is, but you are The Slayer. It means the Slayer Line runs through you, and we don't know if being a host would have a negative effect on that. It's better not to risk it." 

That had been something else they'd had a great many debates about. There was also the question of how the other Buffy also becoming a host might affect the alternate Buffy's presence in this timeline. It had become quite complicated and convoluted. 

"But you're me, so that means the Slayer Line also runs through you. When you die, another Slayer will be Chosen just like when I die another Slayer will be Chosen." Another taught occurred to her, "Have you died? Has another Slayer been Chosen without anyone telling me? You said you were in your 20s when you traveled back, and then it's been almost 70 years! You have to have been the longest-lived Slayer ever!" 

Her eyes had gotten big and excited, and then she just deflated. "I'm sorry, that was rude and uncalled for." 

"It's okay, I understand what you meant. And yes, I am the longest-lived Slayer, even if there's no record of me. At least, I don't think there is. For the most part, I have stayed away from Earth, only visiting occasionally to get coffee and to get my Slayage on, but otherwise, I have been very busy elsewhere."  

They kept debating the topic for a while longer, but truthfully, she didn't know if a Slayer would be Chosen when she died or not, and she had no intention of trying to find out. It would either become a problem or it wouldn't, either way, it wouldn't concern her being dead and all. 

"But before we leave, we have a few questions. How is it that you can't sense Egeria?" 

The blonde looked a little uncomfortable. "I've had this conversation with Giles," at the other Buffy's questioning look she added, "He's my Watcher." She wanted to ask about Merrick, but let it be for the moment. "He complained about how I can't really sense when vampires are nearby, and I can't. Not usually. I mostly rely on their outdated fashion sense, because, obvious much?" 

"It should be instinctual for you, especially after the training Merrick gave you and later on, this Giles person. You need to be able to do this." Thinking quickly as she could hear a car coming into the driveway, "I will give you lessons on how to learn and practically use your Slayer abilities, but for now you need to practice what Merrick told you. Okay?" 

"Good. It's time for me to go since your mother is almost at the door. I'll be back when I can to start teaching you. Until then, take care." 

Buffy left quietly through the back door she had left through the last time she'd been here. She didn't want to see Joyce Summers, it would hurt too much since the woman didn't know she was her mother also. 

Chapter Text

It had been a year since Buffy and Egeria had visited Buffy's younger, alternate version on Earth. In that time they had laid the foundations for her to learn how to properly use her Slayer abilities. Unfortunately, the younger Buffy had somehow managed to get herself killed, and then revived by one of her friends while her vampire boyfriend had stood by and watched helplessly. 

Her death, although it had only lasted for a minute, had still caused another Slayer to be Chosen. The younger Buffy had not been aware of someone else taking over as The Slayer, but the alternate Buffy had both felt it and Dreamt about it. Just as she had felt and Dreamt about all the other Slayers who had been killed and then as each new one had been Chosen. 

The younger Buffy had yet to accept her Calling and therefore she unconsciously cut herself off from the less physical abilities of the Slayer Essence. It was a pity, but hopefully, her reticence was something she would live long enough to grow out of because it was stopping her from reaching her full potential. 

"Buffy," Egeria said sternly, "You must focus your mind on your mystical senses, allow them to become a part of you." 

"I am focussing! I am all with focussing!" She wasn't pouting, she really wasn't. "It's really hard." 

"The ability to sense demons, vampires, foreign entities, and humans who are either possessed or under the control of another entity should come naturally to you."  

Egeria scrutinized the adolescent woman in front of her, causing her to fidget a little. "Were you capable of sensing the supernatural while you were living with your parents in Los Angeles?" 

"No. I-" and she abruptly stopped herself from continuing her sentence. Thoughts flew unhidden over her face as she clearly searched her memory for her experiences with the undead in her home city, and after a while, she frowned. 

"I did use to be able to sense them all the time. Not at first, but after a little while, and before Merrick, but not after." She looked confused and a little lost. "Why can't I remember thinking that's of the weird?" 

"Why is the ability turned on and off and on and off again? Shouldn't it always be on?" 

"It is quite strange, although it might have a connection to your old Watcher, Merrick Jamison-Smythe. Or perhaps not." 

Buffy gave her a look, "Right, that cleared it all up in a jiffy." 

The Tok'ra queen smiled gently. "There might be a connection between your lacking ability to sense the supernatural and your encounters with the Watcher's Council, although this association may or may not be your former Watcher. As I have come to understand, this organization has a long history of wishing to retain complete control of the Slayer at all times. You do not have a good record of being obedient, particularly where they are concerned.  

"Perhaps they have done something to block part of your natural skillset in the hope you will perish faster, and as such cause a new Slayer to take your place. Preferably a Potential Slayer who has been raised and trained by this Watcher's Council her entire life, and is therefore loyal to them." 

Buffy nodded, "Kendra is like that, but she has already been Chosen. I'm not the Slayer anymore, she is. So why haven't I gotten all my abilities back then?" 

Egeria lowered her head as she closed her eyes to hide the light behind them as she transferred control to her host. "We believe you might have inadvertently exposed one of the Council's major lies by being resurrected." 

"Huh? What lies?" 

"Over the decades, even before I left my timeline, I could sense other Slayers dying and new ones being Chosen. It might've happened maybe one to three times a year, sometimes a lot more, depending on the demonic situation, but there are at least another eight Slayers spread across the world. I never told Merrick that as he genuinely believed I was the only one, but I think we're from the 'main' Slayer line, for lack of a better term. 

When the Master killed you, you created another 'branch' when you came back. When you die for the second time another Slayer will be called, but she will be a part of a smaller 'branch'. The 'main' line will go through Kendra and whoever is Called she's killed." 

At that point, the younger Buffy just continued to look confused. "What happened to 'one girl in all the world', blah blah blah?" 

"It probably began that way, but as time passed and some Slayers got allies, especially magical ones, they were most likely resurrected. Add in CPR being invented and on the few occasions past Slayers were not torn apart, they might've been brought back that way. Or by doctors. After all, if something doesn't kill us right away we usually live to fight another night." 

"But," and she was clearly thinking hard, "Wouldn't that mean there'd be a lot more of us? We're resilient, but if a new Slayer is Chosen every time one dies then there should probably be at least a hundred by now." 

Old Buffy shook her head in the negative, "Actually no. That's why I said we're from the 'main' Slayer line. Every time someone from the main line is killed and dies, even temporarily, a new girl is Chosen. But if Kendra dies, is resurrected, a new Slayer is Chosen, Kendra is killed again, and then that girl is killed then that might not cause a new Slayer to be Chosen. If that makes sense." 

*Your explanations are confusing her again,* Egeria chided gently. 

"Let's take a break, and I'll see if Egeria and I can come up with a better way to explain it. but the short version is, we're not actually the Chosen One, but rather the Chosen Ones." 

"Right," Buffy replied dubiously. 

Clearly, she had managed to explain herself into another corner.

Chapter Text

After making her younger counterpart meditate for half an hour in an attempt for her to be able to properly connect with her core and mystical abilities, they sat down again to continue their conversation from earlier. The alternate Buffy and Egeria had discussed how to confront and explain the issue with the various Slayer lines. 

"Right," young Buffy began. "You were making with the explain-y and failing again. So try again and explain why there isn't actually a Chosen One but many Chosen Ones." 

"When I was first Chosen, I was skeptical and unwilling to embrace my Calling, just as you are. I enjoyed being stronger and faster when I learned to control those abilities. It took longer to control my senses and how I could hear people further away than I was supposed to, or smell things I shouldn't be able to. But I mastered it along with the ability to sense the supernatural, the mystical, and much, much later the aliens. Spending a lifetime hiding behind the dumb blonde act, I pretended to Merrick that I was less powerful than I actually was so he wouldn't expect too much of me, but I made a dedicated effort to learn everything I could about the new me. 

"I made sure to do a good job Slaying vampires and other monsters but also made some of my kills seem easier than they actually were so the Council would not see me as a threat. I spent time testing out my new skills because I was curious, and over time I perfected them. It caused me to accept who and what I am. This is clearly something you have not done but need to do. You need all of your abilities, all of your wits if you're going to survive."  

She looked at the teenager across from her, "I get that you want to be young and live your life, but understand that sooner or later the Council will send their Special Operations Team to kill you for not being an obedient little toy soldier. When they do, you need to be prepared. 

"While the team will consist of humans, I assure you, they will do everything they can to get the job done. These people do not have a moral compass unless you count money. They can and will use anyone and anything against you. Unlike the Master, they will in all likelihood behead you and then burn your body to ensure you can not be brought back." 

The younger Buffy looked horrified. "Can they legally do that?" 

"Yes and no," the time traveler sighed. "The Watcher's Council has a lot more leeway than they should have and not much of a conscience. They also don't have any oversight. Add in that it isn't uncommon for the body of a Slayer not to be recovered, and they can do anything they want as long as they don't get caught." 

"As horrifying as this is, I don't see how it connects to multiple Slayer lines." 

Alternate Buffy changed sitting positions before continuing. "One of the things the Council has always done is isolate their Slayers to ensure maximum control. Young Potential Slayers are taught about the supernatural, their possible Calling, and so on. They are also taught to have total obedience to their Watcher and by extension the Council. Any Potentials who do not achieve this are in most cases killed and the Watcher is recalled to Britain. 

"Slayers who don't do as they say are also usually killed off pretty quickly unless they have a reason not to interfere. I'm not sure why we were left alone for as long as we were, but I am thankful I did not have to fight the Council's assassins.  

"But, back to my point. When I first began sensing other Slayers I was incredibly confused, and after a while, I began asking vague questions. Was it possible for there to be more than one Slayer? Would something bad happen if several Slayers coexisted? Merrick was very insistent that it was impossible for two Slayers to exist at the same time, he also believed that something terrible would happen if that came to pass. 

"It meant I had to turn to my Dreams to get answers, and once I began doing that my Slayer Dreams went from being rare to increasingly common. While a lot of them were non-linear and confusing, I did begin to form a picture of what was going on. Including how it was possible for there to be more than one Slayer. In fact, it wasn't just the introduction of allies to Slayers who had magical abilities, or even CPR or doctors, but also because over time the world's population has expanded exponentially. 

"After all, the more people who are around the bigger the chance of them being turned into vampires. More vampires mean there need to be more people to fight them, hence more Slayers."  

"Huh," the young girl commented. "That's actually with the sense-making." She gave her other self an amused smile, "Egeria is telling you what to say, isn't she?" 

Egeria laughed in Buffy's mind, *I knew liked you, either version. Even if this one needs to mature for a few more years.* 

*Shush, you didn't come to exist as a mature and responsible adult either.* 

"Some of it, yes. Mostly just keeping me on track. It's one of the advantages of being a host; there's always someone there to help." 

The symbiote gave her a mental hug which she returned. 

"But what about all the other Slayers? Why isn't there more?" 

"First of all, in order to create more Slayers a Slayer needs to die and then be brought back. Most of us are not willing to die to create more of us, so it needs to happen naturally. Second, it depends on if it's actually needed. The new Slayer also might not necessarily be activated where whoever expected them to be. Third, most of the time when we're killed there either isn't a body to resurrect, there are only pieces, or we have been killed in a way that makes it impossible for the girl in question to be brought back.  

"Your next death will also activate a new Slayer, but when she dies there's a good chance a new one won't be Chosen because the world doesn't need that many of us. Actually, whenever a Slayer from the main line dies, a new Slayer is Called to replace her. You and Kendra could be killed a hundred times each, and a new Slayer would be Called every single time because you're from the main line, but when those girls die another girl won't be Called because there's already enough." 

*You're confusing her again.* 

*I'm not so sure, let her think it through.* 

The younger Buffy was silent but her thoughts were clearly far away as she worked her way through what she had been told. The Tok'ra remained silent and allowed her the time she needed. 

"It's like when you take a predator and place them into a new environment and they cause havoc to the natural order, but when you remove them again it allows the old wildlife to flourish again. Except we're the predators and the vampires are the prey." 

Both Slayer and Symbiote had to work through that before Buffy nodded, "Right. The Balance needs to be kept at all costs, so that means our numbers need to be kept in check, just like the numbers of demons and vampires need to be kept in check." 

A thought suddenly occurred to the younger one, "Does the Council have control of all the living Slayers or just some of us?" 

Egeria beamed in Buffy's mind, or as much as a snake-like creature could beam at any rate, but she definitely approved of where their young student's mind was going. 

"They have some way to track the main line, but not necessarily the branches. As far as I know, you, Kendra, and another two girls have Watchers. The remaining four do not have Watchers, nor are they on the Council's radar. At least not that I am aware of."  

Buffy tipped her head to the side a little, kind of like a curious puppy. "Are you in contact with any of them?" 

"No, but we do try to keep an eye on them, just in case there's something we can do to help. All of our people have standing orders to help if a Slayer needs it." 

Then she rose, "That's enough talking for now. You need to keep practicing. We only have tonight and then Egeria and I need to return to Lykke, so any last questions you have about learning to use and discover your innate Slayer abilities, this is it." 

The teen sighed but got up from the chair and sank back into the cross-legged position on the ground again. Neither of them approved of navel-gazing, but it was the most effective way to accomplish their goal, and they both knew it. 

Chapter Text

Buffy entered the Sunnydale High School library at a run just as the vampire Buffy thought was the infamous Drusilla of the Whirlwind used her fingernail to slit the throat of the Jamaican Slayer, Kendra. She raised her stake, aimed, and threw it at the female bloodsucker as the other Slayer fell to the floor as her legs gave out under her. The sharpened piece of wood hit directly in the undead heart and as her expression turned to one of shock, Drusilla disintegrated into dust. The minions she had brought with her fled in fear. 

The time-traveling Slayer didn't hesitate, just kept running and quickly knelt beside the downed woman. As she did so, Egeria seamlessly took over and brought out the Healing Device. The red stone in the middle glowed immediately and the yellow light signifying it was working began to emit from it. 

The Slayer's heart had already stopped, but as the injury had happened less than 15 seconds earlier they tried to heal her regardless. As soon as the wound and the tissue beneath it were completely healed, Egeria began to administer CPR. If Buffy had been in control of their body she would've certainly held her breath while waiting for the teenager's heart to start beating again. 

Much to both hers and Egeria's relief, they were rewarded with the at first weak thump-thump-thump sound of the heart restarting, and soon after Kendra sharply inhaled air. They carefully helped her sit up on the floor where she had collapsed, and in an effort not to spook her, Buffy retook control of her body. 

"What?" Kendra looked confused and became even more so as she got a better look at her savior. It didn't help when the other Buffy came crashing through the library doors at a sprint. 

"Are you two okay? Angel implied you were dead already!" The younger Buffy looked a little frantic and a little bewildered, but Buffy and Egeria weren't sure if it was because of their presence there, or because Kendra was sitting on the floor very much alive. 

"A vampire I presume was Drusilla did kill Kendra, but I dusted her. Her minions fled as soon as they realized they were no longer under her protection." She smiled at her other self, "But we were in time to revive our sister Slayer." 

"I died?!" Kendra sounded horrified for a moment before she collected herself. "It cannot have been for long if the vampire was still here." 

Buffy shook her head as she helped the Jamaican up off the floor. "A minute, two tops, but another Slayer has still been Chosen to replace you. Your heart stopped, and that's all it takes."  

Clearly deciding to ignore her momentary brush with death for a moment, Kendra stared between the two Buffys. Her attention landed on the alternate, older Buffy. "Who and what are you? You feel... different." 

Except they didn't have time for explanations at that moment. "I'd love to make with the explain-y, but there are people coming. People with a pulse, and they are not her," and she indicated the younger Buffy, "friends. They're cops, and we need to skedaddle because none of us can afford to explain ourselves to anyone not in the know." 

The young Buffy gave the room a quick survey, "There's a door leading out from beside Giles' office. Hurry." 

The three of them had barely cleared the narrow doorway leading outside before several more people crashed through the library doors in the other room. "Wait!" Young Buffy stopped abruptly, "Giles, Xander, and Willow are in there. We need to go back." 

Buffy|Egeria grabbed her arm and forced her to run. "We can't take that chance. You're already on all the wrong people's radar, and the last thing you need is to be arrested by the police for something you didn't do. Besides, they're injured and less likely to be accused of anything."

She agreed reluctantly and the three of them ended up in a cemetery on the outer edges of the town. It was peaceful and lacked anything undead or evil. Buffy smiled briefly, it was a relief for her senses. 

"What is going on?" Kendra looked between the two of them. 

"You're terrible with the explain-y," the blonde Buffy commented. 

"So are you." 

"One of you, explain, please. This can not be possible." 

"Okay," the brunette Buffy conceded. "Hi, my name is Buffy Summers and I come from an alternate timeline created by an even alien set on destroying Earth. I was then thrown back into the past where I eventually ended up leaving Earth, meeting and becoming the host of an alien symbiote called Egeria, and I am now taking the really long way back to where I am supposed to be in time. I am also not supposed to step on any butterflies." 

*Buffy!* Egeria sighed in her mind, *At least try not to confuse the young Tau'ri. Her questions are fair and reasonable.* 

*I know, I know. I'll try to do better.* 

Buffy frowned as she thought of something else, "And I am doing a terrible job of it, because I don't think you were supposed to survive." Then hastened to add, "Not that you surviving is a bad thing," when she realized how terrible that sounded. "But Drusilla did slit your throat and if we hadn't made it there in time you would've been dead."

It didn't clear up anything judging by the Jamaican's expression. 

*Your turn,* and Buffy lowered her head as she closed her eyes and her symbiote took control. 

The next hour or so had the Tok'ra queen give an abbreviated explanation of how it was possible for there to be two versions of Buffy, and how it was possible for there to be more than three Slayers at the same time. The younger Buffy excused herself about halfway through to go and check on her friends at the hospital. 

Afterward, Egeria relinquished control to her host again. "The question now is, what are you going to do?" 

"I do not understand. I must speak with my Watcher." 

Buffy shook her head, "You need to make a choice. Do you want your Watcher, and by extension the Watcher's Council, to know you're still alive, or do you want to live your own life away from them and their control? Because you have a choice now. One you didn't have before because another Slayer has been Chosen, so that means a Slayer has died. The other Buffy is going to the hospital so they will know it isn't her even if she will tell them she hasn't seen you, so you need to make a choice." 

When her younger counterpart had died and been revived there hadn't been a choice, mainly because the blonde had never even considered leaving her mother and friends behind. But Kendra didn't have any family, and from what the younger Buffy had told her about Kendra's life it was seriously lacking in anything personal. 

Actually, now that she thought about it, it wasn't really a choice. Kendra should've died, and her being present in the other Buffy's life from now on would have serious consequences. She sighed and Egeria gave her a mental hug. 

Except Kendra was a lot more perceptive than she had expected. "I do not have a choice, do I? You seem to have thought of something, such as my presence in Sunnydale and within the Watcher's Council. It will cause problems if I stay, will it not?" 

"You're right, it will. You still have the choice to remain, but you're right, it is possible that your presence here can have very bad consequences. I'm sorry." 

Rather than argue or be upset, the teenager merely nodded as she accepted her new reality. "Where will I go now?"  

Buffy smiled wryly. "In that, you definitely have a choice. You can skip into the sunset and run your life however you want. You can travel and I can get you a fake I.D. and a credit card. That would cause you to be one of my employees, at least on paper. Or, you can come with me off-world and see if there's anything you'd like to try out there." 

Kendra gave her a thoughtful look before she spoke again. "Perhaps Egeria could elaborate on these choices?" 

"Of course," and Buffy bowed her head and let the Tok'ra queen explain some more. 

Chapter Text

Two days after Kendra's resuscitation after cardiac arrest, the world had once again been saved. The vampire Angelus had been resouled and sent to a Hell dimension, Spike had angrily left Sunnydale after being informed that someone had staked his girlfriend, and the younger Buffy and her friends were recuperating after the entire ordeal. 

No one knew the Jamaican Slayer was still alive except for the two Buffys, and they had no intention of telling anyone. In fact, the only reason they had stayed on the Hellmouth for as long as they had was to ensure the world was saved. They had remained in the background but had been ready and willing to help if it should be necessary. 

24 hours after leaving Sunnydale they went on an epic shopping spree in Los Angeles to get Kendra anything she would need to permanently move to another planet. Clothes, toiletries, books, writing materials, groceries, and weapons among other things. Buffy had also chosen to stock up for herself and other people back on Lykke. Any furniture she might need could be acquired on her new homeworld. 

The Tok'ra believed in a minimalistic lifestyle as they had to be ready to leave at a moment's notice, but The Custos (Guardians) had permanent planets they lived on and therefore could be a lot more comfortable. They had real homes, places for local government and entertainment, structures where they worked, and anything else they needed to have good, productive lives. 

"How are we traveling to another planet? This is a cemetery." Kendra was standing beside the time-traveling Slayer, back straight, surveying the burial ground for threats or possibly a spaceship. The result of their giant shopping spree was divided into various bags and boxes beside them. Right before they had dusted a kiss of vampires who had made the boneyard their meeting place. 

"There are multiple ways to get off a planet, and while the easiest to use is the Startgate we do not have access to Earth's. It's located in a secure military facility in Colorado Springs, deep underground. Because of the whole time travel and timeline crossing thing, we can't contact them until the timeline has caught up with itself." 

Kendra merely nodded and waited for her to continue. "I don't know if you have ever watched science fiction, but a lot of what they show in those movies and TV shows is actually real. Not that they're exact copies, but some of the concepts. Including," and she smiled, "beaming technology." 

In lieu of actually explaining, she held up her right arm so the bracer she had on it was in perfect line of sight for her fellow Slayer, and then she gently pushed a button-like area on it. Almost immediately after they were engulfed in a kind of yellow stars before they vanished. When they had rematerialized they were inside a small spacecraft. 

The other Slayer momentarily lost her cool before catching herself and merely looking around in wonder. The ship was small enough to be able to go through a Stargate, but it also had a built-in Hyperdrive. Due to its small size, it couldn't stay in Hyperspace for as long as a regular spaceship, but it worked well enough. Especially since they only needed to get to a planet with a Stargate, and then they didn't need it anymore. 

It was one of the many inventions their children had created, reverse-engineered, or modified over the decades while they were unable to make drastic moves against their enemies. As they all knew they didn't have access to Earth's Chappa'ai, they needed a solution that didn't involve traveling through space from Earth and to the nearest world with a Stargate at a regular speed. Hence the mini-Hyperdrive. 

They had materialized in the back of the craft, but Buffy had begun walking toward the front as soon as she was able. Shortly after Buffy was in the pilot seat and Kendra was sitting in the co-pilot's seat, and they admired the view of their homeworld from a geocentric orbit. 

In a voice filled with awe, Kendra almost whispered, "Is that Earth?" 

"It is," Buffy smiled. Then she got more serious. "It's going to take us two days, even with the Hyperdrive, to reach Rajan. It's the closest uninhabited planet with a Stargate. From there we'll travel through several more Stargates before arriving on Lykke, where we mainly live." 

Kendra nodded a little absently before she tore her eyes away from the spinning planet below them and gave her full attention to Buffy. "Will you fly this craft the entire time or will we stop somewhere along the way so you can rest?" 

"I'll fly it periodically, but mostly it will be on autopilot. Resting won't be an issue." 

The following days mostly consisted of either Egeria explaining something for their new friend, or them sitting in companionable silence. It proved to be a lot more comfortable than either of them had expected. 

Just over two days after leaving Earth they were dropped out of Hyperspace above Rajan. Buffy flew the small craft down to the surface and landed not far from the Alterran interplanetary device. 

"Want to take your first walk on an alien planet to stretch your legs?" 

Kendra was out of her seat before she had even finished her sentence and she took it as the enthusiastic yes that it was and followed her back to the exit. A minute later they were outside and breathing fresh air. Like so many other planets, there was a forest not far from the Chappa'ai, and the actual device was standing on a dais with the dialing device close by.  

"Is there really no other way to leave Earth?" 

Buffy grimaced a little. "There is a secondary Stargate on Earth, but according to Cam, it was discovered by Stargate Command in 1998. Since he didn't know the exact date or even month, we stopped using it to leave Earth about three years ago so as to not raise suspicion." 

The other woman frowned slightly, "Why three years in advance?" 

"Because it had to look like no one else had used it for thousands of years, or at least a few hundred. We can't risk them becoming suspicious, even if they won't know it's us." 

She let the other Slayer have a look around and move her body after being forced to sit still for so long. Taking a walk in the small craft didn't suffice at all, she was uncomfortably aware of that from her many flights back and forth. There wasn't anything interesting for miles, and it looked like it could be any forested area on Earth. If you didn't know you were on an alien world, you would simply have thought yourself lost in the woods. 

A long time ago there had been a civilization on Rajan, and there were ruins left of their towns much further away. However, they had not been advanced, peaking on what would've been about the 13th or 14th century on Earth. As far as they had been able to tell, they had not used the Chappa'ai and had most likely been either killed or kidnapped by a Goa'uld at some point centuries ago. 

It was highly convenient for their use as a temporary stop before going to or from Earth though. Normally, they didn't bother to get out of their spaceship. Instead, they would just fly in a half circle as they dialed another planet, and then they would be off again. But it would be easier for the other Slayer to get her initial gawking out of the way before they reached Lykke. 

Kendra returned relatively quickly, "May we spar before continuing our journey? I am not used to staying still for so long, and there is no prey within an acceptable distance." 

She couldn't help but smile and in the back of her mind, Egeria commented, *She is a lot like you. We must ensure she is kept busy so as to avoid anything she might do if she remains idle for too long.* 

*Agreed, but it was expected. She IS a Slayer, and Slayers get antsy when we have to be still for too long. Besides, I'm sure the Jaffa will be more than happy to spar with her.* 

The sparring match lasted for a good 40 minutes before they called it. Holding back wasn't as good as actually going for the kill, but it would have to do. It helped that neither of them was particularly breakable and they could therefore use more force. Going up against a Slayer was a rare treat, and one Buffy relished. 

Half an hour later they landed on Lykke after having passed through a number of Chappa'ai, just in case they were followed. The Stargate was located on an isolated island with a lot of large and incredibly dangerous predators, which was why no one ever walked there. It was an effective first defense if they were ever followed, and it also served as a decoy as it would cause most intelligent species to believe it was just another dummy planet to shake them off before going to the world they were actually living on.

When they arrived on the continent they had settled on, they were met by a mixed group of Custos, Jaffa, and humans who welcomed them happily. It would take time for Kendra's senses to get used to all the symbiotes, but she was strong and determined. Everyone would make sure she got what she needed, and they would find somewhere for her, Buffy was sure of that. 

Chapter Text

*I'm still not sure this is a good idea. This Faith seems to be...* Buffy trailed off. 

*Angry? Immature? Or perhaps in need of guidance, and someone who will be in her corner for once, rather than have split loyalties?* 

*We definitely have split loyalties. This girl isn't our responsibility, and by all rights, we should not get involved.* 

*Calm yourself,* Egeria replied sedately. *We are merely attempting to ease her burden, not take responsibility for her life. Your dreams made it clear, that Faith Lehane needs to feel welcome. Accepted, or she will jeopardize the other Buffy.**

Inside the run-down apartment, they heard the younger Buffy tell Kendra's successor that she was on Faith's side, and then Faith denied it. *Knock on the door,* her symbiote insisted. 

Taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly, she gave the door three quick raps with her knuckles, and then waited until they were told to enter. 

"Buffy!" Her younger counterpart exclaimed. "I didn't know you were in town." 

"Last minute decision. Caught the last part of the battle at Angel's mansion yesterday." She smiled at both of them, "Well done, both of you." 

Faith finally found her voice after scrambling off the bed she'd been reclining on while reading a magazine. "Who the fuck are you?" 

Smiling a little wryly, the alternate timeline Buffy said, "This part is always awkward and confusing, but I'm Buffy from another timeline, and also the future. My counterpart can give the details later if you really want them." 

Faith looked over to the blonde Buffy, "What's she talking about? Do you know her? Is she a demon?" 

"Yes, I know her. Yes, she's an alternate me. Yes, she really is from an alternate timeline. No, she's not a demon. She's also from the future, except she traveled way back to the past, and is now taking the long way back to where she's supposed to be in time." Then added with a little humor, "And stepping on a lot of butterflies along the way." 

*Remind me to never allow the two of you to explain anything to anyone,* Egeria commented only a little sarcastically in Buffy's mind. 

*Shush, we're confusing the new Slayer.* 

"Hey! Those butterflies deserved to be stepped on! Kinda," and she smiled slightly. Saving Egeria and Kendra and other people was worth it, and it was unlikely to change anything in the grand scheme of things anyway. 

"Why are you here? If you wanna talk to B, you could've caught her after she left." 

"I'm actually here to talk to you, but I needed my present self to vouch for me first to avoid you trying to fight me. Because, unlike Buffy over there, I have 70 plus years worth of experience as a Slayer, and you would not stand a chance." 

*Easy now, you do not want to alienate or make her feel inferior. Remember, we wish for her collaboration.* Egeria chided her gently. 

"My point is, I want us to work together, in a way. Although, you would mainly be dealing with her," and she inclined her head toward the other Buffy. 

Faith gave both of them a skeptical look before turning back to the brunette. "Can I call you something other than Buffy? Cause this is hella confusing." 

Buffy nodded, "Of course. In an attempt to not be mistakenly taken for each other, I normally go by Egeria. It's also the name I use on official paperwork and such." 

Beside her, the other Buffy kind of stared. "You never told me that." 

Smiling slightly, she replied, "It never came up. Most of the time we converse, it's just us so there's no need to use other names to keep us straight." Then she added, "However, should the two of you choose to talk about me for some reason, refer to me as Egeria. Although, it would be better if you didn't speak about me where anyone can hear you. I would much prefer to be kept a secret." 

On the other side of the room, Faith frowned. "Are you saying the Watcher and B's little friends don't know about you?" 

"Correct. The only people in Sunnydale who know about me are the two of you. Please keep it that way." 

"I think that's my cue to leave." Buffy turned toward the door and Buffy|Egeria moved out of the way so she could access it. "Behave, all of you." Then she looked directly at the timeline-traveler, "Find me within the next few days?" 

"Of course. Be careful." 

"Always am," and she said her goodbyes before leaving the two other Slayers to chat. 

Which left her and Egeria alone with a betrayed and confused Slayer who didn't trust anyone but herself. *Well,* Buffy commented to her symbiote, *This is promising to be the kind of fun that's not.* Egeria gave her a mental hug and some encouraging words. 

They would've preferred to have been able to sit for the conversation, but since the only surface they could sit on was Faith's bed, it would've been a little awkward. Making a quick compromise, Buffy leaned her butt on the sideboard as it looked to be of the more sturdy kind. In response, Faith sat back down on the bed, even if she didn't seem too happy to be lower to the floor than her guest. 

"Look, I get that this is awkward and you're confused, but I really am here because I want to help." 

Faith's suspicion was still there as was her tense body language, but she opted to remain silent. It was an effective tactic to keep her talking. 

"My offer is this: I work for an organization with a lot of overflow. I also know that Slayers don't get paid because the Council believes that they need to have full control over the Slayer at all times. This includes finances. I gave Buffy one of our cards a few years ago to cover Slayer-related expenses. She mainly uses it to pay for damaged furniture or if something breaks her house or school, destroys her clothes, and so on. I am willing to give you a card as well to pay for a place to stay, regular expenses, Slayer-related damages, and so on." 

Faith's heart began to beat faster, but the cynical expression on her face remained. "And this would come at the low, low price of my soul?" 

"Don't be ridiculous. All I want is for you to be able to focus on Slaying instead of worrying about where you're going to get money from next. Getting a job, at least part-time would help, but my organization is willing to pay for your expenses as long as you don't go overboard." 

"That's it? You pay for my apartment and food and clothes, and all I have to do is kill monsters? No way that's all you expect from me." 

Buffy folded her hands in front of herself as she studied the teenager on the bed. She reminded her of an alleycat, abused and distrustful of everyone, but secretly hopeful someone would be kind to her without it ending badly. Add in enhanced strength, speed, and other abilities and it could quickly become a recipe for disaster. 

"I'm not asking you to do anything illegal or against your will, but I do expect you to behave and not break the law unless it is necessary. Shit happens and stuff breaks, or people die or get hurt badly. It's all part of being a Slayer, but there's a difference between breaking a wall because you threw a demon through it and breaking a wall because you have the strength to do it but lack the common sense to utilize self-control." 

"What about other non-necessary things, and are weapons included in this?" 

"Depends," Buffy answered, "If you want to buy furniture or some knick-knacks to make your apartment into a home fine, but if you want to buy expensive art or sex toys then no. That you have to get the money for on your own." 

"And weapons?" She gave a well-used dagger lying on the sideboard beside Buffy a look, and Buffy followed her eyes to the knife. Despite it being battered it had clearly been cleaned and sharpened recently. 

"Buying weapons is all okay. Having the right weapons for what we're hunting is incredibly important. Wouldn't want you to show up to a vampire staking with a pocket knife, after all. Just make sure it's all nice and legal, because if it's not and you pay with my card then I will be notified, and you will have to explain yourself. Failure to do so will result in a punishment fitting the crime." 

Faith gave a wary but hopeful nod. "Would I have to stay in Sunnydale, or can I go somewhere else?" 

"That depends on whether or not Buffy intends to stay here or leave for college elsewhere because something is brewing in the Hellmouth, and that means a Slayer is needed for the next few years. Since you're the real Slayer and Buffy should've been dead, it's your responsibility unless she chooses to release you." 

The other brunette's body abruptly tensed, "You say that as if I'm a prisoner." 

"Being a Slayer, or more precisely The Slayer, can be seen as a prison sentence, and it always ends in capital punishment. Once you're Chosen, that's it. You fight for your life as long as you can, but you can and will lose at some point. What you do between being Chosen and being killed is up to you. You can be like Buffy and try your best to have a normal life, you can try your best to be the Council's perfect little toy soldier, or you can choose something in between. Follow your destiny but on your own terms. It doesn't include a normal life unless you're willing to sacrifice those normal people." 

"Have you told B that? Because I don't think she's willing to sacrifice her mother and friends." 

Buffy sighed. She had tried, over and over and over again. But her other self was clinging as best she could to her pre-Slayer life. At least her attempts to teach Buffy how to use her mystical abilities were progressing well. She could now sense vampires and other non-humans at a distance, among other things. Angel's random decision to teach her Tai Chi had also helped. It also caused Buffy|Egeria to take private lessons with an expert. 

"I have, to no avail. At this point, I don't think that's going to change unless something extremely drastic happens. But she is aware of the risk she is taking." 

Debating with Egeria for a few minutes she added, "While I disagree with a lot of what the Council is doing, their choice to separate Potential Slayers and Slayers from their family is essentially a good point. The more people a Slayer surrounds themselves with the more people can be used against them. The problem is, the more isolated a Slayer is the less reason she has to live and keep fighting. Add in the Council's abhorrent habit of killing Slayers who don't blindly obey them, and most of us don't make it past 18." 

Frowning slightly, Faith asked a little cautiously, "Were you separated from your family?" 

"No. They tried to convince me to 'run away' and live with my Watcher, but I refused. Buffy and I were Chosen at the same time. The timeline diverged later, and we both remained with our parents. The main difference is that I remained in Los Angeles and Buffy moved to Sunnydale. Our lives after that have been vastly different." 

Buffy rose from her semi-slouched position. "But that is beside the point. Are you willing to accept my offer on the conditions I have given, or do you want to continue on your own?" 

The much younger Slayer rose when she did. "Do I need to give you an answer right now, or can I think about it for a few days?" 

"Think away, but I won't remain for long. I have work to do elsewhere, but I'll find you before I leave to get an answer. If that's okay?" 

"Five by five." 

Buffy said her goodbyes and left the rundown apartment. 

*Do you believe she will take our offer?* Egeria sounded unsure for once. 

*Yes. She'll think it through, and probably have a few conversations with the other Buffy to verify what I said, but she'll accept. It's a golden opportunity, even if it probably seems too good to be true. We'll have to have a talk with Buffy to make sure she includes Faith from now on, but hopefully, it won't be too difficult.* 

*What if Buffy chooses to leave Sunnydale for college?* 

*I don't think she will. There's too much holding her here. It will give Faith the freedom she's been searching for while at the same time giving her a place she can return to if she wants.* 

*I hope you are correct, but it all depends on Buffy and Faith's ability to get along and work together.* 

And that was the crux of the matter. Those two were about as different as you could get in their approach to life and Slaying, but if Faith accepted their offer things could be different. It would give Faith the chance to travel and only return to the Hellmouth on occasion. Only time would tell what the volatile Slayer would choose.