Maria: Let’s swing by the motels again, maybe we’ll get lucky and see some new arrivals in town.

Michael nodded and turned the car in the direction of the first motel, occasionally glancing at Maria.

They were passing the third motel when they saw a group of people climbing into two cars and heading towards town. Michael immediately swung the car around and began following, ignoring Maria’s insults about his driving skills.

Angel: We’re being followed

Giles was intrigued, they’d been in town less than fifteen minutes and already it was apparent they’d stepped into something big.

Giles: Really? Are you positive?

Buffy: Yeah he’s right, I’ve been noticing it for a while.

Giles: But with Oz’s vehicle behind us how can you tell

The vampire and Slayer looked at Giles

Giles: Oh right, special powers and all that, so what should we do?

Angel: Pull over, Buffy and I will get out and hopefully lead them into a confrontation, you can go around the block and come back for back up it we need it.

Giles: Right! Just let the others know, we don’t want them trying to follow you too.

Just then Angels cell phone rang

Angel: Yeah?

Cordelia: We’re being followed, just who do these people think they are? I mean puh-leez, if they’re not gonna do it right, then they shouldn’t do it at all.

Angel relayed to Cordelia their plan then switched off his phone just as Giles was pulling over to the curb. Angel and Buffy climbed out and waited for Giles to turn down the next street, followed by the car Oz was driving.

Buffy knew their stalkers were now on foot following them, they weren’t very stealthy so it wasn’t hard to figure that out.

Angel: They’re not vampires

Buffy: Well they’re not human either, so they must be some type of demon

They walked into an alley, stakes ready and waited for the non-humans to walk straight into their trap.

They didn’t have to wait long. Buffy pounced on the woman as she rounded the corner, unfortunately the punch didn’t land, as the woman had lightening fast reflexes.

Maria shouted into her mouthpiece, whilst dodging kicks and punches.

Maria: We’re under attack, send backup immediately

Buffy: Oooh, don’t think you can handle little ‘ol me?

Maria: Oh I’ll take you and the rest of the Gua on, and I’ll still win.

Buffy: Gua? You demons have the strangest derogatory words; didn’t you ever hear the saying, sticks and stones…?

She said as she kicked the woman, sending her a few feet back.

Maria lay winded on the ground, desperately trying to catch her breath and internally heal any wounds she may have gotten. She sent an urgent message to Michael in her mind. * They’re too strong. * She warned. * I know, don’t fight them, use your powers * he replied.

Maria waited until the woman was above her, pointing a sharp stick… at her chest? Using her energy she produced a ball of power which she pushed out of her and at the direction of the woman, successfully sending the woman flying until she landed a few feet away.

Angel: BUFFY!

Before he could go to her aid, he too found himself sailing through the air. Maria spoke into her mike again

Maria: Alex, we need back up..NOW!

Xander came running into the ally and thrust a cross in Maria’s face, hoping to get her to back off.

* These are some seriously disturbed Gua, they keep trying to kill me with wooden sticks, and now a cross * she said to Michael.

Maria knocked the cross, with Xander still attached to the ground and turned around in enough time to have water thrown into her face by another Gua. She sent the woman flying too.

Michael watched as a middle aged man pointed a crossbow at him and shot off a bolt, concentrating his powers he managed to stop the bolt - inches from his heart. Michael looked up at the man and smirked, he let the bolt fall to the ground and prepared to take on the middle aged man, but before he could make a move he was knocked down from behind by the dark headed dude and a shorter red headed one.

Michael flipped back on his feet, using his power to add strength, he back handed the shorter guy and kicked the dark one simultaneously. The short one went flying, the dark one grunted, but remained in place.

Maria caught the piece of wood as it came flying towards her at an incredible speed, using her powers she turned the wood to sawdust, she then faced her opponent the blonde, before the blonde could reach her Maria used the air around her to form a sort of buffer, that sent the woman flying back again.

Startled, Maria fell to the ground as a new Gua came up behind her and thrust a piece of wood in her back.

Seeing the woman still alive, Cordelia realized she had missed the heart and went forward to finish the job, before she could reach the woman again though, an invisible barrier came up preventing her approach and sending her backwards to the ground.

Cordelia looked up and saw a dark haired and very angry man standing above the woman; apparently it was him who had produced the invisible barrier. She watched as the man knelt beside the woman and removed the stake, he then placed his hand on the wound and produced a glowing halo around it. Cordelia was dumfounded as she watched the wound close up and the woman regain consciousness. The man then turned to look angrily and Cordelia, he was furious she could tell, she nervously began backing away.

Sheriff: Hold it all of you

Angel who was simultaneously trying to pick himself up off the ground as well as help Buffy up turned to see a Sheriff holding Willow at gunpoint.

Angel was confused as to why the police were helping out the demons of this town, but remained still as he contemplated what to do.

Max stepped forward

Max: By now you should know Gua, that you are no match for us, I suggest you leave, and forget about bringing forth the second wave, you will not succeed.

Buffy: Hey, enough with the name calling, what are you, five? And as for saving the world from you demons, trust me when I say you will not beat me - I’ve done this before, and I’ll do it again, I am the slayer - the chosen one. You don’t stand a chance.

Alex: Hey, whose calling who names now, if anyone here is akin to a demon it would be you lot.

Maria: And just how stupid do you think we are? Next time when you try and pass yourself off as the chosen one, don’t do it in front of the real chosen one, ‘cos you’re likely to be considered a liar. We are the chosen ones.

She pointed to Michael and herself. Giles was incredulous

Giles: You’re slayers? Both of you? B-but that’s impossible. Are you their watcher?

He asked the Sheriff who was still holding Willow. The Sheriff looked somewhat taken back as well as confused by the question.

Sheriff: I’m not sure what you’re implying by that, I’m a Sheriff; I uphold the law around these parts.

Now it was Giles’s turn to look perplexed

Max: Why exactly are you here? What is your plan for the second wave?

Xander: To stop you demons from bringing forth hell, or whatever it is you do for fun.

Michael: What demons? Are all you people mad?

Cordelia: Well how else would you explain the balls of fire you weirdo’s keep throwing around like confetti?

The Roswell team slowly came to the conclusion that these people albeit weird, and possibly crazy were not the Gua.

Buffy: If you’re not demons, then why are you here?

Max: We live here

Angel: And is it the norm for you people to follow new arrivals in town around?

Max: No, but we’ve been expecting trouble

Giles: Really! What kind of trouble exactly?

Max: We’re not sure, all we know is that the Gua will be trying to start the second wave, which in a sense is the beginning of the end.

Xander: So you’re not demons?

Isabel: Would you shut up already about demons!

Buffy: Could you let my friend go?

She gestured to the Sheriff who was still holding Willow.

Max nodded, and the Sheriff let her loose.

Michael: Max! I don’t think…

Willow who had now joined Oz asked

Willow: So what’s with the fire throwing?

Michael: We can’t trust them

Buffy: Hey, you know who we are; I think it’s only fair if you let us know who you are

Michael: I’m not about to trust a bunch of lunatics who chase ‘demons’ for a living

Max: I think we can trust them

Isabel: Max no

Max: Please Is, at least trust my judgement in this

Isabel nodded reluctantly, Michael scowled but said nothing.

Max: We’re not from around here

Giles: I thought you said you lived here?

Xander: Yeah, but originally they came from hell ‘cos they’re DEMONS!

Max shook his head and pointed at the sky.

Xander scoffed

Xander: Oh right, you expect me to believe you’re Angels

He looked at Max

Xander: Are you?

Isabel sighed

Angel: He means they’re from another planet

Xander snickered

Xander: Oh, so now who belongs on the funny farm?

Michael: It’s more believable than demons walking around

Oz: I think that’s a matter of perspective

Kyle: And I think I just walked into the twilight zone, or perhaps the annual meeting of Roswell Lunatics

Shocked, the group from Roswell turned around to find Kyle Valenti standing at the entrance to the ally.

Sheriff: Kyle! What are you doing here?

Kyle: I followed you dad, and now I’d like an explanation

He crossed his arms and waited

Max: I think we should all go back to my place and talk

Isabel looked up to find Cordelia still staring at her

Isabel: What?

Cordelia: I was just wondering how you keep your complexion, I mean in your real form you must have at least green blood or scales or something. And did you choose how you’d look as a human, ‘cause if you did you should’ve chosen a straighter nose, I mean c’mon, who in their right mind would choose a nose like that? And do the people of your planet have any fashion sense?

Cordelia inched closer to Isabel, studying her features. Isabel glared at her.

Isabel: Yeah well if you don’t stop staring at me, I’ll turn you into a frog - we’ll see how good that is for your complexion.

Cordelia immediately backed away.

Xander: Hey cool, can you really do that?

Isabel threw up her hands in frustration and stormed away.

Xander watched the Greek Goddess storm away, then turned his attention to the Sheriff and his son having a heated discussion on the other side of the room, his eyes then fell on the spikey haired alien who was glaring at him from the doorway. * Man these people are freaky * he thought to himself.

In another corner of the room Giles and Cade were talking.

Giles: So in a sense you are like a Watcher, I mean you do all the research and basically watch out for them. I must say, this is quite fascinating.

Cade: Well yeah, I guess you could put it that way.

Isabel joined Willow, Oz, Buffy, Angel, Max, Liz, Alex and Maria in the kitchen, Xander, nervous under Michaels glare also joined them, but to his consternation the freaky alien followed him.

Alex: Let’s just say for one bizarre, screwed-up universe minute there were such things as vampires, how would we know that you people aren’t a gang of thirsty blood suckers?

Xander burst out laughing, causing everyone to glance at him in annoyance and confusion.

Xander: Like to see you explain that one dead boy

Buffy and Willow glared at him.

Max: What does he mean by that?

Willow: I think that’s a question for Giles

Oz: I totally agree

Buffy: I’ll get him

Willow: I’ll help

Liz looked at Max * this is getting weirder by the second * * something’s definitely up * he agreed

Everyone reconvened in the kitchen a minute later.

Xander: So G-man

This earned him another glare.

Xander: The ET’s..

More glares.

Xander: Want to know if any of us grow teeth

He wiggled his eyebrows.

Giles: Huh? Oh! Of course not..

His eyes fell on Angel.

Giles: Oh dear

Buffy: Well put Giles

Xander: Yeah, that described the situation perfectly

Angel: I’m a vampire

Alex: I thought you people hunted vampires?

Willow: We do, except for Angel, he’s a good vampire, he even has a soul

Michael: You people are just one big walking contradiction

Xander: Hey! Why don’t you go and phone home or something Alien boy

Michael: And why don’t you bite me…oops, that would be your job wouldn’t it.

He looked at Angel.

Buffy: Okay, hang on just a minute, Angel has probably more humanness and compassion in his pinkie finger than you could ever even imagine.

She pointed a finger at Michael.

Giles: All right everyone hold up, I think we’re all just a little out of sorts with everything that’s happened tonight.

Kyle: No, you people have no idea what feeling out of sorts is like, I am now at this moment surrounded by Vampires, Demon Hunters and Aliens, who knows what else is in this room. Does any one else have any secrets they want to share? Because now would be the time.

Everyone looked at each other, then at Oz who had raised his hand.

Oz: Since we’re being honest…I turn into a werewolf during the full moon

Isabel: What!?!

Cordelia: I once kissed a half demon who used the kiss to give me this terribly painful gift of visions.

Alex: You kissed a demon?

Xander: None of my girlfriends have ever been human

He looked pointedly at Cordelia who frowned.

Willow: Ooh ooh, I was once a ghost, does that count? A-and I’m a Wicca!

Maria: You’re a witch?

Giles: Well seeing as we’re on the subject, I was once turned into a demon, and I dated a woman from the same Gypsy clan who cursed Angel with a soul.

Buffy: I died once, mostly I just slay vampires though

She stole a quick look at Angel * When I’m not falling in love with them that is * she said to herself.

Oz: That about sums it up

The Roswell group stared aghast at the Slayer and her friends.

Some hours later Giles was explaining what a slayer was to the now semi calm group.

Giles: Once in every generation a slayer is born, and only she has the special powers to fight vampires and demons and such. Every slayer is assigned a watcher, who essentially trains, guides and watches over her.

Buffy: Except now there are two slayers ‘cos I died

Isabel: So you said

Xander: Yeah and you should see the Buffster in action, she’s saved the world a couple of times over

Cordelia: We helped of course

Liz: I also died, from a gunshot wound, well almost died. Max saved me, that’s how I came to know about them

Giles: (To Cade) How did you get involved in all this?

Cade: I’ve been fighting the Gua

Buffy: There’s that word again

Cade: for some time, they’re an evil race of aliens predicted by Nostradamus here to destroy earth in three waves, anyway I came across the destinies of these four when deciphering another quatrain from the books of Nostradamus. Max, Isabel, Maria and Michael are destined to save earth from the Gua.

Michael: Lets not forget that we somehow also have to save our own planet too.

Xander: So what’s it like living on another planet?

Max: We don’t remember our past; our first memories are from the age of six after we emerged from the pods.

Oz: Whoa, hold up a sec…pods?

Max: From What we can understand, after the crash in ’47 we were in some sort of stasis in these pods until ’89 when we emerged as six year olds

Xander: And you call us weird?

Michael: You are!

Xander: Hey! I’m not about to get into a discussion about who’s weirder with a fire throwing extra-terrestrial who grew up in a pod.

Kyle: As far as I’m concerned, you’re all way beyond weird

Sheriff: Son…

Kyle: No dad, Just how in the hell did you get involved in all of this? Have you got some sort of death wish, or are you just trying to follow in granddad’s footsteps?

Sheriff: That’s enough! I don’t think you realize how important these people are; they’ve all given up their lives for the rest of mankind

Cordelia: Well technically some of them didn’t have lives to begin with..

The last comment got her some angry looks.

Kyle: Meanwhile I’m still having trouble figuring out how my girlfriend left me for an alien.

Xander: Hey nothing beats a vampire slayer falling for a vampire

* I’m getting the feeling nobody appreciates my humour * Xander thought to himself after receiving more dark looks.

Giles: Xander although we er appreciated your uh unique point of view, I think we’d get a lot further if you kept your opinion to yourself.

There was a chorus of agreement.

Xander: Feelings people, some of us have feeling’s ‘ya know…I think you’ve just destroyed my pride

Cordelia: Puh-leez, you wouldn’t know pride if it hit you in the face and introduced itself.

Xander: Shut it, demon kisser

Cordelia: You should talk…demon lover

Xander: Anya’s an ex-demon

Cordelia: Yeah but as I recall, I was the only human girlfriend you ever had

Xander: The whole lot of them had more human in them than you ever did, and anyway, If my standards are that low, where would that put you on my list of ex’s?

Oz: Harsh

Isabel: Do you people even remember what normal is?

Giles: Tension is a little high, I think perhaps we should call it a night and reconvene in the morning

Sheriff: Good idea

Willow: Yeah and we still need to find a place to stay

Maria: What about the motel we saw you at, don’t you have rooms there?

Buffy: It was full

Willow: And kinda creepy looking

Liz: You’re welcome to stay here, although we don’t have enough room for all of you

Alex: We have an extra bed, as well as a couch

Max: I’m sure between all of us, we can give each of you a place to sleep

Eventually it was decided that Willow and Cordelia would stay with Alex and Isabel, Buffy would stay with Maria, Angel would stay with Michael and the rest would stay with Max and Liz.

LATER…

Maria: Actually I’m glad you’re staying with me, we have a lot in common

Buffy: How so?

Maria: Well uh, there’s the whole ‘Chosen One’ thing

Buffy: Yeah, really weird

Maria placed a pillow and blanket on her sofa, then sat down on another

Maria: So how did you take it when you found out about your destiny?

Buffy: I did what any normal fifteen year old would do….I freaked.

Maria: Me too

Buffy: You mean you didn’t always know?

Maria: Yeah, I mean no, well I always knew I was different and I used to get some strange flashbacks and all, but I had no idea I was from another planet, let alone a ‘Chosen One’

Buffy and Maria sat for an hour discussing their respective destinies and how they managed to deal with it all.

Maria felt a strong kinship towards Buffy, she’d never really had a close friend because of her differences, apart from Liz and Isabel. Somehow she knew that Buffy would become a very good and trusted friend. For Buffy the evening was amazing, both her and Maria shared the burden of being Chosen Ones, and having to save the world numerous times were things that they both shared, something that her friends could never comprehend, Buffy admitted to herself that her friends had always been there helping with the responsibilities of saving the world, but they were there by choice not by destiny like her, choice and destiny were very different, and before, she’d never really had anyone who shared that with her.

Cordelia: So you also have visions huh?

Isabel: Yeah

Cordelia: Don’t you just hate them, I mean really, is it necessary to be put through that agony for a few pieces of measly information that never really makes sense?

Isabel: My visions are very necessary to our survival, and anyway, mine don’t hurt.

Cordelia: Oh

She nervously looked around the small apartment that was overcome with unpacked boxes.

Cordelia: So did you uh guy’s just move in here or something?

Isabel: Yes, and right now I should be on my honeymoon, not making a bed on my sofa for some stranger who hunt’s demons for a living.

Willow: Cool set-up

Alex was helping Willow settle in to their spare room which was where he kept all his computer equipment, and which was what she was referring to.

Alex: So you know your way around computers?

Willow: I play around some

Alex: They’re so logical, that’s why I like ‘em

Willow: Me too, it’s like a whole other world when I’m working on mine, with so many possibilities a-and I can do anything, I’m in control, and it’s l-like I’m not me, poor little dorky Willow Rosenberg anymore.

She blushed at her outbreak. Alex smiled reassuringly

Alex: Yeah something like that

Xander: Hey G-man

Giles: Xander! I’m brushing me teeth, do you mind!

Xander: Course not

He sat down on the edge of the bathtub, watching Giles through the mirror.

Giles: What do you want?

Xander: Just watching your back Giles my man

Giles: Watching it from what, the shower curtain?

Xander: Just making sure those alien things don’t try anything on you, like turn you into a frog…or something

Giles: A frog? Xander really, what on earth gave you that idea….oh I see

Xander: What? What do you see?

He whipped his head back and forth, nervously looking for whatever it was that Giles could ‘see’

Giles: They’re not going to hurt you, the seem like very nice er… people

Xander scoffed.

Xander: I’m not afraid of ET and his bride….which brings up the question, who in their right mind marries and alien…nobody that’s who, which just goes to prove that ET’s bride is obviously not all there, if you know what I mean!

Giles: Yes well…no ah actually I’m not quite following your train of thought, why don’t you get some sleep?

Xander: Okay, but don’t come screaming to me in the night, besides the fact I’ll ignore you ‘cos I told you so…my door will also be locked.

Liz looked into the room

Liz: Everything okay in here?

Oz: Yeah, just preparing myself for a night with Xander

Liz laughed.

Liz: Can I get you any extra blankets or something?

Oz: No thanks, everything is fine

Liz: ‘Kay then, night

Oz: Night

* There’s a vampire spending the night in my apartment, I have got to be loosing my mind. Not too mention this dude is more broody than I am *

Michael: What are you doing?

Angel: Covering the windows

Michael: I don’t recall telling you to make yourself at home

Angel stopped what he was doing and looked at Michael.

Angel: Sunlight and I don’t exactly mix

Michael: What are you talking about?

Michael wondered if this had something to do with the fact that Angel could not enter his apartment without being invited.

Angel: I turn to dust if exposed to direct sunlight

Michael: Oh! Right, well I’m going to bed then, just don’t make a mess

Angel looked around the apartment in disbelief, the place looked like it was a bomb blast area.

Sheriff: You think those people are for real?

Kyle: That or they just had a mass escape of lunatics from some asylum….why am I the only person here not worried for their life, or for that matter, sanity?

Sheriff: Give them a chance son, these people aren’t that bad, In fact you might even find yourself liking them

Kyle snorted

Kyle: Not likely, I prefer to socialize with people of my own species.

The Sheriff decided to let his sons comments slide for the time being, instead he looked over to where Cade was on the phone having a conference call with his colleagues Eddie and Jordan. Cade had told him earlier on in the evening that if he got back from this mission alive he was planning on asking Jordan to marry him.

Buffy: I need to go and patrol

Maria: What for?

Buffy: Vampires and stuff, even though I’m not in Sunnydale I can’t take a break from Slayerage.

Maria: Mind if I join you?

Buffy: Normally I’d say it’s not safe, but in this case I think you can hold your own.

She grinned at Maria who smiled back.

* * *

Buffy: This is so spooky

Maria: What is?

Buffy: I’m used to more vamps, living on the hellmouth and all, it’s weird not seeing any

Maria: Uh right

Buffy stopped mid stride and cocked her head slightly as she strained her ears, she signalled for Maria to keep quiet and led her to a nearby bush.

Buffy: Come out come out wherever you are

She taunted, stake ready.

Spike: Slayer?

Buffy: Spike! What the hell are you doing here?

Spike: I could ask you the same

Buffy: Let me guess, you’re here to help us out of the evilness of your heart?

Maria watched the exchange with growing interest

Spike: Very bloody funny, actually no, I heard there was going to be some action here and I wanted a front row seat to the end of the world

Maria: Anybody care to full me in?

Spike turned to look at Maria who was uncomfortably clutching a stake in her hand.

Spike: What? Another slayerette in training, couldn’t hack it with just yourself and the other looser slayerette's?

Buffy: He’s a vampire, a harmless one. Some government group put a chip in his head which prevents him from hurting humans

Maria: This just gets weirder

Buffy squinted at Spike suspiciously.

Buffy: What exactly do you know about all this action?

Spike: Nothing I swear, word on the street is it’s some sort of ancient prophecy, so I thought I’d check it out. Hey, you wouldn’t by any chance have a place for me to crash during the day would’ya?

Buffy: And I would help you out…why?

Spike: ‘Cos you’re the bloody good guy’s and all, fighting evil and helping people or something equally as boring, it’s what you do.

Buffy: I think I’ve done you enough favours by not dusting you already

Maria: I guess he could sleep on the floor of….

Spike: Splendid, let’s go luv’s

So the Vampire led the Slayer and the Alien out of the cemetery and towards the town.

Xander: Aaargh!

He kicked his feet out and threw his hands in the air trying to get away

Oz: Hey man, it’s me

Xander still trying to catch his breath stared wide-eyed at Oz who was standing above him.

Xander: What the hell are you doing?

He clutched at his chest.

Oz: You were snoring

Xander: And so you thought you’d kill me by way of a heart attack. Next time just stake me.

Oz ignored him and climbed back into his own bed.

Alex sat down on his bed and eyed his wife who was brushing her hair in front of the vanity.

Alex: Why didn’t you ever try and dreamwalk me?

Isabel: What?

Alex: You know, when you were looking for Maria, you said once that you had my picture, so why didn’t you try.

Isabel turned back to the vanity and continued to brush her long locks, wondering what brought this line of questioning on.

Isabel: I did

Alex: Pardon?

Isabel: I did try and dreamwalk you, I used all my feminine charm and wiles, but dream world or not, you just refused to give away where your sister was

Alex: Really?

Isabel: Yeah, you were unbreakable

Alex: That’s me, unbreakable Alex

Pause

Alex: Huh!

Isabel: What?

Alex: I was just thinking, sometimes you do marry your dream woman, ‘cause technically, you are a woman right out of one of my dreams.

THE NEXT DAY

His hand reached out…groping along the surface, knocking obstacles out of its way, searching for something. Finally he found it, wrapping his hand around it he pulled it towards his face and put it on. He got off the sofa and rubbed his sore back, sniffing the air and following the enticing aroma to the kitchen.

Liz: Morning Mr. Giles, are you hungry?

Giles: Yes, quite, thank you

Liz placed a plate in front of Giles and then sat down and sipped her orange juice.

Giles: Are you not eating?

Liz: No, I’m feeling slightly queasy this morning

Giles nodded knowingly

Giles: Ah, no doubt from all the excitement last night I expect. So where is your husband this morning?

Liz: He’s over at Michaels

Xander walked into the kitchen rubbing his eyes.

Liz: Good morning, are you hungry?

Xander eyed Giles’s half eaten plate, noting that he had not keeled over dead from anything in the food.

Xander: Oh yeah, I could eat a horse…not literally…that’s not horse meat is it?

Oz: Hey, did I hear someone say something about food?

Liz laughed and handed both boys a plate of food.

Liz: Eat up, everyone should be here with in an hour, Max has gone to fetch your friend so that he isn’t exposed to sunlight

Xander: Okay, lets just get one thing straight - dead boy ain’t no friend of mine.

A groggy Michael opened his door to find Max standing there. He let him in without saying a word, then made his way to the kitchen.

A freshly showered Angel came through then and nodded a hello to Max and Michael. Max said hi but Michael ignored him, instead he reached for a carton of milk on the counter which he started to drink. Max watched as Michaels face pulled into a grimace, too late he realized the milk was off and was showered in droplets of the sour milk as Michael spat it out and cursed. Max took a step back and frowned in Michaels direction, he picked up a wash cloth and attempted to wipe away the foul smelling liquid.

In the meantime Michael had his mouth under the faucet and was swallowing large amounts of water in the hope it would wash away the taste of the milk.

Angel was slipping his shirt on when the phone began to ring, he tried ignoring it but when nobody went to answer it he decided to answer it himself.

Angel: Hello?

Maria: Michael?

Angel: No..it’s..

Maria: Angel?

Angel: Yeah

Maria: Oh! Is Max there?

Angel: I’ll get him..

Maria: No, it’s okay, would you please ask him to come by here before heading to his place.

Angel: Sure…… Who’s speaking?

Maria: Sorry, it’s Maria. Thanks Angel, see ya in a few

Angel: Bye

Angel put down the phone and looked up to find Michael glaring at him.

Michael: What the hell do you think you were doing answering my phone?

Angel: Somebody had to answer it

Michael: Who was it?

Angel: Maria

Michael: Maria? What did she want?

Maria put down the phone and looked at Buffy.

Maria: Max is gonna come by here after he picks up Michael and Angel, he will have organized some means of transport so that our friends of the night don’t get fried.

Buffy: Cool…or maybe not! Angel and Spike in close quarters is not my idea of fun

Spike: Lover boy’s here too? You two planning on getting pelvic again? Maybe that’s what this whole prophecy is about, yeah this could be fun.

Buffy shot him a disgusted look before leaving the room.

Spike took a deep drag of his cigarette and smiled to himself. * Yeah this could be lots of fun*

He exhaled, and watched as tendril’s of smoke floated around his face.

When the car pulled up Maria threw a blanket over Spike so that he could make it to the car without spontaneously combusting. Spike dived into the car, Buffy and Maria followed closely, shutting the door as well as shutting out the rays of deadly sunlight.

Michael: Just what in the hell is going on here?

Both Michael and Max had turned around in their seats to look at the shrouded figure in the back.

Angel: Spike?

Spike: Hello Angelus…been awhile! Yeah I remember now, the last time I saw you I was torturing your sorry little soulful ass.

Spike pulled the blanket off and grinned at Angel

Angel: It’s Angel

Spike: Oh right, sorry, you change it so often, I have trouble keeping up.

Michael: Maria…care to explain?

Buffy: Maybe I should

Michael: Well somebody had better

Buffy: He’s from Sunnydale, he’s a Vampire.

Michael: What’s he doing with you two? I thought broody over there was the only ‘good’ Vampire?

Buffy: Spike is harmless, he has a chip of some sort in his head, it keeps him from hurting people.

Spike: Chip or no bloody chip, I’m still the meanest vamp that ever walked, excluding Angelus over here, must I keep reminding you poofs of that

Michael: What does he mean by that?

Buffy: Nothing, can we go, It’s kinda squishy in the back.

Maria climbed out the car, thanking God she still had her sanity. Angel and Spike had bickered the whole way fighting for space, not to mention the odd comment thrown in by Michael had left her with a splitting headache.

Maria moved to the side as Buffy stormed past her and into the house muttering something about vampiric men.

Maria had to smile *whether they’re Alien, human or vampire, they’re all the same* she told herself.

Maria stayed out of the way as both Angel and Spike covered in blankets ran into the house after receiving an invitation from Max, a brooding Michael and thoughtful Max followed suit.

Max walked into the house and straight into Liz’s arms.

Liz: I missed you

Max: I was only gone half an hour

Liz: forty five minutes actually. And besides, any minute apart from you is purest agony

Max pulled her close and kissed her passionately, he weaved his fingers through her silky soft hair with one hand whilst stroking her back with the other, she moaned in pleasure and pressed herself to him tightly increasing the passion of the kiss.

Michael: Aargh! Get a room, it’s too early in the morning to see something like this.

Max and Liz pulled away from each other and looked bemusedly at Michael’s retreating back.

Maria: Don’t mind him, he’s not a morning person. Oh wait, I forgot, he’s not even a person.

Liz: Maria, you’re also not quite human so that doesn’t really constitute as an insult

Maria: He’s male, isn’t that reason enough for him not being human?

Xander: What’s he doing here?

He jumped up from the sofa and pointed an accusing finger at Spike.

Spike: Well if it isn’t the annoying one. I can’t describe the joy of seeing you too. Anyone have a stake?

He looked around as if he seriously considered staking himself.

Spike: I’m just here for the entertainment and food you yank wanker.

Alex walked in and noticed Spike, he walked over and held out his hand in greeting.

Alex: Hey, I’m Alex

Spike ignored the offered hand and instead swore.

Spike: Bloody hell, isn’t it enough that there’s one Alexander in the room, why don’t you people just throw the holy water in my face, it would be less painful

He glared at Alex and Xander.

Nervously Alex pulled his hand back and wiped it on his pants, a gesture that Xander had noticed he did when nervous.

Xander: Stupid dead people

He murmured whilst leaving the room, unsure if the ‘stupid dead person’ in question heard him or not, although he preferred not.

Spike: You forget us stupid dead people have excellent hearing

Without missing a beat Xander said from over his shoulder.

Xander: So what? You gonna bite me?

Alex: Interesting

Spike glared at him.

Spike: What?

Alex: I..er..nothing

He stammered before fleeing the room. Spike laughed as Alex scurried out of the room, as harmless as he might currently be, he still got perverse pleasure from scaring people.

Michael: What’s eating you?

To his dismay he’d found himself alone with Maria in the kitchen, and she was obviously furious about something.

Maria: Actually my day was going great

Michael: So what’s the problem?

Maria: Yeah well then I saw you

Michael looked at her as if she’d completely lost her mind.

Maria ignored him and continued to spoon sugar into her mug.

Michael: I just don’t get you.

Maria: Maybe that’s because you’ve never bother trying to get to know someone else, your whole life is centred around you and what you want. Have you ever stopped to consider others for a moment? Have you ever stopped to…consider…me?

Michael: Maria..I

Liz put her head around the door.

Liz: Sorry to interrupt guy’s but everyone is here, we’re just waiting for you two.

Buffy: So basically the plan is to patrol until something happens? Sounds productive.

Xander: But something you’re good at.

He pointed out.

Cade: There’s not much if anything that we can do, until we find out what their plan is.

Michael: It’s simple, they want to kill us.

Spike: I don’t mean to interrupt. well actually I don’t really care, but why are these people after you, did you shag their mother or something?

Cordelia: Get with the times, they’re aliens you dufus, and eew!

Spike burst out laughing.

Spike: Well that’s bloody priceless isn’t it. You loser’s hanging out with a bunch of loser’s from another planet. What, couldn’t make friends with your own species?

Kyle: How do you just accept this kind of news? Doesn’t anybody think this is strange?

Michael: You obviously don’t want to be here, so why are you Kyle?

Kyle: Nuh uh, there’s no way I’m letting you freaks out of my site for more than a few seconds.

Isabel sighed.

Cade: Anyway, here are the partners for patrolling. Buffy and Maria, it’s easier this way because you two are staying together, same goes for Angel and Michael. For obvious reasons I’ve paired up Max and Liz, Alex and Isabel, Willow and Oz. Kyle and Cordelia will work together as will Xander and Spike. The Sheriff, Mr. Giles and myself will be back-up. Mr. Evans will help out once he gets off work.

Xander: Why don’t you put the dead boy’s together?

Spike: That would be like jumping from one pot of holy water to the next

Michael: I’ll patrol on my own

Max: No, it’s safer in numbers

Michael: Yeah well I happen to think I’ll be safer alone

Max: Michael this is not up for discussion

Isabel: Max is right. This is not about us anymore, this is about this whole planet now.

Spike: Well personally I don’t give a flying pigs ass about this planet

Buffy: Care for a walk out in the sun?

Xander: I’ll escort you.

Cade: Getting back to what I was saying. Cordelia, Kyle, Willow and Oz are on patrol today. Buffy, Maria, Angel, Michael, Spike and Xander are on night duty. We’ll all meet up here tomorrow before Max, Liz, Isabel and Alex start their patrol.

Willow: This is exciting, I feel like a spy or a secret service agent or something

Kyle: Yeah, it’s bound to be barrels of fun

Cordelia: Well Mr. Personality, it’s not like you have to walk around with a bitter and sarcastic partner all day

Sheriff: Meet back here at eight so that we can change shifts

Alex: Here are the head sets, just don’t put them on unless it’s an emergency, otherwise the normal citizens of Roswell are going to ask questions

Oz: Point taken

Buffy and Maria were standing outside, trying to come up with something to occupy them before they went on patrol

Buffy: Care to spar for a while? I’d be interested in seeing your fighting techniques.

Maria: Sure. We can go the gym, I work there so I should be able to organize a private work out area for us

Giles: Buffy, I couldn’t help over hearing, would you mind if I came too?

Buffy: ‘Kay, lets go now I want to release some of this pent up energy

Maria: I’ll just let everyone know where we are going.

Kyle and Cordelia were driving around Roswell in his Mustang, looking for anyone suspicious. *And just what the hell does suspicious look like anyway* he questioned himself.

Cordelia: Could you like stop swearing, you’re giving me a headache

Kyle looked over at Cordelia, taking in her perfectly done long brown hair to her elegant shoes.

Kyle: You seem normal enough, how did you get involved with these people?

Cordelia: Trust me I avoided them as much as possible at first, I mean can you spell misfits and freaks? Anyhow it got to the point where I could no longer deny what was going on in Sunnydale and the next thing you know I was helping them out. Now I work for Angel in L.A. he’s a private investigator, but that’s only temporarily until my acting career takes off. Wesley, that’s Angels other employee, is watching things in L.A. until we get back.

Kyle: So Angel…he’s a vampire right?

Cordelia: Yeah, he’s like a good vampire, except for that time when he experienced true happiness after..well anyway he went all bad and killed Miss Calendar and tortured Giles… Hey watch it!

Kyle swerved to keep from hitting a pedestrian.

Cordelia: Where did you buy your license buddy? I can’t afford to get into an accident, scars and superstardom don’t go well together…geez!

Kyle: I thought you said he had a soul?

Cordelia: You don’t have to shout, do I look like I’m deaf, not that you can look deaf..or can you? And anyway he does have a soul he just lost it after him and Buffy got all hot and sweaty together, it’s his curse, he can’t be happy.

Kyle: Right! So help me out with my vampire trivia…how exactly do you kill them?

Maria grabbed her towel and dabbed the sweat off her forehead.

Maria: You are so incredibly fast and strong, I’ve been training since a kid and even I was no match for you.

Buffy: Yeah, it’s one of the perks that come with the job

Giles: I..er..Maria, I don’t want to interfere, I mean I obviously don’t know enough about your…um…powers, but have you ever thought of using your powers to increase your strength and agility?

Maria: Yeah, Okay, I can do that

Buffy: Lets do some more sparing and see how you handle

15 minutes later Buffy was shocked to find herself flat on her back with a triumphant Maria hovering over her and offering her a hand up.

Buffy: Your powers are amazing, I mean talk about job perks. I’d give my eye teeth for a smitten of that power. What else can you do?

Maria: Not sure really. We don’t know how much we’re capable of, but Cade has led us to believe that we’re a lot more powerful than we realize, so much in fact we’d probably never even reach our full potential.

Buffy: I guess I’ve just been kinda humbled. I never embraced my slayer heritage, in fact I fought it as much as possible, but living that life…I kept getting told how important I was and that I was the chosen one, yada yada yada, you get the idea, and before you realize it, you’ve put yourself on this pedestal. So anyway I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m glad I’ve met you guy’s, ‘cos not only is the responsibility of this planet shared by you guy’s, but I now realize that I’m not as indispensable as I once thought

Buffy caught the shocked look on Giles’s face.

Giles: Sorry Buffy…I…that was incredibly deep and…

Buffy blushed.

Buffy: Yeah well, don’t get used to it