Buffy and I may have been able to take down the Uber Vamp in front of the Potentials thanks to help and collaboration from Willow and Xander, and we found Spike and I brought him home, but things were far from okay.

We were at war with the First Evil, and everything that it had its hands on. Bringers, Uber Vamps, demons, God knew what else. And we never knew when or who it could be, aside from the fact it could only appear as someone dead.

And the Slayer line, all of these Potentials, were dying for one reason.

When Giles and Anya went to get answers from Beljoxa's Eye, he said that the opportunity came recently to wipe out the Slayer line. That the mystical forces surrounding the chosen line had become "irrevocably altered, become unstable, vulnerable. The First Evil did not cause the disruption, only seized upon it to extinguish the lives of the chosen forever."

And when they asked what caused the disruption, what was responsible for letting this happen, the Eye said I was.

How, do you ask? Because I sure as hell did when they told the rest of us.

Because I was sure I didn't do anything to cause this, yet this creature seemed to think that it was all my responsibility.

Giles explained that all this was happening because I was brought back to life... After I jumped into the portal and died to save everyone including my mother and sister and didn't realize that my friends would bring me back to life.

Buffy, Willow, Xander, Tara and Anya had made that decision to bring me back. Even when Giles and Spike both knew it was dangerous and stupid so they weren't told. And neither were Dawn or our mother. Because they decided to play with magics they didn't understand, they destroyed the stability of the Slayer line. Which was why the First was here, why these girls were dying, excluding the Slayer that was activated after my death, apparently, according to the Eye. The First had taken the Slayer activated after me and kept her hostage now, alive, so that her death would not awaken the next Slayer. Keeping her alive but tortured in a place that we would never find. The Seers and witches aligned with the Council had already tried and always failed, so we knew that Willow would too, until we found something that could help.

We all doubted we would, but we hoped we would be able to save her. We just had no idea where she could be. Likely far away from here so we couldn't save her.

My friends didn't know they would start all this. They knew it was dangerous and reckless, but they were trying to get their friend back. They thought they were saving me from a hell dimension, not tearing me out of heaven.

I knew logically none of this was my fault. But that wasn't how the others were treating it, even my friends. And it wasn't how I felt.

I may have had a tendency for the need to be punished for whatever screwed up reason... But part of me really did think this was my fault.

I got ripped away from peace and thrown back into the fire, a second chance at life with my family and friends, even with Spike... And the world was suffering because of it.

Anya had said it best herself. Maybe the world would have been better off if I had just stayed dead. I knew that was what everyone was thinking. Maybe not Dawn or my mother, and definitely not Spike... But the Potentials definitely felt that way. They looked at me like I was to blame for why they were in danger of being hunted down and killed.

And even my friends. They looked like they regretted their decision to bring me back. Even if they felt bad before when they learned I was in heaven, they didn't regret bringing me back or anything since then. But now, with all our lives on the line because of what they did... Even if they didn't hold resentment in their eyes like the Potentials did, the regret and shame was there. And the blame, but it was them blaming themselves for my resurrection. And I was just a walking, talking reminder of everything they did wrong.

So even if they didn't want to blame me like the girls were doing, I still got it anyway.

So what the hell were we supposed to do?

~~~~~~~

As much as the Potentials didn't want to be split between two houses, so many girls were coming that we didn't have much of a choice.

After Dawn had talked to Mom, Mom had agreed to house some of the girls in our home. Spike was recovering in the basement.

Immediately, when we could, training kicked into gear.

Training hadn't really started at Buffy's house which was partly why most of the girls were so scared. So to try and get them to be less afraid and more ready to defend themselves, as soon as I could, I started training the girls as much as I could. Spike helped when he got better enough.

The girls that stayed at the Summers house (including the mostly-trained already Kennedy who was clearly beginning to have a thing with Willow despite her reservations after Tara's death) trained the same way that Buffy and I both trained, since Buffy and Giles were training those girls just like they trained me and Faith.

The girls staying in the Francis house were training harder, because these were the girls that were with zero training beforehand. Vi, Rona, Molly, Chloe and the like. The timid, weaker ones, but they were determined to become strong.

And that was what I was teaching them. To become strong, warriors, so that their fear couldn't overtake them anymore. Not in the way it took over Annabelle when she ran for her life and was killed for it by the Uber Vamp. But if any of them felt the need to run, I just didn't want them to die doing so.

Even Dawn was training with the girls a lot. I didn't want her to be a casualty in the war, and as much as I wanted Dawn and Mom out of town, they wouldn't leave me, even if them staying put a target on their backs. Mom was still always working at the hospital, but she was there for us when we needed her to be, especially if one of us was injured. Buffy and I were only so okay after the first solo attempts to fight the Uber Vamp because of Mom treating us, that and Slayer healing.

And once she realized the danger, she was around more when she had the choice to be. Especially with the fear of what could happen to me and Dawn. Dawn was still becoming a little mini Watcher on top of it, helping with research and languages, and Mom started to help with that too. Giles stepped in to help when he wasn't helping Buffy train the girls at the Summers house.

We were far from war-ready... But we were gearing up, no matter how much we wished this wasn't happening at all.

While Buffy and Giles' form of training was familiar and more traditional, with a lot of at-home sparring before anything serious, Spike and I were more hands-on with the girls at my house. Learning by doing in real time, like how I trained Dawn with the vampire in the cemetery the night before her first day of school. Sometimes we switched the girls up so that they would all get the best of both training methods.

Like now, this was a training method setting up to something bigger. Because while there was no real danger this time, this was like training wheels to the real thing.

In the cemetery at night, Rona and Vi were walking through the cemetery nervously, holding stakes, being as quiet as they could be.

Something behind them stepped on a branch and made a cracking sound, and the girls turned to look.

It was Spike, in vampire visage. He punched Rona to the ground. Vi tried to stake him, but Spike caught her hand and grabbed her, and twisted her arm behind her back. He put his arm around her throat, growling and going to bite her neck. Vi screamed.

Spike stopped before biting her, looking up, and let his vamp face fade away.

Vi squeaked with fright.

Still holding her, Spike looked up. "Okay, these two are dead. Why?"

Rona stood, dusting herself off, giving a nasty look to Spike. "'Cause the black chick always gets it first?"

"Ow!" Vi complained.

I walked closer, arms crossed. "What was that, Rona?"

Rona sighed. "I'm dead because he's a vampire. I don't have Slayer strength, Slayer speed. I-it wasn't a fair fight."

Spike was still holding his arm to Vi's neck. "Vi, do you think I care about a fair fight?"

Vi answered tentatively. " No, no sir. You don't play by the rules, and I have learned a valuable lesson of some sort." Spike twisted her arm behind her back. "Ow!"

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Okay, Spike." Spike let Vi go; she walked up to Molly and Kennedy who were standing near me. I looked at Rona. "You're right. You don't have Slayer strength. But that doesn't mean that you're not strong. You have inherent abilities that others do not have."

Molly was taking notes on a pad. "Not like you do."

"No, not yet," I agreed. "But it's there. When I was just a Potential, with enough training, I could fight almost as well as Buffy and Faith, even without their speed and strength. It wasn't close in terms of power, but I still had the ability to use what creatures of the night tried to use against me, to use on them, in order to take them down."

"Yeah, but weren't you technically a ninja because of a spell on top of that?" Kennedy asked. "That's what Willow and Xander say, at least."

Spike looked at me, as I glanced at him, both of us flashing back to that Halloween that turned everyone into their costumes... While he had been trying to kill us, but...

"An assassin," I corrected, somewhat sheepish. Spike smirked. I shrugged. "But what is an assassin really besides someone with a lot of training? And it doesn't take long to learn because your mind and body remember it for you. That's how I was able to keep that fighting skill even after the spell broke. It's how Xander was able to keep his memories and knowledge of the military, too. But the point I'm making is, all of you can be trained enough, quickly enough, to do more than what you think you can. You'll surprise yourselves, just like I did. You have the potential. You have strength, speed, instinct. You just have to learn to trust yourself." I didn't miss the amused look on Spike's face as he watched me mentor the girls, narrowing my eyes slightly before going on. "Rona, what did your instincts tell you to do just then?"

Rona shrugged half-heartedly. "Block his attack, keep him off balance, gain the advantage...?"

I gave her a knowing look. "No, they didn't."

Rona sighed before answering honestly. "They told me to run."

I nodded, pacing, crossing my arms. "Vi?"

Vi was rubbing her
to the girls. "They told me to run. They're kinda still telling me to run."

I nodded. "Don't fight on his terms. Your gut's telling them to run, run. Okay? Regain the higher ground. Make the fight your own. Spike, what did your instincts tell you to do just then?"

"Hunt," Spike answered. "Kill."

I walked out in front of the girls. "Come at me." Spike raised his eyebrows and smiled a little. "Full speed." I looked to the Slayers-in-training. "He needs to kill to live. That tells you everything you need to know."

Spike growled and lunged at me. I ducked, making him flip over me and crash face-first into a headstone, before he fell to the ground on his back. Immediately, I flipped closer, and when I landed, I was straddling him, holding one hand to his throat and pointing a stake above his heart with the other.

I looked up at the Potentials. "Instinct. Understand his, but trust yours. You were chosen for a reason." When Spike groaned softly in pain, I looked down at him as I let go of his throat. "Are you okay?"

Spike tried to sit up. "I'm... fine. Couple of ribs ain't quite set right since..." Seeing the concern on my face, he shook his head, playing it off. "I'm fine."

Temporarily forgetting that we weren't alone, I lifted up his shirt a little to inspect his ribs. "Let me see."

Spike reached down with his hand. "No, it's just--"

I looked up at him, concerned, voice softer, nearly a whisper as my hand grazed his skin. "Spike."

Spike took my hand, holding it, his eyes meeting mine with sincerity. "I'm gonna be okay."

For a moment, it was just us, face to face while I straddled his hips and his hand held mine.

Until the voices of the Potentials snapped us out of it.

"That's hot," Rona said.

Molly was still taking notes. "So, we're supposed to, like, make out with them or something?"

I pursed my lips, looking away, slightly blushing, which caused Spike to smirk slightly.

Vi was still rubbing her wrist and holding a stake. "Careful, Zoey. Just when you think it's part of the lesson, he'll..." She gestured to her hurt wrist. "Hurt your arm."

Quickly standing, I offered my hand to Spike, which he took as I helped him stand, in a hurry to get back on track. "Molly, Kennedy, let's go. You're up. Next lesson."

~~~~~~~

While Buffy was at work as a guidance counselor at the high school, usually her girls came over to my house to continue training with the girls at my house. I was training them alone at that, since Giles had to leave to bring back another girl from Shanghai.

Funny how I saw these girls more than my own friends and Watcher lately. I knew that Buffy had work and she was training the girls too, and Giles was constantly coming and going to bring back more and training them as well at her house, but ever since Giles and Anya had found out why all this was happening, I had barely seen them, and had hardly caught a glimpse of Willow, Xander and Anya who were all staying at Buffy's house too.

Buffy and Giles mostly used the phone to tell me what was going on and when they were sending their girls to train with me while they were working or gone.

I knew being and feeling alone was a Slayer thing. Sometimes it was self-induced, like after I came back. And other times, it was because of this. But this couldn't go on for long. Not if we were all going to make it out alive.

Outside my house, I had gathered the girls to begin training, carrying a battle-axe, pacing back and forth, given that the girls were chatting instead of training.

I knew they were talking about the different methods that Giles/Buffy and Spike/me used and which ones they actually liked better while at the two houses, but it was cutting into time that we didn't have.

I didn't want to be the hard ass, the one pushing them to the extremes. But these girls were in danger of dying because I was brought back to life. And every death so far, even if it wasn't my choice to come back, was on my conscience. And I didn't want anymore of them to die, but it was unrealistic to think that they would all survive, and I wouldn't lie to them and say that they would.

Buffy and I both agreed on that, that we wouldn't lie to them.

Dawn and Mom walked outside, as Dawn was ready for school and Mom was ready for work.

Needing to get the chatter to stop, I stopped pacing, hurling the battle-axe at the bull's eye target that was hung between two trees on the property. The axe point landed in the center, a perfect bull's-eye.

Everyone stopped talking and looked at me, a little frightened.
I stared each one down. "You're all gonna die. But you knew that already." I sighed, pacing in front of them. "'Cause that's the cool reward for being human. Big dessert at the end of the meal. Don't kid yourselves, you guys. This whole thing is all about death." Now, I stood still. "You think you're different 'cause you might be the next Slayer? Death is what a Slayer breathes, what a Slayer dreams about when she sleeps. Death is what a Slayer lives. My death or Buffy's death could make you the next Slayer." I walked over to retrieve the axe from the target, noting that all the girls were watching intently. "Oh, goody. Rapt attention. I love that so much." I pulled out the axe. "Now, where was I? Ah." Walking over to a table, I set down the axe, walking back to the front. "If we go with what Anya's resources are telling us, then The First is in remission for a while, which we think means advantage us."

"Well, what does that mean?" Rona asked. "About The First?"

I crossed her arms. "As best we can tell, he--or precisely it--was putting a lot of stock in that Uber Vamp thing, the Chaka Khan."

"Turok-Han," Dawn corrected innocently, clearly wanting to do anything to help and be useful.
I gestured to Dawn, nodding in appreciation. "Turok-Han. Thank you. Told you I was never gonna remember that." Dawn smiled. Mom chuckled. The Potentials seemed to relax a bit at how less tense it was now. I paced again. "So when Buffy and I kicked its ass, the whole Firsty circus decided to back off for a while. Good news? Means we probably don't have to worry about it pulling Spike's strings for a while." I stood still. "Here's the half-empty. Time away means time to regroup. And part of that regrouping is coming back stronger than ever. The odds are against us. Time is against us. And some of us will die in this battle. Decide now that it's not going to be you." I walked closer to the girls. "I know you're all tired, far away from home, anxious. But you're all special. Most people in this world have no idea why they're here or what they want to do." Dawn glanced down. "You do. You have a mission, a reason for being here. You're not here by chance. You're here because you are the Chosen Ones. Now let's get to work." The girls all nodded, taking this seriously again. "Kennedy, you wanna warm them up?"

Kennedy stepped forward instantly. "Don't have to tell me twice."

Kennedy turned to order the girls, acting like a military general.
I walked toward Dawn and Mom.

Mom tilted her head. "Not bad. Seeing the girls and how they're trying to get better makes me more at ease with the fact that we're sharing our home with them. They're scared girls who shouldn't have to go through any of this. Just like you, Buffy and Faith didn't deserve this, Zoey. But I'm glad that you're doing what it takes to help them. Trying to take their fear and turn it into strength."

"Well, these girls are on death's door because I got a second chance at life," I admitted. "I don't want anymore of them to die than what we can handle. Because I can't handle another death because of me."

Dawn gave me a look. "It's not your fault. Okay, I don't care how those girls or how the other Scoobies are acting. You didn't make the choice to come back. And you were ripped from Heaven and you went through Hell after Willow, Buffy and the others brought you back. That's on them, not on you."

"Dawn's right," Mom agreed gently, a soothing tone in her voice, as she hated seeing the pain all of this was causing... Not just to me but everyone.

I gave them a small, tense smile. "Thank you. Not sure if everyone else agrees with you, but..."

"Screw them," Dawn replied. "I don't like how the other Scoobies are acting when they know what they did caused this so they shouldn't take it out on you."

"They regret bringing me back to life now," I said softly, looking down.

"We don't," Mom told me.

"If I stayed dead, then none of this would be happening," I pointed out.

"Maybe," Mom stated. "Or maybe The First would find another way to destroy the Slayer line and kill all of these girls. It doesn't matter who's fault it is or why this is happening, because it is and we can't stop that now. Nothing we can do now can change it. But what you're doing here... You're protecting them, training them, teaching them to save themselves. You saved so many lives, Zoey. And you're still saving lives. That's what matters. So I want you to stop thinking about that and focus on that. Because that's what is going to keep you, Dawn and the rest of these girls and your friends safe. Even if not everyone makes it out, you're doing your best, just like everyone else is, and that is all they can ask of you or themselves."

I took the words seriously to heart, nodding in gratitude. "Thanks, Mom."

It was reassurance, something I needed to hear, but it was the truth in every way. It wasn't sugar-coated. Mom was right. Whether or not I was brought back, all of this could have still happened, and I wouldn't have been there to do anything about it. But now I was, and I was going to try to do everything  I could.

It was all any of us could do.

Dawn gave me a slight smile. "Do you want me to stay? I can help train while Mom is at work, and..."

Mom tilted her head, half-hearted. "Uh, and what about school?"

"She said in her half-hearted Mom voice because she knows I'm safer here than at that literal hellhole," Dawn pointed out.

I smirked. "She's got you there, Mom."

Mom shook her head, sighing. "True." She pointed at me. "I still have to talk to you about starting to train her before all this started happening."

Dawn and I exchanged a busted look, sheepish and innocent smiles in place.

I shrugged. "Whatever keeps Dawn safe, right? Plus, she surprises me with what she can do just by watching me. She's picking other things up fast too. She'll surprise you too, Mom."

Dawn looked relieved to hear the words, smiling brightly in appreciation. "Really?" I nodded. Dawn grinned. "Thanks, Zo."

"Don't thank me," I told her. "You're doing this on your own terms which is all I wanted when you asked me to train you."

Dawn looked at Mom, tilting her head, pleading the case to help get us out of 'trouble'. "And it's a good thing I did, and Zoey started training me, otherwise things would be a lot worse off right now for me."

Mom sighed, as she knew that was true. She wasn't mad, she was concerned and worried, which was why we didn't want to tell her at first. But with all of this going on, she knew just as much as we did it was for the best to make sure that Dawn could protect herself.

"I just want both of you to be safe," Mom admitted. "After everything with Glory... The portal..."

Dawn and I both looked down, all of us haunted by the memories of Glory taking Mom's sanity and leaving us to take care of a shell of who our mother used to be, before Dawn was taken and almost killed, and my sacrifice to save her and everyone else... All three of us had been put through hell, and we all knew that it could happen again with this war brewing. And we didn't know if we could survive it together as a family this time.

Mom let out a breath. "Just... Promise me that you two are gonna be okay. No matter what you both do to help your friends and all these girls who need your help and guidance. And everyone else."

Dawn and I spoke softly together. "We promise."

Mom had tears in her eyes that she fought back, pulling herself together as she pulled the two of us into her arms. "I love you."

"We love you, too, Mom," Dawn said.

"Go," I told her softly. "Hellmouth war or not, we definitely need to be able to keep the roof over all our heads."

We all pulled away.

Mom chuckled, wiping her cheeks. "Yes, which is the only reason why I go to work every day and night even while all this is going on with my daughters. But they're cutting my hours along with several other doctors, so I'll be home more often. So whenever you need me, if something happens..."

"We'll call you," Dawn assured.

Mom nodded. "Okay."

Dawn was rethinking things. "And maybe I will go to school. I can help people there too, like my friends and Cassie."

"That's a good point," I agreed. "And when you get home, you can pick up with the rest of us if you want. You're already ahead of most of them in terms of training anyway."

Dawn nodded in agreement. "Okay. So Mom's helping at the hospital. I'm helping at school. And Zoey's helping save the world... Again."

Mom smirked slightly. "Seems to run in the family."

I gave them a slight smile. "Go. We got this. And so do you."

Mom and Dawn gave me a hug while leaving, and I watched them go, smiling a bit before going back out toward the Potentials to continue their training after Kennedy finished warming them up.

~~~~~~~

After school, Dawn had come home to train with the girls for a few hours longer before I took Buffy's girls back to her house.

I didn't have to "walk them home" as they made clear, most of them still uncomfortable around me, for reasons I understood and didn't blame them for, but it didn't make it any easier.

But I did, so that when Buffy came home, I could finally talk to her, Willow and Xander face to face.

Dawn came with me, wanting to be support, and because she was apart of the gang either way.

When Dawn, the girls and I got there, Xander, Anya, Buffy and Willow were having a yelling contest apparently with Andrew right next to them. I had no idea what it was about, but with everyone tense because of what was going on, what we learned, and just everyone crammed into two houses, it could have been anything.

Especially if Andrew was the cause of it, which he appeared to be, as Anya was yelling at him about something he did he wasn't supposed to, from what I could pick up in the heated argument with everyone yelling over each other. Something about him leaving the toilet seat up and leaving his things in her space and touching her things.

Jesus.

Andrew finally yelled louder than they did. "Why do we always have to yell?"

I crossed my arms, leaning on the doorframe, looking at Buffy in bemusement. "Home for a couple hours and already in a screaming match."

Buffy, Willow, Anya, Xander and Andrew startled as they looked at me, Dawn and the girls.

Dawn waved awkwardly. "Hi."

Buffy, Willow, Anya and Xander couldn't hide their awkward intensity as they glanced at me before looking away.

Buffy hid it better than they did, though her strained voice betrayed her feigned perky facade. "Hey, everybody, look, it's Zoey. Perhaps with a blunt weapon of some sort."

I shook my head. "Sorry, left the axe at home."

Xander raised his eyebrows. "Axe?"

Willow sighed, looking to Buffy as the leader, as everyone always did. "Buffy, we just got news. That's what I was trying to tell you guys."

"Then let's go," Anya stated, glaring at Andrew. "Before I ask Zoey to bring me that axe."

Xander placed his hands on Anya's shoulders as he led her away with an awkward laugh. "Okay, we're going."

Buffy and Willow followed Xander and Anya. Worth noting that the four of them could barely glance at me as they headed into the dining room.

Dawn stared after them with a disgusted look before following.

Andrew's eyes were wide as he looked at me. "You won't really bring her the axe, right?" I narrowed my eyes at him before turning around and walking into the dining room. "Zoey?"

Ignoring him, I joined the other Scoobies in the dining room, sitting around the table.

Andrew of course followed me in like the annoying puppy dog he was, standing behind me and Dawn as he leaned on the door jamb.

Buffy was talking to Willow about the lead, the beginning of which I didn't hear as I was the last one to walk in. "And she's sure?"

Willow nodded. "Positive. Althenea said the seers located another potential Slayer here in Sunnydale. Someone that already lives here."

Buffy sighed. " Oh, God..."

Anya frowned. "All these girls flocking to town, and this one's already here and under our noses?"

Xander perked up. "Wait, the seers couldn't find out her name or, like, her address or anything? Am I getting the definition of seer wrong?"

I glanced at Buffy. "I was gonna take the girls out tonight, a little show and tell, but maybe now I shouldn't."

Andrew pouted. "They were so excited. You're gonna break their little hearts."

"Why are you even in here?" I asked.

Andrew tilted his head back in complaint like a child.

Dawn gave him a weird look, shaking her head.

Buffy looked at me, though still withheld eye contact. "You're right. This town is lousy with Bringers. I don't want to risk that they find this new girl first. I was gonna train the other girls that you don't take with you, but now with this..."

Willow shook her head. "No. Zoey, you should go. I can do a spell to find her tonight. I just have to get together a few ingredients. But you two shouldn't skip your training, it's too important."

I looked at Willow in concern, knowing how worried she was about using magic still. "You think you can handle it?"

Willow looked touched that I was worried about how she felt despite the tension the last few days, nodding.

Xander nodded. "No problemo."

Anya also nodded to let us know it was fine.

Dawn looked at Buffy and me. "Yeah, and you guys have more important things to do."

I looked at Dawn. "Okay, I'll take 'em. You wanna come with?"

Dawn chuckled a bit, looking awkward while still a bit touched I asked, looking upbeat despite a slight strain. "And interrupt Chosen One time? I'll be okay. I can help them look for the Potential. She's gotta be my age, right? I'll have better luck talking to her and explaining everything than these guys will, especially if I know her already."

"She's right," Willow agreed. "It would be easier to have someone the girl's age to talk to through all this."

I frowned slightly, noting Dawn's slight strain and knowing we needed to talk about that later,  but content that she wanted to help anyway she could. "Okay." Hell, everyone in this room needed to talk, but no one had time for that right now. I sighed. "Can you let the girls know we're good to go?"

Dawn nodded, turning around to walk out of the room into the kitchen where Kennedy, Molly, Rona and Vi were.

Andrew did a cheer, pumping his fist. "Yes!"

I gave him a weird look. "Andrew, you're not going."

Andrew grunted softly as his expression deflated into a pout.

Buffy stood, looking at me. "All right, which ones are you taking?"

"Molly, Kennedy, Rona and Vi volunteered," I answered. "They said they liked my training from last night so they wanted to come with again."

Buffy frowned slightly, nodding; she hadn't learned the girls' names as well as I had already. "All right. I'll train the others then. We might actually get somewhere with splitting them up and double timing this."

"Well, they're warmed up and ready for you," I stated. "After all this, we need to talk."

Buffy, Xander, Willow and Anya shared an awkward look.

"We will," Willow said softly.

I didn't think that we would.

I didn't think that any of us really wanted to.

It was too hard of a conversation that all of us wanted to avoid.

~~~~~~~

I walked into the kitchen to see Molly, Kennedy, Rona and Vi at the counter while Dawn stood across from them, having told them we were good to go like I asked.

Of course, Andrew was following me, whining. "I'm not begging."

"That is the literal definition of what you are doing right now," I replied, walking toward the weapons set up on the counter. "You're like a small dog dancing for Snausages."

Andrew followed every step. "You don't want me coming along 'cause you think I'm evil."

I shoved Andrew back slightly, not enough to hurt, but enough to get him to back off and take the hint.
He didn't step into my space after that.

Vi eyed Andrew critically. "He doesn't seem evil, exactly."

I crossed my arms. "He's not evil, but when he gets close to it, he picks up its flavor like a mushroom or something."

Andrew kept a careful distance now, wisely. "But I'm reformed. I'm like Vegeta on Dragonball Z. I used to be a pure Sayan, and now I fight for the side of Goku."

I shook my head. "Still not coming."

Andrew whined again. "It's not fair. Spike just killed people, and he gets to go."

"Spike didn't have free will and you did," I replied.

Andrew sighed. "I hate my free will."

Spike walked into the kitchen. "This is where you're all hiding. You ready to go, or what?"

"Hey, Spike," Molly and Vi greeted, while Kennedy and Rona eyed him warily.

I nodded to the weapons on the counter. "Let's go, girls. Grab your weapons." I turned to Dawn. "Be careful, okay?"

Dawn nodded in agreement. "You, too. Don't worry. We'll find the new girl and make sure she's safe."

"I want that too, but I want to make sure my sister is safe more," I stated.

"Don't worry," Dawn said. "I got this."

I nodded a bit with a small smile. "I know you do. Mom should be home soon. Just... Let her know if you need anything. My phone broke, so..."

"Call Mom until you get a new one," Dawn finished. "Got it."

With a rub of Dawn's arm, I walked away toward Spike, as he nodded to Dawn, which she returned before the two of us left the kitchen.

Rona, Vi, Kennedy and Molly each grabbed a weapon and followed me and Spike out of the house.

~~~~~~~

Later that night, Spike and I led the four Potentials into a demon bar.

The place was dimly lit, filled with disgusting-looking patrons that could never be mistaken for humans.

As we walked in, some of the patrons turned to look at us as the young girls gawked at what they saw.

Rona laughed. "This is a bar."

Kennedy grinned widely. "Best damn field trip I ever took."

Molly looked around. "Look, they're all--"

"They're demons!" Vi finished incredulously. "It's a demon bar. It's like a gay bar, only with demons."

One of the patrons at the bar stood to greet Spike. In appearance, this demon was reminiscent of a walrus with smaller teeth and long droopy warts dangling from its face. "Spike! Long time. Nice of you to bring snacks."

"Touch them, and lose your privates," Spike warned.

I raised my eyebrows with a cross of my arms over my chest.

The demon sized Spike and me up for a second before walking away. Knowing it was better than to try either of us.

Vi whispered to us. "I didn't like him."

"Nice job of blending in, girls," Spike remarked dryly, sarcastic.

Rona raised an eyebrow in response. "We're a bunch of 15 year olds in a demon bar. How much blending did you think we were gonna do?"

I turned to the girls. "Look, it's okay. Usually you come to a place like this, you wanna be seen. You wanna scare someone, or make contact..."

Molly looked eager. "Or have a strong drink?"

I was somewhat amused. "Not usually that."

"You don't drink?" Kennedy asked.

"Sure I do," I answered. "Just not now. Rarely on the job."

"Aside from one time," Spike said, smirking at the memory of me getting drunk and starting a bar fight in this very bar with him when he was playing kitten poker.

The said kittens I rescued from a bunch of demons and took home to Dawn so that she, Willow and Tara could find homes for.

I gave Spike a sarcastic look for the callback, unable to help a smirk myself. "Nothing from here, though."

"Huh," Kennedy said.

The girls were clearly noting the differences between me and Buffy and the way we trained and taught. While Buffy was matter-of-fact and a bit of a know-it-all, superior in the way she taught and carried herself, self-righteous with saying how wrong things were (even if it was things she did without others really knowing), I was straight forward, no lies or half-truths, letting the girls learn from how I did, the mistakes I made, tried to help them find their own way to learn and pick things up. I knew how annoying Giles and Buffy's way could be when they had a set way of thinking on how the "right" way was done and tried to drill it in to be perfect. It worked in a lot of ways but in others, it didn't.

Which was why I thought a more flexible, hands on, learn-in-the-moment could work for these girls who seemed to like it, which was why they kept coming back. If it was working for them, that was all that mattered.

Vi glanced around. "Do they card?"

I smirked. "Nope, go ahead." The girls walked up to the bar. "Down all the yak urine shots or pigs blood spritzers you like."

I looked at Spike with a small grin, and Spike smirked in amusement.

The girls all backed away in disgust when they saw that was exactly what was on the bar.

"Gross," Vi said.

Spike nodded. "Got that right. Prices they charge, you could get human blood straight from the body." Molly stared at him. "Vampire..."

I sighed. "Look, if I come here, it's 'cause I gotta wring some information out of something large, scary, drunk, with a room full of friends who don't care much for the Slayer. Remember that. Not a being in here wouldn't be glad to rip your throat out."

Clem walked up to us. "Zoey? Girl, how ya been?"

I was surprised but happy to see the one exception to the rule. "Clem!" I got a good look at him. "You look great, so toned."

We hugged.

Kennedy spoke to Rona in a voice she thought I wouldn't hear. "He's ripping out her throat right now."

We pulled away.

Clem smiled. "Oh, my God! It is so good to see you! I saw this great show on the History Channel the other night that I knew Layla would love, and then something went all flooey with my TiVo."

"Layla?" Vi repeated.

"My mom," I answered.

Rona raised her eyebrows. "This demon knows your mom?"

"Knows her?" Clem repeated, laughing. "Actually spent some time protecting Layla and Dawn."

"This is one of the rare exceptions," I explained. Spike nodded slightly. Getting an idea, I turned to Clem. "You know what? Can I talk to you for a second over here?"

Clem and I stepped away from the group, so I could whisper in his ear.

Kennedy once again cracked a remark she thought I wouldn't hear. "You think she dated him too?"

Spike shot Kennedy a look.

I knew Kennedy and Rona didn't like me the most, but they agreed with the style of teaching which was why they came back. I didn't care if they didn't like me or if they blamed me and hated me for what was happening now. If I could teach them enough to keep them alive, that was all that mattered.

Clem and I rejoined the group.
I sighed. "Okay, everyone. These are the girls."

Clem smiled. "Howdy. So, you girls are gonna deal with demons, huh? Just lemme tell you this."

Clem leaned in as if to whisper something to them, and the girls crowded around, following suit and leaning in. Then Clem did his thing with his face that made the girls scream and jump back with fright. His ears spun and snakes jumped out of his face.

Vi was pale. "I could use a shot of that yak urine right about now."

~~~~~~~

Holding up a flashlight and looking around, Spike and I led the Slayers-in-training inside a crypt.

I looked around. "A vampire is an animal. Sometimes they run in packs, sometimes alone. Who can tell us where we are?"

"It's a nest," Rona answered.

I handed the flashlight to Spike. "How can you tell?"

"Only a vamp could live like this," Kennedy said.

Spike shrugged in acknowledgement. "Some, yeah. As a group, we're not known for our tasteful decor, but in all fairness to the race..." He looked around. "This place is seriously lacking in style."

I gave him a bemused look. "Thank you, Spike."

Spike shrugged. "I'm merely saying..."

I looked at the girls. "He has a point. Vampires can live anywhere. Any way they want. Taste, fashions, living conditions. They can vary. The animal inside, always the same." I glanced at Spike. "Rare that changes."

Spike looked at me, tilting his head in acknowledgement.

Neither of us had delusions. Spike fought to change, fought for his soul, and he had his chip, but as The First proved, it could still use his animalistic nature and instinct as a vampire against him, against all of us. No matter how much we both wanted to end that and the torment it put him through.

Molly looked at Spike. "Where'd you live?"

"What, you mean before?" Spike asked. Molly nodded. "A crypt actually, but nicer. A bit more... I don't know if posh is the right word, but it was more like--"

I spoke without thinking, the first thing off the top of my head. "Comfy."

Kennedy looked incredulous. "Excuse me? When did you find it comfy?"

All the girls were looking at me.

Spike looked at me expectantly, wondering what I could say to that after I walked into this, somewhat amused.

I was speechless for a moment, having no idea what to say, so I just went on. "Moving on." Spike smirked. The girls tried not to laugh. "You want to stay alive, you have to spot and identify a nest on site. Look around, all of you. Look for signs that just last night maybe a dozen, two dozen vampires were right where we're standing. Go ahead."

The girls reluctantly broke up and started looking around the crypt.

Spike walked toward me. "Work, work, work. This little excursion was just in danger of being interesting."

"I have to make sure they're ready, Spike," I told him in a lowered voice. "I can't let them get hurt or worse because of..."

Spike shook his head. "All this? Not your choice, not your fault, love. Take that up with your little gang that seemed to turn away as soon as they realized what their need to bring you back did."

"You were against it at first," I reminded him.

"Because I didn't know if it would be you," Spike replied. "And it very nearly wasn't. But you came back from that. All this, yes, bad. And I get what you're trying to do to protect them. And you think we'd be better off if you were still dead. I understand why. But I don't regret a moment we had since you've been back. Do you?"

I looked at Spike for a moment, but we both knew the answer, so I didn't  have to say it. It was obvious I didn't regret it at all even after all the drama it brought with my friends.

I sighed heavily, looking away. "What I regret is everybody hurting and dying all around me because I'm standing here when I shouldn't be. Including you."

Spike knew that I blamed myself for what The First was doing to him, too, but he wouldn't have it. "Fair enough, for the most part. But you don't get to take the blame for what happened to me, Zoey. Hell, rather than making with the self-hate and blame, use your head, like everybody else should be doing. You can't control what your friends do anymore than what The First and its army do. So tell me how it makes any bloody sense about these girls and your friends and the way they act like you're the one responsible when really, it's your band of misfits."

I didn't have an answer to that, sighing. "It doesn't matter. Just drop it. We're all stressed. Just have to get through it."

I didn't want to have this conversation near the girls, but clearly Spike did to prove a point.

It was clearly working, because Vi, Molly, Kennedy and Rona all had guilty looks, where they were gathered around across the crypt, inspecting the floor.

Rona finally spoke up. "Zoey, I think we found something."

Molly stared with her mouth open, then. "It's a body."

I walked over, kneeling to take a look, pulling on its shoulder, then letting it go. "It's not a body. It's leftovers."

The body started to move, then growled as it looked back over its shoulder at me. It was a vampire now.

~~~~~~~

Stake in hand, I was having a face-off with the vampire while the girls watched from behind me. "No one's safe. Not here, not ever. See this guy?"

Kennedy looked shaken. "B-but he was dead a minute ago."

"That was a minute ago," I replied. " Now..."

I punched the vampire in the face.

The vampire complained angrily. "Hey!"

"He's the enemy," I finished.

The vampire lunged at me from across the room.

~~~~~~~

The vampire rolled across the floor.

I walked slowly after him, still with stake in hand, talking to the girls. "You can't think too much. Reacting's better. Could be the difference between staying alive and that other thing."

I punched the vampire and dropped the stake on the floor as we fought hand-to-hand.

Kennedy wanted to join the fight, but Spike held her back.

~~~~~~~

I continued to fight the vampire in hand-to-hand combat. "The question is never 'what do you think,' it's always 'what do you know?' You gotta know it. If you don't, if you make one mistake..."

I punched the vampire, and he landed on his back on a stone sarcophagus. He tried to kick me, but I grabbed his foot and punched him in the face. Then I pushed his leg, flipping him over and off the sarcophagus.

While still fighting, I spoke to the girls. "It takes just one vampire to kill you. So you've got to know you can take him. Know your environment. Know what's around you, and know how to use it. In the hands of a Slayer, everything is a potential weapon. If you know how to see it. When you're fighting, you have to know yourself, your brain, your body. Know how to stay calm, centered. Every move is important, every blow's got to be part of your plan 'cause you make that one mistake, and it's over. You're not the Slayer. You're not a Potential. You're dead. What do you know? Right now, the only thing you know for sure is you got me."

I grabbed my stake from the floor as the vampire leaped toward me, kicking at my face. I ducked, then defended against his fists as he came at me. Finally, I grabbed him by his shoulders and threw him to the back of the crypt as I stood near the doorway.

I dropped the stake and walked out of the crypt, standing next to Spike as we closed the doors, shutting the four Potentials inside with the vampire.

The vampire walked menacingly toward the girls, and their faces were full of fright.

But this was part of it. They had to learn by doing. And that was exactly what they were doing now.

They got to kill the vampire together, and they were thrilled to be able to do it together. Ecstatic even.

It was a good lesson.

~~~~~~~

One lesson that my friends didn't learn was to not keep me out of the loop.

My mother had to find me, which admittedly took a while since she didn't know where exactly we were going, but she told me the news.

Apparently, they thought that Dawn was the new Potential already living in Sunnydale. And when she found out, she took off because she was so overwhelmed.

Buffy and the others had no idea where Dawn went until Willow cast a locator spell, so Spike and I met them at the school.

When we got there, Dawn and another girl were under attack by the Bringers.

To say the least, I was pissed. "Not talking to me the last week or so is one thing, but none of you had the right to keep this from me. If Dawn gets hurt because you didn't think to come find me and tell me--"

"Dawn didn't want anyone to know at first because she didn't even know what to think," Buffy explained.

"I don't care," I replied. "You knew what was happening and what could happen to her. To any Potential. You can pull the silent treatment about me and everything else, but not about this. Not about my sister and what she could be. Not with the danger it puts her in just like the rest of us. I have the right to be angry about this, of all things."

"Guys, she's right," Willow stated softly, guiltily.

Xander looked down.

"Yell at us more later after we save your sister from dire danger again," Anya retorted.

I opened my mouth to retort that this wouldn't have happened if they had just told me sooner, but Spike held out a hand, resting on my arm, and for a second, I calmed down.

Mom called from the stairs. "Zoey, up here."

Buffy walked closer. "Zoey--"

I walked past them without a look. "Just stay out of my way right now."

Spike was the only one to follow.
The others hung back, guilty and knowing they screwed up and the reaction was more than justified after the last week, but especially after tonight.

As we got up to Mom, I led her back while she stayed close but out of the way.

We saw another girl with Dawn.

Dawn used a flagpole as a staff to knock some of the Bringers down, defending herself quite well, swinging the staff back and forth to knock two Bringers into the wall, spinning around to kick the feet out from beneath a third Bringer, making him flip through the air and fall down a couple of stairs toward us.

Mom stared in shock as Dawn fought.

The other girl managed to stay out of the way and avoid the crossfire.

I grabbed the Bringer on the stairs and picked him up and slammed him back down.

Dawn slammed the end of the flagpole into the stomach of another Bringer twice, swinging the side of it into his stomach to make him double over, kicking him in the face, making him fall.

I was relieved that the training so far was enough for Dawn to defend herself and someone else like this, even if it wasn't comparable to what Buffy or I could do... Yet.

As the Bringer in front of me tried to stab me while I was distracted, I caught the knife and spun it back around on him to stab him in the head viciously, killing him.

I looked up at Spike as he ran past me up the stairs toward another Bringer that Dawn knocked down. "Here!"

I tossed the knife to Spike. Spike caught it and immediately stabbed the Bringer in front of him, killing him.

The other girl had a weapon of her own, another piece of the flagpole, and while she didn't have any training, she used it to what she could. She used it to slam a Bringer into the wall and knocked him down.

As a vampire ran closer to attack from behind Dawn, Dawn dodged to the side. The vampire spun to try and kick Dawn, but Dawn ducked and spun around him, now standing behind him as she slammed him against the wall with the staff, turning it instantly to drive the point of it into his heart, killing him. As he turned into dust, she watched with wide eyes, breathing heavily.

As the other girl swung her staff to hit the head of the last Bringer left alive, he fell down on the stairs toward me as I walked upstairs. Immediately, I snapped the Bringer's neck, letting him fall dead.

Dawn, Mom and I looked at each other in intense relief, and while Mom and I hated that Dawn had been in danger and was forced to fight, we were proud that she came so far and saved someone else.

Spike and I had barely fought, Dawn and this girl had been able to fight them off, though we finished the job with the Bringers.

Mom quickly walked up the stairs. "Dawn."

Dawn dropped her staff, walking closer instantly as Mom wrapped her arms around her, and I placed a hand on Dawn's shoulder, staying close, the relief palpable in each of us.

Spike watched us from the stairs, glancing toward the other girl.

I looked at the girl. "Who's this?"

"Amanda," Dawn answered. "It's a..."

Amanda turned to us, confused and perturbed. "Okay. One minute I'm in Swing Choir, and the next..." Buffy walked up the stairs toward us, which she noticed. "What the hell's going on? You tell me to come to you with problems. Turns out, a vampire attacked me. Problem. So I go to your house, and when I get there, this orange cloud hits me."

Dawn looked at us. "She was at the doorway."

"And I don't know if you're into the drugs, but that's not my deal, all right?" Amanda asked. "That cloud hit me, and I got a little dizzy and discombobulated."

Dawn sighed. "It was Willow's spell. She's the Potential Slayer."

Mom, Buffy, Spike and I all processed this in shock.

Even if this girl was the Potential instead of Dawn, at least Dawn knew how to defend herself and anyone else from whatever came her way.

~~~~~~~

The next day, Buffy surprised me by coming to my house when I was training the girls, asking for a moment to speak alone.

"So now you wanna have an actual conversation with me?" I asked skeptically.

Buffy turned to face me, sighing. "I know since last week, we... Willow, Xander, Anya and I, we haven't been... Good with you. Giles much either. The girls were talking about training last night and what Spike said to you about how everyone was acting..."

I shook my head. "It's fine, Buffy. It's the last thing any of us need to worry about with everything going on."

"It's not fine," Buffy said softly. "And yeah, dealing with this probably isn't a major worry. Especially since none of us know how to. I just... I don't blame you for all of this. I blame me, and us..."

"For bringing me back," I finished. Buffy swallowed, looking away. I shook my head. "Which I don't blame you for. If me staying dead would have prevented all this..."

"We made the choice," Buffy told me. "Spike... was right about that. It's on us, not you."

I glanced down, noting that she didn't deny why she blamed herself and the others.

But that was the job, I guess. In a war like this, I knew Buffy would be willing to make the sacrifice. And let someone she cared about stay dead. Knew that since she had to kill Angel to save the world.

I understood that she had to think like that. I thought about that for myself. But I couldn't make the sacrifice of Dawn's life to save the world, but I made it myself so she didn't have to. I would have done the same for anyone of my friends and family. Which they pulled me back from which caused all of this, so Buffy knew that she couldn't make a mistake like that again. That was what she was saying even while apologizing for the way they had been acting.

Buffy sighed. "We should have dealt with that sooner and with ourselves."

"Yeah, you should have," I agreed. "Because we're in a war, and we don't have time for this. We have to work together on this, we can't have last night happen again, because it means that we're not on the same team."

"We are on the same team," Buffy disagreed.

"Not if you're not contacting me when you should and nearly get my sister killed because of it," I shot back. That instantly shut Buffy up, because she knew I was right. "You and the others can't do that, especially about my family. We have to be on the same page, or else we could really lose someone because you guys wanna act like we're still in high school and giving me the silent treatment. When, like you said, I didn't have a choice in bringing me back and starting all of this. You guys did. I'm just the literal walking reminder of the choice you made and what you did so you've been taking it out on me."

Buffy closed her eyes. "You're right. I'm sorry. We all are." She didn't say anything else, and there wasn't much she could say. We both sighed. "Are we good?"

We weren't and we both knew it. But we couldn't let that get in the way of what we needed to do. So we put this aside to get it done.

I pressed my lips, nodding. "Yeah. Let's just train the girls already." Buffy nodded, starting to walk past. I turned my head to look over my shoulder. "But you can tell Willow, Xander and Anya that they can do better than talking through you to me." Buffy paused, sighing. I turned around, walking past her toward the outside training area of the house. "Better yet, I'll tell them myself."

Buffy hesitated in guilt for being caught like that, looking down. There was something more bothering her, but she wouldn't  tell me what it was. She had been acting off toward me since she had seen Joyce as The First and she wouldn't tell me why. It just had never been a problem on the job or personally until we learned why all of this happened.

While walking up to the training area, I saw Dawn watching the girls. "You okay?"

Dawn turned to face me, putting on a happy face. "Yeah, I was thinking of hitting the books. Do some research on The First. It's in retreat mode right now, but you're still gonna need to know how to fight it."

Buffy walked closer, barely able to look at us after the conversation we just had. "Great. Sounds good." She quickly spoke to the Slayers-in-training, including the new girl Amanda. "Hey, you guys, wanna head over to my place? Get our newest arrival up to speed?"

The girls all stood and followed Buffy toward her house a street over.

As each Potential passed by Dawn, they didn't look at her or acknowledge her at all, until Amanda walked by. Amanda paused for a second and looked at Dawn, smiling, and then continued to follow the other girls.

I hesitated before following them, knowing I needed to talk to Dawn first.

Dawn walked toward the bench where she had research set up on the table.

Mom had been watching nearby before heading to work. She walked closer, exchanging a look with me, both of us knowing, nodding, walking toward Dawn.

Dawn looked up. "Hey. What's up?"

I sat next to Dawn. "It's hard, being a Potential. Especially for those girls."

Dawn had a slight, strained smile. "They can handle it."

Mom sat down next to Dawn. "Yeah. They're special, no doubt. The amazing thing is, not one of them will ever know, not even your sister."

Dawn frowned. "Know what?"

"How much harder it is for the rest of us," Mom answered.

Dawn frowned. "No way. They have--"

Mom held up a hand gently. "I saw what you did last night."

Dawn shook her head, looking embarrassed. "Yeah, I--I guess I kinda lost my head when I thought I was the Slayer. Even if I could fight them off like that, which I have never been able to do before now. So thanks for that, Zoey."

I knew she was trying to change the subject, shaking my head. "Just let Mom talk."

"You thought you were going to be the Potential, the next Slayer," Mom said, looking worried and saddened by the prospect as she looked between the two of us, knowing the only way that would happen, which caused us to look down. "But the minute you found out you weren't, you handed the crown to Amanda without a moment's pause. You gave her your power."

Dawn shrugged, looking conflicted. Sad about not being 'special' or Chosen and scared what that all meant or didn't mean, relieved that it wasn't applied to her, but at the same time disappointed and hating that she was disappointed. "The power wasn't mine."

"But a part of you wishes it was," I said softly. Dawn looked down sadly, almost guilty. I shook my head. "It's okay. I understand, Dawnie."

"How is it okay?" Dawn asked. "I feel horrible for even wanting it even for a second, knowing it means I would lose you all over again just to get there. What is wrong with me?"

"That's how I felt when I was a Potential, and that I wanted it even slightly, knowing that it would mean Buffy or Faith would have to die, again," I admitted. I looked down, still feeling the most guilty over the worst thing I did, no matter the circumstances, the thing that even Holden called me out on that I wanted to punish myself for. "And helping Buffy... kill Faith, activating me, before she came back in her coma. So I know what you're feeling right now, and I'm telling you that it's okay. Because I felt it too. And nothing's wrong with you."

Dawn settled down, still upset, but looking so relieved. "I'm sorry."

I squeezed her hand. "You don't have to be. You would have made an amazing Slayer. You proved that last night."

"Then why wasn't it me?" Dawn asked. "If I'm just not good enough..."

"Dawnie, after what we saw last night, you definitely are," Mom told her.

"I think it has more to do with you and the way you were..." I trailed off.

Dawn realized what I was saying. "Created. Not born."

We all hated talking about this, the history of Dawn and how she was the Key. But it was the most logical thing I knew of that prevented someone like Dawn from being like me.

I nodded sadly. "Yeah. And that's why the Slayer prophecy didn't apply to you. But that's okay. Because I know how far you've come. And I see you train and I saw you fight and the way that you protected Amanda. And even if you're not a Slayer by name, I know that you are by exactly what you did last night. You might not have the powers, but you more than make up for it with what you're doing here, becoming so smart and incredible like a Mini-Watcher..." Dawn couldn't help but smile at that. "And the way you cared for Amanda and guided her to fight back and meet her own destiny. And you have one on your own, I know it. And you'll get there. I promise. Just because you're not like us doesn't change how special you really are."

Dawn was so relieved to hear the words she clearly needed to, squeezing my hand back.

Mom held both of our hands with her own. "They'll never know how tough it is, Dawnie, to be the one who isn't Chosen. To feel special or powerful like that. I saw you last night, both willing to give up the spotlight and the way you fought to protect not only yourself but Amanda, too, just like your sister taught you. I see you working here today." She held Dawn's hand while reaching for mine. "We've watched for years what you've done for everyone, Zo. Even before you found out you were a Potential, that you were special. But being a Slayer was never what made you special. Your light and liveliness, the way you can be so tough but so caring... with everyone around you, even if others aren't... always willing to do what it takes to do whatever you can to take care of everyone. And it looks like your little sister picked up everything  she learned from you and became unique in her own way." I nodded in agreement, and Dawn smiled. Mom looked between us with such love and adoration in her tearful eyes that it brought tears to both of our eyes too. "Both of you. You're not special. You're extraordinary."

Mom stood, kissing both me and Dawn on the forehead.

When I stood, Dawn followed suit so that she could wrap her arms around both me and Mom, and we both embraced her and each other in return.

We all knew we had to go our own ways again, doing what we did best. Helping everyone we could as much as we could. We gathered ourselves together after the emotional moment, never letting a tear drop, breathing deeply as we did.

As Mom went to the hospital and worked as a doctor, I headed to Buffy's to help the fellow Slayer and our friends train the Potentials to fight in the war that we needed to win to save the world (again), and Dawn sat down to research everything she could on The First Evil so that we would know how to fight against it in order to do so.

Like we said before. It ran in the family.