She turned the corner and headed for the double doors. Suddenly, a strong, masculine arm draped itself across her shoulders. She turned her head slightly, looking up into Xander's deep brown eyes.

"Hey, Will. I was wondering if you could do some of that tutoring magic that you do so well. I'm a little behind in…all of my classes, so I need all the help your amazing brain can give me."

Closing her eyes for just a moment, she allowed herself the guilty pleasure the feel of his skin against her neck brought. She stopped walking and stared pointedly at his arm. "I thought we talked about this."

"What?"

"I told you we can't…I can't do this anymore."

"I'm walkin' along the hall with my best bud."

"But I belong with Oz now and he has to know that."

"He does know." Xander didn't understand. "You guys are back together. He knows that there's nothing between us."

"I can't give him any reason to think there might be." Her eyes pleaded with him to understand. "It's not you, Xander…"

"But it is. We're supposed to be best friends and I can't even…Never mind. I'll see you later." He pulled his arm from her and walked away, obviously upset.

Willow sighed, her heart heavy. Why did it have to be so hard? Why couldn't everything be back the way it was? Or the complete opposite of what it had been? Why couldn't she love one or the other? Why did she have to love them both?

She stopped walking when she heard the soft ping. Looking down, she saw a necklace with a shiny aqua stone. She bent down to pick it up. Her hand almost connected with another.

"Sorry."

Willow wrapped the thin chain around her fingers and stood. The other girl followed her movements and smiled. Willow returned it. "Is this yours?"

"Yes and no." The brunette smiled. "It's this weird project I'm doing…you're just going to think I'm insane."

She shook her head. "Trust me, it would take a whole lot more than a necklace to make me think you were anything other than normal."

The other girl stuck out her hand. "I'm Anya."

"Willow."

"So, about the necklace." She led Willow to the student lounge, away from the library. "It's a family tradition - I have a strange family - and it's my turn. All the girls in my family get these necklaces when they're born. And whenever one of us turns 18, we have to find some other girl to give it to."

Willow looked dubious. Okay, maybe it was weird. "I see."

"Mom says it's for good luck. You prove that you can give up something you've had with you for your whole life, and you're a better person."

"I see." Willow held the stone up to the light. "It's beautiful."

"Would you like it? I turn 18 today, so it's my turn."

"I couldn't…"

"Oh come on, Willow. If you don't take it, who am I going to give it to? I want someone who will appreciate it. Please?"

She lowered it and smiled. "Okay."

Anya smiled. "Maybe it will bring you good luck too."

Willow headed for the library and this time she was really, really late. Giles was going to have a fit. Or at least make that clucking sound with his tongue. She really hated when he did that to her. She opened the doors, surprised there was no one there.

"Giles?"

"He's not here." Xander came out of the stacks with an armload of books. "Had some teacher's meeting. I'm library guardian. And study boy."

She looked at him and smiled. "Do you want help still?"

"No." he shook his head, his whole body seemed closed off from her. "I wouldn't want Oz to get the wrong idea about us being here alone together. That might put a damper on your relationship."

"Xander, I…"

He turned away from her, running his hand through his hair as he stared down at the textbook in front of him. She felt as though something had just punched her in the stomach. Backing out of the library, she decided to just go home. Maybe she could let things cool down a little and then they'd get back to normal.

She walked, rubbing the gem of the necklace absently. She sighed, wondering if there was any way to make this easier. She looked up at the blue sky. "Sometimes, I wish there were two of me."

Anya, following her at a discreet distance, smiled as her true face shone through. "Done."

Bright light assaulted her and she hissed as she backed into the shadows. She looked around the Bronze and realized quickly that something was different. Moving her head so that her shoulder length red hair fell off her shoulders, she smiled. She was somewhere else, even though she was home.

"Hey! Who's there?" The large, bald man rounded the corner and came face to face with her. "What are you doin' here kid?"

Willow smiled, looking innocent despite the black leather and low cut bustier. "Sorry. I was hungry."

"We don't serve food until the club opens. How the hell did you get in here?"

She looked down at the floor, pretending to be shy while her face changed. She looked up quickly and grabbed him by the throat. "A good choice of words."

He gurgled against her grip and she dropped him. He stood up, screamed and started to run.

"Oh goodie. I love it when they run."

Xander buried his head in his arms. Math formulas swam in his vision, but he didn't register anything except the horrible feeling in his chest. He didn't know how to do this anymore. Willow was his best friend. And, while it was true he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that, she was also so much more to him. He played along, for the sake of her happiness, and pretended that it didn't bother him that she'd chosen Oz. But if he was honest with himself, he wanted her.

Needed her.

He took a deep breath and pushed away from the table. This wasn't doing him any good. He needed to resign himself to the fact that Willow was with Oz and there was nothing he could do about it. There was no way Willow was going to want him again.

She licked her fingertips then her lips. Staring down into the wide, frightened, dead eyes, she allowed herself to smile. He tasted so good. People always said that fear made the blood run cold, but she'd found it heated it to a nice tasty temperature. The only thing that would have made the kill better was if she'd been able to share it with Xander.

Dining with him was always so erotic. They'd capture their victim between them and he'd hold her close through the body. The blood would connect them in ways no one else could ever share and then they'd usually find someplace secluded to transform the blood lust into simple, unadulterated lust.

She wondered what he was doing right now. Probably wondering where she'd gone. Or perhaps she'd simply vanished from his memory as well. That thought caused her to growl. He was hers. True, he'd made her, so technically she belonged to him, but everyone knew nothing and no one ever came between Willow and Xander.

She heard sounds coming from the main room of the club and ducked into the women's bathroom, dragging her victim with her. Stuffing him where he wouldn't be discovered for a while, she slipped into one of the stalls to relax. Night was coming. And with it she would find some of the answers she sought.

Xander trudged into the Bronze and slid onto the stool at their regular table. No one else from the group was there yet. He wasn't even sure why he'd come. He felt depressed. A small gasp caught his attention and he looked up.

"Wow. Wills, what are you wearing?" His heart stopped. He was pretty sure it had stopped. But not in the homecoming-Willow's-all-grown-up sort of way. More in the oh-my-god-I-think-I-better-dump-a-glass-of-cold-water-on-my-lap sort of way. She was wearing a leather bustier with red silk covering the top swell of her breasts. There were leather pants and sleeves too, but he couldn't look away from her cleavage. She looked pale and beautiful. "And why haven't you worn it before?"

"Xander." Her voice was different, but he couldn't place how. She held out her hand to him. "Dance with me?"

"I thought there was to be no touching." A slow, sensuous song was playing and there was no way he could dance with her and not touch her.

"I've changed my mind. A woman has a right to do that, doesn't she?"

"Aaaa…"

She smiled and took his hand lightly in hers. His hand was warm, killing any hope that she had of him being *her * Xander. Not that he didn't have his advantages. He was innocent enough, warm enough, alive enough. She let him slide his arms around her waist and moved closer, resting her head against his shoulder. The smell of his blood was overpowering, but she promised herself that she would wait. She'd fed recently enough that the need wasn't strong.

Xander closed his eyes and thought about dances that were etched into his memory. The first night they'd met Spike, when he'd danced with both Willow and Buffy - all friendly and innocent. The day Buffy had sent his temperature sky-rocketing with her blatant dance of seduction. The dance in Willow's room that had led to their first real kiss.

Nothing compared to this one.

He was holding her in his arms in front of most of the population at Sunnydale high and she didn't care. She didn't care who saw them. She was snuggled against him, several important body parts pressed closely to a few choice ones of his own. He really needed that glass of ice water.

He closed his eyes, leaning down to press his lips to her ear. The only thought on his mind was getting her out of the club and somewhere where they could talk uninterrupted. Talk and maybe a few other things.

"Xander!" He started at Buffy's call, not noticing Willow's flinch. He raised his hand in greeting.

"Come on, let's go back to the table."

"I…I have to go to the restroom." She realized in a rush that this place's Willow existed. And Xander obviously loved her very much. A sad smile touched her lips. Were they always destined to be together? In life, unlife and in death? "I'll be out in a bit."

He nodded and let her go. Shaking his head, he walked to the table to join Buffy, Faith, Oz and…Willow? "Willow?" His voice betrayed his confusion.

"Yeah?" She looked up and smiled at him, hoping that their earlier differences were behind them. They were never very good at staying upset with each other.

"You…you look nice." He glanced back to the restrooms, unsure of what was going on - what exactly the Hellmouth was doing to him. "Buffy, you want to dance?" He led the Slayer out to the floor, his eyes searching the crowd.

The cemetery was dark and quiet, as all good cemeteries should be. Willow sat on one of the headstones, listening to the lovers that were parked nearby. They were getting rather heated and her hunger was rising. If she was going to see Xander again, she needed to feed. She didn't want to spoil the surprise of who she was just yet. It was obvious that he now knew something was going on, she'd sensed her counterpart's presence in the club. Two Willows, no waiting.

She strolled patiently through the thin gathering of trees, listening to the soft grunts and moans coming from the car. Licking her lips, she waited for the throes of their passion to build to a peak. Only sex made the blood hotter than fear. As she heard the girl's cries speed up, she ripped the door off the hinges and grabbed them both. Widening her jaw, she sank her fangs into the man's neck, letting his lover watch him die. She struggled in Willow's grip knowing it was futile. Her eyes were wide with fear. Her screams of passion becoming screams of terror.

Willow loved the screaming.

Xander clutched the cross in his pocket. He hadn't wanted an escort home. Besides, his choices were not exactly the best. Buffy, his buddy who would want to know what was wrong, Faith, who would taunt him about their one-night (okay, one fifteen minute) stand, or Willow and Oz, very subtly letting him know he was encroaching on smoochie time.

He stopped short when she stepped out of the shadows. If he hadn't know it before, he knew it now. This was not his Willow.

"Xander."

"You disappeared. Is it like one of those science fiction movies where if you two are in the same space, you disintegrate?"

"I…"

"Xander." Faith's voice was loud in the stillness. She jumped off the cemetery wall and landed beside him. Looking over Willow, she laughed. "Nice. You're boyfriend know you have that stuff? I didn't think you and Oz were into that."

Her expression sent a rocket of hope through Xander. She had no idea who Oz was. Suddenly, he had an intense desire to sneak her into his room and never let her out, never let her meet him, never let her fall for anyone but him. "Willow's…"

"You're a Slayer." Willow's eyes narrowed and the hope in Xander's heart died. Her eyes were yellow. Yellow eyes meant one thing.

"Yeah, and I can kick your ass. So if this is about the Xander thing, well…"

"Xander. Thing?" Couldn't Faith hear the changes in her voice? Xander could sense them plain as day. Which if it were day, he wouldn't be hearing them, so maybe that wasn't the phrase…and he needed to keep his mind on track.

"Playing dumb doesn't suit you, Brainiac. You know you're jealous that I got to Harris here before you did. Not my fault you decided to bed the werewolf and not the boy."

Willow's game face dropped into place and she launched herself at Faith. Taken aback, the Slayer felt herself slammed to the hard concrete. Willow straddled her chest, her knees holding Faith's arms down. "You're no match for me, Slayer. I kill little girls like you all the time. I'm the Master's favorite for a reason. And no one, especially not a two-bit tramp like you, will ever take my Xander from me."

She reached down and snapped Faith's neck. Tilting her head, she sighed. "No screaming from her. No running either. Bored now." She looked up into his horrified eyes. "You liked her?"

"Wi…We...Will?" He backed away from her, panic filling him. "Why are you here? What are you?"

Sadness seemed to radiate off of the vampire wearing his best friend's face. "I love you Xander." She jumped to her feet and ran, heedless of what lay ahead.

Buffy caught site of someone hunched over a prone body and slipped the stake out of her sleeve. She approached cautiously. The moon came out from behind some errant clouds and she had a clear view. Not a vampire.

"Xander?"

He was kneeling next to a body, rocking back and forth slowly, mumbling something under his breath. She walked up to him and rested her hand lightly on his shoulder.

"Xander?" She looked down and gasped. "Xander? What happened to Faith?"

He looked up at her, his eyes vacant. "Willow's a vampire. Willow's a vampire." His laughter was slightly crazed, so Buffy slapped his lightly. He shook his head and came back into his eyes. "Willow's a vampire, Buffy."

"We have to get to the library." She looked down at Faith's body. She looked peaceful, despite the odd angle of her neck. "I don't want to leave you here alone." She was worried about him. He seemed delusional, but in Sunnydale you couldn't take the accusation of vampire lightly. Even if it was about your best friend. "There's a pay phone over there. I'll be right back. Okay? Xander? Are you okay?"

He broke into sobs, tears running down his cheeks. He tried to nod, but couldn't manage it. Sinking fully onto the pavement, he curled up into a ball and cried.

Giles helped Xander to his feet and led him to Oz's van. He handed him a cross and stood him in front of the side door. "I want you to see someone."

"You're going to show me Willow. I know. She's not a vampire. Not *our * Willow. But ask anyone the Bronze tonight and they'll tell you that before Willow showed up with Buffy, I was dancing with her. She," he pointed toward the van, "isn't a vampire. But there is a woman who looks exactly like her who is." He looked at the older man. "I wouldn't lie about this, Giles."

"I know. And I'm prone to believe you. Something - someone - of great power killed Faith. Killed a Slayer. And if it is someone who looks like Willow…" Giles looked at Buffy holding hands with the visibly disturbed hacker. "Well, I can't imagine that's going to be easy for any of us."

Xander walked toward the van, the weight of the world on his shoulders. He looked up just as Willow's small frame slammed into him with a strength he didn't know she possessed. She hugged him to her, reminding him vividly of the dance he'd enjoyed earlier in the evening. He let his arms travel slowly around her, hugging her back.

She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. "I was so scared. I was so afraid something had happened to you. I couldn't bear it if something happened…" she hiccuped and sobbed at the same time. "Xander…" She buried her head against his chest and he tightened his grip. He closed his eyes and rested his chin on her head.

"I'm okay, Wills. I'm all right."

"Buffy said that you saw a vampire that looked like me and she killed Faith." Her eyes were dark with horror, and he knew she was thinking of the time she'd found those bodies in the school.

"It's okay. We'll go to the library and figure out what's going on." He let her go, moving his hand to her waist to guide her back to the van. "I'm okay," he whispered. Looking off into the night, he saw a shadow move and knew she was watching. He wondered why he didn't say anything.

Giles rubbed his tired eyes. They'd found nothing about alternate universes so far and certainly nothing about portals between them opening. He settled the glasses back on the bridge of his nose and looked at his charges. Buffy was sitting at the end of the table, her chin on her hand. She was trying desperately not to fall asleep, but it didn't seem to be working. Oz was face down in a book, snoring lightly. Willow was standing on the stairs leading to the stacks staring down at Xander. Xander sat on the floor of the rare book cage leafing through a book half-heartedly.

"The police just called about Faith. Ruling it an accident, saying she landed wrong when she jumped off the wall." Giles' voice was rough and tired.

Xander nodded. "Figured they'd come up with a lame story like that. Will a new Slayer be called?"

"I imagine so." Giles leaned against the doorframe. "I hope she never comes here. I hope I never see a Slayer other than Buffy ever again. They don't seem to last long."

Willow walked down the stairs and went to sit next to Xander. "Are you still all right? You seem…distant."

"I saw Faith die in front of me, killed by someone who looks just like you." His voice was soft. "It's enough to wig you out for life. But I just want to find some answers."

She nodded and reached over to grab his hand. She thought about the night they'd been here researching Lagos and the Glove of Myneghon. The night she'd grabbed him and kissed him. The night that she sometimes wished had never ended. "When I first heard, I was so scared you'd be afraid of me. I was scared that you wouldn't let me touch you or be close to you again."

"Why were you scared, Will? It's already like that. We can't touch, we can't look, we can't be close. Isn't that what you said earlier? You belong to him." He pulled his hand away; wishing that his heart didn't feel like it was about to explode.

Willow bit her lower lip and struggled to keep her tears from falling. She sometimes forgot that he was suffering far more than she was when it came to their discovery. Oz had forgiven her. Xander still had to endure Cordelia's insults and barbs. He had to watch her with Oz. Her green eyes sparkled. "I'm sorry Xander."

"For what?" He stood and walked out of the cage.

"I forgot about your feelings."

"You're happy Will. Besides, how many years did you suffer watching me fall for every woman on the planet who wasn't you? How many years did I break your heart? How many times did you cry over me?" He smirked. "I deserve it really. So don't worry." He placed the book on the table and looked through the skylight. "It's going to be daylight soon. I'm going to go home and shower. We should wake everybody up so they can get ready for school."

***** Willow paced the small mausoleum with barely controlled hunger. She'd fed quite a bit the night before, but the need to rip open someone's throat was strong. Perhaps the pulsing of blood across her tongue would get the image of his haunted eyes out of her mind. Ridiculous that one boy's reaction to her could cause her so much pain.

But this wasn't any boy. This was Xander.

She growled. That horrible girl had slept with him. She'd corrupted him. She'd taken from him the gift he should have willingly bestowed upon her or her counterpart in this dimension. She'd deserved to die. How could a person not see the longing in their eyes? How could they not see…?

She thought about the way she'd flung herself into his arms. The way he'd hesitated before holding her to him. Something else was between them. But they knew, in their hearts, what their destiny was. They were just foolish enough to try to deny it.

There was a soft squeak in the corner and, with superhuman speed, she grabbed the rat. Glaring at the snack, she sunk her fangs into its tender flesh. It would do. For now.

Buffy walked down the hall next to Willow. "You okay?"

She shook her head. "No. The thought that there's someone - a vampire - walking around wearing my face scares me more than anything I've ever experienced. Well, almost. The thing that scares me the most is that Xander doesn't seem to be afraid of her."

"Because he thinks she's you." Buffy shrugged sadly. "He sees you in her and he's still in love with you."

"Xander's not in love with me." Willow stopped walking and stared at her friend. "Why would you say that?"

"Do you really think that he risked his first real, stable relationship with the most popular girl in school because he was just lusting after you?" Buffy laughed softly. "Willow, he's got it bad for you. Like you used to be."

"Before Oz." She resumed walking. "Why does it have to be so complicated, Buffy? Why couldn't it be easy? I meet Xander, we fall in love. Or I meet Oz, not Xander, and we fall in love. Why does it have to be I meet Xander, I fall in love with him, he falls in love with you then Ampata then Cordelia, then I meet Oz and fall in love with him, then Xander falls in love with me and I fall in love with him all over again?"

"And I thought my relationships were complex." Buffy laughed. "Life's not easy, Will. It's horrible and complicated and we don't get to pick the way things turn out."

"So speaks the expert on destiny?" Willow giggled, the earlier tension easing away. "We have to keep an eye on him, Buffy. I think she might come after him again."

"I know, Will."

Continues