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Part 4
Suppose I said
I am on my best behavior
And there are times
I lose my worried mind
Giles and Giles2, following their initial suspicions that magic was somehow involved in all of this, were busy in Giles' office, rooting through the usual books of choice, while Buffy and Angel began to drag the still-unconscious form of Xander2 into the library, headed for the metal frame of the ever-resourceful cage.
For the time being, Angel2 was having his burns treated to by Willow, the redhead stunned that the still-frightened vampire would come within five feet of her. She looks on from the table as Xander holds open the cage door, allowing the slayer and her lover to drag his vampire counterpart inside, shutting it closed.
"That's me?" Xander laughs, smiling almost proudly at his leather-clad double. "I mean- that's *me*!" he points to the doppleganger's prone form, beginning to laugh hysterically. "I'm totally buff! I mean- check it out...I'm a badass, supercool, mega-scary vampire! How awesome is that?!"
"Good thing Cordelia isn't here..." Buffy sighs, passing her friend a tired glare. "She might get all jealous over how you're drooling over *yourself*!"
"Oh come on-" he scoffs at her. "You've gotta admit it- I make one totally slick vamp- way cooler than Deadboy," he lifts his head towards Angel. "Who knows Buffy...if things would've been different-"
"Don't even waste your time dreaming about it-" the feisty blonde quickly stops where she knew his train of thought was going. Just the idea that he was thinking that a vampire version of himself could replace Angel was enough to make her leap out of her skin.
They walk over to where Angel2 was being fussed over by Willow, Buffy placing a comforting hand on his shoulder as she approaches him. She couldn't really explain it, but somehow, just as she was undeniably drawn to her own Angel, she felt some sort of a connection with this one. He had the same hints of remorse and pain lurking behind his eyes that her own lover did, but also something else. He had such a desperation and longing in his voice.
Would you want me
When I'm not myself?
Wait it out while
I am someone else?
"How are you feeling?"
"Better..." he finally whispers. "Thank you..." he says, directing his appreciation to both the blonde and redhead who'd been so kind. Unable to resist, he reaches up slowly to grab her chin in his hand, wanting so desperately to kiss her, but maintaining his resolve as he sees the total absence of any scar. "You're not her...are you...?"
"No..." Buffy tells him with a frown, saddened by just how much this version of her lover had depended on her own mirrored image in his own world.
"She's..." Angel2 lifts an eye towards Angel, a drawn out sigh escaping his lips. "She's yours..."
Suppose I said
Colors change for
No good reason
Suppose I said
You're my saving grace
"Yes..." Angel answers his twin, still amazed at what he saw to be his own appearance. He'd remembered faintly how he'd looked all those years ago before being turned, but without the luxury of having a reflection, he'd allowed his own image to be almost completely erased from his memory. Not that his mind would've had any room for it- Buffy's curves, the sweet outline and contours of her face, were the only images his mind had totally consumed and burned into his memory forever.
After checking in with the progress Giles and Giles2 were making- not surprisingly, the two brits were getting along splendidly- Buffy sits down next to Angel, leaning against her chest as he takes her into his arms.
"You okay?" she sighs into his red silk shirt.
"Mmm...still digesting some things..."
"Would those things be seeing Willow and Xander as vampires, having another Giles around, or trying to beat yourself up for touching me?"
"All of the above and then some," he smiles. "It's just really bizarre. I mean..." he throws a glance over to where Angel2 was buttoning up his shirt after having his last wound patched up, "...that's what I would've been like...if I'd never met you. If you'd never come to Sunnydale..."
"Well if that's how well off you would've been," she playfully teases him, pulling back to face him with a warm laugh, "I can only imagine what double would be like...wait a minute..."her mind flashes back to what Giles was going on about before. "When Giles said I was here earlier going on about the master...you don't think..."
"I wouldn't put it past things lately," Angel responds. "All of us probably have doubles here...only questions are how and why?" Seeing both Giles come out of the office, Angel stands, pulling Buffy alongside of him to see what they'd found out.
"Anything yet?" Buffy asks.
"Well..." Giles begins, "we've found quite a bit on individuals having alternate versions of themselves in different worlds and dimensions...dopplegangers they're called...but, umm...I'm more interested in what...um," he stutters a bit, trying to find the best way to address his own alternate version standing right beside him. "In what...Giles here, has been telling me. Why don't you, um..." he motions for his double to explain things to the rest of them.
"Oh- yes, of course...you see, in my world...actually," he throws a look towards Angel2, "in *our* world, you were never actually in Sunnydale. We sent for you after this young girl...Cordelia, she kept going on and on about how we needed to get Buffy, we needed to get the slayer to destroy the master and fix things."
"Is this *your* Cordelia or *our* Cordelia who was the cause of all this," Buffy checks, "because if it was *our* Cordelia, I'm gonna have a field day with her after we straighten things out.
"In any event," Giles2 picks up again, "you came to Sunnydale- or actually, *she* came to Sunnydale, though not as...refined and pleasant as you are, and was headed after the master to stop him before he had his factory completely up and running."
"Factory?" Angel raises an eye at the reference.
"Yes..." Angel2 chimes in. "The master...he built a factory line...efficient devices for draining humans in masses. Him and- him and Xander, and- and Willow...they're in charge-"
"Alright!" Xander cheers, though instantly wishing he'd kept his outburst to himself. "Oh, right- that's bad. Sorry, sorry..."
"They run the city...vampires outnumber humans by the hundreds...we weren't enough to stop them."
" 'We' as in..." Buffy tries drawing more information out of him.
"Giles, Oz, a few others, and myself...I- I was captured by...Willow. They hate me because of my soul...because I value human life..."
"We’d finally thought we'd be able to rid ourselves of this plague once Buffy arrived," Giles2 cuts in. "But there was this...this demon...she'd said something about another world. I was trying to find a way of whatever spell she'd said she'd cast when all of a sudden, Oz and I arrived here.
"And that's where we stand with things," Giles confirms. "We still nowhere closer to figuring out how all of this was actually caused, and Willow's double is still on the loose..."
"Yeah-" Angel sighs, "she's still at the Bronze with a cadre of vampires looking to party." Picking up his cue, Buffy grabs her jacket as the friends head out in full attack mode.
"We'll figure out who they all are after we stop the feeding frenzy. How many of them were there?"
"Eight or ten."
"Guys-" The friends turn to see Willow stopped in her tracks, a confused look on her face. "What are we gonna do with me- the *other* me, I mean?"
"I don't know, Will," Buffy answers her. "I mean, we just have to stop them."
"I get that. I just kinda wanted to know- oh!" finally an idea strikes her. "Hey- go...I'll catch up." The others waste no time in following her simple order, leaving the redhead alone in the school to do her own research.
As she leans over the library countertop to fetch a book, she finds herself being grabbed from behind, a familiar hand coming to stretch across her sweater as the sound of her own voice begins to spill into her ears.
"Alone at last..."
******
"Well look at me," Willow2 smugly admires herself as she pushes against her panicky twin. "I'm all fuzzy..." she pouts, feeling a hand down Willow's pink sweater. "Your little school friend Anya said you're the one who brought us all here."
Willow stares in disbelief, realizing just what the spell she'd foolishly agreed to help Anya with was what had caused the day's bizarre events. "She said that you could get us back to our world."
"Oh. Ohhh...oops."
"But I don't know...I kinda like the idea of the two of us," Willow2 beams, pulling Willow into an awkward embrace. "I'm sure Xander would love it too- the three of us would have sooo much fun. We could be quite a team. If you came around to my way of thinking."
"Would that mean we'd have to snuggle," Willow nervously says, not liking the vibe she was picking up from her other self.
"What do you say?" Willow2 tries enticing her, running her tongue over her exposed neck, causing Willow to wince. "Wanna be bad?"
"This just can't get more disturbing," Willow cringes, mustering up the courage to finally pull out of the vampire's embrace. "That's it- no more! You're really starting to freak me out!" Finding there was no way past her, Willow grabs a nearby cross, shoving it into her double's face, but to no avail. Willow2 throws her over the counter, causing her to tumble into one of the filing cabinets.
"Well, if you don't wanna play...guess I can't force you..." The vampire walks over to her, preparing to finish herself off. "Oh wait...I can..."
Being too wrapped up in her intentions, she doesn't fully take notice of the tranquilizer gun Willow held in her hands and was now firing a shot from, aimed directly at her chest. Feeling the piercing of the needle, its contents beginning to work their way through her blood, Willow2 slowly feels herself come crashing helplessly to the floor.
"Bitch..."
******
"It's extraordinary," both Giles observe after the friends had been called back to the library by a proud Willow, who had successfully taken down her evil vampire counterpart without throwing a single punch.
"It's horrible!" the redhead corrects them, watching intently as Xander and Angel drag Willow2's body into the cage alongside Xander2. "That's me as a vampire? I'm so...evil and...skanky. And I think I'm kinda gay."
"Thank god I lucked out," Xander smiles. "Wait...if your twin's gay...and your twin is with *my* twin...eeewww- I don't even wanna touch that one..."
"So I'm guessing you don't want me to tell you how I'm her 'puppy'," Angel2 asks the already disgusted teen.
"Uggh..." Xander and Angel flinch, having various horrible, mind-damaging images flash before their eyes. "So what do we do now?" Xander asks after finally regains his composure.
"We still have to get to the Bronze," both Giles speak up. "Would you mind not doing that?" Giles turns to his double, giving him a pointed frown.
"Sorry..."
"Even if they're supposed to wai for her, they may start feeding," says Angel. "Vampires aren't notoriously reliable."
"So we charge in?" Xander offers. "Much in the style of John Wayne?"
"High casualty risk," Giles warns him. "I haven't any other plan though." The friends were at a loss as to how to deal with things until Buffy slowly raises her hand.
"Umm...I have a really bad idea..."
******
The light eminating from the Bronze's fluorescent sign was the only indication of any activity going on inside. The usually lively and energetic club held an all encompasing chill as the Scoobies were examining the perimeter.
"They're- they're still in a holding pattern. That's- that's good..." Angel2 manages a smile as he hops down off of a stack of boxes, giving everyone the okay to go through with the plan Buffy had come up with. Now dressed in Angel's clothes, the double found himself even more uncomfortable than he was before. "I'm- I'm still not...sure about this..."
"*You're* not sure about this?" Angel hisses at him, appearing from behind Buffy, now wearing the worn and tattered clothes of his imprisoned counterpart. "I still don't understand why him and I had to switch," Angel mumbles to Buffy.
"Angel, think about it- we can't send him in there to fight in his condition. If we send you in, with all of them thinking you're him, we add the always-appreciated element of surprise."
"Exactly," both Giles agree, prompting Giles2 to begin his apologies again. "Right- sorry, sorry...won't happen again."
"Okay..." comes Xander's voice as he walks alongside Willow, "so what element do *we* bring to the table dressed like we should be in the Rocky Horror sequel?!" Having switched clothes with their vamp-selves, Xander and Willow made quite an impressive sight in their respective leather attires.
"Are you okay in that?" Buffy asks her best friend, notcing her squirming around in the vampire's clothes.
"It's a little binding. I guess vampires really don't have to breathe." Taking a moment to give herself a once over, she takes notice of just how binding the outfit really was. "Gosh, look at those, she shyly mutters, spotting her exposed cleavage.
"Umm...Willow," Giles begins after recovering from his small blush, "since your other self seems to be in charge, you go in and defuse the situation as best you can. But at least try and get some of them to come and to even up the odds a bit." The ex-watcher turns to Angel and Xander. "After she's managed to convince all of them, you two begin the attack and Willow will give the signal."
"What's the signal?" Angel2 asks.
"Me screaming," Willow meekly answers him.
"We come in hard and fast," Buffy reminds all of them, turning with Angel2 to go around to their position. "You're sure you're all up to this?"
"Don't worry," Willow smiles, "I won't do anything that could be interpretted as brave."
"That goes for Xander, too," Angel lets out a small chuckle.
"Hey pal- when we get in there, just remember who's the one in charge this time!" he retorts. "You know, if he's supposed to be our 'puppy', I still don't understand why you won't let me pull him in on a leash, Buffy."
"Because I'd have to let Angel kill you," Buffy smiles, "and I really don't want that on my conscience. Now let's go."
The others head to their posts as Willow leads herself, Xander, and Angel up to the Bronze's door. "Wait a minute," Xander grabs her by the arm. "How's my hair?"
"Xander..." Angel growls, wishing Buffy would've let him use a leash so he would've at least been able to choke the obnoxious boy with it.
"What? Vampires are all about the hair- and I'm looking so damn good that I just wanna make sure I've got the total package down cold." After letting out a heavy, frustrated sigh, Willow steadies herself as she lifts a hand to knock at the door. Willow2's first in command opens for her, welcoming her back.
"Hi," Willow says, a little too perky. "I'm back."
< We're screwed...> Xander laughs to himself, trying to keep the straight and serious face he'd tried picking up from watching Angel.
"Did you find the girl?" the tall vampire asks her.
"Yep. I did."
"Where is she?" asks Anya. There's a lingering pause before Willow answers.
"I killed her," she tries saying with confidence, "and sucked her blood as we vampires do." Sensing that the small clan of vamps were getting suspicious, Xander tries throwing in his own act at convincing them.
Holding Angel around his neck from behind, Xander approaches the head vamp. "We brought the puppy back too! You were a bad boy, puppy-" he gives Angel's neck a jerk. "Bad, bad, baaaadd puppy," he scolds him as he pats him hard across his head.
< We're all gonna be killed...and if not- I'm gonna kill him!> Angel realizes, almost leaping out of his skin when he feels Xander's tongue against his neck. < I can't believe he just did that!>
< I can't believe I just did that! Oh well...all part of the job.> "But you know...he's so much fun to play with- I think we'll keep him around." He tosses Angel to the vamp, returning his attentions to Willow.
"You know," Willow walks over to one of the other vamps, "I think maybe I heard something out there- why don't you go check?"
The demon does as requested, soon meeting the end of Buffy's stake once he steps outside the door.
"Nice job..." Angel2 compliments the slayer. < *His* slayer...> he winces inwardly. < *He* has one...mine hates me...>
"Thanks," she casually replies, readying herself for whatever other vamps would be coming out.
"Is it..." The double hesistates before deciding to continue. "Is it always like this...with...you and him? Fighting side by side...with each other...all the time?"
"Wouldn't have it any other way," she replies, another twinge of remorse for the love that this Angel lacked in his own world.
******
Part 5
"How could you kill her?" Anya asks Willow. "She was our best shot at getting your world back." Trying to look angry and intimidating, Willow takes a few steps towards her.
"I don't like that you dare question me! Maybe I'll have my minions take you out back and kill you horribly," she warns, sort of enjoying this new change in attitude. As she strolls along through the club, she gives a double take as she sees Oz and Oz2 standing side by side, their eyes shifting from one another to her.
Willow gives both of them a small wave she'd hoped none of her 'minions' had seen, receiving only a slight raise of eyebrows from both Ozs.
"Vampires..." Anya sighs. "Always thinking with your teeth."
"She bothered me," Willow continues. "She's so weak and accomodating." Somewhere in the middle of her speech, Willow began venting her own frustrations, finding it to be an easier task than she'd ever thought. "She's always letting people walk all over her, and she gets cranky with her friends for no reason. I just couldn't let her live!"
Stopping her pace in front of one of her many minions, she throws another command at him. "You know, he's been gone for awhile. Why don't you go check on him?" The dimwitted vamp does as ordered, leaving the Bronze to meet the same fate his fellow demon had met.
"Well boss-" Willow2's head vamp smiles through his fangs, "since that plan is out, why don't we get with the killing?" A wave of panic begins to rush over Willow, now not really liking her appointed role as the leader to carry out Buffy's plan.
"I- I don't know if I feel like killing anymore. I'm so bored. It would be like shooting fish in a barrel. Where's the fun?"
"With all due respect, boss," the tall vamp licks his lips appreciatively, "the fun would be the eating." Again, panic and fear race through the young girl's mind as she tries stalling for time.
"Maybe we should let everyone go and give them a thirty-second head start."
"Wait a minute..." Anya lifts an eye at her last remark.
"No-" Willow nervously blurts out. "I like my plan."
"Oh...nice try," the vengeance demon finally sees through her facade, realizing they'd been dealing with the shy and timid schoolgirl and obnoxious class clown all along.
"Ok- lets get to the killing!" Willow pipes up. "Why don't we start with her!"
"Why don't we start with you two!" Anya turns to consult with some of the other vamps. "If they're vampires, then I'm the creature from the black lagoon."
"Xander Harris!!!"
The swarm of vampires, as well as most of their captive human prisoners, turn at the sound of Cordelia's angry shout. The brunette, returning from her thirty minutes spent touching up her hair and makeup in the bathroom, comes rushing over to where her boyfriend was lurking alongside Willow.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? I leave you alone for a few minutes and I come back to find you messing around with some...some..." she searches for the right word to describe the leather-clad vixen who's waist her boyfriend's arms had been wrapped around, until she finally realizes who it was. "...some...Willow?"
The former mayqueen makes no attempt to hold back her laughter as she nearly collapses to the floor in the midst of her chuckling. "Oh my god! You look so ridiculous! Has Oz seen you yet?" She turns to see Oz, and Oz2, motioning for her to keep quiet. "Oz- get a load of...wait...I never knew you had a twin brother? Anyway- did you see this?! It's a riot!"
Seeing that the naïve and shallow Queen C was about to blow things, Angel jerks violently against the two vamps who were holding him, trying to lunge at Xander in an attempt to carry out their deception. Knowing that Xander wouldn't hesistate in punching him, Angel inwardly smiles as the young man sends him reeling back with a surprisingly hard punch to the jaw, letting out what Angel could only assume was his weak attempt at a growl.
"You wanna be next, princess?" Xander tries snarling at a still-laughing Cordy.
"Oh please!" she gasps. "Now come on, let's just-" Knowing he would be bitched at for weeks upon weeks to come, Xander closes his eyes, delivering a swift uppercut to his girlfriend, knocking her to the ground.
"Keep an eye on those two," Xander orders his army, eyeing Angel and Cordy. "Don't want them causing any more trouble for us."
Still not convinced, especially after seeing Xander holding his fist from the two punches he'd just thrown out, Anya casually strolls towards the two. "I'm just so tired of being around human beings and all their baggage. I- I don't care if I ever get my powers back. I think he should eat you."
Trying to hold out for a little while longer, Willow tries desperately to have Anya's doubts removed from the picture. "This girl has a history of mental problems dating back to early childhood I'm a blood-sucking fiend. Just look at my outfit."
"Humans," the lanky vamp snickers. "I should've smelled it right away."
"A human?" Willow raises her eyes, feeling both versions of her boyfriend approaching her and Xander from behind in support. "Oh yeah, could a human do this?" The loud shriek she lets out sends a sharp pain through everyone's ears, as Willow anxiously awaits the arrival of their backup.
Her best friend's loud cry was all it took for Buffy to lead the others in their charge to begin pummeling their way through the small clan of vampires that had taken the Bronze hostage.
Grabbing a pool cue for a weapon, Buffy quickly lays out two attacking vamps. Seeing his beloved making her way over to them, Angel easily breaks away from his captors, snapping both of their necks before they could even realize he was more than just their helpless 'pet'.
Wanting to get in on the action, Willow spots Anya trying to make a run for it, but quickly puts it stop to it as she reaches back, balling up her fist, sending it flying across the demon's face. "Ha! Ow, ow, ow! Happy- but ow!!" Oz and Oz2 each grab her by the hand, leading her up onto the stage for protection.
"Thanks honey..." Willow smiles at Oz, her eyes quickly shifting to the presence of Oz2, "...and uh...thanks...Oz?"
"You're not...she's not..." He looks to Oz, hoping for a clear explanation, but finds his counterpart only smiling back at him.
"Later would be a good time for explanations..."
After tossing a few more vamps out of his way, Angel gets a clear view of his doppleganger, not really holding his own against three attacking vamps. Seeing him being laid out with a devastating kick, Angel rushes over, sending the vamps flying before helping Angel2 to his feet.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah...I- I think so..." he looks down at the clothes he'd borrowed from his more agile and strong self, "but I think I ruined your clothes..."
Trying to make their own run for it, Oz and Oz2 try gathering together the rest of Oz's bandmates, heading towards the stage entrance to escape the building. "Devon- come on, man!" Oz shouts to the lead singer, turning around just in time to see Willow2 and Xander2 reach out to toss him aside.
"Oh no..." Willow breathes out seeing her and her friend's twins standing before her in their game faces.
"What can I say..." Xander2 slyly smiles, "they just don't make cages like they used to." As he reaches for her, Willow instinctively closes her eyes, anticipating the blow, only opening them once she hears him let out a yell in pain.
"You again..." Willow hears her double say to someone, her eyes widening as she finally sees who had knocked Xander2 out.
"Lucky for you," Buffy2 smirks, "I pride myself on persistence." Never catching a glimpse of the other version, the good version, of Willow standing behind the vamp, Buffy2 yanks the demon away from the exit, tossing her into the drumset still standing on the stage.
Recovering quickly, Willow2 catches the approaching Buffy2 with a quick kick to the face, landing the slayer on her back. Spotting her goody-two-shoes version trying to make a run off the stage, the vampire makes a mad dash for her, pulling her down to the wooden frame of the stage, beginning to choke her furiously.
Making short work of another five vamps, Buffy surveys the battlefield. Xander was currently ramming Xander2's head into the bar counter, while Cordelia was slapping Xander across the head in the process for hitting her. Her two Angels were assisting Giles and Giles2 in dusting some of the vamps who had foolishly remained in the club instead of taking off with some of the others. The only person, or rather, persons unaccounted for were both Willows.
Spotting her best friend's fuzzy pink sweater currently draped over the prone body of her best friend being choked, Buffy clears a path through an vamps who dared attack her, breaking her pool cue in half over one's head to drive the splintered end through another's heart. Finally reaching the stage, she pulls her stake above her head, preparing to send it straight through the double's back, aimed at her heart.
"Buffy no!!" Hearing Willow's plea, Buffy retracts her stake, grabbing Willow2's left shoulder, never noticing a hand she recognized as her own grabbing the vampire's right one.
"Oh my..."
"...god..."
"...you're..."
"...what the..." Buffy2 leans in her face a bit to stare at Buffy. After a few moments of careful studying, Buffy breaks the silence between them.
"I'm brutal! And- and with a scar! Uggh..."
"Okay-" Buffy2 finally speaks up. "Now I'm pissed!!" She dives at Buffy, rolling with her off the stage, receving a round of surprised stares from the rest of the Scoobs and their counterparts.
Angel and Angel2 were holding Willow2 captive up on the stage, staring down helplessly at the two slayers fighting it out. Deciding to try and intervene, Angel makes a grab for Buffy2, trying to pull her off of his beloved.
"Come on-"
"Get your damn hands off me!" she yells, plunging a stake straight into his chest as he pulls her to face him. Angel slumps back, clutching his wound in pain, his only thought of Buffy as he anticipates his sure death coming any second from the blow.
Seeing her lover, the stake, and blood seeping through his already ravaged shirt, Buffy crawls her way over to him, tears already springing from her eyes as she calls out his name, halfway between a sob and a scream of pure terror.
"Angel! Angel, please! No!!" Giles and Giles2 hurry over to her instinctively, racing to help her in yanking the stake out. Finally succeeding, their adrenaline finally slows as they see that the blow had just barely missed his heart, but nonetheless, still left him wounded.
Finally releasing him from her grasp, Buffy wipes the tears from her eyes as she stands, walking over steadily to her counterpart. Without saying a word, the slayer grabs her twin by the neck, pulling her face up a little closer to her own. "Seems like you have to work on your aim..." She lands a hard right straight to Buffy2's left eye. "I on the other hand, always get the job done!" Pulling back once more, Buffy finds her arm being held in mid-air by Angel2, straing at her longingly with his desperate eyes.
"No..." he whispers, praying she wouldn't go through with what he knew she was capable of doing to his own Buffy. "She's mine...she's all I have to hold onto..."
"This world's no fun..."
Willow2's pout was what finally brought the mass hysterics to a cease. Buffy releases her grip on her double, opting to instead shove her to the floor before heading over with Angel2 to help her own Angel to his feet.
"Are you alright?? Angel??" Buffy holds Angel's head in her lap, as Angel2 offers his own help for his dazed other self. "Buffy- I've got him," he says, gently trying to push her aside.
"You can barely move yourself," she snaps back at him, noting the blood that was seeping through the new silk shirt she'd bought her own Angel for Christmas. "I can handle him."
"Buffy...you're not going to be able to support his weight."
"I'm a lot stronger than I look."
"You might- you might wind up hurting him more than helping him. Now come on..." he helps Angel up, slinging an arm underneath of his to support him, "I'll help him outside and we can both get treat-"
"He's mine! My Angel- my responsibility, my life! Go help your own- the one who did this to him!" Buffy had had enough of him telling her that she couldn't help her own lover, her eternal soulmate- who else could? Angel2, as well as all of the others, was taken aback by her outburst. "Buffy...I'm sorry. I- I don't know-"
"No, no no...I'm sorry. I just...," she starts, unable to hold back her tears anymore, "...I just want to get him home."
"Me too," sighs a weary Angel, jerking his head up. Buffy laughs lightly at his attempt to make light of things, as both she and Giles2 help both Angels to the back, waiting for the others to round up the rest of the dopplegangers and head back to the nearby mansion to get all patched up.
******
Can't change this feeling
I'm way out of touch
Can't change this meaning
It means too much
Never been this lonely
Never felt so good
Can't be the only
One who's misunderstood
I remind myself of somebody else
While the others were busy swapping back their everyday clothes, Buffy and Buffy2 found themselves alone in Angel's bedroom, staring intently at each other, waiting for the other to be the one to break their silence.
Buffy2 stands abruptly from her seat at Angel's desk, walking over to study the pictures that adorned the intricately designed bedroom she could clearly tell belonged to both this world's souled vampire and this world's version of herself. Tracing a finger alongside one particular framed photo, seemingly from around Christmas time, she throws a look back to Buffy. "You two are...together...?"
"Yes," she replies, with an icy tone to her voice she didn't try to smooth over.
"Look- I'm...I'm sorry about...trying to...well, almost-"
"Almost killing him?"
"I'm sorry. But what the hell was I supposed to think having myself fighting with...myself...seeing two of everyone..."
"I know. It's a little...much."
"He's..." she hesitates, walking slowly back over to Buffy, "he's okay, isn't he?"
"Yeah...once he gets out of the shower I'll patch him all up. Good as new," a smile crosses her face for the first time since coming face to face with her own doppleganger.
"What about..." For the first time since she can remember, Buffy2 finds herself letting her emotions take over instead of instinct and reason, "...what about mine? Is he...was he hurt?"
"A few cuts and bruises. He'll be fine though." Seeing her counterpart's face wash over with relief, Buffy decides to take the initiative. "He loves you..."
Feeling like I'm
Chasing, like I'm
Facing myself alone
I've got somebody else's
Thoughts in my head
I want some of my own
I want some of my own
Buffy2 bitterly laughs, prompting Buffy to let out a small sigh of frustration. "He does...he always has. That's why he came to Sunnydale...to wait for you...his-"
"His destiny," she finishes for her, waving a hand in the air. "I'm his destiny, his soulmate, blah, blah, blah. So I've been told..." Taking a chance, Buffy tries reaching her again.
"And you love him..." Buffy2 turns her head sharply at her twin's last statement. A small smile finally graces her usually tight, cold face as she sits down beside her.
"I can't," she whispers, almost apologetically. "I can't love him- I can't afford to. And besides- he's a vampire for christ's sake. He's one of them-"
"He's not," Buffy's quick to shoot down her initial hesistations. "He's more human than anyone I've ever met-"
"*Your's* is...how do you know mine even...even still loves me?"
"Because...if he's anything like my Angel...he doesn't know anything else..." The two slayers share a quick smile, Buffy2 nervously laughing, trying to pretend none of this could possibly be serious.
"This is ridiculous! I'm the slayer- he's a vampire. It'd just be...too hard-"
"So you don't love him?"
"I didn't say that!" Buffy2 quickly snaps back.
"So you *do* love him?"
Can you see me up here
Would you bring me back down
Cause I've been living to see my fears
As they fall to the ground
I remind myself of somebody else
"I didn't say that either! I just...I don't know..." she lowers her head into her hands. "When I saw him, in- in that cage they kept him in...and when he looked up at me...it was like everything else fell away and there was only him," she confesses, lifting her head to face Buffy. "Yeah...I don't know how or even why...but...I do love him. I've never felt something so strong. I've never really felt anything before- at least nothing like this, love or compassion. Belonging..."
"I know," Buffy passes her a small smile, trying to comfort her.
"How? You have this- friends, family...him. You have a life...all I have is-"
"A chance," Buffy cuts in. "You've both got this new chance now. Look..." she scoots over, folding her legs underneath of her. "I know what you're going through, and how you've been dealing with things, because I was once the same way. I hated it- I hated being chosen to do this. It was just this thing that kept eating away at my life until finally, it became my life. But that was before I came here. My friends, my family...my Angel...they make things worth while. You may not have Willow and Xander in your world- come to think of it, *not* having Xander as a potential friend may sometimes be a good thing- but you have Angel now. And he can give you back a new life. If you'll give yourselves a chance."
Feeling like I'm
Chasing, like I'm
Facing myself alone
I've got somebody else's
Thoughts in my head
I want some of my own
I want some of my own
Buffy2 was about to respond to her other self's advice, when suddenly a loud bang, accompanied by a low moan of pain radiates from the master bathroom. Both hopping up to see what was going on, Buffy is the first to see Angel trying to pull himself out of the shower, a hand resting against the now-broken frosted glass shower door, his head and body hunched over in pain. The beads of water dripping down, curving around the muscles of his naked frame were mixing with the blood that was still gushing out of his wound, trickling with it down the drain.
"Angel..." Buffy rushes to his side, not really caring that her counterpart was watching on, getting a very clear view of her lover completely lacking any sort of covering. She supports his weight on her shoulder, passing her twin a small grin as she does the same on his other side, helping him into the bedroom. Buffy heads over to his closet, grabbing the first pieces of clothing she sees, and brings them over to him along with the medical kit she'd brought upstairs. "You'll be alright...you'll be just fine..."
"I'll, uh...leave you two alone..." Buffy2 excuses herself, turning for the door. As she walks out, she finds herself at a loss as to where to head in the elaborate building. < I wonder if he owns one of these in our world?> She walks into the first guest room down the hall, only to find Angel2 in the same state and position as Angel was. With nothing covering his showerfresh, still dripping wet body, Buffy had to take a few more gulps of air before taking another step forward. Her soft look traveled slowly over the back of his head, lingering on his well-sculptured, though somewhat frail back, then further down to his legs, a few cuts gracing their fair skin as well.
Her eyes bulged at the sight of those pitiful welts on the creamy tender flesh of his back. She wanted a whip in her hands to strike back at the vampires- namely the two that were, by now, downstairs, ready to be sent back to their world- who had so ruthlessly broken this poor gentle soul. She stared at the ladder of bloody welts on his back, and never before had felt such hate or anger.
She watches intently as he begins stumbling around the room, making his way over to the bed to pull on the clothes that Buffy'd said he could take from her own Angel's wardrobe. The pair of leather pants he was holding out in front of him took both Buffy2 and the still-shaky vampire by surprise. Being used to whatever rags Willow2 and Xander2 decided to toss at him from time to time, the sleek and lustrous style of this world's Angel gave them both quite a jolt.
As he slides the smooth leather over his skin, he glances up as he pulls up the zipper, finally taking notice of his audience.
"Oh!" Buffy2 gasps, realizing she'd been caught. "I- I'm sorry...I- uh- didn't know you were getting changed, I can- uh- come back-"
"No-" he tries rushing over to stop her, grabbing his side as a sharp pain radiates through it. Buffy2 hurries to his side, supporting his weight as she helps him to sit on the bed. "Are you...alright?"
"I'm starting- starting to heal," he whispers, finally lifting his eyes to look into her own. "I'm glad that- that I got a chance to see you again tonight."
"You are?"
"Of course," he answers her simply. "After we...after they send us all back...well, I don't know whether you and I will...if I'll get the chance to..."
"Angel..." she sighs, unconsciously laying a tentative hand over his shaking one, "you and I have both waited so long. Waiting for some sort of life- a salvation. After seeing how things are here- how different and- and pleasant things can be, I want that...with you." His eyes widen as Buffy2 continues. "This is a chance...maybe our only one, and...and I want to take it. I want what they have...what we should've had from the start."
"Buffy," he says her name in the gentlest of whispers, softly grabbing her hand. Buffy2 sighs, lowering her glance to her lap. "Buffy, it's- it's okay. It will be fine...with us. We'll be fine..." He casually slips an arm around her shoulders, and Buffy immediately pulls herself into his embrace.
She rests against him, finally feeling a sense of warmth and safety for the first time she could remember since being called. She could not remember being more comfortable in anyone's arms- not even her long-since slain parents. No- more than comfortable, it felt natural to be in Angel2's arms, as if she were born for this moment, born to relish in it.
Angel gently leans his head forward against hers, closing his eyes as he breathes in her warm, comforting scent. The scent he'd been praying for and dreaming of since arriving in Sunnydale years ago to meet this young woman he knew to be his destiny. As they sat, staring intently upon one another's face, Angel2 shyly trails his fingers along the side of her face, and nervously smiles up at her. "Buffy...I know you don't believe me, but...I- I love you. I just...I love you."
"I believe you," she sighs, pulling out of his arms to completely face him.
"You- you do? Why...?"
"Because...I love you..." Angel sighs upon hearing the words spill from her, looking down at her smiling face with longing eyes. He pulls Buffy2 closer against him, softly brushing his fingertips across her cheek as he nervously kisses her, just barely brushing his lips against her own.
*knock knock*
The sound makes them both leap apart from one another, as if caught doing something that was so wrong, only it felt more right than anything either one had ever experienced.
"Am I, uh...interrupting anything?" Buffy smiles as she enters the room fully.
"No, no..." her double shyly replies, standing up from the bed, helping Angel2 to his feet as well. "We just were...well, what you were saying earlier...thanks," a small grin forms at the corners of her mouth as she and Buffy embrace in a small hug.
"Buffy...is everything okay?" Angel appears at the doorwway, leaning against the frame for support, sporting a similar attire to what Angel2 was now clad in.
The deep puncture wound on his chest heavily bandaged, the only other thing covering his still partially wet form was a pair of leather pants, bearing a striking resemblance to the ones Angel2 had been leant. Standing across from one another, a mirrored image of small droplets of water gently trailing down their bruised chests sends a small glimmer of reflected light bouncing between them.
"We're getting out of here just in time," Buffy2 lets out a short chuckle before leaning over to whisper to her counterpart. "It's just too tempting having the two of them together like this."
******
Part 6
What if I was alright
What if I wasn't wound so tight
What if I had the guts to be bad
Would you still look at me like that
Would you be mad that I had had the old me back
"So, uh...in *your* reality, I'm like this badass vampire, huh?" Xander asks his counterpart, smiling at him in his usual goofy way as the vampire leans against the dining room table in the mansion, alongside his demon lover in their proper attire.
"And in *this* reality," Xander2 smirks, "I'm...*you*?" Xander proudly makes a display of himself, receiving only a groan of distaste from both Xander2 and Willow2. "How soon can we leave this circus, Jeeves?" he asks Giles and the familiar Giles2, who were busy with a less than willing Anya trying to formulate the spell to send the dopplegangers back to their own world.
"Uh, we're about ready here," Giles announces, lifting a head to face the group. Rising from her seat beside Angel, Buffy pulls her best friend over to the side to confront her about sending the vampires back.
"Will...do you think we're doing the right thing? Sending..." she warily tosses a glance to her two friends' vampire doubles, "*them* back? I mean, they are demons."
"We just can't kill them," Willow responds.
"No...I guess not..."
"I mean- I know she's not me...we have a big nothing in common, but, still...."
"There but for the grace of getting bit," Buffy offers her, pondering for a moment herself as she looks over to her own counterpart, standing beside Angel2.
"If we send them back to their world, then they stand a chance. That's the way it should be anyway."
Angel, standing from his seat, gives his bandage a quick check to see how fast he was healing. Lifting it at a corner, he's surprised to see that the stake-shaped hole in his chest was still bleeding steadily, realizing that the wound must've done more damage than he'd anticipated.
Her enhanced senses picking up on the scent of fresh, exposed blood, Willow2 slinks her way over to him, placing a hand on his bare shoulder. "Still bleeding, huh?" she smooths over her voice.
"Just a little," he replies automatically, thinking it was this world's Willow who had approached him. "It should've started healing by now...I don't know what's wrong."
"You know what..." the vampire slowly switches into gameface, inching closer to him. "I know something that'll make it all better."
Knowing that the shy redhead he'd come to call a close friend would never be that forward, or creepy, Angel turns, grabbing her hand tightly and pushing her away with whatever strength he had left. Hearing the growl that she lets out, Buffy, her counterpart, and Willow come storming over to the couch. "Nice try..." Angel grins, fixing his taping back into place.
"Do we have to dust you now-" Buffy begins.
"Or can you say- 'hands off'?" her more forceful twin finishes, pushing the vampire against the fireplace.
"Can't blame me for trying," Willow2 smiles, switching back to her human façade as she's finally released from Buffy2's grip. Walking past Angel from behind, she decides to get in one last feel of this world's more strapping and full-bodied version of her precious puppy.
"Hey!" Angel yelps, flinching forward as he feels a hand he recognized not to be Buffy's slide across his backside.
"Hands! Hands!!" Willow warns her other self, already seeing the two slayers drawing out stakes. "You definitely have to work on that."
"And there's a lot you have to work on," Willow2 glares at the meek teen. "First and foremost- I'd ditch the fuzzy," she lets a hand linger on her pink sweater, letting out a small chuckle.
"Really? Well, I've got a newsflash for you-" Reaching back, Willow lands a solid punch square across the demon's face, knocking her head back, eliciting an angry growl from her other self as her face flashes with her vampiric features for a moment. "-the mistress of pain look is out and fuzzy is *way* in."
Why can't I be
Somebody else
Somebody who
Isn't too afraid to believe
It's okay to be
Just me
Buffy shakes her head with a laugh, surprised though proud of her best friend's actions, as she approaches the vampire herself. "What is it with you anyway? The fact alone that you and Xander...err...*your* Xander are...whatever you are..." she shakes her head trying to knock the image out of her mind, "is, by far, reason enough for you to be a little freaky, but this...*thing* you have for poor Angel- this obsession-"
"Which by the way," Buffy2 cuts in, "is unhealthy in a major way..."
"Exactly," Buffy agrees, "this totally crosses the line. So why don't you do us both a favor-" the angered blonde wraps a hand around the top of the vamp's neck, her double mirroring her action, as the two slayer's shove her over to where Giles and Giles2 were finishing up their preparations.
"In exchange for letting you go back to your world in one piece-"
"-as opposed to millions of specks of ash-" Buffy2 adds.
"-you learn to control those nasty impulses of yours-"
"-as well as your hands-"
"And stay the hell away from Angel!" they both shout in unison, stunning the redheaded demon in return.
Maybe I was too much
Maybe I turned it down the notch
And maybe I have the mind to go mad
Maybe I'll mess me up real bad
Maybe I'll make you wish you had the old me back
Seeing that all of the doubles were beginning to gather around, Giles calls over all the others to begin. "Don't you try any tricks now, dear," he warns Anya, kneeling beside her on the floor. Lifting his head, Giles2 calls out to the others. "If you'll all just complete the circle we have here..."
"I don't need tricks!" the vengeance demon shouts. "When I get my powers back, you will all grovel before me!" she threatens them, receiving a roll of the eyes and loud scoffs from both Willows. Slowly walking over to her twin, Willow tries conjuring up the most practical and helpful advice she could offer.
"Good luck. Try not to kill people." On impulse, she pulls her into a small hug, not totally surprised to feel her cold hands begin to roam over her body yet again. "Hands, hands!! Again with the hands- what did we just say about that?"
"Sorry..." she pouts, opting to use her hands to explore Xander2 instead, wrapping him up into a tight embrace.
Taking her spot beside her counterpart, Buffy slowly looks over to her, not quite sure how to bid her farewell. She knew that she'd seen and dealt with a whole lot more that she never mentioned. More that she was to see and deal with later herself. The two were undeniably connected, even if not similar in most ways, and now there was nothing left to say but goodbye.
"Good luck..." Buffy finally whispers, placing a hand across Buffy2's. Letting out a small grin, the doppleganger grabs her other self's hand warmly. "Thank you...for everything. For...opening my eyes..." she unconsciously passes a sweet look towards Angel2, sitting beside her, clutching her other hand tightly. "And for the new clothes," she adds, looking down appreciatively at her new attire, a much welcomed change from the military commando look she had going for her upon first arrival.
Why can't I be
Somebody else
Somebody who
Isn't too afraid to believe
It's okay to be
Just me
As they watched, waiting for the inevitable to happen, within a matter of seconds, the doubles vanish midway through Anya and Giles' chant, returning to their own world with the hope to somehow make it better.
******
Finding themselves returned to their own chaotic world, Willow2 is the first of the dopplegangers to meet her fate. Finding no time to escape from Oz2's reach, she feels the splintered wood pierce her heart from behind, barely able to get out her final words. "Aww, fu-"
Caught up straight back in the middle of her battle against the master, Buffy2 feels his cold hands once again wrap around her neck, preparing to snap it. Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpses Angel2. Narrowly averting his own previous fate of being dusted, he races over to her, landing a high kick to the master's jaw, knocking him backwards off of the slayer. Leaving her just enough room to maneuver, Buffy sends him flying against the rusted steel pole that was projected out of the crumbling cement wall, staking him through the heart.
In an added effort, Angel2 grabs the sword that the slayer had brought along with her, sending the master's head spinning off with one quick slice.
******
"Now that the clone squad is gone," Cordelia says from her spot watching in the corner, "can someone please explain to me what exactly happened? And where was my clone, huh? How come everyone else gets one but me??"
"Because one of you is enough to last a million clones ten lifetimes," Xander grins back at her.
"Oh- don?t you start with me! I'm still mad at you for punching me!" she begins slapping him across the chest, backing him into the wall. "I've never been so mad at anyone in my entire life!"
"You might want to rethink that," Angel says to her, causing her to pause in her attack, allowing Xander to slip away onto one of the couches.
"What are you talking about?"
"Anya here was telling us about a wish you made a few months back," Oz fills in. "Something about Buffy never coming to Sunnydale, which basically led to mass chaos for all of us in another world."
Picking that up as he cue to exit, Anya pulls herself to her feet, racing towards the front doors of the mansion. "See you guys in class tomorrow!" Buffy begins to go after her until Willow calls her back.
"She's not worth it. Besides, she doesn't even have any of her powers."
"She's a vengeance demon..." Buffy muses to herself. "Guess you never can tell these days. Hey wait- what about Snyder? Ya know, he's always struck me as...never mind..." she trails off after seeing the others shaking their heads in disapproval of her theory. "So Cordy...care to explain why you wished me gone or would you like me to just hit you now and you can explain later?"
"Oh...well, I uh...ya see, I, umm...I was mad at Xander!" the brunette defends, grabbing her jacket to head out the door.
"Thus causing a backlash towards Buffy?" Xander looks at her, surprised by his girlfriend's actions. "When were you that mad at me?"
"Hello? Am I the only one who remembers how you spilled over half of my favorite perfume all over my desk?"
"Please don't tell me *that's* what caused all of this!" Buffy nearly dives towards Cordelia, prepared to deal with her in her own efficient manner. Trying to protect his foolish, yet still-loved girlfriend, Xander steps over between them, holding Cordelia behind his back.
"Come on, Buffy..." he gives her his best, goofy smile. "No use crying over spilled perfume, right? Right??" Sensing that their presence was no longer required, he pulls Cordy out from around him, dragging her quickly over to the front doors. "See you guys in chem. Angel- keep an eye on that nasty wound man, and uh...keep an eye on Buffy too! Make sure she doesn't leave the mansion tonight!!" he pleads, quickly dashing off.
Soon after, the others all make their departures, bidding the couple goodnight, leaving them to rest up and recover.
******
Daylight was fast approaching, and both Buffy2 and Angel2 could sense it. After a grueling, hard-fought battle, the master had finally been destroyed, along with his minions, and the shroud of death and misery that had shadowed the town for so long began to lift from Sunnydale. With Giles2 and the rest of the 'whitehats' already headed for their respective homes, Buffy2 and Angel2 found themselves in an awkward situation. No place to go for either of them- no family, no home...just the sense of security and belonging that they'd both finally found in one another.
He was sure they would talk about things. How could they avoid it? But they didn't. For a long time they only stand side by side, overlooking the small town from its highest hilltop. Angel2 looks over at his slayer. Her eyes were large and glassy. Perhaps because of the full realization of the battle they'd just won, or perhaps because of the future that was now being offered to her.
"The sun will be up soon..." she casually remarks, glancing over at him. "You should get inside." There was a long pause between the two before she adds the single word Angel had been hoping for. "*We* should get inside."
"Where are you...I mean, you don't live here. Where- where are you staying?"
"Don't know," she turns to face him fully. "Jeeves- err...Giles said we were both welcome to stay with him." She lets out a small chuckle that Angel picks up on.
"What?"
"Giles...he offered to...to train me- here. Be my new watcher- teach me some discipline," she does her best impersonation of his strict and uptight voice, her heart beginning to melt as she hears Angel2 laugh for the very first time.
"Are you going to? Stay, I mean? He- here?" Buffy fixes her gaze on him, a warm smile breaking out across her face.
"Well that depends...where are you going to stay? I mean, you've pretty much been stuck here under house arrest for a few years. Now that you can leave, why would you wanna stay?"
Angel2 ever so slowly places a hand against her arm, lightly pulling her into an embrace, his cheek against her hair, his voice tight with thick emotion. "For the same reason I came here in the first place...to find my destiny," he reaches up a hand, gently cupping the side of her face. "To finally be with you."
He was murmuring her name as he pulled her close, tugging off the small clip from her head, letting loose her hair before cupping her head in his hands to gently ease it closer to his lips. Soft tresses of blonde hair shadow their mouths as they lose themselves to the heated embrace. Gently, Angel2 runs his fingers over her cheek, capturing her lips with his once more before reluctantly pulling away, seeing the glowing orb looming in the horizon. Clasping her hand in his, he leads her down the hill, beginning their walk through the now-peaceful streets of their Sunnydale.
Suppose I said
You're my saving grace
******
Finding safety and comfort in one another's arms, Buffy and Angel were resting peacefully in bed. The sleepy slayer was more than content as she lay in her boyfriend's arms, her head resting against his stomach as she was curled up alongside him, careful not to upset his slowly healing wound.
"What did your mom say?"
"It's okay that I'm spending the night. I don't think she would've been able to handle an explanation of things tonight anyway. She kept telling me to make sure that you're okay. She thinks you were having some sort of breakdown when you stopped by the house after the other you was already by looking like some sort of runaway from the asylum."
Lightly tracing random patterns across his skin, she quietly studies his form. "I thought I'd lost you. I've never been that scared before in my whole life." Her voice is barely even a whisper as she runs her hand along the side of his stomach, softly kissing each of his bruises.
"I'm not going anywhere," Angel assures her, pulling the sheets up tighter around them. "What do you think they're doing right now?"
"Who?" she raises her head to face him.
"Us...the *other* us," he smiles down at her, shifting a bit against the pillows.
"I don't know...but I think whatever happens to them now that they've gotten back to their world, they're together. And that's all that matters."
"I can't imagine what it must've been like for both of them," Angel sighs. "Not having anyone to turn to. No one to love and depend on."
"I don't have a clue how she managed to stay as sane as she seemed to be. Well, aside from the whole trying to stake my boyfriend thing," she chuckles. "But slaying...that's all she's ever had. That's all she's ever known. I don't know how I would've managed to keep out of a straight jacket if it wasn't for all the gang, and you..." she trails off, turning slightly to look up at him. "Angel...you're the one person who I can always depend on, for everything. And in all of the chaos that's happened, I just wanted some time alone with you to tell you that, and how much I appreciate it. No matter what, you've always been honest and you've never once done anything to hurt me, or anyone else for that matter. You've never let me down, and I know you never will because that's the type of person you are."
"That's the type of person we *both* are," he adds, capturing her lips with his own.
They lay in peaceful silence until she speaks up again. "Today had to be one of my most bizarre ones to date. I mean, it's still hard to believe- having them all here, seeing what we all could've been like if things would've been different." Deciding that their night had already had its fill of depressing gloominess and philosophizing over alternate worlds and dimensions, she tries turning their conversation to a happier note. "And speaking of different," she pulls herself up to run a hand through his dry hair, "what happened to my masterpiece, huh buddy? I spent all of that time getting your hair just perfect, and what do you do? How am I rewarded?"
"Well how would you like to be rewarded?" he beams back, still amazed by the power that this young woman had over him. "Would you like me to try my hand at doing *your* hair?" Seeing her immediate look of disapproval, he props himself up fully against his pillow, pulling her up completely into his arms. "Oh come on- weren't you the one saying just this morning how change in a person can be a good thing? What happened to your whole 'variety's the spice of life' philosophy?"
"After everything we've been through today, I've had a major change of heart. So long as you're always you and I'm always me, I'll be more than thrilled with life..." she leans in to give him a heated kiss, pulling away with a slight grin, "...and so long as I can keep anyone else from calling you their 'puppy' ever again..."
Suppose I said
You're my saving grace
******
THE END
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