Author: Nightbird. ([email protected])

Distribution: All my Buffy lists and if you want it LMK.

Archived: My site SHL when I next update http://buffy.acmecity.com/doppelsauger/320

Spoilers: Surprise, Innocence,

Summary: 20 years after my version of Innocence a shadowy figure pays homage to some graves.

Classification: Part of my new series, Future and Past revealed

Disclaimer: Not mine, belong to Joss. Thanks for caring!

Feedback: Feedback wanted for a loving home, Flame me and there’s a rant fic with your name on! (I’m just a tad defensive no?)

Notes: Lets see my version of Innocence is the almost same but the ending is total different, the rest of the second season and third season never
happen cause of a plot hole that you could drive a truck though. (I like it so it stays!) Plot hole is that there was no Miss Calendar, I did like her but for this
fic to work she had to go! Anyway this is set in a alternate reality where every major city is in ruins and the vampires are in control, there’s curfew and
safe house and this is all because of Buffy/Angel sleeping together and the whole Angelus thing. This fic goes backwards in time from part 2-4, anything
after that is moving forward.

Part 0ne:

Sunnydale Year 2028~

The graves loomed up in front of me. The ravages of time and the destruction of war had slowly removed the writing but I could still read it. It was
emblazoned on the back of my eyes with the image of how I found them. Kneeling down I reached out and smoothed the chipped marble of the headstone
and traced the faded script that ran across it. Murmuring it to myself I placed the flowers I carried with me down as I said good bye to my best friends.
Running my hands over the first name I said goodbye to the one person who had known me from Childhood.

"Goodbye Xander, I miss you know I always did love you some little bit of my heart never did forget my first crush. Sleep peacefully my friend."

The next was my one true love,

"Oz, dear heart, I miss you so much, I found your collar yesterday, yes I was sorting though what’s left of my house. Was it only 20 years ago that we
were all alive? Are you chasing vans up there now."

Running my hands over the little carving above the next name, I smiled

Only Giles would love a book with a Union Jack flying above. That brought back memories of the kindly man with the love of books and how he must have
fought but not succeeded.

"Goodbye Giles, Requiescat in pace my friend and mentor."

The last name bid me pause, she was our strength and the only reason we made it though childhood, but on the other hand she was a pawn in their
deaths but I can’t blame her she made me what I am.

"Goodbye Buffy, you always were beauty and grace not too mention the only slayer that died and returned again. The last slayers haven’t been very good
I’ve helped them from a distance I’ve been in hiding for the last 20 years they never found my body, I wasn’t dead that’s why, My name is on this stone but
I’m not there I’m here looking after you. Oh and Guess what I’m with you in the watchers diary except I’m in there twice while you’re down three times. For
being the only slayer to defeat the Master, the only slayer to come back from the dead and the only slayer to have loved Angelus, I’m down as one of the
Slayerettes and as the Wisp the vampiric hunter, they don’t know I’m the same person. "

I place the last flowers on the grave and stand up looking around the graveyard. My instincts tingle and I reach for my cross, it burns though the thick
gloves I wear but I’m use to the pain, letting my game face show I look around and see him. The reason that they are lying in the dirt and why I’m a
creature of the night. Angelus the scourge of Europe and my sire all though he does not know that. I slide the cross back into my coat and fade back into
the day-night that is all that exists now.

Part two:

L.A, year 2015~

The city of Los Angeles was in chaos. Stores were looted and house and flats lay in ruins. People picked their way across the rubble trying to make it to
the safe houses before the curfew blew and the gates locked and woe betided anyone caught outside after the curfew their fate was certain death for the
night creatures, the vampires ruled LA. A young woman steadily walked across the rubble avoiding the few police cars that still patrolled the streets before
curfew and had orders to shoot vampires on sight. Willow ducked down into an alleyway and walked into a small, dilapidated room and looked over the
counter. A small man appeared carrying a box, after placing it on the counter and taking the money Willow offered he scampered back into he the room
behind the curtain. Willow opened the box and pulled out one of the packets of blood contained with in before feeding and leaving as the siren signalling
curfew blared.

The streets were deserted as she walked along the darkness and silence broken only by the movement of the Vampires and the screams of the few who
hadn’t made it to the safe house in time. As she turned the corner she spotted a young child hiding in the corner as a vampire slowly headed towards it.
Willow slipped into game face and moved toward the vampire before announcing her presence with an well-aimed stake. The vampire never knew what
hit him. Quickly before anyone else came across them she swooped down on the child and carried her off. The nearest safe house was just down the
road and Willow rang the bell and waited for it to be answered. When the door opened she reared back as a cross was shoved out the door, After handing
the child over she started to walk off, the sister who opened the door called out,

"Wait, who are you?"

Willow turned her face squished up in game face and replied,

"Just call me Will… Wisp."

Part three:

Sunnydale year 2000~

A pile of old newspapers fluttered on the breeze as Spike strolled down the alleyway. He was happy; Angelus had left for Los Angeles that morning. Dru
was moping but Angelus was gone. "Good riddance to the bloody poof " thought Spike as he continued on his way down the alley in search for something
to eat. A flash of movement and red hair caught his eye and he moved closer to the girl huddled in the corner. As he reached out to grab her, her head
snapped up and she growled, vamping out. Spike reared back,

"Bloody hell, it’s you hacker, I though Angelus killed you all."

Willow just whimpered and pulled back into the wall at the mention of Angelus. Spike bent down and looked at her closely,

"What have you been eating? Rats? You’re skin and bone."

He reached over to her and pulled her up, sighing he shook his head and started walking back to the mansion with Willow following him. On the way over
he asked questions,

"Who’s you sire?"

"Angelus."

Spike looked at her and said to himself,

"Strange I would of thought he’d be boasting about having one of the Slayer’s friends as a childe."

He hardly caught the whispered,

"He doesn’t know."

Spike whipped his head around and stared at her,

"He doesn’t know yet he sired you? How did the great poobah manage that?"

"He bit me and then Buffy hit him across the head and he put his hand over my mouth to stop me screaming and I bit him and by mistake swallowed."

She replied looking at the ground. Spike started laughing,

"Only Angelus could have managed to screw up like that and still turn someone. Oh I can’t wait to tell him about this."

Willow tugged on his shirt,

"Please don’t tell him."

Spiked looked back at her,

"And why not?"

"Cause I want revenge and if he thinks I’m dead then I can get closer and avenge their deaths."

"Spike looked at her thoughtfully,

"And what do I get if I don’t tell him?"

"No Angelus for one and as you’re his oldest living childe you take over from him if he dies."

Spike thought about it for a moment before turning back to face her,

"You have a deal, although if you’re gonna kill him you’re gonna need to be in better shape, where have you been staying?"

"Angel’s old apartment, he never goes there cause it reminds him too much of his soul time."

Spike nodded his head and made a detour towards the apartment,

"I’ll be back for you tomorrow night so no funny business or disappearing, I’m not having my one chance at revenge getting staked by the idiotic slayer
they’ve sent."

Part four:

Sunnydale year 1998~

Willow looked up and stretched, her eyes were watering from staring at the computer screen for too long, turning around she looked at the rest of gang.
Buffy was carving stakes and trying to stay awake, Xander had given up researching and was fast asleep drooling on the open book he was using as a
pillow. Giles was trying to rescue his book from underneath Xander and Cordy was filling her nails and Oz was strumming at his guitar.

They had got no where on how to stop Angelus and buffy was getting even more depressed by the minute. Just then a group of vamps pushed into library
led by Angelus,

"Hello lover."

That was the last rational thing that happened, Buffy was almost fast asleep and Angelus knew that. What followed was short and brutal, the vamps
attacked the rest of the group and Angelus went for Buffy. Willow dropped to the floor and tried to crawl towards the office or the door but Angelus spotted
her and dropped Buffy before walking over and picking her up.

Willow whimpered as she felt his sharp fangs pierce her neck and then a strange lethargic sensation spread though her as her life past before her eyes
and the blood slowly drained out of her body. The last thing she remembered was the sight of Buffy standing behind Angelus and the hitting him with a
very heavy volume of demons then his hand sliding into her mouth and the chance to escape, she brought her teeth down and he howled. The blood
poured into her mouth and as much as she tried not to swallow she couldn’t help herself the coppery taste made her gag.

When she woke she was alone in the library hidden from the sun by a fallen bookshelf, peering over the edge she gasped, the smell of blood was
overwhelming her and she could feel her face changing. Skirting the puddles of sun she walked over to the first body, turning it over she sucked in a
un-needed breath, Buffy’s eyes were rolled back in her head and her hair was red with blood and where her throat was, was a ragged, bloody hole. Willow
turned and forced down her last human meal and walked over to Xander, he looked like he was sleeping lying stretched out on the floor, Cordelia’s broken
body beneath him but the two simple puncture marks on his neck told a different story. A gurgling caught her attention and she ran over to Oz ignoring the
pain that hissed though her arm where it came in contact with the sun. Gently she lifted Oz’s head up and watched as his eyes rolled backwards and his
last word came out on a soft breath that without her new found hearing she would have missed, "Revenge for us Wills, love you."

She gently laid him back down and ran for the stairs, tripping over Giles’s broken body on the way, pulling at the exit door she stumbled into the tunnels
and collapsed in a dark corner. The horror of what she had seen and of what she was caught up to her and she lost the last thing she ate, a peanut butter
and jelly bagel before curling up in a ball and letting the tears run down her face. Before she fell asleep the memory of Oz’s last words floated though her
mind and she vowed that revenge would be hers.

Part Five:

Sunnydale year 2028

He doesn't know I'm his childe he thinks I'm buried with the others. It's just as well that I arranged to have my name added to the stone, Spike's coming
round later to let me know what he's been up to as the leader of the vampires in LA. I already know I have a lot of Internet connections including someone
in his circle, I still go under my ICQ name Red, Spike's nickname for me.

Spike, he's gone though a lot the last slayer was kinda like Faith she got into the mansion and killed Dru, spike ripped her to pieces, it wasn't pretty, I've
taken over from Buffy's reputation The Wisp is rapidly becoming a force to be reckoned with. I'm getting closer to granting Oz's last request. Their deaths
still haunt me I wake screaming drenched in sweat. It's times like this I'm glad no one goes near Angel's old apartment. When I first took it over it hurt so
much to see all the pictures of us and Buffy that Angel had drawn. Strange how I still separate him, he's Angel our helper and friend and the love of Buffy's
life and then he's also Angelus, my sire the leader of the LA branch and the reason that the people live in constant fear. Not even the daylight can save
them; there is none now.

People spend their days in the safe house, the television used to broadcast what was happening in the rest of the world, not anymore now the only link I
have to the outside world is the net and even that is fading away.

Spike has arrived and I’m waiting in the hallway, he says I'm a master vamp even though I'm only about 20 vamp years old, the vamps now a days don't
feel, love, hate or anything, they're just killing machines. As I wait I stare at the empty mirror and wish I could see what I looked like. Spike says I could
jump out in front of Angelus and say boo and he wouldn't recognise me, I had my hair cut a decade ago and the only thing that still would recognised me
is that I have a stake with their names tattooed around my arm.

Me and Spike, well after Dru was staked and he ripped the slayer apart, he came over and we just talked about everything and ended up in bed, He's now
my unofficial sire, he says Buffy would have staked him if she was still alive. I don’t think so, I think she’s glad he’s watching over me.

Part six "Bridge"

L.A 2029~

I’m in L.A again, it’s been two months since I was in Sunnydale and things are taking a turn for the worst. Angelus launched a massive search though
Sunnydale while I was there he was looking for the Wisp, I had to dye my hair black and play as Spike’s latest Childe. It fooled them and I guess Angelus
is getting worried, well he should I took out two of his co-leaders a week ago. The vampire gossip circle moves faster than the one in high school and that
was pretty fast. It’s making him look like an idiot to loose two of his co-leaders by the Wisp and yet have no clue to who she is.

I’m stepping up on my plan, Angelus is going down and I will get revenge. He’s back in Sunnydale to talk with Spike about his latest plan and then he’ll go
to the graveyard and look at the grave as he always does. He never goes close to it it’s like he’s afraid that someone will grab him thought the ground; he’s
still scared of us. Well he should be cause I’m coming back from the dead.

Part Seven:

Sunnydale 2029~

The moon is hidden behind the clouds only illumination comes from two pairs of glowing yellow eyes. I adjust the long black coat I’m wearing and
straighten the hat that covers my distinctive red hair that is a trademark of the Wisp. Spike turns to me and asks,

"So what’s the plan?" do you want me to distract him?"

"Nope your gonna wait here I’m gonna fight him and if I die then your gonna use Mr. Pointy here and stake him for me."

Angelus choose that moment to arrive and I vamp out as he looks at the gravestone and laughs mockingly,

"The longest living slayer and her Slayerettes, I should have kept you alive just so you could see what had happened to the world but you’re all dead."

I stepped up behind him,

"Actually, you’re wrong, I’m not dead, daddy dearest."

The look of shock and horror that settled on his face would have made me burst out laughing if I wasn’t gonna kill him.

"Willow? What the…."

"I’m afraid Willow doesn’t exist anymore, you turned her, I’m Wisp now a days."

His face paled and he launches at me, I move and he misses,

"Getting slow in your old age Angelus?"

We circle each other before I strike, a flood of kicks and punches rain down on him and I take out all my frustration that’s been building over the past 20
years, A vicious right hook bounces harmlessly off my arm and I pound his head into ground,

"That’s for killing my friends."

He struggles up and pushes me off him and we return to circling. The next set of punches he throws hit me and I taste blood. Spike is growling quietly in
the background and I know he’s not going to stay put. I’m right as the light catches his blond hair and he smacks Angelus across the back of his head.
Angelus howls in pain and I push him off and face him, it’s ironic really a father been attacked by his chides.

He knows he’s beaten, and Spike steps aside while I get my revenge for everyone else. By the time I’m finished, he’s bleeding and Spike is holding him
upright. The mighty Angelus beaten by the "Wisp" Spike tosses me Mr. Pointy and I bow,

"Say goodnight daddy dearest. This for the Scooby gang may we live forever."

I plunge it into his heart and watch as the pain and shock spread across his face before he turns to dust. I collapse to the ground, the adrenaline slowly
seeping out of my body and I cry for the gang and their lost years. Spike holds me close and allows me to cry before helping me up and leading me out of
the graveyard.

We went to LA. Yesterday and took over the reins of Angelus’ rule. The wisp will not be retiring, she will continue to haunt the streets.

END