Not the End

I was sitting at my computer checking up on the news back home when it happened. Things had seemed wrong with the world for a while, but I had pushed it aside. What do you except when there's a conservative president working a paranoid population into a puritanical frenzy? That was what I had been telling myself. I mean seriously, I'd have to be fingerprinted just to go home over Thanksgiving. Not that I would, mind you. Mom and Dad had survived the implosion of what had been Sunnydale, but they still lived in denial. To my mother, Kennedy was still my "roommate" no matter what I tried to tell her. For two allegedly intelligent people, they can be rather dim.

Anyway, I was reading the home news, when it clicked. The world was slipping away from us into darkness. I had to do something. I had to find out what was behind it.

I looked over at the bed to find Kennedy's still sleeping form. Not wanting to wake her, she'd been having some pretty intense nights of slaying lately, I grabbed the phone and took it into the kitchen.

While the coffee brewed, I went through my mental list. Buffy, no, this was bigger than her. Giles and company, maybe, but they were good for intel only these days. Andrew and the new girls weren't exactly up to the task. I really wanted to contact Faith, but that might prove impossible. Wes was the only one who had been in contact with her of late, and Angel Inc. and I weren't exactly on speaking terms.

It wasn't my fault that no one called me. I had no idea that they needed my help until it was too late. Giles had refused to contact me for them. He doesn't trust Angel these days. Meanwhile, I had been in Tibet rescuing a young slayer, and didn't know Fred had died. I don't think that I could have done much anyway, but Angel is one of my oldest friends. I should have been there when he needed me.

Well into my second cup of coffee, I made my decision. I'd go to LA myself to scout the scene. If they didn't want my help fine, I'd do it alone, but I had to take the first step. For the sake of the world and our wounded friendship I would make the offeI maI made the arrangements to return and waited for Kennedy to wake up.

I have to give my girl credit. She responded a lot better than I would have. Not that I don't trust her, but sometimes when we're together...well suffice it to say that it feels like I don't have her full attention. Anyway, Kennedy was cool with it. Mind you, not cool enough with it to come with, but cool enough about it to not mind my going.

When I got to LA, not much was different. Well, if you can call $3.00 a gallon for gas and $4.00 a gallon for milk not that different. I booked a hotel room, which was surprisingly cheap, and set about deciding not to make any phone calls. Go ahead and laugh if you want, I still do. The irony of one of the world's most powerful witches not being able to make that call was not lost on me.

After what was just another sleepless night in a life full of them, I took a cab to the LA headquarters of Hell Incorporated. I'd never been there before, but the building I found was not what I expected. From the outside it looked like any other large office building downtown. It was once I got inside that I realized I was in the right place.

Disregard the forked tailed demon walking through the lobby with a briefcase. It was the alarm that seemed to spread through the security guys like wildfire that scared the hell out of me. They must have some kind of magic detection devices, because I was in handcuffs before I could even ask for directions.

"I'm here to see Angel," I said.

They just laughed.

"Tell him it's Willow Rosenberg!"

I was there for quite some time wondering if I would have to hurt some of my friends' employees, and wondering what kind of statement that would make, when I finally spotted a friendly face. Or at least I thought I did. I had received a full report from Giles about Fred's death, but there she was. Or was she?

"Fred?"

She turned to face me, and I was instantly confused. The face was right, sort of, but I could see it in her eyes. This was some kind of cruel trick.

"You recognize this form?" she asked.

She paused to look at me, and I now know what the animals in the zoo feel like. She cocked her head to the side.

"I have memories of you. You were a friend."

She turned to the guards.

"Release this one."

Her tone with Wolfram and Hart's finest sent chills down my spine. I made an immediate note to self that whoever this Fred look alike was, I was going to remain on her good side.

The guards immediately let me go. The girl that wasn't Fred grabbed my arm, almost roughly but not enough to hurt, and practically dragged me across the lobby and into an awaiting elevator.