TITLE: Not A Slayer Anymore
AUTHOR: Ragna (writinggoddess@aol.com)
RATING: FRT
CLASSIFICATION: An AU, in an alternate Wishverse. Jonathan/Larry, Xander/Willow and Cordelia/Oz pairings.
SUMMARY: Cordelia wishes that Buffy wished she wasn't the Slayer, instead of wishing that Buffy never came to town.
SPOILERS: Set after "The Wish" but in a completely different Wishverse. Evidence of the changes will be a lot more apparent in the next part, especially since Buffy goes back to season 2 events.
DISTRIBUTION: Any sites with my fic up; you all have unspoken permission. I write it, you can post it. Everyone else just keep my name on it and let me know.
DISCLAIMER: If you don't recognize it, chances are it's my own creation. If you do, I don't own it. Joss Whedon, Kazui Sandollar, The WB, UPN, et. al. most likely do.
FEEDBACK: Please send it offlist and let me know it's feedback; I do rapid delete on my account due to a lot of spam.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This hopefully won't be too long, since I know there are a set of females waiting to get an answer to their challenge. ::grin:: I took the challenge presented by the Geekgirlz called the Wishverse Challenge; info on it can be found at http://www.geekgirlz-r.us/challenge/wish.html. Later, I'll be answering gidgetgirl's The Weirdness Challenge, after I introduce a few more characters and get some more situations set up.

***

It was a strange feeling that Buffy had, entering Sunnydale High School that morning. For one thing, the students didn't look to be in their normally dazed state. And for another, everyone wore crosses.

No one had worn crosses the day before.

Buffy shrugged and walked towards the library. Maybe it was one of those prayer vigils at the flagpole or something. Not that it mattered. She had about twenty minutes to talk with Giles and tell him about the weird girl from last night before she had to go to class.

And then she noticed just weird, little things as she began to run to the library. People who should have been dead, teachers who had left...they'd all done that a year before.

Great, now she was a year in the past.

She burst through the library doors, stopping a moment to catch her breath. "Giles, something strange has gone on, I got a visit last night from someone who could grant my wish and I wished I wasn't the Slayer anymore and this morning I wake up and not only is everything just plain different but it's a year or two old."

Giles looked up from the musty book he was reading and stared at Buffy. "Young lady, what are you talking about? The fantasy section is to the left, and it's Mr. Giles, thank you."

Buffy stared at him for a moment before falling to the floor.

***

"It was the only way to make it work," Anyanka said to D'Hoffryn. "I would have gone back two years or she never would have come to Sunnydale. That place needs a Slayer."

D'Hoffryn nodded, but he was still frowning. "I can see your reasoning, Anyanka, but the fact that you let a mortal decide another mortal's wish..."

"You told me to grant every wish I get sent to grant, and that was Cordelia's." Anyanka shrugged.

"Then you need to go fix things. Here." D'Hoffryn handed her another locket, and waved his hand over her face. Anyanka could feel her hair growing longer. "You no longer look the same; Buffy may trust you more easily. But this won't be an easy assignment, or a short one, and there is a lot to correct."

Anyanka nodded and clasped the amulet around her neck. "Same fail-safe as the others?"

"Only Buffy's wish activates it."

"Wish me luck."

"You've never needed it before, why should I wish it to you know?" were the last word Anyanka heard before flitting through dimensions again.

***

Buffy woke up in Giles' office. She was sure she hadn't heard what he had said. Positive...she'd bet money on it if she was a betting woman.

She walked out into the library's lobby and glanced at the group before her. There was Xander and Willow and Cordelia...and they were all glaring at her. Jonathan was there, and so were Harmony and Larry. "What's going on?" she asked weakly.

"I took a good look at the pendant you were wearing when you came into the library, Giles began. "You were under a spell. We took it off, but, alas, you're still here."

"Well, of course I'm here! I'm the Slayer!"

"No, I am," Larry said, testing the sight on the crossbow he'd been holding. "There's another one running around, but Faith's in Cleveland."

"You mean Slayers are guys and girls here?"

Larry nodded. "Yeah. Even though there's supposed to be one--"

"Will you shut up, Larry!" Willow hissed. "She isn't one of us. She's just a bitch who likes to win everything and take whatever she wants."

"Who, Will..."

"Only my friends call me Will," she said as Xander squeezed her hand.

Larry shook his head. "I think we can trust her." He tossed her a fighting staff. "Care for the practice?"

"Why not?" They moved to a practice area and began sparring. Buffy more than held her own; traveling between dimensions didn't seem to diminish her own Slayer skill even if her strength was sapped.

"Best work out I've had in a while," Larry said, taking a dish towel Giles had set on the counter and wiping his forehead. "You can really fight."

"Had the best teachers."

"Astonishing," Giles muttered, and even Xander, Cordelia and Jonathan agreed. Willow just continued to sulk.

"Well, let's do real introductions, then," Larry said. "This here's my boyfriend, Jonathan. Only openly gay couple in school and no one messes with us. Wonder why..." Jonathan and Buffy looked at each other and laughed. "Xander and Willow are joined at the hip, and Cordelia dates the bassist--"

"Guitarist," Cordelia corrected."

"So sorry. The guitarist for 'The Last Echo.'"

"Would his name be Oz?"

"Daniel, really," Cordelia said, "but yeah, he goes by Oz."

"How do you know about us?" Larry asked.

"Let's just say things are really similar at home..."