TITLE: Not A Slayer Anymore
AUTHOR: Ragna (writinggoddess@aol.com)
RATING: FRT
CLASSIFICATION: An AU, in an alternate Wishverse. Jonathan/Larry, Xander/Willow, Cordelia/Oz and Jenny/Giles pairings, as well as former Willow/Angel.
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.
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. I'm starting to answer gidgetgirl's The Weirdness Challenge as well. I've already answered most of the requirements (Doyle as a teacher, vamped out Giles, vamp Giles/Jenny relationship) and there's two left to answer.

***

Buffy listened while Harmony told her about who Buffy really was in this reality. Harmony occupied a position in the group that was unique; she was a friend of Buffy's as well as a friend of Larry's, so the group that spent so much time in the library wasn't ostracized. In fact, she had helped spearhead the cross campaign for the entire school.

Buffy was exactly like Cordelia had been, it turned out. Except for some reason different from sending her boyfriend to Hell, Buffy had left for the summer and come back, almost not being able to reenter school. But she was back to being the Queen B in more ways than one, apparently, and that was why Willow hated her so much.

Of course, Willow hated everyone at the moment; Larry had had to send her lover, Angel to Hell.

Buffy almost fainted when she heard that one.

"So even though she's with Xander..." Buffy began.

"She still isn't over Angel. And I guess you were trying to flirt with him a lot."

"Oh." Buffy swallowed. "Where I was at, Angel was...he was..."

"Yours?"

"Yeah." Buffy thought of something. "Did he get his soul back before he was sent to Hell?"

"No. Willow was knocked unconscious and she's the only one who does magic. I mean, Jenny could have done it, but--"

"Jenny Calendar? She's alive?"

Harmony nodded. "Yeah. Giles got bit when he was saving her from Angelus. He's actually a vampire...notice how dark the library is? Giles never leaves it, except to go home after dark. Jenny got him with a spell not that long after Angelus made him a vamp. New & improved...no moment of happiness clause."

"Wow. I never imagined Giles as a vampire."

Harmony nodded. "This is the only place in the school where we don't where our crosses. There's a few other non-human teachers too. Especially the new one."

"Who's he?"

"An English teacher, Mr. Doyle. He's from Ireland." The blonde giggled conspiratorially. "He's only half-demon. And he has visions. He's part of the team here, too...helped Larry save a few lives. And he's nice. And the accent...to die for."

Buffy smiled. This Harmony seemed so much nicer than the Harmony she already knew. No wonder they were friends here.

***

She met Mr. Doyle after her English class, which she did pretty well in. Apparently she was a fairly good student here, unlike where she was from.

"So. You're the lass that Giles told me about at break," he said, sitting on the desk in front of Buffy.

"Yup."

Doyle nodded. "Then call me Doyle. Only after class, though." He rubbed a hand through his black hair. "I'd thought that last vision was a strange one...hadn't felt the sense of anyone being in danger, just of major change. But I saw someone hand you a necklace."

"Like this one?" she asked, pulling the pendant Anyanka had given her out of a pocket. Harmony had given her a spare cross to wear in it's place.

Doyle nodded again. "Aye, that's the one."

"Then maybe you saw what happened where I'm from."

This time Doyle shook his head. "'Fraid not. I see things in this dimension alone."

"So that means I'm getting another necklace?"

"I think so."

"Great..."

***

That evening, Buffy joined Larry on his patrol. "So, that's why Willow's so steamed at me?"

"Pretty much. If she hadn't walked in, Angel and the old Buffy would have been doing something resembling images on a porn tape." He shrugged. "She wasn't that happy with Angel, either, but then he was actually Angelus. I think it hurt more that while she gave him his moment of happiness, when he was Angelus he couldn't care less about her. Seemed to be obsessed with you."

"Some things never change."

"I take it Angelus was obsessed with you where you're from?"

"Yeah. Except things turned out differently..." She shook her head. "She may hate me, but I see Willow and I see a friend. I just want my friend back, you know?"

"I have a good idea."

"I wish I'd gotten to know you better, if you were like this where I'm from."

Larry laughed. "Who knows? Maybe I am."