Tasha knocked at the door.

"Who the hell's that?" Spike wondered.

Mona giggled. "We call her Natasha Hellfire, but I guess here she's something like a saint."

"A saint?" Spike looked utterly astonished. "The patron of what, trashy clothing and filthy cats?"

"You're a bad rude man," Mona replied as she felt his hands sliding down her body.

"Bet I am," he replied with a grin.

Tasha knocked harder.

"Perhaps she'll go away," Spike suggested, increasing his pressure as well, causing his lover to moan in anticipation. Spike intensified his attentions.

Tasha heard strange noises from within. Was her friend crying?

"Hullo??? Mona? Are you alright?"

"Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Mona screamed.

Tasha frowned. Was it possible she KNEW? Tasha kept knocking at the wooden door persistently, for her friend was in need. "Open up!" Tasha Finn demanded. "Now! Open that door!"

"Yes," Spike whispered under his breath, "Open that f***ing door..."

"Let me in!" Tasha yelled in alarm. "What on earth are you doing?"

"Comin'," Mona replied, running out of breath.

"I hope so," Tasha replied, "We must talk!"

Mona pushed Spike aside and staggered to the door as she was.

"It was high ti..." Tasha stood and stared.

Mona grinned. "Yes?"

Behind the Slayer, Spike appeared. With an ambiguous smile, he asked: "Would you like to come, too?"

Tasha blushed and turned round on the threshold. "Sodom and Gomorrha," she murmured. "You'll get what you deserve."

Mona giggled. "Yes, fortunately that's not Riley Finn..."

Tasha ran down the stairs, tears streaming down her face.

*

"Five minutes past midnight," Tara said.

"Beltane has begun," Willow explained, "From now on, 25 hours."

"Who will do it?" Tara asked.

Willow smiled. "I would never ask you to. I will be the vessel. Can you take it?"

Tara nodded. "Don't worry about me. I shouldn't be your priority."

Willow smiled faintly. "You'll always be my first priority, Tara."

Tara did not return the smile. "Begin. Please."

Willow's face was serene and full of determination.

She bowed her head and lit a candle.

Asmodis looked at Tara. "That's it?"

Tara seemed deeply moved. "These are our ways. Open your mind to them, and you shall receive."

Asmodis shrugged. He doubted this spell would do anything. Yet he appreciated Willow's attempt to cheer everyone up a little.

"You don't believe in it, do you?" Tara asked.

"I believe there are things beyond our grasp," Asmodis replied evasively.

Tara glared at him. "For one through whom the Powers work their magic, you are very vague," she hissed and left the room, slamming the door.

Asmodis sighed. "Did I say anything wrong? Will, I think I'd better go and..." He broke off. As he turned to say good-night to Willow, she did not look like the witch he knew any more. She seemed taller, impressive, surrounded by a shining light, powerful, and... simply beautiful. From her eyes shone a different light, the face of another woman seemed to lie beneath her face, shining through and taking possession, surging through Willow.

"You're not going anywhere," the woman said in a melodic voice that was not at all Willow's.

"Will?" Asmodis asked carefully.

The woman seemed to consist entirely of light, without any real substance. "Do not call me by the name of my vessel," the woman replied.

"Who are you?" Asmodis asked.

"Do you need to ask?" she said with amusement. "I am the Maiden, the Mother, and the Death Crone."

Asmodis did not understand, and yet understood that he did not need to.

The woman touched his cheek with Willow's hand, and it was like a summer wind, warm and caressing. "Tell me, spellcaster, do you wish to save your union with the one you love, and free the soul of your friend?"

"Of course I do," Asmodis replied in confusion.

The woman smiled. "Then give yourself over. Honor me as Beltane asks you to. Be the High Priest as Willow has become my High Priestess."

"What shall I..." Asmodis did not finish the sentence. He felt a strong presence taking over his consciousness, driving him back in his own mind, like the lion overshadows the mouse without making it disappear. He could still see and feel, but did not command his own body, and when he spoke, it was not by his words, nor sounded in his voice.

"May Beltane bless us all."

*

Angelus did not know how long he had lain in the ashes on the floor, but despite the conflicting emotions he felt, he realized another presence in the room.

"What a beautiful way to die," Mona said to him in mock rapture.

Angelus looked up at her. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," Mona replied.

"It's not a beautiful way to die, it's a hideous way," Angelus said quietly.

"Oh, come on," she disagreed, "There are really worst last things to see in life than your naked body."

Angelus rose and grabbed his clothes. "Daring words for someone who's about to marry."

"Excuse me?"

"Asmodis. The wedding's scheduled for..." He glanced at the watch. "...12 hours from now. You can stop pretending now, Mona, I know who you are. Don't you have a parallel universe to go to?"

Mona's jaw dropped. "How long have you known?"

"That Asmodis has to practice teleport spells? That you changed places with the evil Mona accidentally? That was simple. You're not one who drops her friends that easily. If you are loyal to someone, it is till the end, you would not have given up fighting."

"If my friends try to stab me in the back, I occasionally do leave them," Mona corrected him.

The vampire shrugged. "All right, let's just assume I had a suspicion from the moment the other Mona announced she would go and kill Susan. I wasn't sure till I saw you with Spike. After a hundred years of company, I know his looks when for days he hasn't had a --- "

"What?" Mona exclaimed, "You knew I was the good one, and you bit me nevertheless?"

The vampire smirked. "I didn't want to endanger your secret."

"You were starving," Mona replied snappishly.

"Whatever, you seem to have recovered nicely."

"Which is not your merit."

Angelus suddenly realized he still held the ring in his hand. He closed his eyes.

Mona lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry I couldn't spare you to slay her."

He straightened his shoulders. "What pains me the most is that I made her a vampire. Otherwise I could at least have buried her."

Mona stood helpless. "If there's anything I can do..."

"No," he said vehemently, "Go and kick your evil twin's ass."

"Maybe I should," Mona admitted, "But I still don't see why she should be interested in playing my part."

Angelus chuckled. "You haven't read your handbook either, have you? Beltane has begun. If two Chosen Ones come together within the next 25 hours, the power of one of them transfers on the partner. Since she cannot unite with Evil Asmodis, she'll place the next best bet."

"You mean..." Mona's eyes widened. "She'll steal my wedding night and use my husband to enhance her own powers?"

He looked at her condescendantly."If you don't have any other worries, return to your own world, to your wedding, while I will have a funeral to go to." With a dark gaze, he added: "No. Two funerals."

"You can't win against Asmodis without me," Mona claimed. "You need me. You said it yourself!"

"I needed your blood!"

"That's not the whole story, and you know it! What do you think you're doing, playing the dark avenger and get yourself killed, as to be united with Susan's soul? We both know her good self wouldn't want that, you owe her to move on. We know your enemy better than you think. Let's go to my world first and kick the false Mona's ass, then Asmodis and I will help you deal with him. You came to me for help. Now let me help. Asmodis and I are a good team."

Angelus looked at her doubtfully. "Asmodis can never win against someone who is like him, but evil and five times as strong. He is not a skilled magician, his evil self would rip him to shreds."

"Would you bet your life on it?" Mona asked defiantly.

"I'm dead, Mona," he reminded her.

Mona grinned. "My mistake. All right. If we succeed, you will sing at my wedding. Deal?"

Without hesitation, Angelus replied: "Done."

Mona nodded. "You will regret this till hell freezes over."

"Do you have any idea where he would go?"

Mona smiled grimly. "If he was meant to marry... either me or the other Mona... there is just one place where to find him."

*

Willow awoke to darkness. The last thing she remembered was being in a cage, next to Tara --- now she felt cold tiles beneath her, and she was naked. Which was logical, since rats did not wear clothing. So she was no longer a rat, now. Which was good. Right? Candles began to flicker around her, and above her were stained glass windows. She realized she was... in a church.

"Oh, good, you're awake," Asmodis' voice rang in her ears.

Willow lifted her body with a jerk, only to realize she was chained to the altar. "I was... a rat?"

"Yeah, well, you're not quite up to date, I'm afraid, Will... No, don't try to break these chains, they were wrought with a certain type of magic – the moment you break free, your lesbian lover dies. No, getting one's neck broken by a mousetrap isn't much fun. You'd better make sure nothing happens to me, if you want Tara safe, I mean."

It gave Willow a pang as she realized he was speaking the truth. "Why did you turn me back?" she hissed.

Asmodis grinned as he towered over her. "You've been gone a while."

Willow turned pale. "What date is it today?"

Asmodis knelt down beside her. "It's Beltane. Actually, I wanted to enjoy Mona's company tonight, y'know, Chosen One, Slayer, and a good lay, besides, but we had a little... disagreement about who's gonna rule the world, so I could have taken Buffy instead, but, gee, Susan already stabbed her, so I thought I might rape Susan, but unfortunately that prick Angelus dusted her, and now all that's left..."

"... is raping me," Willow finished his sentence.

"Yeah, well, put a flag over it and do it for your country, I mean, you're probably the next best person to steal powers from. Pardon me, borrow. And, since you were a rat, I conveniently don't even have to undress you."

"How practical," Willow replied, anger and despair vying for dominance of her tone.

"Listen," Asmodis said in a dangerous way, "I can make you enjoy this, or I can make you scream in pain, it's all up to you. Come on, Willow, we've always been getting along quite well."

"You're repugnant," Willow replied.

Asmodis sighed. "All right. Door number two." He undid his belt.

*

Asmodis stared at Willow in confusion. "What happened just now?"

Willow smiled shyly. "Beltane."

"But I wasn't in command of, I mean, I couldn't control..."

"Neither could I," Willow admitted.

"What about Tara? She'll shoot you. And Mona... she'll shoot me! "

Willow shook her head. "Tara is a witch, she knew before. And Mona – she's the Slayer, she'll understand. It was nothing personal, it had nothing to do with you or me, Asmodis. Did you not feel the presence of the High God? Did you not see the Great Goddess wearing me like a garment?"

Asmodis sighed. "I don't understand why."

"Move the bed."

"What?"

"Move the bed."

Asmodis got up to start pushing the bed.

"No. Without your hands. Make it float by your will only."

Asmodis laughed nervously. "Can't we start with something lighter? Such as, a pencil?"

But Willow's gaze allowed no contradictions.

Asmodis concentrated... and the bed began to float.

"Good," Willow said, "Now set the candle on fire."

The candle began to burn, and so did the carpet. Willow shrieked and ripped the curtain off the window, thrusting it onto the flames. "Not too bad," she admitted.

"Willow, I couldn't do these things before!"

"I know. That's why I performed the Beltane rites with you. If two people who were Chosen --- such as a wizard and a Slayer, or a wizard and a witch, meet as High Priest and High Priestess, one can transfer his powers to the other, because they are one, like Yin and Yang. For the 25 hours of Beltane."

"You gave me your magic?"

"I had to. Now, go and save your friend."

Asmodis shook his head in amazement. "Thank you, Willow."

"Not at all."

At the threshold, he turned. "Can I ask you a question?"

Willow looked at him expectantly.

"Are you still gay?"

Willow giggled.

*

Tasha was blinded by her tears when she suddenly bumped into Spike.

"Bloody hell," the vampire exclaimed, "Can't you see..."

Tasha blinked her tears back, then stared at Spike. "You??? But, you're upstairs!"

Spike frowned. "Well, obviously, I'm not."

"But... I saw you upstairs, just a minute ago," Tasha stuttered, "And you were... naked!"

Spike grinned. In your dreams. Then he realizes Tasha's red face, her swollen eyes. "Hey... what's wrong?" he asked softly.

Tasha turned white with rage. "Aren't you ashamed of yourself? Can you still look at yourself in the mirror?"

Spike shrugged. "No..."

"You had sex with Mona!" Tasha burst out.

"That's debatable!" Spike protested, "None of us can't remember nothing!"

"Are you on drugs?" Tasha asked.

"Why do you always have to bring up the old stories?" Spike replied irritatedly.

"Why am I wasting my precious time with you?" Tasha asked back and left a very confused Spike behind.

*

Asmodis sneaked out of Willow's room. Thinking clearly was the most important thing now. Like Yin and Yang. Great. As far as he knew, Yin wasn't engaged to be married, and Yang wasn't gay.

The spell was to work for twenty-five hours. A look at his watch told him he had ten more hours till the scheduled wedding time. He thought of his sleeping bride and could not bring himself to wake her. She was the Slayer, and things were difficult for her anyway. He would not tell her there was hope he might yet restore Susan's soul, that Angelus might not be forced to kill her. Not if that hope might be shattered. Willow had equipped him with the magic he needed to defeat his evil self. But he would not draw his fiancée into this darkness all over again.

This time, it took him no effort at all to evoke a portal. He prayed he was not too late already.

*

"... from the earth we came, and to the earth we shall return. Ashes to ashes..."

And dust to dust, Angelus thought grimly. He was standing in the churchyard, few meters from where he assumed his enemy.

Lindsey walked up to him. "I know how you feel," he said, his voice conciliatory. "I had to bury Darla not too long ago."

"You have no conception of what I feel," Angelus replied, "I've lost more than a brief love affair of a few years. I've lost my mother, my consort I wanted to share eternity with, and my existence is shattered, so don't you tell me you know what I feel!"

"Hey," Lindsey said angrily, "I was trying to be helpful, to sort out our differences for Darla's sake!"

"You'd better thought of this when she was still with us," the vampire hissed and walked away, black duster floating in the wind.

The veiled woman was watching him go.

She followed him in a distance so she went unnoticed.

*

"My first sacrifice on the altar in the First Church of the Great Asmodis," Asmodis said solemnly. "Too bad I can't ring the bell for me, it's up on the gallery packed up for repair. Too bad."

Willow desperately tried to move, but the chains were too tight to get rid of them, and she dared not use her magic for fear of Tara. She closed her eyes.

"Don't you dare to faint," Asmodis whispered, "I want you awake when I'm toying with you."

"You're insane, you're not gonna get through..."

"Oh, I am, Willow. Now be a good girl. You can't prevent me from taking you anyway."

That moment, a paralyzing pain cut his back as the hard leather braid of a whip sliced a bloody furrow through his shirt into his skin. Asmodis recognized the whip as such a one as Susan used for horse riding.

"No," a voice said, "but I can."

Asmodis turned around, annoyed, eyes pitch black and blazing with rage. "Angelus. How thoughtful of you to come round. Look, Will, it's a party."

"The party's over."

Asmodis nodded. "Yeah, at least for Darla and Susan." He moved the altar cross and whirled it through the air.

Angelus knocked the cross from the air effortlessly. "Did you honestly think a cross would stop me?"

The black mage chuckled. "No, I didn't." The magic he summoned made him appear twice as tall and broad as he was, his voice was rolling like thunderknock as he growled: "But I will."

With a wave of his hand, he knocked the pond over. Angelus evaded the stream of Holy Water just in time.

Asmodis chuckled. There were dozens of crosses in the church. At his command, they began to spin on the walls, round and round, turning themselves upside down.

The candles flickered and were extinguished.

"The first way to kill a vampire," Asmodis replied as a bolt of fire spread from his long fingers. "Fire." He missed the vampire at a hair's breadth. Asmodis grinned as Angelus aimed the whip again--- and set the leather on fire with the wink of an eye.

Angelus dropped the burning weapon in shock.

Asmodis shrugged. "The second way to kill a vampire: a wooden stake driven into his heart." A stake manifested in his hand. Asmodis moved like lightning and thrust the stake at his adversary's chest --- to see the wood break at the breastplate Angelus was wearing beneath the silken shirt.

"Clever," Asmodis remarked.

Angelus chased him between the pews.

Asmodis waved at the crosses, which fell from the walls and formed a maze of wooden crucifixes between the vampire and himself.

"Don't hide between symbols that mean nothing to you," Angelus said defiantly.

"They mean your defeat, that's all I need." With a move of his hand, he turned the crosses upside down. The ground shook, as in an earthquake of 6 on the Richter scale, and Angelus hardly kept his balance. The window panes cracked.

Asmodis' laughter resounded from the walls of the church.

"Is that all you can offer?" the vampire asked and went into game face.

"No," Asmodis retorted and jumped up into the air, hovering several meters above the vampire's head.

He floated towards the opposite wall, where he grabbed the two-handed long sword ornating the hall, which was supposed to be St Michael's weapon in his fight against the dragon. "The third way to kill a vampire: decapitation."

Then he shot down at Angelus.

Willow held her breath. Angelus was out in the open, he was a vampire, granted, but he would never reach shelter among the pews in time to escape this attack from the air.

Asmodis stopped short before the vampire, holding the blade at Angelus' throat.

Angelus closed his eyes as he waited for Asmodis to strike.

Asmodis pressed the sword close to the vampire's skin. "This all shall be yours if you fall down and pray to me."

There was death silence.

Suddenly, the sound of the organ disturbed the silence.

Asmodis' one moment of confusion was enough for the Slayer.

Mona, dressed in a white suit, jumped from the gallery and brought Asmodis down. Angelus managed to wring the sword from the mage's hands.

He tossed it at Mona.

She jumped to her feet and wielded the sword above her head, ready to bring it down at the man with her lover's face, but the eyes of the devil.

"Any last words?" Mona asked.

"Yeah," Asmodis said sarcastically. "If you and Angelus are down here fighting me... then who the fuck is sounding the organ?"

Mona's eyes locked on Angelus' eyes.

The organ's tune had shifted from the wedding march towards something else. A song they knew.

Among the music, they heard a voice:

The music stopped.

"It's her," Angelus whispered.

Mona stood and stared. "Susan?"

A shadow solved from the gallery. A black veil floated down to them- and on the gallery, like a dark harbinger of the end of days, stood Susan.

Her voice echoed a thousand times. "Hello, lover..."

*

Tasha was plundering the bar, desperate, alone, and at odds with everybody. In this state, Jonathan found her.

"This world sucks," she said, pouring him a glass of brandy, "My best friend's wedding, and nothing I can do."

"Yeah, it's so unfair," Jonathan agreed, drinking down the brandy like water, pouring himself another glass.

"I wanted to tell her that her fiancé is having an affair with Willow, and whom do I find?"

"Yeah," Jonathan agreed. Then he paused. "Asmodis and Willow?"

"And Mona and Spike," Tasha added to his confusion, "Yes, I know what it sounds like. Not only an undead, but this creature, with his hollow cheeks and cold eyes." How unlike Riley he was. It gave Tasha pangs to think of him. Oh, how much she still loved Riley, despite all that had been.

"Asmodis and Willow?" Jonathan asked again.

"No idea why. I mean, why would a... LESBIAN, a sinner from hell, want to change her mind for HIS sake?"

Jonathan nodded slowly. "Excuse me, Tasha, I gotta go."

Tasha looked up in surprise. "But why? I wanted to talk to you about my marriage and all, and..."

"I'm very sorry, but I have to go, there are things he can't..."

Suddenly, a hand on his shoulder pressed him down. "You're not going anywhere," Angel said in a tone that did not permit any objection.

Buffy stepped behind him. "And now you're gonna tell us the truth. Starting with your name, which is not Jonathan."

Jonathan sighed. "How did you figure it out?"

"I knew something was wrong with you the first time I saw you," Angel confessed, "But it was just a feeling in the guts, I blamed the parallel universe thing on it. It just didn't make any sense: our Jonathan may be a nerd, but he was never dangerous, which means his counterpart would have to be evil, but you aren't. So we figured you were not who you pretended to be."

"And then I felt it," Buffy admitted, "It took me long to realize what it was I felt. You suggested us the image of Jonathan. I tried to look behind the sham. Then I knew it, despite the spell you put on us when you entered our world through the gate. I knew who you were. I met your counterpart on this side. And he was evil."

Jonathan sighed. "Should have known it would be hard to fool a Slayer." He dropped the disguise.

Tasha gasped at the change.

"I'm sorry about lying to you, but it was necessary to gain your trust," he added with a foreign accent.

"Who are you?" Tasha said with a shudder.

"Call me Vlad," Dracula replied with a charming smile.

Buffy suppressed a shiver herself at the husky sound of his velvet voice.

Déjà vu.

"What do you want? Explain yourself!" Angel demanded.

"No," Dracula refused, "This is a time for action, not explanations and talk."

"Yes," Tasha added at once, "We have to prevent the wedding!"

"What?" Buffy asked, puzzled.

"Yes, Asmodis is having an affair with Willow!"

That second, the door opened. "Nonsense," Tara said, "They are performing the Beltane rites together. Willow is equipping Asmodis with enough powers to defeat Asmodis and save Susan's soul."

Dracula shook his head. "It's worse than I thought. Susan's soul cannot be saved."

"He'll do what he has to," Angel replied, "If he has to slay her, he will."

"You don't understand," Dracula rejected Angel's thoughts. "You have to know it is impossible to kill Susan because she was a Slayer in life. Stake her, and she'll dissolve into thin mist. Sever her head from her body, and she'll shapeshift. Dust her, and she'll rise from her ashes."

Buffy's eyes widened. "Like you... but that'd mean..."

Dracula nodded. "Yes. Before I, and my counterpart on your mirror side, was turned, I was a vampire slayer."

"Men cannot be slayers," Tara refused.

Dracula held her gaze. "Guess why."

"Because they are easily corrupted and turned!" Buffy exclaimed.

"That's one way of saying it," Dracula replied sourly. "I'd just say, the Powers had bad experiences with male Slayers. So they extinguished us from the history books."

"So how do we kill her?"

Dracula sneered. "You don't expect me to tell you how I can be killed?"

"Thought you were the good guy!"

"There is one vulnerable moment," Dracula admitted. "A Slayer-Vampire can only be killed in one way. To destroy Susan's shell forever, to prevent the demon from rising again, you have to slay her while she spreads the seed."

Buffy shuddered. "You mean, the only way to kill Susan is while she turns a human being?"

Dracula nodded. "To slay Susan, someone has to die."

*

"Drop the weapon and lie down onto the floor," Susan commanded.

"I thought you'd killed her!" Mona yelled at Angelus.

"Yeah, that's what I thought, too," Angelus replied in a shock.

"My knight in shining armour," Asmodis remarked sarcastically.

Susan chuckled. "You didn't think I came for you, did you?"

Mona dropped the sword and exchanged it against a crossbow.

"Step back, Angelus," she said calmly.

Susan grinned down on her. "You couldn't kill me before, remember?"

"That was then," Mona replied. Then she climbed up on the pulpit and jumped at the gallery where Susan stood. "This is now." She brought the stake down hard.

Susan dissolved into a cloud of dust.

*

Mona regarded her image in the mirror and was pleased with herself. "She's got as good taste in clothes, I love her wedding dress!" she told Spike.

"Me, too. Can't wait to rip it off your body."

Mona giggled. "Play your role, easy, okay?"

Without knocking, an elderly lady entered the room, smoking a cigarrette.

Burn a hole into my dress and I'll kick your ass to Pluto, old hag, Mona thought.

"Are you ready for the hairdresser? You young people are always late," she complained, "As if your parents did not teach your generation any manners! In my time, we would..."

Mona grinned. "Spike, that's my future mother-in-law."

Spike kissed her hand. "So pleased to meet you."

Mona was charisma incarnate as she complimented Asmodis' mother out of the room. "Why don't you go to the wedding brunch, Lizzy? I've chosen a very good place for you, next to nice people." Between Tasha and Riley...

Asmodis' mum was pleased. How his fiancée seemed changed, she thought. The impertinent child seemed to have disappeared, today she was such a nice young woman!

She did not notice the looks passing between Mona and Spike.

Mona closed the door gently behind her. "Didn't think I'd see her again. In our world, I drowned her in the swimming pool."

Spike sighed. "Bloody hell, no wonder Asmodis is that strong, I didn't know he was the son of a witch!"

There was a knock at the door.

"Yes?" Mona asked. Her face lit up. "Angel, Buffy! What can I do for you?"

Angel approached slowly. "I came for the rings."

"Ah, yes," Mona said, "All right, I put them...????" she looked around helplessly.

Angel nodded. "It's as we thought, she's a fake as well. And he's not even a vampire."

Buffy agreed. "Let's get them."

Angel made a step towards Mona, but the slayer resisted and kicked him hard into his solar plexus.

Spike was not as strong as he had been in his vampiric times, but it took Buffy's and Angel's whole concentration to put up with Mona. He sought his benefit in flight.

Mona, despite the difficulty of running in a wedding dress, followed close.

Buffy and Angel pursued them instantly.

Spike recited the spell for the gate to open breathlessly.

"Where's the gate dropping us off?" Mona asked, gasping.

"Who cares? If I were still a vampire, this would never have happened!" Spike complained, "Why the hell did you make me human?"

"I have no idea," Mona hissed. Then they made a run for the gate.

The light blinded her for a few moments.

Then she found herself in a dark alley and knew she was home. This was her universe.

Unfortunately, Buffy was right behind her.

Mona ran.

Mona tried to turn left, but Buffy was there --- then she attempted right, to no avail, Buffy was everywhere, and she was trapped like a rat.

Strong arms seized her from behind.

"No!" she screamed.

An injection was driven into her flesh.

Then it went all dark around her.

*

Susan re-appeared behind Angelus, pressing the sword against Angelus' throat. She looked up at Mona. "You move, he dies."

He stared at her as if he'd seen a ghost.

"I always come back," Susan said soothingly. Mona dared not move.

Then Susan turned to Asmodis. "You still have the Orb?"

Asmodis reached into his pocket to show her the beautiful golden Orb of Thessula. "Here it is, my friend, your filthy soul."

At these words, Angelus' face showed the agony he felt.

"You know what you must do," she commanded.

Asmodis nodded. "Cast your soul for ever to the aether and summon the soul of Angelus into this Orb."

"Precisely."

"You'd better get my head off now," Angelus said.

"I couldn't possibly," Susan replied, "You're my lover, aren't you?" She turned at the mage. "DO IT."

Asmodis raised his hand to conjure up the soul within the Orb, his eyes resting triumphantly on Mona, still motionless on the aisle in her tight white suit. "Don't take it personally, treasure, you can't always win."

"You don't have to do this," Mona pleaded.

Asmodis nodded. "Right, I could dust Angelus, and I could ask Susan to turn you, so I'd get a new vampire toy." For a moment, he contemplated the possibility. Then he discarded it. "But the look of pain on your face is priceless. I will turn him evil, and then... the three of us will kill you. Slowly."

*

Buffy embraced Riley. "You are a good friend, in any universe."

Riley blushed. "The Initiative has been after the Slayer for quite some time, but we wouldn't have caught her without you."

Angel shook his hand. "Finn, I owe you one."

"Not at all."

Professor Walsh turned to her unwilling patient. "How do you feel?"

Mona looked at her face, bent over her.

"Dazed," she lied. She felt wide awake, though her head hurt a little. She noticed that the bonds that tied her to the hospital guerney were not tight. She ripped them off and knocked Walsh down, then she struck Riley in the face.

He stumbled, but at the same time, Mona felt a sharp pain in her brain.

"You bastards," she yelled, "You've implanted me a chip!"

"For your own good," Angel told her.

"You've crippled me!"

"No, we haven't," Buffy corrected, "You can still attack evil people."

Mona hesitated for a moment. Then she ran.

*

"Yes," Susan said appreciatively, "The three of us will kill you."

Then all of a sudden, a crossbow bolt swiftly cut the air. "Make that four," Spike exclaimed, entering the church.

"Not you," Angelus moaned.

"This woman on the gallery is not your fiancée, Asmodis," Spike explained, "She's an impostor from a parallel universe. Want me to show you the real Slayer?"

Susan seemed interested. "Name your price, human."

"Make me a vampire," Spike demanded.

Susan smirked. "That can be arranged."

He walked closer and fell to his knees, baring his neck in submission.

Susan submitted Angelus to the mage's care as she went into game face and sank her fangs into Spike's skin. She purred in satisfaction as she drank his blood.

Asmodis scratched Angelus' neck bloody with the sharp blade, ready for the strike should the vampire move. "Too bad you won't have the bell tolling for your death. Why do they have to pack it for repair this very day?"

Mona closed her eyes. She knew she had no more than one attempt. If she failed, they would all die. She glanced at the huge iron bell, packed in layers of heavy shipping paper, ready to be fixed. Mona mobilized all her Slayer's strength and reached for the huge church bell, pushing it over the edge of the gallery, down at Asmodis.

Asmodis dropped both the sword and the Orb of Thessula.

Before the mage could make another move, the bell crushed him.

Susan was so caught up in feeding from Spike she hardly noticed. Spike's human shell was numb in her arms. Susan scratched her skin to make him drink her blood and reanimate him with the demon soul.

Mona's stake hit her from behind.

Susan's body exploded. This time, for ever.

"What about Spike?" Mona asked with concern.

Angelus looked down at the human's lifeless form. "If he doesn't get any blood, he'll die." He sighed. "I swore I'd never do that again!" Sighing again, he cut his wrist and pressed Spike's mouth against the wound.

*

Mona had run down a long corridor, hearing her persecutors' steps behind her still. Desperately fleeing, she pushed the door open ---- and almost stumbled over Willow's naked form, chained to an altar of stone.

"Where the hell am I?" she wondered.

"In a church, I guess," Willow said, "And no one's bothering to free me!"

Then Mona realized Spike was lying on the floor, lifeless.

"Spike!" she shrieked, holding up the skirts of the wedding dress and rushing to his side. "Oh, Spike!"

Spike opened his eyes and touched her with his cold hand. "It's okay, baby, I'm here." He looked into her eyes and saw he wasn't mirrored in them. "And everything's just fine," he added with relief.

"No, not everything," the real Mona complained, "I believe this is my dress!"

The two Monas stared at each other. Then they said in harmony: "THE DRESS SUITS ME BETTER!"

"Give me my wedding dress," the real Mona commanded.

"No way," the parallel universe Mona disagreed, "I'm not gonna undress here!"

"Why," Mona retorted, "You've already slept with everyone present anyway!"

At that moment, the door of the Confession Chair opened, and Asmodis climbed out. "Not with me."

Mona beamed and rushed to his side. "Treasure, what are you doing here?"

He grinned. "Saving you?"

"Why didn't you come out of that chair before, we could've used some help against... the other Asmodis," Mona remarked.

Asmodis gave her a warm smile. "There's still so much you don't know about me. Do you think a Slayer was strong enough to lift a church bell on her own and aim correctly at a mage before he teleports it away? I cast a spell on you, beloved, so you could win the fight. We're a team, aren't we?"

Mona smiled back. "The best team. I just wonder why you could develop such strength in magic mastery?"

Asmodis blushed. "Willow helped a little. Long story."

Mona tilted her head slightly. "I got time."

"We'd better get back to our wedding guests," Asmodis suggested quickly.

"Good idea..." Mona looked around for her counterpart. "But where's my wedding dress?"

The evil Mona had disappeared.

*

Flight in a wedding dress was extremely impractical. Thoughts were running through Mona's head. According to their definition, she was evil. What would they do to her, now she was defenceless, due to that cursed Initiative?

Mona stopped abruptly as Angelus blocked her way all of a sudden.

Sweat was glistening on her forehead and the muscles of her arms, her fair hair was ruffled and framed her face loosely.

She was breathing heavily.

For the first time, he noticed that the Slayer was extremely beautiful.

Mona raised the stake. "Don't get any closer," she warned him.

Angelus smirked. "If you were trying to do that, the pain would paralyse you. Be a good girl and put the thing away, won't serve you anyway."

Mona glared at the vampire with a soul defiantly. "I'll die before I give up."

"I have ways of forcing you," he replied dryly. "You can admit now you'd rather be my ally than my enemy."

She spit on the ground before him. "I despise you!"

Angelus made a quick step towards her and reached for the stake.

Mona resisted, but then she had the feeling her head was split in two and let go of the stake.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Angelus asked with a trace of concern, but not withdrawing the weapons of his arrogance and his pride.

"I'm a Slayer," Mona hissed.

"Yes, with a chip in your head! Don't even try to break it, for it won't."

"Pray it never will," she replied.

"There's another way," Angelus suggested.

"What? Do you expect me to be GOOD?"

"Spike is, now. I made him a vampire again. Vampires are good."

"Shoot me!" Mona cried out.

"Your situation would be worse if Susan had won. Look on the bright side, Mona, the chip's an opportunity. Fight for me, Slayer. Fight for a better world, a better life. I could teach you lots."

"If I didn't know better, I would guess you're a Slayer fetishist," Mona added with a grin, "Can't get it up with a normal girl, can you?"

He ignored the insult. "Wanna give it a shot?"

"What choice do I have?"

"Letting me kill you now?"

"Not a very tempting option," Mona admitted, "But I want ya to know the queue starts behind Spike."

"Acknowledged," Angelus agreed. "Now get out of that dress, we have a wedding to go to."

*

Tasha was seated next to Riley, hanging on his every word and drowning in his eyes. Her little adventure with Count Dracula had cured her from any thoughts of divorce she might have had.

Buffy and Angel seemed to be dancing on cloud nine, anyway.

Mona's fingers were intertwined with her husband's, golden rings sparkling in the candlelight as she was watching the other Mona, sitting next to Angelus, at the bar, ignoring everyone thoroughly.

"She's quite peaceful with that chip, isn't she," Asmodis noticed.

"Yes, but most of my friends will never forgive me I didn't tell them I had a twin sister in Timbuktu," Mona grinned.

"Poor Angel had to tell everyone he had a twin brother in St Quentin," Asmodis reminded her.

Then her face assumed a more serious air, more concerned. "I'm worried about Angelus. I mean, how does he handle it? He lost Susan, whom he seemed to care for. And Mona, who was his enemy, is his ally now. By force of the chip. That's an awful start."

"She glares at him with hatred," Asmodis agreed.

"If only she were a bit like me," Mona sighed.

Asmodis suddenly looked at her with sparkling eyes. "Excuse me."

He walked up to the stage, telling the band to pause, and revealed a karaoke engine. "My surprise for you tonite, ladies and gents!"

Mona smiled. She joined him on the stage. "Friends, Romans, countrymen, and lovers! There is still a bet we haven't talked about."

Angelus groaned. "Oh, no, no, no!"

Mona grinned. "You promised to sing at my wedding, and that's what you'll do now exactly!"

Angelus lowered his voice. "Stake me now. Please!"

Mona looked at him with persuasive eyes.

"Please, Angelus, it would mean so much to us!"

Some hesitant clapping of hands, undefinable as applause, was heard. Everyone seemed sceptical, and this interpretation was a best case scenario, some were closing their eyes, anticipating physical pain from what was about to come.

Faith was looking for the exit to the ladies room – could she reach it in time before he reached the stage? Not a chance!

Buffy giggled. "I've always been waiting to hear that!"

Angel refused to believe it. "Please, God, don't let him pick 'Mandy'."

The Host was grinning.

Unnoticed by the others, Mona whispered to Asmodis: "Now."

He made a tiny gesture with his hand as the vampire entered the stage. Willow frowned. Had Asmodis just cast a spell?

"Any preferences?" Angelus asked nervously.

"The tape is in already," Mona replied with a sadistic smile.

"In this case, I can only apologize in advance," Angelus said.

Asmodis cast Mona a look that spoke volumes.

And then the miracle started. Willow was staring. Angel's face was like stone. Cordelia looked as if she would faint any moment, as Angelus began his song.

"What a beautiful voice," Mona said to her husband with a wide grin.

Spike joined them. "Could it be that Asmodis has something to do with this sudden change?"

"Me?" Asmodis asked innocently. "Why me?"

Spike smiled. "Well, to perform THIS miracle, you need a very powerful wizard..."

Mona the Other Vampire Slayer was not listening. Her eyes were fixed on the stage.

The Host bent over to her. "Wanna know what he's thinking?"

The Other Mona looked at him. "Can you read him?"

He grinned. "Bet I can!"

She shrugged. "Well, too bad I won't ask you."

"EXCUSE ME???"

Mona smiled. She had all the answers she needed.

As the applause was slowly dying away, Mona walked towards the stage, clapping hands slowly.

"It was so strange," Angelus said, totally confused, "Was that my voice?"

The conspiracy was not at an end.

At the sound of her name, Mona turned around, just to see something flying through the air. Out of reflex, she caught it --- only then did she realize what it was: Mona's bouquet.

Mona stared at it as if she had never seen one before.

Everyone was looking at them. Total silence.

She stared at the flowers in her hands, then at Angelus.

The vampire seemed shocked. He also was staring at the flowers, then he caught Mona's eyes.

Simultaneously, both replied: "No way!"

*

"If you want my opinion," Asmodis said pensively, as he regarded the beautiful Orb of Thessula, "we should release Susan's soul. Now her body is destroyed and she cannot return to it..."

Angelus shook his head. "I still can't quite let her go. Is there no way to save her soul?"

"There is one," Willow replied softly.

*

Angelus stroke the mane of the horse with tenderness. "Perhaps this is the way to make up for what I did to you, Bleak Dawn," he whispered gently.

Bleak Dawn yielded to his touch and neighed calmly.

"Here you are," Mona said as she walked into the stable.

Angelus nodded. "I wanted to see her. She loved me, she trusted me, I made her a vampire. I can never leave her."

Angelus ran his fingers through Bleak Dawn's mane. The horse's body felt warm under his skin, and if he listened carefully, he could hear her heart beat in her chest. Her eyes no longer stared with the emptiness and fear of an undead horse. She was alive. She was undead no more. As the soul had entered her body, the mare had drawn her first breath of new life. Magic. More than magic. A miracle.

"Do you think she hates me because I gave her this life?" he said.

"She was still so young when you turned her. Now she starts from that point. The vet says she's healthy and strong, she can grow very old. She could never feel anything but gratefulness for you, Angelus."

"I just wish she could talk."

"I know. But you did the right thing. For both of them." Mona clasped his hand. "Dawn's near. You should go in."

"Another moment."

Mona felt the responsiveness of his body at the touch of her hand. She smiled understandingly, knowing she would return to the stables the next day, giving herself to Angelus in this very spot among the horses. For she was still evil, wasn't she? "I'll see you at dusk for patrol. Good night, Angelus."

"Good night, Mona."

He watched her walk away. Then he turned his attention to the horse again.

Angelus kissed the mare's strong forehead. "I'll come and get you in the evening for a ride, okay?" he whispered. "Good night, Bleak Dawn. Good night... Susan."

Good night, John-Boy.

THE END