Xander's house had been the closest safe-haven, so Willow had opted to go there. Besides,
Xander was one of Buffy's best friends too, so he deserved to hear what the girl from the car
had to say.
The three of them sat in Xander's bedroom. The girls on the bed, and Xander cross-legged upon
the floor. Willow shuddered; she was afraid of what would be said there tonight.
"So..." Xander began, licking his dry lips. "Who are you?"
"I think a better question would be 'what are you.'"
"OK. Fine. *What* are you?"
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked shyly. "Me telling you, an' all?"
"You gave us the question!!" Xander protested, waggling a finger at her. Inhaling deeply she
closed her eyes.
"I'm...I'm a, uh..." she paused uncertainly, running a hand through her blonde hair. "A clone."
"Cologne?" Xander asked, disbelievingly. "You don't look much like a bottle of aftershave to
me, Buff!"
"I'm not *Buff!* Or *Buffy!*" she screamed, back at him. "I'm no-one!" She covered her face
quickly with her small hands, and sobbed. Willow wrapped a comforting arm around her, willing
her to continue. "I'm no-one," she repeated, softer this time. "No-one." She rose to her feet, and
glanced down at Willow and Xander with tears in her eyes, not allowing them to trickle down
her cheeks. "One morning I...I woke up in this...this lab - surrounded by men in white lab coats.
They came and went, taking pictures and blood samples, giggling childishly about their
'breakthrough.' Little did I know that *it* was me." She gazed into Willow's eyes, deeply,
watching the sympathy emerging there. "They told me stuff sometimes..."
"What sorta stuff?" Xander asked, curiously.
"Crazy things. That I wasn't ready to be outside - to see people. I guess they were right, huh?"
She paused to sniffle for a second, then continued. "They told me about some sorta chosen
chick-"
"Buffy," Willow murmured absently.
"-who they would replace with me." Xander and Willow shared a worried look.
"What did they intend to do with *her?*" Xander asked - the question which Willow had been
too afraid to utter. "We know her, y'see. She's a close bud."
"I-I don't know. And I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused."
"We have to tell Buffy! She needs to be warned!" Willow squealed frantically.
"Are you sure she should know?" Xander asked, uneasily.
"Tell her what?" The three teenagers span around to see Buffy standing in the doorway, framed
by the light of the hallway, which cast dark shadows across her face. "Well?"
