thethingthatshouldnotbe

Title: The Thing That Should Not Be

Author: Luna

Feedback: Always appreciated!

Archive: Nowhere at the moment.

Rating: PG-13, for the moment. I, however, reserve the right to up the rating should the need arise!!!

Type: Crossover Buffy/WWE/AB

Pairings: None at the moment, though if that changes it will be noted.

Disclaimer: Laurell K. Hamilton and the Berkley Publishing Group do not authorize this author. All characters that you recognize belong to Laurell K. Hamilton except for the ones created by the people in this group. All characters that you recognize belongJoss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, the WB, and UPN. Vince McMahon owns the WWE. This is solely for entertainment purposes.

Summary: What if someone found another use for "The Key?"

Spoilers: Buffy: Post Season seven, though I did NOT watch it. Please keep that in mind!! WWE: I'm going to be making this up as I go along so bear with me, though if you familiar with this the roster split is NOT in effect, at least I don't think it will be. I'll let you know if that changes. Anita Blake: Up to and possibly including CS.

Anything else: I'm using these characters as I see fit. I'm not going to be going against the nature(s) of those involved. At least I hope I'm not. Any comments are welcome as long as they are constructive. ^__^

Author's Notes: I would like to take this time to tell everyone that this has NOT been beta'ed. It has been running around my brain and it refuses to go away so I had to write it or go even more crazy then I already am.

Side Note: For this fic Dawn is 18 until further notice. I may be upping the age, but to be on the safe side Dawn is of legal age.

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The sounds of screams echoed in the air. It was hot, hotter then anything imagined. Fire couldn't burn this hot, but anger, anger and rage could burn this brightly, consume this much. It consumed everything in its path, leaving nothing untouched, nothing pure, everything this blaze touched was corrupted in some manner, made just a bit perverted.

Blood. Blood was everywhere. It ran in rivers down the walls through the halls and corridors covering those that didn't have the sense to move, to take shelter. But where could they hide? *It* would find them eventually. That wasn't the concern right now. Right now keeping the key safe from those looking for it was.

Eyes scanned the crowd the key had been found! Damn it! They should have NEVER gotten their hands on it. Feet moved, lungs burned, arms pumped trying to get there in time to stop...to stop what? Stop, look, think, the mind demanded.

Blue eyes pleaded, her mouth opened in a scream that made the blood freeze in your veins. They surrounded her; there was no way to get her that wasn't complete suicide. No one had ever thought it could happen and yet it did. The blade started its downward arc. "Help me!" The brunette cried, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Jerking upright in her bed the dark haired woman sat there a moment trying to gather her thoughts. Her pulse still jumped at the slightest sound. A pale hand shot out and grabbed the pen and journal from the nightstand. The words came quickly. She wrote down everything that she'd seen in the dream. It was a prophecy of that much the young woman was sure.

Grabbing her teddy bear she climbed over the bodies that had joined her in the bed. She needed to seek council, and she couldn't get that from those in the room with her. The young woman was almost free from the bed when a hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist.

"Where you going," asked the drowsy blonde.

She smiled down at the big man. Everyone thought that Aries was dangerous, and to most, maybe he was. To her he was a most trusted and valued "son." The woman brushed an errant strand of hair off his face, smiling down at him. "I had another dream. I need to talk to Maggie," she stated her voice soft even though she knew the others had heard.

He nodded sleepily. "Coming back," asked as she turned to leave.

"I might," she said thoughtfully. "It depends on what Maggie has to say on the subject."

Aries nodded again and curled himself around the redhead that had taken her spot the minute she'd moved. Shaking her head at her "children" she walked out of the room and down the hall to her sister. The blonde was always better at dream meanings then she was, but that didn't stop Luna from trying to figure them out on her own. This was the third time this week that she'd had this dream. She couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding that came over her.

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The brunette shot up in bed. Her heart was racing a mile a minute. A hand rose to her brow as the, by now, familiar signs of a vision assailed her. The young woman stumbled from the bed and made her way haltingly toward the hall and help. Her breathing was labored and sounded harsh to her own ears.

It had never been this bad. She prayed fervently that it never was again. The images still plagued her mind. She knew what needed to be done, and she would do it. Let's just hope that the powers that be were in the mood to give them a little assistance on this one.

As if on cue, another vision flashed in her mind. This one didn't carry the pain that the others did, but it wasn't exactly a comforting sight either. The young woman saw a full-grown dark haired woman standing there, and as she watched helplessly, the woman of her vision began to change. First just the eyes, then the woman got down on hands and knees as her back split open. The sound of breaking bones and pain filled cries made the brunette whimper in sympathy.

The seer wanted to close her eyes, to not see what she was being shown, but she knew that she couldn't. This was just too damn important to ignore like that. "Vision woman," was beginning to sprout fur. It engulfed her entire body. The whole thing had taken less then a few seconds but the transformation from human to animal still amazed her. The leopard padded softly up to her. It sat at her feet waiting patiently while the seer tried to recover her senses. From that strange maw came a voice so distorted by grunts and growl that she barely made out the message. "They're coming."

Just like that the vision ended. She could hear the rushing feet as they climbed the stairs to where she was. The brunette blinked her eyes a couple of times, still trying to get a handle on what she'd been shown. It made no sense to her, but then nothing the powers did ever made sense to the young woman.

She was handed a couple of pills and a glass of water. Taking them gratefully the young woman swallowed them and handed the glass back with a sigh. A cool hand brushed the hair out of her face. Chocolate brown eyes gazed down in concern for the seer. "Tell me," Angel said, and for once she didn't argue, she told him, everything.

The vampire started pacing his mind whirling furiously. He couldn't believe it. 'There had to be some mistake,' he thought darkly. He knew deep down that it wasn't. Whatever was happening was happening for a reason, and as much as it may irk him to admit it, even to himself, the powers *never* did anything without a reason. He just wished he knew what good it was going to do to involve that irritating woman.

Sighing with resignation he turned to the others gathered. Looking the fragile Texan in the face he said, "Call Willow." She gave a small nod and scrambled to do the vampire's bidding.

"You sure that's a good idea," the slayer asked.

"No. No, I'm not, but the powers seem to want her here so here she will be."

The small brunette nodded. "She going to be okay?" Using her chin to indicate the seer still seated on the floor. It still amazed her that they were able to forgive her. She wasn't used to that type of treatment. On some level she acknowledged that she wouldn't have been able to make it without them, but that didn't mean she *ever* forgave herself for her atrocious actions.

"Yeah, just give me a few minutes," Cordelia managed weakly.

"Need anything," Faith asked nervously.

The seer shook her head then stopped. "Well up off the floor would be good."

The brunettes shared a smile at that and Faith helped the young woman to her feet. The former cheerleader leaned heavily on both the banister and the slayer. Slowly they made their way to the lobby of the Hyperion. Faith gently guided the seer onto the couch her head falling back. "What do we do now," Cordelia asked softly.

Angel turned to the two women looking at him with such concern and not just a little bit of fear. "Now we wait," he said darkly.

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The phone rang incessantly causing the blonde to roll over and snatch blindly for the offending noisemaker. Her hand finally snatched up the irritant and brought it to her ear. "Mmm... 'ello," she said sleepily. The sob on the other end of the line brought her to her senses immediately. "What is it? What's wrong? Who is this?" The blonde shot the questions in rapid-fire succession.

"It's awful," the young woman on the line sobbed. "I don't know how they did it but they've found me."

"Who did what, Dawn? You have to calm down and tell me everything," the blonde woman held her breath waiting for her sister to say something, anything. "Dawnie," the slayer asked in concern.

"It's them, Buffy. The Knights. They're here, and they're looking for me. What am I gonna do," the sister cried in anguish so palpable the older sibling could feel it herself.

"Dawn, are you sure it's them? Do they know that it's *you* that they're looking for?" The fear the slayer felt at that moment eclipsing everything else.

The youngest Summers' girl gave a hesitant, "No. But they are *here*, Buffy. Why are they here? If Glory is gone then why are they here," the girl began to cry again.

"Calm down honey. Tell me everything."

Dawn gathered herself, taking deep breaths until she felt able to relay everything to her sister. "Okay, have you checked your mail today," she queried.

"What does the mail have to do with anything," the blonde exploded. "It's three in the damn morning!"

"Buffy, I meant your e-mail," the brunette explained. She was glad the slayer couldn't see the eye roll she'd done while her sister vented.

"Oh," was all the eldest Summers' could come up with. "No I haven't. I was going to do it in the morning."

"Could you check it now? Please," Dawn begged.

The fact that Dawn had pleaded with her was what caused the blonde to move through the flat to the computer room. "What"s going on," she asked as she booted up the machine.

"Trust me Buffy. Once you see it you'll know what I"m talking about."

"I better," she muttered as she clicked the icon that would take her directly to her inbox. The slayer opened the message from Dawn and waited for it open. When it did she knew why it had freaked her sister so much.

The window that had opened was black with gray smoke, or maybe it was supposed to be fog, rolling over the ground. There was a flash of blue eyes, and the words "The Key" in blood red lettering appeared then faded. Another set of blue eyes, this pair was much darker then the first, and again with the crimson lettering, "The Key Is." As the thing continued to play Buffy found herself unable to tear her eyes away from the screen. Finally a third set of blue eyes flashed, followed by the now dreaded lettering. "The Key Is Ours!" The scene closed not on the expected emblem of the Knights, but on the Celtic trinity symbol.

It was that image rather then the one the blonde had been expecting that let her release the breath she'd been unaware she'd been holding. "Dawnie, it's not the Knights. I don't know who it is but it's not them."

"Are you sure, Buffy," the young woman asked in a small voice.

"Where are you going to be tomorrow?"

Confused Dawn wrinkled her forehead trying to recall where she was going to be the next day. "Um, I think we're going to be in L.A., Why?"

"That's perfect. As soon as you land call Angel. I'm going to be on the first flight out of London and I'll meet up with you at his place."

"Buffy," the youngest Summers' exclaimed. "If you want me to call Angel, then why are you going to come half way across the world too?"

"Because this is serious," the slayer explained. "You *always* come first! Besides Giles has things under control and doesn't really need me here. If there's nothing to this then we can call this a vacation."

"Okay," Dawn agreed reluctantly. She just knew how her sister was going to be once the two of them were together again. It would be like high school all over again.

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