ttsnbchapterthree

Title: The Thing That Should Not Be (Chapter Three)

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 crazier 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 urge to be sarcastic was overwhelming and it was only with a tremendous effort the brunette kept the comeback silent. The young man had felt it the moment both women had shut him out. It was like being cut off from parts of himself simultaneously.

There was only one reason for that. It wasn't usually a good sign either. He'd felt scared, confused, hurt, angry, and none of it was coming from him. Some days it just didn't pay to be tied to these two, and then others, well that's the only reason he continued to get out of bed, the pair of them made life seem fun again.

The young leopard may not see them very often but through their connections to each other he'd felt the love and friendship flow through them and in turn through him. He wasn't given to sentimentality but they made his day when they were happy and ruined it when they were sad.

That was why terror had struck him when he'd felt not one, but both, his girls shut him out. They'd probably only meant to shut out each other, but since none of them had a handle on their connections, it shut him out as well. He'd grabbed the clothes he'd shed the night before and pulled them on and came out here as fast as his car would take him.

The raven-haired young woman waved a hand in front of his face. "Earth to Noah. Come in Noah."

A small smile ghosted over his face. He leaned causally against the doorframe, arms crossing over his chest. "Yes Luna," he replied.

"You spaced. Where'd you go," the young woman wondered.

"Krypton," he answered, playing on the nickname she'd tagged him with.

Luna nodded. "Was it nice?"

"Wasn't bad," he stated non-committal.

"That's nice," she said not really caring about the answer. "So why are you here?" Her hazel gaze pinned him where he stood.

His eyes bored into hers. "You know why I'm here. You both shut me out, and at almost the same time I might add. Logical" conclusion something major is going down. Now all I want to know is why Maggie's so scared."

Luna laughed she couldn't help it. It wasn't that anything the other leopard had said was funny. In a normal situation it *would* have been their sister that had been scared. This time though, it had been her that had been terrified of what she was doing.

The young guard's normally unshakeable faith in whatever she was doing was being tested, and tested severely. The nightmares that she had suffered and their possible consequences weighed heavily on her mind and heart.

The more she thought about it the more her shields cracked until she was swamped. Her blue/green eyes filled with tears waiting to fall. She didn't really want to go, but she knew deep down in her gut that if she didn't she was sentencing the other girl to die, and that was not something she could live with.

Noah held his former girlfriend, now thought of as another sister, in his arms as the tears trailed down her face. His hand rubbing reassuring circles over her back, his cheek resting on her hair. "Wonder Woman, Maggie'll come around you'll see," he whispered quietly.

Luna pulled away from him though her fingers intertwined with his. "I wish I had your faith," she whispered sadly. She led him into the house and to the room she'd just vacated. She pushed her fellow leopard into a chair and handed him her journal.

When he gave her a questioning look. She said, "Just read the last three entries. You'll understand then."

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Buffy honked the horn of the car to let Willow know that she'd arrived. After taking a moment to make sure there was no traffic she exited the vehicle. She wasn't sure how ready her friend was to leave. That was okay though that's what friends were for, right?

As the blonde reached the steps the door flew open to reveal a harried redhead. "Sorry Buff, I didn't realize how much time had gone by. How long before we have to leave?"

The slayer looked at her watch. "We've got thirty minutes tops."

The young witch nodded. "Can you help me with these," she asked of her friend, indicating the bags already waiting by the door.

'And I thought *I* packed a lot of stuff,' Buffy thought with amusement. "Sure thing Wills. How much more you got?"

"I just need to run up stairs and grab the magic chest." The blonde nodded and the witch dashed up the steps. She carefully loaded Willow's bags next to her making sure to leave enough room for the chest. A smile graced the Slayer's face as she looked in the trunk. It looked more like they were moving then going to help her sister.

"Here's the last of it," Willow said, breaking into the blonde's thoughts. Without a word Buffy loaded the chest in the back and closed the trunk.

The reality of the situation descended upon the pair. All excitement of the upcoming travel wiped from their minds. Worried blue eyes met and collided with a concerned emerald gaze. The two friends reached for each other to offer what little comfort they could. Dawn had become their entire world and they would not fail her now.

The pair drew apart and headed for the car. The trip to the airport was a silent one. Neither girl wanted to be the first to speak, but there were some things that needed to be said. The Slayer took a deep breath exhaling slowly. "So how did you find out about Dawnie?"

The redhead licked her suddenly dry lips. "Uh... well one of Angel's associates called me. Cordelia had a vision." 'There, see. Not lying, 'cause I'm so bad at lying,' the witch thought to herself.

"Uh-huh," the slayer replied. "Now why don't you tell me what you're leaving out."

'Shoot,' Willow thought. "It just that," she took a deep breath and said as fast as she could, "TheressomeonecomingthatIdon'tthinkthatyou'regoingtolike."

Buffy took her eyes off the road for a moment to give her friend a disbelieving look. "Okay Wills, one more time. Only this time let me hear all of it."

The redhead could feel a blush staining her cheeks. "There's someone coming that I don't think that you're going to like,"she whispered.

The blonde looked sharply at her friend. "Why wouldn't I like this person?"

"Remember me telling you about that problem Angel had last year?" When Buffy nodded the witch continued. "Well it seems that the PTB seem to think that she's needed for this thing with your sister."

"They what," she cried.

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Mark and Dawn reached the impressive, if antique looking hotel after very little driving. The young brunette was still quiet. It unnerved the big man. In the entire time he'd known her she'd never been silent this long. Not unless she was trying to win a bet about how long she could go without talking.

He unbuckled his seatbelt and looking over at the young diva noticed that she was staring blindly ahead. He unfastened her harness and got out. Standing on the sidewalk he waited. When it became apparent that she wasn't going to move he opened her door as well. "Dawn?"

She turned her blue eyes upon him. He held out his hand to her. The brunette took it without a word. The wrestler's apprehension went up another ten points. Whatever had spooked the girl had done a right good job of it. Her fingers tightened on his as he led them to the doors of the hotel.

He reached out and opened the door to the hotel. A bell jingled merrily overhead and petite brunette behind the counter looked up. Her soft musical Texas accented voice carrying over to the pair. "Can I help you?"

Dawn lifted her head a moment; she didn't recognize the young woman, though that didn't mean much. "Yeah I need to see Angel."

"Is he expecting you," she inquired. Was this the one Cordelia's vision was about. She was a pretty young thing Fred thought.

The youngest Summers girl was saved from having to respond as an office door opened, revealing the vampire in question. Mark drew the brunette protectively in front of him. What sounded like an honest to God growl erupted from his chest.

Shocked blue eyes turned to the big man. She'd never seen her friend this way. The young brunette had always assumed that the Undertaker was human. She was now beginning to question that assumption.

Angel stood in the doorway of his office appraising Dawn's coworker. "You quite done yet,"he questioned.

"Since you're not a pile of ash on the floor, I'd have to say not," the wrestler said in a tone that had sent more then a few grown men running in the opposite direction.

The vampire crossed the room moving faster then the eye could catch. Mark roughly shoved Dawn behind him and met the other man's attack. The pair was pretty evenly matched and traded blow for blow.

The AI team along with Dawn watched as the two men battled. Slowly but surely the man known to millions as the Undertaker gained the advantage. Only when the Phenom looked like he was going to tear Angel's head from his shoulders did anyone intervene.

"Mark stop," Dawn cried.

With his attention diverted Angel was able to take advantage. He knocked the other man to the ground. Mark countered, shoving his feet into the vampire's chest and kicked into a standing position.

The Undertaker's eyes blazed like intense emerald flames. The air crackled around him. The vampire and wrestler locked gazes. Angel's demon visage was visible.

Dawn wanted to break the staring contest the two men were having. So she did the only thing that she could think of, she stepped between the pair and asked, "What are you Mark?"