Mayor Wilkins smiled down at the fresh-faced optimistic young people before him. This was always his favourite time of year. When another group of students graduated High School. But this year was more special than any other. And these students already had a great destiny planned for them.

Leaning his hands against the podium, the Mayor began his speech. “It’s wonderful to see such youthful optimism today. With so many terrible things happening, so much tragedy in the world, I always get a warm feeling when I see the kind of people that are moulded here at Sunnydale High.” He smiled at some of the students in the front rows, his grin fading slightly when he clashed eyes with the slayer. He then turned toward the faculty, before winking at the Principal.

“Whenever I look at the graduating class, I feel as if a great destiny has been planned for each and every one of them. After all, they’ve survived all these years of education.” He waited for the usual laugh this part of his speech received. A few polite chuckles from some of the administration was all he received. He shrugged. It didn’t matter. “For you students, however, I know, I just know you have a great destiny. You will go down in history. And do you know what as?”

The Mayor paused as he felt the change coming over him. The sunlight streaming through the windows seemed to dim. He turned to look out, then smiled. “Looks like the eclipse has started.” Turning back toward the students he resumed his speech. “Now where were we? Oh yes that’s right. Your destiny.”

He stepped around the podium, moving toward the edge of the stage. “Well, your destiny is...” He smiled at them again, then cricked his neck. “Your destiny is to become...” He bent down, his hands reaching the floor of the stage. Then a roar emitted from the center of his being, as his body began to twist and turn, changing shape, growing before the fascinated eyes of his audience. Within seconds, the mayor had disappeared, to be replaced by a giant serpant. His eyes remained the same twinkling blue as he swayed toward the children. “Your destiny is to become my first dinner.”

Snyder jumped up in shock, then ran toward the serpant. “No! It wasn’t meant to be like this!”

The serpent turned in annoyance, then struck at the Principal. Snyder fell in mid-stride, the life drained from him instantly. Somebody in the audience screamed. As if it were a signal, the doors burst open, and dozens of vampires began to pour into the auditorium.

Buffy jumped up, then looked over at Giles. At his nod, she removed the sword from her graduation gown, then shouted “Now!”

All of the students, and many of the adults, removed weapons from their clothing, then turned to fight the onslaught. They’d been warned of what would happen. Instead of running, and possibly tipping the Mayor, they’d all decided to fight back for once. This was to be their last stand. Led by Larry, a group of the student body began to clear one of the exits, allowing some of the others to escape. Xander took another group, and began to move back some of the vampires at the rear. Joyce called some of the parents over to her, guiding them to a corner. Oz, Willow and some of the witches moved to another corner, preparing to begin their task.

Soon the fight was on. Human against monster. The vampires and demons had the strength, but the humans had the desire to survive, so they battled bravely against their foe.

Buffy fought hard as demon after demon attacked her. She'd lost count of how many she'd felled. It didn't matter any more. With each one, she got closer to her target. The Mayor..

She just turned another vampire to dust, when she heard Angel scream, "Buffy!" Spinning quickly, she prepared to face her new adversary, only to be confronted by, not a demon, but Giles staring gently down at her. She looked up at him in confusion, until the the rising head of the serpent caught her peripheral vision.

"No!" She screamed as Giles fell into her arms, the life already draining out of him. "No. Not like this."

Giles looked up at his slayer, love and forgiveness in his eyes. "Finish it."

She sobbed as his eyes closed for a final time, unaware of the vicious battle going on around her, or of the casualties. Larry trying to save some of the others. Jonathon battling a vampire twice his size. Harmony turning to look at Cordelia for approval, not noticing the monster behind her. Snyder's body remained where he had fallen near his master.

"Buffy." The quiet English tone made her jerk, believing for just a moment that Giles was still alive. The hand on her shoulder made her realise she was wrong. "Buffy. I - I'm sorry."

She turned to Wesley, her eyes determined as a hard shell of anger covered her heart. She pried the sword from Giles' hands. "Let's finish it."

Together, the two of them made their way toward their target, not noticing when they were joined by Angel, then Xander. The serpent noticed them, and smiled as he beckoned them on. He would destroy them all as he'd destroyed her former watcher. He wondered if he should leave the slayer till last. Let her see her friends die around her.

When they neared the base of the serpant's long body, he prepared to strike. He didn't see Buffy's one-worded command, or the two dark-haired young men raise their crossbows. Choosing his target, he started to lunge, only to pull back in agony as the two bolts hit his eyes. He screamed as he shook his head to dislodge them.

Buffy jumped onto the stage, then began to climb his body, moving nearer to his head. Wesley waited until she was a third of the way up before opening a book and starting to chant. Hearing the scream of their master, a few of the vampires turned toward the stage, and tried to stop the attack. They were held off by Angel and Xander. Cordelia moved beside Wesley, holding her stake high, ready to defend him with her life.

The serpent finally dislodged one of the bolts. Blood pouring from the wound, he turned to stare at the group below him. His eyesight had been weakened, but he could still make them out. The two fighting his servants, the brunette terrified but holding her ground. He had to admire her pluck. And the older man, reading from a book. Reading? He bent down to get a closer look No not reading. Chanting.

Finally the words penetrated his befuddled brain. “No!” He had to stop them. He poised to strike, intending to stop the watcher before he completed his chant. He laughed in pleasure as the girl saw what he was doing and screamed. Funny that she should call the slayer’s name though. That was his last thought as the sword pierced the vulnerable part of his head and plunged into his brain.

Buffy jumped just before the head plummetted onto the ground, sending humans and vampires alike scampering away from the carcass. She would have preferred a slower death, but this had been the only way to destroy the demon. Giles had told her and Wesley both, as well as instructed them thoroughly on how it was to be done. He said it was a contingency plan to have the three of them fully adept on how to destroy the demon. But it was almost as if he had known.

She walked past the inert body of the monster, pausing at its head. One of the bolts was still lodged in its eye. The other eye was still open, and she could see the resemblence to the former Mayor in its icy blue stare. She turned away, then moved toward the body of her watcher, mentor, and father.

Realising that their master was defeated, the vampires ran from the building, hoping to get to shelter before the eclipse was finished. Very few made it. The remaining humans, students, teachers and parents, began to file out of the building, many of them weeping. They had lost so many this day. But not one of them regretted their actions.

Joyce began to guide some of the people she’d been protecting toward the exits. She stopped as she saw her daughter staring down at a body. Recognition was slow in coming. Leaving her group to their own devices, she went to where she was needed most.

Oz’s job had been to defend Willow, Amy and the other witches as they cast protection spells on those who couldn’t fight. He’d done so valiantly, and through his and the actions of his little group, the casualties were much lower than they may have been. But there was one that they couldn’t prevent. Like Angel, he’d seen the serpent attack Buffy. And like Angel, he had been too far away to save Giles. Now he turned to break his girlfriend’s heart.

Willow smiled up at Oz as he came to her. She was tired, but pleased. They’d won. And she and her fellow witches had been part of that victory. As he neared, she finally noticed his solemn expression, and the tears in his eyes. She knew, before he spoke, that they’d lost one of their own. But not who. Her heartbroken “No.” echoed around the eerily quiet auditorium.

Wesley removed his glasses, raising his ever-ready handkerchief toward them. Instead, he altered its journey, wiping it across his watery eyes. He knew he should have been the one to sacrifice himself for Buffy. He was her watcher after all. More than that, Giles was better than he would ever be, a better watcher, a better man. After all, Giles had one skill Wesley didn’t. He’d truly loved these children, especially the slayer. He felt a hand on his arm. He looked up into Cordelia’s compassionate eyes. He knew she was grieving also, yet she was able to spare a moment for himself. He patted her hand gently, before placing it on his elbow. Exhaustedly, they left the stage, and moved toward the now kneeling slayer.

Xander and Angel looked at each other. Neither was surprised to see the other weeping. They hadn’t had time before to accept the loss of their fallen comrade. They’d been too busy avenging his death. Now they began to mourn, not as rivals, but for the first time as true allies. As they’d stood side by side during the final battle, they now stood side by side to say goodbye to the man who’d influenced them so much by word, and by example.

Buffy knelt by his head, smoothing the hair gently from his forehead. How peaceful he looked. As if he’d found contentment somehow. In fact, if you didn’t take note of the stillness of his chest, you might think he was sleeping. If she sat here long enough, he’d just wake up and congratulate her on the job she did. Then they’d go out and get some more vampires. All she had to do was wait. It would help if those people would just stop crying. They were beginning to annoy her.

“Buffy?”

“You better leave Angel. Giles won’t want to see you when he wakes up.” The group looked at each other in confusion.

Joyce stroked her hand along her daughter’s hair. “Honey, please.” Buffy didn’t even acknowledge her presence. “Buffy, he.....” She found she couldn’t say it.

Wesley cleared his throat. “In some ancient civilizations, the way to truly honour a fallen comrade is to help speed his journey to the other side.” They all looked at him in disbelief. How could he be so callous? “Part of that is easing their leaving of this world, by sending them on their way.”

Buffy looked up at the Englishman. “He deserves the greatest of honours.” He only nodded. Bending down, she picked up a pair of glasses by the body. Removing the handkerchief from the left trouser pocket, she blew on the lenses, then polished them. After first replacing the handkerchief, she then perched the spectacles on Giles’ nose, ensuring to place them exactly as he liked them. She then straightened his tie, and buttoned up his jacket. Bending, she placed a kiss upon his cold lips. “Bye Giles. Don’t get into too much trouble without me.” She lingered for a moment longer.

Xander hated what he had to do next. “Buffy, we have to....”

“I know.” She stood, then looked up at him. “He said we had to leave all the bodies in the building, to stop any infection of the serpent’s poison. I remember.” Turning, she walked toward the nearest exit, not looking back once. In single file, the others followed her, each saying a final goodbye to the man who’d come to mean so much to them all.

They gathered outside in the parking lot. All but Angel, who’d moved down to the sewers as soon as he’d realised the eclipse was over. After one last sweep, Xander joined the others and nodded at Buffy. She knelt on the ground, rested her hands on the handle, then pushed the plunger down. They all looked on as Sunnydale High School became a 20 foot ball of flame, then continued their vigil until it was nothing more than a smouldering pile of rubble.

He paused to look at her. In the past few days, there’d been a terrible change come over her. Over them all really, but she’d been the worse affected. Her lack of eating was already beginning to tell on her too-thin body. Her cheeks were becoming concave, emphasising her skull to a devastating effect. Her skin was almost jaundiced, a combination of poor diet, and no sunshine. She hadn’t been out of the house since that day. Her hair was lank, and looked as if she spasmodically ran the brush through it. Her clothes weren’t chosen with her usual care. They were just the nearest things she could find. The only colour in her body were her eyes. They were red, but not from crying. She hadn’t shed a tear yet. How frightening it was to see no life staring back out of you from those raw eyes.

He sighed. “B-Buffy.” Her start at his voice reinforced the fact he had made the right decision. He couldn’t help her. His presence was only a reminder of what she ’d lost. “I-I’ve decided to return to England. I-I’m not doing you much good here.” She turned to look at him, no apparent reaction on her face. “If I thought you needed me....” He trailed off. She’d never needed him. Only.....

She turned back to the window. He’d been dismissed. Turning, head bowed, he knew that he was a failure. Members of the Council would probably think that he’d shirked his duty, and that he was a coward. He now knew he wasn’t, just not very good as a Watcher. At least, not as the Watcher Buffy needed. So he’d decided to put the needs of the slayer first, before his own needs, and even those of the Council. If he couldn’t give her what she needed, perhaps somebody else could.

“Tell them not to bother sending anybody else. If he wasn’t good enough for them, then they’re not good enough for me.” Wesley nodded, unsurprised by her announcement. Frankly, he’d be surprised if she continued slaying. If she did, in her current condition she’d be dead within the month. He wondered if that was what she truly wanted.

He made it to the door before she spoke again. “He once said that you had the making of a good watcher.” Wesley turned in shocked surprise. “If you stopped being Travers' puppet, and maybe rebelled a bit.”

He smiled. “Should I call up a demon?”

He could have sworn there was an answering lift of the corners of her mouth. “He didn’t think you should go that far. Just learn to throw the book out occasionally.”

Wesley nodded, then looked for the final time upon this brave young woman. He knew he’d never see her again. He also knew the Council had been fools when they decided Giles was not a good influence upon her. Together they’d been unbeatable. Or so it had seemed. “I’ve begun to learn that lesson. And a few more. I’ll never be as good as him, but I hope that I’ll be better because of him for my next - assignment.”

“Slayer you mean? Nobody will be as good as him. Just be the best watcher you can for your slayer.”

“I-I will.” She had given up. She was only waiting her time to die. “Goodbye Buffy.”

She nodded, then returned to her perusal of the world outside her window. She didn’t move, not even after the door shut on the exiting watcher.

Joyce paced nervously around her living room. Buffy had gone on patrol. This was the eighth time since Wesley had left. She should have been happy that her daughter appeared to be getting her life back together, but she wasn’t. She knew Buffy wasn’t ready. They all knew. The trouble was, she wouldn’t listen to them. Just went out, patrolled, slayed a couple of vampires, then disappeared until dawn.

It was the disappearing that scared Joyce. She knew Buffy didn’t go to Angel, because he’d come here looking for her. Neither of them knew where she went to in those predawn hours, and when they tackled her, she’d become furious and storm off. Now Angel was out looking for her, hoping she’d let him patrol.

The knocking on her front door made Joyce jump. Buffy wouldn’t knock, and if it was Angel, then it meant he’d lost her. Trembling, she went to greet her unknown visitor.

“Hey Mrs Summers.” They all stood there, even Cordelia. Willow had been crying again, but then they all had. “I-Is Buffy in?”

“No Willow she’s not.” She knew she was being sharp, but she’d had enough. “She’s gone on patrol again, and I probably won’t be seeing her until the sun comes up.” She moved back, allowing them to enter.

“She goes to see Angel?” Xander’s voice had darkened with surprise and anger.

“No. He doesn’t know where she goes either. She just - disappears.”

“She’s gonna get herself killed!”

“Don’t you think I know that!?” She could tell she’d hurt him. “I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to do. Ever since that day, she’s built a wall around herself, and she won’t let anybody in. It’s like she’s waiting...”

“For him.” Willow whispered it. “She’s waiting for him to tell her what to do.”

“But he can’t”

“No.” Her voice rose with resolve. “So we all better.”

Buffy turned to make one last patrol of the cemetary. She didn’t expect any trouble. Most of the vampires were destroyed during the Mayor’s attempted ascension. All that was left were a few stragglers.She’d gotten rid of quite a few of them in her first few nights out.

She stopped, sensing him nearby. “Go home Angel.”,/P>

He stepped out from the shadow of the trees. “I thought you might like some company.”

“I don’t. I don’t like it and I don’t need it.” Her voice was devoid of any emotion. When Giles had died, so had her heart. “So why don’t you go home and pack, ready for your trip.”

He sighed. “I don’t like to leave you like this. Your Mom’s worried.”

“I know. And you’re leaving me anyway. What does it matter how you do it?”

“Do you want me to stay?” He already knew the answer.

“Not particularly.”

He looked down, wishing there was some way he could get through to her. “I won’t leave you tonight. At least, not unless you tell me where you go after you finish your patrol.”

They’d arranged themselves around the living room, making plans. This was a council of war. The prize and the enemy were the same. Buffy. To save her, they had to fight her, and they needed to use every weapon in their arsenal.

They were disturbed by a knock at the door. Rising, Joyce went to answer it, knowing who would be there.

“Hey.” Angel tried to retain his nervous energy. He’d come straight here, not sure how his news would be taken.

“Hi. Come on in. The others are in the living room.”

Buffy took out the keys as she walked down the steps. Her path was routine now, she travailed it without conscious thought. All she knew was that she would soon be safe, surrounded by him. Then the pain would ease for a little while. She didn’t hesitate as she fitted the key in the lock and entered Giles’ apartment.

She paused as she turned to shut the door, her sensory perception going off the wall. There was a demon nearby.

“Buffy.” She looked up at Xander’s voice. He entered the apartment, causing her to back away, followed by Willow, Oz, Cordelia, her mother and Angel.

“What are you doing here?”

“We were about to ask you the same thing.” Xander noticed she seemed distracted, but put it down to getting caught out. “This isn’t going to solve anything.”

“So you all thought you’d come and talk me out of whatever it is you think I ’m doing.” She moved around the living area, trying to find the source of her feelings.

“We’re worried about you Buffy.” Willow tried to get closer to her friend, but the slayer kept moving.

“There’s a demon in here.”

“Yeah. Angel. Remember? Vampire, ergo demon?” Cordelia knew she was going through a bad time, but this was too weird.

“No, I sensed it when I opened the door.”

“It was Angel Buffy. We were right behind you.” They all looked at her with concern.

“She’s right. There’s another demon here.” Angel stood near the stairs. Whatever it was, he sensed it too.

The shocked silence was broken by the whistle of a kettle. They all turned toward the kitchen, no one daring to move. Angel finally walked through the Galley, pausing to remove the kettle from the stove. He noticed the teapot on the counter, but there was no other sign of life.

Buffy looked up toward the upper landing, hearing something above them. The others followed suit. Eventually they all heard it. The heavy tread of somebody moving across the bedroom floor, making their way to the stairs. Nobody moved, they hardly dared to breathe, as their unknown visitor began to descend the stairs.

He was dressed in one of his Oxford shirts, the top two buttons undone. His red braces stood out in stark relief against the white of the cotton. His face was hidden in shadow until he turned the bend of the stairs, but his gait, his build was so familiar. He moved down the final steps, his eyes never leaving her face. She joined him at the base of the stairs. He was minus his glasses, but in all other ways looked as she’d seen him last. Dying in her arms.

He took in the changes. She had the appearance of somebody who’d been ill for several weeks. She was obviously rather weak, and nowhere near her physical peak. “Dear God, what have you been doing to yourself?”

The loud crack of her hand making contact with his cheek broke through the silent air. His skin reddened from the impact, but that was the only outward reaction of her assault. “Mourning you!”

Xander finally broke the tense silence. “Well, I guess that proves he’s not a ghost.”

They all sat silently in the living area waiting. They’d arranged themselves in a show of force, Buffy in the centre of the couch, Oz on her left, with Willow on his lap, Xander on her right. Cordelia, still not part of the group was perched on the arm next to Xander. The chair opposite was vacant, waiting for Joyce. In the background, leaning against the wall stood Angel. And facing them all was Giles.

Joyce entered from the Galley kitchen, carrying a full tray. Placing it on the coffee table, she handed a cup of tea to Giles. Smiling his gratitude, he sipped it appreciatively. “Ah, I’ve missed this.”

“After a couple of weeks?” The scorn in Xander’s voice was strong.

“It seems more like centuries.” Nobody answered, not wanting the full truth just yet.

Buffy sat, watching him sip his tea. Last time they were all together like this was when she’d returned last summer. Now it was his turn. “Well?”

Giles hesitated. “It’s hard to know where to begin.”

“How about the beginning?”

A smile crossed his face. “Yes, a good place to start.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. Keeping his eyes upon his cup, he began his story....

"Several centuries ago, a demon was shown a prophecy. You know him as Mayor Wilkins. He saw his ascension, and the absolute power he’d weld. In the propecy were some humans, particularly a blonde girl. He just assumed they would be the base from which he gathered his power.

"Another demon was shown the same prophecy. He, however, saw more. He saw a man sacrifice himself for the girl. Unlike the first demon, he believed that the girl was essential in the prevention of the ascension. He was one of those demons that preferred the balance of power, that acknowledged the necessity of humans to keep nature even.

"And so, both demons waited for their moment. The first demon rose to the earth first. The second demon bided his time. He knew that the ascension would be a while longer.

"Then, about twenty years ago a few young foolhardy people became involved in some dangerous stuff. Drink, drugs, demon raising. Anything for the biggest kick. They mainly played with a lesser demon called Eyghon, but one of them decided to raise another demon on his own. The second demon heard his chant, and decided to investigate. When he possessed the young man, he recognised him as the youthful version of the man from the prophecy. Rupert Giles.

"The demon was apalled at what he witnessed. The chances they took, their suicidal attitudes. He tried to curb their excesses, particularly Rupert’s. He set some controls in for when they summoned Eyghon, and whenever Rupert summoned him, he made sure not to take any of the substances that were readily available. He had only one purpose. To make sure the prophecy came true. For this, Rupert had to be protected.

"One day, when he wasn’t there, the humans became sloppy. They summoned Eyghon without the proper controls. The result of this was the death of one of them.

"Rupert particularly took it bad. He tried to drown his pain and guilt in alcahol and drugs. When he’d taken too much and he still felt, he summoned the demon to stop the emotions. By then it was too late. There was too much substance in his body. He was dying. The demon tried everything he could to save Rupert’s life."

“What?”

“What are you talking about?”

The cacaphony of noise drowned the small area. Only Giles and Buffy remained silent, their eyes locked together. He knew she’d guessed the truth before he’d started speaking. Soon the others would.

“Oh my god!” Joyce’s apalled declaration cut through the voices of the others, silencing them immediately. She had paled, and her hands pressed against her cheeks in distress. Her agitation was evident in every pore of her body.

Buffy smirked. “Guess it’s a family tradition now, huh Mom?”

Giles’ sharp “Buffy!” took the smile off her face.

“Sorry. That wasn't good of me.” The others looked on in confusion, not understanding the implication of the discussion. Whatever was happening, it was beyond their ability to comprehend. Buffy, after a forgiving look from her mother turned back to Giles. “Finish your story.”

“While the demon was fighting the affects of the drug and alcohol abuse, Ethan found them. He called an ambulance, and waited until they were rushed to the hospital. Several times Rupert’s heart stopped, only for the attendants to restart it. By the time they arrived at the emergency area, everybody in the ambulance knew that Rupert wouldn’t make it.

“The demon was in a dilemma. All this time, he’d been hanging onto both Rupert’s soul and body, trying to save him for his destiny. It was obvious that it was a losing battle. Did he continue the fight, and possibly lose his grip on the body and this dimension? Or did he just give up, and go back to his own world, let this one be destroyed because of one man’s selfishness.

“A rage possessed the demon, and he made a fateful decision. He couldn’t save Rupert, but he could ensure Rupert Giles was there for the ascension. So, he did the only thing he could. He allowed the soul of Rupert to slip, and took full possession of the body.

“The doctors were amazed at ‘Rupert’s’ miraculous recovery. Although he had to fight the pain of drug withdrawal, physically he seemed to be no worse for wear. For several weeks the demon raged against the human who’d thrown his destiny away, and the fates that had dealt him this hand, as he battled the addictive cravings within his new body.”

“Did Ethan know?” Buffy’s quiet question broke through the emotional narration.

“I’m not sure. I think he guessed something. After all, the change within his friend was too drastic. One moment, the biggest hellraiser of them all, the next a true watcher in making. Something else to regret.”

“What’s that?” Willow’s question was full of curiosity.

“Ethan. He could have been saved, but the demon let him fall by the wayside. And so he embraced evil to retaliate. I’ve often wondered...” Giles shook himself, breaking off his introspective thoughts. “Where was I?”

“You’d taken possession of Rupert’s body.” He didn’t contradict Oz.

“You’re a demon?” They all looked at Cordelia in disgust. “That’s Ewww. I mean, they’re the enemy, and....”

“Cordy. Cordy.” Xander waited until his ex-girlfriend was looking at him. “Later.” She opened her mouth to object. “Later.”

“What? When?” He waited for her responce. “When we first met? When you rejected your destiny? What should I have said? ‘By the way, I’m one of those monsters you’re fighting, but trust me anyway.’? Look how you reacted with Angel, and you’d already come to..care about him.” Giles stood up, moving around the chair in his agitation. He rested against the back, waiting.

“What about later?”

“And what should I have told you Buffy? That I was here to die for you? But not to worry, you could come to care about me anyway. That I knew that you would live until the ascension, then I couldn’t guarantee anything?”

“But there were demony things you could have done to help us?” Willow’s confusion and genuine curiosity showed in her question.

“And then you would have relied on me. You had to do these things yourselves, to prepare you for the ascension. All I could do was help you in that preparation.”,/P>

“But you let me think you died. You could have told me you would have lived.”

“I didn’t know. I wasn’t sure what would happen after the serpent bit me. I knew the human body would die, but I didn’t know if the demon would survive.”

“Why do you keep talking about the demon as it’s something different.” Willow’s voice had risen an octave. “It’s you.”

“I became Rupert Giles. I lost the demon until Rupert’s body was destroyed. So, I was no longer that creature.”

“You’re wrong.” Buffy’s voice was quiet. “Rupert Giles became you.”

They all remained silent, absorbing what they’d learned. Everything they’d believed in, everything they’d fought for had just been turned on it’s ear. One of their own was really one of the enemy. Xander was the first to speak. “So why’d you come back? I mean, surely it would have been better for us to believed that the human Giles was dead. Or did you think that we’d just accept you back?”

“No. No, I didn’t.”

“What? You missed your Earl Grey so much, you just had to come back for more?”

Giles couldn’t help the smile grazing his lips. “Partly. Also, you never stopped weeping.” He looked across at Buffy.

“You’re wrong.” Willow couldn’t believe what he was saying. “Buffy wasn’t crying. The rest of us never stopped, but Buffy hasn’t cried once.”

Buffy glanced across at her friend. “On the outside. On the inside, I’ve never stopped.”

The love in Giles’ eyes was unmistakeable. “I could hear you in my dimension. It broke my heart.”

“So you came here to break hers?” Angel growled at him.

Demon looked at demon. “I leave that to you. I also came for more selfish reasons. I - missed you all. I hadn’t realised how much you’d come to mean to me. And so, I knew I had to be honest with you. Tell you the truth. Let you decide.”

“Decide what?” Oz gripped his girlfriend, not wanting her to suffer any more.

“Whether or not you can forgive me. Whether I have the right to stay here with you.”

“And if we say no?”

“I’ll go back. I’ll wait for your decision here.” They all rose, knowing that there would be no more conversation that night. He watched them, knowing that the next few hours would make his time in the other dimension seem like a passing moment. Not one of them spoke to him as they left. There wasn’t any need. All that needed to be said had.

He drank what seemed like his twentieth cup of tea for that night. Yet it was never enough. If things went the wrong way, this would have to sustain him for several centuries. And he didn’t have much hope of it going the right way. So he drank, and waited.

The key in the lock was his first warning. He rose, waiting for her to enter. As he’d known she would. She walked up to him, her face devoid of emotion. He braced himself, knowing what would come.

She looked at him. The man who’d been the one mainstay in her life. And it had all been a lie. He’d been a lie. She hadn’t known what she’d say when she got here. Now, she felt it all explode within her. She lifted her arm, thumping his chest hard. He hardly moved. “I hate you!” She thumped him again. “You hurt me! You lied to me!” Her arm began moving faster, as the words spurted forth. “You’re a monster! You hurt me! I hate you! You hurt me! You hurt me!” He gathered her to him as the sobs came forth. Her thumping against his body lessened as her strength left her, until she clung to his shirt, crying the tears that she hadn’t let loose before. He hugged her tight, resting his head against her head. He didn’t say a word, just let her release her grief, and waited for her decision.

The four wheel drive pulled up outside the apartment building a few moments after the van. The others paused on their journey up the path as they waited for the occupants to join them. They were surprised when only Joyce exited. Willow broached the question. “Where’s Buffy?”

Joyce shrugged. “She wasn’t in her bed this morning. She said that she had to go out last night. I assume she went to Angel.”

“You think she’s gone to say goodbye to him?”

“Perhaps.” She looked toward the building. “So. You’ve decided.”

Willow remained the spokesperson. “It was something Buffy said. Rupert Giles became him. Demon or human, it was still Giles.” She hesitated. "I haven't slept all night."

"None of us have. It's a lot to absorb, you know?" Xander looked at the others, receiving an acknowleding nod from each.

"I won't be stopping. With my Dad and stuff, we're moving. So, it doesn't affect me. But, I wanted Giles to know that it's okay that he's one of those yucky things. As long as he doesn't turn evil or anything." Cordy knew the others were laughing at her, but it was a good laughing at.

"Hey, I figure who's a werewolf to complain against a demon?"

Willow looked at Joyce. "What about you? I mean you and he..." She stopped, embarassed.

Joyce smiled. "As Buffy said, it's a family tradition. And as you said, he's still Giles. He's saved Buffy's life more times than I can mention, and she needs him.”

“Let’s hope Buffy feels the same way.” Xander indicated to the others. They waited as Willow knocked hesitantly on the door.

It opened to reveal the last thing they expected. Buffy smiled at the visitors. “Hey. Glad you’re all here. You wouldn’t believe all the junk Giles has collected since he’s been here. He’s had me sorting it out all night. Now you can help us.” She backed away letting them in. “Do you know there are zillions of ways to sort things into....” her voice faded as the door shut behind them.