“Damn it! I’m so tired of this crap. I can’t do it anymore.” Faith kicked Buffy’s bed, moving it a few inches across the floor. She stepped forward again, as if planning to repeat the action, but then changed her mind and sat down on the satiny surface instead. Groaning as she folded over and covered her face with her hands, the dark Slayer seemed to lose all her fire and energy. After a while, she raised her head and roughly rubbed at her forehead, her eyes coming to rest on Buffy’s desk and the cell phone that waited there.

Picking up the phone quickly and holding it far tighter than was necessary, she took a few seconds to marshal her nerves before dialling a number she knew by heart. This is not something I’m looking forward to explaining. Running a nervous hand through her long hair, Faith waited for someone to pick up the phone at the other end.

“This better be important,” a sleepy voice responded after a few rings.

“Angel, it’s Faith. I’m still in Sunnydale and I...I need some help.”

“What’s going on? Put Buffy on the phone.” All traces of sleep had left the master vampire’s voice, replaced by worry that something had happened to the petite blonde Slayer who held his heart.

“I can’t. She’s not here anymore.”

“Where is she? How bad is it?”

Faith sighed. This was going to be difficult. “It’s nothing like that. Just calm down a bit, Big Boy. The last time I saw her, she was five by five.”

“What do you mean, the last time you saw her? Where is she, Faith?”

“Look...Just sit down and chill a bit, and you’ll get the headlines. Ready?” Faith could hear the rustling of bedding on the other end of the call.

“I’m ready. Now, where is she?”

“I don’t know. No...don’t interrupt. I can’t explain anything if you’re busy yelling. Okay...A few days ago, the gang got together and decided that Buffy wasn’t firing on all cylinders. They thought she was making some bad decisions, and they...well...they kind of...kicked her out,” Faith whispered into the phone.

“What?” Angel roared. He got up from his bed, and was trying to pull on his pants while continuing his conversation with Faith. “That’s crazy. They can’t kick her out of her own house.”

“Looks like you’re wrong, Soul Boy, because that’s exactly what they did.”

“Damn it, Faith. I sent you there so there would be two strong fighters against the First, instead of just one.”

Faith couldn’t help it. In her head, she envisioned Angel with his arms crossed and a frown on his face, like some harsh judge who would send her straight back to jail if she didn’t perform as he expected, or if she disappointed him in any way.

“So, let me see if I’ve got it right...You guys thought she’d messed up somehow?” The vampire bent down, looking under the bed for his shoes. The phone was silent, the normally brash and argumentative Slayer remaining uncharacteristically quiet. “Faith? Are you still there?” Straightening up, Angel frowned. He could hear her breathing still, and knew there was more to the story than she was telling him.

“That’s right,” came her quiet answer. Her voice would have been impossible to hear, even with his increased vamp senses, if he hadn’t been listening so hard for it.

“Faith! Tell me.” And she did. Angel heard how she lured away the new man that Buffy had shown an interest in. How Faith had taken the girls out on fun outings, and how she’d worked to undermine the other Slayer by making negative comments to the potentials. She admitted that she’d deliberately planted doubts in the rest of the group, telling them that someone else could do a better job than Buffy. Finally, she told him how the others had selected Faith to be their new leader, and had told Buffy that she no longer had a place with them.

“It looked like so much fun, being the leader...but it isn’t. I can’t do it!” It wasn’t hard to hear the tears in Faith’s voice.

Running his hand over his hair to make sure nothing was out of place, Angel sat down in a chair. “It’s not me you need, Faith. You need to find Buffy, and get her to come home and take over her duties. What you did wasn’t right, but there’s no excuse for her to run out on her calling.”

“Believe me, Angel, I would if I could.”

“What?” Now Angel was confused. “Why can’t you?”

“We can’t find her. It’s like she disappeared from the face of the Earth.” The dark-haired Slayer got to her feet, tucked a hand in her back pocket, and began to pace beside the bed.

“Has Willow tried to find her with a locator spell?”

“Yeah. That was one of the first things we did, but the spell failed. All the spells have failed. After that, we just waited. We thought B would come back on her own, but it’s been days now. Nobody’s seen her or heard from her...not one little squeak.”

“Alright. Tell the others I’m on my way. I’ll be there in a few hours.”

“Thanks,” Faith said, but she was talking to a dead phone. Angel had already hung up.

********************************

Buffy rolled over and looked up at what should have been the ceiling. Instead of paint and light fixtures, she saw a collection of roots and spider webs decorating the room.

With a little bit of effort, this could be a nice home. The little blonde giggled. The Slayer living in a cemetery...who’d believe it? Her giggles turned into sobs.

Dawn, her sister and the only real family member she had left, had been the one to speak for them all. She was the one who told Buffy that she wasn’t a good enough Slayer to lead the Scoobies and Potentials into battle. How could that be? She’d dedicated her life to protecting them, the family her heart had created...Her sister, a gift from monks she’d never met, her father figure, Giles, and her other siblings, Willow and Xander. Buffy had sacrificed everything for them, even the love of her life...the only reason she was alive inside after her second death. It all meant nothing to them though, and now she was alone.

She would never forget how it felt to watch her world fall apart. It started when Giles heard a rumour that Spike and Buffy were a couple and, instead of asking Buffy about it directly, shared the information with Willow and Xander instead. Together, the Scoobies had staged an intervention, demanding that Buffy deny her feelings for the vampire who had finally won her heart. They wanted to know what she was doing with Spike, and why she was spending so much time with him. She told them repeatedly that the vampire meant nothing to her but, in the end, nothing would satisfy them.

Finally allowed to retreat to her room, Buffy overheard Giles on the phone to Angel. Clearly her friends didn’t realize just how good her hearing was. Their ignorance worked to her advantage though, and Buffy was able to hear her Watcher clearly ask Angel to stake Spike and put an end to his interference for good.

Buffy had escaped out her bedroom window, and run all the way to her lover. Spike was determined to stay with his Slayer, regardless of the crap that the Scoobies threw their way, and it was only Buffy’s tearful pleading that finally convinced him to leave Sunnydale. He made it clear though, that his absence from her side should only be considered temporary.

It was a good thing that Spike left town when he did. It was only a few hours later that Angel arrived and the full-scale intervention began. The single-minded determination of her so-called friends and family was frightening, and only reinforced the Slayer’s regret that she had not left town with her vampire. She knew it was an impossible dream though...she had already been shown that even death would provide her with no escape. The Scoobies would simply hunt her down and drag her back to perform her sacred duty once more.

The Scoobies, now reinforced by the arrival of Angel, set out for Spike’s crypt. Plan A was to beat some information out of him, since Buffy wasn’t cooperating. Of course, once they got their information, Buffy knew that Plan B would be to stake the chipped vampire. Buffy told them that she’d personally escorted Spike out of town, but they were relentless. Anyone watching the Scoobies make the short walk to Restfield Cemetery could be forgiven for thinking that another apocalypse was on the way. All the men were brandishing crossbows and stakes, and Willow nearly singed Angel’s hair as she practiced her fireballs.

The group was bitterly disappointed to find Spike’s crypt empty. Xander and Angel expelled some of their frustration by smashing anything Spike had left behind, but it was clear to all that the bleached blonde vampire had moved on and no longer lived there. After that, the Scoobies didn’t really care what Buffy said; they wanted Spike’s dust. That might have been okay if he could defend himself against humans, but they all knew that wasn’t the case.

Now Spike, William the Bloody, was out there in the world, chip free. That was one of his first goals when he left Sunnydale. It didn’t make a difference to Buffy, but the information wouldn’t bring out the tolerant side of her friends. Was Spike killing? Buffy didn’t know. She’d never asked him. To her, it didn’t matter anymore, as long as he did what was needed to stay alive.

Where are you Spike? Are you looking after yourself? Are you happy? Despite all the harassment from the Scoobies, the repeated attempts to get her to share what she knew about Spike’s location, Buffy had kept him safe, close to her heart. Lying on the vampire’s bed, the Slayer recalled the past few months and the dwindling contact she’d had with her lover. In the beginning, Spike had used Clem to play mailman for the Slayer. He knew not to give her Spike’s letters unless she was alone, and was just a phone call away whenever she wanted to send something to her vampire, wherever he was. With the advent of the latest apocalypse, Clem had left town, but not before he made arrangements for Buffy to pick up Spike’s letters from Willy’s bar, the Alibi Room. Now though, with the Turok Han roaming the streets, even the greasy barkeep had closed his doors. There weren’t enough demons left in town to make it worth keeping the establishment open, and Willy had finally relocated to LA a month ago. Since then, Buffy hadn’t heard a word from Spike.

The Slayer missed the lovely letters that she used to receive from her vampire. He always told her how much he still loved her and always would, and that he understood why she had asked him to leave Sunnydale. Always, his notes ended with a promise that they would be together again someday. Buffy knew that Spike would never give up on her, and that he would be waiting when she finally found the strength to escape her calling.

If Buffy had known where to find Spike, she would have run into his arms and stayed there. Instead, she found herself seeking refuge in his old crypt. She’s managed to salvage a few of his old belongings, but his smell was gone now. The first few months after he’d left, she could come to the crypt and pretend that he’d just gone out and would be back at any moment.

Why did the Powers choose me to be the Slayer? Why couldn’t I have been an ordinary girl? No, that wouldn’t have worked. If I’d been normal, then Spike wouldn’t have found me, and I wouldn’t have any memory of him or his love for me. That’s something they can’t ever take from us. At that moment, the Slayer vowed that she would never again let her duty get in the way of her love for Spike.

Duty. Buffy hated that word. Taking care of Dawn and slaying had become Buffy’s whole life, and she’d sacrificed everything for her duty. Despite that, in the end they’d deemed her not good enough...unworthy. Lying on Spike’s old bed, eyes glassy with tears, the Slayer gazed at the roots in the corner of the ceiling and longed for the return of her vampire.

Angel had been in town for hours, and had walked through every cemetery the town had, trying to find a trace of the Slayer. He didn’t sense her anywhere, and the scents he found were several days old.

Now the sun was high in the sky again, and the brooding vampire was standing behind Willow, watching her cast yet another locator spell. The redhead moved a crystal over a map of Sunnydale and then the surrounding area, trying to get a bead on where Buffy was hiding.

“I told you...she’s vanished.” Letting her arm fall down, Willow looked over her shoulder at the vampire that was hovering over her.

“Is there anyone else that she would turn to for help?” Angel looked at the Scoobies. “What about the soldier boy?”

“I don’t think so,” Willow piped up.

“Why don’t I give him a call, just to be sure?” Xander was already looking through his cell phone for the top-secret contact number Riley had left behind. Finally locating the number, the gangly youth escaped to the kitchen for a moment to place his call.

Returning to the living room, Xander updated the group. “She’s not with Riley, and he hasn’t heard from her since he left town. He wants to come help with the search through. He’ll be here in a few hours.”

“What now?” Dawn asked.

“I don’t believe we have any alternative but to wait now.” Giles pulled off his glasses. “Hopefully, Riley can be of some help. If not, then I’m afraid we’ll have to consider the possibility that Buffy has met her third death.”

*************************

“We’re scanning Sunnydale from several satellites in orbit as we speak.” Riley looked over the gathering. The Scoobies were all front and center, joined by a bunch of teenagers who were standing behind Faith. The brunette was giving him a lecherous look that was wreaking havoc with his concentration.

“Will your wife be joining us, Riley?” Giles had noticed Faith’s interest in the soldier, and decided it was best to try and prevent that complication before it became an issue.

“No. I’m not married any longer.” With a grim look on his face, Riley moved to sit down in one of the chairs.

Sighing, Giles pinched the bridge of his nose. A house full of teenagers hadn’t left the Watcher with a single moment alone since Buffy’s disappearance. His body was starting to buckle under the stress, and he’d had a headache since the moment he realized that they’d effectively placed Faith in charge. “When will we know something?”

“Any minute now. I started the scan process as soon as I got off the phone with Xander.” Though Riley knew it wasn’t possible to speed up the scan, he had hoped to have some intel to share when he arrived in Sunnydale.

Xander moved to stand beside the chair that Riley occupied. “Sorry about the wife, man.”

Giving the brunette a nod, Riley responded. “Thanks. We probably married too soon after...”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” With his hands in his pockets, Xander rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. “She’s not easy to get over.” They exchanged looks, and understanding flowed between them without anything further being said. They both knew who they were talking about.

Looking up, Xander gazed directly into Angel’s brown eyes. After a second, the vampire’s gaze moved down to connect with Riley. Clearly, all three had come to an understanding. They would work together, regardless of their differences, until Buffy was back where she belonged, or until they had proof that she was no more.

**Bleep** **Bleep**

The sound was loud in the silence of the room. When Riley reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone, the room released a collective sigh, and then seemed to hold its breath as the soldier frowned and listened to a conversation only he could hear. Then, with a final, “I understand, Roger that, Finn out,” Riley folded the phone and returned it to his pocket.

There was a moment’s delay, and then Riley met the Watcher’s gaze. “This building is the only place in Sunnydale where the satellites were able to locate evidence of human life. Buffy has either left Sunnydale, or she’s dead.” His voice was loud and clear, as if he were delivering a mission report to a superior officer.

It wasn’t until then, that the Scoobies and potentials alike started to really consider that they might be facing an apocalypse without Buffy. She’d always come through for them before, and they’d never truly appreciated just how much they relied on her to look out for them and take care of the various Big Bads that came to town.

Silence reigned in the room for a moment, until it was broken abruptly by a series of knocks. Startled, everyone seemed to look about the room, not connecting the noise with someone waiting at the front door. The knocking sounded again, and Giles seemed to suddenly come to his senses.

The Watcher cursed under his breath. “Calm down everyone. Make way...someone is at the door.” He moved to see who was interrupting the Scooby meeting.

A hand on his chest stopped him before he could cross the room. Giles looked into the eyes of the man who had stayed his progress. “It has to be a demon, Giles. Let me open it.” Riley was standing in front of Giles, a hand on his sidearm, ready for action.

“It’s daylight outside, and any demon polite enough to knock can’t be that bad.” Giles pushed Riley’s hand aside and continued past the soldier.

“But the scans...”

“I don’t give a bloody rat’s ass about your scans.” It was Ripper that took the last few steps to the entryway, and the Scoobies could see Giles take a deep breath and make a deliberate effort to get his emotions under control again before he opened the door. Turning the knob and pulling the door open, Giles found himself looking at a shabbily dressed man. Shabbily dressed, and very smelly. Giles stepped back when the pungent odour registered. “Yes? How may I help you?”

“Whistler?” Angel was looking over Giles’ shoulder. “What are you doing here?”

“Whistler? As in, the Representative for the Powers That Be?” Giles looked from the stranger to Angel, and back again, while waiting for a response to his question.

“Yeah, I’m Whistler, and yeah, I work for the Powers. I’m here to see the Slayer. I need to have a bit of a chat with her.”

Giles had seen Angel’s nod of confirmation, and moved out of the doorway, gesturing for the strange demon with the deplorable wardrobe to enter. “She’s in there.” The Watcher pointed to the living room.

Walking past Angel and into the room, Whistler quickly scanned the faces of those present. “Where? I don’t see her.” The demon appeared confused.

Angel put his hand on the stinky man’s shoulder, and turned him to face the dark Slayer. “Whistler, I’d like you to meet Faith, the Slayer. Faith, this is Whistler, the one who started me on my path to redemption.”

Now Whistler looked really confused. “I’m sorry, but I’m here to talk with Buffy Summers, the true Slayer.” He looked around the room again. “I’m at the right house, ain’t I? I thought this was the home of Buffy Summers?”

Angry, Dawn stepped forward. “It’s my house too. Why does everyone call it Buffy’s house, and never mine?” She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot, clearly outraged.

“Oh, that’s an easy question to answer, Dawn.” Anya nodded enthusiastically. “They call it “Buffy’s house” because Buffy is the one that earns the money and pays the bills. It works the same way for “Xander’s apartment.”

“Anya!” Xander exclaimed loudly.

Giles stepped in and addressed Whistler. “You are in the correct place. This is the Summers’ residence.”

“That’s good then. Can you find the dame for me then? I really do need to talk with her.”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible. You see, she isn’t here at the moment.” Giles took off his glasses, and absent-mindedly began to clean the lenses with his tie, his gaze fixed on the floor.

“Hey, no offense guys, but I’m on a bit of a schedule here. The PTB don’t like it when their messages get put on hold. When is she supposed to be getting back?”

Clearing his voice, Giles finally looked at Whistler again. “We don’t know when, or if, she will be returning. The fact of the matter is, Buffy’s whereabouts are unknown right now.” The Watcher placed his glasses back on his nose. “The rest of us are not without skills, and Faith is also an active Slayer. Perhaps we could help you, if you’d be so kind as to tell us why you’re here?”

“Sure, Watcher-man. The Powers sent me to tell Miss Summers how to stop the First Evil.” The rumpled man scratched his nose and shrugged his shoulders. “To be honest, we thought she was going to take care of this on her own a while ago. We gave her everything she needed to fix the problem but she didn’t go through with it. I lost a lot of money on that bet, too.”

The mood in the room lightened, as people began to realize that there was a way to stop the Turok Han and the First from causing an apocalypse and unleashing Hell on Earth.

“There’s a way to stop the First Evil? How? That is, what is it that the Slayer must do?” Giles felt a strong urge to grab the smelly man and shake the answer out of him in an attempt to get it faster.

The look on Faith’s face was almost pleading, as she stepped up as well. “Give us the answer, and I’ll do whatever needs to be done. Buffy’s not the only Slayer here.”

“I’m sorry, Pigeon, but the info’s no good to you. Only Buffy can stop the First from opening the Hellmouth and ending life as you humans know it.” Whistler really did look apologetic.

Now it was Angel’s turn to speak up. “I don’t get it. Faith is a Slayer, just like Buffy. Why can’t she do whatever needs to be done?” Worried, the master vampire had moved to stand beside the rogue Slayer.

“It was Buffy that was pulled out of Heaven. She was officially out of the game, until someone started messing with powers they didn’t understand. If you think of the battle between good and evil like a chess game, then bringing Buffy back to life was like the good guys putting an extra piece onto the board. A really powerful extra piece...like a queen. Her return upset the balance between good and evil, and the other side was basically able to call foul and say the good guys were cheating by sneaking an extra player onto the field. Once that happened, they were free to go looking for an extra piece to put on their side of the board...and they found the First, ready and willing to play.”

“So, if I understand you correctly,” Giles asked, as he sat down on the couch, “you’re saying that if Buffy hadn’t been resurrected, then the other side wouldn’t have been able to bring the First to this world?”

Suddenly realizing how far-reaching the effects of her spell would be, Willow found herself overwhelmed. “No, no...That can’t be right.” She swayed, light-headed, and sank into a nearby chair. “Are you saying that all of this is my fault?” Tears ran down her face, and she was visibly shaking.

“Sorry Kiddo, accident or no, this mess is all yours.” Whistler was reluctant to confirm Willow’s guess, but didn’t want to lie to the young witch either.

Xander had been silent for most of Whistler’s visit, but something the Representative had said was bothering him. “You said that Buffy was an extra player...that the good guys snuck her onto the field. What in the name of the Great Googlamoogla does that mean?” The carpenter really wanted to go comfort Willow, but just couldn’t move. This whole visit felt unreal and he was struggling to wrap his mind around Whistler’s message. “If Buffy came back, she’d have to be a good guy, right? She’s the Slayer!”

Whistler glanced around the room, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes.

“He doesn’t know shit.” They all turned to Riley, who was looking at his watch. “Come on people, wake up. He’s just a filthy demon. He’s probably making all of this up just to screw with us.” With that, he pulled his gun and marched over to where Whistler was standing.

“Demon? Yeah, I’ve never tried to make you believe I’m anything else. As for the filthy part, well, you’re going to hurt my feelings if you’re not careful.” Looking at Riley, Whistler shrugged the soldier’s comments off without concern.

Angel reached past Whistler, and easily pulled the gun out of Riley’s grip, as the same time pushing the soldier-boy into a chair.

“What the Hell do you think you’re doing?” Riley screamed, as he leapt from the chair and stepped in front of Angel.

“He’s a demon. Deal with it. He works for the Powers That Be, and he’s here to help us. You need to just sit down and shut the fuck up.” Angel’s eyes were golden, and Riley suddenly seemed to realize just who he was talking to. With a soft thud, his ass was planted back in the chair Angel had shoved him into minutes before.

Xander drew everyone’s attention away from the bickering males when he turned to Whistler and asked, “So, is Giles right? Is the First only here because we brought Buffy back?”

A sad smile quirked the corner of Whistler’s mouth, but he refused to answer Xander’s question. “Sorry kiddos, but I can’t answer that until Miss Summers is here.”

Xander threw his hands up in the air. “We’re not going to get very far then, since that’s our whole problem. We can’t find Buffy anywhere. We’ve tried spells and satellites, and even walking around town, calling out her name. She’s just vanished.”

“Now, that doesn’t sound like the Slayer I know. What’s been going on here?” Whistler asked, slouching down in an easychair.

“I...It...” Giles removed his glasses again, and began to polish the lenses while hiding his face from the representative of the Powers.

When he opened his mouth to speak again, Whistler held up a hand and stopped him. “Wait.” The rumpled demon sat there, eyes closed and hand raised for almost a minute, before lowering his hand and shaking his head. When he opened his eyes again, he looked around the room, taking care to make eye contact with everyone. It was clear that his friendly attitude had disappeared. “I’ve never seen such incredible stupidity before.” He sadly shook his head again as he got up from his chair. “To toss out the most experienced Slayer, and from her own home even. I tell ya, you guys have some brass balls. It should have been you that left, if you didn’t like how she was getting the job done. And you guys call yourselves her friends...ouch!” As Whistler spoke, he moved to the front door.

“Where are you going?” Faith moved as if to block Whistler’s departure from the house.

“I’m off to have a chat with the Slayer.”

Glasses forgotten, Giles quickly approached Whistler. “You know where Buffy is? Is she unharmed?”

“Yeah, I know where to find her. She’s fine. Now, I’ve got to get. It’s been interesting guys.”

“Wait. I want to come with you.” Dawn grabbed her jacket from the coat rack.

“Yeah, I want to go too.” All of the Scoobies and several potentials spoke up.

Whistler held his hands up, stopping their movement toward the door. “You guys can’t seriously think she wants to see you now? You fired her and then kicked her out of her own home! She’s busted her ass for you for all these years, and you told her that she wasn’t good enough and got rid of her for a flashier model.” He shot a disgusted look at the Scoobies and gestured to Faith.

Everyone stopped in their tracks, frozen for a moment as they realized exactly what they had done. People who had picked up their coats put them down again, and those who were scrabbling for boots backed away from the pile of footwear near the door and once again took their seats in the livingroom.

“Could you...I mean...would you...would you please tell her that I’m sorry? And tell her that I love her, and want her to come home?” Dawn asked Whistler.

The grubby little fashion-disaster demon nodded once at the teen, and then he was gone.

Once Whistler understood why Buffy wasn’t in her own home, it really didn’t take him long to track her down. He knocked softly on the crypt door, waiting for a response from inside. He knew from earlier experience that the Slayer didn’t really like him very much. Unfortunately, there was no response to his polite tapping on the door, and when he placed an ear to the smooth surface, he wasn’t able to hear any sounds at all from inside. Whistler sighed. Clearly, the Slayer wasn’t going to make this easy.

Whistler knew that Buffy had a tendency to blame him for whatever message he had to pass along, but he was really hoping that this time she’d be happy to hear what he had to say, instead of having her usual homicidal reaction. He tried to push the crypt door open, but it was stuck. A good shove with his shoulder eventually got him access to the interior, and a careful look for the Slayer left him with a clear set of footprints that went from the crypt door to a hatch in the floor, partially hidden behind a sarcophagus. Taking a candle from a window ledge, Whistler lit the slim column and then held it over the hole in the floor, listening intently for signs of life.

Deciding that he really didn’t have any other option, the smelly demon carefully climbed down the ladder to the lower level. The cobwebs and roots hanging from the ceiling became a challenge when they swung into his face and caused him to start sneezing, but it was worth it. There, in the middle of the big bed on the lower level of the crypt, was Buffy. It didn’t take long for the PTB rep to realize something was wrong, though. He moved closer to the bed, but the Slayer still wasn’t reacting to his presence. “Miss Summers? Slayer?” No response at all. Frowning, Whistler looked closely at the tiny blonde on the bed. He felt her pulse...strong and steady. He tried sniffing for wounds or poisons...nothing was evident. Her eyes were open but, clearly, nobody was home. Whistler was truly puzzled, until the Powers chose to explain what was going on.

Now Whistler understood. The Slayer had retreated into herself, waiting for her soulmate to return to her. It would be Whistler’s job to stand guard and protect her until the Powers could arrange for her to be reunited with her one true love.

Looking around the room, Whistler spotted an old armchair in a corner. He brushed it free of cobwebs and dust, before pulling it over to a position by the bed. Despite his best efforts, a cloud of dust flew up from the chair when he finally sat down.

Whistler coughed. With the hand that wasn’t covering his mouth, he tried to fan the dust away from his eyes. When he could see again, he discovered that Buffy had closed her eyes. “Miss Summers, I know that you’re back.”

Buffy opened her eyes to give Whistler a half-hearted glare, before closing them again and rolling to her side, her back to the demon. “Tired.”

“Aren’t you curious about why the Powers have pushed you to return to consciousness, and why I’m here?”

Buffy turned her head and part of her upper body, just enough so she could look directly at the scruffy demon perched on one of Spike’s salvaged chairs. “The Powers told me, but I’ll believe it when I see it,” she muttered, and moved back onto her side, pulling the tattered blanket from the bed over herself. Its ragged length almost hid her completely, leaving only the top of her golden head visible in the dim candlelight.


The sun had travelled its path through the sky, and the moon was about to come out and play with the stars. Angel was standing just inside the front door of the house on Revello Drive, ready to head out with the Scoobies and look for Buffy again. None of Willow’s spells had worked, and now the group was going to gamble on Angel’s sense of smell to find their lost leader.

***************

The only people in the house were Angel and Giles. Everyone else was on the front lawn, eager for Angel to begin casting about in an effort to catch Buffy’s scent. The brooding vampire had attempted to explain to the crowd that trying to follow the Slayer’s scent might not be successful, but nobody wanted to hear what he was saying. For starters, Angel was trying to pick up a scent that was over a week old. Next, the scent was in a high-traffic area, where Buffy herself had made several passes on the day she was last seen. Scent trails didn’t come with signs that said, “Pick me, I’m the most recent trail and I’m heading north,” and Angel expected that he would take at least one wrong turn before the night was over. Finally, there was a significant chance that Buffy was no longer alive but, if she was, she had clearly taken steps to keep her location a secret and wasn’t going to make it easy for her friends to find her.

In the end, after a short discussion with Giles, it was decided that Angel would try to track Whistler, instead of Buffy. The smelly little demon appeared to know where the Slayer was, and the vampire thought that might be their best lead. As twilight faded into night, the Scoobies left Revello Drive in an orderly fashion...looking for all the world like they were playing a demented game of follow the leader. Angel was at the front of the strange parade, neck extended like a dog sniffing for a treat. Though he had tacitly agreed to a truce with the brooding vampire, Xander couldn’t help but think all that was missing was a fuzzy tail that the sun challenged sniffer could wag for them.

When the vampire located Whistler’s scent, he turned back to Giles, to confirm they were on the correct trail. At the Watcher’s nod of encouragement, he continued to follow the trail. The path they were following was fairly direct, and the group hypothesized that Whistler knew exactly where he was going, and had only deviated from his path once, stopping for a moment at the Alibi Room. From there, the trail led directly through the west gate of Restfield Cemetery.

The Scoobies looked at each other as they moved deeper into the graveyard, the location reminding everyone of Spike and his unhealthy obsession with their Slayer. None of them wanted to be there, in a place that held so many memories of the vampire they all viewed as the single most disruptive force in Buffy’s life.

Sure, the Scoobies all had beachfront property on the Nile, but they also recognized the changes in Buffy since Spike was run out of town. She’d pulled back from them, and spent a lot of time alone in her room with the door locked. She’d stopped confiding in them, and even nights at the Bronze were few and far between now.

When the trail stopped outside the crypt that once belonged to Spike, the Scoobies found themselves hesitating. Why would Buffy go to Spike’s crypt? It didn’t make sense, if Buffy had thrown Spike out of town as she had claimed. Maybe she’d been a little creative with her rendition of the facts, as she was known to do upon occasion. Could it be that Spike had left town for other reasons? And why would Buffy come here, of all places? Was she here because of a connection with the bleached menace, or was it as they all secretly feared, and she had simply come to the graveyard to die?

Whatever the reason for their hesitation, hesitate they did. It was clear where Whistler’s trail led, but none of the Scoobies wanted to be the one to disturb Buffy’s rest, eternal or otherwise. It didn’t take long for the suspense to become too much for Kennedy, and the brunette quickly pushed her way to the front of the group and banged loudly on the crypt door.

Angel growled quietly at the Potential’s bold move. He didn’t like the stuck-up rich girl, and this was just another reason why. Still, he couldn’t help a little laugh. He knew he’d been spending too much time with Queen C when he was able to accurately estimate income based on someone’s wardrobe.

Embarrassed by her girlfriend’s behaviour, Willow refused to make eye contact with anyone, staring intently at her shoes instead. She was starting to reconsider her decision to date Kennedy. The attitude that came across as determined and confident in the beginning, appeared crass and pushy when you got to know the brunette Potential. The spoiled woman seemed to believe that her way was the only way, and that she should be catered to just because of who and what she was.

It was only a few minutes later that Kennedy grew tired of waiting for a response to her knock, and tried to open the door. It was closed, and a firm shove didn’t change that. “Well, Mr Super-tracker Vampire, looks like your nose isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Buffy can’t be in there...the door is locked.” A mocking smile was launched at Angel, as Kennedy congratulated herself on a well placed shot at the souled vampire.

Reaching past the snot-nosed girl, Angel easily opened the door and stepped into the crypt, the rest of the group pushing in behind him. The tomb was dark and the dust was thick on the floor, but Angel was able to make out soft light coming from a trapdoor that led to somewhere below. He held out a hand to stop Xander from rushing forward. “Stop, you fool! You don’t know what’s down there. Let me check it out first.”

For once in his life, Xander saw wisdom in the advice received from the vampire he hated above all others. He nodded his head in agreement, and stepped back to let Angel go first.

The dark vampire squatted down by the hatch. With his demon at the forefront, he quickly dipped his head down, taking in as much of the room below as he could, as quickly as possible. He let his demon slip away when he saw Whistler asleep in an old chair, feet propped up on a nearby bed. Feeling confident that he was in no danger, Angel straightened up and took a step forward, dropping to the floor of the chamber below, and raising a small cloud of dust when he landed.

Whistler was startled awake, and scanned the room with a surprised look on his face.

“Is that Buffy?” Angel asked, as he moved closer to the bed, and pointed to the small bundle buried under a ragged blanket.

The messenger nodded. “Yup, got it in one Sherlock.”

“Why is she still here? You’ve had all day. Why haven’t you brought her home?” The dark haired vampire shook his head in disbelief.

“She has a will of her own, you know, and she didn’t want to leave.” Shrugging, Whistler settled into his chair again. “She woke up for a bit and was willing to chat. Didn’t last long though, and then she rolled over, curled up, and went back to sleep.”

The rest of the search party was cautiously using the ladder to follow Angel to the lower floor. When they recognized the blonde figure curled up on the bed, they rushed past the brooding vampire in the middle of the room and swarmed the Slayer’s resting place. Willow sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the blanket down, trying to see more of Buffy than just the top of her head. “Buffy!” Shaking her friend’s shoulder, the redhead tried to wake the sleeping figure.

Buffy opened her eyes, hope gleaming in them until she recognized Willow. Turning to Whistler with indifference, she asked, “Why are they here?” Her voice was sleep roughened, but clear.

“They wanted to see you, but mostly they’re trying to figure out what’s going on.”

Dawn moved around the bed, until she was able to confront her sister. “Buffy, why didn’t you come home? What are you doing here?”

“I can’t do this.” Tears gathered in the Slayer’s eyes as she looked at her sister, before the blonde turned back to Whistler. “Make them leave, please. I don’t want any of them. They’re not who I’m waiting for.” With that, she pulled the blanket up over her ears, pretending that the people in the room were already gone. The manoeuvre had long been a Buffy Summers specialty – swimming in the Nile.

“Don’t behave like a child, Buffy.” Giles was polishing the dust from his glasses. “We need to know how to stop the First Evil, and the information is apparently linked to you. We realize that we were harsh with you earlier, but you’ve got to think of your calling now and put aside your wounded pride.”

There was a low murmur from under the blanket.

“Please speak up. We can’t hear you when you’re hiding like that.”

Agitated, Buffy pulled the blanket down to her waist and sat up in the middle of the bed. Some of the younger Potentials took a step back when they saw the look in the senior Slayer’s eyes.

“Why would you suddenly care what I think? What my plan is? All you need to know is that I’ve got things under control, and your help is not needed or wanted.”

“So, you know how to stop the First Evil?” Angel stepped up beside Whistler’s chair.

“I do,” she admitted, crossing her arms over her chest and refusing to say anything more.

“So?”

Buffy turned to look at Willow’s curious expression.

“What does it matter? I’ve already said I don’t need any of you for this.” Buffy was growing frustrated with their refusal to leave her alone.

“We’re not leaving here without the info, B.” Faith moved closer to Angel, taking his arm and pressing her breasts against Buffy’s former lover. “I’m not getting the vibe that you’re real serious about this First Evil thing. Well, you may not be willing to do whatever it takes, but I’m a Slayer too, and I’m not going to back down until I’ve kicked the First’s ass.” She tossed a challenging smile at Buffy when Angel didn’t move away from her.

Buffy rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Information won’t help you here. You can’t take care of this one, Faith.”

“Quit being such a glory-hound.” Xander stepped forward. “Faith is a Slayer, maybe even a better one than you. Of course she can stop the First. At least she’s still trying, and not hiding in the bed of the Undead Wonder.” The young carpenter couldn’t help looking at the body of the dark Slayer. She’d taken his virginity, and had refused his advances since then. Maybe she would give him another go now? His eyes darkened and he felt his cock stiffen at the thought. She’d been in prison for a long time...surely she needed help to scratch an itch or two by now?

The desire to reach out and hit Xander was almost overwhelming, but Buffy closed her eyes and clenched her fists, trying to work through her anger without exploding.

Changing the topic, Willow asked Buffy, “Why couldn’t I locate you here? I did spell after spell, and you never showed up.” The witch was wringing her hands, worried that her magic was somehow failing.

“Clem took over the crypt when Spike left, and he was the one that put the protection spells on it. He’s not much of a fighter, and it made him feel safer to know that he was invisible to any Big Bads that were out there.”

Anya had lingered at the back of the search party, and had silently observed Buffy’s interactions with the Scoobies. She was saddened when she noticed the look Xander was giving Faith. The ex-vengeance demon had really thought that she and the carpenter were on their way to repairing the damage done to their relationship when Xander had left her at the altar. Lowering her head, Anya started to wonder if a new start with her old fiancée would be worth the effort. When she looked up again, she noticed that this time Xander’s eyes were firmly fixed on Buffy. The little blonde Slayer would always be between them as well, an unwitting rival for Xander’s affection. Buffy had made it clear that she viewed the young man in a brotherly capacity only, but Xander was unwilling to let go of the unrealistic obsession he had carried since high school.

“Just tell us how to defeat the First Evil. Quit being a bitch about it.” The demanding voice came from someone at the back of the search party, and Buffy suspected it was Kennedy that had spoken. Another voice soon followed. “Faith will look after us...just tell her what she has to do.”

Buffy had finally had enough. “She’ll look after you?” the Slayer responded incredulously. “Tell me then, can she marry the love of my life? Is that how she’s going to look after you?” With that, the blonde lay down again, pulling the blanket up over her head and shutting her unwelcome visitors out. Maybe now they’ll leave me alone...or at least shut up.

There was a moment of complete silence in the crypt. Gathering his wits, Giles realized that he had dropped his glasses when he’d heard Buffy’s question, and bent down to retrieve the battered spectacles from the floor. His movement seemed to unlock the rest of the group, and the room suddenly erupted. Everyone was yelling, all denying what Buffy had just said.

Silent until now, Riley shouted, “Marrying someone can’t stop an apocalypse. It’s ridiculous!” He looked from face to face, finding support from many.

“GET OUT!”

Shocked, the group turned as one toward the bed. Though still hidden beneath the blankets, there was no question the command had come from Buffy.

Whistler had been enjoying the show, but now felt it had gone on long enough. He rose from his chair and started to herd the members of the search party toward the ladder leading to the upper level. “I think your time is up guys. Looks like the Slayer’s had enough for now.”

“But...who is she going to marry?” Xander took a step toward the bed.

“Yes, I’d also like to know who will be giving Buffy orgasms.”

“Anya!” was heard from all sides.

“What?” Anya looked around and shrugged. “I don’t get many orgasms anymore, so I have to live vicariously through others.”

The majority of the group in the crypt just shook their head at the completely inappropriate question. They were all used to the ex-demon’s lack of inhibition by now.

Whistler looked from the group gathered in the lower chamber, to the figure huddled on the bed, and then back again. The Scoobies were all waiting for an answer that the demon knew the Slayer wasn’t ready to give them yet. “Look folks, I think you’ve got all you’re going to get from the Slayer tonight. Why don’t you head back home, and I’ll give you a call when she’s willing to talk to you again.”

Not surprisingly, the response came from Buffy’s Watcher. “Let’s say for just a moment that I believe that Buffy is telling the truth. We are all residents of the Hellmouth here, and we know that stranger things have happened in this town. I don’t understand how a marriage will avert the coming apocalypse, and for now I don’t need to. What I do ask for is some reassurance that Buffy will indeed do her duty, should the opportunity arise.” With that, Giles turned his gaze once again to the figure on the bed, waiting for an answer.

“Hey, Slayer. I think that question was for you.” Sitting down once more, Whistler waited for the Scoobie Show to continue.

With a sigh, Buffy pulled the blanket down just enough to allow her to speak clearly to the group and make eye contact with her Watcher. “Are you really asking me Giles? I figured you’d consult with the group that’s been determined to run my life and make all my decisions in the past. You remember them, right? The people that threw me out because they didn’t like the choices I made?” Buffy shifted her gaze from her Watcher, to encompass Angel, Xander, Willow, and Dawn, as well as the Potentials and Faith.

Her point made, she waited patiently for her opinions to be discounted again.

This time, it was Angel that picked up the gauntlet. “You’re a child, Buffy. It’s only reasonable that those with more experience should be responsible for helping you in your role as the Chosen One. You should be grateful that you have people around you who are willing to guide you, instead of acting like a pouting brat whenever you’re forced to perform your duty properly and make correct choices.”

Pulling the blanket even further down and raising herself up on the bed once more, Buffy sent an enraged look at the elder vampire. “Right. So, in my twenties, I’m a child that needs guidance to do the right thing. What did that make me when I was sixteen and you slept with me? An infant? And what does that make you?” That finally made Angel look away, uncomfortable with her insinuation. “Until a few days ago, I single-handedly supported at least three people on a full-time basis. Regardless of age, I think that makes me an adult.”

“Three? How do you and Dawn count as three people?” A bewildered look spread across Xander’s face.

The blonde in the bed turned hard eyes toward the witch standing by the bed.

“What? Willow? She doesn’t count! You’re not responsible for her!” the dark-haired youth responded, leaping to the defence of the girl who had been his best friend since kindergarten.

“Not my responsibility...that much is certainly true. I think she should count though, when she’s living in our home rent-free and doesn’t contribute a dime for the food she eats. At least when she was with Tara, I could count on getting help with the housework and cooking.” Buffy was looking at her childhood friend, but Willow was staring at her shoes and refused to look at anyone.

“No wonder Buffy was always worrying about money, even though she was working so much. It also explains why she took so many shifts when she was clearly exhausted from slaying. Maybe you should get a job, Willow, and start paying Buffy back. It’s only fair, after all.” Anya’s response was quick and blunt.

“I didn’t...I...I’ll get a job. I will, as soon as people come back to town and there are jobs again. I didn’t realize...didn’t even think...but I’ll start paying rent, and I’ll look after Dawnie and the house and the bills for as long as you need.” The words rushed from Willow’s mouth before anyone could chastise Anya for speaking her mind again.

Buffy gave a tired nod to Willow, acknowledging her friend’s desire to make amends, and then she turned to her Watcher. “You don’t have to worry about whether or not I’ll do it Giles. I would have thought you’d know by now that I’ll do my duty, even when it hurts. As for how a marriage can avert an apocalypse, it all has to do with how I was resurrected. Returning to this plane of existence as the Slayer was the equivalent of returning a white queen to the giant chessboard that the Powers That Be play on...a retired queen that didn’t belong in the game anymore, but still belonged to the Powers. When I marry, I’ll belong to my husband, and my presence on the board won’t mean so much anymore. When that happens, the other side will have to retire the extra queen they grabbed in retaliation, the First Evil, and things should go back to normal.” At that she turned to Faith. “When that happens, it will all be yours, Faith. For years you’ve wanted to be the only Slayer...to have my life, my friends, my calling. Congratulations...your dreams are about to come true. You’re about to become the only thing standing between the forces of evil and all the innocent lives on Earth.”

A smile bloomed in Buffy’s eyes when she watched a brief expression of panic cross her sister Slayer’s face as the brunette shook her head in denial. “No...no...I don’t want it anymore...I can’t do it.” Fear was evident in Faith’s voice but, to give her credit, she didn’t try to run away.

“Can we at least help plan the wedding?” Dawn desperately wanted to do something to make up for the way she had acted when she’d lost faith in her sister’s ability to lead them. Once again taking a quick dip in the Nile, she adroitly avoided apologizing and admitting she’d actually done anything wrong, and tried to go straight to the distracting fun stuff.

“No.” Buffy’s answer was very clear. “My marriage will be a private thing between my future husband and myself.” At the crushed look on her sister’s face, the blonde relented a little. “But you could get me something to eat and drink, if you wanted.”

“But...aren’t you coming back with us? To the house?” A pout was forming on the teen’s face.

Buffy shook her head. “Not yet.”

“But...who is going to take care of me? You’re the only family I have!” Now Dawn’s voice was taking on an unattractive whine that made the vampire in the room wince.

“You heard what Willow just said. She’ll take care of you, and I’m sure Giles can help her figure out how to keep the bills all paid up until I’m back.”

“How long will you be gone, Buffy?” Willow waited anxiously for an answer from her friend. Sure, she’d promised to try to make amends, but she hadn’t really expected that Buffy would refuse to come home and would actually leave her to take care of things on her own.

“I don’t know, Willow. I’ll be gone as long as it takes.”

Straightening her shoulders, Willow realized that Buffy wasn’t joking, and it really was time that she grew up and shouldered some responsibility. She moved over to Dawn, and gently put her arm around the teen’s shoulders. “Why don’t we head back to the house and make a few sandwiches for Buffy?” Reluctantly, the youth let the Wiccan lead her to the ladder and then up and out of the lower chamber.

“Yes, well...I’ll stay at the house until such time as you are ready to return...whenever that may be.” With those words, Giles followed Willow and Dawn up the ladder.

One by one, the rest of the Scoobies and Potentials left the lower chamber of the crypt. Buffy could tell by the way Faith’s footsteps dragged that the other Slayer wasn’t really happy with the way things were going. She’d hoped Buffy would at least be jealous of the close relationship she had with Angel, but the blonde Slayer hadn’t even blinked an eye. She hadn’t mentioned stealing Wood from the senior Slayer’s side, but it was clear that Buffy didn’t really care about that either. It looked like all the effort Faith had put into displacing Buffy from her own life had been successful...but now Faith wasn’t sure she wanted what she’d stolen. Feeling irritated and trapped, the brunette Slayer decided that a patrol might be the thing to ease her frustrations.

Riley had hoped to catch up with Faith as they left Restfield, but the Slayer’s frustration had her moving at a speed that a mere human couldn’t hope to keep up with. Instead, the soldier settled for walking back to Revello Drive with Xander, who was still shaking his head in denial of all they had heard.

Not far behind the two men, the Potentials were walking together in a big group, their voices buzzing like a swarm of bees. Who was the love of Buffy’s life? Would they be allowed to attend the wedding? Would Buffy’s marriage really put an end to the First? On and on the questions went, but nobody was able to provide them with any answers.

The last one to leave the crypt was Angel. While everyone else departed, he stayed, quietly brooding, standing beside the bed and trying to find the right words to express himself. Finally, he decided to get directly to the point. “So...When are we getting married?”

Looking at Angel with disdain, Buffy responded, “I didn’t say WE were.” She rolled to her side, away from the vampire with a soul, and pulled the covers up once more, whispering for a final time, “Get out.”

“What? But...I’m the love of your life, Buffy. Everyone knows that!”

Whistler interrupted Angel. “Look pal. You’d better do what the Slayer says. Let her rest and you can talk about this again later, okay?”

After a final glance at Buffy’s swaddled form Angel realized he wasn’t going to make any headway that night. He left the crypt and wandered out into the cemetery, trying to figure out what Buffy’s last comment might possibly mean. He was so focused on his brooding that he almost missed his demon howling at the brightening of the eastern sky, and was forced to run the full way back to the house on Revello Drive in order to avoid the deadly rays of the rising sun.

About an hour after the Scoobies left the crypt, Whistler heard voices in the upper chamber once more. He quickly climbed the ladder, and found Willow and Dawn, carrying a small cooler filled with sandwiches and fruit juice for the Slayer. To their disappointment, he refused to allow them access to the lower room, telling them that the Slayer was sleeping and it was better if she remained undisturbed. Reluctantly, the two girls left after Whistler reassured them that when Buffy woke, she would be told of their visit and asked to give them a call on Whistler’s cell.

Returning to the bedroom, Whistler placed the cooler on a small table near the bed, and then sat down to continue his watch over Buffy. Her sleep wasn’t as peaceful as Whistler expected, given the future now in front of her. As near as the smelly demon could figure, Buffy Summers had won the jackpot. Not only did she get to marry the love of her life, but her friends and family would be forced to accept her hew mate and their relationship, unless the group wanted the First Evil to take over the world.

Suddenly, a short scream from the bed forced Whistler’s gaze to return to the small, blanket-wrapped bundle that contained the girl who carried so much of the weight of the world on her shoulders. The girl who was currently sitting up, tears running down her cheeks as she gasped for air. The demon’s sudden movement drew the Slayer’s attention, and she automatically prepared for attack until she realized who was near.

Falling back to rest once more on the bed, Buffy closed her eyes and tried to relax. Moments later, she gave a small growl, realizing that sleep would not be returning immediately. The Slayer turned to Whistler, propping herself up against the headboard and loosely surrounding her drawn-up knees with her arms. The pictures from her dream were haunting her and she was hoping the demon would prove sufficiently distracting.

Sensing the Slayer’s need, Whistler quickly approached the cooler, fetching Buffy a sandwich and a small bottle of orange juice. Nodding her thanks, Buffy immediately opened the bottle, gulping down half the cool fluid in an attempt to soothe her dry throat. The Slayer closed her eyes in delight, relaxing and enjoying the feel of the cold juice hitting her stomach. The sandwich was unwrapped and consumed in three or four giant bites. Gratefully, she again nodded her thanks when Whistler passed her a second sandwich. Quickly gobbling down her meal, the Slayer finished off her drink and then rose from the bed. Giving her muscles a quick stretch, she started walking toward the shadowed end of the room furthest from the ladder.

“Where are you going?” Whistler was standing beside her.

“To the bathroom,” the Slayer replied, before moving off to her intended target. Spike had built a bathroom into his home for the express use of the Slayer, though he’d been quick to take advantage of the hot water and shower facilities himself. Deciding a shower sounded good, Buffy stripped off her clothes and turned on the taps in the large shower stall. Relaxing under the warm water, she allowed the pulsating flow to wash away the fear brought on by nightmares of Spike’s final death, as well as her own, at the hands of her so-called friends. She couldn’t help but wonder if they were Slayer dreams of the future, or if they were showing her what would have come to pass if she hadn’t convinced Spike to leave Sunnydale when he did.

Drying off after a long soak, Buffy realized she didn’t have any fresh clothes to change in to. With a grimace, she once again donned her jeans and sweater, making a mental note to ask Willow or Dawnie to pack her an overnight bag the next time she saw them.

Returning to the bedroom, the Slayer decided to confront Whistler. “The Powers said that he was on his way, and that he’d be here in just a few days. It’s been more than just a few days now, but still...no Spike for me. What’s going on?”

Scratching his head while somehow managing to keep his hat on, Whistler was unable to give Buffy an answer.

“Whistler...is it...is he...Doesn’t he love me anymore?” The Slayer finally choked out her question in a soft voice.

“What? No...That’s crazy-talk, Slayer. It’s nothing like that at all. We just had a hard time convincing him to return to Sunnydale. The guy kept insisting that he’d made a promise and wasn’t going to break it. You’ve found yourself one stubborn vamp, but we finally managed to convince him. He’s on his way...wouldn’t be surprised if he got into town tonight even.”

“You’re sure?”

Recognizing the fragile look in the Slayer’s big green eyes, the demon hastened to reassure her. “I’m sure, Buffy. I’d bet my hat on it.”

His comment earned him a rare smile from the blonde on the bed. “Do you know where he was?” she asked.

Whistler couldn’t help but smile, as the Chosen One, Slayer of any and all who presented a risk to humans in this realm, acted like a young girl with her first crush. She was fiddling with her buttons, and her bare toes were making lines in the heavy dust on the crypt floor as she peeked up at him from beneath her long blonde bangs. “Nope, sorry Doll-face. I don’t get any more information than I need to have, and all I need to know is that he’s heading in this direction as quickly as he can.”

“I just wish he would get here soon.” Buffy’s arms wrapped around her torso, and she rocked gently as she sat on the bed. “I miss him so much.” A tear ran down one pale cheek.

“I know, Kiddo...you just need to hang on a little bit longer.” Whistler placed a comforting hand on her knee, and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

The pair sat in silence for some time, Buffy lost in memories of her time with Spike, and Whistler lost in his surprise that Buffy had managed to tame the missing master vampire. The demon couldn’t help but wonder if there was some sort of congenital flaw in the Aurelian line that made the male vampires all susceptible to falling in love with Buffy Summers.

It was a shock to the demon’s system when Buffy’s head suddenly flew up, her hands grasping the blanket on the bed as her eyes shifted to the hidden sewer entrance at the side of the chamber. Her Slayer senses were screaming that a master vampire was approaching, moving rapidly through the tunnels...a master vampire that felt very familiar to the Slayer.

Whistler picked up on Buffy’s reaction, and quickly pulled himself from his comfy chair to face the hidden sewer entrance. He couldn’t see anything, but he trusted the Slayer’s instincts. “Slayer? What’s the matter?”

She tried to swallow, but her mouth had gone dry. “There’s a Master closing in...I can feel him getting closer.”

“Is it him? Is it your guy?”

“I’m not...” She paused to lick her lips and send a pleading glance toward Whistler. “He’s still a little too far away to be sure, but I think so.” She rose up from the bed, and ran to stand in the hidden passage.

A few minutes more, and a shadow appeared in the distance. Its forward movement slowed as the silhouette drew closer. Tears clouded the Slayer’s vision, until the only thing she could see was a pair of beautiful, sky-blue eyes. Stumbling forward, arms raised like a child seeking comfort from a parent, Buffy was blind to any other threat as she moved the last few feet toward her vampire.

For Spike, those few feet were passed in moments that seemed to encompass an eternity. Eyes locked on the mate of his heart, the blonde vampire knew he was finally coming home. He’d had a hard time believing the Powers when they’d told him he needed to return to Sunnydale, the place that was the site of so much happiness, but even more sorrow. Just to see the Slayer again was the fulfillment of his every dream. He moved forward and then stopped in front of her, closing his eyes when he felt her warm hand on his cool cheek. He covered her hand with one of his own, hoping that his shaking limb might steady hers. This was a miracle, to feel Buffy’s warm skin against his face once more. Spike closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment...it had been too long since he had been touched at all.

Buffy’s other hand moved forward, taking a powerful grip on the front of his coat to help her remain standing. Spike heard the small sounds of leather stretching under the pressure of her strong fingers, but didn’t care as he backed the Slayer through the entrance to his crypt.

It took more than one try before either of them was able to speak. Finally, Buffy was successful. “Don’t ever leave me again,” she begged, unable to hold her tears back any longer.

Spike was having just as much difficulty controlling his emotions, though he was marginally more successful at controlling his tears. William might have been a sissy so long ago, but Spike was not, and it was Spike that had earned the love of the Slayer. Reaching his hand up, he tried to dry the tears that ran down Buffy’s cheeks, but soon gave up. Moving his arms around her waist instead, he pulled her close. Standing just inside his crypt, forehead to forehead, Spike didn’t think things could possibly get any better...until he felt her arms wrap around his waist, under his heavy coat. Sighing in contentment, the master vampire closed his eyes. “Missed you, Buffy...missed you so bloody much.”

It was unclear who made the first move but, hesitantly, their lips met, barely brushing against each other. The couple stared deep into each others’ eyes, both finding what they were looking for: love. A soft smile was exchanged before their lips met again. Tasting and probing, their tongues played, one following when the other retreated. It was only when Buffy was gasping for breath that the kiss ended. Drawing back marginally, both Spike and Buffy saw minute changes in their partner. Spike noticed with concern that Buffy appeared exhausted, and Buffy realized that she’d never seen Spike’s cheekbones so prominent before. Her vampire had lost weight while he’d been gone.

Clearing his throat rather loudly, Whistler managed to draw the attention of the two blondes.

They turned their heads as one, finding him in the dim light of the bedroom. Buffy had completely forgotten he was there, and Spike had been so focused on his love that he’d missed the frumpy demon all together. Rather than separating to face possible danger, the couple turned with their arms locked around each other, not daring to tempt fate by letting go and taking a risk that the other would vanish.

“Yeah...sorry about the awkward interruption folks, but before I go I’ve got to make sure you know what to do to stop the First Evil.” Whistler looked from Spike to Buffy.

Spike frowned and shook his head. “Not a clue, mate. Didn’t care to ask at the time...just wanted to get back to my girl here.” Suddenly, the vampire’s eyes began to bleed gold. “And what are you doing here, in my bedroom, with the Slayer?” He turned to Buffy and asked, “This your replacement lover?” With that, he pulled his arms from around the Slayer’s shoulders and tried to move away.

“No!” Buffy held on desperately to Spike, not letting him move away from her at all. She buried her head against his chest, and refused to let him go.

The vampire stopped moving when it was clear that the Slayer’s grip would break his ribs if he continued his escape attempt. Gritting his teeth, he waited desperately for an explanation for why Buffy would be alone in his old crypt with another demon, preferably one that didn’t include his Slayer with a new lover of any kind. In full gameface now, he turned back to the rumpled demon standing beside the bed that had clearly been very recently occupied.

“That’s Whistler. He works for the Powers That Be...and he’s not my lover. I don’t have a lover. There’s nobody...how could you even think for one minute that I could...” Buffy’s voice broke off. “He came to ask why I hadn’t stopped the First Evil yet, that’s all.”

“If that’s all, why’s he still here?” Spike wanted to believe Buffy, but years of experience with Drusilla just couldn’t be dismissed.

Whistler couldn’t help a small laugh at the vampire’s obvious jealousy. “Well, I stayed to protect your girl until you got here, and now that you’ve arrived, I’m waiting for someone to answer my question.”

“I know, Whistler...you can leave now...I know what has to be done,” Buffy mumbled from her place against Spike’s chest. She turned her head to send an embarrassed look toward the amused demon.

“Fair enough...Are you ready, willing, and able to do it? Is this what you want, Slayer?”

“Yes. With all my heart, yes.” With a big smile, Buffy finally pulled back far enough to look at Spike.

Whistler turned back to the master vampire and waited for Spike to answer.

“What?” Spike was still feeling a little belligerent, but his fears had been greatly soothed by his Slayer. Now he just wanted the smelly demon to leave, so he could move his love the last few feet across the room to his bed.

“Do you know why you’ve been brought here, Mr The Bloody?”

Spike shook his head. “A couple of days ago, I had a really strong urge to return to Buffy...but that’s nothing new. I’ve been fighting that same urge every day since I left Sunnyhell. I ignored it, like I always did.” A look of resigned sorrow came over the vampire’s features. “There was just something about the feeling though...an urgency that was so hard to resist. The next day, while I was sleeping, I dreamt of my mother. She was happy, and told me she loved me and that she forgave me my sins against her. Then she said she knew where my heart’s home was, and that I should return to Sunnydale as fast as possible. She told me that I would have a chance to claim what was dear to me, and would find happiness and a deep and abiding love that would last me to the end of my days if I returned.” Embarrassed, he looked down and shrugged. “So, here I am. Knew my mum wouldn’t steer me wrong.” While he spoke, his arms had worked their way up and around his Slayer’s waist again, holding her tight. Spike felt how Buffy’s warmth was seeping into his skin through the layers of clothing they wore. At that moment, he made a wish that he would never again be without his golden girl.

“Really? That was enough to get you moving? Nobody spilled the beans and told you why you were really being brought here?” Whistler’s expression was a combination of awe and scepticism.

“No, nobody has told me anything, but you’d better start talking fast, because I’m here now and I want to know what the Hell is going on and I want to know right bloody quick.” Spike was nervous, and the best way he knew to hide that was to be angry.

Whistler scrubbed his hands together in anticipation. “It’s like this, Kiddo.” He ignored Spike’s horrified response at being addressed that way and continued talking. “There’s this thing called the First Evil that Miss Summers has to fight, but the only way she can win is with your help. You...William the Bloody, Slayer of Slayers, Love’s Bitch, and the love of her life.” Whistler continued talking, but at that comment Spike lost all interest in the grubby little demon and instead turned his focus to the woman in his arms.

Answering his unvoiced question, Buffy gave him a nod and a soft smile. They met in a gentle kiss that began as a tender expression of their love, but quickly evolved into a passionate lip-lock that had both of them gasping for air.

Realizing he had lost his audience, Whistler cleared his throat, and even when so far as to cough loudly when he saw hands beginning to wander. When his best efforts yielded no results, the hat wearing guide tried tapping Spike on the shoulder. Probably not his best idea, as he quickly found himself on the receiving end of an enraged snarl when the fully vamped out master vampire grabbed him by the throat and held him suspended a foot off the floor.

“Hey there, big guy...”

Spike turned golden eyes to Buffy.

“Easy now...He didn’t mean any harm, and if you break him, it will just take him longer to say what he needs to say and get gone,” she said with a gentle smile, cupping his ridged cheek with her hand.

Spike tilted his head and looked at her for a few seconds before turning back to look at his captive. Whistler had started to gasp for air, and was desperately grabbing at Spike’s wrists with both hands. Spike closed his eyes, pushing his cheek into Buffy’s touch and exhaling deeply as he lowered Whistler to the ground and lost his bumpies at the same time. Releasing the gasping demon when he finally found his footing, Spike turned once again to Buffy, burying his face in her hair and breathing deeply.

As the worst of Whistler’s wheezing seemed to pass, Spike sent the unfortunate demon a sheepish look and said, “Sorry, mate. Just instinct...nothing personal.”

Whistler held up his hands in surrender. “Hey, no harm, no foul. I should have known better than to touch you when you were holding the woman you think of as your mate in your arms. Bad move on my part.” Massaging his abused throat, he coughed again. “Tell ya what, why don’t we just get this part over with, and then I’ll get out of your hair.” Feeling exhausted, Whistler moved back to the easy chair near the bed and collapsed.

The only other place to sit was the bed, and Buffy and Spike moved as one to seat themselves across from Whistler, settling close together with their hands clasped and fingers entwined.

Whistler reached over to the bedside table, and liberated a bottle of fruit juice, which he quickly drained. Appearing a bit more comfortable finally, he spoke up again. “It’s not that long of a tale, really. Miss Summers here can fill you in on all of the details, but basically, when she was brought back from Heaven, it allowed the First Evil to enter this realm. It’s a balance thing, ya know? She was an extra good guy, so the other side got to pull in an extra bad guy.”

The blondes both nodded their understanding.

A thought occurred to Spike, and he began to growl, pulling Buffy onto his lamp and wrapping his arms protectively around her. “I’m not killing her,” he said. “I don’t care if the world goes to Hell in a hand basket...I’ll be dust before I see her dead again.”

Holding out his hands in a show of submission, Whistler shook his head. “Don’t worry...we wouldn’t ask you to off your honey. Wouldn’t’ help in this situation anyway. The Powers have watched you both suffer through your separation, and now believe they have found a loophole in the system that can be worked to your advantage.” After a short pause for that last bit of juice in the bottle, Whistler looked Spike right in the eye. “Do you love Miss Summers?”

There was no hesitation at all when Spike responded, “I do...She is my soul and I love her with all my heart.”

“Yeah, but do you love her enough to make her your mate?”

Feeling shy and fighting a knot in his throat, Spike buried his face against Buffy’s shoulder. “If she wants me, there isn’t a bloody thing I want more.”

Buffy pulled slightly away, using a gentle hand under his chin to get Spike to look at her. “Don’t you know yet? There isn’t anything in this world I want more than to belong to you and be your mate.”

Spike closed his eyes and frowned. “Luv, I don’t think you understand just what you’re saying yes to.” His jaw clenched and he stretched his neck, rolling his head from side to side before looking at Buffy, taking a deep breath, and continuing. “A mating...it’s a forever thing, Luv. If we do this, there’s no saying when you’ll ever get back to Heaven again.

Buffy cupped his cheek and looked her vampire directly in the eye. “Spike, I know I’m not going to age, and that if one of us dies, the other will quickly follow. None of that matters to me. The only Heaven I need is being held in your arms.” Letting her hand fall down into her lap, Buffy dropped her gaze as a shy smile spread across her face.

“Slayer...Buffy...Luv...Do you really mean it? You’d want eternity with me?”

Buffy could hear how his voice shook with emotion, and the hope she saw in his eyes when she looked up again was almost overwhelming. “Oh Spike, I do...I would...I love you so much.” Spike started to lose control when he heard her answer, gold bleeding into his eyes again as he wrapped her tightly in his arms.

“Oh Slayer.” Eyes shining with emotion, Spike gently lifted her chin for a kiss full of promise. “I’d like nothing more than for us to be together, but your white-hats will have none of it.” He turned his head away as a lone tear escaped his eye. Quickly scattering the proof of his sorrow with the back of a hand, he took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders. “I know how important your merry band of do-gooders is to you, and how much you need their acceptance. Like family, they are, and I would never do anything to ruin that for you.”

Whistler, a forgotten bystander to the conversation, spoke up. “You won’t have to worry about that this time around.”

Not sure he could believe what he was hearing, Spike turned back to Buffy. “Is he right, Luv? I couldn’t stand it if there was bad blood between you and yours on account of me.”

“Spike, I’ve tried for years to do what everyone wanted, be who everyone needed, and not disappoint anyone. I thought that if I could just do it RIGHT...if I could be the perfect daughter, perfect sister, perfect friend, perfect Slayer...then it would all be worth it and everyone would be happy. The problem is, the harder I tried, the more miserable I got. I’m tired of putting everyone else’s needs first. I need you, and the Powers know it. If we do this, they’ll make sure that the Scoobies and the Council both understand they have no choice but to accept us as mates.”

“Are you sure, Buffy? Once we do this, there’s no going back. How do we even know for sure this will stop the First?”

Buffy gave him a tremulous smile. “I had a dream...a Slayer dream. I didn’t understand all the details, but I know that it will work. Maybe Whistler can explain it?”

Again the subject of scrutiny, the scruffy demon was quick to fill in what details he knew. “As I understand it, if you two mate, you basically take Buffy as your property. She stops being a free agent for the Powers, and instead answers to you...effectively making her neutral. Once she’s off the chessboard, the other side will have no choice but to send home their out of town heavy...and the First Evil and all its minions will fade off into the sunset. Of course, we’ll still have battles between good and evil, and most likely there’ll still be an apocalypse attempt every spring, but none of that will be Buffy’s responsibility anymore.”

The potential vampire groom frowned. “But, when Buffy and I mate, she becomes mine, and I become hers...two bites. If that’s enough to take her out of the running, then won’t evil be short again when I’m neutral as well? It’s not going to work if they can keep the First around to fill my space.”

Whistler appeared to be listening to something very intently for a moment, but then his frown cleared and he turned to Spike and Buffy once more. “Nope. It’s all good. For starters, the First is a really big hitter...it can’t be called to replace someone in this realm. If someone does step into your shoes, it will be someone already here. Second, apparently it’s only the first mating bite that counts...so as long as you bite Buffy before she gets her pearly whites into you, we’ll all be fine. When it’s your turn to get chomped on, it’s more like you’re just doing what vampires do...get it?”

Spike barked out something that passed for a laugh. “Well, isn’t that a Hell of an idea?”

“Not just an idea. It’s part of the original contract that was drawn up when the world was first made. Gotta love those loopholes, eh?” With that, Whistler smiled at the couple sitting in front of him, and then stood up. “Well, kids...I’m off.”

Then, before Buffy or Spike could respond, Whistler was gone, and the only proof that he’d ever been there was the slightly rank odour lingering in the room.

“Let’s get out of here.” With a firm grip on Buffy’s waist, Spike lifted her off his lap and set her on her feet.

“What? You want to leave? But where...?” Buffy was clearly confused, as Spike stood and took her hand, entwining their fingers once more.

“If I’m finally going to take you as my mate, it’s not going to happen in this dump,” he said, looking around the lower level of the crypt. Smiling, he led Buffy into the sewers.

“The crypt was always good enough for us before.”

“That was then, this is now. When you become my mate, it will be my responsibility to see that you’re taken care of. I intend to make sure you never want for anything ever again, and I’m going to start by making sure that you’ve got food to put in your luscious mouth, clothes to drape over your delectable body, and a roof over your lovely head.” As excited as a kid in a candy shop, Spike smiled back at her as he led her further into the sewers that ran under Sunnydale.

“Okay, okay,” the Slayer laughed. “Where are we going, anyway?”

“First stop will be the mall. I left the Desoto in the underground parking there. Once we’ve picked her up, we’re going to head to a nice hotel...one with room service and maybe even a Jacuzzi tub. How does that sound?”

“Yummy...a real bathroom...all to myself.” Thoughtfully, Buffy fit her bottom lip. “I should stop by the house to pack a bag and let Dawn know I’m leaving town for a while.”

Frowning, Spike stopped and turned to face Buffy. “I meant to ask about that, Luv. What were you doing in my dusty old crypt? Why weren’t you at the house with your sister and the Scoobies?”

Looking down at the water and sludge in the bottom of the sewer tunnel, Buffy hesitantly told Spike all that had happened since his departure from town. It wasn’t the ideal location for the conversation, but when Spike lost control of his temper, vamping out and kicking and punching several holes in the side of the tunnel, Buffy was kind of glad she hadn’t told him at the hotel. Who knew how much they’d end up being charged for damages there? At least here he was able to get it out of his system fairly quickly.

Sighing, Spike turned back to Buffy. He reached one hand out to gently stroke her cheek, happy to see that she didn’t appear unduly frightened by his behaviour. “I’ll take you to the manhole just outside your house, and keep watch until you’re safe on the porch. From there, I’ll go fetch the car and then swing round again to pick you up. When you’ve packed your bags and said your goodbyes, just come out to the car.” He began to search his pockets, sending her a triumphant look when he finally pulled out a small white business card. “Here you go. It’s the number for my cell phone. If you need me to get there quick, or if you want me to hang back...either way, just give me a call.” Sheepishly, he looked away again, insecurity making him fidget. Though he’d never admit it, he was terrified that once he dropped her off at home, she’d change her mind about being his.

The Slayer took the card from him, carefully smoothing it out and then tucking it in her pocket. Looking at Spike, she stepped closer to the startled vampire, until they were face to face and touching from their knees to their foreheads. Dropping feather-light kisses all over his face, she whispered how much she loved him, and how happy she was to be mating with him, until his shoulders finally relaxed and he started kissing her back. After the countless times Spike had been there for her when she needed him, it was the very least she could do to ease his worry and bolster his self-confidence when she had the chance.

The couple stayed together, each gaining strength from the other and enjoying a little spontaneous smooching time, until the stench of the sewers became too much to bear.

“Ugh...the smell down here is horrible!”

“Too right, Luv. If we’re not careful, it’ll curl our nose hairs. Come on...the faster we get you home and packing, the faster we’ll be ready to head for that hotel room.” Spike tossed her a naughty smirk that had the blood rushing to Buffy’s cheeks. He laughed, knowing she could never resist him when he looked at her that way.

Taking her hand, they continued through the tunnels until Spike led her to a ladder that went up to street level. Using the manhole cover for shade, he waited until she was running up her front walkway before covering the tunnel and heading for his car.

Meanwhile, back at 1630 Revello Drive...

By the time Angel had returned to the house, everyone but Faith was already there. He entered the front door with a smile on his face, and immediately told everyone how excited he was about his upcoming nuptials, and that they were all invited to his wedding.

His announcement was met with some resistance, as Riley immediately jumped to his feet in protest. “Wait a minute. Who says she’s marrying you? I’m her last love...the normal guy that can give her a normal life with a home, and kids. Hell...I can even get her a dog...if she wants one. What can you offer her? Unpredictable visits from a homicidal maniac?”

“You left her, Soldier Boy. Walked away without looking back...in fact, didn’t you go and marry someone else? Yeah, I’m thinking that you’re not even in the running,” Angel sneered back, mocking the corn-fed military man.

At that, Riley let out a snort. “You left her too...what makes you think she’d choose you?”

Giles shook his head and left the room, not wanting to be drawn into the conversation. The Potentials, on the other hand, watched the comments fly back and forth like tennis balls at Wimbledon, the girls collectively holding their breath between each salvo.

“I’m her first love...she’s never gotten over me. I was her first, and I’ll be her last. You can’t fight a love like ours...it’s eternal,” the brooding vampire explained.

“Yeah...about that...she did get over you. She moved on...with me,” Riley said smugly, as he straightened to his full height and puffed out his chest a bit.

“You...you...” Gold flecks were starting to appear in Angel’s chocolate brown eyes.

The Potentials weren’t the only ones listening in on the argument. Xander had taken a seat on the couch when the shouting started, and was enjoying himself immensely. Both of these guys left her...I’m the only one that’s ever stayed around. Maybe this time it’s my turn? I can give her kids and all that stuff...and it’s about time I got a bit of the action. I’m tired of watching her pant after other guys when I’m waiting right here. Xander’s mood brightened considerably, and he even smiled when he addressed the two feuding men. “Why bother fighting about it? You’ve both had your chance with her and you both blew it. If she’s going to get married, she’s going to pick someone who’s always been there for her...like me.”

Everyone turned to the front door, when it suddenly closed with a bang. Buffy walked into the room and then, without talking to anyone, continued up the stairs and into her bedroom.

“Buffy!” With a big smile on her face, Dawn ran up the stairs after her sister, Willow only a few steps behind. The men in the room, for some unknown reason, were a little slower off the mark, and then found themselves all tangled in a bottleneck at the bottom of the stairs. By the time they sorted things out and made it to the top of the stairs, there was no sign of any of the girls and they were left facing a locked bedroom door.

Giles, having avoided the mad rush up to Buffy’s room, followed the younger men at a more sedate pace. Assessing the situation when he reached the upper landing, he herded Buffy’s suitors back down the stairs to wait for her in the living room once more.

Dawn and Willow had been fast enough that they made it into Buffy’s room before the door was closed. They stood now, like bookends on either side of the door, watching the blonde Slayer methodically go from closet to bed, packing her suitcase. She made a slight detour with an armful of shoes, and darted between the young women to lock her bedroom door, before continuing on her way to the bag on the bed.

“What’s going on, Buffy?” Willow reached out a hand, trying to get Buffy to stop for a moment.

“Are you leaving me?” Dawn sounded like a frightened little girl, unsure of where her sister was going and who would look after her.

Sighing, Buffy placed a pair of pants in her suitcase and turned around. “No, I’m not leaving you...at least, not permanently. I’m going away to get married. We’ll be back after our honeymoon. While we’re gone, you need to decide whether you want to continue to live here with us when we return.”

“Um, Buffy...Which one of them are you going to marry?” Willow held her breath while she waited for her friend to answer. She didn’t know why it mattered so much to her, but it did.

“Does it matter?” There was no mistaking the steely voice of the Slayer in Buffy’s response.

“Don’t pick Angel, okay? He always treats me like I’m five years old.” Walking to the bed, Dawn started folding the clothes Buffy had removed from her closet.

Willow was quick to respond to the teen’s request. “If she picks Angel, he’ll lose his soul as soon as they marry. When vampires mate, it’s a lot more than just a piece of paper. Hey...maybe you could just marry him the human way? Not in a church, of course, and...um...not...well, don’t do that thing...that...um...you know...” Willow’s cheeks were almost as red as her hair by that point. “The thing that made him lose his soul last time. Just don’t do that, at least until I find a way to anchor his soul.”

“A human, a souled demon, or a demon without a soul.” Buffy shook her head as she dropped her cosmetics bag into the case on the bed and closed it up. “What does it matter to you, anyway?” The Slayer picked up her suitcase with ease. “The only way it’s going to affect you, is if you refuse to live here with him.” With her hand on the doorknob, the Slayer turned around for one last piece of advice. “If it’s going to be a problem for you, I expect you to be ready to move out when we get back.”

“Hey...you can’t kick her out! It’s my house too.” Dawn crossed her arms over her chest and stormed over to where Buffy was standing.

“It may be your house too, but you’re still a child, Dawn. You can’t stay here alone. You’ve got no way to pay the bills, and Social Services will demand that you have an adult caregiver.” Buffy wanted to soften her stance, but she was tired of being pushed around by everyone, including her kid sister.

“The social worker approved our home and left, remember?” Dawn crowed in triumph.

“Yeah, but she’ll be back soon enough. What will you do then? Go live in a foster home with strangers? Try to talk Dad into letting you stay at whatever love nest he’s stashed his bimbo-of-the-week in?”

Dawn opened her mouth a few times, searching for a witty retort, but finally ended up staring at the ground without saying anything. Suddenly, she felt strong arms encircle her. “I’ll be back, Dawnie. Until then, Willow and Giles are going to take care of everything.” Leaning in closer, Buffy whispered for her sister’s ears only, “Don’t worry...I promise you’ll like him.” When Dawn looked up, Buffy sent her a wink and a smile, gave her one last quick hug, and then released her sister, picked up her suitcase, and opened her door.

A little surprised to find the hallway empty, Buffy, followed closely by Willow and Dawn, made her way down the stairs. She stopped at the bottom, and looked over at the group of people staring at her from the living room.

“Ah, Buffy. It’s very fortunate that you’ve chosen to join us now. Perhaps your presence will be enough to decrease the testosterone poisoning in the room and prevent an all-out battle.” Giles cleared his throat and turned to look at Angel and Riley, who were currently standing toe to toe and breathing heavily. “Will you tell us please, who is it that you’ve decided to marry? I believe that once your choice is general knowledge, the risk to life and limb...and your furniture and knick-knacks, will greatly diminish.”

Buffy took a few steps into the living room. With a quick glance at the men in the room, including a distastefully smirking Xander on the couch, she turned back to her Watcher. “You know, Giles, it would probably be easier to just throw them all out.” At that, the two larger contenders for her hand separated, each looking at her in disbelief.

“But, Buffy...How can we get married if I’m not here?’ Stepping forward, Angel reached out to take Buffy’s arm.

A quick step to the right, and she avoided contact with the broody vampire. “Are you really that full of yourself?”

“What?” Angel asked, his brows pulling together and forming a solid uni-brow on his face.

“Do you honestly think, for even one minute, that I’d marry you? Take it from me...NOT going to happen, Angel.”

“But...You love me! I know you do!” Again, Angel tried to grab Buffy’s arm, sure that if he could just get her in his embrace, she’d remember how much she cared for him.

Buffy quickly raised her hand in the universal symbol for ‘STOP’, and Angel had no choice but to drop his arm.

“I did love you...once upon a time.” The Chosen One hesitated for a moment before continuing. “When I came back from Heaven, I returned complete...including the memory of a day we shared in LA. A memory that you had the Powers take from me, without my consent.” Buffy’s green eyes were locked with Angel’s brown ones. “That made me see you in a different light, Angel. Made me realize that in your eyes I would always be a child, and our love would always come second to whatever you felt was important...and that’s not how I want to be loved. Even more importantly, that’s not how I DESERVE to be loved. I need a man who will put me first, but understands that we’re a team and we make decisions together.”

“Why didn’t you say anything when you came back?”

“To be honest, I didn’t see any point. You were busy with your life in LA, and I had enough problems of my own after the resurrection. I didn’t want to waste time rehashing a relationship that I knew was dead.”

Angel turned his head when he heard whispering behind him, and saw Riley and Xander exchange smug smiles. Looking at the soldier, he snarled, “What are you grinning about? You left her too, remember?”

Riley’s smile faded as he looked past Angel and locked eyes with Buffy. A Buffy with not an ounce of romantic feeling for him, if he judged what he was seeing correctly. “Buffy?”

“No Riley. Not a chance. Did you really think I’d ignore the fact that you cheated on me? They say that past is prologue...and if that’s true, I’d marry you just to watch you sneak around behind my back again. So very much NOT what I’m looking for in a relationship. Besides...aren’t you already married? I seem to recall you dropping by a few months ago, just to rub my face in that fact.”

Embarrassed, Riley looked away and seemed to physically shrink a bit. He knew when he was beaten.

While Buffy was cutting Riley down to size, Angel had made the most of her distraction and had quietly withdrawn himself from the Slayer’s immediate vicinity. He wished he could sneak right out of the house, but the sun was up and he didn’t think he’d make it to the nearest sewer entrance before he became a crispy critter. For now, he’d settle for sitting at the bottom of the stairs. He’d still be able to see and hear everything that happened in the living room, but he thought he’d be out of firing range, just on the off-chance that Buffy wasn’t done with him yet.

Giles cleared his throat and stepped between Buffy and the front door. “I cannot disagree with your reasons for shying away from a union with either of those suitors, Buffy, but I’m afraid the fate of the world is at stake. Your pride cannot be allowed to stand in the way of your duty. The First Evil must be stopped, and it is you who must stop it.”

“I gotta say, Buffster, you know I’m always on your side, but I’m with the G-man on this one.” Xander joined Giles, another barrier between Buffy and the door. “I get why you don’t want to marry either of those guys, but you’ve got to marry someone.” Looking at his feet, Xander lowered his voice. “You and me...we’re friends, right Buffy? So, as your friend, I’m offering to help you out...take one for the team, ya know? Anything to help you stop the enemy.” He looked up with a goofy smile on his face, and the same hopeful look he’d worn when he’d asked her to the school dance so long ago.

Buffy sighed. Apparently Xander wasn’t as over the feelings he’d once proclaimed for her as she’d hoped. She’d really thought that he’d finally given up and moved on when he’d proposed to Anya. The thought of marrying her friend was actually repugnant to her, but she didn’t want to embarrass him in front of everyone else. Finally, she settled for pulling him into a friendly hug, and whispering, “I can’t marry my brother, Xander. I love you, but not that way.”

After she released Xander, she sent him a soft smile and then turned her attention back to Giles. “I’m not running away, and I’ve never refused to do my duty. In fact, I was on my way to join my future husband when you decided to block the door. He’s waiting out front in the car...so, if you’ll excuse me...” Turning around, she picked up her bags, hugged Dawn with her free arm, and promised to call soon.

Buffy’s last statement took a moment to sink in, but when it did, it made everyone in the room stand up and start asking variations of the same question: Who was Buffy going to marry?

Ignoring the loud outburst, Buffy quickly moved to the front door and exited the house. Behind her, the rest of the people from the living room poured out the door like ants from an ant hill. Everyone wanted a chance to see Buffy’s intended.

Angel stopped in the doorway, just out of reach of the afternoon sun. Mouth hanging open, he had to hold on to the doorframe to stay upright as he watched Buffy put her bags into the trunk of an old black DeSoto...a car remarkably similar to one owned by his irreverent, irritating, and intractable Grandechilde.

Few of the spectators realized the significance of the shiny black automobile, but those that did reacted much like Angel. Giles was the worst...his eyes rolling up in his head as he collapsed in a dead faint on the front lawn. Riley, hard-wired to be a hero, tried to catch the falling Watcher, but instead ended up on the lawn beneath him. Eventually making his way back to his feet, Riley went to stand beside Xander, and together they watched the Slayer climb into the classic car.

“What the heck? The guy couldn’t even be bothered to get out of the car and help her with her suitcase. This is the guy she’s marrying, and he can’t even take a minute to introduce himself to her sister?” Riley was outraged.

“He doesn’t have to.” Xander’s expression was blank, his eyes following the black car until it was lost around a corner.

“Huh? Do you know who it is?”

“Yeah...and you know him too.” Xander still hadn’t recovered from the shock.

“For crying out loud...would you just tell me what’s going on? Angel looks like he’s been shot, Giles is out cold on the front lawn, and you’ve turned into a zombie. We didn’t even get a look at the guy, but it’s obvious you guys know something I don’t.” Riley caught a glimpse of Dawn out of the corner of his eye, and she was jumping up and down with a huge smile on her face.

It was easy to hear the pity and disbelief in Xander’s voice when he turned back to Riley and said, “There’s only one guy in town that drives a ’48 Chrysler DeSoto, and that’s Spike. Buffy’s going to marry Spike.”

At that, Riley’s legs gave out, and he quickly sank to his knees on the walkway.

The end.