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Author's Chapter Notes:
Ok, so school started and I got lazy. Luckily this has been a very uneventful thanksgiving so.. I've got some more edited chapters to post.
Setting Up

Rupert Giles walked through the corridors like a man defeated. His solemn face told all he was feeing, or would be feeling if it were true.

His Slayer dead.

This was what he would act like, as though he assumed Buffy had perished . She had not returned, and although the watcher was more than sure she was quite alive, today he would be starring in the role of grieving father figure.

He turned the final corner, and strode to the woman behind the desk just outside Mr. Travers door. "May I see Quinton please?" He tried his best to sound forlorn.

The woman studied the older man's face. "Mr. Giles, is everything alright?" She asked with concern.

"No." He shook his head slowly. "I'm afraid nothing is alright."

The brunette pressed a button on a small box. "Sir, Mr. Giles wishes to be received. I believe it may be urgent."

"One moment." Quinton's voice answered through the box.

Giles nodded to the woman, and went to the small row of chairs opposite the woman's desk. Shortly after, the secretary told Giles to go on in.

Quinton was seated behind his desk as usual. Giles looked past him for a moment, and eyed the wall he know knew hid the screens.

His eyes shifted back to the stern figure seated casually behind the desk and sighed mournfully, not once faltering is his acting. "Quinton, Buffy never returned last evening."

~~`~~

"How much longer?" Anya asked impatiently. They had been waiting forever, or it at least felt like forever. She had no duties in this part of the plan, but patients was not a known trait in vengeance demons, and her impatience had carried over to her human life.

Willow looked at the clock on the wall of her kitchenette. "Seven minutes." She looked again at her laptop sitting in front of her on the table as the time passed. The sleeping form of their favorite Vampire glowed on the screen.

"Five minutes." Willow said watching the clock intently.

"That's my queue." Xander stood up and went out the door carrying Willows large satchel.

Tara went back into the ladies shared bedroom, and began the teleportation spell.

A few minutes later Xander returned and walked back to the bedroom. The redhead quickly cut off the feed to Spike's room. Willow and Anya heard the telltale sign of the spell being cast, and a small crackle was heard at it's end.

Tara walked into the room with Xander following. They both seated themselves at the table with Willow. "I hope that worked."

"Spikes belongings are right behind his front door in Sunnydale." Tara confirmed.

Anya wrapped an arm around her husband's. "Willow stopped the feed on time. Everything should be ok."

"Now we just wait until Giles gets back." Willow added. The group sat back, and watched the clock.

~~`~~

Quinton leaned back in his chair, and clasped his hands. "She didn't?"

"No." Rupert took a seat across from The Head of The Council. "Dawn came to me this morning and told me."

Quinton had seen the empty bed of The Slayer from his seat. He had also taken note that the Vampire had indeed stayed in. He was too focused on the bedrooms of the people residing in The Council's home to notice other events that had taken place, just as Willow had predicted.

The loss of the Vampire's presence at The Slayer's side had served his purpose well, and Mr. Travers was more than relieved with the outcome. The Vampires above had served their purpose well. "I am sorry for the child, Dawn. To loose a sister twice."

"And Buffy?"

Quinton was taken aback. "She died for humanity. She shall be remembered with reverence."

Giles looked up and opened his mouth to say something. Then decided against it.

"I know it is difficult Rupert, but it was what she was made to do. Fight against the evils, and unfortunately that means die by that same evil."

Giles eyed the man. 'Idiot.' he thought to himself. "We have no Slayer now."

"Soon we will."

"But Faith. You can not set her free. Not yet."

"I have no intention of freeing her."

"Then how will... you're going to have her killed..."

"Of course not. Don't be ludicrous Rupert. She is a Slayer. She will die soon."

Giles shook his head. Would Quinton just sit back and wait for Faith's death. For a time perhaps, but not long. He stood from his seat. "Her friends would like to stay for a while. They would like us to find Buffy's… her body."

Quinton looked at the man. "Of course. We will begin a search immediately."

Rupert walked to the door and left Quinton's office.

~~`~~

"Neat trick. So are you Akor or Rashta?" Buffy asked the demon wearing the form of a human.

She looked at the Slayer with curiosity. "You know our names. That is quite unusual."

She walked up to the young woman. "I am Rashta." She cocked her head to the side. "How did you come to know our names?"

"Anya, erm, Anyanka told me."

The woman nodded. "You are a resourceful one aren't you?"

Buffy shrugged. "I try."

"S'cuse me for interrupting." Spike cut in. "But you mind explaining what's been going on with 'er and me?"

The woman who had been speaking to Buffy turned to face him. "You know of the prophecy. We are aware that you found , and understand it's meaning."

"We found it, an' it told us the story, but those things never tell everything. At least not so anyone can understand 'em."

"Quite true." The woman walked around the couple eyeing them as she glided around them. "You see, The Powers entrusted us with The Gift. Before even The Pure walked the Earth. In times when chaos ruled, even then love was understood."

She came to a stop in front of them. "When she was called to The Powers, they never imagined she would live as long as she did. They had expected her to be out of their way, but then again, they did not think the newly turned humans would turn so many more."

The sisters stood next to each other, and morphed to their natural state. The sister that previously was covered in spines walked up to the couple. "When The Pure was killed, and sent to The Powers, we intervened, and had her brought here before she reached her final destination in the Vampire's dimension, and altered her deal."

Spike brow furrowed in confusion, as did Buffy's. The Slayer looked at the demons standing before her. "How did you alter it?"

"We showed her the secret of The Key." Rashta answered. "The only way to free her mate from his prison was for her to free seven souls, but it had to be her. All of her."

"The Powers had separated her. She was not whole until-"

"A Slayer was turned." Buffy whispered.

"Yes." Rashta answered.

Spike looked back at Buffy, then to the sisters. "And where are they now?"

Akor turned to him. "Them?"

"The Pure , and T'mure."

"Their spirits are in both of you. They have been from the beginning." Rashta walked to Buffy. "It is time."

Akor walked her way to Spike and wrapped an arm around his. "You shall come with me." She began to lead him away, and they vanished.

"Spike!" Buffy cried.

"Do not worry. He is safe." The woman took the Slayers hand in hers. "There is much for you to see, and we have little time."

"I thought we had seven days?" Buffy looked at the woman with curiosity and worry.

"In your dimension, but here the days pass in hours."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Would it kill The Powers to coordinate the time between dimensions? Cuz in my experience, these kinda' things are not of the good."

Rashta smiled at the blonde. "I see now why it was in you, he found her again."

~~`~~

Giles walked into the ladies' apartment. "How did everything go?"

"Fine." Tara answered. "Spikes stuff is hidden, and Willow turned off the image. Xander and Anya are in their place waiting for your signal."

"Very good. I'm up then." Giles went out the door, and walked to his own apartment.

After what he thought was ample time, he ran out of the room frantic. "Dear Lord. He's gone!" He yelled loud enough for most of the people below to hear.

Xander flung his door open and ran to Giles side. "What's wrong?" He asked loudly and with what could only be called ludicrous over acting.

Anya stood at the door and watched as Willow and Tara ran to Giles's side.

Randall saw the commotion from his position in the commons, and ran to the lift.

Anya came up behind her husband and whispered in his ear. "He's on his way."

"He must have heard us talking earlier, and slipped out." Giles continued his frantic rant.

"I'm sure he just left when we were all busy." Xander tried to sound as though he was comforting the older man although comforting was rarely done at such a high volume.

"What is going on?" A voice said from the groups right. Randall strode quickly to the congregation on the balcony. He was aware of The Slayer's death, but what he heard sounded nothing like grief for the girl.

Tara turned. "It's Spike. He's gone."

"Well he can't go far. There's no way out of here for him. Not without the crystal." Randall looked over the commons below. All eyes were aimed upwards towards the visitors, but none were the vampire’s.

"I don't see him." Fear welled up in the young Watcher at not only having lost the devious monster, but at the severe lashing he may well earn for himself from his superior. "I will put the guards on alert."

Randall turned, and quickly walked into the lift in an undignified manner. they watched him walk across the commons, people parting as he passed, and out of the large living area into the main building.

Giles turned back to his family with a playful grin. "I think that went rather well."

~~`~~

"I think it can be done." Richard sat back with his notes. "We're going to need Haden, Anthony and Joel for this though."

Dawn looked at him. "Who are they?"

"Special ops. trainees."

"How are we going to get everyone into one room though?" Michelle asked.

"I was kind of hoping you could help us with that." Dawn said.

The two Children of The Council looked at each other. "Castilian?" Michelle asked.

"Not enough time. Besides, why would we ask for a dance right after a Slayer died?"

Richard ran his fingers through his blonde hair.

Dawn looked at them. "Do you ever have a wake, or a funeral for Slayers?"

"No." Michelle said, then looked at Richard, "But we've never known The Slayer."

"We could ask." Richard added. "They may grant it. At least for the children's sakes."

Dawn looked at the clock. "I think Giles is probably back. Now would be a good time to ask."

Michelle stood up. "I'll go."

"No." Richard stood up. "I think I should."

"Why don't you both go? Then Mr. Travers can see that more than one person is making the request."

Richard looked at Michelle. "It's a good idea. We should both go, then we can both show him how much we need to grieve for her."

The three walked out of the apartment, and took the lift to the main floor. As they stepped out, they heard the murmurs die down. All eyes focused on Dawn. A little girl with tight blonde curls ran up to the young brunette. "I don't want Buffy to be gone. My mommy said she left."

Dawn saw that there were fresh tears were running down her plump cheeks. She bent down and hugged the youngster to her. "I don't want her to be gone either."

Michelle and Richard stopped long enough to watch the scene play out, then continued through the commons intent on asking Mr. Travers for a wake.

~~`~~

"Absolutely not!" Quinton was appalled by the idea. They not only had a loose Vampire running about the building, now he was getting requests from children. And for a funeral? For a Slayer?! "This is not a time to mourn, it is a time to celebrate her life, and that of The Slayer."

Richard was disappointed. Not just with the answer, but with the man who gave it. "But Sir, the children are already crying over her de-"

"Richard. You have my answer." Quinton sat back in his seat. "I do believe the children need time. But I can not, I will not allow a funeral for The Slayer. It isn't done. Not in theses walls."

The normally outspoken young girl was quiet. Michelle could speak with almost anyone, all but this man. She watched the argument quietly.

Quinton noted her solemn silence. "Perhaps we could arrange something to take the young one's minds off of recent events. A dance?"

"Uh..."

The old man ignored the younger's stammering. "Perhaps a movie screening?"

Richard could not believe what he was hearing. A person dies, and Mr. Travers thought a movie would fix everything? He looked back at Michelle, who was smiling strangely at Richard. His face was blank for about two seconds, then he understood why she smiled.

For all the audacity in this man’s suggestion, it would put everyone, elders and children included, into one space. Not only that but it would also have everything they needed well at hand.

Richard turned back to Mr. Travers. "A movie would be helpful."

Quinton made a quick nod. "Very well then. We will have a movie screening in the Rugby room in, I would say five or six days. That will give us time to view and edit it beforehand."

"Thank you Sir." Richard put out his hand. Quinton took it and gave the boy a firm handshake.

The two teens headed out the door, and through the halls back to the living quarters. "I can't believe it." Michelle said as they walked.

"Which part? The 'We don't mourn her' part, or the fact that he just offered us a perfect solution without having any idea?" Richard turned another corner with Michelle.

She thought about the question and was quite amused. "Both."


Chapter End Notes:
Speaking of movies, I've now seen Twilight 4 times. I'm not obsessed I swear. And so what if I now have Edward on one wall and Spike on the other?



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