“To make Buffy’s biggest fear come true,” Willow answered simply.

“And what’s that, luv?” Spike asked as he lit a cigarette.

“To be alone.”

Cordelia wrinkled up her pert nose. “That’s her biggest fear?”

“Of course. She like to talk big about ‘I’m the Chosen One. You’ll just get hurt.’ Yadda, yadda, yadda. But she depended on the Slayerettes to pick up the slack. Most of the evil she’s defeated was because of us. We did the research, we backed her up,” Willow explained. “She doesn’t know how to do it on her own.

Cordelia nodded. “I always thought she had co-dependency issues.”

“United we stand, divided she falls,” Spike added.

“You bring up a good point, Spike. We need to work together to make this work,” Willow said as she looked directly at Angelus.

“What about Faith?” he asked.

“What about her?”

What if Faith teams up with Buffy?”

“Faith doesn’t seem like much of a team player,” Cordy said.

“Even if she was, Buffy’s lost three friends so far. Do you think she’s going to start embracing new ones?” Willow asked.

“She’s going to push Faith away. Hard,” Cordy answered.

Willow nodded in agreement.

“What about the wolf and the Watcher?” Angelus asked.

“The wolf is mine,” Spike growled. Not even Willow questioned Spike’s claim, although she did give him a quizzical look.

“And Giles?” Cordelia asked.

“I’ll take him out if I have to,” Willow said.

*****
Giles entered the library. He spotted Faith seated at the table reading a book. While the library was the appropriate place for such a task, the Watcher realized he’d never seen the dark haired Slayer read so much as a magazine. “Faith?”

“Hey, G,” Faith said as she glanced up.

“What are you doing?”

“Reading.”

“Ask a stupid question,” he muttered to himself.

Faith closed the book and turned to look at Giles. “Got a question for you, G. A couple, actually.”

“Please don’t call me that,” he asked as he moved behind the checkout desk to begin his daily tasks as school librarian.

“Yeah, sure. Anyways, reincarnation is the rebirth of the soul, right?” she asked.

“Theoretically, yes.”

Faith stood up and walked over to the counter. “And vampire’s don’t have souls, right?”

“Right.”

She leaned against the desk. “Then how can Willow and Spike claim to be reincarnated lovers if neither of them have souls?”

Giles paused at that. *That’s true. The spell said their souls would recognize each other, * he realized. *Since Spike is a vampire he wouldn’t have a soul for Willow’s to recognize. Unless...*

Faith watched Giles closely. She knew he was trying to work out the problem from every angle to find the answer. “Well, I got to get to class, G. Let me know if you figure it out,” she said pushing away from the desk.

“Huh? Oh, yes, of course."

****
“Would you really kill him?” Cordy asked as she applied another coat of French Coral to her thumbnail.

Willow pulled a brush through her long red hair. “Kill who?”

“Giles.”

The brush paused in mid-stroke. “If I have to, I will. Do you think I should get my haircut?” she asked changing the subject.

Cordy wasn’t sure how she felt about the Watcher’s death. On one hand, he used to be a friend, kind of, and on the other hand, he stood against everything she now was. She looked at her sire. “It would look cute if you cut it about shoulder length or just a little shorter.”

Willow fingered the ends of her hair. “That’s the only bad thing about not having a refection. Can’t see a new haircut.”

“But on the same token you don’t have to look at a bad cut either,” Cordy laughed.

The red head laughed with her. “True.” She began brushing her childe’s thick rich chocolate brown hair. “So what are you and Angelus doing tonight?”

“Nothing. He offered to help Spike chase down the wolf,” Cordy sighed.

Willow just shook her head. “I don’t understand Spike’s obsession with Oz.”

“Well, there is that whole jealousy factor,” Cordelia reminded her.

“I admit that I _may_ have had a small crush on Oz. But it was like for two minutes.”

“Yeah, but Oz had a major jones for you,” Cordy replied.

“He did? I never realized that.”

“Willow, you’ve always been oblivious to those sorts of things.”

“I have? Never really noticed.”

“That was bad,” she groaned.

“I try.”

****
Angelus moved quickly through the wooded outskirts of Sunnydale. While he could have done it silently, he purposely stepped on fallen twigs and shuffled through the dry leaves. With care he herded his prey towards the goal.

Oz ran through the woods. He couldn’t run at full speed without bumping into trees or tripping over rocks. He could hear Angelus following him.

A soft whistle cut through the night air. “here, puppy, puppy, puppy,” the dark vampire taunted before making a soft kissing noise.

The werewolf’s main concern wasn’t Angelus; it was Spike. Oz knew the bleach blonde vampire was in the woods somewhere, but he hadn’t heard any sign of him.

“Don’t run away, puppy. I just want to play,” Angelus called.

He sounded closer and Oz turned to look over his shoulder. IT was then he ran into a tree. A six foot vampire tree with peroxide foliage.

Spike placed a foot on the boy’s chest. “You should look where you’re going, mate,” he said as he applied pressure.

Oz felt the air rush out of his lungs as Spike applied more weight to his chest.

Angelus stood by the wolf’s head. “Now that you caught him, what are you going to do with him?” he asked Spike.

“Red gets could at night so I was thinking maybe I could skin him and make her a fur lined blanket,” Spike answered as he pulled a knife out of his pocket.

The dark vampire grinned a the prospect. “But it’s three weeks until the full moon,” he reminded his childe. “Can you wait that long?”

Spike shrugged. “Or we could just kill him now.”

****
Giles stepped into the main room of the empty factory. It looked as if the place had been deserted for a while. “Buffy didn’t say anything about them moving,” he muttered.

“You didn’t get our “We’ve moved and here’s our new address” card, yet? Damn postal service.”

The watcher turned to find Cordy standing on the stairs. “Cordelia.”

“Present,” she quipped. She settled a backpack over her shoulder. “To what do we owe this unexpected visit, Giles.”

She didn’t seem any different, maybe a little nicer, but other than that Cordelia seemed normal. “I need to talk to Willow.”

“About what?”

“I had some questions about reincarnation.”

“Oh, that. Sure. She wants to talk to you, too,” she said leading the way to the tunnel entrance.

****
Willow sat at the main table going over Marcus’ report. She glanced up when she felt her childe’s presence. “That will be all for now, Marcus. Thank you,” she said when she saw Giles.

Marcus glanced between his Mistress and the mortal. “Yes, Mistress,” he said.

“Keep up the good work.”

“Thank you, Mistress.”

Giles watched the shy young girl he used to know order around a vampire who appeared to be twice her age. He looked into her green eyes.

“Look who I found wandering around the warehouse,” Cordy said as she crossed the room and deposited the bookbag on the table.

“Did you find everything?”

“Yep. All present and accounted for.”

“Thank you, Cordy.” Willow turned her attention back to Giles. “Giles. Why don’t you sit down,” she suggested. The poor man looked stunned. “Before you fall down.”

The Watcher sat in the offered chair still staring at her brilliant green eyes. He was looking for something he wasn’t sure he wanted to find. And there it was, that spark that was Willow. “It’s true, isn’t it?”

“Is what true?”

“You still have your soul,” he whispered.

She smiled at him. “Of course, I do, silly. Why wouldn’t I?”

“But...”

Willow realized what Giles was referring to. “Oh, you man that whole vampires are soulless demons garbage?”

“Well, yes.”

Willow leaned across the table. “It does make it easier, doesn’t it?” she asked.

“Easier?”

“To kill us. It would plague on your conscience if the Council told you we had souls,” Willow explained.

Giles tried to digest this new information. “But you kill people,” he said in desperation to make his world right again.

“Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, hell even teenagers in drive by shootings, kill. No one disputes that they have souls,” Cordy said only slightly disappointed. After all, until she was turned she believed the same thing.

“But..”

Willow took pity on the poor man. “The demon and soul co-exist. Sort of. There is usually a battle for dominance. Very few vampires actually find an internal equality. Angel was a perfect example of the imbalance. The curse the Rom placed upon him suppressed the demon and allowed the soul dominance. Thus the whole broody, guilt-ridden mess he was. With the curse removed the demon was pissed over the forced confinement. It will take him a while to balance the two of them again,” Willow explained.

“And what about you?” Giles asked.

“What about me?”

“Your soul. Does it realized the things you have done?” he asked.

She sat back and folded her arms across her chest. “What have I done?”

Giles tried to recall all the things Willow had done since she was turned. “Kendra.”

“I killed the Slayer,” Angelus said from behind the Watcher.

Giles watched as Angelus rounded the table to the right side to stand behind Cordelia. Spike took the left side and rested a hand on Willow’s shoulder. She gave him a questioning look which he answered with a kiss to her cheek. Giles turned his eyes back to Cordelia. “What about Cordelia?”

Willow shrugged slightly. “Well, technically I did kill her, but she looks damn good for a corpse.”

“Awe. Thank you, Willow,” Cordy replied.

“You’re welcome.”

“And Xander?”

“Well, Xander kind of bleed to death since no one could feed off of him. Blood sugar was too high.”

“Oz?”

“That’s my deal, mate. And none of your business,” Spike said.

“So you’ve never feed off anyone?” Giles asked in disbelief.

The red head scoffed. “Of course, I have. I’m a vampire.”

“Drained them to death.”

“Sure. But I’m very selective,” Willow added. She stood and walked over to Giles. “Now that I’ve explained how it really works, I have a proposal to make.”

Giles watched her carefully as he stood. “And what precisely is that?” he asked.

She smiled at him. “Well, precisely. I like you, Giles. You’ve always been like a father to me.”

He took a step back. “Didn’t you kill your father?”

“My mother, actually. That’s why I wanted to give you this opportunity, Giles. Leave Sunnydale. Go back to the Council and tell them that this town is mine. I promise to keep the party to a dull roar.”

Giles closed his eyes and shook his head. “You know I can’t do that, Willow?”

“You would die for what the Council believes?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Surprisingly enough, I even admire you for that as well,” Willow said with a sigh. “I will allow you to leave here tonight, but I will come for you.”

She turned to leave the room when the Watcher called her back. “Willow!” When she turned back, Giles raised a stake he had hidden in his sleeve and plunged it into her chest before anyone could blink.

Part 14
Buffy entered the school library to find a young dark haired man standing behind the check-out desk. “Who are you?” she asked.

He looked up at the young blonde girl. “I am Wesley Wynden-Price. You must be Buffy,” he said in his uptight English accent.

“I guess I must,” she said slowly. She glanced around the library. “So are you Faith’s new Watcher?” she asked.

“And yours.”

“I already have a Watcher. Where is Giles?”

“Mr. Giles is no longer with us,” Wesley said slowly.

“He quit the Council?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

“Was he fired?” Buffy asked.

“You could say that,” a familiar voice came from the stacks on the upper part of the library.

Buffy turned to find Willow standing at the railing. Spike stood beside her while Angelus and Cordelia took their place a couple of steps back and to the right. “Willow.”

The red head smiled at her. “I’m so glad you still remember me. Cuz you never write, you never call.” She moved down the stairs to stand in front of the Slayer. “I’m afraid to say Giles is no longer with us. He was a brave man who stood behind his convictions. Even I have to admire him for that,” she said with a wistful smile. “I was going to let him live, too. But that was before he tried to drive a stake through my heart.” Willow pulled aside her silk top to show the scar above her left breast.

Tears welled up in Buffy’s eyes. “You bitch. You killed Giles.”

“It’s sad to say, but no. Cordelia did it. Not that I wouldn’t have, but I had a small problem with a piece of wood sticking out of my chest.”

“What do you want?” Buffy demanded. She had to push her grief aside to deal with the red head beside her.

“Same thing I always wanted. To be left alone. To be allowed to run Sunnydale as I see fit.”

“Not while I’m around.”

Willow smiled at her. She glanced at Wesley. “Do you want to tell her or can I?”

Buffy glanced between the new Watcher and her ex-best friend. “What is she talking about?”

Wesley cleared his throat. “Yes, well. I was just getting to that part.”

“Yeah, but it’s taking you too long to do it, mate,” Spike said.

“The Council has decided to make a deal with Willow,” Wesley said.

“What?!”

“They feel it is in everyone’s best interest that you be relocated and allow Faith to remain in Sunnydale,” Wesley said uncomfortably.

“The Council is making a deal with a vampire?” Buffy asked in shock.

“Yes. It does happen from time to time. It’s very rare, but sometimes the situation warrants a compromise.”

“She’s a vampire.”

“Yes, they are quite aware of that. Willow has agreed to allow Faith to do her normal duties as long as she doesn’t attack her minions. In return, she will notify the Council of any unusual happenings with in her community,” he stated.

“That’s it? She gets to run Sunnydale.”

“Well, um, yes.”

“You see I’m not after world domination or looking to send the world into Hell or anything stupid like that. I just want to be left alone with my small family and monitor the comings and goings of the underside of Sunnydale,” Willow said.

“What about me?” Buffy asked.

“The Council will arrange for you to be transferred back to LA or any place you would prefer,” Wesley said.

“And Faith has agreed to this?”

“Sure have, B,” Faith said from behind her.

“Why?”

“I still get to do my job, as long as I stay away from some key players. And I get advance notice of major bad shit that’s coming down. Pretty good deal as far as I can see. Actually, it kind of makes my job easier.” Faith jumped up onto the checkout desk and swung her feet.

“You could have had the same deal, Buffy, but you broke our truce. I always keep my promises,” Willow said.

Buffy tried to absorb all this information, but her brain couldn’t hold on to a single thought. “I don’t understand.”

Willow placed a hand on her shoulder. “I guess it’s true. You only hurt the ones you love. And I loved you most of all.”

Shaken, Buffy shrugged off her touch. “When do I leave?”

“Immediately,” Wesley said. “Your mother has been notified of a lucrative job offer in LA. I’m sure she’ll be contacting you soon to tell you.”

“Fine,” she said dejectedly and walked out of the library.
 

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