Title: The End
Author: Paradox761
Email: Paradox761@mail.com
Website: members.tripod.com/~Paradox761
Disclaimer: Joss and co. own all things Buffy, no copyright infringement is intended. So please don’t sue, I don’t have any money anyway.
Summary: Post “Wrecked”, alt ending for season 6, and the series. B/W/X-friendship, Slight B/X and Ay/X.
Spoilers: “Wrecked”, and most of season 6.
Author’s note: For the purposes of characterization, in this story Spike did not attempt to rape Buffy. I am NOT a Spike fan, and this is NOT a fix-it fic. But I started this story before that happened, and I find it hard to write Spike as a sympathetic character after that scene. So to continue with the story as planned, that scene didn’t happen. Also, this story takes place before the Angel episode “Sleep Tight”. Also, I started this story after “Wrecked”, as I was starting to become unhappy with the way season six was turning out. I must say though, I couldn’t be happier with the way it ended. I could never top “Grave”, nor would I try. So I’ve gone in a different direction with this. But I did paraphrase some lines from Xander’s speech.
Dedication: To Jordan and Jessica, my angels. May they rest in peace.
Special thanks to: Wayne, Rob Clark, Ghostrider, Ozmandayus, Maggie C., Furious George, Bill, Calen, Chorlton, John, Wicked Raygun, DaBear, Cobra, Jeconais, Nathan Postmark, David, Drake Roberts, Angelus, Queen Boadicea, Scott, Malaskor, and The Crowe for the feedback and the encouragement with this story. I really appreciate it.

(4/12)

Xander didn’t have to go far before he spotted them. It wasn’t difficult. Warren was walking in front, with the other two behind him in flanking positions. They kept whispering back and forth, and Warren kept telling them to shut up. They were trying so hard to be quiet and stealthy, and they were failing so miserably that it was almost comical. They stepped on every twig and leaf in their path, they fidgeted with their weapons, not to mention the fact that almost all of the electronic devices Warren was carrying emitted a hum of some kind. They might as well have been a marching band as far as Xander was concerned. After years of patrolling with Buffy, he had learned how to be quiet, and how to listen.

Xander climbed up into a tree as quickly and silently as he could, toting his melted sword along with him. He watched, and he waited.

“I just don’t understand,” Andrew whispered. “We had the superior weaponry, and we outnumbered him. How did he beat us so easily?”

“Obviously these light sabers aren’t as powerful as the real thing,” Jonathan commented. “Or they would have cut right through that sword of his like butter.”

“There is no ‘real thing’ you moron!” Warren scream-whispered. “And the reason he beat you so easily is because he was a better swordsman. We’ve obviously underestimated his fighting ability.”

Xander smiled at that as the Trio passed under the tree he was perched in. He had never had an opponent who respected him before. It was kind of a nice feeling. Truth be told, had the situation been different, he might have been friends with these men. After all, the reason he was such a good swordsman was due in part to the hours upon hours of play light saber duels he and Jesse had had as children. Xander was a fanboy too, he admitted it. He just knew where to draw the line.

“And for the last time, will you two please shut-up!” Warren added.

Xander took the opportunity to drop down from his perch behind them, unheard. “Jeez, you guys are about as stealthy as a drunken sumo wrestler with a bell around his neck.”

The Trio whirled around in surprise to see Xander standing there, smiling at them. He caught Andrew in the face with his fist before he even had a chance pull his light saber. Jonathan drew his and activated it, taking a swing at Xander, but he spun away. Xander used the momentum in the spin to swing his own sword at Warren, who instinctively raised his right arm to block it. The sword buried itself about an inch into the weapon that Warren wore on his forearm, sending sparks flying from the broken electronics.

“Shit!” Warren cursed, as Xander pried his sword free.

Andrew was still holding his nose from the punch Xander had thrown, standing in between Jonathan and Xander. Warren was trying to pull the sparking weapon off of his forearm. Xander raised his sword in a defensive stance, keeping Andrew between him and Jonathan.

“Damn it, Andrew! Don’t just stand there, do something!” Warren yelled, finally having pulled the device free from his arm. He was inspecting the damage the sword strike had caused.

Andrew looked up, still holding his probably broken nose with one hand. He reached for his light saber, and that’s when Xander struck. He raised his sword in the air, but while everyone was looking at the sword, Xander lashed out with his foot, striking Andrew in the hand and sending his light saber flying through the air. Xander lowered his own sword, pointing it at Andrew’s chest as he snatched the light saber out of the air.

“Yoink!” he said with a smile. He dropped his sword and activated the light saber, taking a stance with it.

Andrew gulped, he looked scared stiff. Jonathan just looked nervous, as he tightened his grip on his light saber. “Andrew, get the hell out of the way!”

“When I left you, I was but a student. Now I am the master,” Xander quoted, still smiling.

“Just keep him stalled until I fix this!” Warren called out, still trying to fix his weapon.

Andrew dashed out of the way. Xander could see him out of the corner of his eye, fishing through his backpack. He knew that couldn’t be good.

Jonathan took advantage of Xander’s distraction and struck. Xander blocked the strike deftly, and countered with one of his own. The two energy blades crackled as they made contact. They traded a few more blows, Xander driving Jonathan back a few steps towards a tree. Jonathan made a sloppy thrust, which Xander easily knocked away, following it with a leg sweep. Jonathan landed hard on his back, his light saber falling out of his hand and deactivating. Xander stood over him, his own light saber held out so that the tip was only a few inches from Jonathan’s chest.

“There can be only one,” Xander said. Jonathan looked confused. “Oh, wait, wrong movie,” Xander corrected, smiling at his own joke.

Just then Xander heard a decidedly inhuman growl from behind him. He turned in time to see two hulking demons with green reptilian skin and horns coming at him. “I knew I should have knocked that little shit unconscious when I had the chance,” he muttered to himself as the demons began to charge him, heads down and horns out, like a rhino. Xander stood his ground, readying himself to make his move. And just as the demons were about to gore him, he stepped aside.

“Olé!” Xander yelled out, leaving Jonathan lying on the ground, looking up at the oncoming demons.

“Oh, shit!” he yelled, trying to roll away. The first demon ran straight into the tree behind him, and the second tripped over him, sending him crashing to the ground.

Xander brought his light saber up and swung it down again, decapitating the first demon who was still trying to free himself from where his horn had impaled the tree. His body fell to the ground, but his head remained stuck to the tree, dripping purple goop. The odor that struck Xander almost immediately afterwards was putrid to say the least. He could feel the bile threatening to rise in his throat.

He came around the tree in time to see Jonathan crawling away, clutching his midsection, and the second demon rising to his feet. Xander twirled the light saber back and forth in front of him. “Toro, toro.”

The demon growled. “Pitiful human, I will kill you for what you have done to my brother!”

“Come get some, Stinky,” Xander quipped. The demon growled again and charged, the same as he had the first time. Xander again waited until the demon was close before diving out of the way. But the demon moved quicker this time, and managed to hit Xander with his shoulder, sending him to the ground. Xander tried to roll backward once he hit, to gain some distance on the demon, but the demon was too fast. When he looked up, the creature was hovering over him, it’s foul-smelling breath tickling his nose. His light saber lay on the ground, just beyond his fingertips.

The demon laughed. “Did you really think I would be stupid enough to fall for the same trick twice?”

“Well, you know what they say,” Xander panted, out of breath. “Stupid is as stupid does.” And with that, he delivered an old-fashioned three stooges move. He poked it in both eyes as hard as he could. The demon cried out, bring it’s hand over it’s face. Which gave Xander just enough room to maneuver to grab his light saber. He activated it, and plunged it through the demon’s neck. The creature let out one final scream before it fell over dead. Xander pushed the body off of himself and stood up, brushing himself off. “Damn, what is it with me and the lame movie quotes tonight.”

“Okay, hold it right there,” Warren said. Xander looked over and saw Warren pointing his weapon at him again, Andrew and Jonathan on either side of him. “Don’t think that this hasn’t been fun, ‘cause it hasn’t. But we’ve got places to go and people to kill, so I’m going to make this quick. Say goodbye to your two best friends, and I don’t mean your pals in the Winnebago.”

Xander rolled his eyes. “Is that the best you got?”

“No,” Warren said, raising his arm. “This is.” And with that, he fired. A red energy bolt shot out of the weapon, aimed straight at Xander. Xander reacted on pure instinct, raising his light saber in an attempt to block the beam. The surprise was clearly evident on his face when that is exactly what happened. The beam struck the light saber.

“Holy crap, that actually worked,” Xander exclaimed.

Warren looked flustered for a second, but only a second. He readied the weapon and fired again. And again, the beam struck the light saber. He fired a third time, and a forth, and a fifth, but each time the shots were blocked. The Trio looked on, stunned. Until Andrew snapped his fingers.

“The phased energy beam’s signature and that of the light saber must be polar opposites. He’s not blocking the shots, the light saber is attracting them like a lightening rod.”

“You built a phaser?” Xander asked incredulously. “God, you really need a girlfriend.”

Warren ignored him. “Shit, it’ll take me hours to recalibrate it.”

“So, what do we do now?” Jonathan asked.

Warren looked over the situation. The three of them stood there, battered and beaten. Andrew had a broken nose, Jonathan probably had a few broken ribs, and he had a phaser that was utterly useless. Across from them stood a man with a light saber, who was clearly a better swordsman than any of them, and who had just killed two very large and very vicious demons.

Xander was smiling again, swinging his light saber back and forth, walking slowly toward the Trio.

“I’d say a tactical retreat is in order,” Warren finished.

“Leaving so soon?” Xander asked. “I was just starting to have fun.” And with that, the Trio turned on their heels and took of running into the trees. “May the force be with you!” Xander called out after them. He looked down at his new weapon, it’s green energy blade humming in the cool night air. He took his thumb off the button and watched the blade retract. He smiled and shook his head. “What a world,” he muttered to himself, clipping the light saber to his belt. He put his hands in his pockets and headed for the nearest cemetery exit, whistling a jaunty tune.

*

Spike and Rak spotted each other from a good hundred yards away. Neither of them tried to run, or hide. They didn’t shout at each other, or rush to attack. They just walked calmly towards each other, Spike causally finishing a cigarette. When they were within ten feet of each other, they stopped.

“Vampire,” Rak said.

Spike took one last drag before throwing his cigarette away. “Warlock,” he returned.

Rak tilted his head as he studies the vampire. “You seem very calm for someone who is about to die,” he observed.

“Big talk from a small man,” Spike countered.

“You have no power over me.”

“Why don’t we just see about that then.”

The pair started to circle one another, each eying the other carefully. Rak flexed his fingers, bolts of red energy arcing between them. Then without warning, he thrust his arm out, a bolt of magic shooting out and striking Spike in the shoulder. Spike stood his ground, in fact he didn’t react at all. He didn’t fly backward from the blast, his arm wasn’t singed off at the shoulder, he didn’t react at all. He just stood there.

Rak’s expression became more and more puzzled as he continued with the blast that appeared to be doing absolutely nothing. After nearly a minute, Spike just looked bored. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Pulling one from the pack, he held the tip against the beam, and pulled it back lit. He smiled, putting the cigarette between his lips and replacing the pack in the pocket of his duster. “Thanks, mate,” he said around the cigarette.

Rak finally stopped. “I don’t understand, that blast should have incinerated you.”

Spike was examining the section of his coat over his shoulder, which was now putting off a small wisp of smoke. “Hey, you singed my coat! This is leather you know, cost me a bloody fortune!”

“I don’t understand,” Rak repeated, still in shock.

Spike closed the distance between him and the warlock. “Yeah, well, the rules have changed a bit,” he said. And with that, he crossed his fingers, pulled back his fist, and punched Rak square in the nose. Rak staggered back a few steps, his hands coming up to his nose. Spike had his eyes clenched shut, waiting for that all to familiar sharp pain in his head that the chip produced. But it never came. He opened one eye first, then the other. A wicked smile crossed his face. “Droopy, I could kiss you,” he said to the air. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and put it out between his thumb and forefinger. Blowing off the excess ash, he tucked it behind his ear and took off his duster, leaving him in just his black tee shirt and jeans. Bringing his fists up he turned to Rak again. “All right you wanker, let’s see how you like it when the odds are a little more even. And by even of course, I mean in my favor.”

Spike lashed out with a flurry of punches, which Rak futilely tried to block. A right cross, a couple of good shots to the ribs, and a fierce uppercut later, Rak was on the ground. He scrambled to his feet and tried to run away. Spike just grabbed him by the back of his shirt and threw him to the ground. “Not so fast, pantywaist,” Spike said.

Rak was panting heavily, bleeding from his nose as well as a gash over his right eye. He raised his right hand and tried for another blast. The energy struck Spike dead in the chest, but again it had no affect. Spike just reached down and knocked his hand away. Grabbing him by the shoulders, he hauled him up off the ground and walked over to a nearby tree, pushing him up against it. Rak had his hands on Spike’s chest, trying to push him away, but Spike was too strong.

“You…you can’t hurt humans,” Rak panted.

Spike reached up and slapped him. “You sure about that?” he said, still grinning wickedly. He kept his hands on Rak’s shoulders and let his game face come on. “I’ve been waiting to do this for a long time. Try not to squirm around too much, it ruins the taste.” Rak looked terrified as Spike brought his face closer and sunk his teeth into his neck.

Spike let the warm liquid fill his mouth. It had been so long since he had fed, really fed, from a human. He had missed it. But something wasn’t right. “Uuuuuck!” Spike cried out. He pulled away from Rak and pushed him to the ground, spitting out the blood from his mouth. “Taste like paint thinner!” He exclaimed.

“A spell,” Rak muttered, his hand covering the wound on his neck. “Makes it taste like turpentine.”

Spike just shook his head in anger, still spitting. “Bloody magic blokes are all the same, you just had to spoil the first good meal I’ve had in ages. All right then, I guess I’ll just have to do this the old-fashioned way and beat the bloody piss out of you.”

Rak pushed himself backwards along the ground as Spike approached him, his game face still on. Rak looked panicked, but then his face changed. Like a thought had just struck him. He raised his one hand and waved it in front of him. “Amiculum,” he recited. And with that word, a black mist appeared and surrounded his body. After a second or two, he had completely disappeared.

Spike rushed to the spot where the warlock once lay. He walked around it, swinging his arms and legs, assuming he was still there, just invisible. But he didn’t make contact with anything. Spike growled and let out a roar. “Bloody poofter! Come back here and fight like a man!” he yelled. But there was no answer. He pitched another small fit, swinging his fist at the air, before sighing in frustration.

He walked back over to his duster and picked it up. Slipping it on, he took the cigarette from behind his ear and the lighter from his pocket and lit it. He took a long slow drag, and shrugged. “Oh well,” he said to himself. “That was still fun.” And with that, he headed off to find Buffy.

*

Willow moved silently though the cemetery. She had performed a spell the week before that enhanced her senses, and she was currently using them all to hunt for her prey. She knew that once they regrouped, they would split up. Xander had been dipping into his solider boy memories more and more lately, and he had become quite the strategist. It was a necessity against a stronger opponent, and Willow knew that she was definitely stronger. She figured that Xander would take the Trio, seeing as how he had little trouble with them earlier. Of course, he didn't know about Warren's secret weapon. And since Buffy would no doubt want to take her on, that left Spike for Rak. She had no doubt that Rak made short work of the impotent vampire. Now it was just up to her to finish it. To kill the woman she had once called one of her best friends. She tried to put those thoughts out of her mind though, they would do her no good now. She was a huntress, and Buffy was her prey.

"Here slayer, slayer, slayer," She called out. "Come out, come out wherever you are!" But there was no response, only complete and utter silence. But she knew that her prey was nearby. She could smell it. "Don't be scared Buffy, I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk," Willow lied.

"I'm not afraid of you."

Willow whirled around and saw Buffy walking out from behind a tree not twenty feet away from her. She was amazed that she hadn't detected her there earlier. Apparently she had underestimated her ability for stealth. "You sure about that?" Willow asked, grinning wickedly.

"I know enough about magic to know that a spell like the one you just performed takes a lot out of you. I have a feeling you're not going to be able to try anything like that again for a while."

"You'd be surprised," Willow answered simply. Buffy hid her emotions well behind a mask of professionalism, but Willow could tell that she was scared, and that she had been crying.

"What do you want to talk about?" Buffy asked, her voice almost sounding hopeful.

"I hope you understand why I have to do this Buffy. You of all people should understand, in this world it's kill or be killed."

"We never tried to kill you."

"No, you just tried to take my power away, to prevent me from bettering myself. You want to turn me back into your nice little pet doormat," Willow said, her voice betraying her anger. "Believe me, that's a fate worse than death."

"You got it all wrong Willow. We still love you, we just want to help you. If you would just listen to us, hear us out…"

Willow shook her head. "Buffy, Buffy, Buffy. Just how is it that you propose that *you* of all people could possibly help me? You can't even help yourself."

"What are you talking about?"

"You've fallen apart, cracked under the pressure. Again I might add. You never were strong enough emotionally to deal with being the slayer. Time and time again you've let your emotions, your fear, cloud your judgment. The night that you killed the Master, your fear and anger over the prophecy of your death is what fulfilled it. If you hadn't rushed in headlong by yourself, if you had accepted our help from the beginning instead of pushing us away, that might never have happened. You see, it was your actions that caused the prophecy, not the other way around. If Xander hadn't been there to save you, you would have died. And how did you repay him? You spit in his face. You used him to make Angel jealous.

"Your love for Angel stopped you from killing Angelus, putting all of our lives in danger. All the murders he committed during that little rampage, you are responsible for those deaths, including Jenny's. You've never been willing to do what has to be done, no matter what was at stake.

"You were willing to let the entire world get sucked into hell, because you were unwilling to allow the sacrifice of a single girl. You had no way of knowing for sure whether or not you would close the portal if you jumped into it. But what did you care, you were going to die either way. But that's what you wanted, isn't it? You didn't sacrifice yourself to save Dawn, or the world. You did it because you were tired. You were scared, and you took the easy way out.

"And after all we did to bring you back, were you grateful? No. You resented us, I suspect you even hated us for what we did. We could have helped you, we were there for you, but you turned your back on us yet again."

Buffy's hands were clenched in fists. She was trembling. Somewhere halfway between enraged and emotionally obliterated, she didn't know whether she wanted to lash out with her fists, or curl up into a ball and cry her eyes out. It was like that night at the Magic Box all over again, the night their Willow left them and became something else, right before their very eyes.

"And who did you turn to, when you wanted to feel alive?" Willow continued. "For the second time in your life, you turned to the dead."

*

Xander spotted Spike on his way out of the cemetery, but he noticed that the vampire wasn't headed for the exit. "Spike!" he called, running up to him. "Where are you going, we're supposed to meet back at Buffy's?"

"Figured I'd lend the slayer a little back up," Spike said. "She could probably use it."

Xander was about to chide Spike for not following the plan, but thought better of it. He himself had almost done the same thing. And considering the condition that he had left the Trio in, there was little chance of them regrouping tonight to launch another attack. So he walked along with Spike. "You find Rak?"

Spike smiled. "Damn straight, I took care of that wanker, no problem. Turns out you were right, the chip didn't give me any problems. And your amulet worked like a charm."

Xander stopped, putting a hand on Spike's arm. "You didn't kill him, did you?"

"Course not," Spike insisted. "I know how the slayer feels about killing humans, even scum like Rak. I worked him over, broke his nose, a few ribs, but I didn't lay a fang on him." He raised his hand, holding up three fingers. "Scout's honor."

Xander just stared at Spike for a second. "Spike, you were never a Boy Scout, and you still have blood on your chin."

Spike's hand immediately went to his face, wiping it off. "Bloody hell," he muttered. After a minute of wiping he turned back to Xander. "Did I get it?" Xander just rolled his eyes. He licked his thumb and proceeded to wipe the spot of blood off of Spike's chin. "Don't look at me like that, the bloke's still alive."

"And why is that?" Xander asked.

Spike just mumbled something about a spell and turpentine. "You're not going to tell her, are you?"

Xander shook his head. "No," he answered simply. Spike didn't have to ask him why, he knew that Xander blamed Rak in a large part for what happened to Willow. He certainly wouldn't shed any tears if the warlock died.

Spike nodded slightly, which is as close as he ever came to saying thank you. "So, how did you do? You smell like a Polgara demon bled on you."

Xander let out a sigh. "About seven feet tall, green skin and horns?" he asked. Spike nodded. "Then that's exactly what happened. Andrew and his damn demon whistles. I won though, and I have a shiny new toy to show for it," he said, holding up his new light saber.

Spike nodded. "Not bad. If Buffy did half as well as we did she might not need out help after all."

"Shh, I hear voices," Xander whispered.

Spike listened and picked up the same sound. "Sounds like Willow," he said. "This way." Spike headed off with Xander close behind. It wasn't long before Xander could make out what Willow was saying, and he spotted the two of them standing in a clearing.

"…when you wanted to feel alive? For the second time in your life, you turned to the dead."

Xander could see the look on Buffy's face, and it scared him. It was the same look she had that night at the Magic Box. And even though Xander hadn't heard the bulk of what Willow had just said, he was pretty sure he knew the gist of it.

"Don't look so shocked Buffy," Willow continued. "I know all your little secrets. You'd be amazed how much you can learn when you can astral-project yourself anywhere, invisible and insubstantial. You think that you're so much better than you were, than that girl in LA who would have given Cordelia a run for her money in the shallow airhead department. The truth is, you haven't changed that much. You're still just a spoiled child, attracted to all the bad boys. The only difference is that the boys have gotten a whole lot more bad."

Xander looked on with curiosity, wondering what Willow was talking about. What he didn't see was the horrified look on Spike's face. That's when Willow spotted them. She was surprised that they were alive, but she hid it well.

"Well now, look at what we have here," she said. Buffy followed Willow's gaze and spotted Xander and Spike. Xander did notice that she now looked terrified, like something horrible was about to happen. "The best of what's left, the last of the Scoobies," Willow continued. She walked closer to them as she spoke, turning back to Buffy. "I wonder if he'd still follow you if he knew. What do you think? Would he still defend you to the last breath? Would he still jump headlong into the fray to buy you that extra second, even if it could mean his death, if he knew just what it was he was fighting for? Would he still...love you, if he knew just what his 'hero' had become?" She paused, as though she were waiting for Buffy to answer. "Let's find out, shall we."

"No!" Buffy called out. Xander was surprised by the sound of her voice. She sounded like a frightened child.

Willow smiled wickedly. She was standing right in front of Buffy now. "Your betrayal of him is the sweetest thing of all, considering what you've put him through over the years. If he hadn't abandoned me as well, I might actually be upset on his behalf. But I suppose in being foolish enough to trust you, he got exactly what he deserved."

"Willow, please," Buffy pleaded, near tears.

But Willow ignored her, turning her attention to Xander. "You see Xander, Buffy and Spike here have a little secret." Xander turned to Spike, but the vampire wouldn't look at him. He turned back to Willow, who was still smiling like the cat that ate the canary. "They're fucking," she said simply. "Every night practically, they slip away and screw each other's brains out. In Buffy's bed, in Spike's crypt, abandoned buildings, the back room of the Magic Box. Hell, if the irony had occurred to her, they probably would have done it in your bed." Willow turned back to Buffy, but she was still talking to Xander. "Don't worry, she doesn't love him. In fact, she hates him even more now, herself too. You should see it, the two of them going at it. It's all carnal animal lust and bottled up rage." Willow turned back to Xander. "How does that make you feel? As loving, and as tender, and as patient as you've been with her, she'd still rather get pelvic with a dead man than let you into her heart even a little bit. She still pushes you away, doesn't she, when you try to be there for her, to help her?" She turned back to Buffy. "How does that make you feel, Xander?"

Buffy was trembling again, but this time it was all rage. Her fists were clenched, her jaw was clenched, beads of sweat were running down her face. Xander was looking at the ground. He just couldn't bring himself to raise his eyes to hers, he was too afraid of what he'd see there. There was a tightness in his chest, and he found it difficult to breath. He wanted to scream, he wanted to cry, he wanted to run, as far and as fast as he could. He mind was racing, trying to process the information it had just been given. He wanted to do anything but look up. That's when he heard it, the crack of a bone breaking, and a thud as a body hit the ground. Instinctively, he looked up. He saw Willow, lying on the ground, a trickle of blood coming out of her mouth. She was unconscious. Buffy was standing above her, looking at her own fist, like she couldn't believe what she had just done. Xander felt Spike brush past him and run to Buffy's side.

"Good thinking, Luv," he said, like he was trying to pretend everything was the same. "Can't put the mojo on us when she's out cold. We should make tracks before her lackeys get here." Spike knew full well that neither Rak nor the Trio would be a threat to them tonight. He just wanted to get out of there before Xander decided to stake him. Xander for his part was just standing there though, fighting the urge to fall to the ground, curl up in the fetal position and just die.

Buffy just nodded. "Okay, let's go," she said softly, starting to head off.

"We should take her with us," Xander said, looking down at the unconscious body of his once best friend.

Buffy and Spike both turned back around. Buffy seemed to be considering it when they heard the trees rustling in the distance, and the sound of voices. "There's no time," she concluded.

Xander looked up and they locked eyes. He saw so much in those hazel orbs, but on the surface there was something simple. Something he had said to her earlier that night. 'Not right now, not tonight.' Xander didn't say anything, he just stepped over Willow's body and started for the exit at a jog. Buffy and Spike followed suit.

When they made it to the street, Xander headed one way, towards his house, and Buffy and Spike started the other way, towards the Summers' residence. He didn't run, he didn't cry, he didn't scream. He just walked, with his head held high. Buffy called after him, to remind him that Anya was at her house, watching Dawn. But Xander just kept walking.

*

Rak and the Trio limped out of the trees and spotted the form of their fallen leader. Immediately they rushed to her side. "Strawberry," Rak said, touching her face. "Wake up." When she didn't come to immediately, he passed his hand over her face again and spoke a few words in Latin. Her eyes fluttered and he helped her sit up. He chanted a few more words, and a wisp of green magic wrapped around her face and mended her jaw. She stretched her mouth a few times before she spoke.

"She actually hit me," she said. "I didn't think she had it in her." She looked up at her assembled minions, ready to ask them how they had each done with their assigned tasks that night. When she saw the shape they were in, she didn't bother. Andrew was bleeding from the nose, Jonathan was clutching his midsection, Rak was bleeding from the nose and the neck and looked to be in pain. The phaser Warren carried looked like it had taken a sword blow, and Andrew's light saber was missing. She let Rak help her to her feet. She didn't yell at them, and she resisted the urge to smack them all in the head. Instead she spoke calmly. "It seems that I've once again made the mistake of under estimating my former friends. But that won't happen again. Warren, do you still have the robot's remote unit?"

Warren pulled the unit off his belt. "Yes," he answered. "She's still in position," he said, checking the unit's display.

"Good, signal her to go ahead with the plan," Willow said. She allowed herself a small smile. "This is far from over."

*

The doorbell rang in the Summers' home. Dawn stood from the couch where she was watching TV. "I'll get it, Anya," she called to the kitchen where Anya was doing the dinner dishes.

"Be careful Dawn," Anya called back over the sound of running water.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Jeez, you accidentally invite one vampire in and they never let you forget it," she mumbled to herself. Dawn looked through the peephole in the door, and a huge smile came over her face at who she saw. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed. She flung the door open and ran right into the person, wrapping her arms around her and burying her head in her chest in a hug. "Tara! You're back!"

Tara's expression remained blank for a moment, then she blinked and smiled, wrapping her arms around Dawn. "Yes, I am," she said.

"I knew you'd come back Tara, I missed you so much."

"I missed you too Dawnie," Tara said. "I couldn't leave you. Not when I still have work left to do."




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