"You can celebrate, gifts are never late
You just learn to wait for sudden gifts of fate"
~Sudden Gift of Fate
Mary Chapin Carpenter

Monday Afternoon
Crawford St. Mansion

The mansion, usually a dark and somber place, a house of the dead, was filled with life and light like never before. Laughter and cheerful conversation over music playing on the radio in the background were as foreign to this place as the bowls of potato chips an other snack food arrayed on the table. It was a small party, a welcome home party, and the guest of honor could only blink in confusion.

Sitting on his couch, watching Mrs. Summers chat amicably with Willow, and Xander occasionally joining in with witty comments, Angel could only be amazed at what was taking place. He had returned to Sunnydale only days before and had no plans at the time for an extended stay. Then, an encounter in an alley with a young man who cast unfamiliar magic, and Angel awoke a day later in Sunnydale Hospital. Suddenly, he was alive, human again. He no longer needed to drink blood or hide from sunrises. And Buffy's friends - his friends - had worked together to make his old home livable for when he got out of the hospital. It had all happened so fast, and Angel half feared it would turn out to be a cruel dream. After all, if things appear too good to be true. . . .

A hand on his shoulder startled Angel out of his reverie. "Hey," Buffy said leaning towards him. "Penny for your thoughts."

Angel looked at her in surprise. "I'm just amazed you did all this for me," he said, uncomfortable with the sudden attention from everyone in the room.

"It was Willow's idea," Oz proclaimed.

Willow smiled.

"Thank you," Angel said simply and sincerely, "Thank you all."

No one spoke for a moment, then Giles cleared his throat. "That was their gift to you," he explained. "Mine was more . . . in my realm of expertise."

"He stared at books and left the heavy lifting to us," explained Xander.

"Well, yes, indeed," Giles said. "First I was checking on ownership of the house and related issues, which it turns out was unnecessary. Then I was trying to get a clearer idea of what happened to you. As usual, it seems, I could find no previously recorded events that relate. And," he paused for a moment, "I also looked into . . . what you asked me to look into."

Angel nodded and waited expectantly for Giles to continue. He had asked Giles only yesterday what being human again would mean in regards to his soul and his curse. How terrible it would be if he was truly human and was still not allowed his happiness.

Giles appeared uncomfortable. Finally he said, "My research was inconclusive. I can tell you that I found no record of a human ever spontaneously losing their soul. And I do believe that you are truly human. But everything about this situation is completely unique. There is no record of anything like your . . . complex situation."

"I'm sorry," Giles said finally. "I just can't say with any certainty. I can tell you what my research has led me to believe . . . but I can not tell you the final fate of the demon."

Angel hung his head and sighed. He'd tried not to get his hopes up, tried to foresee everything that could go wrong. He'd told himself that it couldn't be so miraculously easy, happily ever after. Even so, he'd been hoping he was wrong. Now he'd have to take it a day at a time and hope for the best.

"Perhaps I can help."

A male voice broke through the silence, causing everyone to glance up in surprise. In the doorway stood a young man with light brown hair, piercing blue eyes, and a sense of power. He was also vaguely familiar. Angel stared at the uninvited visitor. Then, as the man was about to speak again, realization came.

"You!" Angel cried in surprised anger.

The man - the chanter, Angel's shadowy attacker - looked his direction and nearly jumped in surprise. His eyes went wide, then narrowed in anger as well, as he cried "You!" in return.

And chaos ensued.

"Everyone's got to face down their demons
Maybe today
You could put the past away"

Monday Afternoon
Angel's Mansion

"I heard someone mention a demon?"

At least, that was what he was going to say when he had the full attention of the Slayer and her friends. They all turned and faced him as he made his presence known. He was just opening his mouth to speak again when another beat him to it.

"You!"

His attention was drawn to the one who spoke, a young man slightly older than himself seated next to the Slayer. The man was staring at him with an expression of shocked anger. He looked vaguely familiar. When he realized why he stared in surprise, then grew angry as well. He didn't usually remember the vampires he fought, but he remembered those that got away. "You!" he cried.

He was about to wonder why he had not sensed a demon in the house when he suddenly found himself pinned painfully against the wall, an angry Slayer in his face.

"Who are you! What are you doing here!" she demanded.

The Hunter tried to play it cool. "Believe it or not, Slayer," he said as calmly as he could, "I came to ask for your help."

"Yeah, well, I'm not in the habit of helping the other team."

"I'm not on the 'other team!'"

For a moment no one said anything. Then, "Okay, I'm confused," muttered a young, dark haired man.

The Slayer did not loosen her grip, however, though she did seem slightly confused as well. The Hunter took a moment to realize that this was not the time for games and continued. "My name is Kenneth," he began again. "I'm a demon hunter."

Still she did not let him go. "You attacked one of my friends!"

"He's a vampire!" Kenneth yelled back in frustration. Then he remembered what else was odd about this situation. He had not sensed a demon in the home . . . because there was no demon in the home. The vampire - the one that had gotten away - no longer felt like a vampire. Instead, the man still sitting on the couch felt like . . . the faint echo of a vampire, and only if Kenneth concentrated really hard. It was like sensing the shadow of a demon when the demon was long gone. "Was a vampire?" muttered the Hunter, looking at all in slight confusion.

An older man, her Watcher, Kenneth assumed, stepped forward. "Buffy, let him go," he said. Reluctantly, she did so.

"Perhaps I could start over?" Kenneth said when she did so.

"That would be best," the Watcher said. "Please forgive us, but there seems to have been a misunderstanding. Perhaps you could convince us of your veracity to avoid another incident."

Kenneth looked back and forth between the patient Watcher, the still angry Slayer, and other distrustful faces all around, and tried to explain everything. "I arrived in Sunnydale several nights ago. I'm following a demon summoner by the name of Orin, as my first . . . mission, as it were, without my mentor."

"I'm sorry," interrupted the Watcher, "but your mentor's name?"

The Hunter nodded. Perhaps the Watcher would recognize it. "Kinsey O'Brien."

"Really?" said the Watcher, brightening. "Didn't he get rid of that snake demon in Cleveland several years ago?"

"I think so," replied Kenneth. "It was before I met him."

"How is he these days?"

Kenneth frowned. "He's dead," he said softly. "One of Orin's pet demons got him."

"Oh."

"So, that's what I'm doing here," Kenneth said after a moment. "I followed him to Sunnydale and to his lair outside of town. But I'm vastly out numbered, so I need your help."

The Watcher nodded. "Yes, well, perhaps-"

"Excuse me!" the Slayer, Buffy interrupted. "You may be convinced that this guy means well, but I'm not. Someone explain why I should trust him."

"Buffy, he's a demon hunter," said Giles. "His mentor was well respected -"

"Yeah, well, good, great, fine. I'm glad you like his resume', Giles, but that means nothing to me," Buffy said, sounding exasperated. "It's not that I don't trust you, but couldn't he have gotten that information from somewhere else?"

As Giles pondered how to convince his Slayer, Kenneth came upon another solution. "Perhaps I could prove myself?" he said, and continued to say what he'd meant to say in the first place. "I heard someone mention a demon."

"Well, yes, um . . ." the Watcher started.

"That would be my demon, Hunter," said another softly. It was the vampire - the not-vampire - still sitting on the couch. He stood slowly and walked to stand next to the Slayer. "We were trying to figure out what happened - what you did, actually."

Buffy stared at Kenneth, a touch of anger still showing in her eyes, then looked at the . . . man who stood next to her. The man placed a hand on her shoulder, and she smiled very slightly at him. Then she looked back at Kenneth, no longer angry, but simply expectant. It was a tiny exchange, but Kenneth suddenly understood something. Oh God, he thought. I'm stuck between Romeo and Juliet. Only I attacked Romeo, and Juliet is homicidal instead of suicidal!

Kenneth knew his only way out of this was a full explanation. Perhaps once that was done she would trust him. And, with any luck, help him. "It was a spell," he began to explain. "A demon weakening spell. It incapacitates a target demon so that it can be killed. It works well for me against vampires because it'll keep them down long enough for me to either stake them or for the sunlight to catch them." Nervous under the scrutiny of everyone, he concluded in a mutter, "I was interrupted."

"Obviously," Buffy replied sarcastically.

Kenneth looked between the not-vampire and the Slayer and said, "This is not supposed to be the result. This has never happened before."

The Watcher nodded. "Yes, we'd already discussed that. Angel . . . has always been an exception to the rules."

"Then what were you trying to find out?"

"What happened to the demon," Angel answered. "Whether it's truly gone and I'm truly human, or . . . ." His voice trailed off.

The demon hunter looked between the watcher and Angel. "I could find out," he said hesitantly, "if you'll allow me."

"What would you have to do?" Giles asked.

"It's a spell, magic of sorts. Just a chant, no other preparation needed. It needs to be quiet, so I can concentrate, and that's it." He waited for a response.

"And you don't need anything else?"

Kenneth shook his head. "That's it. It's really a method for me to focus. And if I find anything left of the demon once I've started, I can get rid of it."

"Is there any danger to me?" asked Angel softly.

"There shouldn't be," replied Kenneth. "I mean, I don't sense the demon now, so you're surviving without it. The worst I can see happening is that you might loose any vampiric advantages you still have. Like being stronger and healing faster than a normal human."

"Whoa, excuse me!" interrupted Buffy. "Are you really talking about letting him do this? Look what he did the last time!"

"Buffy," Angel interrupted gently, "everything he's done has been good thus far. Because of him I've seen my first sunlight in almost 250 years." He smiled. "I want to do this."

Once everyone was in agreement, Kenneth sat next to Angel on the couch. The gathering, which had been boisterous prior to the Hunter's arrival, fell silent. In little more than a whisper, he began to chant. It wasn't so much a spell as a way for Kenneth to concentrate on a single person. He could have used the spell to focus on any person in the room and find out about their closest encounters with demons and magic. It was a variation on this sense that enabled him to recognize a demon from a distance and had let him recognize Buffy as the Slayer. This was just much more specific.

Kenneth knew somewhat what he would encounter when he focused on Angel. Over two centuries of vampirism had left its mark like a dark stain. Like he had already sensed, there was no demon present. There was a fragment remaining, however, a residue, and who knew what effect it could have over time. Kenneth could get rid of it rather easily, now that he'd been allowed in.

He had to be careful, though. There was magic here. A closer look explained part of how this was possible. This vampire had a soul, given by a fragile spell, strange old magic unfamiliar to Kenneth. While getting rid of the remains of the demon, Kenneth had to be careful of such existing magic. He didn't mess with souls, and he knew the Slayer wouldn't forgive him if he screwed anything up. Actually, he was pretty sure she'd cause him some serious bodily harm.

Several minutes later, Kenneth emerged from his trance-like state. A moment later Angel opened his eyes and sighed. "Did . . . it work?" he asked.

"The demon is gone," Kenneth assured. "Some of its effects may linger for a while, but nothing that can cause any harm."

The tension in the room lifted and people began to speak again. As Kenneth watched, the party he had interrupted resumed of its own accord. The Slayer smiled at him for a moment, her past animosity forgotten, then moved to Angel's side. She smiled at the ex-vampire and kissed him gently on the cheek. He smiled slightly in response, but it faded quickly. He seemed preoccupied.

"What's wrong?" Buffy asked.

"Well, it's not that I want to sound ungrateful," he said, "and I'm glad to know for sure that the demon is gone, it's just . . . ."

Buffy nodded. "We still don't know about the curse."

Kenneth looked at the pair in confusion. "Um, excuse me?" he said, drawing their attention back to him, "but, what curse?"

The party fell quiet once again. Everyone looked expectantly at the demon hunter and Angel. It was Buffy who finally spoke. "Surely you've figured out by now that Angel is . . . was . . . different from other vampires because he has a soul."

"Yeah, I noticed," commented Kenneth. "That doesn't strike me as much of a curse."

"It is when it requires that I suffer for my past," Angel explained. "A moment of true happiness and I loose my soul."

Kenneth looked at them both and smiled. Now he knew he had them. "You don't need to worry about that happening," he said.

"Huh?"

The demon hunter shrugged. "When I was getting rid of the last of the demon, I noticed the curse. I wanted to make sure that I wouldn't accidentally break it, so I . . . cast another spell, of sorts. There will be no more soul losing."

As he watched, several faces all around broke into smiles. The Watcher and the adult woman grinned slightly and the other young woman got a dreamy look in her eyes. Kenneth turned to look at the Slayer again, but her attention was clearly elsewhere. She and the ex-vampire smiled at each other, and didn't appear that they'd be paying attention to anyone else soon.

Instead, Kenneth stood and faced the Watcher. "So," he said, "do I get your help now?"

"The world has come calling and it's bleeding at my door
Am I supposed to turn away or is this what I'm here for?"
~Someone Keeps Calling My Name
Harry Chapin

Monday night
Giles' House

The gathering at Giles' home that evening was a strange one. Not that they ever had a normal gathering, Willow reflected, but this one was a touch stranger than usual. Like one of their "usual" gatherings, the majority of those there were staring at strange, dusty tomes searching for clues to defeating their latest enemy. Everyone had gathered in Giles' living room, making their way through every strange old book Giles thought might be relevant. The pile of books they were discarding was growing as the pile of donuts next to it was shrinking.

Willow glanced up from her own confusing text to look at everyone else. Oz sat next to her, still trying to get through another one of the books. Xander was nodding off across the room. Neither Buffy nor Angel were getting much done, as they were concentrating more on each other than any of the books. Every once in a while Buffy would turn a page. It was sweet in a romantic sort of a way, but also rather funny to watch. Giles was talking to their new friend, Kenneth, who was telling him about being a demon hunter while mixing up some strange herbs in a bowl.

Oz stopped his reading and added the book to the reject pile. "Hey," he said to Willow, "how's your book going?"

Willow sighed. "It's not." She spoke up then. "There's nothing here, Giles!" she said.

Buffy looked up from her book as well. "Nothing over here!" she declared. "Have we found anything?"

"Well," Giles said, "we know that this Orin is planning to use the . . . demonic magnetism of the Hellmouth to call stronger and more powerful demons than he'd usually be able to call and control."

"So, if we don't do something we're going to have a demonic army on our hands," muttered Buffy. "Fun and games in Sunnydale."

Kenneth looked up from his smelly herbs. "We do know where he is, that's a plus," he said. "And he's waiting for something. The thing is, until we find out what that something is, we'll have great difficulty stopping him."

Suddenly Xander snapped to full wakefulness. "Ooh, ooh, I've got something! Here Giles, demon summoner stuff. Demon armies. . . ."

"Give it here, Xander," Giles said, taking the book from him. "Well, this is certainly interesting," he said, reading quickly. He handed the book to Kenneth.

The demon hunter regarded the book seriously. "Huh," he said, "well, that certainly explains it."

"What?" Buffy demanded. "Come on, if you want me to help you defeat this guy you've got to tell me what's going on."

Giles paused to adjust his glasses and said, "It seems that two nights from now the conditions will be perfect for him to . . . open a portal of sorts through which he can bring a true demon army. It seems you were correct, Buffy."

"Oh, thrill. I just love being correct," she replied sarcastically.

"Well, there is something good here," said Kenneth. "We can defeat him, with some luck and good planning."

The gathering looked at him expectantly.

"Orin's work requires a focus stone, a large crystal through which he channels his magic. When he starts the ritual and the portal begins to open . . . if we can interrupt his spell before he completes it, the magic should destroy him for us. Smash the focus stone, and Orin and his pet demons will be pulled through the collapsing portal . . . to nowhere."

"And the catch is?"

"The catch is that Orin already has a significant cadre of lesser demons and vampires. We'll have to get past them to stop him. And we have to time it right or we'll still have to fight all the demons," Kenneth explained.

"So," said Willow, "it looks like you need all the help you can get."

"Yes," said Giles. "And fortunately we have two days to plan. Willow, could you find the plans to their . . . lair so that we can plan our approach?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll look on my computer tonight. You want me to bring the information tomorrow?"

"I suppose that would be best. There's nothing else we can accomplish here tonight."

"Oh, good," Angel said softly with a yawn. Willow didn't think he'd meant for anyone to hear him. Buffy looked at him and laughed slightly. "What?"

"Now you're sounding like the rest of us."

Angel smiled, then yawned again. "Sorry," he said. "I just got out of the hospital this morning, my sleep schedule's all off, and it's been a long day. I'm tired."

"Are we done here, Giles?" Buffy asked. "I'm not good at the research part anyway, I still need to patrol, and I'd like to walk Angel home."

Everyone looked at Giles expectantly, who nodded. "We all should get some rest. It's going to be a long day tomorrow. I'll see all of you in the morning."

With that everyone began to disperse. Buffy and Angel left first after helping put some of Giles books away. Xander was cleaning up the last of the uneaten donuts. Kenneth was putting away his herbs when Willow approached him.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," the demon hunter replied without looking up.

"You know, I don't think we were introduced earlier," she said. "I'm Willow, by the way."

The demon hunter looked up, smiling slightly. "Nice to meet you, Willow," he said. "I'm Kenneth . . . but you already knew that." He laughed slightly. "Sorry, I'm tired."

"Yeah, we all are," Willow acknowledged. "By the way, what were you doing?"

"Hmm?"

"With the herbs," Willow clarified. When Kenneth didn't answer at first she said, "You're the new guy in town, I'm just trying to make conversation, and I didn't recognize any of the herbs you were using."

"You do magic?" asked Kenneth curiously.

"Some," replied Willow with a smile. "I'm working on it. When it works it's really helpful to everyone. When it doesn't. . . ." Willow looked closer at the bag of herbs Kenneth was putting away. "Preparing for some sort of anti-demon spell?"

"Sort of," replied Kenneth. "I use it to detect demons. Sort of a demon locator."

"Wow, that would be useful around here. Does it work for vampires too?"

"Yes, but it'll detect more pure demons first," Kenneth explained. "That's how I found Orin's lair."

"Do . . . you think you could teach me?"

Kenneth looked at her seriously, and Willow got the impression he was looking through her. "You have quite a gift for someone not born to witchcraft. You've cast powerful magic before," he said seriously. "I can teach you," he said.

"Really?" Willow grinned.

"Really," Kenneth replied with a smile. "Now, I've never taught anyone before, but there's a first time for anything, right?"

"Right," Willow replied, still smiling. "Listen, I've got to go. See you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow, Willow."

Willow joined Oz in the van, smiling. Tomorrow, a new magic lesson. Finally, someone would be teaching her something they could all really, really use.

"I think it's getting to the point
where I can be myself again
I think it's getting to the point
where we have almost made amends"
~Call and Answer
Bare Naked Ladies

Tuesday Afternoon . . .

Buffy moved lightly on her feet in an easy battle stance that came naturally, and looked for an opening. Her opponent faced her, sizing her up just as she did him. Buffy knew she didn't look like much, and her opponent looked both bigger and stronger than she, but appearances were deceiving. She knew she could take him. Weaponless, she kicked high at the man before her. He dodged her attempt easily and made no move to attack her in return. After a moment, Buffy made as if to strike him in the stomach, then changed in mid attack and dove for his legs. He fell with a grunt and for a moment did not move.

"Okay, ouch."

"Oh, Angel, I'm sorry!"

Angel sat up, rubbing the back of his head where it had hit the floor. "It's okay," he said ruefully. "I did volunteer to train with you."

Buffy helped him to his feet and the two of them sat on Angel's couch. Everyone had agreed to meet at the mansion this afternoon because it was more comfortable for the whole group than Giles' living room. Plus, it would give Angel a bit more time to recover from the weekend's excitement. Buffy had arrived early, planning to talk with Angel, but thus far they hadn't done much talking. They sat for a moment in silence, catching their breath.

"Well," said Angel finally, "I guess it's better to find out now."

"Find out what?" Buffy asked worriedly.

"You weren't pulling your punches, were you?"

"No," she replied. "I've never held back when we've fought."

"Yeah, I thought so," replied Angel. "I've always been able to take it a little better than this. At least, I stood my own a little longer." Angel shook his head. "Kenneth said I might loose strength, But I didn't expect it to start so soon."

Buffy scooted closer to him, trying to be comforting. "You could just have not completely recovered from being in the hospital," Buffy tried.

"No, that's not it. I feel just fine. I'm just losing strength faster than I thought I would." He frowned for a moment, looking worried, then seemed to shake himself out of it. He put his arm around Buffy and smiled slightly. "I'll be fine. This whole human thing is just going to take some adjusting," he said. "So, you wanted to talk about something?"

Pulling away so that she was facing him, Buffy nodded slightly. "What are we doing, Angel?" she asked with a sigh.

"Um, I thought we were training."

"That's not what I meant," Buffy replied. "You, and me. Us. I thought we broke up a year ago. I tried to move on. Now, you're back, and it doesn't look to me like you're planning on leaving again. So, where does that leave us?"

"Does it have to leave us anywhere?" Angel asked. "This is my chance to start over. I hadn't really planned beyond that."

"I mean, what are we going to do," Buffy tried to explain. "Are we just going to pick up where we left off?"

"I still love you," Angel said softly. "I never stopped loving you. I left because I thought it was what I needed to do. I thought it was the best thing for both of us. You deserved something normal. Now . . . . There's nothing for me in L.A., not like there's something for me here." He placed his hand gently on Buffy's and said sincerely, "I don't want to leave you again. I need you. Can . . . will you give me another chance?"

Buffy smiled. "I . . . think I'd like that. It's . . . been nice having you around again."

"It's been nice being around again. I love you, Buffy."

"I love you too, Angel."

They leaned close and kissed, gently and only for a moment, still feeling a touch unsure of their place with each other. But the first soft kiss was a reminder that 'I love you' was more than just words, and they truly did love each other. Their kiss lingered, and when it broke of Buffy leaned into Angel's shoulder, letting herself get comfortable - and, with Angel's arm around her, comforted.

For a moment neither of them spoke, just content in each other's presence. Angel broke the silence. "You know," he said softly, "it's going to be different this time."

"Well, yeah, obviously," replied Buffy, "but different in a good way."

Angel smiled. "Yeah, you're right about that," he said with a small laugh. "Seeing you in sunlight . . .is wonderful, enjoying real food . . . but being human again . . . it might take me some time to adjust. I'm sorry if I act a little odd, but this is all a bit much at once."

Buffy laughed slightly in response to that. "You'll always be a little odd, Angel. It's so much more interesting that way! But if you're worried about adjusting, I'll help you." She paused for a moment and added, "So will everyone else, for that matter."

"Thank you for understanding," said Angel sincerely, "and for being here." He simply held her for a moment, then said, "I'm going to have to find a job, aren't I?"

He sounded so worried that Buffy couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah," she said, "one of the wonders of humanity in modern times. Maybe Giles will have an idea for you one that." She snuggled in Angel's shoulder when something else came to her. "Um, Angel," she said hesitantly, "speaking of things being different . . . maybe you should hang back tomorrow night."

"No, Buffy," he insisted. "I may not be at my full strength, but I'm still stronger than a normal human. You're going to need that tomorrow."

"I don't want you getting hurt! You don't know your own strength right now. You could really die fighting those demons." She looked him in the eye as seriously as she could. "I want to have lots of moments like this. I want to go on sunny picnics with you. I want . . . want you to stay." She hoped that her meaning was clear - stay in Sunnydale, stay with her, and stay alive.

"I can't stay out of the fighting tomorrow," Angel insisted after a moment. "I promise to be more careful, but. . . ."

"We'll need all the help we can get."

Buffy sat up straight in surprise and turned to see Kenneth standing in the open doorway. "Sorry," he said calmly. "I knocked, but no one answered. The door was open."

Unable to avoid being a bit angry and embarrassed at having been overheard, Buffy asked testily, "How long have you been there?"

"I only caught the very end of what you were saying," Kenneth assured them both. "I didn't intend to eavesdrop."

"I was just saying that I will be fighting with everyone else tomorrow," Angel explained to him, and Buffy knew he was reiterating it for her as well.

Kenneth nodded. "I heard," he said. "Buffy, we're going to need everyone we can get. Who knows how many demons he'll have raised before we get to him. Not to mention how many vampires may have joined him."

"I know," Buffy said, nodding reluctantly. "I just worry."

"Yes, well, that's why I brought these," said the demon hunter, and he reached into his pocket and removed a necklace. It was a simple round crystal circled with multicolored strings hanging on plain twine. "It's an amulet," he explained. "It contains a variation of the spell I use against vampires. You can only use it a couple of times, but it should help even up the odds." He handed the crystal to Angel, then said, "I made one for everyone. When they get here, I'll show how to use it. I'm not sure how well it'll work, though, so it's a last resort."

"Thank you," said Angel, slipping the amulet over his head.

"Yeah, thanks," added Buffy.

"No, I should thank you," replied Kenneth. "After all, you are helping me fight my enemy." He reached into his pocket and withdrew another of the amulets. "For you, Buffy," he said.

Buffy waved him off with a smile. "Nah, keep it," she said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah," she said, smiling. "Keep your magic. I'll just stick to good, old fashioned violence."

"I will not run away
from the battle now
if it seems that's the way
I'm fighting."
~Lie on Lie
Chalk Farm

Wednesday Night
Giles' House

Another night, another meeting at Giles's house. This time it was in a frenzy of activity, as everyone prepared for battle. They divvied up the weapons while discussing the final battle plans.

"So," Buffy said with false enthusiasm, "everyone ready to kick some demon butt?"

Xander grinned, hefting the crossbow from the table. "Armed and ready."

"Please put that down, Xander," said Giles.

"Are you really excited about this? The two of you?" asked Willow, disbelieving.

"Hey, I was kidding."

"I wasn't. And why can't I use the crossbow?"

Everyone just glanced at him and rolled their eyes. Buffy then picked up the crossbow and handed to Giles. She then shoved several of the stakes they had spent the afternoon whittling up her sleeves and anywhere else she could stash them. She tossed several of them to Angel, who pocketed them quickly. Everyone else took at least one, plus several other items. There was an interesting looking ax, a wicked knife, a pair of brass knuckles, and a stick with a hook on the end.

Buffy looked at Kenneth for a moment, who stood back from the group, barely moving. He seemed preoccupied, and did not even move as they all clambered for weapons.

"You alright?" she asked him, coming over to stand beside him.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, just fine."

Buffy looked at him uncertainly. "You don't look fine. You look like someone with a lot of unhappy thoughts, and that doesn't look fine if you're leading us into battle."

Kenneth just blinked, looking at her oddly. "You really think that?" he asked softly. "That I'm leading you into battle?"

"Well, duh!" exclaimed Buffy. "I mean, you've just been doing all the planning for the last two days, almost. Who else did you think was leading this little expedition? You know the situation, the magic, and the bad guy. I don't see the problem here." She looked at him curiously for a moment, then said softly, "What's wrong? Don't you want to? Because, someone else -"

"No!" exclaimed Kenneth. "No, that's not it at all." He looked at her intently. "I have to lead this battle," he explained. "Not because I'm a demon hunter, or because this is going to be a partly magical battle . . . though those are both good reasons, but . . . it's just that . . . ." Kenneth's voice faded for a moment, and he shrugged.

"It's personal," guessed Buffy.

Kenneth nodded reluctantly.

"Hey, I got that," Buffy assured him. "I mean, I've had my . . . personal battles, too. He killed your mentor. If anyone killed Giles . . . ." Buffy nodded, not wanting to think about that. Smiling, she assured Kenneth, "Listen. No matter what, no matter how crazy it gets in there . . . and believe me, it'll get pretty crazy . . . this demon summoning guy is yours."

"Orin."

"Yeah, right. Your strike, okay? No one'll get in your way."

"You sure?"

"I'll make sure." Buffy raised her voice so everyone could hear her. "So," she said to everyone, "when we get to the site of this ritual, Kenneth gets this Orin fellow while the rest of us take care of as many demons as we can until the . . . broken spell, that I don't entirely get . . . makes them go away. We all got that?"

"Yeah, we've covered it already," said Xander.

"Just making sure."

"Um, one other thing," said Kenneth reluctantly. "My best chance at destroying Orin will be one the summoning has begun. When he's raising demons, he can't concentrate on much else. That's his one major weakness."

"Um, wait a second," protested Willow. "Wouldn't it be easier on the rest of us if we get him before he starts this ritual? I mean, doesn't this plan mean there'll be more demons for us to fight?"

"Yes, it does," Kenneth replied. Then, quickly, before anyone could give him more than an angry look, he raised his hands and continued, "but not in the long run!"

Everyone looked at him in silence for a moment, no one willing to say what they were thinking of this plan now.

Finally Oz spoke. "Um, confused," he said simply.

Kenneth patiently tried to explain again. "In order for this entire plan to work, he needs to have begun the portal spell. Destroy his focus stone too soon and we'll still have to fight all of his guardian demons, plus Orin himself. However, if we wait until the spell has started and the portal has opened -"

"Breaking the spell will suck all the demons through the portal!" exclaimed Willow, putting all the pieces together.

Everyone but Kenneth looked at her in surprise.

"Yes, exactly," the Hunter agreed. He smiled at Willow. It wasn't the sort of smile that could make Oz jealous. Rather, it was one of understanding and fellowship, magic worker to magic worker.

Willow looked pleased and smiled back.

Everyone began to gather their things together for the battle ahead. Giles spared one more glance for the blue prints spread out on the table. It was a condemned warehouse on the edge of town, but more importantly it was where Orin had settled, complete with demonic guards. The Hunter had led the Slayer there during the day, and snuck in to find out exactly where the summoner was setting up. It was a team-up rarely seen among those who fought evil, and tonight it could mean all the difference between winning and losing. They now knew exactly where Orin would be when it came time for the ritual. He couldn't be discreet when it came to the casting of such powerful magics; they required extensive and showy preparations.

The brief reconnaissance had also revealed some of Orin's lesser, loyal demons, so they were better prepared than they would have been. They didn't know where those demons would be come nightfall, though. More troublesome, they didn't know the strength of the summoner's vampiric allies. Coming to the Hellmouth, he was sure to have at least some, and they would all have been sleeping when Buffy and Kenneth had visited. The lack of vampiric activity the past week while the Slayer had been distracted was certainly a bad sign.

The building plans were thoroughly marked. The ritual space, the probable locations of the guards, the entrances and exits were all carefully noted, as well as a basic attack plan. As prepared as they could be, the teenagers were almost eager to be fighting.

Only Giles still seemed a bit hesitant. Raising his gaze from the plans, he asked, "Everyone's sure they know what they're doing? There is no room for error here."

At numerous sounds of ascent, the small gathering lifted their chosen weapons and began to head for the door.

"Wait!" Kenneth blurted abruptly.

Everyone spun to face him, afraid that he had sudden, terrible news for them all. "What is it?" Giles asked urgently.

Kenneth smiled sheepishly. "I just . . . forgot to give you all something yesterday. I made these for everyone." He pulled out a bunch of strange necklaces.

"Isn't this an odd time for party favors?" commented Xander.

Kenneth frowned. "They are defensive amulets. Some of my magic is in each one." He passed them to everyone, except Angel, who already had one, and Buffy, who once again declined the offer. "I'll explain how to use them on the way.

Everyone filed out the door, Buffy and Kenneth bringing up the rear. The Slayer regarded the Hunter for a moment, noticing that he bore no weapon. "Say, aren't you going to at least take a stake?" she asked.

"Aren't you going to take an amulet?" he replied with a grin.

"Point taken. Let's go."

“The cause it is noble and the cause it is just
We are ready to pay with our lives if we must”
~Ride Across the River
Dire Straits

Wednesday Night (Cont.)
The Warehouse

The decrepit building's isolation on the edge of town meant there were no bystanders to get in the way when things started heating up. Unfortunately, that same isolation meant that any unfamiliar person approaching the building was sure to be noticed. It could only be hoped that the darkness would be enough to hide them. Thank goodness there was no moon tonight.

The seven of them filed out of Oz's van on the other side of an overgrown hill from the warehouse. It was the only place close enough where they could park it without being noticed. Before getting out they had judged that it would be safest for them to approach one at a time, careful to avoid the guards. They would meet behind the building and then continue with the rest of their plan.

Buffy went first. They knew there were a couple of guards sure to be moving around the building, but they were amazingly good at hiding themselves. It was decided that Buffy had the best chance should she encounter anything before they'd figured out where the demons were. Everyone else watched as she crossed the hillside and the open lot without incident.

It was the waiting that was the hardest part. Buffy waited at the dark back of the building, unable to see any of her friends who would be coming after her. All she could do was to remain alert for any guards who might surprise her or her friends.

Listening for any little sound as she was, Buffy went into an immediate fight stance when she heard a heavy thump just around the corner. There were several long seconds in which nothing happened, and then Kenneth appeared before her. As she had not seen him approach, Buffy raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Magic," the Hunter whispered, trying not to grin and failing. He cocked his head in the direction he had come from. "One less sentry to worry about," he said.

Buffy guessed he was explaining the mysterious thump, and didn’t press it. Stake in hand, she turned her attention away from him into the surrounding darkness. Next to her, Kenneth was doing the same, waiting for a demon’s approach.

Willow came next, clutching a wicked looking ax until her knuckles were white. She shook her head in a quick indicator that she hadn’t encountered anything. She was followed soon by Xander, Oz, and then Giles, all without incident.

They were about to continue with the next step of their plan when Buffy looked around in confusion. “Where’s Angel?” she whispered.

Oz shrugged. “He started down here before I did,” he said.

No one spoke as they scanned the darkness in the direction he should have been coming from. Kenneth looked at Buffy hesitantly. “Buffy -“ he began.

“Who’s there?” a voice rang out behind them.

The small gathering whirled around in surprise. A guard - a very human guard - approached them from around the corner of the warehouse. Before any of them could raise their weapons in defense, a figure separated itself from the shadows and with a single punch knocked the guard out. He crumbled to the ground without a sound.

Taking the man’s weapon and walking towards them, Angel smiled slightly. “Sorry I’m late,” he said, and that was that.

The nearest guards taken care of and all together and ready, they continued their plan in silence. First they helped Kenneth get up on the roof. There was a ventilation duct up there, which was how he and Buffy had gotten in before. While the rest of them created a distraction, he’d work through that way and surprise Orin from above. Once he signaled to them that he was in place the rest of them moved around the building where the guard had come from.

On the side of the building was a small locked door. It said “no admittance” on a small sign, and the map indicated that it was the back door to a small office. With any luck there would be no one in the office, so some of them could sneak in undetected.

Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. Giles stood in front of the door with crossbow ready, and everyone else stood out of the way. With a sharp pull Buffy broke the lock. It made more noise than they would have liked, but there didn’t seem to be any immediate response from inside. Cautiously, Buffy turned the door handle. The door was heavy, but moved silently. She edged it open just enough to get a foot in, then stood to the side so that she wasn’t blocking Giles’s shot.

With a nod to Angel, standing on the other side of the door, Buffy threw the door open. Angel caught the handle and pulled it the rest of the way open.

A vampire stood just inside the door. He had obviously been going to investigate the noise they made, but he had no chance to do more than look surprised before a crossbow bolt embedded itself in his chest. Still looking at Giles in surprise, he exploded into dust.

The room now empty, everyone except Buffy and Angel made their way into the small office. Giles and Xander cautiously continued through the inner door, while Oz and Willow stayed in the office to keep it open as an escape route. As she entered the door, Willow looked at Buffy oddly.

“What if it hadn’t been a vampire?” she asked softly.

Buffy smiled grimly. “You’d be amazed the number of things a wooden stake will kill,” she said.

Finally, only Buffy and Angel were left outside the warehouse. Silently they moved around to the front of the building, though they no longer cared if they were discovered. Their job was to be a distraction so that everyone else could accomplish their tasks. Still, they only encountered one vampire on their way around the warehouse. He didn’t put up much of a fight before he joined the other vampire in the dust bin.

Buffy brushed herself off and stared at what was left of the vampire. “Is it just me, or has this been too easy?” she muttered.

Angel said nothing in response.

With a small sigh, Buffy armed herself, standing by the front door. “Time to crash this party,” she said, and the distraction commenced.

“What’s going on out there?” she muttered to herself.

Oz answered anyways. “He’s started the ritual. But then, you’re closer to the door than me, so you already knew that.” He smiled slightly.

Willow couldn’t help but smile slightly in response. It faded quickly, though, for at that time the sounds of battle erupted in the main room. After several moments, Willow looked panicked back at her boyfriend. “What if something goes wrong?” she asked. “What if they need our help?”

“Then we’ll help,” said Oz.

“Really?”

Oz just nodded. Afraid for her friends and more than a bit nervous in the dark office, Willow edged open the door. She had only been going to open the door enough so that she could see what was going on, but at that moment a large hairy demon slammed into the door, flinging it wide.

Willow yelped in surprise and swung her ax wildly at the creature. It growled at her and advanced, howling once in pain as the ax glanced off its chest. The demon, infuriated, swatted the ax out of her hands and approached her with claws extended.

“Willow!” yelled Oz, rushing to her rescue. He held out one of his stakes, and with a yell slammed it into the demon’s back. Defeated, the creature slumped to the ground.

Willow let out a sigh of relief. She smiled at Oz. “Buffy was right. Stakes do kill just about anything.” She knelt down to retrieve her ax.

Suddenly she was engulfed in two scaly arms. She struggled ferociously as another demon pulled her into the main room. Oz went running after her, but his egress from the office was blocked by two vampires and he wouldn’t be going anywhere soon.

The demon’s entire strategy seemed to be to crush her to death. Its arms were more like tentacles which slowly wound their way around her. Her struggling seemed to be preventing them from crushing her, but she couldn’t do anything else in her defense. The ax hung uselessly from her hand, and she hadn’t the breath to activate her amulet.

Suddenly, the creature’s grip slackened, and it fell to the floor. Released and tired from her struggles, she fell to the floor with it. When she realized that it wasn’t going to kill her anymore, Willow scrambled out from underneath the demon. A crossbow bolt struck out from its hideous, scaley back. Several yards away stood Giles atop some boxes, firing some crossbow bolts into the demonic crowd. He saw her looking and waved slightly, then went back to his shooting.

For the moment, Willow stood in a place free from battle. Most of the fighting was concentrated near the front doorway. Willow took a moment to catch her breath, swinging her ax a few times to get the circulation back in her arms. As she stood there, she noticed a second knot of battle, pressing its way into the office. Xander was picking off some of the creatures at the back, but Willow knew Oz had to be overwhelmed inside.

Striding confidently back into the battle, Willow headed for the office. She fingered her amulet as a reminder of what they were here to accomplish.

Then Kenneth fell into the fray.

“Friends will take our side, enemies will curse us
But to be alive is to know your purpose”
~A Place in the World
Mary Chapin Carpenter

Wednesday night (Cont.)
The Warehouse

First into the building, Kenneth had to be extremely quiet, which was difficult in the metal air ducts. To be extremely quiet meant he had to be extremely slow. The Hunter was surprised at how physically taxing it was. Trained in the arts of magic instead of physical strength, he was unprepared for this approach. Last time the Slayer had done the brunt of the crawling, and now he understood why. It was fortunate that his battle with the demon summoner would not be a physical one.

The ritual began soon after he entered, and he could hear every word of it clearly. To distract himself from the physical strain of crawling, Kenneth listened closely to what was happening and got himself magically prepared for what he had to do. He listened as the battle erupted below him, knowing that the Slayer had made her entrance and he would have to act soon. He had only a little ways more to go, then he would be able to leave the air ducts and face Orin. Orin, who had taunted him while killing his Mentor. The hatred was distracting.

The distraction cost the Hunter. He did not realize that he had knelt someplace that would not hold his weight until it gave beneath him. With a crash he fell from the air duct, startling those below him. He cried out in pain as he hit the concrete floor. If nothing was broken, he was certainly sprained and bruised. The fall knocked the breath from him as well.

For a moment he simply lay there, stunned. He couldn’t help but think that it was indeed a good thing his was not a physical battle. Then he heard a chuckle from above him.

A familiar face sneered at him. “Well,” Orin mocked, “thank you for dropping in. These your party crashers?”

Kenneth picked himself slowly to his feet. “We’re here to stop you,” he said.

Orin snorted with derision. “They’ll have to get through my demons first, and I’m afraid they’re not having much luck.” The demon summoner returned to his spell, the dimensional portal hanging small and red above a diagram in the center of the room.

As best he could while still favoring his right leg, Kenneth faced him defiantly. “I am going to stop you, Orin.”

The demon summoner let out a bark of a laugh. “You? My boy, after that entrance you made, you can’t even stand up straight. How do you think you can stop me?”

Kenneth said nothing, only gathered his magical strength.

The summoner could not help but notice. He looked at Kenneth, then stepped towards him angrily. “It’s no matter,” he said, “you’ll die just as your mentor did - weak, drained, and food for my lowest pets.” He smiled cruelly.

Kenneth could stand it no longer. He raised his hands angrily and blasted into Orin with the raw force of his magic.

It was as if he had tried to attack with a swarm of dull pins something that needed the focused attack of a sword. Most of the attack diffused around Orin to no effect, while Kenneth exhausted himself. The summoner staggered slightly, then smiled.

“Is that the best you can do, little Hunter?” he mocked.

Kenneth took a deep breath. Orin was trying to bait him, he knew this. He could hear his mentor’s voice in his head, an early lesson. “An angry mage can better serve himself by casting no magic than having anger distract him.” Though it was hard to calm down, Kenneth knew he had to. Ignoring his pain, the Hunter thought carefully about what he wanted to do, focused his powers on Orin’s focus stone, and released it with cold precision.

The magic deflected around the stone, but Orin suddenly looked concerned. He had the stone well shielded, but any shield could be broken. The battle - the real battle - began in earnest.

Several minutes went by, during which an invisible battle took place. None of the demons interfered as the Demon Hunter and the demon summoner parried with spells instead of swords. Both of them were weakened, but neither seemed to have the upper hand. Kenneth couldn’t understand it. He was putting everything he had into this fight, but Orin should have been dividing his magic in order to sustain the portal. Logically, Kenneth should have had the advantage. Still, the stalemate continued.

So focused was Kenneth on his magic, he did not see Orin pull out the wicked looking ritual knife. What he did see was the blur of movement as Orin made for his heart. He managed to dodge and avoid the killing blow, but two things happened as a result. First, the deflected knife dug into his shoulder, leaving a deep gash. The other thing that happened was that in dodging Kenneth put weight on his injured leg. It refused to support him, and he cried out in surprise as he fell.

When his vision cleared from his initial shock, Kenneth found himself staring up at Orin from the floor once again. He smiled cruelly and laughed. “You poor fool,” he said. “You have no idea what you’re dealing with.” Kenneth said nothing as the demon summoner circled him like a vulture. “Look around you, boy. Did you really think this was all the demons I could control?”

Kenneth could not help but let his gaze wander the room. The Slayer and her friends had almost defeated Orin’s allies before the army began climbing through the portal. Still, counting the demons unconscious or dead on the floor and those still fighting, Kenneth was coming up short. Even including those who would be expected outside as guards and those who might have died and left nothing but dust or slime, the numbers still didn’t add up to what he and Buffy had counted earlier. The Hunter stared at Orin in horror.

The summoner smiled. “My strongest demons wander this town tonight. They feed, and in turn feed me. My magic grows with every life they take.” He knelt beside Kenneth, playing with the knife in his hand. “Now, Hunter, you -“ Suddenly, he grunted in surprised pain and whirled away from Kenneth.

Behind Orin stood Willow, her ax held before her. She’d only managed a glancing blow, and her hands shook, but her face shown with courage.

The summoner snarled at her. “What do you want, little girl?”

Willow held the ax before her threateningly. “Stop the ritual,” she demanded.

Orin laughed. “Or what? You’ll kill me? You couldn’t kill me. Even if you could, you wouldn’t.”

Her voice shook, but she held firm. “Why not?”

“Didn’t you hear me?” the summoner demanded. “My demons are out there. Only I can call them back. You kill me, and they are free. They will eat your town alive.”

“Not all of them.”

Orin returned his attention to Kenneth too late. Taking advantage of the summoner’s distraction, he had gathered the last of his magical strength and in one focused blow smashed the crystal at the center of the diagram. The ritual and the stone were shattered.

There was a moment of complete silence in the room, then chaos. The portal flared, but instead of expelling its demonic cargo it began to pull them back in. Those demons caught part way out of the portal shrieked in agony as they were torn apart. Many voices, inhuman and terrifying, howled in protest as they felt the portal’s pull. The entire warehouse was a maelstrom of demonic forces, and the fighters clung to each other, seeking whatever shelter they could.

Crouching on the floor in the center of the chaos was Kenneth, protecting himself as best he could. His magical shields were gone and all he could do was protect himself with his arms. That did not block out the sounds, however. Though he could not see the demon summoner, he could hear him, and he shrieked like one of his demonic minions. It seemed endless, and though Kenneth knew the portal’s collapse would effect only those demon born, he could not help but fear for his life.

Suddenly, it was over. The sounds of demonic screams broke off and everything went still. In the sudden silence Kenneth could hear the pounding of his own heartbeat. Then, slowly, others moving, taking stock of themselves and their friends. Sounds of relief came next, and soft laughter.

Kenneth tried to get back to his feet and failed. Seeing his trouble, Willow helped him and smiled.

“You won,” she said.

It took a moment for Kenneth to reply. “Yeah, I guess we did.” He looked at Willow seriously. “Thank you,” he said.

Willow shrugged uncomfortably. “Come on,” she said. “I think you’d better get to the hospital. That cut’s going to need stitches.”

Kenneth nodded. “I think I broke something when I fell, too,” he said ruefully. He leaned on Willow’s shoulder, limping towards the rest of the group and the front door. “You know, Orin was right. Not every demon will have disappeared with the ones here. Some will have been too far away.”

Willow laughed slightly. “We can handle it,” she said. “After all, we’re the Slayerettes.”

“Celebrate we will
Because life is short but sweet for certain
We’re climbing two by two
To be sure these days continue”
~Two Step
Dave Matthews Band

Friday night, one month later

Willow focused intently on the bowl of herbs in front of her. She felt uncomfortable being the center of attention, but it was necessary. This time she was going to cast the demon-locator spell without any help from Kenneth. Everyone agreed that it was a good idea that she do this, so no one spoke as she reached the end of the spell.

A small flame burned low at the center of the bowl. At a last couple of words from Willow, the flame disappeared in a burst of blood red smoke. The smoke hovered over the bowl for a moment, then quickly dispersed.

For a moment everyone was silent. Slowly, they turned to look at Kenneth. It was Buffy who finally spoke. “What was that?” she exclaimed. “I thought it was supposed to turn green and show us where the demons are!”

Willow spoke hesitantly. “I guess . . . I did it wrong.”

“No, you did it right,” Kenneth assured. “It can’t find what isn’t there to find.” While everyone looked dumbfounded at the Hunter, he smiled. “Green is for demons. Red is for vampires. The way it dispersed shows that there is none particularly close or strong in the area.”

There was another long moment of silence. It was Buffy who spoke again. “You mean . . . we’ve gotten rid of all the summoned demons?”

Kenneth nodded, then looked troubled. “Actually, they could have finally left town. This spell only has a limited range.”

“Well, that’s good enough for me,” Xander exclaimed. “Let’s go, people. Tonight, we party.”

Willow smiled. “We’re going to the Bronze?”

Buffy grinned. “We Bronze.”

The morning after the battle with the demon summoner, Buffy had been devastated to discover the number of people who had been killed. Kenneth had broken his ankle, it turned out, and the cast effectively took him out of the fighting. Buffy had been determined to kill every one of the demons herself. She did alright at first, and no one else seemed to notice that it was anything more than a normal week in Sunnydale, but the death toll continued to mount. It took a toll on Buffy’s emotional state, too, as she convinced herself that she could best protect her friends by fighting the demons alone.

It was Angel who had finally broken through to her that she needed her friends. As Giles watched the two of them dancing below, he had to admit that Buffy was happier, and in turn, better at her duty when Angel was around. And he was definitely around to stay. The crisis had proven how useful he was to all of them. Being accepted back as part of the group had done Angel a world of good as well. Giles had helped him get a job at the natural history museum, and it was hard to believe now that he hadn’t always been a true member of their little troupe.

Once Buffy had accepted everyone’s help, Kenneth was able to make a non-physical contribution that didn’t involve him actively fighting the demons. Under his teaching, Willow’s magical gifts flourished. The demon-locator spell was one of several that she had learned, along with some principles of magic. Her previously small gift had become something very useful. It was she who tracked down the demons for them, and against the group of them the demons didn’t stand a chance.

That was the amazing development of the last month. Faced with a crisis they had to defeat together, the whole group of them had truly bonded in a way that surprised Giles. They’d already been close, but now old tensions were dropped with barely a qualm. Last night’s fight had been truly amazing. The demon which could have been difficult for them not that long ago stood no chance against a group of people not only used to fighting together, but who supported each other as friends.

Glancing up from the five young folk below him, Giles noticed Kenneth standing to the side nearby. He’d gotten his cast off today, and though he said nothing Giles knew he was planning on leaving Sunnydale.

Giles approached him quietly. Kenneth looked at him and smile very slightly. “Looks like everyone’s happy,” he said.

Giles nodded. “I suppose you plan on leaving now,” he said.

“Yeah,” Kenneth acknowledged. “Someone has to track down the demons that escaped. And there’ll always be more demons, another demon summoner.”

Giles knew that there was nothing that would dissuade Kenneth. Unlike the Slayer, a Hunter was always mobile, following the demons and those who worked with them. “Good luck, whatever you find,” he said simply.

“Thank you,” replied Kenneth, “and thank you all for helping me. You didn’t have to, but I could never have defeated Orin without your support.” They were both silent for a minute, then Kenneth reached into his pocket and handed Giles a slip of paper with a phone number written on it. “If you ever need my help, just call and I will come.”

“You don’t owe us anything,” Giles was quick to protest. “Look at them,” he said, gesturing to their friends below. “You gave Angel back his humanity, gave Buffy back her boyfriend, taught Willow how to use her magic. You even helped Oz understand his lycanthropy better. I’d say the scales are even.”

Kenneth smiled. “Don’t say that,” he said with a slight laugh. “I’d miss you guys too much. Call me if you have trouble. It’ll give me an excuse to visit.” Kenneth drew away from Giles then. “Good luck to you all,” he said by way of farewell.

“And you, Hunter,” replied Giles.

Kenneth smiled, and disappeared into the crowd.

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