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Epilogue

It was Fred, with the assistance of Wesley and Giles, who performed the ritual. Seated on the lobby’s marble floor inside the protective circle, the three began chanting. Buffy and the others watched as the green mist swirling over their heads floated down between the three and slowly took shape. 

“Cordy, a blanket. Quickly!” Angel hissed, having spied Dawn was evolving... without a stitch of clothing on. 

Cordelia hurried into the office and grabbed one off the couch and was back and ready to drape it around the girl as soon as the spell was complete. 

Buffy stood waiting anxiously, her hand tightly gripping Spike’s. The moment she was given the go ahead, she was crushing her sister in her arms. Crying and laughing, as were the rest of the gang. 

“Oomph! Buffy… gotta breathe,” Dawn protested. 

“Sorry. It’s just…” Buffy relaxed the stranglehold she had on her sister and stepped back. Not too far though, just in case the Powers decided to change their mind and take her away again. 

“I know. I missed you too. It’s taken me forever to get back, I want you to know.”  

Dawn grinned suddenly, and Buffy eyed her with some suspicion – recognizing the gleam in her sister’s eyes. The gleam that older sisters everywhere had learned to fear. 

“What?” Buffy frowned and crossed her arms over her chest, waiting. 

“Years,” Dawn said smugly. “It took me many years to find the right portal to open to get me back to Earth. Which means, technically I’m older than you now. A whole lot older.” 

“Uh huh.” Buffy’s lips twitched and she squelched the smile beginning to form, already sensing the direction of her sister’s thoughts. 

“So,” Dawn concluded. “No more bossing me around. You have to do what I say from now on.”  

She stuck out her tongue and Buffy laughed then. Laughed so hard she grew weak in the knees and Spike had to latch onto her to keep her upright.  

“Glad you’re back, Niblet. And with your sense of mischief still intact, I see.” Spike smirked at the girl while he held Buffy against his side. “You’ve been sorely missed,” he added soberly. 

“I’ll second that,” Giles added. 

This led to more tearful hellos and celebratory back-slapping amongst the group. 

Until the sound of Dawn’s embarrassed shriek pierced the lobby.  

The three vampires winced at the decibel level the girl managed to achieve, as did the rest of the gang still gathered about – the girl had a set of lungs on her. Giles swore that his glasses were in danger of shattering. 

“Buffy, I’m naked!” the girl wailed, having finally noticed the only thing she wore was a blanket, and bolted for the stairs.  

Much to the amusement of her older sister. 

“She looks to be about my size,” Cordelia laughed. “I’ll track her down and get her something to wear.” 

“I’ll come with you,” Buffy told her. 

“Oh! Me too,” Fred joined in. 

Still chuckling off and on, the three women trailed after the mortified teenager. 

~*~*~*~*~ 

After seeing Dawn cleaned up and clothed, the women returned to the lobby and the others still gathered there. The place had been cleaned up and the men were lounging about either on the couch or leaning up against the counter. Though it was still dark outside – the sun had yet to rise and officially announce the morning – the group was too wired to go back to sleep. 

With everyone gathered in one place, Buffy took the opportunity to apologize to her friends. And her mate. It was a tearful confession, one in which none of the remaining females in the room couldn’t help but join in. 

When Spike snorted and was finally reduced to snagging a box of Kleenex from behind the counter due to all the sniffling going on, it lightened the somber mood… and earned him an elbow to the ribs. 

“I was trying to be remorseful here,” Buffy pouted. “Do you not see me being remorseful?” 

“Bloody hell, pet. We’re not at a funeral.” 

“Yes!” Giles interjected. He, too, was unaccustomed to tears, and there’d been a wealth of them lately. Far more than he was able to cope with. “You’ve apologized. We’ve forgiven you.” He looked around the room to see everyone nodding, the men more vigorously than the women. Anything to bring an end to the outpouring of emotions. “Let’s move on, shall we?” 

“But—”  

“Ok!” This time it was Cordelia who interrupted, taking pity on the men of the group. “Buffy, do you promise not to ever do it again?” 

“Um… well, uh… yeah?” 

“Good. Case closed. I’m hungry. Who’s up for breakfast?” 

“Me!” Dawn chimed in. Then blushed when her outburst drew the attention of the boy she’d been sneaking peeks at since she’d returned to the lobby, dressed this time. 

“Me too,” Connor added, seeing the girl’s blush and offering a hesitant smile of his own. 

“Kids,” Cordelia rolled her eyes. “Fred, tell me there’s food in the kitchen.” 

“Gunn and I went out yesterday and loaded up,” Fred confirmed. 

“Also got some other basic necessities,” the ex-lawyer chimed in. “Linens, weapons…” 

“Man after my own heart there,” Spike smirked. 

“Well, I wasn’t sure what the game plan would be once you all got back.” Gunn looked over at Angel. “Angel?” 

“What are we gonna do?” Angel asked. “Fight the bad guys, of course. Only, we’re gonna do it on our terms. It’s back to the basics for us.” 

“I can get behind that.” 

“Me too,” Wesley added. 

“I’m just a stone’s throw away at the club,” Lorne confirmed. 

“The Council’s resources are always at your disposal,” Giles told him. “And I must admit that I feel more comfortable sharing them, now that you’re out from under Wolfram and Hart’s thumb.” 

“We’ve slayers aplenty in Rome, Sire. We’re only a phone call away.” 

“Or maybe, we can relocate.” Buffy threw the idea on the table and watched both vampires stare at her. “What? It’s a good idea.” 

“That it is, pet. Plenty of room here to hold a dozen slayers and not have flashbacks of overflowing rooms and bathing schedules. But, Rome is your home.” 

“Rome hasn’t been my home in over a year. I thought home was where your heart is. Besides, with Dawn going to Stanford, we’ll be close enough when we get the inevitable call from one of her teachers…” 

“Hey!” Dawn protested. 

“You mean it?” Spike asked hopefully, his attention solely on the Slayer. 

Her smile said it all.  

~*~*~*~*~ 

It was much later when Buffy managed to get Lorne alone for a little one-on-one. Connor and Dawn were talking each other’s ear off about college and the classes they planned to take; both Spike and Angel were watching the two like a hawk given the teenagers’ instant and mutual attraction. The two were already planning a trip to the campus to see about housing accommodations. 

Angel and Spike were having a field day with that one, their imaginations running wild with the thought of the two alone together, far away from any parental influence. Spike had become very vocal about getting Dawn transferred to UCLA and something about a chastity belt. Much to the girl’s displeasure. 

Buffy had excused herself then, almost grateful at how quickly things were returning to normal. 

Now secluded with the empath, she was desperate to know if he’d been privy to it all. 

“No, Muffin. What I saw was worse. Much worse.” 

Buffy listened in shock as Lorne told her about Fred being consumed by Illyria. How it shattered Gunn and Wes’ friendship. Then there was Angel, and how he was sinking deeper into despair, leading to a final showdown with the Senior Partners a la OK Corral. No one had survived save him, and even at that, he’d been broken thanks to what Angel had made him do. 

“Even with all the hurt everyone was put through, this was, by far, the better path, wouldn’t you say?” 

Buffy swallowed and nodded. 

Lorne stood and patted her hand. “Buck up, Kiddo. The past is forgotten, and it’s only a matter of time before something else claims everyone’s attention.” 

His words were oddly prophetic, given the sudden commotion in the lobby. 

Buffy rose and followed him out, her jaw dropping when she saw who was standing just inside the double doors.

“Xander!” 

Spike was slow in reacting, allowing the boy to rush down the stairs before he could stop him. He could only watch as Xander morphed as he closed the distance between himself and the Slayer – a blur of black pelt that leapt and slammed into her chest taking her to the ground with him. 

“Oomph! Hey! Get off of me, you overgrown… WOLF!?” Her shock turned to giggles as she was treated to a thorough licking by her overzealous friend to any part of the face her hands weren’t able to cover. “Stop. Ewww! Dog cooties! Xander—” 

“Hi, guys!” Alaine shouted over the ruckus.  

Everyone froze save for the wolf still nuzzling Buffy affectionately – much to her amusement – to stare at the newcomer.  

“I know you,” Spike growled. “Bloody hell, Peaches. Let me go.” 

“Just making sure no one gets hurt here,” Angel released him with a laugh. 

“How was I supposed to know he wouldn’t hurt her? Were’s aren’t known for their control, now are they?”  

Angel looked over to see Buffy finally manage to extract herself from beneath her friend and stand. Her smile was a sight to behold at having been reunited with Xander. “True,” he agreed. “But then, I’ve never seen one shift at will, and without the benefit of a full moon either.” 

“I told Xander his way of spilling the beans wasn’t a good idea. But you know Xander…” Alaine shrugged.  

“Unfortunately, I do,” Angel grumbled. Boy’d been a pain in his ass since day one, he thought, though not without some affection. “You guys planning on staying for awhile?” he asked, ushering her down off the steps and further into the hotel. “Looks like you’ve got a story to share…” 

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