Xander sat on the steps of the Summers' house, waiting for his girls to return from patrol. It was your standard weeknight, which meant that someone had to stay behind and watch Dawn. Not that Dawn needed watching, but it was best to leave someone there to protect her. Tonight, Xander had drawn the short straw.
He and Dawn had spent the night going over her homework, and watching the latest in teeny bopper TV shows. Which always left Xander feeling older then he was, just by watching all the drama that Dawn would force on him.
Dawn had been disappointed when it was just Xander that had shown up, but had accepted his excuse, when Xander had told her that Spike was in L.A. helping Angel dust a vampire court that thought they could take over L.A.
Xander had found himself on the porch after, making sure Dawn was in bed, sleeping, and not going to try and sneak out. As she had many times before, when left behind. He was thinking about the past few months.
It had been two months since becoming Spike's Consort, and since the return of Willow to Sunnydale. Things were slowly coming back together since Willows return; she only used magic as a last resort, relying on Tara to help build her confidence in magic.
She was still the same Willow that Xander had grown up with, but she was also different. She now had scars within her that made her that much more hesitant to use any magic for any reason.
Willow had slid right back into things within the gang, and life in general. Giles had done some talking with the Dean at Sunnydale University and had gotten Willow enrolled in the school again.
Willow was also excited and happy for Xander and Spike. She had gone so far as to throw a wedding party for them, which of course had Buffy at odds with Willow.
Xander was glad that he had his best friend back, now he just had to work on the other best friend, who still seemed determined to think that something was wrong with Xander.
~Really wish Spike was here. It'd make dealing with Buffy easier~ Xander thought, as he watched a stray dog come sniffing into the yard. He could tell from his place on the porch, that the dog was very thin. Xander reached down into one of the pockets of his cargo pants, and pulled out a protein bar.
The dog heard the crinkle of the wrapper, and lifted its head. The animal regarded Xander with one blue eye and one brown eye. "Here, boy," Xander said softly, and broke the bar into pieces, then tossed them to the dog. Coming closer slowly, and very cautiously, keeping a wary eye on Xander, it began to eat the offered treat.
The dog nosed the ground, sniffing for more, and when it didn't find any, it crept closer to Xander and gave a truly pitiful whimper for more. Xander knew he shouldn't do it. "If you wait here, I'll be right back," he told the dog, and slowly got up and went back into the house. Going to the fridge, Xander pulled out the leftover pizza that they were saving for Buffy and the girls, "but the dogs hungry," he said aloud.
Xander stopped at the door in surprise, for while he had been in the house; the dog had come up onto the porch, and was calmly laying there waiting. The pizza box in hand, Xander sat down next to the dog, and opened the lid and placed the box next to the dog.
He watched the dog as it ate the remaining six slices. From where Xander was sitting he could see that the dog was in fact a male, and what he thought was a Boxer, in need of a serious grooming as well as fattening up.
When the dog was finished, Xander figured the dog would leave, but instead, the dog moved closer to Xander, and then licked his hand. Wide eyed, Xander let him. As it gently licked the offered hand, the dog moved closer to the human, and nuzzled the hand, trying to say pet me.
Cautiously, Xander brought his hand up and lightly ran his finger tips over the mud and dirt encrusted body. When the dog didn't growl or whimper, Xander brought his other hand up, and a little more firmly began rubbing the very emaciated body.
"So, you really are a stray," Xander commented, and grinned when the dog gave a little woof, and sat down right next to Xander. "Well, the girls, I'm pretty sure will say yes. But it's Spike we'll need to convince. 'Cos I'm not about to leave you to fend for yourself," Xander told the dog.
Xander began to slowly groom the dog with his fingers, gently removing dirt, leaves and other unknown stuff. The dogs ears looked like he had been in a fight; one stood erect, but the other was bent, with a small piece missing from it.
"Need to give you a bath," Xander mumbled, brushing his hands on his pants, and looked at the dog. "If I didn't know better, I would think you were a white dog." He commented to the very dirty dog.
The dog tensed, its ear swiveled towards a noise it heard. His blocky head turned, and a low growl rumbled from his chest. Xander laid his hand on the back of the stray, as he stood, the weak body vibrating with the growl, lips peeling away from sharp teeth, and a loud snarl ripped from the stray just as a boy and girl sauntered into the yard.
Xander just stood there, his hand on the back of the dog, a curious smile on his face. "It's alright, boy. I know what they are." Xander patted the stray's back, "truly showing your lack of brains, though," he said to the fledglings.
The dog widened his stance in front of Xander as the vampires stopped a few feet from the bottom of the stairs. The girl gave Xander a seductive look. "And yet, here you are," she murmured.
Xander shook his head, patted the dog's back and stepped back through the door that he had left open. The dog stayed in front of Xander, but had moved back with him when he entered the house. "Fledges get stupider every night," he told the dog, before turning his attention back to the vampires. "But if you were smart you would know whose house this belongs to."
"Don't matter," the male vampire said.
Xander just snorted and looked over their shoulders. The male vampire jerked when dust floated in the air around him, he turned his head enough to see a grinning Slayer. "It's mine," she stated just as she plunged the stake into his back, and watched him dust.
Buffy brushed off the dust as Willow and Tara walked up to stand next to her. "Xander, why is there a dog in my house?" Buffy asked. She had come to a stop on her way up the porch steps, when she had spotted the dog, which was now sitting quietly in front of but between Xander's legs.
Xander looked down at the dog; it was looking at Buffy, who was closest to him. "I wasn't about to let him become vamp food, Buff."
Buffy looked calmly at Xander. "Okay, but that doesn't explain why he seems protective of you."
Looking at Buffy, Xander shrugged. "No, but I've grown attached. I'm thinking of keeping him," he gently moved his feet against the dog, moving the dog and himself to step outside the house and let the girls through.
Tara smiled at the dog and Xander as she moved up the stairs, and went into the house, leaving Willow and Buffy with Xander.
"He looks very thin, Xander," Willow commented, and came up the stairs to stand next to her childhood friend. The dog moved closer to Xander, leaning his large body against his new human's legs. "He's going to need lots of food, and a bath. Tara and I can look in some of the books to see if there might be a potion or something that might help keep him healthy, if you want?" Willow asked hesitantly.
Xander smiled at Willow. "That would be great, Wills."
"Willow, you can't seriously be thinking of helping him keep it!" Buffy said, shock coloring her words, as she gave Willow a look akin to horror.
Willow just gave Buffy her best resolve face. "Yes, yes I am," she said, with a nod to Xander she turned, and disappeared into the house.
A hand on the dogs head, Xander gently pet the ears, as he calmly watched Buffy try to come up with a good enough argument on why he shouldn't keep the animal. Breathing out a silent sigh, Xander stepped away from the dog, and stepped up to Buffy. "I love you, Buffy. You are one of my best friends, I would do anything for you, but this is one of those times where you can't tell me what I can and can't do."
Buffy looked everywhere but at Xander, she was having trouble keeping herself from yelling at Xander. "First its Spike, now it's a dog. I…" she finally looked up into Xander's face, "I don't know anymore, it's just too much right now," she said, and practically fled into the house.
Xander's shoulders slumped in defeat, as he watched Buffy run away from him, yet again. He turned his head toward the dog, when it whimpered at him, and pushed its nose into one of Xander's hands. "It's okay, boy," he sighed. "She'll deal." Xander moved to the door, and pulled it closed. "Well, if you're coming with me, we should go." Xander told the dog, and went down the steps of the house to his truck.
At the curb, Xander pulled open the passenger door, and looked back at the dog. "Well, are you coming?"
The dog still sitting on the porch, shook himself, then jumped from the porch to the ground, and ran across the yard to jump into the truck. Xander grinned happily at the dog, and shut the door. "Let's get you some stuff before we go home," he said aloud, walking around the truck and getting into the driver's seat.
After making a quick stop at Wal-Mart, or as Spike called it 'Hellmart', Xander carried in six bags, and one fifty pound bag of large breed dog food. He set them down in the apartment before he went back to the truck for his new housemate.
The dog had jumped from the truck, and had made a bee-line to the pet area of the yard, and made use of the bushes there, before following Xander into the building. Xander watched the dog sniff his new surroundings, seemingly not bothered by the fact that he was no longer on the street.
Walking to the closet, Xander pulled out one of the thicker blankets, and covered the couch with it, "Anya, will kill me if I let you dirty or damage this couch in anyway," he told the dog, "I'll have to give you a bath when I get back from work, 'cos its past my bed time, and I gotta be up early."
After making sure the couch was covered, Xander then grabbed the bags, and dog food then took them into the kitchen, where he began putting them away. He took out two large metal bowls and a mat, placing the mat on the floor next to the table; he then placed the bowls on top of said mat.
Opening a top cupboard that was empty, Xander began filling it up with dog treats, with that done, it left him with two more bags. One held all of the dog shampoo and cleaning supplies, as well as the bags to clean up any mess the dog would make. He laid those items on the counter, and went to the kitchen table and dumped the last bags contents on to it.
A black leash that matched the studded black leather collar and a large black Kong tumbled out of the bag. Xander didn't need to look to know that the dog, was now sitting in the entry way of the kitchen, watching Xander avidly. Picking up the Kong, removing the flimsy paper holder, he tossed it to the dog, who caught it, and laid down on the floor and started chewing on it.
"The rest of this will just have to wait, right up there with what I am going to call you," Xander mumbled and yawned. "Okay, that's it, I'm for bed."
The dog paid him no mind as he walked by him on his way to his bedroom.
Xander held the door open as he stood in the doorway of his apartment. His new friend lay curled up on the blankets of the couch, head raised and looking at him. "Well, you need to use the bathroom before I give you that bath," Xander murmured, exhaustion clear in his tone.
The dog uncurled from the couch, and quickly ran out the door. By the time Xander got to the main doors, the dog was engaged in a hearty welcome from Mr. Browing's Great Dane, Bitsy.
"Am I to assume that you have acquired a new friend?" Mr. Browing asked just as Xander laid a hand on top of the Boxer's head to calm him down.
"Yeah, he decided to keep me last night. I just got home. So as soon as he goes to the bathroom, it's a bath for him," Xander said, as he opened the door to let the dogs out. Like last night, the stray ran to the pet area and relieved itself, and ran right back to Xander without stopping to play with Bitsy.
"Well, I guess that's my cue that he wants to be clean." Xander smiled when the sound of barking could be heard through the halls. With a nod to Mr. Browing, Xander went up to his apartment, to let in the rather excited dog. "Yes, yes," he told the dog, grabbing the dog shampoo off the kitchen table. Walking to the bathroom, Xander patted a hand against his leg to keep the dogs attention on him.
"Gonna need to give you a name," he mumbled to himself, as he hefted the dog into the bath tub. Xander kept up a rambling monologue, as he cleaned the dog. Both dog and human were so wrapped up in the bathing, that they did not notice that they had a guest.
Willow stood in the doorway of the bathroom, a small, happy smile on her face as she watched both man and dog. Xander always felt more at ease when he was taking care of someone or thing. And the dog, well, he just looked happy to have a home to call his own. She was mildly surprised to see that the dog was actually a bright white under all that filth. He also had a black patch of fur on his chest that if you looked at it at a certain angle looked like a star.
She couldn't suppress a giggle when the dog shook itself, flinging soapy suds all over the place. Both human and dog glanced up at the giggling interloper with a look of annoyed exasperation. Willow covered her mouth, as more giggles escaped. "I'm sorry, but you two look so adorable."
Xander shook his head and reached for the shower head to rinse off the dog. "Hey Wills, how goes the life of the wiccan?" he asked, turning off the water and taking the towel that Willow held out for him, keeping his face turned as the dog shook the water off. With a snicker, Xander wrapped the towel around the dog's head, and gently dried around the ears.
"I brought some things that might help him gain weight, and some other things too, oh…" she said then disappeared, and came back a few seconds later with a small round container. She held it out to Xander. "Here, this will help with any open wounds."
"Thanks, Wills," Xander said quietly, and took the container and turned toward his dog. "I've been thinking about names, can't keep calling him dog or stray." Opening the container and dipping his fingers into the softly smelling gel, Xander spread the ointment on the open wounds of his dog's ears, as well as the ones on its body, with strong, sure fingers.
"What did you come up with?"
"I happen to like Rip Torn. Figure Spike might like it," Xander replied as he began to towel dry Rip a little more firmly, making sure he was dry before letting Rip jump out of the tub.
Willow giggled again, and let Rip sniff her hand as he rubbed his still damp body up against her leg. "Well, he is your dog, so you can name him anything you want," she said, and stepped back to let Xander out of the bathroom, after he cleaned up the mess.
Xander grinned at Rip Torn's antics, as he and Willow came into the living room. Rip was sprinting from couch to ottoman, rubbing his body up against them, trying to rub his scent into them, as well as the scents on the furniture onto him. Pulling out a chair, Xander sat down at the kitchen table, where the collar still rested.
Willow started pulling pouches with dried herbs and a container out of her large bag, placing them onto the table. Xander sighed as he saw what Willow was really doing, trying not to act all nervous. "Wills, what's going on?"
She exhaled harshly when she sat down. "Everything's changing so quickly," Willow started. "I can understand a little why Buffy is so angry and off balance with everything that is going on."
Rip Torn pranced up to his human, and happily sat down in front of his master's feet, with a wide doggy grin. His body vibrating with excitement as his human picked up a thin black material that jingled. With gentle hands his master placed the material around his neck, and snapping it in place, then with a friendly rub down, his human shooed him away to play with all the new toys.
Xander sighed, "I can understand some of it, but not all of it."
Willow looked over at Rip as she began to speak. "It kinda has something to do with what I did to her." Rolling a bag of herbs between her hands, Willow continued. "Out of everything that happened, Xander, you were a constant. Far as Buffy could see, you never changed, and she needed that. Needed you to stay that hard rock, but now…"
"With Spike and now Rip," Xander finished for her.
Willow placed the bag of herbs back onto the table and looked at Xander. "I know it's wrong of me to ask that you just be patient with her, because you have been. More than any one would ever expect, really. Depression does take time to overcome, and well it's you and Spike, too."
Xander stood and went to the fridge and pulled out a can of soda, popping the top as he lend back against the counter looking at Willow, frowning in thought. "How is any of this because of me and Spike?"
Sitting up straighter in her chair, Willow's hands toyed with a string as she looked at Xander. "You're happy," she stated.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Xander demanded.
"Well, everything actually." Willow stood from the table and walked over to Xander, and looked up at him. "You are mated and in love with Spike…A vampire. You have something that she has always wanted, but can't have."
"Oh…there isn't a whole lot I can do about that, Willow."
Nodding her head in agreement, Willow decided to share her proposal. "True, best I can figure, is that we are gonna have to get you and Buffy together and have a little heart to heart."
Xander dropped his head till his forehead was resting against Willow's forehead, eyes closed, "Let's not and say we did," he joked, and squirmed a little as Willow's fingers dug into his side. With a smile, he pulled back. "I know, Wills, and it has to be soon too, because we both can't keep going on like this."
Willow stepped back from her best friend and smiled when she saw Rip Torn sitting calmly in the door-way watching them. "Seems Rip Torn, is a very smart dog, Xander."
"I'm thinking so; you know, Hellmouth dog and all," Xander replied as he stepped around Willow and walked toward Rip Torn, who excitedly backed up for him.
Willow just smiled as she went back to the table and straightened up the small bags. "Well, I have to go. I promised Tara that we would have dinner out." Picking up her large bag, she slung the strap over her shoulder, and then tapped a piece of paper on the table.
"These are the instructions on how to use the herbs. They are pretty straight forward, none of them should make him sick, but if something does, stop giving him it and let me know, that way I can fix it." She said it all very matter-of-factly, then gave Xander a big hug, and a pat to Rip Torn's head, she was out the door and gone.
Xander and Rip both looked at the closed door with comical looks on their faces.
Four days later, Xander and Rip Torn were jogging past one of the many cemeteries in Sunnydale. The sun was just starting to rise, so Xander wasn't worried about vampires or any other assorted nasty. For some reason, the demons had a tendency to leave well enough alone an hour before sun up and about three hours after sunrise.
Rip was making wonderful progress with gaining weight and any of the few wounds he did have were healing along just fine. Tara had stopped by just after patrol last night to check up on Rip Torn, to see how well he was doing and to also replenish any of the herbs that were needed to help him along.
Tara had also said that taking Rip with him when he did his early morning runs would help put muscle on Rip and well who would pass up the chance to run with a partner? So Xander did just as she suggested and took Rip Torn with him. It was one of the routes that he always liked to take, because it took him just passed the bakery. He so loved the smell of fresh baked goods in the morning.
He knew that he should be taking it easy for Rip's sake but Willow had told him in no uncertain words that was he to pass on the meeting at the Magic Box tonight. Whether or not he liked it, he was going to sit down and have a very long talk with Buffy, and something was going to be resolved tonight. Or they would both answer to Willow.
Xander wanted things fixed between him and Buffy, but that didn't mean that he was looking forward to it. In fact, he was quietly dreading it. With a shake of his head to clear his thoughts, he pushed himself just a little bit harder as he and Rip turned onto their street.
Anarchy in the UK thundered through the silence, causing Xander to stumble his footing as the sound startled him out of his smooth pace. Coming to a stop, he pulled his cell phone out of his jogging shorts, and accepted the call.
"Hey, Spike, are you done yet?" Xander said, instead of saying hello.
"Sorry, luv, looks like peaches here got himself a bigger problem than just the nest, Xan."
Xander looked down when he felt a bump to his thigh. "So…how long then?"
"Told peaches that if this isn't done soon, I was goin' to leave 'im to this on 'is own."
Petting Rips head gently, Xander slowly began walking toward home. "Well, crap. I guess I can hold out. Just miss you, Spike, this is still our honeymoon stage."
A chuckle came over the line, "I know, Xan, 'm sorry, luv."
"It's okay, Spike. Though how do you feel about children?" Xander asked as he opened the door to their apartment and let himself and Rip Torn in.
"Xander, is there something you need to tell me?"
"I kinda acquired us a child, and I was kinda hoping I could keep him."
"Keep him? Xander what are you talking about?" the confusion in Spikes voice was thick.
"A few days after you left for L.A, I was over watching the Dawnster, when this stray dog wandered into Buffy's yard. And, well, I've kinda adopted him." Xander said
"A dog? You adopted a dog?"
"Well, he was a stray…I just gave him a home. He was pretty badly off too, Willow and Tara have been helping me get him back to where he should be."
"Xander?"
"Yeah, Spike?"
"You didn't name him some poncy name did you?"
Xander snorted, "No, Spike. I gave him a name you might like. I named him after his ears. 'Cos one stands straight up, and the other looks like something bit it off, so I named him Rip Torn."
"Sure, luv," there was shouting in the background, someone yelling for Spike to get off the phone. "I've got ta go, luv. Ring me when you get to bed, yeah?"
Xander sighed, and lend up against the wall, his eyes falling shut. "K, Spike…I love you." He whispered.
"I love you, Xander…Bye."
"Bye." He whispered to a dial tone. Rip nudged his nose into the cup of Xander's hand and whined.
A slow smile formed on Xander's face and opened his eyes to look at Rip. The dog was sitting at his feet, watching him avidly. "It's alright, Rip. With everything going on over there, it's a wonder that he had time to call me." Falling to his knees, Xander wrapped his arms around Rip in a hard hug, "But he didn't sound upset about you, though."
With a groan Xander pushed himself to his feet and went to get ready for work.
There was a knock at the door, just as Xander sat down to tie his work boots. With a frown he looked up at the clock over the TV and saw that it was 6:15am. Rip just sat still as a statue, gaze riveted on the door.
"Who is it?" he called and grabbed the axe that Spike had hid there just before Willow returned to Sunnydale.
"It's Buffy." Her voice was muffled through the door, but Xander recognized the voice. With a sigh he opened the door, but kept the axe in his hand as Buffy came into the room. She saw Rip Torn watching her, but she ignored him in favor of moving to the couch to sit down.
"Am I going to need to call into work for this?" Xander asked, as he shut and locked the door again.
Buffy looked sadly at the axe when Xander lend it up against the wall next to the door. "Yeah, I think you should," she said quietly, and waited as Xander did just that.
Once Xander was off the phone with his boss, he started making coffee. He knew that they were going to need it, since there was no way in hell that Xander was going to give Buffy any of the hard liquor they had in the house.
Once the coffee was done brewing, he filled a mug for himself and Buffy, and handed her the cup just the way she liked it, and then sat down in the ottoman. Rip Torn went and curled up on Xander's feet but kept his eyes on Buffy.
Buffy looked somewhat dejected as she sat there holding the hot coffee mug in her hand. "I…um, just left Anya's place." She took a sip of the coffee, and smiled a little at the chocolaty taste. "Willow has been yelling at me for a while now. About how I've been treating you, and Dr. Mathis says I should talk to you."
She put her coffee mug down and looked at Xander, her hands on her knees. "I went to Anya first, because I needed someone who wasn't going to be all friendly feely with me and well Anya…"
"Is Anya," Xander put in, sitting back in the chair, watching her as calmly as he could.
Buffy grinned, "Yeah, she is. She was very blunt and matter of fact on how I have been behaving. How I haven't been a very good friend to you at all this past year, and I'm sorry for that. I know I don't have much of an excuse for it, but I am sorry." She toed off her shoes and crossed her legs under her on the couch.
"With everything that happened with Willow and with me, it was all one big jumble of memories in my own head, and I didn't really know if any of it was real or not. I was just starting to get my feet back under me, when you and Spike got together and I…just lost it." Pushing her hair behind her ears, she dropped her gaze to her lap.
"I mean, there you two were just so happy and I was not, and I went the whole 'not fair' route. I shouldn't have begrudged you or Spike your happiness. I should have been your friend and been happy for you." Buffy let out a quick breath and looked up at Xander, "I know I have to apologize to Spike as well, and I will when he gets back. But…I am happy for you, Xander. I really am. I'm sorry for all the mean and hurtful things I've said and did to you both, and as I said, there is no excuse for how I was acting. I'm sorry, but I wanna be happy too, damn it!"
Xander put his coffee down and stepped over Rip to kneel in front of Buffy and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry…" she trailed off and started to quietly cry into Xander's shoulder. Xander soothingly rubbed his hand up and down her back and let her cry.
"Oh, Buffy…I want you to be happy as well. I know how hard it's been for you, I really do. And maybe you might find that guy that does everything for you…and that was in no way girly." Xander said.
Buffy laughed and pulled back from Xander to wipe her tears. "No, Xan that was in no way girly."
"Can't help it, it seems that all my friends are girls. I'm doomed to girly moments," Xander replied, and moved to sit next to her on the couch, "You going to be okay?"
"Yeah, I will." Buffy said. "Wow, who knew that baring one's soul took up so much time."
Xander looked at the clock and was just as surprise as Buffy to see that it was in fact now going on 10am. "Huh, yeah, who knew?" He murmured then looked at Buffy, "How about I take you out to breakfast, and we just hang out for the day?"
"Okay, that…yeah, that sounds great Xander."
Xander walked into the Magic Box just after sunset with Rip Torn at his side. "What's the what, my lovely ladies?"
"Big, ugly, smelly thing," Buffy said from behind a huge tome.
"Ah…So what is this big, ugly, smelly thing? That our Buffster needs to kill?" Xander asked and sat down in the only chair, between Willow and Buffy.
"It's a Corn'a Demon." Willow said, and pushed her book to the middle of the table to show them the picture.
"Okay, well that is big and ugly, smells like old musty book too," Xander joked.
"Oh, you," Willow playfully hit Xander in the arm.
"So…" Xander prompted Willow with a wave of his hand.
"Oh, right. Um, well, it just seems to be a run of the mill Hellmouth demon." Willow replied.
"Huh. Really, so what's the problem?" Xander asked
"Nothing really, I just wanted to be sure before I… you know, slayed it." Buffy said. Putting down her tome and stood up. "I was kinda on a date when I saw it and well I didn't want to scare him."
"Huh, I've come to look forward to demon fighting while on a date. Tends to add an odd ambience to the date." Xander said.
"Well yeah if you're married to Spike," Buffy replied. "But some of us like to stay away from demons when our date is a normal human guy."
"Okay, there is that." Xander gave in, leaning back in his seat and gently petted Rip's head that was resting in his lap.
Buffy took her tome and put it away behind the counter. "Spike's been gone awhile hasn't he?" Buffy asked, as she came back to sit down.
Xander sighed, and looked down at Rip, "Yea, he called me right as I was leaving the site, and he sounded really pissed off with Angel. Told me that as soon as the sun set, he would be on his way."
"Well, that's good. Know you've been missing him," Willow commented as she too gave up with the research.
"It'll be alright, Xander. Spike will be surprised that you have an awesome dog, that's like really freaky smart, and really, really fast, and that you and Buffy are alright now." Willow babbled.
Xander just shook his head at his best friends and smiled. Now, just as soon as Spike came home, all would be right with the world.
Owari