This was not a good idea. Buffy, Willow, Peter, and Mary-Jane were all walking to Xander's apartment and bringing the kids along was in fact, one of the worst ideas Buffy's had in a good long while.

But what else could she do? She couldn't leave them alone at the house. If Xander was missing, there would be no force capable of stopping Willow from finding him so she couldn't stay with them. No way in hell would she leave them with Dawn. Peter Parker was strong. Crazy strong. There are very few demons out there that can hurt her like he did, and Buffy has magical durability. Or something. Giles explained it to her once, but she kinda zoned out when he started using words like "promptitude," and "pertinacity."

The point was though, she was tough. And as such, not many things can hurt her. This kid Peter? Did. He hurt her enough to make it dangerous to patrol tonight. If Xander is in trouble, if he needs help of the slaying variety, she won't be able to give it her best. Buffy's face darkened. If her injury costs Xander his life ... well let's just say it won't be pretty.

The slayer glanced back at her other best friend. She smirked fleetingly at the annoyed look on Willow's face. It looked as though she was seriously regretting her promise not to use any magic on Peter. And since the kid has been ranting the whole trip thus far, who could blame her?

"You people don't have cars?" Peter was stunned. It seemed like the more questions he asked, the more he found to criticize. "I mean, how do you get around? What if there was a situation that needed you to be there pretty much now and you got held up because you had to walk?"

"Peter, sweetie? Shut up." MJ was really getting tired of this. If he went on any longer, she would happily kick him in the gonads.

"But..." Peter began.

"But nothing. Just be quite and let's go." She ordered him. "Obviously Buffy and her friends have been able to keep the world from ending. Even without cars." The potential slayer stared at the actual slayer's back. She felt some kind of empathy with her. Like her, she too had once been a potential. Buffy Summers knew exactly what the younger girl was going through.

Willow heard MJ's vote of confidence, and smiled at her. MJ caught it out of the corner of her eye and smiled back.

-

By the time they arrived at Xander's apartment, Anya was in hysterics. One might even go so far as to say she was inconsolable. Willow tried to calm her down, to get her to talk about what happened, but got nowhere. Finally Willow slapped her. Instinctively, Anya slapped her back.

"Thanks." The former vengeance demon said. "That helped."

Willow rubbed her cheek and scowled at her friend. "No problem."

"What happened here?" Buffy wanted to know.

Anya walked up to Buffy and grabbed her shoulders. Buffy winced in pain. "You have to save him!" She demanded. "Xander's in trouble, and we need to spend less time talking, and more time rescuing!" Nobody moved. "What are you all waiting for? Go! Mush! Save Xander!"

Willow looked confused. "From what?"

Something wasn't adding up for Buffy. "Anya, when you called, you were concerned, but nowhere near this level. What happened?"

Anya grew silent. She hated herself. She shouldn't be this worked up over him. After all, he left her, he abandoned her. But he said he still loves her. Damn it!

"I saw him. Just now." Anya told them. "I was sitting on the couch, waiting for you to show up. It wouldn't hurt if any of you got a driver's license by the way."

At that, Peter smirked at his girlfriend. "See?" he asked quietly. She elbowed him in response.

Anya stared at the two teens mistrustfully. "Who are they?"

Willow was getting impatient. "We'll tell you later. What about Xander?"

Her lesbian friend was right. That could wait. "Like I said, I was waiting for you to show, when I saw him."

Buffy and Willow shared a concerned glance. "You saw Xander?" the witch clarified.

Anya nodded. "Yes. I was sitting on the couch and he walked out of Spike's room." Her gaze became distant as she remembered what happened. "I walked up to him, asked where he'd been and how he got in there, when he said: 'Anya. Help me.' Then he burst into flames and disappeared." Anya choked back a sob. "He looked hurt. I didn't notice at first, but he was hurt. And scared." The sobs and tears came full force and the she didn't try to fight them.

Willow embraced her distraught friend as she and Buffy shared a worried look. They wondered if this had anything to do with what happened to them all last night.

-

Rupert Giles was angry. He'd just finished a meeting with Quentin Travers, chairman of the Council of Watchers, so that wasn't a surprise. What was surprising was the fact that the Council knew why he had requested the meeting in the first place. Potential slayers around the world were being murdered, and the Council was aware of this. Giles had asked why neither he, nor his slayer had been apprised of this situation.

The Council's reasoning was that the Slayer needs to keep her energies focused on the Hellmouth.

One could see the logic in that. No need for the slayer to divert her attention from her duties. Not when the Council has many available resources that, when put to use, could find and protect the girls that potentially hold the fate of the world on their shoulders.

Except that wasn't happening. The Council of Watchers has effectively ceased their search for potential slayers. Travers has pulled all available manpower from the search and placed them around the potentials already under the Council's umbrella.

"But why, Quentin?" Giles desperately wanted to know.

"Because Rupert." Travers began solemnly, "We must make sure that the potentials under our care survive. We must look after our own."

"And of the girls yet to be found?" Giles demanded.

The answer was a cold one. "They are a tragic, but acceptable loss."

It took all of Giles willpower and restraint not to hit the bastard. He stormed out of the meeting with murder in his eyes.

'If they won't do something to help those girls, then I will!' He thought to himself furiously, heading toward the Council's library.

Quentin Travers sat in his office. Some people didn't understand that, for the greater good, sacrifice must be made. Rupert Giles is a passionate man. Though some of the points he made were valid, his judgement has long been influenced by the fatherly affection he feels for his slayer. Quentin sighed heavily, and pressed his intercom.

"Sarah, please bring me all available files on Watcher Rupert Giles and Slayer Buffy Summers."

-

The girl smiled, and spoke. "Before time began. Before the fall of the Gods. I was there. I laughed as Cain slew Able, finally succumbing to my influence. I delighted as the first monkey killed another, over something so small as a dry spot to hide from the rain. My power can be felt in the hearts of everyone. I have caused civilizations to crumble. I have made children into monsters." She placed her hand through a stone. "Yet I have no purchase here, in this physical realm. That my preacher, is where you come in."

Caleb stood transfixed as he listened to her voice. He knew, now, that the one who saved his life was not the Lord, but something greater. Something wonderful. He knelt in reverence.

The girl smiled again. A pleasing expression full of sweetness and sunshine. "You don't have to do that, y'know." She said in amused exasperation.

Caleb lowered his eyes. "But how can I not? To be in the presence of your glory? To bask in the light of this darkness? I can't ... I'm not worthy to look upon it, or what you offer."

The girl walked up to her servant. "Raise your eyes." She commanded gently. He obeyed. Her face was soft and perfect. Her eyes held a gentleness and the promise of a peace not known by man. Caleb looked into those beautiful eyes and felt tears form in his own.

She smiled that perfect smile. "My dear boy, why do you you're here?"

The girl's expression grew sinister, and she shoved her hand through Caleb's torso. Her lovely countenance vanished. In it's place was something that could only be described as Evil. The thing heard it's slave's screams and reveled in them as it's power flowed into the mortal man.

The agony seemed to go on, and on, until it stopped. It was done, and Caleb knew he would never feel pain again. He picked up the stone. The one her hand passed through.

"And with the hand of truth he did squeeze," the stone shattered, "and all knew as they looked upon him, that he was filled with the vengeance, and the glory, and the wrath."

The girl was back and she smiled at her creation with satisfaction. "Amen."