Chapter 14 - Epilogue

Siro groaned and wished he hadn't accompanied Rayden anywhere. His arm hurt. His back hurt. His head hurt. He considered the litany of "hurts" he was coming up with and managed a smile. He looked around at the others.

Rayden seemed to be all right. Buffy was nursing a few bruises and a headache. Drusilla was cooing over Spike who was looking as though he was of two minds about being cooed over. Xander was looking forlorn as Willow and Oz cuddled and Cordelia made much of both Raydens. Giles was feeling and looking a bit haggard at this point, having made a thorough tour of all the bruises, contusions, breaks and assorted hurts the combatants had taken.

Reno was tired and confused, but content to just sit between Cheri and Tanya. He looked around and wondered just how he'd gotten himself into this mess. He wondered how he was going to explain all of this to Bobby and Cheyenne, or if he was going to get the chance.

Rayden the younger moved to Siro's side and consulted with Giles. Of all of them, Siro was the one that worried him the most. His arm had multiple fractures, his ribs were cracked in several places and broken in at least two, although neither seemed inclined to shift and puncture anything vital. He had taken more damage than anyone, probably because he was the best trained mortal among the lot. Giles wanted to transport him to a hospital.

Rayden frowned. Rayden the elder smiled at Cordelia and excused himself. He liked the girl, but there was too much at stake to get involved with a child right now. He joined his younger self and Giles.

"Not the best of ideas," he offered. Giles scowled at him while his younger self looked curious. "Let's just say I know there is another way that will be of benefit without arousing the suspicions of the local constabulary, or anyone else. Isn't there?" He looked toward Cheri as he said this.

Cheri glared at him. She stood up and stalked over. "Just what are you suggesting, godling?" she growled, her voice being too rough just now for a good hiss.

Rayden the younger bristled. The elder grinned at her. "You and I both know what you can do."

"In a gathering like this?" she gestured minimally to indicate the crowd in Giles' living room.

"Well, no. Not in here." He was guessing, but he knew he was right. Cheri glowered more and then nodded curtly. "Move him outside."

Gently, both versions of the god helped Siro up and out of the house into the cool night air. Cheri scowled at Giles who was intent on following. "Don't you have something better to do than gawk?" she demanded and stalked after the trio.

Rupert Giles knew where he wasn't wanted. He turned his attention to the vampires and slayerettes in the room. He took Oz aside and suggested that with all the excitement over, it might be a good idea to get people home - Cordelia, Willow, Xander and himself. Oz regarded him for a moment with those oddly wise eyes and nodded, a shy smile curving his lips. He rounded up the Scooby Gang and departed with a friendly nod to the remaining personnel, except Drusilla.

"It's time we went, love," Spike told his less than sane lady lightly.

"Is it?" Her disturbing gaze moved across the room. "I think you're right. Bye-bye." She waved and smiled sweetly before allowing Spike to lead her out of Giles' home. He wondered if Giles would remember to reinforce the anti-vampire spell before night fell again.

Reno watched them go. He felt a small pang at parting. After all, he was far more one of them than he was one of the mortal contingent, and the mortal contingent was shrinking. He found himself being regarded solemnly by Buffy's wide blue eyes. She walked over and stood regarding him for a long few moments of utter silence. He watched her warily, sensing some inner conflict.

"You're one of the good guys," she finally said. "I'm sorry you – I mean -" She looked around for something to focus on. She wanted desperately to apologize for what had happened to him, for not being there to stop the vampire from taking him.

"It's OK. Really. It's not your fault." And it suddenly dawned on him that he was much like this slip of a girl, shouldering more responsibility for incidents they couldn't stop regardless of the logic.

Yes, if Val hadn't loved him, she probably would not have died in a tragic accident. But if she hadn't loved him, would he even have been there? Was Hog Adams' lousy aim his fault? No. Was Dixon's inability to cut his losses and leave? No. All in all, he recognized the traits that made them both who they were. Becoming - a vampire - hadn't changed that. He smiled at Buffy, his hazel eyes warming.

Buffy smiled back. She sensed none of the troubling angst in this vampire that she did in Angel. She thought about that for a moment. Well, Angel had a couple of hundred years of being one of the bad guys to keep him unhappy. Reno had been one of the bad for a few hours, at most. Mostly, Reno was who and what he had been with a added twist. She was glad she didn't have to stake the bounty hunter.

"So - what exactly does a bounty hunter do?" she asked abruptly.

Reno laughed. "A lot like what a Slayer does, apparently. I round up the bad guys and make certain they get put away - well, most of the time. Not all the people who have bounties out on them are the bad guys. Sometimes I can help." It occurred to him that he might have a hard time giving up being Vince Black if it ever came down to it. Except for ducking the law and dodging Dutch Dixon, it wasn't a bad life. He'd have to think about it. But not just now.

Outside, the Raydens laid Siro on the grass in Giles back yard. Siro closed his eyes and tried to relax. Cheri spoke to him softly, kneeling by his side. He was aware of her hands moving over him, just short of touching him. He could feel something like electricity flowing over and around him. He sensed rather than felt the discomfort of bones sliding back into place, knitting under the flow of energy Cheri guided.

Giles, looking out the window curiously, saw a green fire playing around her hands and where she touched the man on the ground. He watched carefully and realized that the green trailed up from the ground where she knelt. She was channeling the energy of the earth itself to heal Siro. She sagged back on her heels. Tired as she was, she had done all she could for now. Most of the damage was well on the mend, but a cast of some sort would have to be applied to Siro's broken arm. She had brought the bones into alignment, had started the knitting process, but re-breaking would be dangerously easy for several days. She looked up at Rayden current and said as much. He nodded.

"I'm certain Mr. Giles will be able to help. Can he get up?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Siro."

He turned dreamy eyes on her. "Yes?"

"Let Rayden help you up. How do you feel?" she asked as he gained his feet.

He tested his muscles, stretching, reaching. "Good. This still hurts." He gestured to the arm.

"Well, break an arm in multiple places and it will hurt. But it should be as good as new in a couple of weeks. Try not to hit anyone with it before then?"

"Right," he agreed with a nod. A couple of weeks. Magic. Right. Taja was never going to let him hear the end of this. Assuming he told her.

Giles opened the door for them and gestured to the counter in the kitchen. He and Buffy had put together a pile of sandwiches. It wasn't much, but it was the best his kitchen could do at the moment.

The sun began to tinge the sky with streaks of gold and pink. Reno found his eyelids getting very heavy. Cheri took him upstairs and tucked him into a closet for the day. Then she settled down for a nap. Tanya, deciding that Cheri just wasn't going to let her have any fun with Reno, escorted Angel home. Buffy, a little disappointed at this, but too tired to do or say anything, let them go. She sat down on the couch and nodded off while the Raydens and Giles talked.

Nightfall. Reno awoke with a sense of hunger. The door to his sleeping place opened and Cheri handed him a bottle. He drank. He stepped out of the closet.

"Gives a whole new meaning to "out of the closet", doesn't it," she quipped with a laugh.

Reno stifled a groan and glanced out the window. Then he crossed to the opening and stared down at the humvee in the driveway. It was pink, but it was also obviously the one stolen from Bobby a while back. He looked around at Cheri who grinned at him. "How did you know?"

"His stuff's still in the glove compartment."

"Oh."

"We'd better get moving."

"My motorcycle -"

"The Harley's in good hands until I can arrange to get it shipped to you. Relax."

"Easy for you to say."

"Yeah."

They took their leave of Giles which left him with Rayden, Rayden and Siro. He was wondering if there was something else coming that precluded their leaving. Siro wanted a shower so Giles took him upstairs and turned him loose in the bathroom, after encasing his cast in plastic wrap to keep it dry. He discovered his towels were still in the dryer and went down to get them. The two versions of Rayden were parting, the elder and current one leaving while the younger one closed the door thoughtfully.

Siro managed to finish his shower, dry and dress before the Thunder God spotted the vortex coming to retrieve them. He nodded a good bye to the bespectacled librarian before diving into the vortex, shortly followed by Rayden. The vortex snapped shut leaving Giles mildly goggling at the early morning sunshine. Back in their own time, Siro and Rayden stepped forth to find Kung Lao and Taja demanding to know what had happened to them, where they had been and what they meant by disappearing like that. Rayden smiled his usual secretive smile and vanished to leave Siro to explain about time travel, dual gods, indoor plumbing and Vampire Kombat.

End

"I used to like this free will stuff," Rayden, annoyed with Kung Lao.