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While the portal back to the living demention was a nice thought from Hades, the lord of the dead needed to work on his placement. As it was, our heroes found themselves falling from the glass ceiling straight towards the polished floor of the lab. The people who would likely be crushed by the impact, A.K.A. Dawn and Booth had the time to think: This would be a really stupid way to die. Everyone else was thinking something like; Seriously?!

Luckily for everyone, Hades had apparently planned slightly ahead. About half way to the floor the fall was stopped by a large cushion of warm air. It wasn't really a soft landing, but it was better then the actual floor.

Dawn sat up and poked experimentally at the cushion. "Neat," she commented. "Do you think I could get one of these to float me around full time? Or, is this more of a one time thing?"

"Hades seemed to like you," Connor said. "You could probably ask for your birthday."

Buffy held up one hand to shush everyone. "Do you guys hear that?" she asked, looking around. "That my friends is the sound of silence that would normally be filled with the voice of a sadistic serial killer."

"Yeah," Angel said with a rare smile. "It feels nice."

While they had been talking, the bubble had sunk to the ground like a slowly deflating balloon. Spike got off first when they reached the ground. "Now that fun."

Faith threw up her hands in exasperation. "That's it! I'm getting you a dictionary for christmas so that you can look up the word 'fun'. I have some serious doubtage that you know what it means."

At that moment, Bones, Hodgins, and Angela came rushing in. Willow followed a bit more slowly. She had experienced the group after missions enough to know that if no one was running around covered in blood, and no one had died, then there was probably nothing to worry about. The scientists flocked around Booth asking questions. Willow just locked eyes with Buffy and mouthed, "Are you good?"

Buffy nodded. "Alright everyone! Back off a moment so we can do the breathing thing. I've been told it's important for those of us who aren't dead already. Willow, can you come and zap Dawn's arm with your mojo?"

The Wicca stepped forward and took Dawn's arm in her hand. She placed her hand right above the cut and concentrated for a moment. Dawn felt a rush of warmth run up her arm, and then a pinching sensation before her arm went back to normal.

Willow beamed. "That should do it."

"Thanks Willow," Dawn told her as she peeled away the bandage and tossed it into the nearest trash can. "Why is blood always required for rituals?" Dawn asked of the room in general. "Why can't rituals ever call for some toenail clippings or something?"

"Blood is a representation of life force," Angel answered matter of factly.

Dawn made a face. "Morbid much Angel? I thought you'd be less doom and gloom now."

He shrugged. "Habit."

"Economy of phrasing isn't just a practice with you is it?" Faith teased. "With you it's, really more of an art form."

"Tosser's right though," Spike said as he walked towards some chairs. "Blood carries everything that's important to humans. Why do you think vampire's drink it?"

"Are you going to tell the rest of us what happened now?" Hodgins asked impatiently. "We can't have this place on lock down for much longer without guys in Haz Mat suites breaking down the doors."

Everyone looked around. "I think we had all better sit down for this. And I would not hate some sugar mixed with caffeine at this point," Buffy said.

"Oh! I have coffee and donuts up in the lounge!" Willow said happily. "I was anticipating some post mission snacking, so I came ready."

Faith perked up visibly. "Did you get Jelly?"

With that, everyone moved off towards the lounge. This was a pattern that they all knew. Go on a mission, carry out what needed accomplishing, get back, consume enough quick energy to keep you awake, dish what had happened, then go crash for a minimum of 24 straight hours. Buffy, Dawn, and Willow knew the score from having to report to Giles. Spike, Angel, and Conner were just following ingrained habits, and Faith was following the crowd.

It took about forty five minutes to give a rough outline of what had happened during their little trip to dead land, which was also about thirty minutes longer than anyone who had actually gone on the trip had wanted it to take. Dawn hadn't even made it through the entire conversation. She was out cold with her head on Conner's shoulder.

Then there were the questions. Buffy, Booth, Angel, Conner, Faith, and Spike did their best to answer them, but after another half an hour Angel decided it was time to call it quits. Booth couldn't really explain anything, Faith and Spike were more wrapped up in each other than they were in answering questions, Buffy was yawning as much as she was talking, and Conner was about as social as he was. Angel sensed the duty of answerer coming around to him, and decided that it was time to act fast. It was drastic, but it should work.

He cleared his throat. "Everyone," he started. "We all know you could probably ask questions until next year some time, but look around for a moment." Bones, Angela and Hodgins took in the fact that the group looked like they had been running away from, while simultaneously fighting an Abrams Tank. At least Angela and Hodgins had the decency to look abashed. Bones still had a scientific gleam in her eye. "Three people are asleep, or headed that way. Faith and Spike need to move before we all get scared for life, and besides," Angel let his face shift into vampire mode. "I haven't had any blood in almost a whole day."

"Right," Bones said with some alarm. "You all had better be going then."

Angel nodded and let his features go human again. He shook Buffy awake gently. She blinked at him sleepily. "Time for walking?" she asked.

"Yeah, time to go?"

Buffy pouted up at him and shook her head. "Do I gotta? Feeling way sleepy."

Angel leaned down and kissed her gently. "Do you want me to carry you and wake you up later when it's time to pack?" Buffy nodded plaintively, and Angel let out a little chuckle. "Go back to sleep Love."

He looked up at his son. "Can you carry Dawn?"

"Noooo," Connor said sarcastically. "I can slay demons the size of hotels, but I can't lift a 110 pound sleeping girl. Could you give me some credit?"

Angel ignored him and lifted Buffy into his arms and walked towards the door. He smacked Spike hard on the back of the head on his way by to break him away from Faith.

"Do you want me to drive?" Willow offered when they got to the car.

Angel nodded and slid into the back seat. He was soon joined by everyone else and they headed back towards Booth's apartment to pick up the rest of their possessions. When the car pulled up, Buffy jolted awake and sat p straight. She blinked, "is it time to pack now?"

"Yup B," Faith said. "Let's go mega pack."

The entire group moved through Booth's apartment like very tidy tornadoes. They left almost no trace that they had ever occupied the place at all. When everything was packed, they mt quickly in the living room.

"Where are we headed now Peaches?" Spike asked.

Angel held out the key Hades had given him. "We are going home for a while," he handed Willow a tiny piece of paper with the address written and turned to the others to explain. "About seven years ago I bought my old family house in Ireland. I've been renovating it since then, and I guess Hades finished the job for me."

Buffy held up her hands in front of her face. "Run that one by me one more time. We have a house? In Ireland?"

"Um... yes." Buffy jumped forward to kiss him. "So I take it you're happy?" Angel said when he could talk again.

Buffy grinned. "I'm very happy. Now let's blow this town. I'm sick of all the scientists."

"The portal awaits," Willow gestured towards a glowing portal. "Just one thing. Did we forget about the pentagram in the Jeffersonian Lab?"

"Send them some freaking scrubbing bubbles," Angel said in exasperation.

And so, with that cheery statement, and their mission accomplished, our heroes left Washington D.C. behind them for good, and headed for their immortal futures together.

A/N: Finish! So? What did you think of the whole story? The ending may have been a little sudden, but I wasn't sure exactly how to end this. If anyone has a suggestion I can try to look into changing it. Let me know! I'm about to start another fanfiction for those of you who love the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. Will meets Jace in the clash of the Herondales. Could be epic!