The Scoobies were reluctant to leave the White House. No one was terribly sure how to treat Buffy; she wasn't easy to read anymore. Buffy didn't know where they were going. She was reluctant to leave C.J, who was so confidant and knew so much. Leaving also meant going back to the world that was fighting all the time and never winning, or getting to rest, even when you died. Maybe if she could stay here it wouldn't be real, and she'd like to learn more about Marbury.

The night air was still fine, and Buffy was beginning to feel on edge again so the group decided to walk the blocks to where they would be spending the night. The President offered the cars, but Buffy convinced him that they would be safe.

That left only the obligatory milling around and saying goodbye to everyone several times.

Marbury bestowed his compliments to Leo with a effusive, "Excellent show you put on, Gerald."

"Thank you, you Lordship," Leo said warily. "I had very little to do with it."

"Don't let them know that," Marbury whispered. "It gives them ideas."

"I won't," Leo promised.

"Good man."

Leo rolled his eyes at Josh, who was sniggering as he made his own goodbyes to Marbury.

"I do hope we meet again soon, Josh."

"Yes, your Lordship," Josh said, with quite a cheeky look at his boss.

"And Donna is a gorgeous woman, be sure you don't scare her away."

"Yes, your Lordship."

Marbury caught Leo's eye over Josh's shoulder and winked. Leo turned away to hide his own grin from Josh and focused instead on how everyone else was going.

Abbey took Tara and Willow away from where they were assuring Donna that she could do anything and everything she wanted to.

"Sarah Mitchell," she told them.

Willow was feeling nervous again, and completely unable to question the First Lady of the United States.

"Who?" Tara asked.

"Sarah Mitchell, she's the most senior witch I know in California. This is her number. Call her and she'll be able to get you set up with your local coven."

Abbey handed over the piece of paper. Willow stared at it for a moment. It represent real and structured teaching. She would be able to ask all those tricky little questions you couldn't ask anyone you knew very well.

Tara smiled too.

"I promise I'll write," she said, quietly.

"You'd better, girl," Abbey said. "I don't want to loose you again."

Tara smiled a little weakly. Abbey pulled her into a tight hug. She grabbed Willow, too, whispering something to her that made her laugh.

Abbey released them and went to find Buffy.

The President released Xander's hand and went to shake Tara's and tell Willow the duty of being a friend to someone who may have lost the meaning of life.

"So, Dawn, you have to tell anyone who asks that Sam is cuter than he looks in pictures," Charlie said.

"Charlie!" Sam protested.

"Just because it annoys Josh. You can also tell them that obviously the best looking guy in the White House is me."

"After the President," Dawn insisted.

"Well, if you want to play it like that…"

"She's playing like that, Charlie. Do good, Dawn, sometimes it's easier than not."

"Oh, I get that," Dawn said. She spared a glance to where Abbey was talking very earnestly to her sister, but she grinned at the guys.

"Okay, who else do I have a chance to convince?" San asked, casting around the Lobby for unfamiliar faces.

He nudged Charlie and nodded over to where Donna was farewelling Xander and Anya.

"See you, Dawn," he said.

"It was good to meet you," Charlie said, holding out his hand.

"You, too," Dawn said. And she got to shake hands with Deputy Sam Seaborn, and Charlie.

Donna abandoned Xander and Anya to Sam and Charlie and avoided Spike as she made her way across the room to collect Buffy from Abbey. Buffy looked calmer and stronger than she had earlier in the day. More vulnerable, too, though.

But if she knows and the accepts that… Donna thought, convinced once again that there was something more to Abbey; well, of course, she knew what now.

"Buffy?"

"Yeah."

"I just wanted to know if I would be able to maybe email you if I had questions about things?"

"Slaying things, or Josh things, because there's no way you want my relationship advice."

"It was the Slaying things," Donna said.

"Sure, I can do that. I don't have my college email address anymore, but if you give me yours, I can get Willow to set me up with my own."

"Sounds good," Donna agreed, reaching for the pen and paper she had to have somewhere on her.

"I look forward to hearing from you."

"Me, too," Buffy said, realising that she meant it. She smiled a final farewell to Donna only looked over to C.J, who was still talking to Giles. She went over to them, hoping to talk to her sister-Slayer.

"I'm sorry that we didn't get to talk, Claudia," Giles said. "Perhaps we should rectify that at some point."

C.J smiled. "Because that would be fun," she said.

"It was quite a shock to find you alive. But I think I understand something of what you felt now."

He glanced at Buffy as she approached.

"Thank you," C.J said. "It would be good to talk about Miles with someone."

Buffy stepped up to them with a polite smile. C.J stepped out of her conversation with Giles, who left to talk to Toby again.

"It was good to meet you, Buffy."

"People keep saying that," Buffy said. "Which is strange, because you wouldn't have met me if I hadn't have died."

"But Abbey found her niece."

"And Tara her aunt, so the trip wasn't too bad. Are you okay fighting now?"

"If I'd know Toby would have believed that I had fought off vampires than I probably would have kept fighting."

Buffy didn't want to say anything in response to that so she smiled instead.

"Ah, take care of Donna," she said.

"I will. Let Dawn take care of herself," C.J said.

"Yeah, okay," Buffy said.

"Farewell, good luck, happy hunting."

"Dracula called it hunting," Buffy said, remembering.

"I would have like to meet Dracula," C.J said, with a sly grin.

Buffy felt better at the tacit assumption that she had won.

"You might get to, but he's a tough one to fight," Buffy said impishly.

C.J chuckled, and clasped Buffy's had as a fellow soldier.

As she walked away, Buffy reminded herself again that Dawn would have had to look after herself if she had stayed dead. Trying to convince herself that it made sense she was surprised by Marbury's approach.

"Miss Summers, I understand you wish to abdicate your place to Miss Hughes."

"Faith? Yeah."

"A wise decision, it allows one to keep one's head. I have given your Watcher my book, if you ever want to know more about what is happening it is a fascinating read."

"I don't read Latin," Buffy told him.

"What? Oh, yes. I had forgotten that people don't learn it like they used to. Oh, well, I suppose it's time we had it translated. Coming back is a difficult adjustment. Know that this is a different place for your time away from it."

"Abbey said much the same thing. I will."

"A wise woman. Both of you in fact, but I must say goodbye before we leave."

He wandered off again. And once he had said goodbye to Abbey and the President; Sam, Josh and Charlie had each convinced Buffy that they were better looking; and Spike had kissed Donna's hand; the two groups were ready to sperate themselves from each other again.

The President, his family, and staff stood together and watched the others disappear down the road.

The Scooby gang followed Marbury's lead through the D.C night despite the fact that he had very little appreciation of the danger they might be in. The atmosphere was reminiscent of a night patrol in Sunnydale and slowly the group was able to relax into a familiar dynamic while Marbury argued with Giles had the head of the procession.