When Faith and Bruce returned home to Wayne Manor, it was to a veritable screaming match taking place inside the kitchen as Tommy was enraged—and the recipient of his fury was his own Father.

"Why didn't you think to tell anyone?!" Tommy yelled, the same question spewing from him for the third time in the last twenty minutes.

"I'm not going to continue this conversation, Son. I've apologized. What more do you want me to do?"

"What's going on here?" Faith demanded, as she took in Tommy's body language—which was part irate, and part panicked.

"My Father..." Tommy hissed out the word hatefully, causing Malcolm to glare at his son, "didn't think to share the fact that his Master is in Starling City! Laurel is there, and she's a sitting duck!"

"Would he go after her?"

"It's unlikely." Malcolm drawled arrogantly.

"But not impossible." Faith replied scathingly, and Malcolm didn't reply—because really? What could the man actually say that anyone would believe at this point!

"I'll go." Buffy said flatly, and everyone stiffened as they turned towards the blonde Slayer.

"Buffy..." Faith implored, but the Buffy just shook her head.

"You need to stay here Faith, and it makes the most sense if I go and bring Laurel back here."

"I'm going too." Tommy piped in, while Malcolm shook his head as said harshly, "Absolutely not!"

"You don't get a vote!" Tommy spit back, his face morphing into an ugly sneer.

"I'll go too," Oliver volunteered, "Laurel can be stubborn, and she might take a bit of convincing."

Moira reached for her son and gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. "Check in with Walter while you're there?"

"Sure, Mom."

Oliver watched with interest as Faith took Buffy aside. The two Slayers were standing there and no words were being exchanged, but they were clearly having a conversation. One in which Faith looked very unhappy, while Buffy just appeared unfazed.

When Faith stormed away, obviously upset—Bruce gave Buffy a pointed look, but the blonde just shook her head and nothing more was said on the subject as Wayne walked quickly after his wife.

"What do you think that was all about?" Moira whispered to her son, and Oliver shrugged helplessly, because he had absolutely no idea.

Buffy then turned her head towards the darkness, and like he'd been waiting for her signal, the platinum-blonde vampire emerged from the shadows, his blue eyes burning like chipped ice. Oliver bristled as Buffy walked over to the vampire and said something in hushed tones. The vamp nodded, but he clearly looked unhappy too.

Finally Buffy made her way back towards him, and Oliver queried evenly, "Everything okay?"

"Sure." Was all she said as she walked past him and headed towards the staircases, where Oliver was fairly certain she was going upstairs to pack.

So he followed.

When he reached her room, he noticed that Buffy was placing some things in her bag and oddly her sister was sitting down on the large bed, speaking...

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Dawn asked warily.

"No, but it needs to be done." Buffy replied, her voice emotionless.

"Buffy..."

"Don't Dawn, okay? This is something I have to do, we both know it."

"You don't though!" Dawn pleaded, her voice cracking on the last word. "Haven't you done enough?"

Buffy sighed and sat down next to her sister, immediately cupping her face between her hands and kissed her forehead tenderly.

"Do you remember what I told you?"

"Yes, I remember."

"Whatever happens, you need to remember it. Even if I don't come back."

Dawn gripped Buffy to her and held her sister tightly, as Oliver slipped away unnoticed. When he made his way back to his room, Thea was waiting for him.

"You okay, Ollie?"

"No."

Thea sighed. "Laurel is going to be okay."

All Oliver could do was nod, because despite what Thea might be thinking—Laurel was the furthest thing from his mind at the present moment.

Did Buffy really think she wasn't coming back?

Why would she assume such a thing?

Shaking his head, he grabbed his duffel and started to pack.

"You'll be safe, right?"

"I'll be fine, Sis. Be back before you know it."

"Promise?"

Oliver pulled his baby sister into a hug and murmured into her hair, "Promise."

When he'd reached the bottom of the stairs, Bruce was waiting for him.

"I've called the airport and the Wayne Jet is on standby to take you to Starling City."

"Thank you."

"It's not a problem."

As Bruce went to leave, Oliver felt the need to speak up.

"Do you know what is going on with Buffy?"

By the way Bruce tensed, Oliver had a fairly good idea that the other man was aware of something, but hazel eyes considered him before the man said briskly, "It's not my place to say."

"Look Wayne, we both know how dangerous Ra's is. If there is something I need to know, I'd rather not go into this thing blind. I have family and friends to protect too."

Bruce stared at Queen for a few moments, unsure how much to confide in the man. It wasn't as if he trusted him completely—he didn't. But they were allies in this endeavor, and for that reason alone Queen deserved something.

"Nyssa was behind the attack today and she was captured and sent to Lian Yu along with the rest of those captured from the League."

"How?"

"Faith has a friend helping us, and that's all I can really say right now. We spoke with Talia, and she has offered some help..."

"She can't be trusted."

"I'm aware, as is Faith but for now if she thinks we will help her, I have no doubt we can use her to get the information we need to take down Ra's."

Oliver nodded, not convinced however that it was wise to get in bed with Talia.

"Did she mention anything else."

Bruce hesitated, but eventually replied with, "A few things. We discovered that the Lazarus Pits are connected. If we destroy one pit, all remaining pits will follow suit."

"And how can they be destroyed?"

"By a power greater than themselves."

"That's confusing."

"Yes."

There was something in how Wayne said the final word, that made Oliver's senses go on alert, but he was unable to get clarification as Tommy, Buffy and Malcolm came walking down the staircase.

"He's going too?" Oliver gestured to the elder Merlyn, and Buffy nodded.

"He volunteered. Lucky us."

Malcolm glared at the Slayer, but Tommy snickered at how obvious Buffy's dislike for his father was.

"Which car we taking?" Buffy asked.

Bruce took a set of keys out of his pocket and tossed them to her.

"My Range Rover is outside. The plane is being prepared and should be ready by the time you reach the Palisade Private Airport. It's only twenty minutes away and the location is saved in the cars GPS."

"Thanks."

Buffy walked down the foyer, and out the front door clearly intent on not engaging in any more small talk. Oliver nodded to Bruce and followed while Tommy shook the man's hand and Malcolm just glared. Once all their bags were in the back, and everyone was inside the SUV, Buffy took off for the airport.

The ride was met with a heavy silence as Oliver was sitting in the back passenger side, he was able to observe Buffy as she concentrated on the road ahead. He had to admit, she was very pretty. Not a bombshell like Faith, but she was wholesome. Her long blonde hair was wavy and as the lights from the road flittered through the car, Oliver could pick up on gold highlights in her hair. Her skin was slightly tanned, smooth and perfect. High cheekbones, perfect pink mouth and a regal nose.

She was a classic beauty.

And she was completely uncaring of how others perceived her.

She was comfortable in her own skin and unlike Faith, didn't seek reassurance nor need anyone to take charge for her. She did it all on her own.

Buffy Summers was like a field general, calling the shots and trusting in her own judgement. Oliver surmised that years of being the Chosen One and fighting evil had probably given her that take charge attitude.

His musings were cut short when the car pulled through a gated area and into a small airport where several security guards were waiting. Buffy rolled down her window, gave the guard her name and was told which hangar to drive to.

When they got there, Oliver was taken aback that the blonde vampire was already there, climbing off his motorcycle and walking up into the plane.

"Spike's joining us?"

"Yes." Buffy replied, but didn't expound any further as she parked the car and got out—opening the back tailgate and grabbing her bag, slinging it over her shoulder before handing Tommy his small duffel. Oliver grabbed his items as did Malcolm. Closing the back, Buffy locked the car and headed into the plane—immediately taking the farthest seat in the back of the plane. Spike was sitting up front and Oliver had to smirk at how easily they'd taken up both offensive and defensive positions on the plane.

Tommy sat in the middle, on the couch as did Malcolm which left the only seat available across from Buffy.

Sitting down, Oliver buckled in and then the pilot spoke up on the intercom.

"Greetings Miss Summers. Mr. Wayne has told me to tell you that anything you might need can be found in the back room of the plane."

Picking up the phone, Buffy thanked the pilot and then the engines came to life—

As they taxi'd out on the runway, Oliver glanced over at Buffy, but her focus was elsewhere. She was gazing out the window, a clearly pensive look marring her delicate features.

Once the plane was in the air, Oliver tried relaxing. The flight to Starling City was a bit less than two hours, and Oliver had to wonder how he could manage to get Buffy to talk to him. She didn't even seem to notice he was sitting across from her.

"Buffy?"

Hazel eyes turned towards him and she tilted her head in acknowledgment.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Queen."

Sighing, Oliver shook his head.

"You can call me Oliver, you know?"

Buffy's lips quirked in mild amusement, but she didn't say anything right away. She just stared at him for a while, as if he was a puzzle she was trying to solve.

"Tell me something about yourself." She finally asked.

"What do you want to know?"

"What was it like, coming home after being gone for so long?"

Surprise registered on his face, as that was not the question he was expecting. Part of him immediately shut down out of habit. He didn't like talking about his time on Lian Yu or anything that happened while he'd been missing—but Oliver liked talking about his emotions even less.

But as he gazed into clear hazel eyes, he knew instinctively if he was ever going to have a hope of Buffy trusting him, he needed to be honest with her.

"Do you remember what you told me about everything being too much?"

She nodded.

"It was like that. Everything hurt. It was like I didn't recognize my life anymore. All the things that had once brought me comfort felt foreign, almost like I was a stranger walking around in my own skin. For months I kept looking over my shoulder, expecting something...some days I wasn't even sure what that something was. Everyone looked at me with pity or caution—as if they were afraid of me. Of my reactions. I think the first time I genuinely smiled was when Tommy first came to see me. He said something along the lines of, 'What did I tell you? Yachts suck'..."

"I remember that." Tommy interrupted with a smug grin and Buffy smiled at the impish expression on the younger man's face.

"He's always been a good friend." Oliver nodded to his bestie, and Tommy patted his hand over his heart in solidarity.

"It's good to have those." Buffy agreed with a wan smile, as her eyes locked with Spike and the vamp bowed his head in understanding.

"Anyway..." Oliver continued, "there are some days I still catch myself thinking I'm back on that damn island, and it's been well over a year since I've been back home."

"Fair enough." Buffy hummed.

"What about you?" Oliver asked quietly. "Is there anything you would do differently, if given the chance?"

"That's a loaded question." Buffy replied evenly, but her expression faltered slightly. "But the truth is, I can't go back and change the past. As much as I have second-guessed myself at times, in the end I've always followed my instincts for good or bad. It's like being in battle, really. Everything is immediate and there's no time to go back and regroup. You have to find a way to make it work in the moment, because if you don't, there won't be another chance to get it right. I've succeeded far more than I've failed, but I've always given my all to whatever path I've chosen."

"So in this fight, have you chosen a path?"

Buffy eyed him with intensity, as if she knew what he was asking.

"That's the funny thing with making plans, Oliver...sometimes you choose the path and sometimes the path chooses you."

Oliver didn't know how to reply to that statement and by the look on Tommy's face—it was clear his friend was just as clueless as he was, but Oliver didn't miss the look shared between Buffy and Spike. It would seem that whatever the plan was, the vampire was privy to it and he wasn't sure how to feel about that fact.

Fairly soon, the pilot announced they were making their descent into Starling City. Once they'd landed, a car was waiting for them and they all headed to Oliver's home. As they drove up, Buffy stared out the window at the gargantuan Manor, that was probably bigger than Wayne Manor.

"How old is this place?" Buffy asked curiously.

"It's been in the Queen family for 150 years, give or take."

"It's huge. Do you get lost inside?"

Oliver chuckled and shook his head. "Not anymore. Maybe when I was a kid. Thea, Tommy and I used to play hide and seek when we were younger."

"Really?" Buffy huffed. "I can just imagine how many good places there would be to hide in a place this big."

"Oh, you have no idea," Oliver shared quietly, "Thea once hid for over three hours and we couldn't find her anywhere. Both Tommy and I got so freaked out, we ran through the house screaming her name."

"Did you find her?"

"Not at first," Oliver admitted sheepishly, "she hid in the attic and the door closed and locked. She fell asleep up there and while we were frantically trying to find her, she was fast asleep."

Giggling softly, Buffy smiled genuinely. "Sounds like an idyllic childhood."

"It really was." Oliver nodded with fond remembrance. "Thea followed Tommy and I everywhere, when she was old enough to. There's a seven years age difference between us, but Tommy and I were her best friends growing up. We looked out for her and protected her."

"You were a good big brother." Buffy nudged him as their car pulled in front of Queen Manor.

"We both were, although Tommy didn't know it at the time."

Oliver helped Buffy out of the car. "So, when do we go see Laurel?"

"Tomorrow. She's with her Dad tonight so she should be safe. He's a police officer. A Lieutenant."

"Are we going to go with Tommy tomorrow?"

"He hasn't told Laurel we're here. In case she's being followed, or her phone is tapped we'd figured it'd be better to surprise her at work."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Come on, let me show you where you'll be staying tonight."

"Lead the way, Queen."

Oliver shook his head and smiled as he watched Buffy walk into his home, and Raisa was there to greet them, along with Walter.

"Oliver, welcome home."

"Hey Walter." Oliver gestured to Buffy and Spike. "This is Buffy Summers and Spike. They will be staying here as our guests for a few days."

Walter nodded and Oliver went over to Raisa to say hello.

"Kak ty, Raisa?" (How are you, Raisa?)

"YA v poryadke, Mister Oliver." (I am well, Mister Oliver)

"Can you show Miss Summers to her room?"

"Of course." The woman smiled at the Slayer and gestured for her to follow, which she did after a moment. Before she left with Raisa, Buffy turned to Spike and said, "You'll be okay?"

"I'll be fine, Buffy."

Buffy followed the kind-looking woman to the second floor and down the right hallway to a large double door. When Raisa opened the door, Buffy's mouth gaped open at how luxurious the room was.

"Wow!" She whispered in awe, as she took in the twenty foot vaulted ceilings and the huge French doors on the far end of the room that led out to a private balcony. The canopied king size bed was sinful, and the red velvet chaise by the window fit in entirely with the baroque style of the room, as well as giving the room a much need splash of color.

"Mister Oliver is down the hall on the right." Raisa clarified politely to the pretty young woman, who was eyeing everything with appreciation.

"Oh! Thank you."

"You are welcome, Miss Buffy."

Chuckling softly, Buffy said simply, "please just, Buffy. I'm not built for anyone deferring to me."

The maid's surprised look was cute, Buffy thought—as she walked over to another door that housed the bathroom.

"Holy smoke!" Buffy crowed from inside, as Raisa giggled and then winked when Oliver walked into the room. "This is bigger than my college dorm room! Who needs this much space in a bathroom? I might drown in this tub...oh geez...not funny Buffy...death by drowning—been there, done that..."

Oliver glanced over at Raisa, who's face registered shocked surprise at Buffy's words, and he shook his head and escorted the maid out of Buffy's room.

"This shower reminds me of the one I had in Italy.." Buffy hummed to herself as she continued to peruse the bathroom.

"I've never been to Italy." Oliver replied loudly, and chuckled when he heard Buffy's voice squeak with surprise and her mumbled, "Crap"—which was funny too.

Widened hazel eyes peered around the corner of the bathroom door and then narrowed in suspicion. "How long were you standing there listening?"

"Long enough."

"Jerk."

"Sure."

"Where's Raisa?"

"She left. I don't think she knew what to do when she heard you mentioning death by drowning."

"Crap." Wincing apologetically, Buffy lowered her gaze. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine." Buffy's face blanched and Oliver was quick to explain, "Not fine that you drowned, fine that you said what you..."

Lifting her eyebrows, Buffy continued to stare at Queen as he dug himself into an even deeper hole.

"You know what?" Oliver said finally, "just forget the last five minutes."

"Deal."

"Good." He glanced around and gestured to the room en masse. "You like it?"

"What's not to like? It's a bit more than I'm used to, but even I can appreciate a tastefully decorated room."

"Even you?"

Buffy shrugged. "I'm not one for fancy stuff, Queen. Moving from place to place you lead a very minimalistic existence, especially when death and destruction seems to follow you around."

Buffy's voice was playful, but Oliver could see the tension in her shoulders and face as she tried to make light of her destiny.

"So no settling down for you?"

Sighing softly, Buffy shrugged as she turned around. She didn't want to look at Queen's face when she said what she was thinking.

"I'm sure the thought has occurred to you why most of my relationships have been with vampires?"

"Some."

Oliver didn't want to admit that it had been the foremost question on his mind after Buffy had shown him her memories.

"Well, it's simple really. There's no future with a vampire. Not a real one anyway. They can't have children, and so it's not a concern. When I dated Riley, I was just naive enough to hope that he could live with my crazy life. He couldn't. Not really. So I decided after that, that it was easier to find comfort where there was no hope for something more. It makes it easier—less painful in a way."

"Maybe you just haven't found the right guy, yet?"

Oliver was taken aback by Buffy's harsh laugh.

"That's a sweet thought, Queen. Completely unrealistic, but sweet."

"You don't know that, Buffy."

Buffy turned around then, and Oliver could see the sadness reflected in her eyes.

"It's a moot point anyway."

"Why?" He demanded, as his gut clenched in dread.

"It just is." She replied, her voice dead as she turned to grab her bag—effectively ending the discussion.

Oliver didn't know what to say or do. He knew there was something he was missing, but for the life of him he didn't know what it was.

Why was Buffy convinced she wasn't coming out of this mess, alive?

And why did that thought make him want to rage at the world?