Disclaimer: See chapter 1. I own nothing.

Four Months Ago, Friday, May 26th, Remains of Sunnydale High School

Faith was enjoying the chaos. Firefighters running to put the fires out from exploding Mayor or survivors hobbling up to the arriving ambulances. She enjoyed the fact that that frantic activity proved they had won. Had they lost, there would have been nothing. Sure, dozens of people died in the fight, but Faith saw hundreds take up arms to fight against the night. It wasn't just Xander, herself, and Buffy's crew against everything bad, but normal people too were willing to put up the fight. One of the major reasons she had first been seduced to the Mayor's side was because she lost hope that they could win. With no hope, what were they fighting for anyway?

Fortunately, Xander saw what she was going through and convinced her that they weren't fighting because they thought they could win, but fighting because they couldn't, wouldn't abandon those who couldn't defend themselves. It may be a long, hard, battle, but they fought because it was the right thing to do. Today proved to her, without a doubt, that while those people Buffy referred to as "normals" couldn't defend against the forces of darkness, they absolutely could attack it. Attack it, and win. Today proved why the supernatural world remained hidden from view. 'Sleeping Giant' indeed.

"I can't believe it's over." As resident mute, Oz's understatement was expected and comforting. She could tell that Xander wanted to make a snarky comment, and she was eager at the escalating battle of wits (Oz with his mastery of few words deflecting Xander's verbal tidal wave). It was further proof that they were alive and, more importantly, it showed that things would get back to normal. Giant snake, no problem. Just another day in Sunnydale. Just when Xander prepared to open his mouth (to fire the return salvo in their war of words), an owl swooped down and landed on her once boyfriend's shoulder. Everyone stared at the owl, who hooted softly.

"Uhh, Xander, why is there an owl on your shoulder?" Jonathan asked. After all that happened in the last 24 hours, this was far from the craziest, but on a normal night an owl sitting on a Scoobies' shoulder was worth noting. The obvious question had to be asked, and Jonathan had fit that role well the past few months.

"Didn't you get the memo, it's 'Bring Your Owl to the Apocalypse' day. Mine must have been running late. Where's yours?" Xander's joke was lame and poorly executed, but considering the circumstances she would rate it a 6. Post-apocalypse jokes did get a handicap, after all. The rules of joke rating demanded it.

"Ate mine. Yours has something." Once again, the Oz brevity strikes. He did have a point, though; the owl had an oversized envelope in its beak and it seemed careful not to damage it. From the expectant look in its eyes and the posture, it evidently wanted Xander to take the envelope, which Xander was refusing to do. Paranoia was a trait that was bred into those living on a hellmouth. It tended to extend a person's life.

"Thoughts guys? Do I take it or not? I don't want it to be a magical land mine from the Mayor." The owl huffed indignantly. Faith didn't know how, but she knew the owl was offended at the fact that Xander might not take the letter. The glare in the owl's eyes threatened pain and suffering if its burden was not relieved soon. It would be almost comical if Faith hadn't seen a nature documentary on owls hunting 3 weeks ago. She could easily believe an owl could kill a person at night if they really wanted to. Xander wasn't a normal person, what with all he had learned and trained for while helping with the slaying, but an angry owl could mess him up. Especially one that seemed as intelligent as this one.

"I think it will be safe, besides, that owl looks awfully angry. It might peck your eyes out," Willow chimed in from Oz's side. The two were cuddling to ward off the chilly evening air, enjoying each other's company and enjoying the entertainment/diversion Xander and his owl were providing. Anything to distract from how close they came to dying that day, closer than they had for a long while.

Seeing no objection, and too tired to be too cautious, Xander gently took the envelope from the owl, who promptly flew to a low hanging branch nearby and stared at the group, waiting. What it was waiting for, though, was anyone's guess.

"Anyone else creeped out by that thing?" Everyone raised their hands in answer to Xander's question, except for Giles, who seemed deep in thought, probably trying to remember if there was some obscure prophecy with owls that were supposed to be fulfilled this year. Shrugging, Xander started opening the letter carefully. In unison, everyone took three steps away from the young man.

Snorting in mirth, Xander carefully opened the letter, and waited. Seeing no explosion and feeling no magic (something he had become adept at noticing since the Love Spell disaster), he carefully pulled out a single sheet of parchment, and waited again.

"Go on doofus, what does it say?" As always, Cordelia proved she had no filter. She also said what everyone else was thinking. Since Jonathan had the market on obvious questions, Cordelia had perfected at speaking when others should have but didn't. Xander didn't respond right away, something that surprised Faith. He never passed an opportunity to snark back to Cordelia.

The still burning high school crackled in the background as everyone waited for Xander to finish reading, the noise from the crowds and emergency personnel having died down a little. Most in the group were too exhausted to push it, herself included, but Cordelia's tapping foot showed she still had some energy to be impatient.

"It seems like a demon bank in Los Angeles has some inheritance items for me. They have been trying to get a hold of me for the last 3 years, but the Mayor was using something called a Mail Obscuring Spell to prevent the Mail Owls from finding me. Evidently, because there was a slayer here, they couldn't send a representative on account of the bank is run by beings called goblins, which have some sort of treaty with the watchers council. They want me to meet with them at my earliest convenience because my mass murdering uncle will get the money unless I claim it in the next week. And they have something for Faith, too."

It took a moment for Xander's friends to process that, but Oz was the one to sum up everything.

"Cool"