Greetings and Salutations.  More feral goodness. More, more. Review!

Buffy walked into the house, Angel right behind her. She had been ready to kill Angel for waking her, but when he'd shown her that he had a heartbeat…

"Buffy, where have you been?" Joyce asked as they walked in. Then she saw Angel. A confused look crossed her face. "It is morning, isn't it?" Buffy smiled, a smile so wide that it almost split he face.

"The Powers That Be decided to reward us." She said. "He has a pulse." Joyce stared at her daughter like she was mad. "He's human. Well, mutant. Feral, like me." Joyce continued to stare. There was no way Buffy would make this up, and Angel had walked in during the day, without smoking.

"That's great, hon." Joyce said, less enthusiastic than she felt. "No really, I am. It's just…" She gave her daughter a withering look. "You've got a flare for strange tails." Buffy grinned.

"I wouldn't be me without some weirdness." She said. A look of worry spread across her face.

"What is it, love?" Angel asked, moving closer.

"How do we explain this to the others?" She asked. "I mean Willow knows about the whole not a Slayer thing, and Shal and the others…" She stopped, turning to her mother. "Almost forgot. I found the sister from that dream." Joyce's face dropped.

"So that is the truth?" She questioned, frightened of what it meant.

"Don't worry, nothing changes." Buffy assured her. "You just get another daughter." Buffy's look of worry returned, thinking about Oz, Giles and Xander, who had returned recently. How would they react? Would she loose her best friends because some idiot decided to play God? "I'm going to loose them." She whispered. Angel put his arm around her.

"They'll understand." He said, looking down at her. Silently he prayed to whoever was listening that they would. He knew that their support had kept her alive all this time. If it weren't for Xander, he would have lost her against the Master. They were her pack, and she needed their support. "I'm sure of it."

"I beg your pardon?" Giles said, taking off his glasses. Buffy had just walked in, with Angel, which was surprise enough. But what she had said next, and the explanation for why he had been able to walk in the sun had blown him and Xander, who was currently spending the days with the older man until he found a job, away.

"I'm not the Slayer." Buffy repeated. She could see disbelief in both sets of eyes. Angel was behind her, within reach, for which she was grateful. "I haven't been since the Master drowned me. I'm…a new mutant."

"You're…" Xander stopped cold, his brain trying to process the new information.

"Dear God." Buffy could smell disbelief, worry…fear. She began to shake violently. They were afraid of her. They were going to…Angel wrapped his arms around her. She took in a deep breath, saturating herself in his scent. "And Angel…" Giles prompted.

"Was given his life back, with the same abilities as me." Buffy said. "Payment for services rendered."

"How long have you known?" Xander asked quietly.

"Powers have been stronger since the battle with the Mayor." Buffy said. He's going to run, she thought, scared of losing her friend. "Found out about the mutant thing not long after."

"And you've waited til now to tell us?" Xander started to raise his voice. "I thought we were friends."

"Xander we are, but…"

"But what?" He yelled. "There's no excuse for this, Buffy. None." He stormed past them.

"Xander…" She watched as the door slammed shut, tears in her eyes. She'd been afraid of this. They were going to reject her, one by one. She turned to Giles. "Giles, I…" He raised a hand, signalling her quiet. Buffy stood there, wrapped in Angel's arms. Her body was shaking again, and finally she couldn't help it anymore. She ran out the door, sobbing loudly. Giles closed his eyes, turning away.

"How could you?" Angel growled. He, too, had had enough. But he wasn't going to run away crying. "How could you? You're like a father to her. She needed you, needed you to tell her it was all right. But you just stood there, shut her up. Why?"

"I don't think I need to explain myself to you." The former Watcher said calmly.

"You'd better!" Angel roared. His eyes turned yellow cats eyes momentarily before reverting to normal. He glared at the man a moment more. "I hope you're happy." He growled before starting after his mate. Giles watched for a moment more, then broke down and cried himself. How could he indeed?

She ran, scared, alone. The two people she had hoped that would accept her had rejected her, sent her away. She was so drowned in her own sorrow that she didn't see the man in front of her until she ran into him.

"Sorry." She said.

"It is all right." He said. "You look troubled. Is there anything I can do?"

"Can you turn back time, alter the time space continuum or change peoples minds with out talking to them?" She asked. The man chuckled.

"I am afraid not." He said. "But I can lend a friendly ear."

"Thanks, but my friends seem to like running." Buffy said, a sad smile on her face.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" He asked. Buffy shook her head.

"It's alright." She said. "I don't want to burden you with my problems, being a total stranger and all." The man nodded.

"Then perhaps we can get past that." He said, holding out his hand. "I am Kwai Chang Cane." The feral looked at him.

"Buffy Anne Summers." She said with a grin, taking the hand. "Is there a shortened version I can call you?"

"People call me Cane." He said.

"Buffy." She said.

"Now perhaps we can talk?" Cane asked. Buffy sighed.

"You're not letting me go til we talk, are you?"

"I will not force you." He said. "I simply wish to help."

"Alright." She said. "But let's find somewhere a little more private." He nodded and followed her. She seemed nice enough, a troubled soul in need of assistance. Much like himself, he mused.

I know I'm going to cop it for this one, but I'll take it. This isn't the end of the Scoobies, just speed bump, so don't worry. One more thing, I don't own Cane. He belongs to the guys who own Kung Fu and Kung Fu: The Legend Continues. No permission was asked, and none was given.

Stay tuned.

Doc.