With the circle broken, and Buffy back, Marbury stepped backed and leant against the wall. It would take these people a few moments to regain their sense of the world.

Abbey was cry silently onto her husband's shoulder. Jed stroked her hair gently. Abbey clung to him, trying to draw his strength to replenish her own.

Willow sunk slowly to the floor and leant against Tara's legs. Tara squatted down and gathered Willow into her lap.

"I knew I'd do it," Willow said. "I knew that it was the right thing to do. Oh, Goddess, what was I thinking. I feel all oily."

Tara kissed her gently, but didn't know what to say. She was worried about the power Willow had drawn on for the spell. If she could feel the residue in herself, they were going to need some help.

Donna would have gone to Buffy, but Spike, Giles and Dawn were already on the ground around her. She stepped back with C.J and Toby. C.J had turned her back on the crowd and Marbury. She was facing Toby. He was watching her carefully, but in a strange disinterested manner.

Xander had dropped Spike's hand, but not Anya's.

"She's back," he whispered.

"So, you're happy now?" Anya asked.

"No. We did something terrible here. And bad things are going to happen because of it."

"We didn't know that. We thought she'd been in hell," Anya said. She was no longer surprised that she said 'we'.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

"Is that a country song?" Anya asked. "Because then the road out of hell is paved with good intentions, too. Besides, we had to do it. And at least she had some warning. What's up with Spike?"

Xander looked at the Vampire. He was curled into a little ball. When he'd dropped Xander had assumed it was to look after Buffy. No one else seemed to have noticed him.

Giles had reached out to place a tentative hand of Buffy's shoulder. He had thought she'd flinch, but she'd thrown her arms around him and snuggled into his chest.

"I never meant it, I never meant to," she was saying.

Giles was murmuring, "I know, I know," although he didn't.

Dawn was stoking Buffy's hair waiting for her sister to acknowledge her.

"Abbey, Abbey," Jed said urgently.

Abbey pulled away to look at him. She smiled. "It's just been so long since I've channelled that much magic."

That seemed to remind her of something. She looked around until she found Tara and Willow on the floor. She knelt on the floor beside Tara. Willow had her eyes closed and was clinging to Tara.

"All that I, everything, oh Goddess, I can feel it. Why can I feel it? Why now? What we did, why do we do it?"

Abbey gently placed her hands on either side of Willow's face and forced her to look up. Willow saw the determination and understanding in Abbey's eyes. They closed her eyes and Willow felt the older witch's touch in her mind. She followed as Abbey delved through her, finding the spells she'd done and residue of them.

"We can help, Willow," Abbey said.

"Really? You'll do that? You can do that, just the two of you?"

Willow looked between Tara and her aunt. Tara looked determined, but worried, she knew the strength and control required for that sort of cleansing spell.

"There are over 1000 employees in the West Wing. We'll find people. Or I'll just go around and order anyone who's ever thought about magic to join us."

Willow braved a smile.

Donna was beginning to feel the effects of the magic that had left her and entered the air which became Buffy, or whatever had happened. It was like being earthed for an electric current, except the magic had had to burst from her and join the magic coming from Dawn.

She wanted to say something to Toby or C.J. C.J because she must have felt something similar. And Toby because he was supposed to know about this, and he was supposed to teach her about it, too.

But they were still having their silent conversation.

"So that's why," C.J said eventually.

"Yeah," Toby said. He looked embarrassed. "And that's why you wouldn't."

C.J gave a self-deprecating little chuckle.

"Yeah."

"So we're back where we're supposed to be," Toby said.

"Deepest friend, ha?"

"C.J."

"I know, his words, not yours. Still, it makes you wonder."

"Yeah." Toby turned his attention away from the awkward conversation with C.J and back to Donna's quiet curiosity. "Donna? How do feel?"

"Like I've been wrung out."

"That's good. It means it didn't take too much out of you. It didn't leave you with anything either."

Donna nodded. Toby gave her what passed for a smile, pleased with her understanding. C.J was struck by the uncomfortable thought that she was jealous. If she'd gone back, she'd have been dead by now and she would never have ended up at the White House, raising the dead in the basement.

She looked about the room. Giles, Dawn and Buffy were crouched together on her left. Abbey, Tara and Willow were being watched over on her right. Xander and Anya were talking quietly. Marbury caught her eye and she looked away.

Tears were leaking down Spike's face.

"Hey, Spike, what's up?" Xander demanded. He didn't like the vampire. But Dawn did. And he had helped out.

"Bloody Hell," was Spike's response.

Anya was staring at him. Spike glowered at her.

"Why didn't this happen to you?"

"What?" Xander asked.

"Get back what you lost," Spike spat. "What do you think that meant to me? Bloody bollocks, you knew!"

Spike leapt to his feet and pushed Marbury against the wall.

"Argh!" he yelled, as the chip kicked in.

Marbury merely looked at him curiously.

"You bloody well knew this would happen," Spike said. He had taken a step back, but he still pointed his finger at the Watcher.

"You didn't suspect?"

"Like Hell I didn't. I thought it'd be her."

"You've lost more than that, William," Marbury said. "How did you think you were going to get her back? Or be worth something to the purpose you serve."

Marbury sounded more than a little pissed off at having to explain himself. Spike backed down.

"But how do I make up for what I've done?"

"You don't. The important thing is that you try. You must have wanted it any way," Marbury said. "There's less pain this way."

"What way?" Xander asked. "What did Spike want?"

Spike stood up straight in his leather coat. But he didn't look nearly as cocky as he had just that morning.

"My soul, you nong."