Author's Note: Special thanks once more to everyone who has commented on this story. You guys are more amazing than you know. Thanks to Chris Q for all her proofreading help-I figure once this thing is finished I will go back through it and tweak it as per your suggestions.

And thanks to Andrea (Legolas Nymph), who took the time to read it (and stay up till three in the morning doing so) and then post such a wonderful review. I would email you personally, but there was no email address to do so, so thank you here.


Methos waited for Buffy's return, staring at the letters she had written, a sad smile on his face. They sounded so wonderful. Her friends, her watcher, her mother. They sounded like they had truly cared for her, watched out for her. They sounded interesting and unique, like her. Only a different kind of slayer had her friends and family backing her up.

Methos wanted to meet them, to see how they shaped the girl she was now. But not under these circumstances. He did not want to deliver these letters to them. He did not want to see the heartbreak on their faces, on her watcher's face as he told them how she died. He did not want to be the messenger. He did not want her to die.

A simple thought and yet one that had been haunting him for a long while now, ever since he agreed to be her second. She was still so young, still a child in so many ways. He wanted to see the woman he knew was in there. He wanted to meet her.

He looked at his watch and saw it was getting late. He frowned, wondering what was taking her so long.

He was just about to contemplate looking for her, when the familiar immortal buzz touched him and he knew she was standing behind him.

"The sun will go down soon." She sounded resigned, but determined. A proud smile flitted across his face as he turned to her.

"We should call Joe and the others." He said. She nodded.

"Yes."


"So how is this going to work?" Duncan was asking after they had all assembled at Joe's place to discuss options and ways of finding Klossen. "Any ideas?"

"Just one," Buffy said as she looked at Joe, then Duncan, then finally Methos. Richie had not yet arrived. "Methos and I patrol until we find him."

"Patrol?" Duncan echoed slightly confused. Buffy smiled a slightly apologetic smile. Clearly he wasn't familiar with Scooby terminology for 'walking around looking for trouble'.

"Canvas the area," Joe was saying for her. "Stay visible…out in the open, right?"

"It's how I did it at home," she agreed with a shrug. "Eventually I'll find him."

Truth be told it was the only way she knew how to do it. Strategy, planning, cunning…these were all things best left to Giles. She might not be too talented in some areas, but she knew how to patrol and she knew approximately where to look. He had stuck to this area thus far, she hoped to catch him before anybody else got hurt.

"Or they'd find you." Methos said grimly. She shot him a look, but said nothing. He seemed less than pleased with this particular idea. He had probably wanted something more than 'we walk around as bait' for the plan. Looking around at the others, a thought suddenly occurred to her.

"Where's Richie?"

"I don't know," Joe replied, with a shrug. "I called him right after you called me. He should be here soon."

"He should have been here already," Duncan put in, sounding slightly concerned. Buffy had noted earlier on the intense friendship the two men seemed to share. It was interesting to her, as it seemed to be a combination of pupil/student, as well as just two good friends. Sometimes equal, sometimes not, Buffy knew that Duncan cared a great deal for Richie. She certainly hoped nothing had happened.

Despite Duncan's worry however, time was running short. They couldn't dally much longer. The night only lasted so long.

"Well we can't wait here forever." She said brusquely, hoping Duncan wouldn't take what she was saying as insensitive. "If we're doing this, it has to be soon. When he gets here, just tell him to stay put. If we come back together, then you know it went well. If not…"

"That's it?" Duncan echoed, sounding incredulous and slightly angered by his lack of a role in the undertaking.

"It's all we can do," she replied regretfully. "If we're not back by morning…"

"It's gone very very badly." Methos finished.

"And I'm sorry." She added, wanting them to know however she could that she would try her best. Methos touched her arm gently.

"We should go," he said softly. She nodded. As she headed for the door she saw Duncan step forward and address Methos.

"Can I talk to you before you go?"

Methos met Duncan's eyes and saw that there was no accusation or condemnation in them. All he saw was seriousness and concern, two Duncan MacLeod trademarks, but ones he wasn't terribly angered to see. He took a leap of faith and hoped the concern was for him. He looked to Buffy.

"Give me a second OK?"

She nodded, understanding his need to straighten things out with his friend and they moved to a secluded corner of the bar to talk in private.

"Now what Mac? More scolding?" He hadn't meant to take the defensive with MacLeod, but ever since he had learned of his days with the horsemen it just seemed to be a natural reaction. A lot of it was that he knew MacLeod was justified on some level for mistrusting him, but most of it was that he regretted very deeply the loss of the bond he and Mac had shared earlier on in their friendship. He had shattered it, by not telling the highlander right away who he was, and though he didn't think the way Duncan looked at him was entirely fair, he wished desperately to get it back.

"I just want to know why." Duncan admitted. "Why you and not…"

"You?" Methos said with a sigh. It seemed his defensiveness was not misplaced. Duncan wanted to moral majority him again. "Why me and not the hero?"

"I never said…" Duncan attempted to defend himself, but Methos cut him off before he got the chance.

"No you didn't, but it's true." He sighed, shoulders slumping as he felt the will to argue with his friend drain out of him. When you lived past a thousand years as he had, confrontation started to seem rather pointless no matter who it was with. He often wondered why the young couldn't just let go of some things. "You're a hero Mac. I'm not. I've never tried to be. I've done my share of good and bad, but I've never felt the need to be the world's champion, never wanted to fight for the good and innocent."

"So why…"

"Because neither did she," Methos explained with a small smile. He glanced over at Buffy out of the corner of his eye as he spoke. Duncan no longer seemed accusatory now, merely curious. "She's only beginning to realize that she is a hero…like you Mac. Hell, give it a month and I bet she would have chosen you as her second."

"I doubt that." Duncan said softly. Methos was warmed by Duncan's comment, but didn't let it show.

"That's nice…thanks. Look, she's hurting because she's already lost someone she relied on…a hero. That's why she picked me Mac….so she wouldn't lose herself."

"Be careful Methos." Duncan said after a long pause. He reached out and put a hand to Methos' shoulder, and Methos allowed himself to smile this time. It was back in Duncan's eyes…that trust. He wasn't sure how he had done it, or why he now deserved it, but it was there again. And Methos was indescribably grateful to see it once more. He nodded.

"Thanks Mac."

"Ready to go?" Buffy was by his side once more, and he felt himself nod, feeling optimistic for the first time about this plan. They turned to Joe to say goodbye, when a loud clang outside the door startled them. Buffy looked to him, worriedly and Methos suddenly had a very bad feeling.

Joe had already opened the door and was closing it now, an envelop in hand. He read the name on the front of it, and frowned.

"Joe what is it?" Duncan was asking. The look on Joe's face was not a welcome one.

"It's a note from him," Joe said with a sigh. Nobody needed to ask who 'he' was.

As if on instinct, Buffy made a run for the door, wrenching it open, but returning, a few seconds later with a frustrated look on her face. She snatched the note from Joe as she did so and read it. Her face fell as she did so.

"He's got Richie," she all but whispered.

"Damn it," Duncan exclaimed as the colour left his face. He looked furious as if he wanted to charge after Klossen himself, but knew it was pointless. Buffy was still staring at the letter and Methos moved closer to her to lend her his support.

"He says that killing hasn't worked so far, so he has decided to try kidnapping instead. He wants to meet me tomorrow night at Stanfield Park." She sighed and shot Duncan a sorrowful look. "Or he'll kill Richie."

"Why tomorrow night?" Joe asked, breaking the silence that followed. "Why not now? Tonight? I mean, you were going to go out there and look for him."

"I was," she agreed. "But he doesn't know that. For all he knows we are still hiding from him."

"Looking for Klossen won't work tonight." Methos added quietly. "He'll want to torture Richie tonight. He'll stay in his hideout to do that."

"So he's bait then." Duncan said bitterly.

"Bait," Buffy felt herself mummer, seemingly lost in her own world. "Just like Jessie."

It all suddenly felt so familiar. The situation, these people. She hadn't known Richie very well, just as she hadn't known Jessie very well. Both were young, vibrant and had the potential to be her friends, if only she could save them. She had failed where Jessie was concerned. Even now, the gang didn't talk about him much around her. She didn't think they blamed her or anything, but she knew they didn't feel comfortable sharing their grief over the loss. She hadn't known him well enough to mourn for him. She would not let the same thing happen to Richie.

"Jessie?" Methos was looking at her, obviously worried. She smiled and attempted to recover herself.

"One of the many I couldn't save." She looked at Duncan then clarified herself. "Don't worry, I am not going to let anything happen to Richie. This jerk is gonna pay."

"Then we have one night." Duncan spoke quietly. "One night for you to train some more and for you to make sure that you defeat him. One night to get ready to save him."

"One night," she agreed, meeting his eyes and finally reaching an understanding with the highlander. "We should get to work."


"Again!" Duncan shouted at her, thrusting the sword at her with deadly force. Buffy parried and managed to avoid a blow just in time. Sweat poured off her brow as she moved back into position and attempted to mount an attack on the highlander. There was a determination in the Scot's eyes that she had never seen before. He was playing for keeps right now, and Buffy knew why. He had to make sure that Richie's life was trusted to someone who wouldn't fail him. It was personal for Duncan now and he likely hated that he couldn't fight Klossen himself.

Her attack failed and resulted in Duncan's blade nicking her shoulder. Regrouping, she attacked once more and ended up taking a sharp blow to the side of the head. Caught off guard, she tumbled to the ground and watched as Duncan's sword came at her, right towards her eyes.

Right toward the eyes.

It was so familiar.

No weapons, no friends, no hope. Take all that away and what have you got?

Those words, played through her head as the sword came at her, over and over. And then it clicked.

What have you got?

No weapons.

No friends.

No hope.

It was like being in the mansion all over again. Only this time it wasn't Duncan's sword, it was Angelus'.

Time seemed to slow down. She found herself catching the sword between her hands just as she had done once before. It was about to hit her face once again. There was no hesitation. She knew exactly what do to. Thrusting it up into her assailants face, she leaping to her feet with her sword, rejuvenated by the blow and attacking him with new vigor.

Fury burned in her eyes, pure unadulterated hatred. She saw him before her. She saw Angelus. And she wanted him dead. The sword no longer frightened her. It was an instrument of death to be sure, but this time she was in control of who died. Angelus was not Angel. She had no other option and he had deserved to die then as much as he deserved it now.

She was protecting her friends. She was protecting Willow, Giles, Xander, Oz, Cordelia and everyone else who relied on her to keep the world from ending. She was saving their lives. She was getting her vengeance for Jenny's death.

It was suddenly all right. The sword in her hand had ceased to be a burden, but rather a powerful weapon.

It was about the power.

Power that she held.

The ability to control life and death.

She had stopped Angelus. She had killed him and saved the world. Angel might have gone to hell, but Angelus had also been defeated. Some good had been done, however small.

And in knowing that, she was free.

She could fight.

And just as quickly as he had came, Angelus' face disappeared from her view and was replaced by a very exhausted, defeated Duncan MacLeod, staring at the tip of her sword which she held at his neck in a mixture of pride and slight fear.

"You can put that down now Buffy, unless you intend to finish it."

"I…" she looked at the sword, realizing now that it no longer carried the weight of what she had done. She didn't drop it as she had done in times previous. She merely stared at it in shock and awe.

"Buffy?" Methos took a tentative step forward, causing her to finally look his way. She grinned from ear to ear.

"It's gone!" She told him. This time she did drop the sword as she hugged him tightly. "I can wield it, did you see that? I can fight!"

"I saw." Methos said quietly, smiling with obvious pride. She had found her strength and hadn't needed him for it. He had been right.

"It's still there," she amended, realizing she was talking a mile a minute about something only Methos could understand. "I mean, I'll always miss….but the guilt, it's gone! The sword, I can…he's gone, and I love him, but I'm not afraid. I'll always love him, but I can do it now, I can be the slayer."

"I know." He told her simply. "I always knew."

"Am I missing something?" Duncan looked at them curiously, hating to be left out in the cold.

"No," Buffy assured him. "You're not missing anything. I'm ready to fight Klossen that's all. I will never be more ready."