Manor:

The sisters continued chanting trying to block out the demons Chris and Cole were battling. They needed to keep the barrier down as long as possible.

Woods:

Buffy charged ahead not waiting to see if she'd hit her mark. Staking the first Vamp she came across she made her way over to were she saw the ritual being preformed. She glanced back at Leo she was relived and a bit surprised to see him skillfully fighting.

"Your too late Slayer." The voice from the cemetery began. She looked frantically around trying to decipher where it came from. "You may have destroyed his line, but we don't need it anymore." He continued stepping into her view.

"Who are you?" She demanded. He looked human, but she knew he wasn't, he wasn't a vampire either.

"That's not important," he began cryptically.

"Then what is?" Buffy asked furiously.

"What you do next." He laughed. The words seemed hauntingly familiar. Then it hit her Whistler had said almost the same thing to her before she'd killed Angel.

"Your like Whistler, except evil." Buffy declared.

"I'm not evil, and Whistlers not good, not really." He began. "We just protect the balance. You've done a lot of good kid, I'm just trying to balance it out."

"Over my dead body." Buffy replied defiantly.

"Works for me." He laughed. "Your fighting a losing battle kid, one day it's gona catch up with you. You can fight today, maybe you'll even win, but in the end it all comes down to one thing."

"What I'm prepared to give up." Buffy finished. He nodded.

"You only have a few moments to decide." He began. "Then they'll add the last ingredient and it will be to late."

"To late to do what?" Buffy asked.

"To bring him back." He replied.

"The master?" She asked confused.

"No, Angelus. The ritual will work for him too. All you need is something of his, something I see you have on your hand and you can bring him back." He said pointing to the ring that she wore.

"But, he''d still be evil." She replied.

"And there on lies the choice, do you want him back that badly?" He asked. "Your running out of time one they place the masters ring into the potion it will be to late, he'll be brought back." Buffy was stunned she hadn't expected this. "Who to bring back, the boyfriend, granted he's evil, or your greatest enemy? Tick tock Slayer your almost out of time." She glanced at the dark priests as they continued chanting over a small caldron, then she realized what she had to do. She hoped she could live with herself after it was all said and done. She prayed to be forgiven as she turned and lunged at the demons.

Manor:

"Do you think they're alright Chris asked sending a demon flying across the room with a flick of his wrist. "I mean if they stopped the ritual they should be back by now."

"I don't know." Cole replied. "But the girls can't keep this up much longer so they'd better hurry up.

Chris lunged but, wasn't in time to stop the fireball that a demon sent at the sisters. "Mom" he screamed as she was hit. The demons having accomplished their mission quickly shimmered out. Phoebe and Paige stopped chanting as Piper hit the ground, tears in their eyes as they screamed their sisters name watching helplessly as she lay bleeding they turned to Chris terrified when they saw him starting to fade away.

Woods:

Buffy knocked the demon down and with skill that only a slayer could have caught the ring he'd been dropping just as it was about to hit the potion. She kicked the potion over drawing her sword and quickly decapitated the remaining dark priests. The rest of the demons retreated sensing defeat she sat stunned by all that had happened wondering if she'd made the right choice. Leo made his way over to her collapsing to the ground just as he reached her.

"Leo." She cried concerned as he clutched his side in pain.

"It's Piper." He began painfully.

"Let's go." Buffy replied gabbing his shoulder as he orbed them out. Neither of them noticing in their panic the faint blue glow her ring had, where it had been splashed by the potion as she knocked it over.

Manor:

"Piper." Leo cried rushing over to heal her. Buffy stood frozen in her spot as she watched Chris who was slowly fading into nothing. It seemed like hours but it was only a few moments before Leo's hands glowed and Piper gasped sitting up. Chris returned to his solid state and the group stood silently waiting for someone to say something.

"So it looks like we won." Cole finally broke the silence.

"Are you ok?" Leo asked Piper helping her up.

"Yeah, but that was a little to close for comfort." She replied. "I think I should get beck to Magic school." She finished a Leo orbed them away.

"Well, I have date." Paige said running up the stairs.

"I'm starving." Phoebe declared. "Wana grab something to eat." She asked a stunned Cole. "Don't read to much into it, t's just dinner." She added.

"Sure." Cole replied following her out of the basement.

"Are you ok?" Chris asked after the others had left.

"You almost died." Buffy replied. "I mean you were just fading into nothing."

"Yeah." Chris began uncomfortably. "But I'm ok now. As long as My mom stays safe until I'm born, I'll be ok."

"Then?" Buffy prompted.

"Then what?" Chris asked.

"Then you leave." Buffy replied. "I guess I just sort of realized eventually you'll just be gone."

"But I'm here now." Chris replied. "I thought we weren't going to worry about tomorrow."

"Your right." Buffy began. "But we should worry about Wyatt. I mean all this trouble with the master has been distracting everyone. Now I can help you figure out what's after him."

"Yeah, we can get right on that tomorrow." Chris began. "Tonight I want to show you something." He finished holding out his hand.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"Just trust me." Chris replied as she took his hand orbing them out. When she opened her eyes she stumbled back into Chris surprised to find herself atop the golden gate bridge. "I like to come up here, to think and get away from it all." Chris explained.

"It's beautiful." Buffy began looking down at the lights of the cars passing underneath them. "And cold." She added shivering slightly.

"Here." Chris said taking off the sweatshirt he was wearing and handing it to her.

"Wont you be cold?" Buffy asked.

"Trying to be a gentleman here." Chris replied with a small smile.

"Thanks." Buffy said taking the sweatshirt and pulling it over her head.

"We never really got a chance to talk about what happened in the jail cell, with everything that was going on." Chris began unsurely.

"You mean when you kissed me." Buffy replied enjoying watching him squirm.

"Yeah, I mean I just wanted." Chris began.

"You know what Chris?" Buffy interrupted.

"What?" He asked confused.

"You talk to much." She replied pulling him down and kissing him.