The strobe light reflected off of the sweat on Buffy's body as she danced in rhythm to the loud techno music that pulsated through the speakers. She could feel the vibration in the floor beneath her feet.

Numerous other people crowded around her and Faith on the dance floor as they danced facing each other.

Buffy had not actually visited this club before; she had decided to give it a shot because she knew that it was not one that was frequently visited by the Immortal.

After a couple more songs, they finally stopped. As they were walking toward the exit, Buffy was approached by a young, handsome Italian man who offered to buy her a drink. He spoke English fluently, though he had a strong accent.

Faith came to her rescue. Putting her arm around Buffy, she said, "Sorry, Vito, this one's mine tonight." It took every bit of Buffy's will to stop herself from laughing as the young man's eyes glazed over and his mouth drooped open, indicating that certain fantasies had diverted his mind from reality.

They were both laughing really hard by the time they stumbled into the alley behind the club.

"Did you see that look on his face?" Buffy was doubled over; her sides were starting to hurt.

"Yeah, it wasn't too hard to guess what he was thinking about, B!"

Two more minutes passed before they finally calmed down.

"My stomach's talking, B. Let's get something to eat."

Buffy couldn't have agreed with her more.

--

Meanwhile, at a restaurant several blocks away, Dawn's eyes were widening at the vast array of choices offered by the buffet.

"Andrew! How much does this all cost?"

"Not to worry, princess, it's all on me." It wasn't like he was going to be worrying about money after tonight, anyway.

Dawn piled several kinds of food onto her plate then carried it back to their table.

"Might want to be careful, Dawn, too much of that might make you too sluggish for tonight."

"It's still hours away! It will be digested by then. Besides, you'd be surprised at how much I can put away. My stomach's like a black hole! Just in case this does happen to be my last day, I plan on eating every single thing in this restaurant containing a heavy amount of either sugar or grease."

"To hell with diabetes!" Andrew laughed.

"So, what'd you think of the movie?" asked Dawn. They had just watched Kill Bill, Vol. 2 at a theater that Andrew happened to know showed American films in their original language and without Italian subtitles.

"I thought it was great, but I think I liked the first one more. A lot more action, and it's hard to beat that anime sequence."

"Really? I liked the first one, too, but I thought this one was a lot better. It definitely had more story to it."

"That is true. You know, it's a bummer that this apocalypse couldn't have waited a month. I was really wanting to see Spider-Man 2."

"Yeah, same here."

They both realized something...the fact that they were probably not going to survive the night did not bother them that much (Dawn guessed that maybe they had both lost their fear of death after last year's battle at the hellmouth). In fact, they were actually both happy…happy to just be here in each other's company.

After consuming five plates of food between them (that wasn't even counting the huge dessert they had), they both finally lumbered out of the restaurant. It was starting to get chilly. Andrew took off his jacket and put it on Dawn. She smiled at him, and placed her hand on his arm. He smiled back and escorted her elsewhere.

--

Kennedy and Willow both lay naked with the sheet around their wastes, their bodies glistening with sweat. Kennedy's head rested on her lover's chest.

"Willow?"

"Yes, Kenn?"

"You think Buffy's going to be pissed we did it in her bed?"

"Doubt it. As long as she doesn't have to sleep between now and tonight, I don't think it will ever be an issue."

They said nothing for a while. Kennedy again broke the silence.

"Willow?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"What if only one of us makes it tonight?"

"That won't happen, Kenn, baby, I promise. We'll either live together or die together."

"Yes, I hope so, too, but what if it doesn't happen that way? What if I'm the one who lives? I can't stand the thought of going on without you."

"We're going to be together tonight, Kennedy. What happens to one of us happens to both of us. Tomorrow we'll either be flying back to Brazil or walking towards the Pearly Gates. Either way, I'll be there holding your hand."

Kennedy looked up toward Willow and smiled. The redhead had a way of lifting her spirits even in the darkest of times. Scooting up, she kissed Willow on the lips. Then, giving Willow an evil grin, she scooted back down until her head was underneath the sheet. Willow tried to protest, but she was giggling too hard.

--

The entire café listened in silence as Giles sang, accompanying himself on the guitar. He sat on a stool in the middle of a brightly lit stage.

If I leave here tomorrow

Would you still remember me?

For I must be traveling on now,

'Cause there's too many places I've got to see.

Playing the guitar had remained a passion of Giles's throughout his life. Even during the Sunnydale years, he had had dreams of starting his own band. But, a watcher's duties came first. At least he was finally playing for a sizable audience, he thought as he continued to sing.

'Cause I'm as free as a bird now,
And this bird you'll never change.
And this bird you can not change.
Lord knows, I can't change.
Lord help me, I can't change.

Giles finished the song, and set his guitar down on his lap. For a moment, he was greeted by nothing but silence. Then the audience cheered, giving him a standing ovation. They had not even cared that they couldn't understand the English lyrics. He smiled and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Leaving the café after receiving several pats on the back, Giles walked down the street until he came to a corner containing a phone booth. Stepping inside, he pulled a calling card out of his wallet and started dialing.

He heard one ring. Then another. Then, finally, he heard a click and the voice of a British woman saying "Hello?"

"Hello, Olivia? It's Rupert. Yes, it's good to hear your voice, too. How have you been? I'm glad to hear that. Listen, I wanted to tell you something."