Saturday afternoon Kari was at Joyce's gallery helping out. While she didn't mind helping out at the Magic Box because it meant she could hang out with older kids she liked and admired and bug her older sister, Cordelia, she enjoyed hanging out at Joyce's gallery because she liked art, especially drawing and painting. Joyce encouraged her interest by letting her hang out and teaching her. A few days before, Buffy had filled her in on what they'd discovered about Kari and she was equally as determined to protect the young girl. How she came about didn't matter. That she existed did. Xander arrived a little before three to pick her up.

"Hey, Kare-bear, you ready to go?" And saw Joyce rubbing her head.

"Joyce, are you okay?"

"Just another blasted tension headache, Xander."

"Tension headaches happen at the back of the head, Joyce. They happen when you hold your head wrong and strain muscles and tendons in your neck and shoulders. You're rubbing the front of your head. Maybe it's something else. If you like I could try to heal you?"

"You wouldn't mind? That's a pretty neat power, by the way."

"It's not actually a power. It's not Magic based. It's a transfer of energy from my body to yours. It concentrates and excellerates your own body's natural healing ability."

"Well, whatever you call it or whatever causes it, it's come in very handy. If you think you can do anything, I welcome it, because these headaches are getting worse." A statement that alarmed Xander and he quickly raised his hand and held it to Joyce's head. Light shone from his hand and the tension in her face relaxed as the pain went away.

"Oh, that feels so much better. Thank you, Xander."

"You're welcome, Joyce. Keeping the Scooby Mom healthy and whole keeps the rest of us, healthy and whole. You're our rock, Joyce."

Her eyes misted slightly. These children worked so hard to protect an unknowing populace and never got any thanks. If her hot chocolate and listening ear, could help ease their burdens, she'd stock up on hot chocolate and always keep her ears open.

Later that day, while Cordelia was babysitting Kari at her and Xander's apartment, a troll of all things, showed up at the Bronze. Giles had allowed Willow's powers to be unbound and he was keeping a careful eye out as Amy and Tara trained her in the use of Magic. Unfortunately, accidents still happen and Willow, who had been practicing a way of making tiny balls of sunshine, had accidentally unleashed a troll bound in a crystal. Which is why Faith and Buffy are currently doing battle with said troll, while Amy got people out of the way and Xander was healing the more seriously injured ones.

Afterward, they dragged the body out and disposed of it.

"Trolls." Xander said. "That is definitely a new one."

"And rare." Giles said. "There use to be a passage between their realm and ours in Norway, but it was closed centuries ago. They were quite fond of rampaging, starting fights and eating babies. Things most humans have a problem with. At least the eating babies part."

"Yeah, I object to that myself. By the way, that tiny ball of sunshine is a neat idea. I wonder if there's a way I could do that. Maybe a uv grenade. It would make raiding nests easier. We could combine it, if we ever have to go in the sewers. You guys could light an area up, so we could see and I could lob one of the grenades and take out any vamps."

"That's a cool idea." Faith said.

"I agree." Giles said. "Although, raiding nests is quite dangerous. But if we could eliminate nests and keep ourselves safe in the process, we could cut down the vampire population significantly."

"We could do it safely, Giles. Here's where my military knowledge can come in handy. We wear protective vests. Ones that extend up to our necks. We throw in a grenade first and then blitz attack any survivors. We coordinate by using walkies and knock out all the ground windows with bats before even throwing in a grenade. Add in attacking during the day, so they can't escape and victory is almost guaranteed."

"Explain in more detail, Xander." Giles said, intrigued.

"Okay. Buffy and Faith each go in one of the exit doors, front and back, with me and Amy as seconds. I lob a grenade, while she throws fireballs. Just seconds before we go in, Willow and Cordelia, each on one side of the building, use baseball bats to knock out the windows. The vamps are exposed to sunlight from each side, the doors and the uv light from the grenade. Any that aren't burned by the uv grenade and sunlight, get fried by Amy and sliced and diced by Faith and Buffy. They should be fairly easy pickings, between surprise and being burned by the uv light or sunlight. Giles would be in an overwatch position with a walkie as well. You alert us to any trouble we can't see. People or demons popping up out of nowhere."

"That sounds like an excellent plan, Xander. If you can create a uv grenade, I will approve a test raid on a vampire nest.

"I'll get started on a prototype right away."