"On that note, I think it's time we head back to Sunnydale." Giles said. "The girls have classes."

"I need to get back to my agency. Doyle's probably wondering where the heck I am." Angel said.

"Xander, do you think you can ever forgive me?" Willow asked.

"Eventually, I am immortal." He said blithely. "Cordy, on the other hand - ".

"Not a chance in Hell." Cordelia agreed. "For all I know, my parents are dead, Willow. Because you wanted something that was never going to be yours. Xander treated you like a sister for years and you still nurtured the belief that he'd fall in love with you. Without the Magic you probably would have just continued stewing in your own resentment instead of getting your own life."

"I'm never going to understand you two's relationship. It's just too weird."

"But it's not your choice, Willow." Xander reminded her. "And our relationship makes sense to us and since it's our relationship, only our opinion matters."

"Xander, you had issues with Willow and Oz dating." Buffy pointed out.

"I had concerns about him being a werewolf. I had no objection to her dating Malcolm until we found out he was a demon and while I had some jealousy over you not chosing me, back when I had a crush on you, 99% percent of my objections to Angel were valid. Soul or no soul, he's a demonically animated corpse, which is illegal and disgusting for you to be involved with. And that's not even dealing with the fact that he's a coward and pedophile."

"How do you figure that?!" Buffy demanded to know.

"You were fifteen when he started stalking you, he didn't make contact until you were sixteen and he had sex with you when you were seventeen. The fact that he was over eighteen made it statutory rape for him and necrophilia for you. As for the coward part? When you were marching into the Master's lair, he was reading a book with his shoes off. He actually told me that he was too afraid to even try to help you."

"That can't be true." Buffy protested.

"I can use my hypno voice to ask if you want." Cassandra offered. "Or you can just look at his face."

Buffy looked at the Angel, the guilty, chagrined look caused a look of pain to cross Buffy's face. "Angel?"

"It's true, I was too afraid to try."

Buffy looked away and then said. "Come on, Willow, let's head back." Willow just nodded and followed her out the door.

"Why did you do that?" Giles asked Xander.

"Because it's time she grew up and stopped living in fantasy land. The curse could break again, it wasn't on Angel, it was on Angelus. Buffy and Angel could convince themselves that they could be together without perfect happiness and just settle for acceptable happiness. But Angel's happiness wasn't why it broke. Whatever it was that Angelus got out of it, is why it broke. Until she faces that fact, there's always going to be a risk that they'll break it again."

"He's right." Cassandra said. "And you should know that. Watchers are trained in Magic and yet you told them you didn't know Magic back when you had to deal with a witch. You hid your involvement with Eyghon. I think I know why. You became addicted. You should never have become a Watcher, Rupert Giles. You're a recovering addict surrounded by your drug of choice. You repress your need so severely because you desperately want to avoid Magic and its temptations. Why did you become a Watcher?"

"Family pressure. It was expected of me my whole life, it's why I rebelled in the first place. Eyghon sent me running back to them for help. They gave it, but with stipulations. I had to undergo Watcher training and accept any assignment given."

"And they assigned you to a Slayer on an active Hellmouth. They're torturing you. Why stay after they fired you?"

"The children are all I have."

"If you fall, I will help you." Cassandra promised.

"Thank you, I appreciate that. I really should be going. Angel, I need you to drive me back to Sunnydale. I'll let you know if I find anything about that prophecy you're researching."

"Thanks, Giles." Xander said. "Personally, I think you've got an iron will and thanks for looking out for us."

"He threatened to shoot me over you." Angel offered, as he and Giles headed out to his car.

"So looks like we've got a kinda of uncle looking out for us." Xander observed. "Cool."

"It is. I just realized. Poor Oz, Willow messed with his mind too. And they have to tell him that. He really loves Willow. They were together quite awhile before the Fluke."

"I'll give him a call later. And I really hope no one ever tells him about the Jack burger. He doesn't deserve that. He works so hard not to be a problem while he's wolfed out."

"There's a temple in Tibet, the monks there have developed a treatment plan that helps werewolves control themselves. I'll give you the information and you can pass it on to him." Duncan offered.

"Thanks, I'll do that. What do we do now?"

"I think it's time you had your own weapon. There's an immortal weaponssmith named Nakano. His gifts include the ability to read his client and know what weapon is perfect for them. You and I can go see him."

"Works for me. Just because I don't believe in the Game, doesn't mean someone isn't going to try to force me to play it at some point." Xander agreed.

"And if you lose, you both have to answer me. And I play by my own rules." Cordelia said.