"Are you alright, Xander?" Giles asked.
"I violated Ford's mind. It saved lives because he didn't want to give up on his plan. It was the best option. Vampires are unknown publicly, so the law couldn't touch him. We could have killed him, but he wasn't an active, immediate threat. He was planning to do something that would make him a threat and would have cost lives. It still hurts. It reminds me of the Hyena forcing it's way into my mind. I made it so he couldn't communicate with anyone. He'll live what little life he has left, alone in his own mind."
"Over fifty teenagers are alive, his prison sentence is just. The cost to you, is not. It isn't fair that his actions and intentions mean you must carry this burden. But you do not carry it alone, Xander. We endorsed your plan and will stand by that choice."
"He's right, Xander." Amy assured him. "If I'd had to, I would have used Magic. I could have turned him into a rat. We could have kept him in a cage for the rest of his life. Got him a little wheel and chunks of cheese. It would have amounted to the same thing, Xander. This way, he gets to live out his life, however short it is, with his family. If you didn't have this telepathic ability, Magic would have been our next option. The burden would have been mine than."
"No." Xander protested. "My plan, my burden. I would never ask anyone to do something I was unwilling to do myself. I'll be alright, but having friends that understand helps."
"We do what we must to protect people, Xander." Willow reminded him. "Because people are why we've chosen to do this, to keep them safe."
"I expect you to wear that nice dark suit coat and gray shirt for our actual date, Xander." Cordelia told him. "I refuse to consider wearing that Elviraesque dress and visiting that weird club an actual date. Especially not our first date."
Xander smiled, Cordy wasn't giving up on them just because his plan had her wearing a fantasy inspired dress. Or watching him use his abilities to imprison a human within his own mind.
"Giles, Angel said something strange the last time he was here, before we got into it about Buffy and his curse stuff."
"What did he say?"
"He said he had spoken to that demon that calls himself Whistler."
"The one that apparently claimed we'd need Angel's help with Acathla?"
"Yes, he said Whistler works for Powers. Whistler told him the Powers he works for test humans, which is different then the m.o. of either the Shadows or the Vorlons. He also said there apparently are a lot of different Powers groups out there."
"I'll have to research, I'm unfamiliar with any group of higher level beings that claim they test humans. Although this Whistler could have been lying."
"Anything on Kakistos yet?" Xander moved on to another subject.
"He usually travels with a small group of fanatical devotees and like many vampires, enjoys torture, but he draws it out for a long while."
"I had a thought." Xander said. "We summoned Anyanka so we could kill her, is it possible to summon a vampire? I mean they are demons. If we could summon him to a controlled situation we could destroy him before he's ever a threat to Faith and all the other humans he'd have killed in between."
"I suppose there may be a way to do it." Giles answered. "Amy, Jenny and I can research it. But how would we destroy him? You said it took two Slayers and a log to destroy him before."
"Cordy, you up for wearing another trashy outfit?"
"What the Hell for this time, Doofus?!" She demanded to know.
"Our counterpart's took out a unlikable demon with a rocket launcher. My counterpart let Buffy fire it because it was her birthday. I'd very much like to fire it myself."
The library was quiet as the group stared at him.
"Can you actually do that?" Willow asked.
"Technically it's a theoretical concept, but thanks to my counterpart, I have a near encyclopedic knowledge of modern weapons and that includes rocket launchers. So yes, I can do it. We could even sprinkle it with Holy Water, it certainly can't hurt."
"Where would we do this?" Giles asked.
"Well, not at the Mall, like our counterparts did. Cordy would never forgive me."
She glared at him. "You're damn right I wouldn't! How did she?!"
"They didn't have a choice, that's where the bad guys went."
"Still doesn't answer where we'll do it." Amy pointed out.
"Outside of town in the desert, far from people."
"That would be best." Giles agreed. "Very well, how exactly will you get a hold of it?"
"Well, we can't depend on an idiot guard who won't be at his post, but I'm sure he'd still be distracted by Cordy and the idea that I'm getting lucky in the armory." Dope slap. "And let's not forget, I can make him think he heard something on the other side of the compound and he won't even be near the armory."
"Better." Cordelia grumbled.
"And while they're doing that, career assessment tests are in two weeks. I'm looking forward to them."
"Why?" Cordelia asked.
"You remember what you saw in my mind when I showed you my counterpart's memories of him and his Cordelia's relationship? When I told you they saw each other?"
"Yes."
He sent a thought to her mind. 'Someone who will see Willow, the same way, someone who can help her become a better version of herself, will be there. I want her to know the kind of thing we're working on. Happiness, acceptance and peace.'
'Good.' Cordelia sent back.