Author's Notes: This is (hopefully) going to be a full-length rewrite of Season 2 - but with Jesse McNally as a main character along with all the others. I've been a little sluggish since I finished posting Season 1, but I'm more than halfway through Season 2 now, so I'm going to go ahead and start posting it.

I thought it a shame Jesse didn't make it past the first episode, as he had the potential to be Buffy's most loyal friend - he's not an authority figure like Giles, he's not in love with her like Xander, and he's not a people pleaser like (early) Willow, so it's possible he could've been someone Buffy was lacking in later seasons. Some episodes will just be like the normal eps, just with Jesse now present, while others will have him causing seemingly small alterations to the timeline, which might give way to something bigger later on. Naturally, it would be boring if it's just Jesse reacting to stuff - he needs stuff to do, so he'll have his own character arcs and trials he has to deal with. Most of those will be in later seasons, but for now, let's just enjoy where the story takes us. The more stuff happens, I'll throw in as needed. Enjoy!

Thanks to FanFiction user "myheadsgonenumb" and her excellent AU Angel fic that partly inspired this, "What You Do Afterwards", which explores all five seasons of 'Angel' but with Doyle still alive to enjoy it all. Sadly, she deleted it due to unpleasant reviewers, but she remains my inspiration and reasons for writing this, so it's to her I dedicate this series.

Perhaps they could've picked a better place to hang out tonight than the cemetery, but it was Sunnydale, and after everything that happened last year, they'd gotten a little used to it. Plus, it had been a quiet summer, compared to the hijinks of the school year. Absolute freedom could only take them so far. Normally, they could roll with it, but after spending sophomore year fighting vampires and demons, the quiet desperation of adolescence felt even more stifling.

On top of that, they were short one member of the group. Buffy Summers, Vampire Slayer of the Hellmouth, resided for the summer in Los Angeles with her father. She brought so much energy to their lives that her absence left a helluva gap. Jesse likened it to going deaf. They had less energy without her. She had somehow become their de facto leader, and they felt aimless in her absence. They had literally just wandered around the mall most of today, engaged in the most boring activities they could think of.

Still, they'd gotten ice cream. Always a plus.

Willow had already finished hers while Xander and Jesse still casually worked on theirs. Xander had insisted on cones instead of cups because he said they were more environmentally friendly, and Jesse could hardly fault that logic.

Xander grinned as Willow fumbled. "It's your turn," he said, taking another lick.

"I, alright, okay, uh…," she murmured before she looked triumphant. "'In the few hours that we had together, we loved a lifetime's worth.'"

" Terminator ," Jesse and Xander said simultaneously.

"Good! Great!" Willow laughed.

Xander licked his cone again as he thought. "Um, oh, okay, I got one." He took on a half-decent Charlton Heston impression. "'It's a madhouse! A mad…'"

" Planet of the Apes ," Willow interrupted.

"Can I finish, please?"

"Oh! Sorry, go ahead."

"'… house!'" he finished, before indicating she should answer.

" Planet of the Apes ," she grinned. "You're up, Jesse."

Jesse thought for a moment before grinning. "Okay, try this…" He took a somewhat vacant expression and stared off into space. "He learned almost too late that man is a feeling creature…"

Willow looked baffled, but Xander grinned knowingly. "And because of it, the greatest in the universe," he replied.

"Yes!" Jesse exulted, high-fiving him.

"I don't get it. What movie is that?" asked Willow.

" It Conquered the World ," clarified Jesse. "It was on Mystery Science Theater 3000 ."

"Season Three, Episode Eleven," added Xander.

Willow pouted. "No fair! You guys know I don't like that show! The guy and the robots keep talking over the movie!"

Xander and Jesse looked at each other and grinned. "The right people will get it," they said together before laughing again.

"Come on, Will," said Xander. "Your turn."

Still sulking, Willow furrowed her brow in thought. Jesse bit back a smile. While he would never tell for fear of upsetting her, 'upset Willow' was downright adorable sometimes.

Finally, she threw her hands up and said, "'Use the Force, Luke.'"

Xander looked disappointed. "Do we even have to dignify that with a guess?"

"I couldn't think of anything. It's a dumb game anyway."

"Well, what else do you wanna do? We already played rock, paper, scissors. My hands cramped up."

"Well, yes, if you're always scissors of course your tendons are gonna strain…"

"Y'know, I just gotta say that this has been the most boring summer ever."

Jesse shrugged. "After almost dying about half a dozen times last year, I'm all in favor of some dullness," he said, randomly picking up Willow and placing her on a nearby brick wall, making her yelp but giggle.

"I'm just so restless!" Xander continued. "I'm actually looking forward to school startin' up again."

"Because, as we all know, a certain Vampire Slayer shall be returning from parts unknown for you to drool over," Jesse grinned, leaning casually against the wall.

"She went to LA, Jesse," Willow giggled again.

"Pfft!" snorted Xander. "I am so totally over her." He managed to keep that facade up for a good two seconds before breaking. "I don't suppose she's said when she's getting back yet?"

Willow shook her head. "I haven't heard from her. I got a couple postcards when she went to L.A., but then, like, nothing."

"Probably having fun with her dad," said Jesse. At least, he hoped she was. He knew like the rest of them that Buffy's relationship with her dad had become increasingly frayed since his last visit. Details were sketchy, but it didn't sound like he was being Dad of the Year anytime soon.

Xander lolled his head a little, almost fighting his admission. "Well, okay, there might be some interest. I'm a man. I have certain desires, certain needs…"

Willow made a face. "Uhhh! I don't wanna know."

"He just needs to feel pretty," grinned Jesse. "C'mon, Will – let's make him feel pretty."

Xander took a step back. "Where is this going?"

Jesse took on a sexy look. "You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and…" He paused as he gripped Xander's shirt with both hands. " … blow!"

"Get off!" Xander laughed, shaking him loose. "You're gonna make me drop my ice cream!"

Jesse staggered back, also laughing so much he nearly knocked Willow off the wall, who also laughed, wrapping her arms around him fondly. Suddenly, the night didn't seem so dull after all.

But then, Xander's laughter faded, and his mirthful expression fell as his eyes fell on something behind them. Sensing the mood changing yet again, Jesse and Willow slowly stopped laughing and turned to look.

A vampire stood on the other side of the wall. Willow screamed as Jesse grabbed her off the wall and hustled her away into Xander's arms.

"Willow, go!" Xander ordered, putting himself between his friends and the vampire. He punched the approaching vampire in the face. Not only was the vampire not fazed, he grabbed Xander and tried to bite him. Jesse responded by jamming his unfinished ice cream in the vampire's face, causing it to reel briefly at the sugary contents now in his eyes.

Xander just barely had time to get out of the way when someone appeared out of nowhere and punched the vampire in the face, kneed him in the crotch and flipped him over onto his back.

Buffy Anne Summers smiled brightly at her friends. "Hi, guys!" The vampire got up, but Buffy turned and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying into a tree, where a dead branch impaled him, making him burst into ashes. "Miss me?" she asked playfully.

"Buffy!" Willow exclaimed, a big smile on her face.

"Hey!" Xander glomped her in a big hug, which Jesse and Willow quickly joined in on.

"Welcome home, Buffinator," Jesse said. "Your timing remains absolutely impeccable."

"When'd you get back?" asked Willow as they broke apart.

"Uh, just now," said Buffy as she straightened her clothes after the hug. "Dad drove me down. And I figured you three losers would be getting into some kind of trouble."

"I think we had the upper hand," said Willow. "I-in a subtle way."

"Do any of you even have a cross? Very sloppy."

"But our improv skills remain on par," said Jesse before addressing Xander. "Speaking of which, I sacrificed my ice cream for you. I should at least be compensated for that."

Xander rolled his eyes and handed his own cone to Jesse, who grinned smugly. "It's been a slow summer," he said to Buffy. "I mean, that's the first vampire we've seen since you killed the Master."

Buffy shook her head. "It's like they knew I was coming back," she said as they started to walk.

"So, what about you? How was your summer? Did you slay anything?"

"No. Uh, just hung out, partied some, shopping was also a major theme."

"As was, I see, your new hair," Jesse said, noting the extra blondeness of her current style. "Totally rockin' it, by the way."

Buffy giggled. "So, how did you guys fare? Did you have any fun without me?"

"No," said Xander at the exact moment Willow said, "Yes!"

Jesse grinned. "Our biggest excitement was burying the Master."

"That's right, you missed it," Willow remembered, pointing to a nearby tree. "Right out by that tree. Giles buried the bones and we poured holy water and we got to wear robes."

"Very intense," nodded Xander. "You shoulda been."

Buffy continued to stare at the tree, looking suddenly so very far away in her expression. Willow gently tugged at her sleeve. "Have you seen Giles?"

Snapping out of it, Buffy looked at her funny. "Why would I do that? I'll see him at school."

"I think he missed you," said Jesse wryly. "There were a couple of times he tried reading in Latin to us. We became his surrogates."

"Man, I'm really glad you're back," Xander smiled.

Buffy looked over at the tree again. "Me, too," she murmured.

Giles looked over the sea of returning students. He desperately needed a cup of strong tea. So much adolescence in such a small space – it ought to be outlawed. The babble of incessant chatter really just made him want to retreat to the library and lose himself in a good book.

"It was a nightmare, a total nightmare." His head turned at the familiar voice, and he saw Cordelia Chase coming down some stairs with two friends and walking across the quad. She had been present when the Hellmouth opened back in the spring, witness to all the vampires, the demon monster, and the Master's demise. Was she talking about it with her peers? He'd rather hoped she'd been told to keep her mouth shut on the subject.

"I mean, they promised me they'd take me to St. Croix, and then they just decide to go to Tuscany," she said with a disappointed sigh. "Art and buildings? I was totally beachless for a month and a half. No one has suffered like I have. Of course I think that that kind of adversity builds character. Well, then I thought, I already have a lot of character. Is it possible to have too much character?"

Giles shook his head as she disappeared into the crowd once more. The secret remained safe.

"The first day back. It always gets me."

He turned at the new voice. Principal Snyder had sidled up alongside him at some point as if they were peers. His ferrety face gazed impassively at the crowd of students. "Yes," Giles replied simply as they started walking along the colonnade.

"I mean, it's incredible. One day the campus is completely bare. Empty. The next, there are children everywhere. Like locusts. Crawling around, mindlessly bent on feeding and mating. Destroying everything in sight in their relentless, pointless desire to exist."

Giles kept his eyes from rolling. "I do enjoy these pep talks. Have you ever considered, given your abhorrence of children, school's principal was not, perhaps, your true vocation?

Snyder gazed at the sea of hormones. "Somebody's got to keep an eye on them. They're just a bunch of hormonal time bombs." He took two dramatic steps away from Giles. "Every time a pretty girl walks by every boy turns into a gibbering fool."

Giles turned his gaze away from the principal's bald head and spotted Jenny coming towards them. "Ms. Calendar!"

She smiled that sunny smile he didn't realize how much he enjoyed seeing. "Mr. Giles!"

"Well, I, uh, um… Hello!" he stammered, not unlike a gibbering fool

He could hear Snyder still talking, apparently unaware of Jenny's arrival. "You see the way these kids gaze at each other… all moony."

"It's good to see you," Jenny continued.

"Yes."

"You think they're thinking about learning?" Snyder sneered.

Subtly deciding to get away from the shorter man, Giles said, "Uh, were you headed to the, uh, faculty room?"

"Sounds like fun!" she said brightly.

They headed off, leaving Snyder behind, still unaware they were leaving. "I try and tell 'em about the important things in life. Discipline, responsibility, punctuality. Might as well be talking to myself."

Giles and Jenny shared small smiles at his expense and managed to escape through the student lounge. "How was your summer?" he asked her.

"Extreme. I did Burning Man in Black Rock, ohhh, such a great festival, you should've been there. They had drum rituals, mobile sculptures, raves, naked mud dances, you would've just…," she broke into a huge grin, "… hated it with a fiery passion!"

Giles made a face. "I can't imagine finding any redeeming, uh…" He came to a stop. "Naked?"

"Hmm," she replied, still grinning mischievously. "And you probably spent all summer with your nose in a book."

Regaining his composure, he nodded. "Yes. I suppose you'd consider that frightfully dull."

"Depends on the book," she smiled.

The moment was broken when four familiar kids came walking up. Jesse, Willow and Xander came down the stairs with Buffy not far behind them. "Giles!" called Willow.

"Yo! G-man! What's up?" said Xander.

Giles nodded semi-pleasantly in their direction. "Nice to see you. And don't ever call me that."

Jesse patted him on the shoulder. "Aw, you love it, you know you do." He noticed Jenny for the first time and playfully backed off. "Oh, sorry, did we interrupt?" he grinned.

Jenny, for her part, seemed amused. "Hi, kids," she said.

The other kids greeted her as Giles spotted Buffy sidling up. It felt good to see her again, especially considering how the last time they'd really talked, she'd only just defeated the Master, and she'd been determined to party and forget she'd been dead for a few seconds. "How are you?" he asked her.

"Live and kicking," she replied.

"Buffy killed a vampire last night," Willow said brightly, causing everyone to look around to see if anyone overheard.

"Uh, I think you can get a little more volume if you speak from the diaphragm," Buffy said, dripping with sarcasm.

"Sorry," Willow said sheepishly.

Jenny looked more alarmed by the news than the girl's volume. "We've got vampires? I thought the Hellmouth was closed."

Giles straightened his glasses, signaling he was entering what Xander and Jesse would call 'exposition mode'. "Well, it's closed, but not gone. The mystical energy that emanates from it is still concentrated in this area."

"Which means we're still the undead's favorite party town," sighed Xander.

Giles furrowed his brow thoughtfully. "I wonder if they're here for any purpose, particularly."

Buffy shrugged. "You're the Watcher. I just work here."

Taking her point, he nodded. "Yes, I-I must consult my books."

Xander held up his wristwatch and grinned. "Oh, eight minutes and thirty-three seconds, pay up." Willow and Jesse both handed him a dollar. "I called ten minutes before you'd consult your books about something." He grinned at his friends. "Thanks."

The bell rang, signaling the kids needed to start making their way to their classes. They said their goodbyes and set off, Jenny setting off for the computer lab. Giles started for the library, but a thought occurred to him, and he called after Buffy. "Uh, I realize you've only just returned, but when you're ready, I think we should start your training again."

Buffy nodded. "I'm ready. I'll see you after school," she said, starting to set off again.

"Well, I-I-I understand if, if you want a few days to…"

"I'm ready," she repeated emphatically, leaving him behind.

After school, Giles led Buffy through her training exercises – and wondered why he was suddenly the one wishing it would end already instead of her. She did a tumbling and kicking exercise that took her all around the library.

Then, they continued training with the quarterstaff. Buffy swung it at Giles' hand pads, with him retreating as she hit. He ducked a swing but she continued around with the quarterstaff and knocked him back into the chairs by the table.

Next she practiced her punches on the wooden punching dummy. At first, he thought she might finally be calming down, but then, she began to go crazy on it, throwing continuous rapid punches. He didn't think it possible to feel empathy for a dummy, and yet…

"Buffy, that's enough," he told her.

She kept whaling on the dummy.

He tried again. "Buffy!"

She kicked it, and it broke in two, the pieces scattering on the floor.

Giles straightened his glasses, glad that was over. "Uh, safe to say you've stayed in shape," he said, wondering whether or not he should try to repair the dummy or just make a discrete trip to the dumpster later.

Buffy stood over the remains, breathing hard from her exertions. "I'm ready. Whatever they've got coming next, I'm ready." She bunched her hair above her head, still in the 'zone', as they said. "Yeah."

In the old brick warehouse across town, a vampire in a Victorian outfit of a white shirt with a black vest and trousers, held a knife in his gloved hands as he addressed the surviving members of the Order of Aurelius. The Anointed One observed from the furthest side of the room, his expression as impassive as ever.

"We have been put down, kinsmen. We have lost our way. We have lost the night. But despair is for the living. Where they are weak, we will be strong. Where they weep, we rejoice. Where they bleed," he started to laugh, "we drink! Within three days a New Hope will arise. We will put our faith in him." He looked across to the Anointed One. "He will show us the way."

Up in the student lounge, Buffy sat on a couch, off in her own world. It had been an ordinary second day of school. Her classes kind of ran together. She sat here on break, her thoughts kind of a mush.

She dimly heard footsteps coming toward her. "Buffy!" Was that her name? She wasn't sure. "Buffy!" Oh, yes, it was.

She looked up, trying to appear alert. "Fine! I'm fine."

Xander smiled at her. "Good! It's good that you're fine."

Willow and Jesse sat on the couch opposite Buffy while Xander stepped past her and sat on the couch next to her. "What were you thinking about?" Willow asked as she took an apple out of her bag.

"Nothing."

"Oh, c'mon, you can tell us," Xander needled as he pulled a power bar out of his bag.. "We're your bosom friends! The friends of your bosom!"

Jesse looked amused as he took a banana out of his bag. "Wanna try that sentence again, Xan-Man?" Then, he frowned at his banana, as did Xander at his power bar and Willow at her apple. In one fluid motion, Jesse tossed his banana to Xander, who tossed his power bar to Willow, who handed her apple to Jesse.

"I wasn't thinking anything, really," Buffy sighed, not really noticing this.

"What'd you do last night?" asked Willow.

"Mm. Slept. I had weird dreams."

Xander nodded wisely as he took a bite of the banana. "Dreams are meaningful."

"Tsh! Tell me about it," grinned Willow. "The other night I dreamt that Xander…" Her grin fell as she realized. "Uh, I-it wasn't Xander. I-in fact it wasn't me. It was a friend's dream, and she doesn't remember it."

"Poor girl," Jesse chuckled. "Probably losing her mind."

Then, from behind her, Buffy heard footsteps approaching rapidly, and she turned just in time to see… "Giles!" she exclaimed, springing to her feet. "What is it? You look worried."

Giles came hurrying up, a little out of breath from having fast-walked his way to her. "This vampire activity, I think I know what they're up to."

Buffy shrugged. "Well, we'll deal with it."

"I hope it's that simple."

"It is not to worry. Trust me," Buffy smiled.

Giles smiled back, albeit a little more wry. "Oh, I don't know. I mean," he chuckled, "I've killed you once, it shouldn't be too difficult to do it again."

Buffy's heart stopped. "What?"

Without warning, Giles took a hard backhand swing at her face, knocking her down onto the table between the two couches. He got on top of her and began to choke her.

Xander, Jesse and Willow just sat on the couches and chewed away at their food, smiling vacantly and laughing at some apparent joke one of them said.

Buffy reached up to Giles' face and tried to push him off. She clawed at him, and suddenly pulled off a mask, revealing the Master underneath. Buffy stared up at him in wide-eyed terror before she woke up. She looked around her darkened bedroom, noticing her open window. Sitting up, she rubbed her face to chase the scaries away.

When she looked back at her window again, she saw Angel leaning against the sill.

"Hello," she said, a little wigged at his sudden appearance.

"Mind if I come in?" he asked quietly.

Buffy shrugged, trying to act like the dream hadn't freaked her out. "Be my guest."

As he took a few steps closer, she saw the concern on Angel's face. "How are you?"

"Peachy. So, is this a social call? It is kinda late. Or, well, it is for me, anyway. What is it for you, lunch hour?"

"It's not a social call."

"Ah." She didn't know whether to be relieved or not. "So, lemme guess. That means grave danger. Gosh, it's good to be home."

"I'm sorry. I wish I had better news."

"So, some of your cousins are in town for a family barbecue, and we're all on the menu!"

"The Anointed One. He's been gathering forces somewhere in town. I'm not sure why."

"Guess I'll find out soon enough, huh?"

Angel's expression didn't change, but his tone sounded more… judgey. "You don't sound too concerned."

"I can handle myself. Besides, I could use a little action anyway."

"Don't underestimate the Anointed One just because he looks like a child. He has power over the rest of them. They'll do anything for him."

Annoyed that he apparently didn't have faith in her, Buffy pretended to look bored. "Is that it? Is that everything? Y'know, 'cause you woke me up from a really good dream." She turned away from him and lied back down, willing him to go away, yet part of her hoping he'd stay and make her stay safe.

"Sorry. I'll go." She heard movement, but then it stopped. "I missed you."

Almost incredulous, Buffy turned her head back again. "I missed you?" she repeated.

But he was already gone. Dammit, how did he do that?

The next day, Buffy showed up at school for real this time. Joyce had tried to talk to her before and get her to open up, but, of course, Buffy couldn't tell her the truth. Had to keep her out of the loop. Had to keep her safe. Had to keep her worried. Still, she considered it a good thing that her mother worried. It beat having her not care at all.

She got some things out of her locker while informing Xander, Jesse and Willow about Angel's late night report. "Angel stopped by? Wow," said Willow, her eyes lighting up at some potential hot gossip. "Was there…? Well, I mean, was it having to do with kissing?"

Buffy made a face. "Willow, grow up. Not everything is about kissing."

"Yeah," grinned Xander. "Some stuff's about groping." Then, his face looked alarmed. "It wasn't about groping?" he asked Buffy hopefully.

Officially annoyed now, she glared at her friends. "Hormones on full parade here? It was pure shop talk."

"Vampires, then," grimaced Jesse. "Just when it felt safe to go for a moonlit stroll in the cemetery. Did he say what it would be?"

"Oh, something's up," she said as she closed her locker. "Nothing I can't handle."

"In other words, 'something vague this way comes'. Love it when we're flying blind," Jesse sighed ruefully.

"Well, on the lighter side of the news," said Xander, hoping to raise their spirits, "did you guys hear that Cibo Matto's gonna be at the Bronze tonight?"

"Cibo Matto? They're playing?" asked Willow.

"No, Willow, they're gonna be clog dancing."

"Cibo Matto can clog dance?" Everyone gave her a look, and she realized. "Oh, sarcasm, right."

Jesse patted her shoulder. "Don't ever change, Will," he chuckled. "But I would be interested in attending."

Before they could continue, Cordelia came out of class and encountered them in the hall, acquiring a smug demeanor as she approached. "Oh, look, it's the Four Musketeers."

They all looked at each other, bemused by her description of them. "Was that an insult?" asked Buffy.

"Kinda lacked punch," noted Xander.

" Were there four Musketeers?" asked Jesse. "I thought it was three."

"Technically, there was, but he was a guy who sought out the Three Musketeers and ended up joining them," Willow said. "They were too cool to be an insult."

Cordelia deflated a little. "I see your point," she conceded.

"There were four Marx Brothers for a while," Jesse pointed out. "They were all male, sure, but they fit the theme better."

"Well, I just meant that you guys always hang out together. So, did you guys fight any demons this summer?"

The quartet looked around in alarm to make sure no one had heard. Had it always been this hard to keep the secret? "Uh, yes! Our own personal demons!" said Willow loudly.

Xander nodded. "Uh, such as, as, as lust and, uh, thrift!"

Jesse opted to keep his voice low. "It's just that this whole 'demon fighting thing' is a secret," he explained.

"Why?" she asked, her brow furrowed in genuine confusion. "Who's ever going to believe it?"

"No one. But you rant about vampires and demons enough, and soon enough, the guys in the white coats are coming along to take us to the Happy Hotel."

Willow frowned. "You haven't been talking about our little adventure all summer, have you?"

"Are you nuts? Do you think I would tell people that I spent the whole evening with you? Besides, it was all so creepy. That Master guy? And all the screaming? I don't even like to think about it. So your secret's safe with me," she said to Buffy.

Buffy gave her a fake smile. "Well, that works out great. You won't tell anyone that I'm the Slayer, and I won't tell anyone you're a moron." She turned and walked coldly away.

Xander nodded distantly. "Now, that was a good insult."

"A little too good," agreed Willow with a frown.

"What's up with her?" demanded Cordelia.

"Something vague this way comes," Jesse murmured.

Cibo Matto did indeed play the Bronze that night. People gathered and went inside as they played "Spoon". Xander, Willow and Jesse sat around a table waiting for Buffy to arrive, and Willow had her latest theory up and running.

"I just think something's up is all," she said over the music.

Xander shook his head. "Willow, you're paranoid."

"Buffy's never acted like this before. Ever since she got back she's… different."

"That doesn't mean she's possessed," replied Jesse. "Just means she's… 'different'."

"She's never been mean."

Xander sighed. As much as he didn't want to admit it, they knew Willow had a point. "Any sign of her? She said she was coming."

"No. The band's cool, though."

The two boys nodded distantly.

At the Master's grave, four vampires stood around the four crosses that marked it. One of them stabbed a shovel into the dirt and started to dig. Another one joined in. Absalom, Collin and two others watched the first two vampires dig.

"Don't just stand there," Absalom snapped at the other onlookers. "Dig! We have to hurry."

The other two irritably got on their knees and begin to dig. The ground burned their hands, smoke rising from their fingers. "The ground is consecrated! It burns!"

Collin looked impassive. "Dig."

The digging continued. Mercifully for them, the grave was shallow, and they soon unearthed the Master's skull.

Cordelia wandered through the Bronze, her head lightly bobbing to the music. She had spotted that weird broody guy Angel and considered going over to him, but of course, Buffy walked in, and he immediately went towards her. She walked a little closer anyway, close enough that she could hear what they were saying.

"So, is there danger at the Bronze? Should I beware?" Buffy asked in a sardonic tone.

"I can't help thinking I've done something to make you angry," Angel replied, his brow furrowed. "And that bothers me more than I'd like."

"I'm not angry. I don't know where that comes from."

"What are you afraid of? Me? Us?"

Buffy rolled her eyes childishly. "Could you contemplate getting over yourself for a second? There's no 'us'. Look, Angel, I'm sorry if I was supposed to spend the summer mooning over you, but I didn't. I moved on. To the living ."

With that smug aura she had so well-perfected, she slunk away from him towards her friends' table, leaving Angel looking pissed and Cordelia wondering what the hell that was about. They had seen her interactions with Angel.

"What's wrong with Angel?" asked Willow.

Buffy shrugged. "Beats me," she replied before pulling at Xander's shirt. "Let's dance." It wasn't an invitation. It was a command.

Xander, for his part, didn't seem to know whether he should be ecstatic or frightened. "Ooo-kay." He allowed himself to be dragged out onto the dance floor, leaving Willow and Jesse staring after them, both clearly stunned by this development.

Cordelia watched as Buffy and Xander began to slow dance. She could see the other girl's movements were very sensual, hips swaying, her arms over her head, and Xander trying his best to enjoy it but not succeeding very much. Then, Buffy turned around and spooned in against Xander, pulling his arms around her waist, grinding her hips and shoulders against him. She reached up with her hand and stroked his face.

Her mouth hanging open, Cordelia scanned the room. Angel looked on, clearly jealous. Willow and Jesse watched on, dumbfounded.

Buffy turned to Xander and tilted her head up to his, close enough to kiss. "Xander?" she could just about hear her say. "Did I ever thank you… for saving my life?"

"No," Xander replied, trying to keep it together.

Buffy slowly slithered around him like a snake, making sure not to lose contact with his body. "Don't you wish I would?" She broke off, leaving him standing there, looking lost, but Cordelia could tell didn't like it.

Buffy went back to their table and retrieved her jacket, a very self-satisfied look on her face, ignoring Willow and Jesse staring after her. She walked past Cordelia as she made her way out of the Bronze. Angel's eyes followed her with his stare.

Xander remained rooted to the dance floor, upset and unsure how to react, and for some reason, that upset Cordelia to see him like that. Jesse left his and Willow's table and gently guided him back, not looking at all congratulatory like a regular teenage boy would've been. If anything, he seemed to be consoling him.

Having seen enough, Cordelia followed Buffy out of the Bronze and spotted her walking down the alley at a quick pace. "Buffy," she called after her. "You're really campaigning for bitch-of-the-year, aren't you?"

Buffy turned to face her, her expression impassive. "As defending champion, you nervous?"

"I can hold my own. You know, we've never really been close, which is nice, 'cause I don't really like you that much, but… you have on occasion saved the world and stuff, so I'm gonna… do you a favor."

"And this great favor is…?"

"I'm gonna give you some advice. Get over it."

"Excuse me?"

"Whatever is causing the Joan Collins 'tude, deal with it. Embrace the pain, spank your inner moppet, whatever, but get over it. 'Cause pretty soon you're not even gonna have the loser friends you've got now."

Buffy's glare intensified. "I think it's about time you start minding your own business."

"It's long past."

With that, Buffy turned her hood up and continued walking away. "Nighty-night."

Cordelia stared after her as she disappeared into the gloom of the night. "I'll just see if Angel feels like dancing," she said snidely.

And that's when the vampires got her.

The encounter with Cordelia had left Buffy feeling strangely satisfied. A small part of her thought it strange that she had lashed out at the air-headed cheerleader, but it also felt extremely good to bring her down to size. Maybe now she'd think twice before insulting her again.

And as for the dance with Xander – that had been extremely satisfying, too. Seeing Angel squirm like a worm on a hook, while seeing that look on the boy's face as he clearly lusted for her and she pushed him away in nothing flat. It felt good. It felt… not good. She didn't know what it felt. It had been thrilling, but she didn't feel any better. All those annoying thoughts and fears still bubbled away inside her, and she couldn't make them stop.

She wandered through the cemetery, realizing she'd headed for the tree her friends said marked the Master's grave. Maybe she just needed to see for sure he remained dead. That would make her feel better.

When she got there, however, she found it dug open, and his bones exhumed. She stepped back slowly – this couldn't be good. Major very much not good. She thought she saw the Master out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned to look, she saw no one.

So much for feeling better.

"She's possessed!" Willow insisted.

Giles eyed her, unconvinced, as he got a soda from the student lounge vending machine. "Possessed?" he repeated.

Willow nodded, desperate to believe it. "That's the only explanation that makes any sense. I mean, you should've seen her last night. That wasn't Buffy."

Xander looked offended. "Are we overlooking the idea that she may be very attracted to me?" He looked hopefully between the others, but conceded at last. "She's possessed," he said sadly as Jesse patted his shoulder.

Giles remained unmoved. "Possessed by what?"

Willow floundered for a moment, trying to think. "A-a-a-a-a… possessing thing!"

"Well, that narrows it down." He took a sip of his soda and winced at its sweetness, handing it to Jesse instead, who took it gratefully.

"Well, you're the expert," Xander reminded him. "Hey, maybe when the Master killed her some… mystical bad guy transference thing happened."

Willow nodded eagerly. "That's what it was! I mean, why else would she be acting like such a b-i-t-c-h?"

Jesse shook his head as he gulped down some of Giles' soda. "Will – we're juniors now. Just curse like an adorable sailor."

Xander just looked lost. "A 'bitca'?"

Rolling his eyes, Giles got the conversation back on track. "Yes. I suggest that, uh, the explanation for her behavior may be something more mundane." The bell rang, and the students around them began to leave for class, freeing up one of the couches for him to sit on while they gathered around on the others. "She may simply have what you Americans refer to as 'issues'. Uh, her experience with the Master must have been extremely traumatic. Well, she was, for at least a few minutes, technically dead. I don't think she's dealt with that on a conscious level. She's convinced herself that she's invulnerable… for the very reason that she feels…"

"Yes!" Jesse said abruptly, making him jump. "I saw that episode of Maury Povich. It was extremely moving and touching. She got her life together. Hi , Buffy!"

Giles turned and noticed Buffy walking up to them. "Oh! Buffy! Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

Buffy's expression looked hard. "Like a rock. Master's gone."

"I'm sorry?"

"The Master. I went by his grave last night, and they have a vacancy."

Giles' eyes widened, and he got to his feet again. "Good God!"

"What would somebody want with Master bones?" Willow asked, looking grossed out by the very thought.

Xander shrugged helplessly. "A trophy, a horrible conversation piece?"

"Goth kids trying to give their cribs some street cred?" suggested Jesse.

Buffy looked unamused. "They're gonna bring him back. They're gonna bring the Master back to life, and I seem to recall you telling me he was history," she added, eyeing Giles very snidely.

Taken aback by her accusatory tone, Giles stammered, "Buffy, I've never heard of a revivification ritual being successful."

"But you've heard of them? Thanks for the warning."

Willow attempted to stick up for the Watcher a little. "Well, Buffy, Giles did bury him and…"

"Look," Buffy snapped, cutting her off dismissively, "this is Slayer stuff, okay? Could we have just a little less from the civilians, please?"

"So we're 'civilians' now?" asked Jesse, looking more hurt than offended. "When did we get downgraded from 'friends'?"

If his words caused Buffy any guilt, she didn't show it – too busy glaring fiercely at Jesse, as if daring him to say anything else.

Perhaps mercifully – but really not, because nothing about him was ever merciful – Principal Snyder wandered up with a suspicious glare. "I believe some of us have class? And some of us have jobs."

Giles nodded. "Yes, well, I'll, uh, I'll see you all, uh, in the library later," he stammered. "We'll continue this discussion."

Buffy still looked annoyed at him as she left, and her friends looked annoyed with her as they went their separate ways. Giles found himself standing next to Snyder, who watched them go.

"There are some things I can just smell," the smaller man growled in his nasally tone. "It's like a sixth sense."

"No," said Giles, "actually that would be one of the five."

Snyder ignored him. "That Summers girl. I smell trouble. I smell expulsion, and just the faintest aroma of jail."

As always when a member of faculty spoke negatively about Buffy, Giles felt compelled to speak on her behalf, even if they were having an argument right now. "Well, before you throw away the key, you might consider giving her the benefit of the doubt. She may surprise you."

Snyder looked at him, his eyes searching. "You really have faith in those kids, don't you?"

"Yes, I do."

"Weird."

After a long day with eight bells' worth of classes, everyone gathered in the library. Xander, Jesse and Willow sat on one side of the table while Buffy made a point of sitting by herself on the other, her chair positioned so she wasn't looking at them. She slouched with her arms crossed, instead waiting for Giles to start giving her the info.

At last, he started, carrying an open book. "All right, all right, I've got something. It's Latin, so bear with me. Uh, to revive the vampire they need his bones, uh… which they have, and, um, the blood… this is very unclear, of the closest person… uh, someone connected to the vampire."

Buffy rolled her eyes as if this were so typical. "That'd be me."

"Perhaps."

"We were close," Buffy insisted dismissively. "We killed each other. It really promotes togetherness."

Xander started to speak up. "Well, is there anything on when the ceremony might take…" An incoming rock rudely interrupted him as it came crashing through a window. Buffy deftly caught it in her hands, and she quickly found it had a note wrapped around it and kept in place with a bracelet.

"This is Cordelia's," she realized out loud. She took off the note and read it out loud. "'Come to the Bronze before it opens, or we make her a meal.'"

Xander frowned. "They're gonna cook her dinner?" Once again, everyone else gave him a look, and he shrank down. "I'll pretend I didn't say that."

"Do we have a plan?" asked Jesse. "I mean, do we throw rocks back at them?"

Buffy heaved a world weary sigh – a sure sign she wasn't taking this threat seriously. "I go to the Bronze and save the day." She headed for the door almost nonchalantly.

Xander shook his head. "I don't like this."

"Nor I!" agreed Giles.

Almost growling with frustration, Buffy turned back. "Yeah? Well, you guys aren't going."

Willow looked hurt. "What do you mean?"

"I can't do it anymore. I can't look after the four of you guys while I'm fighting."

Jesse held up his hands placatingly. "I mean, far be it from me to get in the way, but I'm happy to go along as emotional support."

"And what about the rest of the note?" asked Willow.

Buffy frowned. "What 'rest of the note'?"

"The part that says, 'P.S. This is a trap'?"

"You'll be playing straight into their hands," Giles said, removing his glasses to show how serious he looked.

Buffy's expression remained steadfastly dismissive. "I can handle this."

"Stop saying that!" cried Willow, finally losing her patience. "God, what's wrong with you?"

"Cordelia may be dead!" snapped Xander.

But Buffy remained as cold as before. "This is my fight." She grabbed her coat and bag and walked out of the library in a defiant strut – like her legs were trying to piss them off. Xander shook his head while Willow just watched her go. Jesse sighed heavily like a deflating balloon, while Giles simply put his glasses back on.

Telling herself that she'd done the right thing, Buffy walked through the alley outside the Bronze. She stopped, though, when she felt a familiar tingle on her mental radar. "Y'know, being stalked isn't really a big turn-on for girls."

Angel stepped out behind her. "You need help. Someone to watch your back."

Irritated by yet another ineffectual lowlife trying to help her, Buffy swung around. "Sure you don't mean my neck?"

Angel circled to her front. "Why are you ridin' me?"

"Because I don't trust you. You're a vampire." Off his annoyed expression, she pretended to be embarrassed. "Oh, I'm sorry, was that an offensive term? Should I say 'undead American'?"

"You have to trust someone. You can't do this alone."

"I trust me."

"You're not as strong as you think."

It wasn't what he meant, but she was in such a mood that she decided to take it as a challenge. "You think you can take me?"

Angel frowned, almost annoyed. "What?"

"Oh, c'mon!" Buffy mocked, feeling deep pleasure in trying to rattle him. "I mean, you must've thought about it. What would happen if it ever came down to a fight, you vampire, me the Slayer, I mean, you must've wondered!" She took a fighting stance and gave him a cocksure smirk. "Well, why don't we find out?"

But Angel simply remained as stoic as ever. "I'm not gonna fight you."

"Come on! Kick my ass!"

"Don't you have somewhere to be?"

Oh right, the trap she was supposed to be walking into. "I do."

"Well, you're wasting time."

Angry she hadn't even put a dent in his armor, she sneered. "Just stay out of my way," she said, walking past him to the entrance.

"Happy to oblige," he replied calmly.

Once inside, Buffy looked around as she slowly walked through an empty Bronze. She could hear something, though, that sounded like a human voice. She continued until she came upon a girl crying in a corner. She stopped, aware that Angel stood behind her. "That's not Cordelia," she said out loud.

The vampire laughed and turns around. "Cordelia couldn't make it."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Where is she?"

"I'm not supposed to tell."

"I don't like this," Angel murmured, a surprising edge in his voice – and that only made Buffy's unflappable confidence waver.

"Don't like what?"

"There's the bait. Where's the hook?"

The vampire suddenly attacked, and Buffy flipped her over onto her back on the floor and pinned her down with her foot.

"You're right," Buffy frowned. "Why would they send just one?"

While Giles continued his research in the library, Xander paced the room like a caged animal, whereas Willow and Jesse both sat at the table. It had been almost half an hour. They knew Buffy would be at the Bronze by now. They held out the hope that she would call or something, but given her current attitude, maybe that was a long shot.

"I still think we should've gone with her," said Willow for the fifth time.

"And done what?" asked Jesse. "We've reached out, and she's pretty much slapped us at every opportunity. It's up to her now."

"Jesse's right," agreed Xander. "Buffy's about to lose it. I think we should be trying to reach minimum safe distance."

"You guys know it's a trap!" objected Willow.

Giles suddenly stood up again, holding the book he'd been reading. "Ah!" he exclaimed, making them all jump. "Ah, ah, ah! Uh, uh, the Latin is translated from the Sumerian, and rather badly. 'Closest to the Master' actually translates as 'nearest'. Physically. The person or persons who were with him… when he…" He trailed off, his gaze slowly looking up, putting them all on edge. "It is a trap."

They followed his eyeline and abruptly stood up from the table as they saw several vampires appearing on the mezzanine level above.

"It just isn't for her."

Buffy left the female vampire in Angel's custody with strict orders not to kill her unless necessary. She came rushing into the library, stopping short when she saw the place completely trashed. Books scattered the place, the cage had been ripped open, and the center table had been tipped over onto its side. Behind it, she saw Xander just regaining consciousness and getting up, using the table for support. She rushed over to help him, but he shook her off.

"Xander!" she cried. "What happened?"

Xander took a moment to catch his breath. "Vampires," he said, glaring at her. "The ones you could handle yourself."

Buffy looked around the destruction, but she couldn't see anyone else crawling out from under anything. "Where are the others?"

"I don't know," he replied, still panting for breath and still looking pissed. This wasn't the same childish anger a few months ago when she rejected him. This was real anger. "I don't know what your problem is, what your issues are. But as of now, I officially don't care. If you'd worked with us for five seconds, you could've stopped this."

Stung, Buffy turned away to pace a little. "We, we just have to think," she stammered. "Where would they have taken them?"

"If they hurt Willow or Jesse, I'll kill you."

It would've been a laughable threat if she didn't totally deserve it. "Why did they take them and not you?"

Rubbing his forehead, Xander pulled himself out of his anger enough to focus. "Giles said the ritual was, um… They needed people who were close to the Master. Physically close. When he, uh…"

Buffy put the rest of it together. "The ones who were with the Master when he died."

"Giles, Jesse, Willow, Cordelia…"

"Ms. Calendar."

"Odds are they've got a complete set by now."

Buffy nodded in agreement. They needed to find out where they'd been taken in order to stop the Master. She knew exactly how to do it.

Buffy threw the bait vampire down onto the floor, her preferred form of interrogation. "One more time: where are they?"

The female vampire sneered. "You're too late. Your friends are dead."

Undeterred, Buffy lifted her back up. "Tell me where they are!"

"What are you gonna do?" the vampire laughed. "Kill me?"

"As a matter of fact…," she paused to throw the vampire onto a pool table, "yes." She yanked off her necklace with the cross pendant and held it by the chain over the vampire's head. "But since I'm not gonna kill you any time soon, the question becomes…" She dropped the cross into the vampire's mouth and covered it with her hands. "How are we gonna pass the time till then?"

The cross burned in the vampire's mouth, and she shook her head frantically. After several seconds, Buffy pulled the cross back out.

"So. One more time."

Inside their warehouse, Collin carried a black case past the Master's skeleton, which had been laid out on a table. Absalom took it from him before addressing the others. "Begin."

Another vampire started pulling on a chain, and Willow, Jesse, Giles, Cordelia and Jenny moved along an overhead conveyor, hanging upside down and unconscious above the Master's bones.

"Behold," Absalom intoned, "these five mortals."

Buffy came into the warehouse through a side door, Angel and Xander following her in. The fact it was the two of them at her back again only enhanced her memories of that night. They could hear Absalom's voice carry from the main room.

"Witnesses to our Master's wretched demise. They will breathe their last this night. The blood that pours from their throats will bring new life to the old one. We gather for his resurrection. For the dawn of this new hell."

Buffy looked up at the five of them hanging upside down. Willow, Jesse, Giles, Cordelia and Ms Calendar – hanging like meat in a slaughterhouse above the vampires working the room.

Xander started nudging her. "We gotta do something now!"

"You two get the others out of here," she ordered.

"We need you to distract the vampires," Angel pointed out.

Buffy nodded in agreement. "Right."

"What are you gonna do?" asked Xander.

"I'm gonna kill them all," she replied, turning back to the room. "That oughta distract them." Satisfied she had given them their tasks, she moved through the room, ready to act on hers. She could see Absalom, holding a Kuhkri, a long, curved knife.

"For the old one. For his pain. For the dark."

"For the dark!" the vampires chorused.

Absalom kissed the blade. Deciding to go for it, Buffy charged and put a stake through the back of the nearest vampire, and he instantly turned into ashes. She took a fighting stance as Absalom looked at her in disbelief and then roared. Three vampires begin fighting her, but she easily kept them at bay.

She saw in her peripheral vision Angel and Xander using this distraction to climb the ladder to the platform above to get the others off of the conveyor. Satisfied her friends would be safe, she continued to fight the vampires below.

She lost track of the Anointed One, but she saw Absolom spotting Angel and Xander pulling on the chain, bringing the others back over to the platform. "The sacrifices! Stop them!"

A vampire responded to Absalom's command and ran to the ladder to the platform. As Buffy continued to fight, she saw Absalom look around before rushing out of the warehouse. Unable to do anything about it, she kept fighting. She did a flip over some wooden boxes, grabbed one on the way and smashed it onto a vampire's head. She kicked the vampire in the face, knocking him down and breaking a few pieces of wood off of the box.

She got tackled by another vampire, but as that happened, she could see that, on the platform above, Angel and Xander had already gotten Giles, Jenny and Cordelia off of the conveyor, in the process of removing Jesse and about to get Willow off as well. A vampire finally made it up to the platform and growled. Angel looked at him with his game face on and growled back, and the two met each other halfway and fought while Xander continued rescuing the others.

With a vampire now on top of her, Buffy reached up with a broken piece of wood and jammed it into the vampire's back, and promptly got ash all over herself. The vampire she knocked down before with the box got up and rushed to attack her. She heard a crash, and briefly saw that Angel and his opponent had fallen through a poorly covered hole in the platform. She glanced up and saw Giles and Ms Calendar had somewhat regained consciousness while Xander pulled a still unconscious Willow with his arm. Glad to see them all right, Buffy kicked the vampire into a storage rack, and he went down with it.

Then, Absalom made his gallant return. " Enough !" he bellowed. She saw him in the doorway with a large sledgehammer. "Your day is done, girl. I'll grind you into a sticky paste, and hear you beg before I smash in your face."

Buffy tilted her head. "So, are you gonna kill me or are we just making small talk?"

Absalom raised the sledgehammer in indignation and yelled as he began his attack. The other vampire rushed at her from the other side. Buffy calmly looked at the tall wooden torch post in front of her, broke it off and turned it a few times in her hands. The vampire impaled himself on the broken end and crumbled into ash. Absalom ran into the burning end and was promptly set ablaze. He backed up and screamed as the flames spread over him. He made a last desperate attempt to get Buffy and raised the sledgehammer over his head, but the flames engulfed him and instantly burned him up. The sledgehammer fell to the floor with a loud clang.

Buffy dropped the post and looked over at the Master's skeleton. She could hear Willow, Jesse and Xander talking over her – so at the very least, they would survive – but she didn't dwell on their words. She picked up the sledgehammer and slowly walked over to the Master's skeleton, looking at it for a moment. Then, she swung the hammer back behind her and arced it directly into the Master's skull, shattering it to pieces. She continued whaling on the skeleton, too consumed with rage to care if her friends watched her in this deeply vulnerable moment. She needed this. She needed to exorcise this feeling inside of her as best she could.

She didn't know for sure how long she pounded, but at some point, she started crying, the tears streaming down her face as she dropped the sledgehammer on the floor, finding she'd reduced the bones to nothing but talcum powder. Also, at some point, she found herself sobbing into Angel's chest, his arms gently around her as he whispered reassurances to her. "It's okay. It's okay." All the feelings she had kept bottled up inside, she now allowed them to flow freely, and as much as it hurt, she also knew she would feel better for it.

The next day at school, Buffy decided to meet up with Giles. While not a lot was said between them about her behavior the last couple days, he still greeted her like normal and gave her the latest updates on vampiric activity in the area. They walked across the quad together, with Buffy deeply fearing seeing the others again. Would they be anywhere near as forgiving? What would she say to any of them?

Then, she saw Ms Calendar coming their way with Cordelia at her side, and the head cheerleader clearly had the computer science teacher in a long-winded yammer session – god, would she have to apologize to Cordelia, too?

"What an ordeal. And you know what the worst part is?" Cordelia was saying.

"What?" Ms Calendar asked.

"It stays with you forever. No matter what they tell you, none of that rust and blood and grime comes out. I mean, you can dry clean till judgment day, you are living with those stains."

"Yeah that's the worst part of being hung upside down by a vampire who wants to slit your throat: the stains."

"I hear ya!"

Buffy rolled her eyes, but Ms Calendar smiled briefly at her and Giles as they passed, so she had a feeling maybe things wouldn't be too bad between them after this – which brought her back to her original fears.

"I don't think I can face them," she said to Giles.

He looked momentarily surprised. "Hmm? Of course, you can."

"I can't! What am I supposed to say? 'Sorry I almost got your throat slit. What's the homework?'"

"Punishing yourself like this is pointless."

"It's entirely pointy. I was a moron. I put my best friends in mortal danger on the second day of school."

"What are you gonna do? Crawl inside a cave for the rest of your life?"

"Would it have cable?"

Giles gave her a small smile. "Buffy, you acted wrongly, I admit that. But believe me, that was hardly the worst mistake you'll ever make." He paused to mull his words over. "Uh, that wasn't quite as comforting as it was meant to be."

Buffy gave a wry smile. "Well, points for effort." The bell rang, meaning she couldn't put it off any longer. "See ya."

Her classroom in view, Buffy took a deep breath before stepping through the door. She could do this. They'd been through so much together, surely only one day of poor judgment and a bitchy attitude couldn't spoil all that forever, right? Of course not. Getting there was the hard part.

Immediately, she could see Willow, Jesse and Xander sitting next to each other, hunched over, chatting and comparing notes. Behind them, technically close enough to be part of their group, sat an empty desk. Did she dare? Willow already saw her. Jesse and Xander both looked up when they saw her looking, but Xander went back to his schoolwork on Willow's desk. Cautiously, Buffy walked over to the empty desk next to Willow.

"Hey, Buffy," Willow said almost sort of brightly.

"Hey," Buffy replied quietly.

"We saved you a seat."

Jesse cleared his throat. "Well, technically, nobody wanted it because it would've meant sitting with the three of us, but this time we're glad about it," he said brightly.

Taking that as a good sign, Buffy sat down at the desk, looking between the three of them.

Xander finally looked up. "There's a rumor going around that, uh, Mr. Cox is the most boring teacher in the entire world. Like, I think he won a belt or something."

Buffy smiled a little. "Like, yes."

"Well, I hear he nods off a lot. So that's a plus," said Willow.

Xander nodded, his posture relaxing a little. "So, we Bronzin' it tonight?"

Jesse shrugged at the suggestion. "Or we could just hang out and watch a movie – preferably one where the monsters are rubber and the magic is crappy computer graphics."

Willow frowned. "Again – I'm not sitting through that dumb show!"

"Well," said Xander with a small smile, "we could grind our enemies into talcum powder with a sledgehammer, but, gosh, we did that last night."

They all smiled at her, and she smiled back. Almost seamlessly, it seemed as though the world had righted itself, and their friendship emerged as strong as ever.

"Hey, I got a plan: how 'bout miniature golf," Xander suggested.

"There's no course here," Willow pointed out.

"We could make one," said Jesse, looking excited by the idea. "Hang on, I've got some blank paper. We can design one and charge people."

"Ooh, fun and commerce," grinned Buffy as he got his pencils and paper out. "Dibs on treasurer."