A/N PikaMew, the pack being made up of other people is a fun idea and one worth exploring, the only reason I'm currently using the canon members is because everything prior to Buffy being hospitalized with the flu and Xander's confrontation with Angelus is canon as far as this story is concerned. It's au after that confrontation in this story. I like your suggestions and I'll have to see about using them in other stories. Thank you for them.

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"I believe I've figured out how to open a portal to Pylea." Giles informed Xander a couple of days later.

"Well, that's good, I guess. Kendra and her Watcher are due in a couple of days and you're heading back to England the same day. I was hoping to have Buffy back before then. Not to mention Mrs. Summers is going out of her mind worrying about her. I never meant to cause Mrs. Summers any problems."

"You didn't know there was a vengeance demon around, Xander, you didn't wish her away on purpose." Giles reminded him.

"It's still causing problems, accident or not. It would be so much easier if I could just tell Mrs. Summers what's going on, but thanks to you insisting on keeping her in the dark on everything she has no clue what's going on and the only ways I can think of to prove it to her could endanger her and I don't want to do that."

"I still believe that's for the best." Giles insisted.

"Your logic needs work because it's idiotic, is what it is. Keeping Mrs. Summers in the dark endangers her life. Or have you managed to forget that she invited a vampire into her house, one that knew Buffy lived there and was there because of Buffy? If she knew the truth it would never have happened." Xander glared at the older man, who looked uncomfortable.

"Back on the original subject." Giles determinedly turned the conversation away from that topic. "I'm prepared to open a portal to Pylea. Will you be taking your pack with you?"

"I don't know if pack is the right word, Giles." Xander responded. "Yes, when we were possessed that's exactly what we were. But we're not possessed anymore, we have some sort of connection that we're trying to figure out. For now, let's just go with friends. Anyway, yes, we've discussed it and they're all coming with. Cordelia wouldn't let me go alone anyway. I'll call them and have them come over. You can open the portal once they get here." Xander headed for the phone on the desk and began calling, finishing up with a call to Cordelia to let her know. "By the way, how are we getting back, once we've found her?"

"I'm coming with," Giles answered. "I have to so I can open the return portal. The portal will close as soon as we've crossed over."

"Than you should take a sword with and I'll take the crossbow, the others will bring baseball bats. We need to see about training in using other weapons. Any reason why it never occured to you to teach me, Willow, Cordelia or Oz how to use any weapons?" Xander asked, opening the book cage and pulling out a sword for Giles and the crossbow for himself, clipping the quiver with extra bolts to his belt.

"It was my job to train Buffy, not the rest of you." Giles said absently as he prepared the spell to open a portal.

"And yet you let us patrol with Buffy, without training, which you could easily have given us. Or didn't it occur to you that letting us do that endangered us and Buffy? I mean, you say she should go out alone to minimize, in your belief, potential injury to bystanders. But you knowingly let untrained teenagers patrol with her and never thought about the fact that doing that endangered us?"

Giles looked blank as he thought that over. "I never thought about it, I'm unsure why."

Xander shook his head. "Forget logic, you have no idea what common sense is." He verbally fired a metaphorical shot at Giles, one of several he'd tossed out over the last several days, bringing a scowl to the older man's face. Giles continued to scowl at him as the Library doors were pushed open and the four other members of Xander's group appeared, each holding bats.

"So, demon dimension means another good party, huh?" Kyles asked. "Bring on the pinatas." He swung the bat around a little. "So, this portal thing, will it drop us near Summers or will we have to search an entire planet to find her?"

"I'll be able to open a portal within a mile or so of her, I think." Giles answered. "If I've got the spell worked out correctly."

"Be sure, Giles, because all of us lost in a demon dimension is a very good way to have five very angry people chasing you with torches." Xander said half seriously.

"I'm certain." Giles assured them. "Stand ready, I'm going to cast the spell." It didn't take long before an area in the center of the room began to spark and ripple. Giles picked up the sword Xander had pulled out of the book cage. "Come along, you lot, let's go find Buffy."

Xander followed him in and the four other teens followed him, they emerged on the other side in a forested area and could see sunlight that was streaming through the trees and make out a mountain range towering above the trees.

"Mountain might mean caves, shelter." Xander suggested.

"It's a place to start." Giles agreed and gripping the sword he started towards it, hopeful that they'd find Buffy before too long. Xander and his friends followed behind, weapons ready in case of trouble.