Tor and the others moved to surround Xander, sensing his rage and instinctively understanding he was keeping himself in check. With a start Buffy's memory clicked and she remembered who these kids were and what they'd done.
"Xander, what's going on?" She asked warily, eying the bullies who'd literally eaten the Principal of Sunnydale High School last year when they'd been possessed. When a possessed Xander had tried to...seduce her. Were they all possessed again? Was he going to do..that again?
"There isn't time to explain now, Buffy." He answered, his voice even and his face expressionless. If it wasn't for the fury in his eyes, you'd think he was discussing the weather. "I think you've caused your mother a lot of pain and misery, me accidentally wishing you to Hell hasn't helped the situation. So, we should get going, she has no idea what's going on and is worried sick about you."
Buffy winched at the frank commentary and thought about how just a couple of weeks ago Angelus had been playing his mind games with her mother. He'd been less than a foot from her, if he'd wanted to he could have grabbed her, tortured and eventually killed her.
All because she'd let Angel go at the Mall. Angelus. 'I let Angelus go.' She thought. 'I saw Angelus with my own eyes. Oh, gods, what have I done?!' Remembering the actions that unleashed Angelus in the first place, making love with Angel. But Angelus had been there too. That...thing. She'd let it touch her, only a couple of months after catching a glimpse of it, when Eyghon had been walking.
She barely managed to keep the roast .. whatever from lunch from making a reappearance. Several deep breaths and she found her voice. "I need to talk to my friends before we go, they've helped a lot since I got here and there's a girl, Fred, who got pulled through a portal accidentally a few months ago from L. A., she'll be going back with us."
"You are truly leaving, Sovereign?" The large, muscular man with black eyes asked.
"Yeah, Groo, I told you I would be if I had the chance. This isn't my home, maybe if they'd never come looking for me it could eventually have been a home, but he's right, my mother - I need my mother."
"Very well, Sovereign." The large man nodded. "As you asked, I will keep my vow, I will serve your successor and I will help the resistance wage this war."
Buffy smiled, she never had managed to get Groo to call her Buffy beyond that one time. "Good, they stand a much better chance of winning with you helping them."
"Sovereign?" Xander murmured. "Does that mean you're like a queen or something?"
"Yeah, there was this prophecy and - long story." Buffy shrugged.
"Prophecies." Xander growled, shaking his head. "Can't escape the damn things. Alright, let's go see your friends so you can say your goodbyes. We need to get back, not just for your mother, but for Willow."
"How, uh, how is Willow doing?"
"Later." Xander said stubbornly, he was not going to discuss Willow's condition in front of strangers! A so far silent Giles now spoke. "Buffy, it seems we all have a great deal to discuss, but Xander is correct, we need to get going. Time tends to move differently in demon dimensions then on Earth and we don't know how much time is passing while we're here."
"I've been here nearly week, how long has it been for you guys?" Buffy asked as she and Groo led the way back to the caves.
"Pretty much the same." Xander answered. "So, the time difference probably isn't a big deal here, but for your mother, it probably feels like centuries are passing. Cordy and Oz and I have all spent some time with her this week, trying to keep her mind off worrying about you." And trying to keep themselves from worrying about Willow. It didn't take long to reach the cave, the opening concealed behind a bush and Buffy whistled from the trees to let the guards know she was returning. Lon was there to greet them.
"You brought company." He eyed the newcomers, whose clothes reminded him of what Buffy had been wearing when he'd first met her.
"They came looking me, from Earth. It's time for me to go back, Lon."
"You are certain?" He asked, knowing she was, they'd discussed it several times, but asking once more. "You're the one who fulfilled the prophecy, not me."
"But you can lead them better than I can." She assured him. "And Pylea is not my home, it's yours. You have more right to fight tor it and lead it than I do. Groo will keep his vow and fight with you, you can win."
"You've shown us the way and broken the collars from our necks. Thank you."
"Thank you, coming to Pylea may actually have been good for me, I learned a lot more than just the truth about...the one I loved." Buffy took a deep breath. "Ready to go, Fred?" She asked the slim young woman standing silently beside Lon.
"I've got everything." Fred held the bag holding the books from the demon library up. "I'm ready whenever you are, I need to talk to my own parents. Try to find some way to explain several months of no communication."
"Than I'll open the portal and we can get back." Giles stated. "We really do have a lot to talk about, Buffy and not a lot of time."
"Go ahead." Buffy nodded. "Goodbye, guys." She said to Lon and Groo. "Make Pylea something to be proud of." She and Fred followed the others through the portal and found themselves back in the Sunnydale High School Library.
Home.