Firstly, this epilogue took me entirely too long to complete, and I'm very irritated with myself as a result of that, because I had a good bit of it typed out, and I just couldn't FINISH it. So, I really do apologize for that, but I finally have finished it, so... you know. Go read. Unless you want to finish my author's note, first.

Secondly, I'd again like to thank LadyYashka for reading this over for me and correcting the random bouts of stupidity that I accidentally let escape into the story :) Sometimes, I really don't think before I type stuff out, and I end up with a host of information that doesn't really make any sense because I don't pay attention. That's why LadyYashka's my friend -- because the woman is my brain :) She thinks for me, when I can't think for myself!

And finally, I rarely, if ever, dedicate a story of mine for any reason; I usually just give my thanks to anyone who's assisted me, and get on with it, but this time, I feel that I really have to leave a dedication. It's the smallest thing I can possibly do, but it's at least the one thing I can do. So, without further ado, I dedicate this story in loving memory of Andy Hallett, who played Lorne for 76 episodes on Angel the Series. Andy passed away from heart failure on March 29, 2009. He'll be dearly missed.


The Girl With Kaleidoscope Eyes

---

epilogue

---

Time passes quickly, as it always does. Buffy blinks, and six months have suddenly gone by. Her family has settled in Los Angeles more or less permanently, and Angel Investigations has remained at the Hyperion Hotel, under new management -- and under a new name. She, Wesley and Spike run the outfit, and in one of Spike's now regular fits of felicity, he suggests their new name, his eyes gazing lovingly at his mate all the while -- The Chosen One Detective Agency. Spike refers to it as CODA for simplicity's sake. Willow moonlights at the company, preferring to complete the remnants of her psychology and sociology degrees at Berkeley, while tutoring under the head of the coven that Anya and Giles have found for her.

Buffy isn't sure what to think the first time she meets Emma Blackstone, but when she observes the gentle, soft-spoken brunette, the former Slayer is often left speechless. Emma is a young, distant cousin of Giles' from Bristol, but Giles vouches for her in that she is very proficient in the arts. The Wicca is firm in her beliefs, she regularly communes with nature, she reveres Wiccan teachings, and she has an aspect about her, in her looks, in her speech, in her mannerisms that make Buffy shake in remembered grief and awe at the same time. Somehow, some way, it seems as though Tara MacClay is with them again. Granted, she has taken on a British accent as well as different facial features (in fact, there are times when Buffy looks at her that she swears she sees a resemblance to Dawn and even to Spike) but the woman's nature is nearly identical to Tara's in every way. Since meeting her, Buffy has often wondered if Tara didn't have a long-lost British sister that no one ever knew about.

There is nothing romantic between Willow and Emma as of yet, but Buffy has been keeping watch with tiny, knowing smiles, and she sees the flushing of Willow's skin, reminiscent of how her friend acted with Tara when their relationship first began. Buffy knows that Willow may not be contemplating another relationship, especially not so soon after the failure of her liaison with her erstwhile girlfriend, Kennedy. But the former Slayer can see the growing affection between them and knows that it will happen eventually. She couldn't be happier for the two witches, and she can't help but think that maybe love really can transcend life and death.

Xander's unwillingness to bend to the new situations around him has officially worn out his welcome among the original Scoobies. A month ago, he staged a confrontation with Buffy, wherein he spilled out such a load of vitriol-filled self-righteousness and disgust that Buffy couldn't stop herself, or Spike, from punching him in the face. Buffy pulled her punch. Spike didn't. Xander left in the middle of the night to avoid everyone -- and to avoid seeing the disappointment and anger in their faces -- and the last that anyone heard of him, he'd moved East toward the Great Lakes, getting a job with a construction crew. Willow remains the only one he maintains contact with, and even that remains a rarity -- something he does out of obligation for how long they've known each other.

Buffy wishes she could say that she's sad about it, but all she can feel now is relief that his prejudice and hate and self-indulgent superiority no longer hangs over their heads.

Right now, though, Buffy and Spike are more concerned with other things in life, like Dawn's studies and her new relationship. The younger Summers girl has made good on her promise, and has already declared her major at UCLA, though she is only a freshman. She's also been increasingly talkative and excitable about a guy she met in one of her classes. Seems the boy was born and raised in L.A., like Buffy and Dawn both were. He'd initially studied at Notre Dame for a semester, but returned home and enrolled in UCLA in order to be closer to his family. Buffy thinks Dawn said that his name was Carter... or maybe it was Connor? She can't bother asking Spike -- he stopped listening after Dawn said, "I met a boy!"

Spike's going to have to get over his aversion to Dawn dating, though -- her sister wants to bring this guy home for Christmas to meet everyone. Buffy feels more like Dawn's mother than she ever has before.

It's difficult seeing Cordelia lying in one of the Hyperion's beds, so silent, so still. Even when she was being cruel, at least she was alive, loud, vivacious, entertaining... Buffy's heart breaks a little at the sight of her. And since she can't physically do anything to bring Cordelia back, she at least convinces Giles to set the former Queen C up for long term care at the best hospital with well equipped facilities for situations like hers. Maybe eventually, Cordelia will come back to them, all snarkiness and attitude. But until then, Buffy is going to make sure that her former frenemy is taken care of... for however long it takes.

Wood has left California and for good, Buffy hopes. Not that she knows or really cares where he's gone, she just knows that one more threat to her mate is gone. Faith seems to be taking it a little hard, however -- unbeknownst to Buffy, the younger Slayer has been developing a bit of a crush on the former principal, despite her firm opposition to his beliefs. Buffy feels bad for Faith, but she can't help but feel that, in the end, it's for the best. There was something about Wood that just sat wrong with the group, and given how close she's grown to Faith again, Buffy doesn't want her sister Slayer to be wronged. She tells Faith this, and tells her again that despite how clichéd the phrase is, there really is someone out there for everyone, and Faith will meet him eventually.

Faith seems oddly touched by Buffy's sentiments. That burned bridge Buffy always worried about looks like it's finally being rebuilt.

Giles splits his time between England and California now, as he heads up the new Council building in London and oversees the new North American Council headquarters. The headquarters both double as schools for the new Slayers activated during the battle with the First, as well as fledgling magic practitioners and the young 'lost ones' -- the ones off the street that didn't have homes, or had lost their homes to demon attacks. Kids that had grown up and taken a course of vigilantism, much like Gunn and Wesley had.

Giles is not only the new head of the Council, but the headmaster of the schools as well. Since he divvies his time up so much, the younger ones have taken to calling him Dumbledore. After all, the headmaster in the book was known for not quite staying put as well. And since he's offered the deputy headmistress job to Willow when he's not in the States, the red-head has very happily taken on the nickname of McGonagall.

As a welcome-to-the-job present (and a joke, because Spike and Dawn wanted to see her do it) Buffy presents Willow with the stereotypical tall, pointy witch's hat (it looks exactly like McGonagall's because she got it from the store on the movie's website) and a stuffed white owl (that Dawn has drawn a lightning bolt mark on).

Willow is thrilled. She's also in charge more and more often as Giles begins overseeing the building of the new school in New York, so it's very fitting with the whole Harry Potter theme that everyone is piling on her.

Since he's been driving them nuts for officially a year and a half, the new Los Angeles crew has foisted Andrew off on Giles, stating that the older man can train Andrew to be a Watcher, if only to get him out of their hair. With all of the knowledge that the boy carries in that overly fantasized skull of his, becoming a Watcher may as well have been written in the stars for him. Unfortunately, he's decided that the best way to become a Watcher is to emulate Giles' every move and follow him everywhere.

Andrew hasn't been seen out of tweed in the last six months now. Giles is going out of his mind and is about ten seconds away from begging for an immediate intervention.

Anya is ridiculously happy being a demon again, and being free to bounce back and forth between different dimensions and realities, but she is never happier than when she is with her family in Los Angeles. Buffy has become like the sister she never had, and despite her awkwardness with Spike regarding last year, they've managed to maintain some semblance of camaraderie with each other. Plus, D'Hoffryn has apparently granted her some sort of immunity with all the power of Arashmahaar, because she's been allowed to pretty much do anything she wants with no consequence. She's essentially become her own boss -- if she wants to grant vengeance wishes, she does. If she doesn't, well then, no penalty.

It means she has more time to spend with them and can assist with any cases they happen to be working on. She's even managed to develop an interest in Wesley that he very shyly returns. The former Watcher's heart is still wounded from Fred's unknowing rejection of him, and from the guilt and sorrow he feels about Lilah's death. Despite the fact that Fred and Gunn's relationship has ended, Wesley doesn't think he could ever be with diminutive little Texan now without seeing her with his best friend. His own relationship -- if it could be called that -- with Lilah hasn't exactly inspired in him a lot of confidence. This bizarre, blunt and yet, flattering attention from Anya is going a long way to repair his faith in himself.

He might be damaged, but at least Anya is helping to repair him -- and she's doing so willingly, without any obligation.

So, their team has expanded. They are almost ten times the fighting force that they had been, and Buffy is a very pleased general with current and future troops under her surveillance. Her mate and lover is also her right hand, and willingly stands with her at every crossroads they face, both figuratively and literally (there'd been an issue with a crossroads demon in Laguna Beach a week ago -- somehow, not all that surprising, given the locale).

They'd recently had a tentative call from two men named John and Robert. It hadn't really been for a job, but more as a way to establish contact. The men were going to be traveling to the Hyperion in another three days, once John's son was finished with a "job" in Sioux Falls. Robert had told Spike to be on the look-out for either a demon with yellow eyes, or for a 1967 black Chevy Impala carrying himself, John and John's aforementioned son -- some kid named Dean. Given how many classic cars find their way around the solid block surrounding the Hyperion Hotel, Spike figures it'll be a doddle when the Impala does show up.

Now, Buffy watches the traffic outside of the jasmine garden in the Hyperion's alcove, her arms folded across her chest. The young Slayers that she herself has handpicked as her personal team are either training or playing, and Buffy's ears perk upwards as there is a loud ratcheting of raucous laughter. Her upper lip quirks in amusement and she sighs contentedly, then gives a happy purr when Spike comes up behind her, wrapping his arms dotingly around her waist and dropping his face to nuzzle her neck.

She's never imagined that life -- or unlife -- could possibly be so great. Or that she could ever be so happy. And it's only taken eight years for everything to finally come out right.

Oh, she knows that things aren't exactly perfect. She knows that eventually, something will come along to threaten the balance and her happiness, and drive her insane and make her feel wretched, and she'll piss people off and alienate everyone around her, except for Spike (because if she did, he'd be the only person not to fall for her tactics).

But right now, they get free trips back and forth from the London compound and Los Angeles, she and Spike will be the first people to tour the New York school when it opens in eight months, they now have contacts in twenty-six countries, and will be establishing another ten within the next week, and half of those contacts will be given the go-ahead to begin construction plans for the overseas Council schools. Buffy and her people -- she actually has people! -- have changed the complete look of the world as they'd known it.

So yeah, life won't be perfect -- but Buffy has it pretty damn close right now, and she wouldn't trade it for the world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The echoing sound of stiletto heels clicking in the not-so-hallowed halls of Wolfram & Hart don't attract any attention, because there is no one else around. The building has been shut down for the night -- not that anyone would be surprised at her presence if they had seen her. Just because she's dead, it doesn't mean that she's stopped working for the company.

Sometimes, not even ghosts have the luxury of quitting their jobs.

She looks around leisurely, a small smile twisting the soft curve of her lips, her fingers touching the scarf that's wrapped around her neck. Walking to the receptionist's desk, she eyes the counter thoughtfully before placing a very touchable, very weighty yellow manila envelope on top of the inbox stack. That new receptionist they've hired will open it first thing in the morning, and a glittery silver amulet will be the first thing she touches.

Lilah Morgan bares her teeth in a wicked grin.

Tomorrow morning, the fun will really start.







The End.