Thanks to my beta Maria and Flight Of Fancy.


The next day, around noon, Buffy finally moved the last piece of stone out of the way. In front of her lay the treasure she had been hunting, including a ring known as the Gem of Amara. Once she located it, she took a minute to admire the stone, before securing the ring in her pocket and closing the zipper securely.

Buffy swept her flashlight over the room. She realised she was going to need both sports bags she had with her, and probably a few shopping bags from her mom’s trunk, too, if she was going to get all this stuff home.

Once loaded, the bags of treasure were heavier than Buffy had counted on. The Light was forced to carry them, one bag at a time, up the ladder, out of the sewer, and into the back of her mom’s car. The whole process took a lot longer than expected.

The cache of treasure contained lots of jewellery, some uncut gems, sceptres, paintings, and an assortment of weapons. One item in particular, a beautiful sword, had been too long to fit into any of Buffy’s bags. Her only option was to take a chance that nobody would notice her as she carried it to the car. Once there, she wrapped the blade in an old blanket that her mother had left in the back seat, and carefully placed it in the trunk.

Arriving at Revello Drive, Buffy found she had the house to herself. Her mom was working at the gallery, and Kendra was at school. Merrick, fortunately, had made arrangements to meet Joyce for lunch, and had already left to pick her up. Buffy managed to get all of her bags into the house, without garnering too much attention from the neighbours. Mrs. Murphy, two doors down and across the street, was out trimming her roses, but once she recognized Buffy, she contented herself with a wave, and then went back to her flowers.

Alone in her room, Buffy shoved most of the bags against the wall, under her bed. After a short break to catch her breath, Buffy went to the smaller satchel she had carried back from her future life. Rummaging around, she found some spell supplies and a small volume filled with tiny writing done in purple ink.

Ten minutes later, a casual look under the bed revealed nothing but a few dust bunnies. For all intents and purposes, the bags had disappeared. Buffy smiled, satisfied that the spell she had cast would protect the treasure from prying eyes.

The hiding spell would work perfectly well for the bulk of the treasure, but Buffy knew something special was needed for the Ring of Amara. After a little more chanting, and some different herbs, Buffy cast a small spell on the ring, before hiding it in a secret place, behind a loose board in the wall.

Now, with all the treasure safely hidden, Buffy felt that she could relax a bit, maybe even head to LA for a few days. She stretched out on her bed, running through the list she had made in her mind, checking to make sure most of the tasks had been completed before she headed out of town.

A few hours later, Buffy woke with a start. She’d fallen asleep out of sheer exhaustion, and had slipped into a Slayer dream. Angelus had been entering her bedroom through the window, looking for the Light. He searched the house, and when he couldn’t find the blonde, he decided to visit her mother instead. The dream ended with Angelus, in full game face, leaning over Joyce. She was screaming and crying, as the soulless vampire threw himself upon her, holding her wrists above her head with one hand, and viciously mauling her breast with the other. “It’s so much more fun when they scream,” Buffy heard him say, just before she opened her eyes.

Buffy had delayed the disinvite spell, because she had been so busy lately, but the dream had made it clear that time was running out. She needed to cast the spell and, thanks to her dream, she knew she needed to give it a little extra kick. The Light sighed. She would have to speak with Giles again, in an effort to make sure he kept a close watch on Angel and Cordelia while she was in LA. It was guaranteed to be an awkward chat, and Buffy became more frustrated each time she gave it, knowing that the Watcher really wasn’t taking her seriously. They’re all too stubborn for their own good.

Buffy knew she had the needed ingredients for the disinvite spell in one of her bags; it was something that she always travelled with, never knowing when she might need it. She gathered the ingredients, as well as a mortar and pestle, a small chalice, and a silver Zippo lighter that she’d carried for years, because it had reminded her of Spike. Fortunately, the house would be empty for the next few hours, and she should be able to work uninterrupted. Kendra would be training with Giles after school, and her mom was working a full day at the gallery today. The only one who could possibly intrude was Merrick, and Buffy knew he would understand that she was busy and leave her alone until her spell casting was complete.

Half an hour later, right in the middle of her spell, Merrick came in through the unlocked front door. He opened his mouth to greet the Light, but closed it promptly again without making a sound, when he realized that she was in the process of casting a spell of some kind. He just quietly backed up and locked the front door, and then went and did the same to the back door, before returning to the living room, where he sat on the sofa and watched Buffy at work.

After fifteen minutes, Merrick realized this wasn’t a run-of-the-mill spell Buffy was casting, and that he was probably in for a long wait. With as little noise as possible, he went into the kitchen and started to make a plate filled with sandwiches. Another, smaller plate, held sliced fruits and little squares of chocolate. The Watcher transported the plates, along with a large glass of cold juice, to the coffee table in the living room, and then he returned to the kitchen to fetch a pot of tea. Once everything was ready, he poured himself a cuppa and settled down, waiting for Buffy to finish.

One final incantation, and then Buffy sighed heavily and slumped a bit, allowing her body to relax for the first time in over an hour. She stretched her neck from side to side, and then untangled her legs, gasping at the pins and needles that rushed to her toes after sitting cross-legged for so long.

Turning to look at Merrick, Buffy stretched out her shoulders, and reached down to her toes a few more times. “How was lunch?” she asked, as she smiled her thanks for his silence while she was busy.

“Lunch went well. Your mother is a lovely woman.” Merrick got up from the couch, and went into the kitchen to grab the garbage can from under the sink. Returning to the living room, he began to gather up the trash created by Buffy’s afternoon activities. “I take it you were performing the disinvite spell we spoke of earlier? There was something different about it though.”

Buffy slowly stood. “Well, I think I had a Slayer dream...maybe.” She frowned. “Can I have Slayer dreams if I’m not a Slayer anymore?”

“If it’s important enough, I would think the Powers could send a prophetic dream to just about anyone. It probably doesn’t matter who you are.” Merrick took the garbage can back to the kitchen, and then returned to sit on the couch. “Come now, Buffy. Have a seat and help yourself to a sandwich and some fruit. I’ve brought you juice but, if you’d prefer, I don’t mind sharing my tea.”

“Ohhh...a sandwich sounds yummy, and fruit is totally of the good. I forgot to get lunch today. I was tired, and ended up falling asleep for a bit.” Buffy dove into the plate of sandwiches, pulling a ham and cheddar out of the stack with one hand, and a turkey and Swiss with the other. “I’ve been working hard for the past few days.” Buffy continued to demolish the food on the plates, until all the sandwiches and most of the fruit were a thing of the past. “What I really need now, is a vacation.”

Concerned, and well aware of Buffy’s ability to avoid things she found unpleasant, Merrick had to ask, “Don’t you think you should tell me about this dream that had you casting spells in the middle of the afternoon?”

Buffy turned so she was sitting sideways, facing Merrick, on the couch. “The dream doesn’t really matter now. I’ve taken care of things, so there’s no way it can happen,” Buffy said with confidence. “I should probably still mention it to Giles though.”

“Buffy, please, just tell me,” Merrick insisted.

Knowing she would give in eventually, Buffy decided to just quickly fill Merrick in on the high points of her afternoon dream, and the steps she had taken to keep her mother safe.

The Watcher frowned. “You’re right, Buffy. I think we must warn Giles immediately.”

“I’ve warned him already, Merrick, but I’ll tell him again if you think it would do any good. Maybe if you come with me? Right now, he just thinks I’m jealous of Cordelia.” Buffy shook her head in frustration.

“I have nothing else planned for today. Would you like to go see Giles now?” Merrick emptied his tea cup, and then placed it on the tray he had used earlier.

“Sounds like a plan. Just let me grab a shower and change my clothes, and I’ll be ready to roll.”

Merrick gathered the rest of the plates and kitchenware on his tray, while Buffy finished off her tea. “I’ll be waiting, Buffy. Just let me know when you’re ready to go.”

“Don’t worry,” she smiled. “I’ll be back in a jiffy.” With that, Buffy sprinted up the stairs, heading for the bathroom and a nice, hot shower.

Not wanting to leave a mess for Joyce to deal with when she got home from the gallery, Merrick washed the dishes while he waited for Buffy to make herself presentable.

--------------------------------------

“Buffy. Merrick. Come in, won’t you, please?” Giles opened the door for his unexpected guests. “Sit down. Where ever you’re comfortable is fine.” He showed them to the living room. “Can I offer either of you a cup of tea?”

“No, thank you, Giles. We just finished a pot before we headed this way.” Merrick sent the other Watcher a reassuring smile. “Have you spoken with Cordelia or Angel recently?”

“Not recently, no. I’ve had a bit of a breakthrough with the book, and I’ve been focusing my attention there.” Giles looked at his watch. “Oh, I didn’t realize it was this late.” Moving a pile of books from a nearby chair, he seated himself across from his visitors. “Was there something important you needed to speak with me about?”

“Something important? That IS the something important, Giles. If Angel becomes too happy, he’ll lose his soul and turn back into the murdering rapist that he was a hundred years ago. Believe me, it’s not something you’d want to witness firsthand.” Buffy was frustrated by Giles’ complete unwillingness to consider Angel a potential threat to the group.

“The last time I did this, we didn’t know about the happiness clause, and people died. Our people died.” Buffy closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her strength. “Look, Giles. Even the Powers recognize how much bad Angelus could do. They sent me a Slayer dream, to show me what needed to be done to protect my mother from him.”

“Buffy is telling you the truth, Rupert,” Merrick confirmed.

Merrick’s serious expression piqued Giles’ curiosity, and made him finally start to ask questions. “Why would Angel’s curse have a loophole like that? It’s ridiculous.” He frowned. “I’m sorry, but it does make your story seem somewhat unlikely.”

“Fine. Don’t believe me. Go find Miss Calendar and ask her why they did it.” Buffy’s patience was officially exhausted.

“Jenny Calendar? The computer science instructor at the high school? What does she have to do with Angelus and his curse?” Giles was having difficulty concealing his anger. He liked Miss Calendar, and had recently joined her in the teacher’s lounge for a cup of tea and a nice chat. She’d also sought him out in the library, and he had tentative plans to share a table with her, at lunch on Tuesday.

Buffy leaned forward at that. “Ask her who she is. Why she’s here on the Hellmouth. Ask her if she knows Angelus, who he is, what he is. If she says she doesn’t know what you’re talking about, ask her if she’ll give her permission for you to perform a truth spell.”

Giles was fiercely polishing his glasses. “Now you’re being ridiculous. I can’t just start talking about magic and monsters in the dark. She’ll think I’ve gone completely mad.”

“She’s not going to think you’re mad, Giles,” Buffy said with a smile. “She knows about the things that go bump in the night. Knows a lot more than even I know she knows, I’ll bet.”

“The idea is preposterous. If it’s true, then why hasn’t she mentioned something to me before now?” Giles asked. He was starting to wonder if he hadn’t been mistaken about the teacher, and didn’t like the uncertainty, recognizing that he was really starting to care about her.

“Tell me, Giles. Have you been up front and honest about yourself with her? Have you told her that working in the library is just your clever cover job, and that your real vocation is taking teenage girls from their families and teaching them how to go out at night and kill monsters?” Buffy asked, with a sardonically lifted brow.

Giles didn’t know what to say. He attempted to reply several times, but nothing intelligible left his mouth. Finally, he sighed and leaned back, brushing a hand over his hair in defeat. “I’m afraid you are quite right, Buffy. I should not expect openness if I am not willing to give it myself. We are both to blame.”

Buffy quickly hid a smile. Giles hadn’t noticed, but his response showed that he was finally starting to believe her.

Giles looked at Buffy. “So, to clarify, you have information which makes you believe that sexual intercourse will make Angel happy enough to lose his soul?”

“I’m going to go with a great, big, Y...E...S... on that one.” Buffy gave a vigorous nod.

“Of course, I would like to see your reference materials, just to complete my documentation properly.” Giles seems perfectly willing to accept Buffy’s assessment, but his Watcher instincts insisted there be some kind of paper trail to defend his decision.

“Oh, I see. You need proof? Fine. Pull out your pen and get ready to report on yet another painful part of my life. The last time I was here, I thought I loved him. He thought he loved me. We held hands, we kissed, we flirted, and then one night, things went a little further. No, they went a lot further. In fact, they went all the way, if you catch my drift. I’m going to assume you don’t need all the gory details, right?” The look Buffy sent Giles made it clear she was asking a rhetorical question.

“Oh, ah...no. Carry on, please.” Giles’ cheeks were stained red at the thought of hearing personal information like that.

“Fine. The morning after, I woke up alone. Later, when he was busy trying to kill off my friends and family, we found out that he had lost his soul at some point during the night. Eventually, we got more details about the curse, and learned that a moment of pure happiness would release him from his soul. Apparently, I made him very, very happy.” Buffy cocked a brow at Giles, amused to see him so uncomfortable.

Once again, the Watcher had been reduced to stuttering, while trying to respond to her tale. His cheeks were now flaming red, and his glasses were receiving the polishing of their life. “Yes, well. That was almost too detailed.” He cleared his throat. “Would you please tell me what, exactly, it is that Jenny has to do with all of this?”

“Actually, no. It’ll be better if you hear it from the horse’s mouth, instead of from me,” Buffy said with a smile. “Plus, it’s a good opportunity for you two to learn to communicate with each other. Just, please, make sure you’re keeping an eye on Angel and Cordelia. We don’t want any surprises of the nasty variety.”

“I shall seek Miss. Calendar out tomorrow, and will arrange a time to have a frank and honest discussion with her before the day is out. As for Cordelia and Angel, I believe our best chance of keeping them apart would be for me to speak with Cordelia directly, and impress upon her the risk she would be taking, if she chooses to become intimate with the vampire.” Giles believed that Cordelia saw him as an authority figure, perhaps even a father figure, and that she would trust that he was speaking the truth, and understand that the Watcher had no ulterior motives.

“Just try to deal with the problem as soon as you can.” Buffy turned slightly, so she could make eye contact with Merrick. “Are you heading out of town with me?” Buffy had told her Watcher earlier, that she intended to leave town, pick up her car from the dealership in LA, and buy some magic supplies she couldn’t get in Sunnydale. If everything went according to plan, she’d spend a few days with Lorne, shopping and getting her hair done, before heading back to the Hellmouth. The time away would do her good, she thought. A few days of relaxation before the next big crazy came to town.

Watching Buffy, Merrick could see how badly she just needed to get away for a few days. She’d been busy since she arrived, other than the day of forced inactivity when she’d switched bodies and had been confined to her hospital bed. She’d been losing weight, and had been disappearing off on her own for long periods of time during the past week.

“Sorry, Buffy, but I’ve promised to help your mother at the gallery. She’s expecting a new shipment, and there are some heavy pieces she won’t be able to manage on her own.” Merrick felt bad for missing the trip with his charge but, at the same time, he knew Lorne would treat her like a princess while she was in LA.

“But, I thought that was George’s job?” Buffy pouted. She knew it wouldn’t work on Merrick, but it was good to stay in practice, and was still somewhat effective on Giles.

“George is in Sweden for the next few weeks. Sorry, Kiddo.”

At that point, Giles chose to speak up. “If you don’t mind me asking, where are you going, Buffy?”

“I’ve got to head to LA for a few days.”

“Do you think that wise? It’s not unreasonable to assume you might be needed here, if not for this issue with Angel’s soul, then at least to patrol and do your duty each night,” Giles said.

Buffy looked at Merrick in despair. Giles still didn’t get it. Her attention shifted to her old Watcher, and knew she couldn’t let this continue. “We’ve gone over this, Giles. I don’t know if you’ve pickled your brain in Scotch, or if you’re just becoming senile, but this is the last time I’m going to lay this out for you. I...AM...NOT...THE...SLAYER. I will never be the Slayer again.” She paused briefly to let her words sink in. “Kendra is the Slayer. I have offered my help to her, should she need it. I have given her, and you, all the information I have on potentially world-ending events that happened over the next few years, the first time I was here. She can handle things. There is no reason for me to stay put, and every reason for me to head to LA for a few days.”

“What is so important in LA? You tell me that Angel could lose his soul and become Angelus, and yet, in the same breath, you say that you plan to go swanning off to LA for a few days. How can you justify that level of disregard for the safety of the people in this community?” he asked, his voice laced with incredulity.

“Giles, you don’t understand...” Buffy tried.

The Watcher interrupted her, his anger and disappointment obvious to anyone listening. “And now you‘re trying to make excuses for your behaviour? I don’t want to hear how you’re going to try to justify running away when you are clearly needed. I had thought better of you, Buffy.”

Buffy appeared stunned. She just didn’t understand Giles anymore, and had no idea how to communicate with him. “I’m not running away from anything. I’ve done what I can here, and now I need to get to LA. It’s the only place where I can get what I need to anchor Angel’s soul.” Buffy got up and headed for the door. On the way out, she paused, keeping her back to the room. “I’m sorry if you’re disappointed, Giles, but frankly, that’s not my problem. If Kendra needs me, you can reach me through Merrick or my mother.” And then she was gone.

Suddenly realizing that things had gone off-track, Giles stared as the door closed quietly after Buffy’s departure.

“You unmitigated, idiotic, narrow-minded, miserable excuse of a Watcher,” Merrick yelled. “How could you do that to her? She has given up everything to come back to a time that was Hell on Earth for her, she’s doing her best to help, though she’s not obligated to lift a finger, and you...you...” Merrick shook his head. “I’m so angry, there just aren’t words to express what I’m feeling. Why are we trying to help you at all? Tell me, please. You don’t want our help. Not really. You’ve already decided that you’re the only one that knows what’s right, and that anything we tell you that stretches your teeny little view of the world, must be wrong. That’s how you’re thinking, man. You’re right, and everyone else is wrong. You don’t have all the answers. Just deal with it, because, until you do, you’re of no use to anyone.” Unlike Buffy’s departure, there was no silent exit for Merrick. Instead, he slammed the door behind him as he left.

An hour later, when the phone rang, Giles was still staring at the door in stunned dismay, wondering how things had possibly gone so wrong, yet again.