Do I know you? Do I know you? The words fluttered around Dawn’s mind, repeating over and over louder and louder until she thought she would go mad.

 

They’d told her that she’d have no memory, that she’d forgotten everything and everybody… but a part of her, buried deep down had insisted that her sister would never forget her. She might forget everybody else but never her.

 

But she had.

 

The woman staring at her had eyes that were blank, showing no recognition at all of either her or Cordy. She’d never met Connor so Dawn had never realistically expected Buffy to know him.

 

“Buffy… I’m Dawn you know me… You’re my sister,” Dawn said softly, even though her mind was stunned by the implications her hand had yet to drop from her sisters’ face.

 

“I don’t think so,” Buffy smiled wryly. “I think you have me confused with somebody else.”

 

“No!” Dawn protested loudly. The only thing keeping her from throwing herself at Buffy and shaking her until she admitted that she indeed remember them was the feel of Connor’s hand on her back and Cordy’s comforting presence beside him. She idly wondered when Cordy’s presence had become comforting, always before it had been annoying at the very least. “You’re my sister. You’re name is Buffy Summers.”

 

“Well my name is Buffy,” she relented casting a glance over their shoulders she arched a brow at her companions. “But I don’t have a sister…”

 

“How ‘bout a last name?” Connor asked quietly. His mood was much like Dawn’s. The sooner she remembered her family the sooner they could introduce the fact that she had a son… that was almost the same age as her. But as long as she didn’t remember them there was no way she’d believe anything that they told her. “You have one of those?”

 

“It’s complicated,” Damon murmured moving around the group. He took the crossbow from Buffy’s hand holding it loosely in his grip. “If you guys are okay then we should really go…”

 

“No! No…” Cordy stepped forward. “We need to figure this out before…”

 

“Look miss…”

 

“Cordelia… Cordelia Chase,” the brunette interrupted. “She knows that… you know that,” she said directly to Buffy. “We went to high school together… lived in a small town called Sunnydale…”

 

“Sunnydale? Isn’t that…?” Buffy turned to Damon confusion marring her face.

 

“Yeah,” Damon’s eyes narrowed as he studied the threesome in front of him. They weren’t warriors, the boy was the only one among them that was probably even a fighter.

 

And from the periodic glances over his shoulder he’d also been the only one who even noticed that Jade and Colin were flanking them from behind, ready to intervene should they become violent.

 

He glanced at Jade she’d already taken stock of the matter and was handling things in her usual matter.

 

Utilizing her powers to determine if the three before them were friend or foe. To find out if they were who they said they were and what useful information they had.

 

He watched as her eyes blanked out, watched as she mumbled words under her breath. When her eyes cleared her expression thoughtful she issued a sharp nod.

 

“Maybe we should listen to what they have to say,” Damon said quietly to the woman at this side.

 

“What?!” Buffy turned to him Dawn’s hand falling away. “You can’t be serious?!”

 

“Buffy,” he said soothingly. “What will it hurt to listen to what they have to say? Besides they’ll have a phone and with Jade forgetting to charge the cell…”

 

“I didn’t forget to charge the cell… damn things just not working,” Jade protested indignantly.

 

“We’ll listen to what they have to say and then we’ll go home.”

 

“We should do it someplace else… this alley’s not the safest place in the world,” Connor murmured.

 

“I take it you have someplace in mind?” Damon arched a brow in his direction. He knew of course that he did, Jade was whispering secrets in his mind. Whispering what she had learned from the minds of the three standing before them.

 

There were things they knew… they knew things about Buffy that she didn’t even know. And he for one couldn’t wait until it all came out.

 

Should make for one hell of a show.

 

“We don’t live very far from here,” Cordy muttered.

 

“I can’t believe you’re actually contemplating doing this,” Buffy’s voice rose slightly. “They’re obviously deranged ax murderers or something and if they kill us all I’m going to hold you personally responsible.”

 

“Now babe…” Damon smiled down at her as she snatched her crossbow from his hand and turned on her heel. “If they were ax murderers then they probably wouldn’t have been attacked by the other side…”

 

“He’s right they would have been recruited for the other side.”

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Connor was in a virtual heaven. Pressed tightly to one side of his body, legs aligned was his mother.

 

The one that was supposed to be dead…the one that he wasn’t supposed to ever have a chance to get to know. The scenarios he had pictured in his mind since finding out she was alive was of course not what was currently playing out.

 

In even his most horrible nightmares he had never imagined that his mother would be sitting so close to him, her body fraught with tension ready to leap from the vehicle at the slightest indication of the trouble.

 

Somewhere deep in him he had a feeling that she had more memories than she was letting on.

 

He didn’t think she would be this overwrought about talking to Dawn about her sister if she didn’t remember something about being that sister.

 

It had been decided that since Connor, Dawn and Cordy had been going to walk back to the hotel that the others would give them a ride in their vehicle.

 

It had been about this time that Connor had figured out that Jade knew something.

 

As Colin and Damon had moved weapons around in the vehicle to make the far back seat accessible she had announced that she would ride in the back with Dawn, Cordy would navigate for Colin and Connor would sit between Buffy and Damon.

 

Connor had wanted to thank her, hell he’d wanted to do cartwheels down the middle of the street… and for once he didn’t really care that Dawn was complaining up a storm.

 

Stating that Buffy was her sister, that she should be the one sitting next to her.

 

Because he was going to have open access to his mother, even if she did look like she was going to jump out of the vehicle and go running down the middle of the street at the first sign of trouble.

 

As he drew a deep breath, attempting to relax himself… and wipe the perpetual grin that seemed to have found its way across his features he caught another whiff of her scent.

 

He had always thought his father was waxing poetic when he talked about Buffy.

 

Once he and Dawn had confronted Angel with the truth, once Angel had admitted the truth to himself he would every so often talk about her.

 

Would smile, his eyes going distant as he described her to their son.

 

How she had glowed with her humanity, how she had smelled of vanilla and sunshine. Connor had laughed more than once at the descriptions.

 

He didn’t think he’d doubt anything Angel had to say about Buffy again.

 

Because she did glow with humanity (even if it was somewhat dim from whatever trials she’d undergone) and she did smell like vanilla and sunshine.

 

She smelled like what he imagined home would smell like and for probably the millionth time he wished that he met her when he was a child. Even as an infant he would have known her as his mother.

 

“Just take a right here,” Cordy said quietly, Connor stiffened as he realized that they were at the hotel already.

 

His father was going to go nuts if they didn’t handle this right. Right now he could sense two vampires and three demons inside the hotel.

 

Angel, Spike, Hallie, Lorne and most likely D’Hoffryn.

 

As Colin stopped the blazer Connor turned his head slightly exchanging a look with Dawn.

 

“You guys live here?” Damon asked in disbelief as he stared up at the building.

 

“Yeah… my dad owns it,” Connor murmured as he turned around, glancing over at Buffy he wasn’t surprised to see her staring at the building with apprehension lining her face.

 

“There’s vampires in there,” she said softly her hand on the door.

 

“They can’t hurt you,” Cordy muttered as she opened her door, stepping out. “They both have souls… and Spike has that the chip thing.”

 

“Souls and chips?” Colin asked as he slowly closed his door, a habit formed within the last year so as not to alert the enemy to their presence by making loud noises.

 

“Long stories both… Buffy knows them,” Dawn said casting a look at her sister. Buffy had opened her door but was still staring up at the building, her eyes distant.

 

“Well… are we going in or are we going to stand out here and have this discussion?” Jade asked brightly, she exchanged a nervous look with Damon. Now that they were here, getting ready to face Buffy’s past, one she no longer remembered right now because of the latest wipe she had to wonder if this was indeed a wise idea.

 

Maybe they should have just made an appointment and done it later.

 

Much, much later.

 

“We’re here,” Buffy said softly as she finally stepped from the blazer. “Might as well get it over with.”

 

“Buffy we don’t have to do this,” Damon said moving to stand behind her, with his hand on her shoulder he gently squeezed, moral support for what she was about to face.

 

Her past.

 

“Yes we do.”

 

**************************************************************************************

 

“Where the bloody hell have you been bit?!” Spike exploded out of the kitchen as he heard the front doors swing open, Dawn led the way in, Connor following closely behind her. “Peaches is almost convinced that the three of you are dead.”

 

“Had a slight problem on our way home,” Connor stated as he swung around. “But we ran into an old friend.”

 

“What…?” Spike asked as he stalked over to the youngest Summers a stern expression on his face. Ready to shake some sense into her head chip be damned.

 

He didn’t make it that far, he stopped still as a statue as he caught his first sign of Buffy. “Bloody hell!” he breathed as he drank in the sight of the lost Slayer.

 

Flanked by two men that he didn’t recognize and followed by Cordy and a brunette that he also didn’t recognize she looked just as beautiful as he remembered. Her hair was still short and her eyes still weary.

 

The last time he’d seen her, right after the fight with Anya, she’d looked just like that. Tired, beaten… he’d smelled the defeat on her and while at one time it would have made him leap for joy at that time he’d been scared for her.

 

A defeated Slayer was a dead Slayer after all.

 

“I take it he’s one of the vampires with a soul?” he heard one of the men ask Dawn as he stared at Buffy unmoving. She stared right back at him, her features blank and for a split second he thought he saw something flicker in her eyes. Some form of recognition that was quickly banished and replaced with nothing.

 

“Spike… he also has this chip thing…it keeps him from hurting humans,” Dawn said quietly.

 

“Christ Dawn have you told them everything?” Spike glared down at the girl.

 

“They knew that there were vampires in here,” Dawn said defensively. “Didn’t think it would be a great first introduction if they came in with stakes blazing.”

 

“Spike knew Buffy as well,” Cordy stated as she moved further into the hotel lobby. Tossing her purse on the couch she turned to face the unmoving former Slayer.

 

“Was there anybody that didn’t know her?” Colin asked with a small measure of amusement lacing his voice.

 

“The janitor at the high school… but I can’t guarantee that… especially not after we blew it up,” Cordy said with a thin smile.

 

“We… you blew up the high school?” Buffy asked softly shaking her head as if she was clearing it.

 

“She doesn’t remember anything,” Cordy said when Spike shot her a questioning look, he could tell from the tone of her voice that she didn’t buy that the Slayer remembered nothing of her former life anymore than he did.

 

“Peaches is going to have a cow,” Spike said with wide eyes.

 

“Spike I heard voices are they back yet?” he heard Angel’s voice long before he saw him and he exchanged a worried look with Cordy.

 

Knowing that Buffy was alive and might not remember them was one thing. Having a live Buffy in the hotel lobby that didn’t know them was something else entirely.

 

“Well…” Spike started.

 

**************************************************************************************

 

He’d wondered since they had discovered the truth that she was still alive what his first reaction would be. He’d wondered what hers would be.

 

He knew that Hallie and Faith, hell even Cordy had said that she had no memories. That they’d all been wiped clean when she chosen to fight under the title of Indaran.

 

But some small part of him, some little part of his ego insisted that she would never forget him. He was her mate, just like she was his… if he would never forget her then there was no way that she would forget him.

 

Another part of him though had tried to prepare him for the worst case scenario. That they would find her and she would look blankly at him and either stake him (because he was a vampire and therefore the enemy) or even worse ask him who he was.

 

Neither one of those scenarios filled him with warm fuzzy feelings.

 

He wanted her to have ached for him as much as he ached for her.

 

Over the last year, after he’d recovered from the initial shock of being told she was dead, he’d relived every moment of their lives together. He’d sworn that once he found her, once she was home where she belonged with him, Dawn and Connor that he would never let her go again. That he would take however long it took to make sure that she understood just how much she meant to him.

 

How much he loved her.

 

When Hallie had told him that she’d seen her, that she’d laid eyes on Buffy, had touched her and determined that she was real he had rejoiced. It couldn’t be much longer; the powers wouldn’t keep them separated forever. The fact that the powers had been the one to separate them in the first place never settled in his mind.

 

He decided that he just needed to be patient. He could do that, he’d waited a year what was a few more days?

 

Unfortunately that was easier said than done. He was filled with an intense desire to see her, to reclaim her as his regardless of what had happened in her life since she had left them and if Willow had been able to determine a physical location for her he would have been there mere seconds later.

 

The tingling had begun about five minutes prior. A tingling that he always associated with Buffy and he’d become as nervous as a boy facing his first date. He knew she was here, was in fact in the Hyperion right at that moment.

 

Drawing a deep unneeded breath to fortify himself he moved towards the stairs.

 

“Spike I heard voices are they back yet?” he called out amazed at how steady and sure his voice remained despite the turmoil that he was feeling.

 

“Well…” he heard Spike start saying, his grandchilde’s voice was filled with emotion that he hadn’t heard in a long while.

 

He knew what he would see when he rounded the corner and started down the stairs. He was going to see his love again… and it was time to bring her home.

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Buffy remained silent and quiet in the lobby of the Hyperion. Not looking at anyone or anything she fought back the urge to wrap her arms around herself.

 

Everything was changing.

 

Conversations were happening around her but they sounded like they were so far away that it hurt to concentrate on them.

 

People and places that she had seen in dreams were suddenly standing before her insisting that she knew them, insisting that she remember them.

 

In her dreams she had seen the girl and young man standing before her. She’d known their names once, eventually she’d know them again… and then Whistler would appear and the names would vanish but the faces would remain.

 

She’d never physically been in this hotel, had never physically walked through it. But she knew if she went up the stairs, second door on the right that she would find him.

 

She didn’t remember his name anymore; she’d known it once… she knew that he was important to her. That he had been important to the person she had been before she’d become an Indaran.

 

She always remembered his eyes first. They’d haunted in her in every dream she’d ever had in the last year, those chocolate brown eyes that looked at her as if she was the most beloved thing in his life.

 

Flashes of memory, of their first meeting viciously assaulted her and she shook her head attempting to clear it. Now was so not the time for her memories to be making their renewed presence known.

 

But of course her brain never listened to her and her vision faded, replaced with a dark alley in a town that she’d never been to Sunnydale… the Hellmouth a voice whispered and she could see herself facing the owner of those eyes that loved her.

 

Is there a problem ma’am?

 

Yeah there’s a problem… why were you following me?

I know what you’re thinking… but don’t worry… I don’t bite. Truth is I thought you’d be taller, or bigger muscles and all that… You’re pretty spry though.

 

What’d you want?

The same thing you do.

 

Okay… what do I want?

 

To kill them. To kill them all.

 

Sorry, that’s incorrect. But you do get this lovely watch and a years supply of Turtle Wax. What I want is to be left alone!

 

Do you really think that’s an option anymore? You’re standing at the mouth of hell. And it’s about to open. Don’t turn your back on this. You’ve got be ready.

 

Ready for what?

 

For the Harvest.

 

Who are you?

 

Let’s just say… I’m a friend.

 

Yeah well maybe I don’t want a friend.

 

I didn’t say I was yours.

 

When her vision cleared again she realized that the others were still talking. Cordy mentioning that they’d blown up the school.

 

“We… you blew up the high school?” Buffy asked correcting herself as she once more shook her head. Voices once whispering in her head.

 

Cordelia, Oz… Xander…

 

I for one have never heard a worse plan.

 

We attack the mayor with humus.

 

I stand corrected… but it’s like the only plan… besides its Buffy’s. You know little miss likes to fight.

 

I think there was a yay vote buried in there somewhere.

 

“She doesn’t remember anything,” Cordy was saying when she refocused on the conversation. From the look that the blonde vampire, Spike, sent her she could tell that he didn’t buy her not remembering anything anymore than Cordy or the others seemed to.

 

“Peaches is going to have a cow,” he muttered.

 

She felt him approaching long before his voice rang out.

 

“Spike I heard voices are they back yet?” she heard the voice, shivers running down her spine as she rubbed at her forehead staring resolutely at the floor.

 

Maybe if she didn’t make eye contact with him, didn’t acknowledge him they would let them leave and continue their fight without involving them.

 

Before the thought was even through her head she knew it wouldn’t work. Knew that now that she’d found him again that she was going to be bound to him. That she would never voluntarily be able to leave his side for anything less than the fight.

 

“Well,” she heard Spike start saying.

 

“Well what?” Angel asked rounding the stairs. She hazarded a glance up and saw him stopped in the middle of the stairs, hand clutching the banister for dear life as he stared at her with something akin to awe.

 

Quickly she averted her eyes, staring back at the ground fisting her hands at her side as she gnawed on her bottom lip.

 

“Buffy,” he said in an almost whisper and she felt her heart pang at the loneliness he heard in the simpleness of her name.

 

He had missed her. With that one word she could almost feel the depth of his loneliness, the despair at having thought her dead and buried.

 

She could feel him moving again, could feel his presence tickling along her skin and a corner of her mind registered that although Colin had moved away, had moved to stand beside Jade, Damon had not. He’d taken a position at her back, lending silent support ready to intervene should she say anything indicating that she was not ready for this to happen.

 

She could feel tears welling in her eyes as she stared mutely at the ground. She couldn’t understand why Whistler had wiped her if her memories were going to come back almost immediately… in their entirety. Her life was crashing repeatedly over her, her life with Angel, her life as a Slayer… ending with Xander’s death.

 

Xander… a single tear leaked from her eyes as she thought of her fallen friend. Dying to protect them from someone that he had loved.

 

“He died a warriors death, just like he wanted, just like he was meant to.”

 

“Like he was meant to?! He wasn’t a warrior! He shouldn’t even have been there! Should never have died like that.”

 

“Buffy,” he whispered once more, she could see his shoes, knew he was standing right in front of her, so close that she could reach out and touch him if she chose to. Her nails dug into the skin of her palms as she fought that urge, then fought the urge to lean into his touch as he raised a hand to cup her cheek.

 

God how had she lived so long without him?

 

Because she’d had to… and she still had to… she was still a warrior, still an Indaran. She fought enemies that he couldn’t; she fought a fight that he wasn’t involved in… yet.

 

So drawing a deep breath she stiffened her back, she might have her memories back but that didn’t meant that they needed to know that she had them back. She wouldn’t allow anyone else to die because of her.

 

Xander was enough.

 

Blinking away the tears in her eyes she schooled her expression into one of indifference… and prayed that it would hold as she raised her eyes to meet his.

 

“Angel,” she breathed his name even as she inwardly cursed her weakness where this man was concerned. As their eyes locked she saw the smile being formed on his lips and then darkness descended.

 

**************************************************************************************

 

It was a dark night, no moon showed in the sky and it cast an almost ominous feel over the city.

 

The streets seemed almost absurdly empty. Normally they would be crawling with the denizens of the night. Selling their wares, selling their bodies. But it seemed as if even those that normally sauntered down these streets, cocky in their belief that nothing could touch them felt the evilness that seemed to permeate every darkened corner and took measures to protect themselves from it.

 

Or it could have been the caravan of five identical vehicles. Black blazers, tinted windows that were currently traveling the strangely silent streets of downtown Los Angeles.

 

The military was in town some were probably saying. Others were going into hiding even as they watched the vehicles move past them.

 

Sitting in the passenger seat of the lead vehicle, tapping his unringing cell phone against his leg he was staring out the front window urging the vehicle to move even faster.

 

He could feel it in his bones… as they were traveling at a snail’s pace through the streets his life was being changed. After the fight tonight his life would no longer be the same, he would no longer be able to say that he had no family, no friends other than those that carried the title of Indaran.

 

He only hoped that Buffy was still alive to deal help him deal with the friends that were getting ready to spring out of the woodwork.

 

“They’re not dead,” Brendan glanced at him from the drivers’ seat. He was one of Susanne’s warriors, a bulky young man with a friendly face.

 

“He’s right… you need to relax Wes,” Susanne murmured from the seat directly behind him.

 

“Right,” Wesley snorted rubbing at his eyes. He’d put his contacts, which he despised, in before they’d left. He’d taken to wearing them a few months prior as it wouldn’t do for the enemy to knock his glances off his face during battle and for him to end up crawling around on the ground because he was totally blind without them. “I’ll get right on that.”

 

“Look around you man,” Brendan gestured wildly with one hand. “If something had happened believe me I would be speeding through these streets cops be damned. But they’re fine. Yes they were engaged in battle, but they won…”

 

“So where are they huh? Why aren’t we able to get through to them on the phones or the radios? Why can’t the witches get in touch with Jade directly?”

 

“There powers don’t always work like that… and all the witches aren’t psychically sensitive like Jade…”

 

“And sometimes the powers lock them out making it near impossible for them to get in contact with each other,” Wesley finished. He glared at the phone once more. A piece of technology that would normally link him to his four favorite people in the world right now it was only serving to distance them from him.

 

“If something had happened to them we would know, chill…” Brendan stated stubbornly, glowering as he tightened his hands around the steering wheel, Wesley envisioned that he was probably it was his neck and that the life was slowly being strangled from him.

 

Sometimes he forgot how volatile the warriors could be.

 

Settling back in his seat he gripped his phone in one hand and turned his attention out the window, watching the scenery slowly pass by.

 

He didn’t believe them dead. No matter what the others might think of his behavior it had nothing to do with fear of their demise. His fear was of discovery. Fear that the family and friends that he and Buffy had in common had located her and even now his carefully structured life was going to be demolished in one swift blow.

 

He comforted himself with the fact that the family and friends couldn’t have been all that close to him. The Indaran’s had been chosen by their lack of significant friendships… Buffy had been one of the sole warriors chosen that had any family at all left. And after his last talk with Whistler it had been his understanding that the bonds that were even now pushing and pulling his warrior in a million different directions had, at the time, been stretched beyond any hopes of repair by the powers. That the bonds she shared with the vampire in particular had been all but shattered and destroyed by outside influences.

 

Obviously that was no longer the case.

 

The vampire had marked her, he’d seen the bite on her neck and identified it as a vampire’s bite months ago but it had never dawned on him that the vampire that had bitten her still walked the earth. He had just assumed that the Buffy had been bitten prior to dusting the offending vampire. He had never imagined that she would have allowed a vampire to claim her.

 

He didn’t remember what Buffy had been like prior to the wipes. Sometimes he was thankful for that blessing, becoming friends was enough of a trial without their past history clouding their opinions, but he would never have envisioned that she would have allowed a vampire to mark her as his mate.

 

Whistler had told him the vampire had walked away, had marked her and then left her years prior. The bond that had been strong upon his departure had weakened as the years passed and then days prior to their being called as Indaran she had found out that he had moved on.

 

The information, Whistler had explained, had not come from the vampire, or even the woman that he was supposed to be moving on with… it had come from a source that Buffy had trusted, a friend that she never believed would lie to her. Then Whistler had corroborated the story when he had came to offer her the choice. The powers had not informed him that it was a spell, that the vampire was in the process of being tested for his own worthiness. If he had broken the spell he would have been called as well… they had a demon that fought by their sides after all and warriors were chosen by their worthiness not by their status as human or not.

 

But he hadn’t been strong enough, being away from his mate for so long had weakened the bond so that he was unable to counteract it even though he knew that it was there. It had taken Buffy’s ‘death’ to break it and by then it had been to late, the warriors had been chosen and the vampire had been left behind.

 

The powers had never imagined that the bond between Buffy and her mate would strengthen after that, by all accounts it should have been weakened to the point of destruction. By it had strengthened, and the bond continued to link the two of them, he was the reason the wipes weren’t working on his warrior. Why they hadn’t been working.

 

“Do we have five witches?” he asked suddenly turning in his seat to face Susanne.

 

“Yes… I don’t see the point though,” Susanne rolled her eyes. “Jade is fine and now we’re putting six in battle at the primary when the bigger battle is going to be the secondary.”

 

“It’s better to be safe than sorry,” Wesley muttered turning back around.

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Angel crouched over his bed, his broad shoulders blocking the view of Buffy laying motionless there. When she had collapsed he had scooped her up in his arms and carried her to his room. Ignoring everyone’s objections as he fought to keep a skip out of his step he had raced up the stairs.

 

He was a vampire he didn’t skip he kept telling himself as he reveled in the sensation her closeness brought. Fighting back the urge to gather her close to him, to clutch her to his unbeating heart and never, ever let her go again.

 

He settled for stroking her cheek gently as he smiled. She had remembered him, had said his name in the breathy little way that she had… of course then she had passed out in his arms but still…

 

“Dad…” Connor held a wet washcloth over his shoulder staring down at the unmoving woman lying there. His mother.

 

Even at that moment people were descending on the hotel to see for themselves that she was alive.

 

The call had gone out almost immediately. Faith had already arrived. Giles and Willow’s voices could be heard getting closer.

 

“Thanks,” Angel murmured absently as he touched the wet cloth to her face. He could see her eyes moving rapidly under her closed lids, could feel the tension in her body and as he moved his hand over her face he fought to feed her positive emotions through their bond.

 

Struggled to show her the depth of his love and devotion. He could sense her fear through it, could feel her terror which he didn’t understand. Because she was scared for him.

 

A movement on the other side of the bed drew his attention and he met the inquisitive eyes of the brunette female, Jade as she sat on the edge. Gifting him with a small smile she turned her attention to Buffy laying a hand on her forehead as she closed her eyes.

 

“Well?” Damon asked from behind her. “What happened?”

 

“I don’t know,” Jade said in puzzlement, opening her eyes again she frowned as she lifted her hand away. “Something rendered her unconscious.”

 

“You mean something did this on purpose? How, why?” Angel asked with quiet anger.

 

Jade studied him before turning to Damon. “I need to call Wesley… we’re protected against spells and enchantments like this, only the powers could intervene and allow something like this to happen.”

 

Angel started at the sound of the familiar name. His mind running in circles as it considered the implications. “Did you say…? Wesley?” he heard Giles ask from behind him.

 

“Yeah… he’s our watcher,” Damon said taking Jade’s place by the bed.

 

“Your watcher,” Angel said numbly. “Wesley is your watcher.”

 

“Yeah… so?” Damon shrugged exchanging looks with Colin as he entered the room.

 

“Wesley Wyndham-Price?” Giles asked his face full of dawning realization.

 

“We don’t have last names,” Colin stated from his position by the door.

 

“He’d be British… about thirty…”

 

“He’d have a scar… across his neck,” Angel finished.

 

“That’s Wes,” Damon nodded.

 

“Oh lord,” Giles breathed. “Oh dear lord.”

 

**************************************************************************************

 

“Jade tell me that’s you,” Wesley ordered as soon as he turned the phone on.

 

“Geez baby did you miss me that much?” Jade smiled, no matter how worried she might be about Buffy the sound of his voice always did wonders in calming her.

 

“Where the hell have you been?! We’ve been trying to get in touch with you for hours,” Wesley muttered furiously.

 

“The cell didn’t work; we tried to call when we got out of the movies but…” Jade shrugged. Crossing one arm over her stomach she tried to decide the best way to broach the subject of Buffy having met her family and friends and been rendered unconscious by an unknown assailant all in a few short hours.

 

Maybe she should just lie and tell him everything was okay.

 

“We’ve got a small problem…”

 

“Please don’t tell me that you’ve been arrested,” Wes begged.

 

“No,” she laughed. “Although once you hear what the problem is you might wish that it was as simple as that.”

 

“What’s the problem?”

 

“You know that situation you told us to be on the lookout for?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Well it’s happened… they’re all here.”

 

“Why do I have a feeling that’s not all,” Wes sighed as he rubbed the scar across his neck.

 

“Because its not… we got here and Buffy was fine, she took one look at this vampire, said his name and then passed out,” Jade mumbled quickly. When she heard nothing but silence from the other end she frowned. “Wes, honey, you still there?”

 

“Yes,” he sighed loudly into the phone again. “You’re right it would be so much simpler if you had just been arrested for fighting again.”

 

“Are you in the car?” she asked curiously as she heard a car alarm faintly through the phone.

 

“Where are you right now?” he asked ignoring her question in favor of determining her whereabouts and getting her to the primary playing field.

 

“We’re at this hotel… the Hyperion? The vampire that Buffy knew… he owns it.”

 

“Fuck,” Wes muttered. “We’re on our way to you.”

 

“Wes?” Jade asked softly trying to ignore the pang of horror that she felt at the tone of his voice. Walking to the balcony she gazed down into the lobby. These were all humans. Buffy’s friends, sister, mate… son.

 

There wasn’t a fighter among them if you didn’t count the vampires, the Slayer and the boy.

 

“We’ve got primary and secondary playing fields.”

 

 “Primary?”

 

“Is your location…”

“No,” she said abruptly drawing attention from those milling about in the lobby. “Wes there are civilians here. Buffy’s family, your family is here.”

 

“Evacuate them if possible… but you don’t have much time… maybe a few minutes at the most.”

 

“How close are you?” Jade asked closing her eyes. Evacuate them, sure that would work… not. There was no way that anyone would voluntarily leave the premises until they found out what had happened to Buffy.

 

“Couple minutes… they’re going to beat us there.”

 

“You know sometimes I hate my life,” Jade grumbled. “What do you want us to do?”

 

“Get ready… might help if you had a conscious Buffy but that’s your call.”

 

“Right… conscious Buffy… on it… see ya in a bit,” Jade hung up. Tapping the phone against her forehead she started back towards Angel’s room.

 

“So?” Colin asked as she entered. “What did he say? Was he mad?”

 

“He wasn’t mad… but I think he would have been happier if I’d told him we’d been arrested again,” she said softly her eyes on the still form of her friend. “He’s on his way here.”

 

“What? Why?”

 

“Jade?” Damon asked slowly climbing to his feet.

 

“We have primary and secondary playing fields.”

 

“Which are we?” Colin asked understanding in his voice as he walked towards her.

 

“We’re the primary… he suggests we get Buffy conscious and get ready.”

 

“Right,” Damon nodded. “Any suggestions on how to do that?” he asked the three all focusing on the unconscious warrior.

 

“Well…” Jade started. “I have no clue.”

 

From his place beside Buffy Angel followed the conversation. It was almost as if they’d forgotten that he was even in the room with them. “What’s a primarily playing field?” he asked curiously.

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Buffy woke slowly on her bed in her house on Revello Drive. For a moment she was startled… had it all been a dream, a nightmare… a portent of what was to come? Rubbing a hand across her face she glanced down at her clothes, the clothes she had been wearing when she had gone to the movies with Damon, Colin and Jade.

 

She’d never had clothes like the ones she currently wore. Too sedate, to baggy… too black.

 

Pushing herself to her feet she glanced around her room finally noticing the fine layer of dust over her belongings.

 

Didn’t mean anything she told herself firmly. She’d been busy, what with Dawn and going back to school… and Anya trying to kill everyone.

 

“Dawn?” she called rushing from her room. Hazarding a glance in her sister’s bedroom she found nothing and raced down the steps.

 

“I won’t let you hurt them!” Xander yelled placing his body between the demonic form of Anyanka and Buffy and Willow.

 

She gasped as she swayed, clutching at the doorframe for support.

 

“And you’re going to stop me how?” Anyanka scoffed with a malicious smile waving the knife in her hand towards the two females. She had powers that she could have used but physical damage was best inflicted by hand not by power. The Slayer was already hurt; Buffy had a hand pressed to her stomach where Anyanka had managed to stab her with the knife.

 

“I won’t let you hurt them,” Xander repeated arms outstretched as he stood his ground.

 

“You’re worthless Xander,” Anyanka mocked. “You’re the most worthless member of the Scoobies, no powers, no strength… I’m surprised they haven’t cut you loose long before now. I would think you would want me to do this… before they figured out how pathetic you really are and banished you.”

 

“They’re my friends,” he said quietly. “They would never do that.”

 

“Friends,” she laughed harshly. “Friends are a dime a dozen. Easily replaceable.”

 

“Anya,” he said softly moving towards her.

 

“Xander don’t,” Buffy warned laying a hand on his shoulder trying to stay his forward movement.

 

“She won’t hurt me,” Xander said confidently.

 

“Sure about that?” Anyanka murmured arching a brow. “I’ll take what I can get,” she snarled shoving the knife into the soft flesh of Xander’s abdomen. He gasped his face a mixture of surprise and resignation as his eyes flickered from his ex-lover’s face to the knife that she was slowly twisting.

 

“Xander,” Buffy and Willow screamed as she quickly pulled the knife back, Xander crumpling to the floor between them.

 

“Oh god,” Buffy moaned falling to her knees burying her face in her hands. “Oh god… Xander.”

 

“Hey Buff…” she jumped as she felt the gentle touch on her shoulder. “None of that now.”

 

Whirling she was on her feet a hand pressed to her chest as she gaped. “Xander… You’re dead.”

 

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “People keep saying that.”

 

“You did this!” she accused sharply.

 

“Yeah,” he laughed sharply. “Got a lot of nifty little powers now… I pulled you here to keep you from making a huge mistake.”

 

“A mistake? What are you talking about? All I was about to do was tell Angel that I didn’t remember anything.”

 

“Exactly,” Xander smiled. “And that’s not the plan right now.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You and Angel… you guys are supposed to be together,” Xander said sheepishly.

 

Buffy stared at him in disbelief before she started laughing, shaking her head.

 

“Uh Buff? Not seeing the funny here.”

 

Buffy giggled as she stared up at him. “It’s just… god Xander you hate Angel more than anyone else on the planet and you’re trying to tell me that you think that we belong together… Who are you really?” she asked with a grin peering up into his face.

 

“I’m not kidding here,” Xander muttered. “Wish I were but I’m not.”

 

“Sorry Xander I just don’t buy it… besides Angel’s with Cordy now… remember?”

 

“Yeah about that,” he ran a hand through his hair awkwardly. “That was a spell…”

 

“A spell?”

 

“Yeah… designed by the other side to drive a wedge between the two of you… The powers knew it was there and decided to use it as part of his test…”

 

“What test?”

 

“If you stop interrupting I’ll tell you,” Xander growled. “He was being tested for Indaran along with the rest of the warriors… His test was fairly simple, he passed all the physical stuff with flying colors but the emotional test…”

 

“He was supposed to break the spell…” Buffy whispered her eyes wide.

 

“Yeah… he failed… both he and Cordy did. When he found out that you had died… the spell broke through his grief.”

 

“But by then it was to late,” Buffy murmured. “The Indaran had already been chosen…”

 

“He loved you Buffy… just like Cord realized that she loved me… but your right… it was too late,” Xander shook his head. “It was just too damn late,” he whispered.

 

“What was my test Xander?”

 

He looked away, staring at the frozen scene that had been forgotten by them. His other self laying on the floor bleeding, in shock. Buffy and Anya locked in combat.

 

“Xander?”

 

“Not interfering,” he whispered.

 

“What?”

 

“Your test was to interfere or not… Whistler gave you the tools, told you that Anyanka was going to attack you and Willow to gain revenge on me. Your test was to step back and let me handle it, to let me die… And you did… so you passed.”

 

“But you died,” Buffy cried.

 

“Did I?”

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Angel watched in horror as tears began leaking from under Buffy’s closed eyes. Her grief was so tangible that he could feel it emanating throughout the room. He had no idea where her mind was locked. What she was seeing but it was hurting her.

 

Leaning close to her he laid his forehead against hers closing his eyes. “I love you,” he whispered as he reached down to grip her hand. “I love you.”

 

“Angel?” he felt her breath on his face even as he heard the almost silent whisper.

 

“Buffy,” he whispered drawing away just inches so he could gaze down at her. “Hey,” he smiled at her.

 

“So sleeping beauty has decided to rejoin her waiting public,” Damon grumbled as he crossed the room. Sitting on the bed next to her he “How do you feel babe?” he asked ignoring the growling vampire on the other side of her.

 

“My head hurts,” she murmured as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

 

“Probably would have hurt a lot more if your vampire hadn’t been there to catch you when you passed out.”

 

“Yeah,” Buffy squeezed Angel’s hand slightly. “He’s good at catching me when I fall.”

 

“So you up for a fight? We’ve got a world of trouble headed our way,” Colin asked brightly from the door.

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Jade paced the length of the lobby in agitation. They were as ready as they could be barring the arrival of backup.

 

She hadn’t wanted to exit the hotel to get weapons from the blazer and had found that the weapons housed in the hotel more than made up for what they would normally have had. And if she was honest with herself she wouldn’t have expected anything less from a warrior of Angel’s magnitude. What was agitating her was the wait.

 

She hated waiting.

 

Buffy’s family and friends were scattered throughout the lobby, she had attempted to get them to leave, to get to safety but they had all refused stating they weren’t going anywhere until they had a chance to talk to Buffy.

 

She hadn’t wanted to be the one to tell them that any conversation they wanted to hold with her would have to wait until a later date. Once the fight was done at the Hyperion they would be shepherded to the secondary playing field.

 

“Girl you need to sit or something,” Gunn muttered. “Pacing isn’t going to make the bad guys show up any faster.”

 

Jade growled at him as she resumed her streak. She was on her way back across the lobby was almost to the stairs when she heard the crashing at the door. Whirling she crouched a smile creasing her face.

 

“Indaran,” a demon she didn’t recognize at the front of the pack pouring through the door pointed his sword at her. “You are challenged.”

 

“It’s about damn time,” Jade snarled as she grabbed a sword from the collection on the stairs. “Saren,” she murmured under her breath as she raced across the floor towards them, already sending a mental summons to the others when she saw Spike appear out of nowhere.

 

“No! Don’t!!” she yelled even as she saw Spike charge the lead demon. She winced, but never stopped moving as Spike made contact with the demon’s armor yelping in pain as he went flying backwards from the electrical backlash.

 

“Don’t touch them!” she yelled as Faith hovered over the downed blonde vampire.

 

“What the hell?!” the Slayer asked her tone pissed.

 

“This isn’t your fight… don’t touch them!”

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Buffy leaned back against Angel on the bed. She knew she should keep her distance. Should try to make sure he understood that her life wasn’t really hers at the moment.

 

But she couldn’t.

 

His arm was around her invoking feelings she long thought dead and buried. Home, love.

 

That arm was supporting her but it was also sending a message. One that Damon was currently smirking at. Her vampire was showing signs of possessiveness and that left her feeling unbelievably giddy.

 

“Guys!? Could use some fucking help down here!!” Jades voice rang loud in their heads and Angel started as the three jumped. Exchanging looks they raced from the room, already they could hear the clash of battle and wondered how they had missed the sounds.

 

Ignoring the stairs, and the vampire following closely on their heels they used the banister as leverage and dove from the second floor to the middle of the battle below. Screaming the word that would activate their shields in unison.

 

“Saren!”

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Buffy leapt into battle with a cry and a grin. Kicking out with one leg she twisted and easily caught the sword being tossed at her by Colin.

 

Beside her she could feel glee and determination rolling off her companions in waves. There was absolutely nothing like a good fight to really get the adrenaline pumping.

 

And to take her mind off the fact that even now she could feel Angel moving quickly down the stairs. Without turning she knew that he had stopped at the bottom to take stock of the situation, in another few seconds he would grab a weapon and attempt to join the battle.

 

Something she just could not allow.

 

She wanted her vampire mate aliv…ish… or at the very least not a pile of dust.

 

She couldn’t yell at a pile of dust, couldn’t plan a future with a pile of dust.

 

Unless she moved quickly once the battle was over and had him moved into an urn. But she was normally quite vague after a big battle and chances were she would forget that he was lying in a pile at her feet.

 

Besides did she really want to be known as the crazy Warrior who talked to her urn?

 

Nope if she had a vote she was going for an undead vampire mate versus dusty vampire mate.

 

“Jade,” she called out swinging the sword in her hand she caught a Menthlusa demon in the torso, turning away to avoid being sprayed in the face by its blood.

 

“Hmmm?” Jade grunted as she took a hit to the chest and flew solidly into the wall.

 

“Barrier,” she jerked her head towards the group that was even now having taken stock of the situation and was moving towards them.

 

“On it,” the brunette muttered. From where she was fighting, side by side with Damon she could see Colin take up position between Jade and the demons closing on her disappearing under the onslaught only to reappear seconds later.

 

Jade on the other hand had her sword in one hand, her other cupped as she chanted softly. Her eyes glowing pure white as she whirled suddenly throwing it seemed nothing at the group descending on the fight. Only the other three warriors saw the small ball of light leave her cupped hand and quickly grow into a shield in front of the stairs.

 

Effectively cutting off the arrival of those that would attempt to help… and would no doubt die in the process.

 

Buffy heard the growl emanate from Angel’s throat as he bounced off the barrier. Her name a desperate cry on his lips.

 

With a smile she turned her full attention to the battle in front of her. Now that her love and her family were safe she could concentrate on winning this fight.

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Angel snarled as he banged his fists futilely against the invisible barrier separating him from his mate, her companions and the demons they were currently engaged in furious battle with.

 

“Can you get it down?” he spat angrily at Willow. She shook her head silently, having given up witchcraft for the most part at the loss of her powers she could only do minor spells.

 

Breaking this barrier down well surpassed the limited powers she did have.

 

“Maybe Halfrek,” she started frowning when Hallie shook her head at them.

 

“Way beyond me… even being a demon… That witch,” Hallie gestured at Jade, who had rejoined the battle now that her spell was done. “That witch was the one who did the sleep spell on me… she’s probably the one that distorted the path so that we couldn’t figure out where my port originated from.”

 

“We can’t just let them fight alone,” Angel muttered. “Look at them… they’re totally outnumbered.”

 

“I’d say they were holding their own,” Spike wheezed as Faith helped him into a sitting position.

 

“What’s wrong with you boy?” the older vampire asked with narrowed eyes.

 

“Got hit with some sort of electrical shock when I went to hit that first demon,” Spike mumbled as he struggled to his feet.

 

Giles sighed removing his glasses as he took a seat on the stairs. Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket he slowly started cleaning them. “You might as well sit down,” he offered quietly as he looked up into their disbelieving faces. “You can’t fight them.”

 

“What the hell are you talking about? They’re demons, we fight demons…” Faith started.

 

“Not these demons you don’t...”

 

“What do you know Rupert?” Angel asked quietly.

 

“The Indaran will fight those that cannot be fought. Locked in battle with a cry they will fight with unity sparks lighting their way.”

 

“What?” Dawn exchanged a confused look with Connor that turned to quickly to realization. “Oh god.”

 

“What?!”

 

“The blonde… Colin he said something when they were fighting off the guys that were attacking us…” Dawn murmured. “It didn’t even click until now.”

 

“He said something? Why don’t I remember this?” Cordy grumbled.

 

“Think you were unconscious at the time Cor,” Connor grinned before turning back to his father and Giles. “Jade and Damon were facing off against these big guys…”

 

“And a vampire,” Dawn interjected.

 

“Yeah, yeah… then Colin appears out of nowhere tells us to move out the way.”

 

“Because with shields on if one of them had hit us it would have been like getting hit by an electrical charge,” Dawn finished.

 

“More like a couple,” Spike muttered rubbing his hands. “Bleedin’ hell it felt like I’d stuck my hand in an electrical socket or something.”

 

“He said that it wouldn’t hurt them… but that it would hurt us,” Connor said reassuringly. Touching his fathers arm lightly he turned his attention to the fight that had been raging behind them.

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Angel hadn’t felt the raw sting of jealousy in years. Hands pressed against the invisible barrier that separated him from his love he waited. He didn’t even wince at the pain the barrier inflicted on him as it tried to repel him from its surface. But even as the barrier fought to push him away he touched it, the moment it dropped he would be across the invisible line that had been drawn.

 

He just hoped it wasn’t too late.

 

The pain comforted him; at least he knew he could feel something besides the jealousy that was clawing at his insides.

 

The demon inside him demanded that he reclaim her, that he show the boy who fought at her side just who she belonged to.

 

The last time he’d been this viciously opposed to someone had been the first time he met Riley Finn.

 

But even through the haze of his jealousy back then he’d known that he wouldn’t be replaced.

 

He couldn’t be replaced because as often as not Buffy would had to have pulled Riley’s butt out of the  fire and she would never have had to do that with Angel. They had fought as equals and he’d known back then that even if she replaced him as her love as a fighter he could never be replaced.

 

But watching her synchronous movements with Damon he wondered if he had been replaced. Watching the two of them instinctively fight together, watching each others back, supporting each other he felt that blinding haze as furiously as he ever had.

 

Even to his jealous eyes he could see that they fought well together, they intuitively knew exactly where the other was going to be at any given time… he could remember a time when he and Buffy had fought like that.

 

“Chit’s gotten good,” Spike commented from next to him.

 

“She was always good,” Angel muttered.

 

“Then she’s gotten better.”

 

Angel grumbled under his non-existent breath but he had to admit his grand-childe was right.

 

She had gotten better. Now she fought with an edge, a viciousness that he’d never seen in her fighting before.

 

Although no noise from the battle could be heard on their side of the barrier he imagined it would sound like any other battle he’d been in. The clash of metal against metal. The grunts and cries as blows were landed.

 

The battle cry of warriors fighting for a cause.

 

He knew that the tide was changing, that reinforcements had arrived by the positions that the four took.

 

The way Buffy and Damon positioned themselves he knew that they’d used this particular maneuver before.

 

And it was flawless, so ingrained into them that they probably never even thought about it. Buffy knew Damon would be there, Damon knew exactly when Buffy would attempt it.

 

He could see that from the way that Damon never even looked at her before dropping to the floor in a crouch, sword caught between his knees as he cupped his hands just mere seconds before Buffy took a running start and planted her foot in them.

 

With an upward thrust he tossed the former Slayer into the air as if she weighed no more than a sheet of paper. She twisted and turned in the air, landing on her feet in front of the door, sword swinging the entire time.

 

And it all happened so fast, so precisely that Angel was sure that if he had blinked he would have missed the entire thing.

 

“Good lord is that…?” Giles squinted as he saw black clad figures battling their way through the door. Buffy cutting a swathe through the demons between her and the door her compatriots were entering through.

 

“It kind of looks like English but…” Gunn shook his head.

 

“Wesley?” Cordy’s eyes widened in disbelief.

 

The former Watcher was dressed entirely in black, no glasses lighting his nose as would be the norm and handling a battle ax as if it was an extension of his arm.

 

The group watched in stunned amazement as Buffy shot him a quick grin and wink as he moved up to her side.

 

“All right is anyone else totally wigged by the fact that B appears to be listening to him?” Faith muttered.

 

And she was… whatever Wesley was saying Buffy was agreeing to as she continually nodded her head at him.

 

Both moved forward, the newest warriors fanning out clearing a space in the middle of the room.

 

A space that was filled quickly with five people. Standing back to back Jade, two women and two men began chanting. Hands entwined as the battle continued around them.

 

A storm waged in the room, wind wildly swirling around the combatants, the hands that were entwined glowing pure white and then a blinding light.

 

Those behind the shield raised arms to their eyes to ward it off. They heard the deafening roar just seconds before the light cleared, seconds before their vision returned and it took Angel a moment to realize that it was a victory cheer. So loud that it could be heard beyond the shield when the sounds of battle hadn’t been.

 

And then suddenly he stumbled forward as the shield vanished, out of the corner of his eye he saw Jade waving a hand at them, dispelling the shield that had kept them safe and separated. With a grin and a wink she acknowledged them before turning back to her friends.

 

Quickly he surveyed the room breathing a sigh of relief as he saw Buffy embroiled in conversation with Wesley and Damon.

 

“What happened to all the bodies?” Willow whispered from near him.

 

Angel glanced around the room quickly, all the warriors appeared to be present… but the demons that they had been locked in combat with had all vanished.

 

A loud piercing whistle kept anyone from responding to her query. Not that they would have know what to say to her in the first place.

 

Wesley had leapt up onto the large counter on one side of the room, hands raised above his head he waited for the chatter to subside.

 

“We still have a secondary playing field,” he started and Angel’s brows raised at the sound of authority in his voice. This was a Wesley Wyndham-Pryce that was obviously used to leading, used to being followed.

 

“All team members please check in with team captains. Team captains check in with me once your teams are together. Anyone needing replacement weapons see Buffy and Damon,” he glanced down at Buffy when she tapped on his leg, leaning down so she could mumble to him. Whatever she said to him was so soft that even with his vampire hearing… and straining, he couldn’t figure it out. At least not until Wesley scowled. “And do not use this opportunity to build your personal collections. All weapons borrowed must be returned.”

 

With that Wesley jumped down and with a squeeze of Buffy’s arm headed towards Jade.

 

Buffy herself had locked eyes with Angel. Waving off a warrior that had approached her she directed him towards Damon and slowly walked towards the small group that had not moved much since the barrier had been let down.

 

Stopping right in front of Angel she smiled softly up at him. A smile that he returned even though his heart felt heavy.

 

Even though she hadn’t said the words yet, deep inside himself he knew that she wasn’t staying.

 

With Dawn on one side, Connor on the other he stared down at her. Fought for composure even as his throat constricted, he struggled to think of the right words.

 

The right words to keep her there, with him.

 

Dawn solved the problem of what to say when she reached out to touch Buffy’s arm. Probably to reassure herself once again that Buffy was indeed real and not a figment of an overactive imagination, it also served to draw Buffy’s eyes momentarily away from Angel. Allowing him to regain his composure as Buffy drew Dawn into a fierce hug.

 

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered into her sisters’ ear.

 

“I know,” Dawn whispered tearfully back.

 

Pressing a kiss to her cheek she drew away, Buffy focused her attention once more on Angel even though she continued to clutch one of Dawn’s hands within her own.

 

“I can’t stay,” she said softly.

 

“I know… we still…”

 

“Need to talk… I know,” turning she made quick eye contact with Wesley and when he nodded she turned back to them. “We’re staying in LA right now.”

 

“How…?” Angel began scowling when Damon appeared out of nowhere at her side, a heavy vest in one hand and a slip of paper in the other. He handed the paper to Angel, the vest to Buffy and as she slid it on she continued.

 

“The address is on there,” she smiled wistfully. “It’s a great house… don’t…” she glanced around at those that were circled around them. 

 

Cordy standing next to Gunn.

 

Willow clutching at Giles arm as she watched with apprehension.

 

Faith, Spike and Hallie sitting on the stairs, all trying to send off airs of detachment that they didn’t quite manage.

 

She could not handle having everyone in her home at once.

 

She would definitely go insane.

 

“Don’t bring everyone,” she muttered. “Just you, Dawn… Giles for now.”

 

“I’d like to bring Connor,” Angel said glancing over at his silent awestruck son. “If you don’t mind of course.”

 

Buffy followed his gaze, cocking her head to one side as she studied the boy at his side. Connor fidgeted nervously under her gaze although his eyes never broke contact with hers. With a sudden nod a brilliant smile creased her face.

 

“Okay.”

 

“Buffy… are you ready?” Wesley called from the door. Jade at his side he had an expression of impatience on his face… although it didn’t show in his voice.

 

“I’ve…”

 

“Got to go… yeah,” Angel touched her cheek gently before drawing her impulsively into a hug. After a second she wrapped her arms around him resting her head against his chest.

 

“I missed you,” she said so softly he barely heard her. Probably wouldn’t have if he had been human.

 

“I missed you to,” he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek before releasing her.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow then?” she said backing away. Behind her Damon and Jade were exiting the building; only Wesley remained within its confines watching the proceedings with interest… even though there was not a hint of recognition on his features.

 

“Tomorrow,” he promised. With a grin she turned on her heel, surprising him only silently when she whirled back around. With an ease of movement that he didn’t ever recall her having before she wrapped her arms around him again in a fierce hug. Drawing away she pressed a quick, hard kiss to his lips before once again whirling away.

 

“Be careful,” he called after her.

 

“Always,” she grinned back at him, Wesley nodded at them as she joined his side. Walking side by side out of the building.

 

**************************************************************************************

 

He’d been unable to wait to see her so they had taken his car.

 

Protected against the sun that blared brightly in the sky by a spell that Willow and Hallie had done jointly and the extremely tinted windows he had exceeded speed limits to get to the house and now that he was here he was absolutely terrified.

 

He’d been terrified before they’d gotten there as well. Although that had been for a decidedly different reason.

 

Fear that she might have died in the battle that he had left his arms to go wage had tormented his waking hours since she had left him.

 

He’d been unable to sleep, unable to even rest. And he’d know that he wouldn’t be able to until he saw with his own two eyes that she was unharmed.

 

That she was alive and that she remembered him.

 

He’d felt a measure of relief as he felt her presence within the house as they’d approached it. It had so overwhelmed him that he’d had to pull the car over to collect himself.

 

It was either that or run into the telephone pole.

 

Of course once he’d felt the relief that her continued aliveness brought then the terror that she might no longer love him had started building within him.

 

She had hugged him, had kissed him, had confessed her love to him the night before. But did she really feel the emotions that he did or had it been the heat of the moment?

 

Had she already moved on, without her memories there would have been nothing stopping her from pursuing a relationship with the young man that had fought by her side.

 

Damon… his lips curled back in a silent snarl.  He didn’t think he could go on if she told him that she’d moved on to the young warrior.

 

So here he sat, hunkered over the steering wheel, a short distance down the street from the address that Buffy had given him.

 

Sitting next to him Giles alternately cast curious glances at him and impatient looks at his watch as he waited for Angel to drive the short distance to the gate that they could see from the road.

 

In the back seat the teens were impatiently tapping fingers against the seat. The sound of their nails on the leather would have been annoying if he’d had any thought space left. But his entire being was consumed with thoughts of his mate and left no room to worry about his companions.

 

Dawn craned her neck slightly to see if she could see the house that Buffy now lived in through the trees and high brick wall that surrounded it.

 

She could barely make out the tip of it over the obstructions and was close to unleashing her fury at being forced to wait to see her sister by smashing the window she was looking out and crawling out of the car that way.

 

The gate was so close, Buffy was so close that she could taste it and she had no problem walking from the car to the gate. She knew that Giles and Connor would be right beside her… of course Angel would have to wait in the car unless he wanted to do his impression of a flaming vampire.

 

Kicking the back of Giles’ seat earned her a glare which she disarmed by smiling sweetly at him, sparing a glare at Connor when he snickered, she jerked her head at the unmoving vampire not bothering to hide the impatience on her face.

 

Giles gave a long suffering sigh and finally broke the silence of the car.

 

“Angel?”

 

“Hmm?” Angel murmured noncommittally.

 

“Are you planning on driving up to the gate or do you want us to walk?”

 

“What?” Angel glanced over at him an expression of confusion on his face.

 

“We’ve been sitting here for ten minutes dad,” Connor said quietly. “Are we going to go up the gate or are we coming back later.”

 

“Later? Why would we come back later?”

 

“Because you obviously aren’t ready for this… maybe you should just drop us off and come back at sunset,” Dawn offered.

 

“No! No,” Angel cleared his throat. Straightening his spine he shifted slightly in his seat all three humans holding their breaths when he put the car in gear, only to groan in unison when he put it back in part.

 

“Angel!” Dawn cried. “I’d like to see my sister while I’m still young!”

 

“I… what if she doesn’t want to see me?” he asked quietly. His voice soft all three could hear the hint of worry.

 

“What are you talking about?” Giles twisted in his seat to face the disturbed vampire. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the same confusion as he was feeling on Connor and Dawn’s faces. “She invited you Angel… why would she not want to see you?”

 

“Well it was… you know the heat of the moment, big battle… plus there’s still a lot of things she doesn’t know,” Angel murmured catching his sons eyes in the rear view mirror.

 

“You mean me,” Connor said softly.

 

“You… and then there’s Wesley… I mean… he’s not dead obviously, but aren’t you just a bit curious as to why he was chosen to be their Watcher instead of you.”

 

“I like to think that it was because her family would need me.”

 

“So are we going?” Dawn leaned over the seat. “Because if we’re not let me out, I can walk it.”

 

“No we’re going,” Angel stated. “Hope she’s ready for us,” he mumbled as he once more put the car in drive and slowly moved forward. Swinging it into the short space between the gate and the road he glanced anxiously in his mirror before inching forward just a bit more to allow the car to be covered by the trees lining the area.

 

Slowly rolling down the window everyone held their breath, releasing it once Angel pushed the button and quickly withdrew into the car… thankfully not on fire.

 

“Please state your name and the nature of your business,” a metallic voice came across the small box.

 

“Angel… we… we have an appointment with Buffy,” Angel said carefully, exchanging a look with Giles he tapped his fingers against the steering wheel as they waited.

 

“Please pull through the gate, the second garage is open for your use and someone will meet you there. Have a nice day.”

 

“Thank you,” Angel breathed a non-existent sigh of relief as the gate slowly opened in front of them. Rolling the window back up he pulled through, glancing in the rear view mirror he saw the gate slowly closing behind them as soon as they were through.

 

Navigating the long, curved driveway carefully he smiled as he saw the second garage open and empty, ready for their use.

 

At least someone had remembered that he was a vampire, then he frowned. How had they known that they would come when it was still light out and he would need the protection?

 

Buffy would have known that he couldn’t wait.

 

Of course she wouldn’t have been able to either.

 

When she had come back from the dead the second time he had done the same thing, leaving while the sun was still high in the sky to meet her halfway. Both arriving within moments of each other.

 

And although that meeting had not gone exactly as he had envisioned it had been enough to know that she was alive in Sunnydale… if not well.

 

He’d never thought that it would be over two years before he would see her again.

 

Abandoning that depressing thought for the moment he pulled the car in, shutting it off he was not surprised to see the door close as soon as the car was stopped.

 

She had invited them here. She hadn’t had to… she could have come back to the Hyperion to see everyone.

 

But she had invited them to her home. That had to count for something.

 

That had to mean that she wanted to see them. Hopefully as much as they wanted to see her.

 

“She knew you’d be here early,” Jade grinned as she met them at the stairs that he imagined led into the house. “Come on in… we haven’t eaten yet are you guys hungry?”

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Damon leaned against the door staring at his best friend… the one who was currently staring at her closet with a slightly panicked expression on her face.

 

“Jade just called up to say that they’re here,” he stated with a smirk.

 

“I know… he’s been here for a while,” she said absently as she moved forward rifling quickly through the clothes in her closet once more.

 

“You looking for something in particular babe?”

 

“Something to wear… and don’t call me babe,” she murmured, pulling out a jumper she held it up to herself, shook her head and returned it to the closets depths.

 

“What’s wrong with what you have on?” Damon queried as he walked into the room. Standing beside her he cocked his head as he studied the closet.

 

Like most females closets it was full of clothes… not as full as Jades but Buffy wasn’t nearly the clothes horse that their fellow warrior was.

 

“This… ? You can’t be serious! I can’t see Angel for the first time in over two years wearing this!” Buffy grumbled in exasperation.

 

“What’s wrong with what you have on?” he asked studying her carefully. She was dressed as she normally would be.

 

Black jeans, black T-shirt, her black combat boots.

 

“I look like I’m brooding… or depressed!” Buffy rolled her eyes at him. “I can’t see Angel looking like I’m ready to slit my wrists or something!”

 

“I really don’t think he should be the one throwing stones… I mean did you see what he was wearing last night?”

 

“Yeah buts he brooding, dark vampire guy… I’m not.”

 

“So pick something else,” he shrugged. He didn’t really get what the problem was evidently from the look she shot at him. If she could cause someone to spontaneously combust just by glaring at him he would be a pile of ashes in the middle of her bedroom.

 

“I don’t have anything else.”

 

“Uh babe… what are you talking about?” Damon glanced between her and the full closet in front of her. “Can you not see all the clothes in your closet right now?”

 

“But they’re all fighty clothes… I mean I don’t even own a dress… or a skirt… or even a pair of pants that aren’t black.”

 

“Well you could always go down and see him naked… I’m pretty sure that would make him happy…”

 

“And cause Giles to have a heart attack and drop dead… oh god Giles!”

 

“What about him?”

 

“Wesley’s my watcher now…”

 

“Yeah… and…?”

 

“Giles is so not going to understand… he and Wesley they… well they didn’t always see eye to eye back then. Hell Wesley and I didn’t always see eye to eye back then…”

 

“Hate to say it babe but not much has changed… you guys still don’t always see eye to eye.”

 

“Yeah but at least we get along now…”

 

“Look…” Damon started turning her to him he rested his hands on her shoulders staring intently at her. “Just take a deep breath…” he started, when she did letting it out slowly he smiled and hugged her. “They’re not here to see your clothes… they’re here to see you. I don’t think they’ll care what you’re wearing when you go down those stairs.”

 

“They’re so used to seeing me a certain way.”

 

“Well they’ll just have to get used to the new you… and remember… regardless of what they think we’ll always be here for you.”

 

“I know.”

 

“Good… Feel better now?”

 

“Not really but…” she smiled as she hugged him back. Stepping back she rested her hands on her hips and stared at him.

 

“Well at least you’re not flipping out anymore,” he shrugged. “Now dig out something to wear unless you really do want to see your guests naked. You’re going to be fine… Wesley’s going to be fine… we’re all going to be fine…”

 

“Thanks Damon…”

 

“Here to help,” he grinned heading for the direction.

 

“Hey Damon?” she called after him.

 

“Yeah?” he asked turning back to her.

 

“Don’t call me babe, or sweetheart or any of those cutsie terms that you use to annoy the hell out of me… Angel’s sort of possessive.”

 

“Yeah,” he winked at her, grinning impishly. “Kind of got that impression last night… See you downstairs.”

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Angel shifted on his feet as he watched the others chat amicably with Jade.  She’d tried to include him in the conversation but had given up when she had determined that his attention was elsewhere.

 

He could feel her within the house. Her presence comforting him in a way that he hadn’t felt in a long, long time. Not since he had walked away from Sunnydale and her in order to give her the normal life that he thought that she had needed. One that he couldn’t be a part of because of who and what he was.

 

He hadn’t wanted to hold her in the dark when she should be standing, brilliantly in the light. If he’d known the truth… known that she would never be able to escape her destiny, her calling he would never have left.

 

He would have stayed by her side until he was dust in the breeze.

 

“Where is she?” Jade’s voice pulled him from his inner thoughts surprise startling him as he realized that he had never even sensed Damon’s arrival.

 

“She’s staring at her closet…” Damon grinned sauntering into the room. His eyes flicked over the occupants, sparing a wink for Jade he blatantly studied each one of them his eyes finally settling on Angel.

 

“Behave Damon,” Jade admonished smacking him in the back of the head.

 

“Just checking him out,” he muttered as he rubbed at the back of his head.

 

“Buffy knows what she’s doing.”

 

Damon snorted as he settled himself in one of the chairs. “Where’s Wes and Colin?” he asked glancing around the room. “Would have thought that they’d want to be here for this… I mean this involves all of us.”

 

“Colin’s at the compound doing dispositions to get us replacement weapons for the ones that got trashed last night… Wes was debriefing the last team I think… he looked totally whipped when I saw him he probably crashed as soon as they were done.”

 

“No actually I decided I was more hungry then tired,” Wes stated as he walked into the room a sandwich in one hand, clothed in jeans and a T-shirt he looked relaxed if not tired. “I see you all made it okay,” he commented as he glanced around the room, frowning when he realized that the reason that they were all here was not present. “Buffy?” he asked.

 

“Right here,” came the low soft voice behind them.

 

Angel grinned as he saw her, his whole body seeming to drown in the sensation of her presence. Plus she looked as beautiful as he’d ever seen her.

 

“Isn’t that…?” Damon started stopping to glare at Jade when she smacked him upside the head again. “Would you stop doing that?!”

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Wearing what she hoped was a serene smile she floated into the room. When Damon had left her she had been so close to just wearing her normal attire, she had just been closing the door when she’d seen the small brown box lying on the floor in the corner of her closet.

 

With a touch she had remembered what it was. The clothes that she had worn the day that she and the others had become Indaran. Whistler, even as he complained the whole time, had been kind enough to stop at one of the small outlet stores in order for her to change out of the blood spattered clothes.

 

She hadn’t wanted to start her new life with the blood of her old one on her body.

 

So she’d worn cream colored jeans, a white halter top and sandals that day. And it seemed only fitting that those be the clothes that she wore when her old life and new life finally merged into one life.

 

Stopping in front of Angel she smiled softly up at him, her hands clenched together so he wouldn’t see her shaking.

 

The last she had heard of him, before hell had broken loose in Sunnydale he had been embarking on a relationship with Cordy. Xander had told her that it had been a spell, a test. But she still worried that he was here because of some misguided sense of responsibility.

 

“Hi,” she said quietly. In her stomach the butterflies were fluttering up a furious storm and she moistened her lips nervously with the tip of her tongue.

 

He stared down at her, her nervousness growing as her remained silent. She was just about to turn away from him a focus her attention on the two that were anxiously awaiting her acknowledgement, had actually made the first small movement when she felt one of his hands lay over hers gently.

 

A whisper of a touch she glanced down at their hands quickly before meeting his eyes in confusion. Tilting his head he studied her, his eyes tracking a path from the top of her head to the tips of the toes that she had painted a pale pink that morning.

 

But he still made no move to say anything.

 

Maybe he saw the tears starting to fill her eyes, maybe he could feel her apprehension but a smile crossed his face so suddenly that her eyes widened in shock and then he crushed her into a bone crushing hug. She could feel him trembling against her as he clutched her to him, as if he was afraid she might try to escape him…or leave him.

 

She could feel his nervousness… he had been as scared as she was about this second meeting. Afraid that she would turn away from in disgust or anger. His desperation to have her accept him back into her life was the same desperation that she knew he could feel from her to have the same.

 

She had left them all. Had made the choice and forgotten them… even him.

 

But as stood there holding her, his trembling abating as she wrapped her arms around him tightly in return. Resting her head in her spot, the place she had always rested it when they were together she knew that regardless of what everyone else did Angel would always accept her.

 

Would always love her.

 

Wordless tears streaked down her face as they rocked slightly, his arms tightening even further when he felt her breathing hitch and he realized she was crying. Her head buried in his chest he rested his cheek against her hair, inhaling her scent deeply, amazed that it was still the same.

 

Vanilla and sunlight.

 

Two smells that he would never get tired of. Even long after he was dust he would remember the way she smelled, the way she felt in his arms.

 

Tears filled his eyes as he sent a silent prayer to whatever deity was listening to let that be a long time in coming. To let them have just a little bit of time together.

 

With their families.

 

“I missed you,” he whispered into her ear, holding her somewhat desperately as he realized that his prayed might not be answered. “I missed you so much.”

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Buffy stared at the silent vampire sitting in her garden. She’d finished talking with Dawn about 30 minutes earlier then had made a frantic search of the house as she realized that the sun was setting.

 

There was something she desperately wanted Angel to see… desperately wanted to share with him.

 

But it seemed that he’d already figured it out for himself.

 

“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” she asked softly leaning over his shoulder. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders she leaned against him pressing a kiss to his cheek as she felt his hand raise to touch her arms.

 

“I didn’t believe Jade when she first told me,” he said somewhat awestruck.

 

“I knew you would be here as soon as you could manage it. Jade found the spell a couple of months ago in one of her books, right about the second time my memories came back. I made a comment that it would have been nice to have known about it when we were together, that it would have been nice to see a sunset together,” she whispered, resting her chin on his shoulder.

 

“She remembered it this morning after we got back… asked me if I wanted it done then she and a couple of our witches did it.”

 

Angel tugged on her arm urging her around his body to settle in his lap. Wrapping his arms back around her he leaned his head against her shoulder the two watching the sunset in silence.

 

“I didn’t think a spell like this even existed,” he murmured when the colors streaking the sky had settled. The sun in bed for another night, darkness had fallen.

 

“It only works on small areas,” she said meeting his eyes. “I asked her to do the garden because it was simple, small…”

 

“Beautiful…” he finished with a smile. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a sunset.”

 

“Around four years it would be… right?” she asked quietly. She could feel his stunned fear in the way his entire body tensed.

 

“How…?” he shook his head. She shouldn’t remember… ever. It had been the price he’d had to pay in order to be returned to his vampire self when he gave up his humanity to save her.

 

“Didn’t Wes explain why my memories kept coming back?” she faced him her expression one of confusion.

 

“He did… it didn’t make much sense though.”

 

She smiled softly as she stood; walking a distance away from him she stared at the skyline of the city. Out there, in the dark, the creatures of the night… the ones that she fought were coming out of their homes rested and ready for a fight.

 

But in this garden… turning back to him she crossed her arms over her chest as she planted her feet firmly a mixture of determination and sadness on her face and he closed his eyes, trying to block out the sight of betrayal that he knew would be the next to cross her expressive face.

 

“You gave it up for me,” she started softly. “I would have loved you in whatever form… vampire, human… I just wanted you with me. It didn’t matter to me if you were strong or not… Xander, Willow they didn’t have the whole super strength thing going for them and they still fought by my side… risked their lives for me on a daily basis.”

 

“I would have been a liability to you,” Angel muttered weakly. “I told you back then…”

 

“You told me that I took chances to protect you…”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You don’t think I didn’t take the same chances whenever the others went on patrol with me. That last year in Sunnydale I took Dawn patrolling with me, often as not I ended up protecting her… but it was worth it to have her there… it would have been worth it to have you there.”

 

“I’m sorry… if I had it to do over again…”

 

“You wouldn’t change a thing… you might have fought a bit harder to keep me but…”

 

Bowing his head he clenched his hands together in his lap. Any moment now he expected to feel a blow from her small hands when it didn’t come he opened his eyes to find her staring at him her eyes glistening with tears that didn’t fall and a small smile on her face.

 

Clearing his throat he took an unneeded breath. “How did you find out about that? I’m supposed to be the only one that remembers.”

 

“This mark,” she started her fingers touching the bite mark on her neck. His mark, the one that proclaimed her as his. “It marks me as your mate…”

 

“I know.”

 

“It links us… when Whistler offered me Indaran it was because they thought the link between us was so weak that it would be of no consequence. Besides I was… well I was a mess, I had been for a while. Xander dieing was just the straw that broke the camels back. When he offered me a memory free existence, told me that everyone would be taken care of I jumped at it. Willow, Dawn would be able to live the rest of their lives without wondering when the next apocalypse was scheduled. You had moved on…”

 

“I didn’t…”

 

“But I thought you had… everything we heard in Sunnydale indicated that you were with Cordelia… we didn’t know that it was a spell, a test. Then when you didn’t come when I called to ask you for help with Anya…” Buffy looked away, her eyes far away as images from the past, from that hellacious day ran through her mind.

 

“Anyway… they did the wipes… but they didn’t work on me. My memories kept coming back, dreams, images… I’d remember you, Dawn, Connor,” her brow wrinkled as she said the boys’ name, she had no idea why a boy that she had never met would continually be remembered before her best friend, before the man she considered her father. “Then I’d remember everyone else, eventually Whistler would show up, or Wes would call him and they’d do another wipe… Whistler, he told me that the reason I kept remembering was because of you… as long as you walked the earth, as long as you remembered I would remember.”

 

“That doesn’t explain how you know about that day… I’m the only one who…”

 

“I remember that day,” she stated softly as she walked forward. Stopping right in front of him she cupped his cheeks, holding him still for a chaste kiss. “Because you remember that day. I remember every moment of that day; I remember the feeling of your heart beating under my hand, the way it sounded when I pressed my ear to your chest. I remember the way you felt,” she smiled as she caressed his cheek softly.

 

“The way you smelled,” pressing her face against his she inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as his familiar scent, the hint of sandalwood raced through her.

 

“The way you tasted,” she leaned in close, her tongue tracing his lips before a groan escaped him and his arms snaked around her. Spreading his legs he pulled her as close to him as he could get her, kissing her with all the pent-up passion in body.

 

With a sigh she drew away, a small kiss to his nose as he relaxed a bit. There wouldn’t be a fight he had finally realized, as loathe as she was to admit it she did understand his reasoning’s behind his decision besides… and if worse came to worse they could always find another Mohra demon.

 

“Your memories of us,” she continued her voice husky, her eyes still darkened with passion from the kiss before. “They fed my memories of us; it your memories didn’t care that I wasn’t supposed to remember that day you remember that day that we were together so I remember that day that we were together. Those memories allowed my memories of the rest of my life to make their way through the wipe. This last time the powers decided to let the cards fall where they may.”

 

“They’re going to let us be together.”

 

“Whistler told Wesley that things had to happen in a particular order, that’s why they did the last wipe that they did. The one that hindered my memories so that I probably scarred Dawn and Connor for life when I didn’t remember them… although,” she frowned again at the thought of Connor. “Why I would remember your son anyway I don’t know… I never met him before yesterday.”

 

Angel cleared his throat as it was his turn to look away again.

 

The moment of truth had arrived it seemed. 

 

Both Dawn and Connor had insisted that he tell Buffy as soon as possible.

 

Willow had pulled him aside before they had left and threatened him with severe bodily damage if he didn’t tell Buffy the truth about Connor.

 

Even Giles had jumped in and told him that she had a right to know that she was a mother… to a twenty year old that she didn’t even give birth to.

 

“Angel?”

 

“There’s something I need to tell you about Connor…” he started.

 

There’s something you need to know… about Dawn. The flash of those words took her by surprise and she jumped slightly as he coaxed her into sitting in his lap once more.

 

“He’s not a ball of energy made human is he? Because you know that didn’t work out so well for me last time…what with the God trying to pretty much suck the world into hell and kill my sister, plus there was the whole dying thing…”

 

“He’s not a ball of energy love,” Angel smiled at her rambling and the slightly panicked expression on her face. Sometime she was just so adorable.

 

“Then what is it?”

 

“Connor is,” he cleared his throat again. Willow had told him to just tell her, no beating around the bush, no hinting and letting her draw her own conclusions… just to be honest and tell her the truth.

 

“Angel you’re scaring me,” she whispered apprehension causing her to stiffen in his lap.

 

“I’m sorry,” he apologized quickly squeezing her lightly. “It’s just I’m trying to figure out how to tell you this and every scenario in my head has you pulling a stake and dusting me.”

 

“No stake,” she held up her hands. “You’re safe… now quit stalling, what’s up with Connor.”

 

“Connor’s our son.”

 

“Eh?”

 

**************************************************************************************

 

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