Willow was making breakfast with the TV on in the background. She was up quite early, earlier than usual, in truth, she hadn't gotten much sleep anyway. She been researching the resurrection spell, and doing repairs on the Buffy-Bot.

Behind her, Tara entered. "You do intend to sleep again right?" she asked.

Willow smiled, still mixing pancake batter. "Eventually. What are you doing up so early?"

"It's harder to sleep when you're not next to me." Tara smiled. "You need any help?" She picked up a jar of raspberry jam from the counter. Willow had apparently been planning on making Dawn's lunch when she was done.

Behind her, Willow heard Tara gasp, and then heard the jar shatter on the kitchen floor. She spun, expecting the worst. But there was no Demon, no supernatural horror. What she found seemed a hundred times worse. Her eyes fixed on the TV. "What's happening?" she asked softly.

Then the second plane hit. And she whimpered. She and Tara reached for each other blindly. Neither looking away.

*****

Cordelia had a headache. She wondered if maybe she'd had a vision in her sleep. Why did Dennis have the TV on? He was usually more considerate.

"Dennis, turn the TV off I'm trying to sleep!" she called out, and buried her head under the pillow. Instead, her ghostly room mate turned up the volume. She gritted her teeth. If he wasn't already dead, she would have killed him. Then the words she was hearing penetrated. She bolted from her bed and dashed into the living room. She snatched up the phone, and then froze. She didn't know who to call. The Hotel? What could any of them do about this? Her parents?

*****

Xander held Anya's hand as they watched the terror unfold. Xander only half listened to the horrified babble of his mother on the phone. "With Humans like this," Anya said softly. "Who needs Demons?"

*****

"What the hell are we fighting for man?" Gunn asked no one in particular. Wesley had brought in a television after hearing the news on the radio. "We could get rid of all the Demons in the world, and then we'd just manage to wipe ourselves out. What's the point?" Wesley didn't have an answer. Neither did Fred, watching silently and unseen on the balcony. She'd escaped that other dimension for this?

*****

Spike didn't know what to think. He was evil. But even he couldn't figure out the evil of humans. The same faith that could ward him off now was a weapon against humans again.

*****

Lorne stared at the television screen, riveted. Tears trickled down his face.

*****

Dawn sat sandwiched between Willow and Tara wishing with all her heart that Buffy and her mother were here. All three were silent, staring at the television. In the doorway, the Buffy-Bot looked on, confused.

"What's going on?"

*****

Angel was over half a world away when he heard the news. Of all the times to be away from those he loved. Of all the times not to be where the bad guys were. That was what hurt most. He fought evil. That was his job. His entire reason for being. And he had no one to fight. He didn't know who the bad guys were. He didn't know what to do. And that scared him.

Giles heard the call waiting beep for what must have been the twentieth time. No doubt old friends from England trying to get hold of him. "I'm sorry Anya, but I must go now." He sighed. "Yes, I'll look into whether or not there are any Vengeance Demons we can call on." He hung up sighing. If only it were that easy. But he had lived through horrendous times before. He talked to a few friends, all the while hearing the call waiting. He ended the day at Buffy's house. He was the oldest, and they were looking to him. Too bad he had nothing comforting to say.