Ewan handed him the letter, shaking his head. "No, she's alive and well.
Well, I mean, she's up and around." He paused. "She's sane, too."

"Dru? Sane?" Buffy scoffed.

"I'm serious. She was methodical and she knew what she was doing...unlike
what you told us. While she was supposedly dead, she hunted out anyone who
could help her get her sanity back. She finally succeeded a few years ago."

Oz leaned back in his chair. "Well, imagine that. Dru's sane. Is that a good
thing or a bad thing?"

"Good, for now," Ewan said. "She wants to overthrow Tsar. She's willing to
help us." He handed Spike the note. "She'll try to be here tonight."

***

"Well, I think you did the right thing," Giles said, starting to pace.
Looking around the room, his brow crinkled. "Where Spike? And Anya?"

"Who gives a--" Xander began, but Willow clamped a hand over his mouth.

"They won't be here," she said. "Have you found any way to get them back?"

"Tentatively, yes," Giles said.

Graham looked up at Giles. "What do you need?"

"A day or so to figure it out in it's entirety, and a few supplies."

"I'll get them," he said, grabbing his coat.

Tara stood up as well. "Since I work at the store I know where everything is.
Keys, Giles?"

Giles tossed her the keys. It was a great thing, sometimes, with Giles
running the magic shop. "Just bring the bottles here, don't bother trying to
measure." He jotted down some things and handed them to Tara. "And make sure
to lock up when you're done."

Tara nodded and she and Graham walked out the door. When they were gone,
Giles turned to Xander and Willow. "Why aren't Anya and Spike here?"

Willow kept her hand clamped over Xander's mouth. "They're seeing each other."

Giles nodded, not needing any more of an explanation. "Xander, Buffy's
training area is set up, if you would care to use it."

Xander nodded, shaking Willow's hand off. "Thanks," he said, heading off in
the direction of Giles' sparse backyard.

Giles took off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Of all the times
for this to happen..." He sighed. "I think we should contact Los Angeles. I
think I'm going to need Wesley's help...he knows the language of the spell
better than I do."

***

Dru was taking a great risk. Eddie had told her this a hundred times in
hushed voices in the library. And yes, it was a risk. It could be her very
downfall.

But she had to see Spike.

She tentatively knocked on the door of Ewan's home, not ten feet from where
Eddie had caught him the night before. Eddie had just hypnotized him and made
him walk to Crawford Street and to the mansion.

So at least Dru could say she never harmed her tentative ally.

Or possible ally...if she wasn't able to see Spike, there might not be any
help from the humans.

Angel opened the door. "Dru?" he asked barely above a whisper.

She nodded. She knew Angel was here, and wasn't sure how she would deal with
her sire's presence. But before she could say anything else he said two very
quiet words.

"I'm sorry."

She nodded again. It was a lot for a sire to apologize to a childe, but she
knew he meant it. He wasn't giving up power or status; he had none to give.
"Accepted. I do need to see Spike. Soon."

"Behind you, love." Spike was holding a spying vampire by the scruff of the
neck with one hand and a stake in the other. "Friend or foe?"

Drusilla scowled at the struggling vampire, who was almost pleading for his
unlife. "Foe."

Spike rammed a stake through his heart, then walked through the dust.
"Princess," he said quietly.

Drusilla walked up to him, then embraced him, throwing her arms around his
neck. "I missed you, my Spike."

Spike buried his face in her hair, taking in Dru's unique scent. "I missed
you too, my dark princess."

A clearing of the throat broke up the reunion. Jenna was at the door instead.
"Spike, Drusilla...would you come inside and join us? We're talking strategy
in here."

Drusilla beat Spike to the punch, putting her arm around his waist as they
walked inside. Spike smiled slightly, then turned to the others and said,
"For those who don't know her, this is Dru. She's my sire, and more."