Spike stood up, starting to pace. "You don't think I know that, Anyanka? You
don't think that I know that one day relatively soon Xander might get the
balls to come and try and stake me, especially if you leave him for me?" He
stopped and looked at her. "Do you still care about him?"

"Yes, but...I care about you more."

"And you're not just saying this because I'm a demon?"

Anya stood up and walked over to him. "Would I lie to a vampire who could
suck my blood out of my neck?"

Spike pointed to his head. "The implant..."

"I was just saying it as an example." She put her arms around his neck, about
to kiss him, but then caught a glance at her watch. "Shit! I have to be at
Giles' soon!" She kissed his cheek quickly. "I'll be back later."

Spike pulled her close. "You think you're just going to leave with giving me
a peck on the cheek?"

Anya smiled. "Probably not..."

***

Graham had finally woken up, and only Giles noticed the pages under where his
head had been were tearstained. Never did Giles expect to find a member of
the Initiative that had emotions other than lust.

He stood facing Graham, Xander and Willow, who'd been unable to find anything
on her Internet search. "Olivia found a spell for us to use, to get a message
to those lost in time."

Willow smiled slightly. "I can cast it?"

Giles nodded. "It's a simple smell, but right now I'm too tired and
emotionally bankrupt to cast it." He yawned slightly. "I can trust the three
of you to behave while I get some sleep."

Graham nodded. "What do you want us to tell her?"

"That we're working on a way to bring her back."

***

Buffy continued to sharpen stakes and talk with the neighborhood children.

There was no actual school anymore...all the real teachers had left or been
killed. There were only two left in Sunnydale: Jenna and a Mr. Bough, who
lived next to Jenna. All the elementary age children went to Mr. Bough to
learn and the other children went to Jenna for lessons.

These children were happy, somewhat. They were well loved and well treated,
and since they hadn't known any life other than the cautious one they lived
in Sunnydale, they never had any real complaints.

Except that they were not allowed to leave the house after dusk, and they
were not allowed to invite anyone who wasn't human inside.

Annie had become Buffy's almost shadow, sitting in her lap and introducing
her to the other few children there were in Sunnydale. Most of them lived in
this area, just because it was easier for them to get an education.

Annie also told her things she'd heard from Graham and Angel. Spike didn't
talk with the younger children, and Angel split his time between the two
divided groups, but Graham was always around for them.

It became apparent that, if things had gone differently, Graham was someone
Buffy really could have fallen for, maybe made a future for herself. She knew
any Slayer to survive past the age of 25 was allowed to retire, and with her
friends help she could have made it.

But that was the past...and this was her new present.

Oz looked up at the sky. "Uh...I think it's about time to get them home," he
said to Buffy.

She nodded. "Okay guys, it's almost sunset time. Go on...go home, lock the
doors, okay?" She looked down at Annie. "Where's your home?"

She pointed to a home with a blue trim, across the street from Jenna's.
"That's my grandmother's home."

"Really?"

"We call her Grandma Finn."

Oz and Buffy looked at each other. "I wonder..." Oz began.

"Are you related to a Riley Finn, by any chance?" Buffy asked Annie.

"Yeah. Way way back, about...a hundred years ago," she said with a smile.
"Well, I have to go. Bye!" Annie ran off towards her house, leaving Buffy and
Oz in the growing darkness.

Buffy shook her head. "Wow..."

"I'm starting to rethink what's weird now," Oz said, beginning to pick up the
many stakes Buffy had sharpened.

"Me too." She went over and helped him pick up stakes, looking around. The
streets were deserted, and a bell was ringing in the distance. "I think
that's a signal."

Oz nodded. "I'm pretty sure it is."

The door to Jenna's opened and Drew poked her head out. "Just checking to see
if it was dark enough yet."

"I think it is," Buffy said as the sun sank beneath the horizon. "We'll be in
in a minute."

"Okay," Drew said, closing the door.

Oz looked around. "When I went inside, Spike and I agreed to cover--" He
broke off abruptly, looking at the shadows near Mr. Bough's house. "Say, did
the kids say whether Mr. Bough came out during the day?"

Buffy shook her head. "No...and they didn't say anything about whether..."
She shook her head. "Let's just go check out what's over there."