Ch.14

About that time Faith socked me on the arm. "You didn't tell me you play."

I shook my head. "I picked up a little when I partied with a small time group in the eighties. They called themselves Bon Jovi. Haven't touched a guitar since. Giles is the voice, lucky bastard has the pipes of a rock and roll god."

Giles snorted. "Speaking of which, it's time we switched."

I grunted. "Fine. I'll tray not to send the crowd running for the hills."

We went back up for our next set. We did a cover of The Calling's song, wherever you will go. I was a little off in my opinion. But the crowd clapped a little. The next song was Seether's, broken. I closed my eyes and sang with everything I had while Giles was my back up.

When we finished I shed a tear and passed my guitar off. "I'm done for the night."

Giles patted me on the back and I left to my place next door. As soon as I entered the magic shop, I shifted and went to lay down and sleep off my emotions.

The Scoobies next door were whispering about why I left. Tara spoke up finally. "He's in agony. I've never felt anything like it. It hurts just to be near him and his power is overwhelming. It's like a leashed force of nature on the precipice of wiping out the world. What is he? He can't be human."

Xander spoke next. "He's just another man in pain. Relax, he's not going to hurt anyone."

Faith was next. "He's my brother, or adopted brother anyway. He's about to become a god like what you witches pray to for power."

Anya asked. "What kind of god? There are many types and with that much power, it's not an average one."

Faith whispered. "A god of death. The power is for the war he wants to wage on all gods of death for control of the whole domain. He wants to be the main god of death."

I didn't see much of the gang for a several weeks when they came to me with a plan to destroy the initiative. They wanted to borrow my power for a spell while Faith defends us. I agreed and followed them to the frat house. When they suggested climbing down, I chuckled and teleported us to the bottom.

When we arrived, the new if bad opened the cages full of demons. I through a barrier up around us and we continued while Spike and Faith broke off to have fun. I felt her drawing from my strength and kicking ass. I tossed up a slim barrier around her for protection and we continued on.

When we arrived at the server room, Buffy and Riley broke off to confront the big bad and we sat down in a circle for a spell. They called on me as the hand and Giles as the mind while Willow was the spirit and Xander, the heart.

When it was completed our heads rocked back and I felt nearly all my strength leave me. What little was left, Faith was drawing out as well. For the first time in a very long time I felt mortal. There was a gigantic deafening boom and then it all came rushing back to me.

We stood up and Xander asked. "Did it work?"

A moment later Buffy and Riley came back through a doorway that now led to a cavernous abyss of darkness. She asked. "What the hell kind of strength did you give me? I punched Adam once and him and the wall behind him turned into nothingness."

Riley spoke up. "They vaporized along with what looks to me like miles of dirt and stone as well."

I stood up. "We need to leave now. The other end of that hit the ocean and I can hear water flooding in."

I waved a hand and all the information the initiative had was stored away and the servers vaporized. I threw up a massive barrier saying. "That's not going to hold long and I'm not wasting energy on a place we want destroyed anyway. Time to go."

I left out the door we came in and was greeted by a battlefield. I waved a hand, Faith and Spike flew towards me like a rocket. When they stopped I spoke. "Leaving time, in about a minute the ocean is going to come crashing in."

I saw there was no humans alive so I teleported our group out just as the barrier broke. We appeared in the frat house above. I turned to them. "I think you should take a couple days off to rest."

Buffy asked. "Was that your full strength I used?"

I shook my head. "No Faith was already drawing on a good portion and that was just my physical strength. My magic is many times stronger and I'd not have agreed if you'd asked to borrow that. It would've literally swallowed you whole."

She looked frightened and so did some of the others. After a while she spoke again. "Then I'm glad you're on our team then."

I nodded and she sighed. "Movie night at my place."

I smiled. "I'll bring the pizza."

Faith spoke up. "I'll grab the snacks."

Buffy smiled. "That leaves me on drink duty."

An hour later, Riley left to meet up with what's left of his unit. We left to get the stuff and when we arrived at Buffy's house, we settled in for a movie marathon. Some time later, I fell asleep and woke up in the grill. I sat down and waited. When I saw what was coming I grinned. An old man asked if I wanted cheese while I waited and I shook my head.

That's when it came forward. Sineya in all her glory stared at me. I held out a hand saying. "Hello old friend. I've missed you since I left."

She growled and I chuckled. "The real question is why didn't you come to find me? I would've protected you. I could've prevented your fate."

She shook her head and took my hand. She led me to a desert beyond my curtains. I sighed. "This place again. Well at least bring in the other slayer. Use your connections with me and mine to her to bring her in."

A few minutes later Faith appeared. "What the-"

She stopped when she saw me. I waved and sat down on a rock. She walked over and I pointed to Sineya. "Meet the first slayer. Her name is Sineya, and she wasn't always so brutish. Though she was just as violent."

Sineya grunted. "You've changed too."

I chuckled. "Not all for the better, I think. I've become less inclined to help others and I've started to grow indifferent to those not my personal friends or family."

She chuffed and smacked me upside the head. I chuckled and she shook her head. "Still you."

I sighed. "Yeah, still me. Though, you're more you now. Less quiet and dark. More hunter and less demon than I remember."

She nodded. "I won. It killed me, but I won. I cried for you after, when I was dying. I wanted to find you."

I shook my head. "I was to far away and I hadn't left any magic on you to communicate. I wanted you to be sure you were ready to give up the fight. For that I'm sorry. When you didn't come, I fell asleep waiting and I slept for centuries."

She nodded. "I felt you close by when another slayer died on the mouth of hell."

I nodded. "I felt it to and woke up not long afterwards. The witch that built this town put up a barrier the same day I woke up."

Faith started asking her questions to Sineya. After a few answers, Sineya stopped. She looked over saying. "They've made it. It's time I teach this slayer not to fool around with the line."

I nodded. "She was foolish, but she's learning. Just like you learned remember? The hard way."

She snorted and trotted over to Buffy and her group. I sat back and told Faith. "Go help Buffy. She'll need it. Neither of you are her match and you can't draw from my strength in here."

She ran over and they fought. Sineya was expecting it and she beat them black and blue for a minute before they fought back harder and she let up. As they disappeared, she came over to me and I gave her a hug. "Goodbye my old friend."

She looked so innocent and vulnerable in that moment and I kissed her forehead. "You are the closest I've ever had to knowing what it's like to have a daughter."

She hugged me back and I faded as I woke up. The rest of the group asked a few questions and I answered where I could. Eventually I told them. "Don't go tapping into the power of the slayer line anymore. It's dangerous and not all good."

Willow spoke up. "You know it would happen!"

I nodded. "I knew she'd want to punish you for doing it. I punished her when she was being bad too. You got your power to defeat Adam and I got to see someone I viewed as a daughter. I got to say goodbye."

Buffy spoke up. "But-"

I stopped her. "If you payed attention in your fight with her, you'd notice where you're lacking. She did it intentionally like I taught her to. Every punishment I dealt out had a point to it, a lesson if you will. She was doing the same as a guise of punishment. It's her way of saying she wants you to stay alive."

I grabbed a drink and they continued to discuss what happened in their dreams. Xander mentioned dreaming about the cheese man and I chuckled. "That would be the demon essence. It's what the shamans shoved into the slayers to make them stronger and more durable. The essence manifested as a weird person with a cheese platter. It meant nothing really."

They eventually calmed down and we started going back to sleep. I spent the next week going to doctors visits with Joyce. On her last one after the operation I smelled no more cancer on her. "It's finally gone. After so many operations I think they got it all."

She laughed and then cried for a while. When she calmed down some I asked. "Are you ready to try a healing spell to speed up the process?"

She nodded and a quick chant later she was fully healed. I sniffed her again to be sure I healed it all and channeled any clots out of her to be safe and remove any possibility of aneurysms. When I stopped, I told her. "All done. You're in perfect health now. I healed pretty much everything else that comes with time. As of now you have the health of a twenty year old."

I left her at home to tell Buffy herself. Even with the psychologically Professor dead, college went on. I gave the folders on the drugs Walsh was giving her team to the leftover squads to help them get better. I destroyed all the papers on Adam and those experiments after reading them myself.

I found the line they crossed between demon and human experiments. They mutated the human DNA with radiation and added the demon DNA to the strands so they could work together seamlessly. Where that failed, they added cybernetics. I burnt it all after I finished and went back to the initiative to destroy any and all secret servers.

It was a brisk swim in shark infested waters but when I finished I was now sure they couldn't replicate it with the stuff here. On my way out I saw a school of sharks eating the dead demons. I destroyed the elevator entrance on my way out.

Soon enough the college semester ended and everyone came back to town mostly. Through the next month I observed Faith and Buffy sneaking out to hunt at night. Sineya must've said something that resonated with them. Towards the end of the summer break I brought up all the paperwork for the magic shop and bought the house next to Buffy's moms.

I fixed it up and spelled the hell out of it before bringing my offer to Giles. I found him and Willow scanning books in his apartment. I walked in and sat down. "We need to talk Rupert."

He raised an eyebrow when I used his first name. The only time I did that was when he was working at the shop. He sat down and I asked. "Do you have a dollar on you perhaps?"

He pulled out his wallet and took out a dollar. I took it and handed him a stack of papers. "Congratulations, you're the proud owner of the Magic box and this apartment. I've officially sold them to you for this dollar."

He looked dumbstruck. I waved a hand. "Sign the papers and it's all yours. I've moved out of the room in the magic shop and I left all the gym stuff in case you feel like using it to train Buffy and Faith. They're still far from ready for the coming battles."

He shook his head. "I'm fixing to leave to Britain myself."

I chuckled. "No you're not. I've witnessed both slayers on the hunt every night this month. They're restless and unprepared. They haven't a clue how to adjust to what they really are and separate it from who they are. Pretty soon one of them is going to snap and do something dangerous if you don't stop them."

He looked perturbed. "Why haven't you stopped them?"

I chuckled. "Because, unlike me, they aren't real hunters yet. If I went to stop them, I'd probably end up killing them instead."

My eyes shifted as I continued. "The hunt is a primal urge in us all but they haven't any real experience in it. A wolf does not teach its young to hunt, they do it on instinct. Survival of the fittest."

My eyes changed back as I finished. "I cannot go against my instincts and teach them, that's what a watcher does. You may have been fired, but the job wasn't what made you a watcher, it is what you are, like I am a wolf. It is an aspect of our being. It's time you stopped mopping about and embraced it."

I stood up. "Sign the papers. There's half a million in cash in the safe to change the shop how you see fit. It's time you stood for something again."

I left, walking past a wide eyed Willow. She'd overheard everything. I left to inform Faith of the changes to our home situation. I found her and the rest of the gang at the grill as I teleported over.

I waved her over and we sat in a booth of our own. I began. "I sold the magic shop and the apartment next to it to Giles. I've packed up our stuff and moved us to a house between Buffy's and Willows."

She asked a lot of questions mostly starting with why. I sighed. "I've noticed yours and Buffy's nightly hunts and it's time you start seeing Giles for slayer training again. Wesley may have run off but Giles is still here and he can help you both. I can't help because it's not in me to teach others the hunt. I can teach fighting techniques and all that but the hunt is all instinct for me. If you keep it up the way you have, it's going to get you killed. So I sold the shop to him because the gym in the back will help with training and the shop itself will allow him to buy what you need to hone your instincts without them killing you."

She took it all in and studied the worry on my face before sighing. "Alright, but I get first pick at the new house."

I nodded. "Fair enough. All your stuff is in the vault. You can decorate your room however you like."

We went over to the group and she told them the news. Her and Buffy had a heart to heart and settled on talking to Giles together. That night I followed Faith out on patrol from a distance to make sure she didn't get herself killed. She met up with Buffy and they killed a vampire rather easily before looking for more in other parts of the graveyard.

I felt magic nearby and sure enough a vampire came out of mist and started talking to them. When I saw they weren't fighting, I shifted into a wolf and roared. I moved faster than the vampire could react and ripped him apart. He dusted and I shifted back. "That's what I mean when I say you're going to get hurt. He was using a form of compulsion."

I walked towards them and felt a sword hit my back. I growled and turned around. "Your pathetic tricks are not amusing little vampire. Nothing you have can harm me."

I grabbed the sword and ripped it out of his hands. "But everything I have can harm you. Piss off or die here."

He vanished into mist, Xander and Willow came running over. "What was that? It sounded like a t-Rex was loose in the graveyard. Please tell me there's not one running around."

Buffy snorted. "That was just an over protective big brother being a worry wart."

I growled and buried the sword into the headstone next to her head. "Pretend all you want you child, but the next time I see something coming at you I may let it have you."

I left them and Faith followed me. She stopped me a few feet away. "What gives?"

I sighed and held a hand up to her head, showing her my view. "What you saw was an illusion. That vampire was a lot older than he was pretending to be and he was ready to strike and kill both of you if you'd made the wrong move. Neither of you were ready. And insults from that petulant child rubbed me raw."

Her vision came back into focus and I pulled my hand away. She sighed. "I'm glad you were there."

I shrugged. "It's what I do every night you run off to hunt. I cover your back Incase of accidents. It's what I'm supposed to do as your brother."

She gave me a hug and went back to the group to tell them what was really happening. She came back over with them after pulling the sword out of the angel headstone. Faith spoke up. "We good now?"

I looked to Buffy. "We're good."

I teleported is to the gym in the back of the magic shop. Buffy called Riley and Willow went to get Giles. Ten minutes later the whole gang was assembled. I waved a hand and the pensive came out. I pulled the memory from my mind and put it in the pensive. "Touch the water and you'll see all of it in third person. It only works for recent memories so don't get any ideas."

They each touched it and viewed it all from my perspective. When they saw Dracula, then nearly vomited at his words. They saw the magic he wielded and his poise to strike and Buffy commented. "That's not how I saw it."

I snorted. "That's because you're mind isn't strong enough to see through illusions. And powerful ones at that. I imagine none of you, Willow included could see through them as they were. If the power differences between us weren't so large and my mastery of illusions so great, he might've fooled me to."

When they finished watching it I put the pensive away and gestured to the sword. "It's been enchanted by a demon. I can feel it from here. It's more powerful than most of the swords I gave to Buffy. He'll be coming for it sooner or later and his most trick makes it a pain in the ass to lock it up. I'd lock it in my vaults but there are more powerful and precious things in there and I don't want him trying to break in. Not that he could do so but he may try for Faith to see if he could compel her to let him in and I'll be damned if that happens. Well, so will the world at that point."

They all paled and I sighed. "Keep it locked up and put your best protection and sealing spells on it. If he gets it, so what, but if he comes after anything else I'll dive him out of town or destroy him for good."

Xander asked. "You can do that?"

I smirked. "There's nothing and no one I can't kill on this planet. Even the old ones were chew toys for me. The mayor would've been a light snack if I let loose."

He gulped and nodded. Buffy spoke up. "I can attest to that. I borrowed some of his power and I punched a gigantic hole in the ground miles wide and so deep it hit the ocean from campus."

Riley raised a hand. "Me to, on the seeing part. Dudes crazy powerful."

I chuckled. "And that's not the worst ability I have. I can literally drain the energy out of everything in existence and use it as my own. I could take the immortality from immortals."

That raised a few eyebrows. I sighed. "I'll put extra protections on everyone's houses tonight just in case he decides to stop by for a light snack."

I left not long after that with Faith. I put up protection spells against vampires and magic other users all over everyone's houses. Later that night I felt a disturbance in my wards on Buffy's house. I shifted and teleported into Buffy's room. As the mist began forming I growled deeply, letting him know I was not amused.

The mist receded and Buffy got up. I shifted back and she asked. "What are you doing here?"

I snorted. "I felt a disturbance in my wards on your home. I teleported over and found him coming in your partially opened window as mist. I growled and he left, you woke up and asked a dumb question."

I turned to her. "I'm heading home for some sleep. I suggest you close your window. I can tell when he's coming over the wards but it's best not to tempt it."

I teleported home and layer back down. I felt him coming in my house next. I teleported to Faith's room and waited in the dark corner for him to fully form. When he did I grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the wall.

Faith was up in a flash and stabbed him in the heart as I said. "No!"

He disintegrated and became mist again before leaving like the wind. I felt him cross the wards on his way out and I was left standing next to my very naked sister. I looked away and shouted. "Close your window!"

I went back to bed and hoped it would be the last of it. Unfortunately, it wasn't. The wards around the magic shop actually broke. I teleported over and noticed the problem. His sword has a powerful return to sheath spell on it. It ripped all the other magic apart on its way out. I stayed and repaired it all before heading home again.

The next day I went to the group meeting at the magic shop. I noticed Xander acting strangely and grabbed his arm. I drained the magic out of him and spoke to the group. "He put a very powerful compulsion spell on Xander. From the looks of it, Xander's mental strength was to strong without Dracula resorting to magic. Probably the leftover influence from my brothers possession. He should be back to normal in a bit. Hot cocoa should sooth his nerves or camomile tea."

Giles made tea and when Buffy asked for more lessons from him I sighed. "I'll chase Dracula out of town. Another night like last night and I might be the one needing that tea. He went to both Buffy's and Faith's rooms then he summoned his sword back to its sheath and shattered the spells around the magic shop. I spent half the night fixing everything and making sure he kept his grubby hands off my sister."

I teleported to where I felt the largest magical disturbance in the town and found myself a castle made of illusions so powerful it was almost real. I broke the door down and brought half castle down with it. I walked into the ruins and found him and three vampire woman in a dirt drop off basement.

"Knock knock." I smacked him awake. He growled and I choked him while draining him of his magic and ability to flee. "You leave this town at nightfall or I'll take more than a bit of magic from you, I'll permanently kill you."

I squeezed harder and he choked. I drained a little more letting him know I was serious. I let go saying. "One of the slayers is my adoptive sister. I didn't appreciate you sneaking into her room in the middle of the night. Do so again and I'll show you a hell that would make even the old man in you whimper in fear boy."

He asked. "What are you?"

I let my face change saying. "I'm a vampire from another dimension. One where my kind make yours look like toys. My kind get stronger with age and I've been on this planet since it was first created. Before the sun and moon were formed. I've hunted and killed thousands of old ones for food and sport boy and my magic is strong enough to swallow this dimension whole. You do not want to make an enemy of me boy. I've killed tougher things than you for breakfast."

With that I teleported home. I finished laying out the magical grid that would protect the town from vampires and demons. Now I just needed to fuel it. I had to wait for an opportunity on that part because I wasn't about to tap into my own totems to fuel it.

Later that evening I felt a powerful reality bending spell go up and new memories of a girl called Dawn appeared in my head. If I wasn't already suspicious of the magic, I'd never have noticed it. As it is, I'm able to differentiate between both sets of memories.

I ignored it for the most part. Apparently Dawn is a good friend of mine and hangs out with me most days. It keeps me from being lonely and gives her mom and sister a chance to unwind. Besides the fact that we both have sisters that are slayers, we also share the fact that we get bored easily.

With her arrival, It also set my project in motion. I teleported to the junk yard and found the demon I was looking for after half an hour of looking. I snapped it's neck and took the rod it was holding.

I put it away and teleported to the house to was my hands. The next day, I saw off Faith to her frat house again. She and Xander went together. Some time later Dawn headed over with Buffy. Buffy asked. "Can you watch her until tonight when I get home."

I shrugged. "Sure, I just saw off Faith to college. You fixing to head back? It's a lot to do if you wait to long."

She sighed. "I'm dropping a few classes for training so it won't be too much."

I nodded. "Faith did the same, though it's still a packed schedule. Just remember, if you and Faith need a night off, I can patrol instead."

She shook her head. "It's practically the only time I get to spend with Riley, besides, don't you like not interfering?"

I sighed. "I don't usually, but I saw Faith's schedule and I don't want to see her work herself to death. I gave her the option so it's only fair I do the same for you."

She smiled. "Thanks, I'll keep it in mind."

I nodded and she left. I turned to Dawn. "What mischief are we up to today? Want to kill zombies or fight space monsters?"

She smiled. "Space monsters definitely. Can we order Chinese again?"

I chuckled. "Sure, but you're not deciding the amounts. Last time we nearly emptied their store."

She blushed and shook her head. "You said you could eat anything."

I nodded. "And I ate it all, but the poor workers nearly had a heart attack when we called them again the next day."

She laughed and I handed her the phone. "Be reasonable please, I don't want to have to call an ambulance after the Chinese is delivered. Cards on the counter and remember the rules of the house."

She snorted. "Yeah yeah, don't get hurt. Now wolf form please."

I rolled my eyes and shifted while she hopped on my back. I carried her around the house while she made the call. When she said it was on the way, I carried her to the living room and laid down while she was sill on my back. I rolled over and she landed on the couch giggling.

I hopped up and payed beside her. When the delivery guy came, he looked almost relieved we didn't order a lot. That is until I poked my massive wolf head over the back of the couch and he nearly fainted. Dawn spent the next fifteen minutes convincing the guy I was a family rescue that grew so big because of the Chinese food he brought.

He looked at the food strangely after that. When he left, I shifted back and she handed me the general Tso's chicken. She had her sweet and sour and we shared the egg drop soup. We battled aliens in halo and eventually drifted to movies. We were currently watching Beethoven.

She seemed to find it hilarious that I was in wolf form watching it with her. Eventually she fell asleep on my side. I followed suit and woke up several hours later when she got up. I shifted back. "What's say you we make ice cream sundaes and watch all dogs go to heaven?"

She grinned. "It's a deal. I'll be right back, you get the ice cream out."

She ran upstairs and I headed to the kitchen. When I saw the nearly empty ice cream in the freezer, I called out. "When you're done get your shoes on, we have to make an ice cream run pronto."

Three minutes later she came back down and I heard a thump as something bounced off my wards. I waved a hand. "Dawn go sit in the living room and get the movie ready and your shoes on. I'll be right back, it seems we have some uninvited guests."

She went to the living room and I opened the front door. Harmony and a group of vampires were there. She yelled. "We're here for the slayer."

I snorted. "My sister went to college dorms earlier today. If you're looking for Buffy, she's out on patrol. Now piss off before I turn your little gang of half wits to ash."

The biggest one looked offended and Harmony replied. "Oh yeah-"

I waved a hand and all the vampires but her caught fire. "Piss of or join them."

She took off running and I called out. "You ready Dawn?"

She came out as soon as I spoke. "Ready."

I nodded. "Did you like the view from the living room window?"

She looked guilty and I sighed. "Dawn, you know you shouldn't be seeing things like that. I myself didn't see my first battle-"

"-till you were twenty. I know, it's just, I want to help."

I chuckled. "And you will, some day. Don't worry Dawn. The vampires and demons aren't going anywhere. There will always be more of them. You'll have your time I swear."

I saw her impatient look and I sighed. "Very well. I guess I could talk to your mother and sister about teaching you martial arts or witchcraft."

She smiled. "Please please please!"

I chuckled. "I will tomorrow, until then, I want your word you won't go looking for trouble. Especially on Tuesday's."

She nodded still smiling. "I give you my word."

I chuckled and teleported us to the store. We loaded up on ice cream and snacks before teleporting back to the house. We made sundaes and watched all dogs go to heaven one and two. By the time the second one ended, she'd fallen asleep again.

Buffy came over a little while later and I handed her a still sleeping Dawn. "We watched movies all day and had Chinese and junk food. I don't really have anything healthy at the house because Faith burns anything she eats off and It can't hurt me, so you'll have to prepackaged her food or give me a list of you don't want her getting fat."

She snorted and took Dawn home after agreeing to make a list. The next week and a half passed like this and one day Buffy asked for help with Riley. "He's sick and I know you usually don't act but-"

I waved a hand. "Relax, I'll bring him to you. Go meet the doctor and I'll be right there."

She took of and I did a scry for Riley. I found him in the tunnels that lead to the flooded initiative from the outside. I teleported over and knocked him out before teleporting to Buffy. She was in the school medical training lab with a doctor.

I set Riley on the table. "Relax, I just knocked him out is all. Do what you've gotta do doc."

I made sure Riley didn't wake up mid procedure swinging and hurting himself in the process with a stasis spell. I basically slowed his bodies perception of time down a lot. When the doctor finished, I released the spell and a few minutes late Riley woke up angry and confused.

When he calmed down I spoke. "You were a bit of a dick and you have your girlfriend to thank for getting you to the doctor in time before it killed you. Personally, I'd have left you to die of your own stupidity."

i turned and left them to talk to each other. when i was out of the doctors range of site I teleported home. The next week I heard Buffy's mom had a relapse and went to visit. I walked into the house and scowled. It wreaked of cancer now. It wasn't enough last time, it regrew in force now.

Buffy saw my face and panicked. "It's back isn't it? And bad too or you wouldn't be scowling when she's not in the room."

I nodded solemnly and headed to where it was strongest, the living room. Joyce was laying on the couch and looking at me. She smiled. "How bad is it?"

I shook my head. "Judging from the smell, it's far worse than last time. There's a lot more and it's a lot more aggressive now. You have at least one tumor that's not benign, maybe more. We need to get you to the best medical care facility we can find."

I grabbed my phone while they were whispering and crying. I called Lyndsey. "Get me a medical chopper for pick up and drop off to LA's best hospital and have a team of oncologists and surgeons on standby. Have it here in two hours tops. The sight for landing will be the roof of the Mystic Grill."

I hung up and told Buffy. "I'm driving, I fear any magic around her will make it grow more, carry her to the car. I'll take down all the wards in the area."

She grabbed her mom and I touched the wall. I drained all the magic out and stored it in totems. I ran over to my place and did the same before hopping in the car and driving all three of them to the grill. Buffy took my phone and called everyone to let them know.

When we got there, I told Buffy. "Stairs to the roof access are behind the stage. Go, I'll drain the wards here."

I turned to Dawn. "Bring your mom a chair up their so she can rest."

I drained all the magic and stored it before jumping to the roof. Half an hour later Lyndsey and a team of medical professionals flew in. They took Joyce and flew to LA. Lyndsey told me the hospitals name and I teleported Buffy and Dawn there.

We arrived fifteen minutes before the chopper and waited in the observation room while they did CT scans and x-rays. They found several growths and a tumor wrapped around her brainstem. Lyndsey came up and told us the news. I sighed. "They must've missed a small piece last time that even my senses were fooled. The wards I keep around your house must've made it grow constantly. This is my fault."

I turned to Lyndsey. "Call in the best you can find and get them out of her. Tell the doctor that succeeds I'll give him a cars weight in gold."

He nodded and left. I turned to Buffy and Dawn. "I'm sorry I caused this."

Buffy shook her head with tears in her eyes. "You've been protecting us and helping this entire time. You couldn't have known. It's not your fault."

I sighed and looked to where Joyce was on the table. I grabbed my phone and left them to call Giles and the group. I told them everything and the cause of it. I opened a portal in the bathroom and they stepped through.

I showed them the way and Giles and Willow pulled the girls away from the window. Ten hours of surgery later, Lyndsey came over with a doctor. He told us. "This doctor was successful in removing the worst of it. The one around her brainstem was a successful removal. It was benign. There at two that aren't and will need extensive radiation treatment after she's out of surgery and all of it's out."

I nodded. "Finish the job, your payment is at the end when she's out of surgery. I'll give it to Lyndsey here and he'll pay you then."

The doctor nodded and I walked away with Lyndsey. I teleported to a location he gave and dropped five tons of gold. "Three for you and two for him. If he fails and she's killed, you won't have to worry about sharing, there won't be enough of him to collect or you if you try and influence the outcome in your favor."

He nodded and I teleported us back while his people took the gold. The night passed and most of the group was asleep in the waiting room. Only Giles and I were left watching. I sighed. "It's my fault and I know it. Buffy was being kind. I knew what would happen if there was any cancer left. I still exposed her to magic anyway."

He shook his head. "You didn't know it was still there. For god sakes there wasn't even enough for your senses to pick it up and you're nearly a god."

I sighed. "We'll agree to disagree. There's something telling me if I'd done it differently it wouldn't have turned out like this."

He shook his head. "You're right, odds are she would've been dead if you hadn't mentioned it at all. Don't doubt yourself now. What kind of god would you be if you doubted yourself like this?"

I nodded. "You're right. I need to kill something. I'll be back in an hour."

I walked out and teleported to where I knew the scourge would be and I laid waste to them all. Everything that fought on their side. I slaughtered hordes of demons and worked off some steam. When the scourge was all gone, I turned my attention to the vampires and spent the next half hour emptying the city's vampire nests out. When I was done, I cleaned the filth of and teleported back to the hospital.

Giles was still in the observation room. As soon as I came in he said. "They're done for now. They're going to get some more scans before they go back in for the rest. Hopefully they got it all this time."

I nodded. "After their answers, wake the girls up either way. Let them know it's almost over."

He nodded. "We shall see."

Another hour later and the doctors came back in with clean scans. When he showed them to me, I asked. "Can you check for any embolisms that can cause clots and stokes? I'd like to leave nothing to chance."

He nodded. "We'll do a dye scan and set her on a strict diet before the radiation treatment."

I nodded. "See to it. I'm footing the bills here. You're extra pay is with Lyndsey now. Pick it up after your shift or have him send it to you with a call. Either way you're not leaving here till she's in a proper bed."

He nodded and made a call while signing paperwork for a dye test. When they found a few clots, he went in again and found the problems before fixing it and setting Joyce up in a room. Giles went and woke up the group before telling them the news.

I left them and went to pay the bills in full.

When Joyce finally woke up, she asked. "How long was I out?"

I sighed. "Twenty two hours of surgery and five hours after that. Congratulations, you don't smell like cancer again. Though you'll forgive me if I don't toss a healing spell your way."

She smiled. "That's fine, I get you're a little gun shy now. Just know I don't blame you."

I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. "Then young lady, I think it's best I leave you in the capable hands of your daughters. You have a radiation treatment in three hours to kill off the cancer cells in your blood stream."

Her smile soured. "Joy. I just got this hair the way I like it to."

I chuckled. "I'll buy you a wig if it helps."

I left the room as Buffy and Dawn came in to visit. I waited for the rest of the group to say there peace then gave Lyndsey instructions to drop Buffy and her family off at their house when Joyce gets released. I opened a portal to Giles's shop and we walked through. Riley staid but the rest of us were back.

The college students went back to their place and I went on patrol. I dusted a few vampires and found the warehouse the beast was first seen in, in my memories. After I dusted a vampire there, the security guard came over saying something about a party. I backed off and before I could leave he told me to stop and he picked up a glowing orb off the ground and handed it to me.

I left to the house with it. I sighed and put it away. The next morning I brought it to Giles's shop and put it on the table. He looked at it and I explained. "It's called a Dagon Sphere. It's a protective magic that's supposed to stop some unnamed evil. I found it at a warehouse where I killed a vampire last night."

He looked intrigued. "And you think this unnamed evil is somewhere in Sunnydale."

I nodded. "I'll be going back to the warehouse and looking around in a few minutes. I figure day time offers better result until it doesn't."

He nodded and I left it there with him. I teleported to the warehouse and went inside the back. I hid in the rafters and watched. When the priest arrived, I watched him do a ritual and when he was almost done, the giant metal door started banging. I dropped down beside him.

He looked to me and I shook my head. "No time, I'll hide you."

I put him in the library vault and hoped this next part worked. When Glory broke the wall down I was sitting in a chair she walked in like she owned the place. I sighed. "Took you long enough. You're weak for a god, but then, maybe it's the human you're tied to that's making you weak."

She snorted. "And who are you?"

I grinned. "I'm the white wolf. Though you may know me as the title you seem to be flaunting around. The beast."

She raised an eyebrow then laughed. "So your the old one from way back in the day."

I shrugged. "I'm no demon. I just found them delicious after a while."

She smiled. "Then what are you?"

I grinned. "I'm like you, only this is my real flesh. And all I need is to eat a god now to complete my ascension."

She grinned as well. "Then bring it dog boy."

I chuckled and stood up. "Let's make this a fair fight. How about I open up a portal to a dimension and we fight there. I'll even help you shed the human your wearing as a bonus."

She laughed. "Tell you what, you prove you can do that and I'll agree."

I pulled out the Ferula Gemina out and told her. "This rod will split you from your human half, weak from strong."

She looked at it and nodded. "Fine, open a portal."

I waved a hand saying. "Quar'toth aperi mihi."

The seems of the dimension opened up and I smiled. "See you on the other side, step through if you dare."

I walked through and waited. Not ten seconds behind me was Glory. I aimed the rod and blasted her. While she stood still, the human flew out the back of her and through the portal. I waved a hand and closed it.

Smiling I spoke. "Now it's just you and me little god. While your avatar is strong, you're not the god of this place so you cannot leave it."

She snorted and roamed her fingers over her body, ignoring me. I grinned and began. I put away the staff and went at her like she owed me money. We collided and the earth shook. Beat her bloody for the next few weeks. Our battle raged on and since she was bound to her avatars limits, she wasn't my equal.

She got a few hits in but they were only at the level of Illyria's. The landscape changed rapidly around us as everything was pulverized into nothingness. Demons fled in all directions as their homes were destroyed. Eventually I tore an arm off her and ate it. I felt my bodies power growing and I continued. When I took her other arm I chowed down and activated my curse to it's fullest while I consumed her, body and soul.

My power skyrocketed and with it I finally felt my curse unlock again. I felt a vast control over the domain of death. I absorbed all the magic in the totems and I felt a link form between myself and the domain of magic. I became a dual god of death and magic.

I expanded my perception over my death domain and felt its limits. I felt myself pushing into thee gods of deaths territories and when I did so aggressively they responded. They came and I started fighting them on another plane of existence. My astral body, for want of a better description, was fight theirs.

I activated my curse to the fullest and started absorbing them as well. It felt like eternity before the first god was fully absorbed and my territory tripled. I continued on-words. I absorbed several more gods of death till finally, I felt stretched to my mental limits.

I stopped and came back to my body again, only to find myself in the stomach of an old one. I ripped my way out and ate it before openings portal back to the earth dimension I'd just left. I found myself in the warehouse. The nurse had either fled or turned to nothing.

I cleaned up the alter the priest was using and I sighed. Now that my curse was under control again, I could finally return home. But before that, I had to find out what I missed. It felt like almost a century had passed in Quar'toth. I left to find out what I'd missed.

I found Faith at the house. As soon as she saw me, she leapt into my arms for hug that would kill most beings. She told me a lot of incoherent gibberish. What I got out of it was Joyce died from a stroke brought on by the radiation.

Dawn tried to bring her back. An evil cult tried to kill Dawn and an old man stabbed her causing her to open other dimensions. Buffy jumped in and closed them while she killed the old man demon and the Scooby hand fought its followers.

With both Buffy and Joyce dead and me missing everyone is in grief and mourning. I calmed her down and told her I have my own announcement for the group be fore opening a portal to each of them. I spoke loudly. "Step through. I'm back, it's time we talked."

After a few moments the whole group had gathered. They looked at me and Giles asked. "Where were you?"

I sighed. "The group that hurt Dawn were followers of a hell goddess called Glory. I used an artifact to split her from her human host and took her to Quar'toth to do battle. We fought for several months straight and I finally ripped her apart and ate her. Her blood was the final step in my ascension. Quar'toth being the home of some of the last old ones is very stable and managed to survive my ascension. Though it lost nearly half its population and land in the resulting explosion. My powers were unsealed and I absorbed the power of all the magic I'd stored up, creating a link between myself and the domain of magic."

I took a minute while they took that all in when I continued they became more shocked. "With my curse having absorbed a large portion of the domain of death, I became a dual god of death and magic. I'm spirit ascended to the higher planes where I waged war on the gods of death, with my curse active and in my control again, I consumed and defeated over a dozen gods and stretched my territory of the domain as far as my current spirit could handle."

I stopped for another breather and looked to Tara. "You can see it can't you."

She nodded. "Your spirit is struggling to hold it all. If you took any more you would break."

I nodded. "That's why I stopped. If my spirit snaps, it will disperse and I'll be no more. On the bright side, no god of death near this world is dumb enough to challenge me. As special circumstances, if you grab the ingredients, I'll be able to allow Buffy to come back."

Dawn spoke up. "What about mom?"

I sighed and closed my eyes. I felt around for the answer and shook my head. "I cannot bring her back Dawnie. She died a mortal death. It was her time. If I had complete and utter control of the full domain, I could make an exception, but right now I cannot. There are only three ways for a god to die. At the hands of a being close to their power, dispersing their spirit or disobeying the balance. As it is, I cannot break the balance without instant death of myself and everyone involved."

She cried. "But Buffy-"

I shook my head. "Buffy died a supernatural death and she was a supernatural creature. All slayers are part demon. Humans are apart of the balance, demons are creatures of chaos. There is more leeway with them."

I turned to Willow. "Witches are caretakers of the balance. As such they hold the status of both human and supernatural creature. They serve nature itself and only the powers of a god of nature like magic, and death could bring one back but remember this. The cost of doing so is the life of both a supernatural creature and another human. Be very sure it's what you want when you ask for that. You'll be the ones taking both lives."

Something in my eyes must've spooked them because they went silent. I turned to Giles. "Get the urn of Osiris, the heart of a creature of nature and the blood of the diseased mix it with Vino de Madre, and follow the spell Willow's clearly found. Do be sure to dig her up first, she'll appear wherever her body is as it's a resurrection."

I turned to Dawn. "I'm sorry, but you really shouldn't see anything like that. It's nasty business and something even Xander will have nightmares about. The Magic makes a connection with my domain of death. I'll be in the astral plane keeping it clear of other higher beings from interfering."

I turned to Faith. "No one must interfere or something could go very wrong. If I'm knocked out of my trance, something else could follow her back through."

They shivered and I sighed. "Just be careful and on the lookout."

After they set a time and all that, I pulled out the priest. I waved a hand. "Priest, meet the key, Dawn, meet the priest who put you in the body and gave you life. Personally I think you can consider him a weird uncle."

He asked. "The beast?"

I chuckled. "I ate her. You see, you brought dinner to me and I repaid you with saving your life. The key is safe and no one wants to harm Dawn anymore. You can go back to your temple or whatever. If you try to remove her or the key, the beast will be the least of your worries."

He left not long after that. He was nice enough to answer Dawn's questions before he went though. I spent the rest of the day settling problems and building a special door. That night I sat next to an opened coffin and sent myself into a trance.

My astral form scoured my domain as thy made a connection to it when they started. Unfortunately, it was at the very edge of my territory and another gods. I sat there and waited. I saw the god Osiris watching just over on his side.

He sneered. "So you're the upstart that ate the others?"

I grinned. "Afraid you're next?"

He chuckled. "Not likely. I can see you're straining to hold what you have as it is."

I shrugged. "True, but that won't always be the case. I'll tell you what. You don't interfere here and when my spirit grows stronger, I won't eat you for awhile. Who knows, maybe by then, you'd willingly become my follower and I'd let you take management of my territory while I focused my efforts elsewhere."

He frowned and shook his head. "I've no interest in mortal affairs one way or the other but I'll not be your follower either."

I chuckled. "Then how about I save you for last or for when I need your territory. As it is, I've another domain to conquer as well, so it could be a very long time before we ever speak again."

He nodded and left the edge of our territories. I felt the spell nearing completion when something happened. Just as I felt Buffy's soul moving through my domain, I was knocked out of the trance. I growled and waved a hand. Every demon in the town caught fire like a Roman candle and burned to death.

They completed the ritual and Buffy woke up, but I felt something else barely make it out as well. I growled. "Shit! We have a visitor. It's a demon created as a result of the spells connection to my domain. I was knocked out of the trance and it snuck through. It's ran off now and it's incorporeal so it can possess people, be careful."

Buffy woke up all the way and I grabbed her face. "Look into my eyes. Focus on my voice, hear the sounds of your heart beating."

I waved a hand and did a cleansing spell and a hangover spell on her. She snapped out of it and I sat back down. I saw the look in her eyes and I shook my head. "You were in a light plane. A version of heaven for good souls. A pity and a boon. Now that you know where you'll end up eventually, you can fight all the harder and do more good. Maybe next time you'll go to a better one or get to be reincarnated with your memories in tact."

She looked confused. "There's are better heavens?"

I nodded. "It's all up to the perspective but the one you were in didn't have your mother in it, that much I can say for sure, so where do you think such a nice lady went?"

She caught on and I nodded. "There are many hell dimensions and just as many heaven ones. Hell dimensions are a lot easier to get to because they're on the lower planes and the heaven ones are higher planes. Granted there are a few mixed here or there throughout the middle but for the most part, it's easier to go to hell than to heaven. And since you've succeeded, if you work harder than ever and when it's actually your time, you'll most likely go to an even better one. Or maybe get to pick your own."

She looked less sad and nodded. I turned to the group who was listening. "One of the downsides to bringing back the dead, you never know where they were before you do so."

Willow asked. "Did you know?"

I shook my head. "Something in me recognized the sadness in her for what it was. I've carried something similar since I got to this world."

Tara nodded. "That's the pain you have."

I helped Buffy out of her coffin and we headed back while they discussed everything. Faith met up with us halfway there. She walked beside me after greeting Buffy. She asked. "What's with the fire act?"

I sighed. "The ceremony was interrupted and I was knocked out of my trance. I figured you were busy or tied up at the moment and I was pissed."

She nodded and we headed back to the house. The next few days were very busy. I paid the last of the hospital bills of Joyce's and we finally found the demon that came back with Buffy. When it possessed Faith I zapped it out and deep fried it in the ethereal plane.

Giles gave Buffy a job seeing as how she effectively quit college. Faith was still going herself so I decided it was time for a change of scenery myself. Since Anya was taking over the magic shop, I decided to leave with Giles after everything was settled.

I signed the house and grill over to Faith and made sure she had everything she needed. She smiled. "I'm good, besides, I can reach you anytime and I'm not really here much anyways. Go have your meditation with witches and get stronger. Maybe one day Mrs.J can come back as well."

I gave her a hug and boarded the plane with Giles. We flew to England first, then went to Devon after he squared his matters away. I got a call from Lyndsey and had him join us when we landed. I made a portal in the airport bathroom and he stepped through. "Are you ready to be free of them?"

He nodded and I looked at his missing hand. "A disagreement with Angel. To be fair, I kind of deserved it."

I pulled his fake hand off and cut another inch of his wrist off before healing and regrowing his hand. Then I grabbed him and wiped out the soul mark he had. "There, you're free. You now have no connection to them. You work for me now."

He nodded. "Sounds good. About the abilities?"

I sighed and fed him a drop of blood if saved of mine before snapping his neck. Giles was stunned. "What the bloody hell was that?"

I chuckled. "Making him into my kind of vampire. Don't worry, he won't lose his soul. It's just everything about him is going to be heightened now. It'll take him some getting used to."

I put him in my vault and we left the airport for the coven. When we arrived Giles went to introduce us but their seer, Althenea, stopped him saying. "We are aware of the god of death and magic. I saw his arrival from a demonic realm after he departed months before as a witch."

I chuckled. "It's nice be recognized I guess. I take it I'm welcome here?"

She nodded. "You are a god of the natural order. You're as much apart of nature as we are. We welcome you and hope you'll let us pray to you to supplicate our own Magic's while your here."

I nodded. "That's fine, I'll even allow you access to my library to further your personal studies."

She smiled and led the way to their circle. I sat in the middle and Giles joined them around me while they began praying. The called me the wolf god. When they linked together and began calling on my power over magic, I gave it to them freely.

My power flowed through the coven and into each of them. They took what they could hold and the rest flowed back into me. Even Giles looked magically powerful now. I sat there in meditation and sought inner peace for the first time since I got to this world.

It took a while to clear my thoughts and think of nothing but one feeling. It was the feeling I got when I saw Bonnie's look of awe when she touched the rainbows Lexi and Lee made so long ago. I focused on that and let everything else drop away.

I felt my soul being soothed and growing. I kept at it as time itself lost all meaning, that is until a yell for help from Faith jolted me out of the meditation. I teleported away and found her in a graveyard of plant things attacking. I felt a dark power all over the place. I waved a hand and the plant people were turned to mulch. "What happened?"

She snorted. "Tara was shot and Willow went of the deep end. I haven't seen or heard from you in nearly a year! Now Willow's going to some temple to end the world!"

I shook my head and I felt where everything was. When I saw Xander there with her I shook my head. "Everything will be fine now. Go home and get some rest, I'll talk to you in a bit."

I teleported her home without going with her and went to free Buffy and Dawn from their own plant monsters. I sent them home and teleported to Giles's side. He looked surprised to see me. "So you've finally woken up? Althenea said you were at peace and getting stronger. She said we couldn't wake you without eminent danger."

I nodded. "Faith woke me and I just sent them home."

I looked at his wounds and the wrecked shop. I healed him then waved a hand and repaired everything as if nothing bad had happened. I helped him up. "Xander is with her and he should succeed in getting through to her. I feel she's sacrificed Warren. He was a human magic user. His death allows me to bring back Tara. I'll see to it while you deal with the emotional fallout."

He nodded and I teleported to Buffy's house and found Tara's body in the upstairs bedroom. I extracted the bullet and healed her body before I stepped into the domain of death and summoned her spirit back as I exchanged Warren's for it. A few higher beings tried to stop me and a fight broke out.

Since my soul was stronger now, I needn't fear eating them so when I did, the others fled and I brought Tara to the mortal realm again. She seemed a little reluctant but when she saw who I was she followed without fear. It took some time for us to travel the width of my domain and settle her into her body.

When I opened my eyes again, Willow and the rest were there. Tara's chest started moving and I helped her along. Willow tried to use magic to help as well but I knocked her attempts aside. "Your magic is tainted by the energies of the hellmouth. It's very essence is rooted in the dark powers of this town and the lives you've ended. Before you use it again you need to cleanse it and yourself. Trying to use it on her now will do a lot more harm then good. I'm putting her soul in her body and if your tainted magic's touch it, you will taint her soul as well."

She looked like I slapped her face and I sighed before continuing. When I was done, I picked her up and set her on the bed. "Let her rest. Her soul is tired and weary from traveling my domain. Everyone, let's head downstairs for a chat."

I grabbed Willow's arm and pulled her with us. When we got to the living room I sat down a sighed. "You stupid foolish girl. Even after all my warnings and Giles cautioning you, you've delved so deeply into the darkest magic's. Have you learned nothing from my sisters memories? "

She sighed. "Says the god of death!"

I snorted and the room darkened. "Child I've been alive and studying magic since before this world was conceived, even then I took every precaution and studied for several more years yet before I took that step. Giles was right, you are a rank amateur! I should strip you of all the magic you've stolen and leave you a defenseless mortal!"

I roared the end of it and the fireplace roared to life. The darkness had enveloped my being and my eyes burned of fire. They all backed in on themselves to make themselves seem smaller. I saw their fear and shook my head sighing. I released the anger and the room lightened again.

Willow was quiet and in tears. I rubbed a hand over my face before sighing. "You'll be coming back to Devon with us. I'll help the coven cleanse you as best we can. Know this girl, you've stained your soul as well and that'll never wash off. Even the most powerful beings cannot cleanse the soul of all its impurity's. The lives you've taken will haunt you always."

Giles sighed next as I left the room. "He's right you know. You may be powerful than most now, but you've committed cold blooded torture and murder. I don't know if you'll ever be the same again, but I do know you should have known better. You've seen him studying for years without doing a spell he'd learned from this reality. You yourself had addiction problems with magic and you knew the price to bring Tara back and you've failed to heed his warnings even then."

Willow was crying and they tried comforting her. I was in the kitchen drinking scotch and cursing the fact I can no longer get drunk. My own body is torturing me now. Groaning I poured another and slid it over as Giles walked in. He took it and drank with me in silence for a while before asking. "Can it be done? Purifying her magic and it's essence with so much of it?"

I nodded. "It will take a lot of effort on my part. The coven will have to hold her soul while I clean off the taint. It'll take time and a lot of my spirit's focus to do so. If another person dies to soon, I might not be able to bring them back, even with it within my rights. If I'm attacked while doing so, I'll probably be destroyed and she'll lose her magic. It's a delicate process."

He nodded and Faith came in. "Wesley just called, they need some slayer help there."

I waved a hand and opened a portal to where Wesley was. She sighed and stepped through. I turned to Giles. "When Tara wakes up, call Althenea and I'll open a portal to you."

He nodded and I teleported to Devon. I told them of the results and asked for their help in the cleansing process. I let out Lyndsey who was currently feeding on a blood bag. I compelled him to have control over his emotions and urges. Then I gave him a list of things I needed done and an amulet that linked to my vault where he was staying.

I gave him my credit card and told him how to compel people before sending him to london with a list of slayer potentials. His job was to track them down all over the world and save them. His amulet has one other feature I added myself, it could open portals to a location of the wearers thoughts. It drew on my power but the cost was negligible.

I sat down and meditated for awhile and soon enough Althenea woke me. I made a portal and Willow, Tara and Giles stepped through.

I brought out a tub and drew a circle and pentagram around it. I made a bath of milk and herbs, then dropped a few moon crystals in it and lit the candles of the pentagram. After a silent chant to Artemis the virgin goddess of the moon, who was very amused I'd call on her myself, the milk bathe absorbed moonlight rays and became a glowing white substance.

I spoke now. "A moon bath. Essence of the moon and blessings from the virgin goddess of the moon herself. Your physical body will lay in it while your spirit will be in the arms of the coven. I'll pull your magic out and begin cleansing it. It will take a full moon cycle to finish. My own magic will fuel everyone's bodies and my spirit will soothe their souls so that they need not rest. This is just the process, you must not fight or try and use magic or you'll render it useless and we'll have to start over."

The coven sat around the circle and Althenea spoke to her next. "There mustn't be anything between you and the moon."

I turned my back to give her privacy and waved Tara over. "You'll join the circle and be the primary to hold her soul. It should help because of your connection to her."

She nodded and Giles went to join the circle before I stopped him. "I need you elsewhere, there are dark forces acting around the world and it's time you become my representative to the watchers council."

I pulled out an amulet and a very old book. "The amulet will let you know of its powers and the book is information on the enemy. Take them and get to work."

I waved a hand summoning a portal to China. He walked through and it closed.