Willow Rosenberg sat behind the desk that used to belong to Jenny Calendar. It was hard for Willow to sit there and not think about her former teacher. It had been two weeks and Willow was still teaching Ms. Calendar’s advanced computer course. It seems the school was having difficulty finding a replacement on such short notice. She didn’t mind. It made her feel like she was helping Buffy in a way. The only way she could.

She reached for a sip of her diet Coke and accidentally swept her pen off the side of the desk. “Oops.” She whispered to the empty room. She reached down the side and came up with a small plastic square. A disk.

“What’s this?” she wondered. She looked at it and debated trying to load it into the new computer’s disk drive. << It could be personal. It might be HERS >> but despite her reservations, the hacker in her couldn’t resist. She popped in the disk and was surprised when it wasn’t even password protected. She called up the only file on the disk, entitled: Ritual of Restoration.

She scanned the whole file and realized what she had found. “Oh my God!” She ran down to the library to find Buffy and Giles.

“It’s the curse.” Was all Buffy could say.

Giles scanned the page, “Actually it is just the ritual. Apparently, the ritual can be performed without cursing the individual.”

“Meaning that if we could do this, Angel would be able to live without fear of losing his soul.” Buffy translated.

“I can’t believe what I’m hearing!” Xander was in the doorway.

“Xander--” Buffy started.

“Buffy, he could be right. After everything that Angel has done I’m not sure that curing him would be the correct path.” Giles rationalized.

“Giles, if there is a chance that I can have him back, in spite of everything I would do it.” Buffy was adamant.

“As your Watcher and in light of everything--I advise against it.”

“But will you help me?”

“Of course.”

“You people are insane!” Xander was freaking.

“Xander listen I don’t like this situation anymore than yo do. He killed her! But. Buffy needs our help.”

“Count me out. I’m going to join another after school program.” With that he left.

“You can’t blame him.” Giles said to Buffy.

“Believe me Xander is the last thing on my mind right now. Let’s get back to work.”

Giles was staring at the printout they had made. Buffy and Willow sat across from him in the library.

“Giles, what do we have to do?” Willow inquired.

“It’s fairly simple actually. There is an orb that we must acquire.The orb of Thessulah. Should be easy enough. We can get one at one of those “new age” places. It’s actually quite interesting. There is an incantation which must be recited to summon the soul of the person into the orb.”

“That’s it?” Buffy was amazed.

“Not quite, you see, the person asking for the restoration must have a good reason for wanting the soul returned or it won’t work. The gypsies found a way around this by invoking the curse.” Giles explained. “True love.” Willow offered

“I’m sorry?” Giles didn’t understand.

“I’ll do it. True love has to be a good enough reason.” Buffy realized what Willow was getting at.

“It should work.” Giles agreed.

“Great! Oh this is so great! Think I’ll mosey on down to that store on Market St. and pick up one of them orb thingies.” Buffy was ready to leave.

“Wait Buffy! I’ll come with you.” They turned to the speaker. It was Xander. “I wan to help.”

Buffy was stunned. “Sure, come with.”

Willow was busy making copies of the disk so that if anything happened to the original they would still have the copies. She waved goodbye to her friend and wished them good luck silently.

“Well this is it.” Buffy said to Xander as they stood outside the little shop.

“What is this thing called again?”

“ The Orb of Thessulah.”

“How do you know they’ll have it here?”

“Giles said that there’s more than one. All they are is round balls of glass.”

“So what’s the big deal?”

“They were made by gypsies. Most people just use ‘em as paper weights but they have more dignified uses.”

“Like restoring the souls of vampires? That’s dignified?”

“Xander! You wanted to help. Can’t you see how important this is to me?”

“That’s why I’m here.”

“Good. Let’s go in.”

The shop was cluttered with incense and candles. The shopkeeper looked like he belonged in a cult.

“Can I help you.”

“We’re looking for something.”

“Like what?”

“An Orb of Thessulah.”

“I’m sorry I can’t help you.”

“What’s the deal, you don’t have one?”

“ Listen kid, last person that came in here asking for one of those got killed. The monsters responsible almost took me down to. I don’t want any trouble with their kind.”

“Jenny.” Buffy whispered.

“You knew her?”

“She was doing this for me. Listen, I know about vampires okay? I’m not scared of them. Just help me find on orb.” Buffy was going into slayer girl mode.

“Listen, kid. Those things are dangerous. Especially the nutty one. I’ve got kids to think about. I can’t help you.”

Buffy stared in disbelief. <> Xander had no choice but to pull an unwilling Buffy out of the store.

Willow put a copy of the disk into her overall pocket and gave one to Giles, Buffy and a reluctant Xander. “I made these in case someone came looking for he original.” She explained.

“You mean, in case Angel shows up.” Buffy amended.

“Yeah.”

“It’s not like these do us or anybody much good. We can’t get an orb.” Buffy complained.

“We could steal one! I mean Xander stole that gun thing that time. I know stealing is a bad thing but we’d be doing it for a good reason!” Willow said hopefully.

“Yeah but Willow, we don’t even know what one looks like.” Xander offered, “He had like a million little glass balls in that store.”

“I have a drawing. See.” Giles showed Xander.

“You’re condoning this?” Xander asked incredulously.

“Condoning what?”

It was Cordelia. She had just come into the library. Looking for Xander apparently. “Where have you been.”

“Helping Buffy save he world?”

“Buffy, Buffy, Buffy!” She whined. But then the drawing on the table caught her eye. “That looks like the paperweight on Daddy’s desk.” she said

Buffy’s eyes got big. “Can you get it?” She demanded

“It’s Daddy’s...” Cordelia noticed “that look” in Buffy’s eyes and knew that she was going to end up forking over her father’s paperweight

Cordelia returned quickly with the paperweight. “This is rich. Daddy’s thirty dollar paperweight is going to restore Angel’s soul.” She handed over to Buffy.

“Maybe. Maybe not, Cordelia.”

All eyes looked to the door where Angel was leaning in the doorway.

“You picked the wrong party to bust pal,” Xander moved toward the monster.

“Xander. I’m going to start the spell. Don’t piss him off.” Buffy nodded to him and Giles who had armed himself with a staff. They moved to engage Angel. To hold him off until Buffy finished the ritual.

Angel was tearing into Xander and Giles but none were hurt. Willow and Cordelia kept him from leaving with crosses while the other two kept him from stopping Buffy’s chant. He was furious and, once or twice he almost got to her but she deflected his offenses and pushed him back towards the others. They were working him towards the cage where Giles kept all of his slayer books and weapons. Angel staggered outside the gate and Giles knocked him in with the staff and slammed the gate. He locked it quickly. “I’m going to tear your throat out.” He sneered at Giles through the bars.

“No you’re not Angel.” Buffy was finishing the ritual, holding the orb in her outstretched hand. When she had finished the incantation she placed the orb on the desk and moved to aid Giles and Xander until the spell had time to work. The orb glowed brightly and the light dissipated.

“Did it work?” Buffy asked Giles.

“I’m not sure.”

“Guess not.” Angel smiled. “Oh, poor Buffy, your little spell didn’t work.” Suddenly he was overcome with a sharp pain. He stumbled to the floor, convulsing.

“Angel!” Buffy flung open the gate and ran to his side.

His convulsions ceased and he sat up staring into her eyes, “Buffy?”

“Are you..all right?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. “ Then he realized what had been going on for the last few weeks and he screamed”Oh my God!”. Tears flowed down his face and he threw himself into her arms. She held him tightly.

“It’s okay. Ssh..” She whispered patting his head.

Xander looked on with disgust and left the room. Giles turned away and went to his office, unable to look Angel in the eyes. Willow just stared at him.

“Hi Willow.” Angel said quietly.

“You’re back. This is of the good. Can I take the crucifixes of my wall now?”

“I think it’s safe Will”Buffy smiled.

“ Good then. I will go, you two should be alone.”

Angel grabbed her arm. “I’m sorry Willow”

“It wasn’t your fault Angel. Maybe in time Giles and Xander will see that too.”

“You are quite the human Will.” Angel said quietly.

She smiled at him and left the library.

Buffy and Angel watched her leave and just stared at each other. “Oh Angel I missed you.” She wrapped her arms around him.

“Buffy, I don’t deserve this. How can you forgive me? Jenny--”

“It wasn’t you. I knew that the first time encountered Angelus. He said and did things that you would never do if you had the choice.”

“You’re too good to me.”

“Just don’t forget it.”

“Never.”

A scream from he hall drew their attention. Giles ran out of his office and the three ran to see what was going on.

In the hall they found a hysterical Willow crying and holding a lifeless Xander. Buffy slumped down next to them and turned to Angel, “He’s dead.”

“He was a very bad boy.” It was Drusilla.

“You bitch!” Buffy flew at her with everything she had.

Dru was not phased.”You took my Angel away from me. So I took your friend. Blood for blood.”

“Drusilla, I will kill you myself.” Angel challenged.

“My poor Angel, we would have had so much fun destroying the world together.”

He didn’t respond he just fought her. He was fighting her for Buffy for all the pain that Angelus had caused her. For Willow and Giles too. Most of all for himself. He fought Dru like he was fighting himself. Or rather, fighting Angelus.

Buffy came up behind and stabbed Dru neatly through the back into her heart. She looked stunned for a second before crumbling into dust.

Buffy slumped to the floor. Angel knelt beside her caressing her hair. She sobbed at the sight of Xander’s body. Giles regained his composure and left to call the police.

Willow shook with grief next to the body. Angel cursed himself. <> He though sadly as he held Buffy . He looked at the scene around them. Xander’s body, Willow wailing in grief and shock. And Buffy broken. Angelus got his wish all right.

The funeral had been over for hours. Buffy just sat next to the fresh grave. There was no chance that Xander would rise again. Like Jenny, his neck had been broken. No sign of bite marks on his neck. Buffy just couldn’t bring herself to leave.

Angel leaned against a tree and kept his distance. He swore that he would never leave her again. She needed him now. He would wait till she was ready to leave.

Rest in Peace: Alexander Harris. 1981-1998.