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Chapter Eleven

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"OK, you have everything?"

"Yes, mom."

"Stakes? Crosses?"

"Yes mom."

"Knife?"

"Yes. I have everything."

"You have your Dramamine? You get sick flying."

"It's in my pocket. And I have gum. And I have stamps, though god only knows why since I'll be back in a max of four days. Would you relax?"

Anya huffed and crossed her arms. "I still don't want you to go. This is Buffy's mess. She should clean it up."

Jesse rolled his eyes and shouldered his bag, glancing at the gate. "We're boarding. I'll see you when I get back, ok?"

His mother sighed and nodded, tilting her face for a kiss on the cheek, which he gave her. "Call when you get there?"

"Of course."

**

Jesse settled into his seat next to Jenny and immediately asked for a glass of water to take his pills. Then he grinned at his 'cousin', who was muttering to herself. "You ok?"

Her head snapped up. "Oh, sure. Why wouldn't I be ok?"

Jesse shrugged. "Do you really need me to recite the list?"

Jenny sighed slowly. "No. Just...I'm nervous. I'm scared I'll get lost again."

The boy looked her over and smirked at the *very* tight jeans and silk t-shirt. "You know...I don't think that's really a risk."

**

Justin was pacing his living room as he fisted and unfisted his hands. His brother and mother watched him from the couch, but the woman was the one to speak.

"Are you sure it was today?"

"Yes." Justin nodded. "She said exactly one month. It's today." He glared at the divorce papers sitting on the coffee table, then looked at his brother. "I have to talk her out of this. I have to. I can't lose her...she's..."

Simon sighed. "You know I'm not gonna argue...but you also know I never liked her. She's...brash, and she can be rude. I'm not a fan, bro."

The front door opened and all three turned to watch Jenny walk in talking to some boy a few years older. She was whining, and he was suppressing laughter.

"Jesse, there's no way. It's...no. Eww. And Eww."

Jesse chuckled lightly, helping her take off her coat. "I'm just saying, it would get them, good. Can you *see* Giles' face?"

Buffy brushed past and into the living room, glaring at them. "No. No pulling of the pranks on my father. The last time that happened, he took it out on me with a seven hour training session."

The three in the living room still hadn't said a word. Justin was staring at his daughter's clothing, but his mother and brother were staring at his wife's. Or soon to be ex-wife's.

Buffy was wearing a pair of leather pants and a shoestring top that left almost nothing to the imagination. Simon could swear her nipples were poking at the fabric. He took a second look and blanched.

Yes. They were. Also...she almost looked younger. He raked his eyes over here, then passed it off as makeup. A *lot* of makeup.

A taller man followed them in, dark and gorgeous. There was really no other way to describe him. Except dangerous. He definitely looked dangerous. Like someone who could steal Justin's wife away by offering thrill and adventure.

Justin suddenly felt like he had a chance. The danger might have worn off...maybe she just needed a vacation from normal life, and now she was coming home. He glanced over at his wife and swallowed at her clothing...then blinked at her finger.

Their wedding ring was gone. In its place was a little silver ring, identical to one the dangerous man was wearing.

Ok....so, not a big chance. But still a chance. He still had a chance.

He had to have a chance.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Chapter Twelve

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Justin cleared his throat and stepped forward, drawing the newcomer's attention. He managed to meet Buffy's eyes, and swallowed. Hard. He could never remember a time when love shined through those orbs...but there used to be affection. Caring. It was always enough for him...he knew he wasn't what she'd dreamed about, but he'd always hoped he could make her happy.

Now, though, there was love. It shined, so openly even he could see it, even though it wasn't for him. It was for the man who'd come in with them. The one standing behind and bit to the side, an obvious beacon of moral support...an unobtrusive knife into Justin's home.

"Justin." His wife, or soon to be ex-wife, glanced at the couch and raised an eyebrow at his mother and brother. "Simon. Lillian."

Lillian stood up and crossed her arms. "Buffy. What lovely whore-wear. This is what you left my son for? A life of filth?" Even Justin winced at her words, and Simon stared at the man in the corner, who he could *swear* was actually growling, low in his throat.

Buffy sighed. "No, Lillian. I'm leaving your son because it's time." She looked at Justin, her eyes softening a bit. "Remember when we met?" Justin nodded, drawing his eyebrows together in confusion. "I told you that this wouldn't last. That I couldn't be trusted to stay with you. Remember?"

Justin nodded again, still looking confused. "But then we got married....I thought..."

Her voice was soft. "I told you. This...this wasn't going to last. I told you that I had other obligations, that I had things that I'd eventually have to do."

He took a step towards her, looking a bit scared now. "You took vows, though. The day we were married...and I thought..."

"You thought that meant that I'd exchanged all that for a life with you?"

Justin closed his eyes and tilted his head a bit in agreement. "Yes. I did."

Buffy swallowed hard and looked out the window, biting at her bottom lip. There was silence for a minute, then the dark man stepped out of the shadows and walked towards Justin, a genuine look of compassion on his face. His voice was soft and deep...and Lillian had to shake her head a bit to keep from getting lost in the pain radiating from behind his chocolate eyes.

"She's easy to fall in love with...too easy. Sometimes, I think there should be a warning from the surgeon general about it. But she doesn't get a choice. And she didn't get a choice when she married you, either."

Justin's eyes snapped open. "Of *course* she did. She could have said no. She married me because...because she cared. And wanted to. I didn't force her into anything."

The man's voice was even softer this time. "She married you to hide...and to stop her daughter from being killed."

No one had an answer for that.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Chapter Thirteen

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Jenny bounced on her heels a few times before knocking. This was Brittany's house. Her best friend, right up until a month ago. She glanced down at her clothes and sighed. This was not going to go well...but she had to at least try.

A girl the same age as she opened the door, her straight brown hair pulled back at the sides in a business-like way and spilling over the shoulders of her crisp white blouse, the same one Jenny owned several of. Their school uniform.

The girl blinked a few times. "Jenny?"

She smiled a little. "Hi."

**

Brittany came back into her bedroom with two cans of soda and sat down on her bed, still staring at her friend, though now trying to look like she wasn't. "Where did you go? You missed the math test....sister Catharine was very upset with you."

Jenny crossed her legs out of habit, then wrinkled her nose at the position, always uncomfortable, and dropped her leg again. "My mom took me to the town she used to live. Sunnydale, California."

"Really?" Brittany leaned forward, interested. "What happened? Did you meet her family?"

"I met my father."

The brunette sat back again and pulled her bottom lip into her mouth. "How was it?"

"It..." Jenny smiled a little to herself, then met her friend's eyes. "It was perfect. He's really great. He's fun, and funny, and he loves me. A lot." She glanced at the door, then lowered her voice to a stage whisper. "He's the man I had those dreams about."

"What?!" Brittany winced at her own voice and lowered it. "Really?! Why were you dreaming about him?"

"Because...he can do that. He was visiting me." She smiled again. "We're moving there. Mom and...and Dad...they're getting back together."

The brunette stood up and shook her head. "No. No, dream haunting...that's...remember what sister Mary Beth used to say? That's the devil's work. God's men don't slink in our dream worlds...they walk in the daylight. You came back, Jenny. Stay here. If your mom wants to go...you can't stop her. She walks her own path. But Justin...he's a good man." She came over and kneeled in front of Jenny, putting her hand on her best friend's knee. "Don't do this. You'll be lost."

Jenny blinked at Brittany and after a moment, her face cleared. Her mother had put her in a school, so far beyond Catholic it bordered on cultish, and she'd relied on her daughter's genes and bloodline to keep her sane. The look in Brittany's eyes was not normal...Buffy was Christian, and Angel Catholic...and neither of them had that look. This was the look of a fanatic.

Slowly, Jenny set her soda down, then stood and walked out of Brittany's room. She left the house and headed right for her hotel room...Nathan, her boyfriend, went to the same school. That's where they knew each other. Visiting him would yield the same results.

And that look, now that she recognized it, was seriously scaring her.

**

"But you're ok now, right?" Jesse handed Jenny another glass of water and ran a hand through her hair. "Because, you're still looking kind of pale."

"I'm fine. Just wigged. I bet if you'd talked to me five weeks ago, I'd have looked just like that. I know I'd have at least agreed with her. God....I'd have agreed with her!" Jenny downed the water and laid back, closing her eyes. "I'll need a few minutes."

"Right. Not a problem. We have at least five hours until Angel and Buffy get back from dealing with the lawyers, and then dinner. You don't have to see anyone else for the rest of the stay...you can give me a tour, and we can check out the museum, and I can visit the art gallery...it'll be fine."

"Thanks." She turned a little and rested her head against his shoulder, still taking calming breaths. Jesse glanced down at her, startled, then smiled a bit and started running his hand through her hair, soothingly.

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Epilogue

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Buffy and Angel got in the car and she took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "Ok. It's done."

He smiled at her and leaned over, kissing her cheek lightly. "It is." He pulled her into his arms and cradled her, letting her relax against his chest. "Are you ok?" he murmured, resting his mouth against her hair and breathing in her scent.

"No. But I will be."

**

"So, that should do it."

Justin nodded and stared blankly out the window as Buffy and Angel drove away, the divorce papers in the backseat to be delivered to the court before they got on a plane, and his goddess became literally out of reach. "Yeah. That should do it."

Lillian nodded decisively and smiled. "Good. I'm almost glad, actually. Now you can move on to a nice girl. Have a child of your own. Live a healthy Catholic life. I'm sure the church will understand about the divorce...it was entirely her fault. You share no blame...they have to make an exception for her...after all, she was never Catholic. It can be said that you were never even married!"

Her son's head snapped up and pain-filled eyes focused on her. "We were," he whispered, almost desperately. "I know it. We were." His hand absently played with his wedding ring, still on his finger. He was never going to take it off. Not ever.

As far as he was concerned, he'd always be hers.