Ms. Eads smiled, saying calmly, "The police have been notified and given a description of Dawn, as well as a copy of the picture from her ID. We have no doubt that she will be found shortly and turned post haste. You needn't overly concern yourself, Ms. Summers."

Willow almost swallowed her tongue, "excuse me? I know you didn't just say what I thought you said."

Buffy laid a hand on Willow's arm, "let it go, Willow." With a nod to Ms. Eads, Buffy rose from her chair, pulling her still protesting friend with her. "I'll be waiting to hear from you, Ms. Eads."

The Director of Hope House smiled faintly, "I'm quite sure you'll be hearing from me soon."

Willow managed to hang onto her temper until they got outside, then she let it rip. "Buffy! What the fuck is wrong with you? Don't you care about Dawn at all? You didn't ask any questions or anything!"

Buffy, more surprised by hearing Willow say 'fuck' than by her friend's anger, just shrugged, "you heard her, Will's, she filed a report with police and she's sure we'll hear something soon."

Willow glared at Buffy through narrowed eyes, "we both know that the police in Sunnydale are nothing but a bunch of incompetent morons. I'll have Tara help with a locator spell and we'll find Dawnie in no time flat."

Buffy grabbed Willow by both arms, "no. You stay out of this, Willow."

Dawning comprehension widened Willow's eyes, "you don't what Dawnie to be found do you?"

The guilt on Buffy's face more than enough of an answer, "I don't believe you, Buffy. What happened to turn you into this... this... I don't even know what to call you anymore."

Months of fear and uncertainty finally took their toll. "You want to know what happened to me? I'll tell you. I lived. That's what happened to me."

"What? Buffy? I don't understand."

"I know you don't, Willow, but it's not easy to explain." With a glance at the crowded street, Buffy said, "let's go somewhere quieter, I don't think we want anyone to over hear us."

*****

Xander landed on the soft bank of the pond skirting their vale, well away from the grassy field where their 'guest' was coming to light. Once down, the dragon furled his wings high over his back and hunched down so Xander didn't have to strain his neck quite as much to look him in the eye. "Should we wait for the others to arrive before we begin introductions," the dragon inquired, with what could only be described as a smirk.

"Yeah, we probably better, or I'll never hear the end of it."

The dragon rumbled, "my siblings are just the same. There are times when I could wish I were an only child."

"There are more of you?"

The dragon actually chuckled, "yes, I have two sisters, Shine and Smidge. There are times when I believe that Father created them just to annoy me, but I would miss them if they were gone."

"And who is the mage that created you and your sisters?"

Xander sighed, "might as well get started. I'm Xander, the inquisitive one is Firesong." Pointing at the others crowding around him, Xander listed them all by name. "This is my husband Wintermoon, Giles, my daughter Ghost, Darkwind and the five little ones are my sons, Barac, Sharn, Mika, Flin and Farlan, who are actually supposed to be at home right now."

The boys just grinned, they weren't about to miss this opportunity. No matter how much trouble they might be in later.

The dragon blinked at the magic surrounded the people before, especially the one known as Giles. Shaking his head, he said, "I am Black Jade from the Sky Fire Mountains. I bring you information from my creator, Arlen. He has heard of the trouble with my cousins, the Gryphons, and offers this."

Jade reached under the emblem he wore around his chest and removed a scroll. It was actually a fairly large document, but in Jade's huge paw, it appeared miniscule.

Xander took the scroll rather gingerly, and opened it. It only took seconds for him to realize that it was way over his head, so he handed it back to an impatient Firesong, who was instantly sharing the document with an equally impatient Giles.

The mages were soon gasping in shock and muttering to each other, "genius, sheer genius." "Quite a unique solution, don't you think?" Their curiosity about Urtho's mark and Jade's origins vanished under the spell cast over them by the scroll and they wandered off, both trying to read the scroll at the same time.

Xander just grinned and shook his head, "we've lost them for awhile." Looking up at Jade, Xander decided it was up to him to play host. "Um, would you like something to eat?"

Jade shook his head, "I took care of that on the way, I did not want to burden you with my appetite."

"That was most kindly done, Jade," Darkwind said. "We thank you for your consideration. Would it be possible to ask you some questions?"

"I can tell you little about the information Arlen sent, I am no mage."

"Actually, we were wondering about the emblem you wear. That is the mark of Urtho, is it not?"

"Yes and no. Arlen made a few changes when he took it as his," Jade replied as he touched the mark. "Father thought of designing his own, but decided that something of his family line should survive."

Darkwind's eyes couldn't have gotten any wider if he'd tried. "Family? Urtho had no family."

There were times when Jade wished he appeared more human, they had such expressive faces. Father could speak volumes by lifting a single brow. Jade, having no eyebrows, didn't have that option and had to settle for words. "And you would know this how, exactly?"

Darkwind sputtered while Xander snickered at the shock on the mage's face.

Jade, having a kind heart, took pity on Darkwind. "Urtho had two sons, both from different women. Arlen, he who made me and my sisters."

"But, that would make Arlen hundreds of years old!"

Jade merely blinked his eyes, "yes, it would."

Darkwind shook his head violently, trying to wrap his mind around what Jade was saying. "Wait. Who was the other son?"

"Ma'ar, of course. Why do you think Ma'ar created the creatures that he did? They were a perversion of everything the father who had no time for his son created."

Xander gently pushed Darkwind's gaping mouth closed. "Uh, sorry, Jade, but I don't know who Urtho and Ma'ar are. Can you give me some background?"

Jade closed his eyes in thought before once again gazing at the Champion. "I shall tell you what I can, but as I had not yet come to be, there is much I, myself, do not know."

Darkwind shook off his shock long enough to say, "We should get the others here first. They'll want to hear this."

*****

Buffy led Willow to a quiet bench in a nearby park and waited until her friend got comfortable. "Okay, Buffy, talk. What did you mean when you said 'you lived', and why are you being this way about Dawnie?"

Buffy sighed, this wasn't going to be easy, "I wasn't supposed to survive the battle with Glory, Willow, but I did and now everything is out of whack."

"I don't understand, you were planning on dying? Why? Suicide is not an answer, Buffy, no matter how bad things are."

"Who said anything about suicide? Hello? Slayer? Prophetic dreams? Visions from CaveGirl Slayer? Remember who you're talking to here?"

"Oh. But Buffy..."

"Just listen, Willow. The first Slayer told me that death was my gift. I didn't get it at first, but then Glory showed up and the dreams started. I knew that I would defeat Glory, but I'd die in the process. I wasn't happy about it, but I was prepared for what was going to happen. The only thing that mattered was that Glory was stopped and Dawn was safe. Then Xander showed up."

"But he killed Glory, everything should be fine now."

"Xander didn't kill her, Willow, he just sent her to another dimension, one that has no links to this one. She'll never be able to get back here."

"That's a good thing, isn't it?"

"Yeah, Wills, that's a good thing, but it doesn't change the fact that I was supposed to die."

"But, Buffy... I still don't understand."

"It's pretty simple, Willow. I was supposed to die and didn't. Now the Universe is out of whack and it has to correct the mistake. I'm going to die, sometime soon probably. I had to make sure Dawnie would be safe after I was gone. That's why I put her in Hope House."

"Tara and I would have taken care of Dawn, you didn't need to do that. Hope House, there's an oxymoron for you. That place was horrible."

Buffy smiled, "I know you would have, Wills, and I'm sure you and Tara would make great moms, but your life isn't really any safer than mine. I need Dawn somewhere where she can have a normal life, and that isn't here."

"Dawn is missing, Buffy, she could be dead for all we know," Willow snapped.

"Nope. I knew as soon as Spike heard about where I stuck Dawn he'd get her out and get her somewhere safe. Dawn is royally pissed at me and not thinking. I'm sure she and Spike are with Angel right now figuring out a way to get Dawn to Xander and Giles. They'll take good care of her and Mom said that Dawn and Xander's daughter really hit it off. Dawnie will be fine."

"But you'll be dead, Buffy," Willow said, tears starting to well up in her eyes.

Buffy shrugged, "yeah, I know, but like the first Slayer said, death is a gift. I'm tired, Willow, so very, very tired. I'm ready to rest now. But I want a promise from you Wills. When I go, I don't want you and Tara going after whatever managed to take me out. I'm not going to take any stupid risks, no more than usual anyway, but when it comes; it comes. I want you and Tara to move away from here. As far and as fast as you can get. Have a life and be happy. I'll be waiting for you."

Buffy cradled her friend as she burst into tears, "it won't be for a while yet, Wills, I have to make sure Dawnie is safe first. We have time."

"Not enough," Willow managed to get out of her choked throat.

"There's never enough time, Wills. We just have to take what we can get and do the best we can. That's all anyone can do."

Willow's heart was breaking, but her mind was racing, formulating and discarding plans, one after the other. The Universe might want Buffy had to die, but nobody said she had to stay that way.

TBC