"Let's get him out," Kendra said quietly.

Together they supported Angel and headed for the door. The fire blazed behind them, growing in intensity, creeping slowly toward the rubble of the organ loft.

CHAPTER 24.

As Willow entered the school lounge the next day, she spotted Oz at the snack machine. His arm was in a sling, and as he saw her come in, his face instantly brightened.

"Oh. Hey," Oz greeted her. He took a box from the machine and held it out to her. "Animal Cracker?"

"No, thanks," Willow smiled. "How's your arm?"

"Suddenly painless."

"You can still play guitar okay?"

Oz shrugged. "Not well, but not worse."

They started walking down the hall. Oz was having trouble getting his box of Animal Crackers open.

Willow was trying to decide how to say what she wanted to say.

"You know," she took the plunge. "I never really thanked you."

Oz looked mildly alarmed. "Please don't. I don't do thanks. I get all red and I have to bail. It's not pretty."

"Then forget about-that thing," Willow nodded. She took the box from him, opened it up, and handed it back again. "Especially the part where I kind of owe you my life-"

"Look," Oz interrupted, embarrassed. He pulled a cookie from the box. "Monkey. And he has a little hat. And pants."

Again Willow smiled, amused by his avoidance tactic.

"Yeah," she said. "I see."

"The monkey is the only cookie animal that gets to wear clothes, you know that?" Oz informed her, and then in the very next breath, "You have the sweetest smile I've ever seen."

Willow was pleasantly startled, but Oz kept talking.

"So I'm wondering," he gave a slight frown, "do the other cookie animals feel sort of ripped? Like, is the hippo going, man, where are my pants? I have my hippo dignity."

Laughing, the two of them continued down the hall.

Xander was heading down the hallway, too, when he spotted Cordelia. As their eyes made contact, each one turned and headed in the opposite direction. Then Xander stopped. He turned back around and ran to catch up with her.

"We need to talk," Xander said seriously.

Before Cordelia could answer, he hustled her into an empty classroom.

They stood apart from each other-a good distance apart. Both folded their arms.

"Okay," Xander began, "here's the deal. There is no reason for us to run every time we see each other in the halls."

"Right." Cordelia nodded emphatically. "Okay." She thought a moment, then added, "Why shouldn't we run?"

Xander took a deep breath. "What happened. There is a total explanation for it-"

"You're a pervert?"

"Me?" Xander looked shocked. "I seem to recall that I was the jumpee,my friend-"

"As if! You've probably been planning this for months-"

"Right. I hired a Latvian Bug Man to kill Buffy so I could kiss you!" Xander's tone was incredulous. "I hate to burst your bubble, but you don't inspire me to spring for dinner at Bucky's Fondue Hut."

"Fine," Cordelia fired back. "Whatever.The point is, don't ever try it again-"

"I didn'ttry it! Forget the bugs. Just the memory of your lips on mine makes my blood run cold-"

"If you dare breathe a word of this-"

"Like I want anyone to know!"

Cordelia tossed her head. "Then it's erased?"

"Never happened," Xander said firmly.

"Good." Cordelia smirked.

"Good!"

They fell wildly into each other's arms.

Outside Sunnydale High, Buffy and Kendra were walking toward the street.

"Thank you for the shirt," Kendra said. She was wearing one of Buffy's tops, and it fit surprisingly well.

"It is very generous of you."

Buffy smiled at her. "Oh, hey, it looks better on-well,me, but don't worry."

There was ease between them now, a comfortable sort of camaraderie. Kendra even smiled at the insult.

"Now, when you get to the airport-" Buffy started, but Kendra knew the drill.

"I get on the plane with my ticket. And sit in a seat. Not the cargo hold."

Buffy nodded proudly. "Very good."

"That is not traveling undercover," Kendra reminded her.

"Exactly," Buffy affirmed. "Relax. You earned it. You sit. You eat the peanuts. You watch the movie, unless it's about a dog or stars Chevy Chase."

"I'll remember."

They paused at the curb where a taxi was waiting. Buffy gazed long and hard into Kendra's face.

"Thank you," she said at last. "For helping me save Angel."

Kendra looked amused, "I am not telling my Watcher about that. It is too strange that a Slayer loves a vampire."

"Tell me about it."

"Still," Kendra relented, "he is pretty cute."

"Well, then, maybe they won't fire me for dating him."

Kendra seemed to be studying her. "You always do that."

"Do what?"

"You talk about slaying like it's a job," Kendra said quietly. "It's not. It's who you are."

Buffy looked down at the ground. Then she looked back at Kendra.

"You get that from the Handbook?"

Kendra shook her head. "From you."

"I guess I can't fight it," Buffy tried to joke. "I'm a freak."

"But not the only freak," Kendra reminded her.

Buffy looked into Kendra's eyes. She shook her head and smiled. "Not anymore."

There was an awkward silence. Instinctively Buffy moved to put her arms around Kendra, but the other Slayer stiffened and stepped back.

"I don't hug."

"No," Buffy echoed, embarrassed. "Good. Hate hugs."

She watched Kendra climb into the taxi.

She watched until there was nothing left to see.

EPILOGUE.

The fire had finally died out.

Inside the church there was nothing left, only smoke and ashes and blackened debris.

It might as well have been a tomb.

Yet as twilight faded into pitch-black night, a whisper stirred the air. A voice moaned softly from the smouldering ruins of the organ loft. And a pale, sooty hand began to emerge from the shadows.

Drusilla reached down for that hand.

She grasped it tightly, and she began to pull.

Her body was in full vampire form-ripe and alive, glowing with strength and good health. Effortlessly she cleared away the scorched rubble, until at last she found Spike buried there.

His body was limp and motionless.

He was hideously scarred by fire.

Drusilla bent over him, tenderly wiping the ash from his brow. She could see now that he was still breathing. He was unconscious, but alive.

"Don't worry, dear heart," she whispered. "I'll see that you get strong again."

She felt the sudden surge of her power. With one arm she lifted Spike into the air, as if he were no more than a toy.

"Strong like me," Drusilla promised him, carrying him out of the ash in her arms.

And she smiled.

THE CHRONICLES:.

EPILOGUE.

Ashes to ashes . . .

Dust to dust . . .