Everyone focused on the lilting music and with quietened breath waited for the spirits to appear. The glowing embers of the fire flamed into life and the shades of Willow and Rupert slipped into the room.

"Hello Jack." Willow enveloped him in a warm ethereal cloud and Jack’s childlike smile expressed the joy of seeing his mother again.

"Hello mum, dad…" Rupert took a step forward to greet his son then was sidetracked by Gorgon and his daughter. Jack noticed his fathers’ disquiet and moved to introduce them.

The air grew still and cold and the fire died as Ripper regarded Gorgon and the woman at his side. He flashed a look of accusation at Willow, the dragon living in his eyes.

"You betrayed me." Rupert’s voice was fire and ice echoing in the cold room. He flinched away from Willow’s outstretched hand and locked his gaze on Gorgon, "You had her again, and you caused my wife to turn to stone!" His quiet voice built to a roaring crescendo and suddenly there was no light in the room.

In the pitch-blackness Spike found and gathered Willow up. She wept as he followed her gaze to where snow fell and lightning reigned in the summer garden. He looked up to the mystified Jack. "Your Dad’s pissed off, mate!"

Wesley Wyndham-Pryce polished his glasses and jumped at the sudden crack of thunder as the storm raged over the “Big House.” It hardly ever rained over there. He glanced over at the abomination in the cell at the far end of the Council’s dungeon. Seb fawned over it, handing it scraps of cloth to make a nest and laughing as the multiple arms of the beast fought over where to place them.

"Why do you do that?" Wesley questioned. "It isn’t going to mate with anyone!" He turned back to the window and shivered suddenly, it was as if someone passed by his shoulder.

Seb turned his young face toward his old mentor, "My father was murdered by one of these… Rupert Giles stood by as he turned to stone!" His diamond hard voice jangled in Wesley’s ears. "She’s going to help me," he reached out and stroked the auburn braid on the triheaded creature. "I’m going to mate with her-"

Wesley spun round in shock, the storm died down. "You’re insane! You can’t unleash creatures like that on the world!"

"Watch me…" His protégé chuckled. "Wesley?"

Wesley halted at the dungeon’s threshold, "Yes?"

"You go and warn them, old man," Seb smiled at the creature’s semi human head, it looked almost intelligent. "Tell them, something evil this way hastens."

Wesley made good his exit swallowing the bile that fizzled in his throat. He strode through the demon detectors on the first floor, past the hall of mirrors and hurried to his chamber. He ripped off his tweed “uniform” and threw it across the room. He dragged out the battered leather holdall that all Watchers were issued with in the field and packed it with weapons and his personal belongings. He hoisted it to his shoulder and then, casually tossing his “Kings shilling” on to the plate in the hall, he left the Council headquarters— forever.

Spike straightened the paintings on their easels in the secret room. He stared at the painting of Gorgon.

"I saw his eyes once, he tricked me."

Spike leapt back in the darkness clutching his chest. "Bloody Hell, Watcher! A warning would be nice!"

Rupert chuckled. "Spike, I think I overreacted."

"Yeah? You think? Christ Rupert! Red loves you! You are going to have to have wild make–up sex with her for this one, mate!"

Rupert smiled. "That I can live with! Spike, can you bring the others up? We’ll need the whole team." He then slipped through the door of the secret room and walked to where Willow sat weeping on the sofa. He held out his arms to her. "Wife" He murmured.

Willow got up and ran into his arms, "Husband" she sighed.

As they embraced, the dragon slept in the gently lapping flames of the fire.

Rupert pressed soft kisses over his lovers’ face and throat murmuring that he loved her and that he’d never show her the dragon again. At last, when there came an awkward cough from the sofa, he realised that Jack still waited to introduce them to their daughter.

"Yes sorry Jack," His father smiled gazing on Gorgon’s companion. His heart froze in his chest. "Look Willow, we have a beautiful girl!" Tears slid down his face as he reached out to stroke her silken cheek.

"Dad, this is Rose. Gorgon asked mum if he could take her because she needs to slay her…"

"Sister." His father completed. "I’ve seen her, in the Council’s dungeon."

Rupert tore his eyes from the vision of loveliness before him, and hugged Willow close, "she looks so much like you…"

Rose searched the room, desperate for a sight of her "true" parents. "Father? I don’t see them."

Rupert and Willow stepped in front of the fire and held hands. Jack pointed Rose in the right direction. Slowly the golden glow of the embers in the fire filled in the outlined shape of her parents and she stepped towards them.

"We tried so long, to have you Rose. "Willow struggled with her words; She looked over to where Gorgon stood. "Thank you!"

The paintings were displayed in the living room and one by one, their friends emerged. Buffy and Ethan came from the painting hand in hand smiling and chatting; Oz stepped nimbly from the canvas with a guitar in each hand.

"You forgot this Rupert," Oz chided. "Thought we could jam when the gang got here… Oh, new gang." Oz’s gaze took in Rose and Gorgon. "Hi, I’m Oz… Buffy and the reformed Master of Chaos, Ethan over there…"

Rupert made everyone visible to human eyes and the living room was suddenly crowded with ghosts, demons, humans and mage’s all talking at once catching up on news.

Gorgon bowed his head in Ethan’s direction. "Master, I have yet to complete my task" He slipped his hand beneath his robe and gave a small velvet box to Buffy. The faded lettering on the box read "Sebastian’s"

"Happy Birthday Buffy!" Giles’ voice drifted over to the Slayer as she opened the lid and saw “the seal” charm, his last gift to her, the one he withheld because he thought it would bring her death.

Soft spirit fingers plucked the charm from its foam cushion and Giles helped her to put in on her bracelet, because her eyes were filled with tears.

"Thank you Giles. I thought you’d forgotten…" She sniffed.

"Never forget you Buffy, the best Slayer a Watcher could wish for!"

Gorgon smiled and closed the box on the dull charm, its power now jangled and radiated in harmony with its fellows on the Slayers’ wrist.

"My task is now complete, am I released from thy bond?"

Ethan smiled. "Yes, my good and noble servant, thou art released."

Gorgon sank into the sofa and sighed. "It was a long task. Watching over thee and guiding thee to this moment, it has been at times rewarding and terrifying. I need to rest."

Willow slipped out and joined the Slayer, who was making tea in the kitchen.

"You and Spike, do you like him Jenny?" Willow rescued the cup from the tray, and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Rupert and I should wear bells." She giggled.

The Slayer smiled, "I guess I’m just not used to ghosts! Spike and I well, we work well together. Does that seem odd?"

"No, no it doesn’t. In fact Buffy worked with Angel for a very long time." She looked at the Slayer and noticed how in the last year she’d matured and lost her innocent edge. She shouldn’t have been surprised, Slaying did that to you.

"Tea’s ready!" Jenny called as she set the tray on the table. The humans, Rose, Jack, Jenny and Spike took up one sofa whilst Rupert, Ethan, Oz, Willow and Buffy arranged themselves on the other.

Everyone chatted as before, waiting for their visitor and the apocalypse of the week. It was almost like old times.

Jack swallowed rather more tea than he wanted when the knock at the door came. He glanced at his father who nodded slightly.

It had begun…

End of part 3

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