BTW--that's not quite the end. A few loose ends to tie up before it's done. Soon. Promise.

Part Forty-Four: Found

Ethan ran through the city hidden in time, a maniacal giggling dogging his steps. He stumbled, and fell, and suddenly there was an eerie silence.

“Look,” said Ethan. “I know I’ve made some mistakes--backed the wrong horse—and I’ll make amends. I’ll go back to jail.”

His pleading was met with more silence.

“Please.”

“That wasn’t the deal, Ethan,” said Marcie. “And look what I have. That’s right. You can’t see it.”

Marcie giggled and Ethan cried, sobbing the words “I’m sorry,” over and over again.

There was a click, and the bracelet on his arm exploded, and as Ethan blacked out from the pain, the laughter grew louder.

Riley knew by the whisper in his hear that it was over.

“Ethan’s gone,” he said, his voice icy cold. “Marcie’s back. We’re going home.”

With a nod from Giles, Willow re-opened the portal to their world. Oz gave Riley a serious look. “What do you mean, he’s gone.”

“I’ll explain that when we get home.”

Oz looked at the space where he knew Marcie was. “You damn well better.”

The portal brought them back to Los Angeles—to the Hyperion—where anxious U.S. troops greeted them with guns and twitchy fingers.

“Belay that, soldiers,” said Riley, tossing Doc’s unconscious body toward them. “We’re home.”

“Ah, man,” said Xander. “I can’t believe I spent that whole time possessed by a hyena. I can’t imagine anything worse.”

“You could have the funny syphilis again,” said Willow, helpfully.

“Point.”

Buffy looked seriously at Justine.

“The offer's still open,” she said. “You can come back to England with us. Get a handle on the slayer thing.”

Justine looked at Oz, but couldn’t read anything in his eyes. He was still angry. She could tell.

“I’ll be in touch,” she said. “But I think I’m needed more here.”

“I can arrange transportation back to England for you,” said Riley.

“Yes,” said Giles. “I think we’d appreciate that.”

“But what about Angel” said Connor, exacerbated. “What happened to them?”

“They made a final stand against the forces of evil,” said Wesley. “And then they disappeared. That seems not to have changed.”

“We have to find them,” said Connor. “They’re not dead. It can’t end like that.”

“It didn’t,” said Wesley. “I don’t know where they are, but we’ll find them.”

“I’ll help,” said Oz. “If Uncle Sam’s got a problem, I quit, but I’m helping. We owe that much to Amy.”

“You’ll have your backing,” said Riley. “I’ll see to it.”

Oz glaed at Riley for a moment, and then nodded. Justine let her hand fall onto Oz’s, and he clenched it tight, as though he were in danger of slipping away. Willow saw this, and felt a deep, abiding sadness well inside her. “We’ll give you all the help we can. The Council. Won’t we Giles.”

“Yes, yes of course,” said Giles. “Any assistance you need.”

“I’m staying, too,” said Faith. “Justine needs to learn the slayer ropes, somehow, and I owe tall, dark and billowing too much to leave.”

Faith and Buffy met each other’s gaze, just then, but what transpired between them was unreadable to everyone else.

“Fine,” said Buffy. “But being a Watcher’s not the same as being a slayer.”

“I’ll learn as I go,” said Faith.

Buffy and her team were gone soon, and Oz’s team returned to their headquarters. Accommodations were made for Faith and Connor, and they strayed soon to their rooms. Riley spoke quietly for a moment to Riley, and then Riley and his wife left, too. Oz started to say something to Justine, but she simply kissed him. There was a bind between them now, Oz knew, and what would come of it didn’t overly concern him. It wasn’t what he’d had with Willow, but he was content with it to be what it was. She rested her forehead on his for a moment, kissed him again, and then she, too, left.

That left Oz alone with Wesley. The two men sat in silence for a moment.

“Marcie’s to be reassigned,” said Wesley, after a moment. Oz nodded. “Good.”

“Thank you,” said Wesley. “Thank you for staying.”

“No worries,” said Oz. “Someone’s got to keep an eye (continued...)

( continues...) on everyone,” and with that, Oz left, leaving Wesley sitting alone in silence.

“That was pretty clever,” said Lilah’s voice, whispering in his ear. “They’ll never know what you gave up to save them, will they?”

“No,” said Wesley, his voice low and gravelly. “No, they won’t. But then, there were some victories, weren’t there?”

Wesley looked across the darkened room, to where the ghost of Winifred Burkle stood watching. Fred smiled, and Wesley smiled, and then she, too, disappeared.

And in a city somewhere outside of time, Ethan Rayne staggered mad and alone, a stump where his arm once was, toward a temple that housed slivers of the souls of fallen gods, as voices giggled and whispered torments in his ear.

And that's the real end.

Thank. Frickin'. God.

Well damn.

That was fudgin' great.

And stuff.

Thanks. I can't believe how long it went on...

It was worth it, though.

Is it going to be all in one place any time soon?

Is it going to be all in one place any time soon?

Need to give it an edit, and then turn it over to Plei, who's going to put it up on her site.

Cool. If you need someone to do a beta/proofread, I'd be honored. Actually, I'd be sneaky and greedy, since then I'd get to read the whole thing sooner, but really, what's the difference, right?