Disclaimer: Didn't create the characters, but i treat most of them better than Joss...so don't complain...I'm not making any money out of this so please don't sue me.

Beta'd by AtheneHahn, with special thanks to Maryperk for her advice and help.

by Jackofspikes

Chapter 45

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Gregor paced in his tent. He despised waiting. His scouts had yet to return from their search for signs of the Beast. His clerics had failed to come up with anything new at this point, and his men were starting to doubt him. He needed this finished once and for all. This time, this place, these people; they confused him. He didn't understand this era. He was tired and he wanted to go home, but his God had called him to this life and asked this one thing of him. He refused to be the type of man that gave God only lip service. He believed. He was a believer. He would do his job.

The sound of pounding feet snapped the general out of his musings. One of the clerics dropped to his knees as he barrelled through the tent flap.

"The Guardian..." he gasped in explanation. "The Guardian is here."

"She who waits?" Gregor whispered reverently. She was the closest link to his God that the world contained. He rushed from the tent, his face joyous with anticipation.

As he ran to the bluff, his mind raced. All the different possibilities that the arrival of the Guardian created flashed before him; each possibility more grand and heroic than the last. He was elated that he had been chosen for this honour. Surely now his devotion would be rewarded.

His gasp drew her attention. She smiled benignly at the suddenly flustered man.

"Your mission is complete. The Beast is no more. Go home, warrior. It is time for you to rest."

As she moved away, he felt compelled to ask a question. "And the key?"

"Is no longer your concern," she replied with finality.

"But...it is the link. It must be severed." His desperation was palpable in his words. His mind reeled. His God was changing the mission, the rules. His God was changing his mind. How was that even possible?

"Do you dare question me?" she eyed him curiously. "Our time has past, Gregor. My duty, yours...they have been passed on to others. If you stay in the past, you will endanger the future, the link has been severed. It is someone else's job to take over now. Your job is done."

Gregor watched her drift away. His mind would have been blank except for one repeating phrase - the link has been severed.

*~*~*

Tara felt drawn to her room, something was calling to her. Smiling apologetically to the rest of the people in the living room, she excused herself and followed the inner urging.

As soon as she touched the door handle she knew. She knew exactly who was in her room and she smiled in greeting.

The guardian returned the smile with one of her own. "You have decided."

Tara nodded her head in agreement.

"This is not something that can be taken back, child. The decision must be made with full knowledge," the ageless beauty explained. "I am here to give you the knowledge you don't have. Once you have all the information, then you will make your final decision. A decision based on full knowledge and free will."

Reaching for Tara, the Guardian placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and Tara learned everything.

*~*~*

"Anya, can I borrow your stud muffin for a little while? I need a manly man to light the barbeque for me," Penny cheerfully asked the ex-demon.

Anya preened at being asked for permission. She'd never had anything worth borrowing before, and she was surprised and slightly perturbed by the strange emotions she suddenly felt. "Of course, then perhaps you could explain to me why I feel very strange all of a sudden. It's rather distracting."

"No problem," Penny happily agreed before turning to the confused carpenter. "Xander?" She prompted him to follow her.

The psychologist waited until he had successfully ignited the barbeque before she broached the subject she needed to talk to him about. "One day you're going to ask that girl to marry you, and I want to make sure that you don't make the biggest mistake of your life."

Xander froze, emotions played across his expressive features, rage and indignation being closest to the fore. "What mistake?" he asked through gritted teeth. He was certainly not letting anyone tell him who he could or couldn't marry. Not in this life time!

"Last minute cold feet that caused you to leave her at the alter and destroy the both of you in the process." Penny knew that the only way to get through to him would be to shock him out of the Nile.

"What?" he whispered, devastated. This was not at all what he was expecting.

"Unless you address the problem now, you will allow your fear of turning into your father to convince yourself that you're saving her by leaving her. But you're not engaged yet; we have time. I can help you, if you let me."

Penny silently prayed that he would be open to addressing his issues with his father. She knew without a doubt that denying the problem would not work in this situation. He desperately needed to exorcise his father and reclaim himself.

"I don't want to be like my father,' he whispered as if afraid of the repercussions to his admission.

Penny smiled warmly at the morose young man. "You won't be."

*~*~*

Spike watched his friend. Xander seemed to be preoccupied by something, slightly worried. The blond had seen Penny talking intently to the brunette earlier and he had to admit that his curiosity was piqued. It was unusual to see Harris so serious and that worried the vampire more than anything else.

He was alone; truly alone for the first time in his existence. Even when Drusilla had given him the boot, he still had the family bond. They were still there; all of them. Not anymore. Now there was a gapping hole in him and the closest thing to filling the hole, easing the pain, was his humans. They made each day easier to face, each battle easier to fight. And for the first time ever, William and Spike both were on the receiving end of the emotions that they had craved for so long. These incredible humans gave him so much...he needed to give them something in return.

Spike watched as Xander disappeared out the back door of the psychologist's house. Whispering a quick 'I'll be back' to the love of his unlife, Spike followed his friend outside.

When Spike exited the house, Xander sighed in relief. He had never been happier to see the blond vampire than he was at that moment.

When Xander had made the momentous decision to support the blond vampire, his world changed in an instant. The stupidity of a black and white mindset taunted him. The varying shades of grey confused him at first, but made a strange sort of sense to him now. It hadn't taken the two long to cement their friendship. They found that they had similar tastes in many things. Both thought the other funny and the game of choice was usually 'the ten things I hate most about the poof' or 'the rubber-soul man', depending on who was suggesting the game at the time.

They had spent time laughing at life's little ironies. His best friend gets killed by a vampire and now his new best friend is a vampire. Only on the Hellmouth!

Xander talked and Spike listened...it's what friends do.

*~*~*

"Penny?" Buffy asked for the psychologist's attention. "Are you busy in the morning?"

Tilting her head to the side, Penny's eyes twinkled as she assured the petite blond that she always had time for her.

"Good, I need to start working on that balance thingie, and then we'd better talk about that prophecy crap, too."

The disgruntled blonde slayer pouted at the thought.