Library -- Just before sunset the next day

"No - No - No...you feign right then come in low, take them by surprise by doing the unexpected," Giles frustrated voice echoed in the library. "Buffy, you've done this a million times, why do you insist on coming in left? You're leaving your entire side unprotected! This isn't like you!"

Buffy threw down her staff; she'd had it with Giles and his constant criticisms.

"Hate to burst your bubble, Jeeves, but this is totally like me! This is the way I fight! I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not your precious Buffy! And if you can't handle that...well, take your staff and sh..."

Giles quickly cut her off. "Yes, yes I'm well aware of what to do with it." He sighed. In his zest to begin training again, he had forgotten that he hadn't gotten around to finishing his explanations last night. It seemed that once everything was revealed to Buffy, he would have to begin to train her all over again. He briefly considered asking Angel, but quickly disposed of that plan. He didn't want to tempt Fate or anything else for that matter.

Willow and Oz were already at the library and had watched the entire training session. Buffy was definitely not up to par. They were waiting on Xander, Cordelia and Angel.

Xander spotted Cordelia heading up the school's front steps and quickly caught up with her.

"Cordy, hold on a minute, I want to talk to you."

"How does it feel to want, Harris?" Cordelia kept on walking.

"Please Cordy, just give me a minute. Please."

"Oh - alright, but only a minute and I swear I'm going to time you. Start." Cordelia held up her left arm and looked at her watch.

"I just wanted to say how sorry I am about what I said yesterday, I didn't mean it. I was hurt and angry and I took it out on you. I wanted to get a reaction from you, any reaction. You were so cold about Buffy and I wanted to break through all that ice." Xander rushed through his speech, he knew she'd walk away once his minute was up.

"Well, looks like you won the round, Xander, you broke the ice. You took down Queen C. Hope you're very happy."

"No, I'm not happy at all, I can't seem to stop hurting the people I care about, but I want to change. I want to change things with you."

"Xander, I'm not going to fall back into...whatever it was we had, so don't even ask that of me." Cordelia was hoping he would push the issue more, but he backed off.

"No, I won't ask, but I am going to ask for some help."

"What kind of help?"

"Research help. I need to fix something, something that I broke a long time ago. It's time for me to make amends."

"Not that I have a single clue what you're talking about...but why don't you just ask Willow, she's Research Girl."

"I thought about that and I'd rather have you help me. I made a mistake back when Angel was Angelus and I made another one last night. Sometimes when I'm really scared or really upset I say things I shouldn't and you're the only person I know who can relate. Plus, you already think I'm a loser, I don't have to worry about disappointing you." Xander tried to joke, but he was so nervous he was afraid she could hear his rapid heartbeat. *Please, God, don't let her say no!*

"Yeah, you're a loser, Harris..." Cordelia paused here for effect, she could tell Xander was sweating out her answer. "...but you're a loser who cares, so yes, I'll help you. Tell me what I have to do."

Xander was about to jump up and kiss her, but restrained himself. Not only was he going to make good his promise to research day and night for Angel and Buffy, he was going to research with Cordelia at his side. Things, for once, were going his way.

"We're just waiting for Angel and then we will proceed." Giles had several books in front of him; he was impatient to start.

"Sorry I'm late." Angel's voice came directly behind Giles and the librarian jumped at the sound of it. Angel had come in the door behind the stacks.

"Please, let me know when you're going to do that."

"Sorry, Giles, habit."

Angel glanced over at Buffy; he took in her workout clothes and ponytail and assumed she and Giles had gone a few rounds. By the look on her face, Giles won. He'd have to ask her about that.

NO! He would not ask her about that! He would never again ask her any personal information. This was Buffy's fresh start, he would still warn her of danger and help if the situation warranted it, but that was it. This time he meant it, even if he had to lie to her and push her away, this time he would. For her own sake.

Buffy's heart jumped when Angel walked in, but when she tried to make eye contact, he quickly looked away and went to stand on the opposite side of the room from her. Buffy didn't know what was going on, but she had a very uneasy feeling. Somehow she knew that this was not typical Angel behavior. Today was not her day, first she's not as good a fighter as her other self, now she couldn't seem to attract Angel.

"Well good, we're all here. Now, no interruptions please, let's just get through this." Giles began by re-capping the previous night.

"We thus far deducted that the Cordelia in the other world and this Cordelia are one and the same. It seems that this other world was only created when she made her wish. The universe re-created itself to fit the parameters of her wish. I stayed up all night studying this and I believe I have the answer. When that other Universe was being created, it drew energy from us, from everyone that would appear in that other universe. Willow, as you are aware, human beings have auras that surround them, this world took part of our auras and our subconscious and created the energy that represented our other selves."

"So, you're saying that the people in that other world aren't real people at all, just images created from our energy." Willow easily followed Giles' thought process.

"I'm not real!" Buffy did not like this explanation at all.

"Yes, Buffy, you are real. Let me continue." Giles went on.

"When Cordelia entered that other world, her other energy self was absorbed back into her body. The two cannot exist on the same plane together. As we know from Angel, the body is only the outer housing for the soul, it is the soul or the subconscious mind that guides the actions of the body. This Buffy was allowed to exist on this plane because her other self no longer existed. If our Buffy were still here, this Buffy would have been absorbed back into her." Giles again paused; he wanted everyone to fully understand what he was saying. He scanned the rapt faces and continued.

"Buffy was pulled from her world by an unidentified source. This source connected with something in Buffy's soul and pulled her forth. This source is something of our world and since this Buffy has no recollections of our world, it stands to reason that when our Buffy's body died, her soul did not move onto its final resting place."

"The hell it didn't!" Angel faced morphed and he punched a hole through the wall. "If anyone deserved peace it was Buffy! Don't stand there and tell me that she's not at peace!" He started to advance toward Giles.

Buffy stepped in. "Relax Angel. Let him finish."

Her quiet voice calmed him like nothing else could, he quickly transformed back and went to stand in the shadows.

"As I was saying...Buffy, our Buffy, had many reasons to live for." Giles looked at the shadows where he knew Angel was standing. "She would have not wanted to leave this world, not yet, she was also a very powerful being in her own right. I believe she must have fought death even as she lay dying, her final wish would have been to stay, to live. As her soul left her body, it connected with its other energy, thus making the Buffy we see here flesh and blood."

"Wow, you mean our Buffy realized her body couldn't house her anymore so her mind and soul searched out her other body. That's awesome. Way to go, Buff!" Willow was on the same page with Giles, unfortunately no one else was.

"Now can you simplify that for us remedial demonology students." This came from Xander whose mind was totally spinning.

"Willow, please do the honors, you speak their language." Giles thought he said it clearly enough.

"Ok, so Cordelia's wish makes this other world. The 'powers that be' take a small part of us and create these pseudo-people, who are actually us but not, so when Buffy dies her subconscious knows that there is a part of her alive out there and goes for it. Since she's the Chosen One and has her own powers she's strong enough to make this transfer. Now, this Buffy becomes the real Buffy. The wish world gave her her own flesh and blood body but with Buffy's mind and soul." Willow looked at Giles. Giles nodded approvingly.

"So anyone want to make a crack about my 'stupid' wish now? Didn't think so!" Cordelia was justification personified. "If I never made that wish, Buffy wouldn't have had a spare body to bounce into!"

"I still don't get the part about how she was pulled here." Xander hated being the slow one.

"I think I got that part," Oz jumped in. "Buffy's mind and soul connected to some great force here, her subconscious desire to come here plus this source's energy pulled her through the vortex of time and space."

"That's exactly right Oz, now all we have to find out what she connected to and make sure that the effects cannot be reversed." Giles was very worried that if someone or thing tampered with the source, Buffy would be sent back.

"I have a question. If I am Buffy, your Buffy, why don't I have her memories?" Buffy looked to Giles as did everyone else.

"I believe you do have her memories, in time they should all come back to you or most of them will. I believe, judging by your reactions to situations here you are responding like our Buffy would, not like a stranger would. Take for instance your reaction to Faith."

Buffy's eyes widened. If he'd told everyone, especially Angel, about her jealous tirade she'd expire on the spot.

"Quickly, what color is Faith's hair?" Giles fired off his question to Buffy while he knew she was distracted.

"Mousy brown," Buffy answered without thinking, she was still trying to figure out how to stop Giles from talking about her freaking out.

"See."

"See? See what? So I knew what color her hair was, no big. I could've picked that up from anyone here." Buffy pulled out her necklace and started to rub her good luck charm; she had placed the ring on her necklace and found that at moments of stress or worry just holding it gave her comfort.

"Where did you get that?" Angel recognized his ring immediately and started toward Buffy. He was still trying to process everything that had been revealed tonight. His Buffy was back but with no memories...yet. He almost wished that she never remembered. It was a selfish thought and he quickly discarded it, but it would be nice if she never remembered his time as Angelus.

"I found it. It's mine." Buffy quickly put the ring back in her shirt. She was very protective of it, besides she didn't want to cooperate with him; he was being very distant tonight.

"Let me see it."

"No."

"You're being childish."

Buffy stuck her tongue out at him.

"Buffy, please cooperate and show Angel the ring." Giles had no idea what had gotten into the girl.

"O..K.." Buffy rolled her eyes, but pulled the ring back out and took it off her necklace. She handed it to Angel.

"Here. Happy?"

"Where did you find it?"

"In the alley behind the Bronze. I practically landed on it, I thought it was pretty so I kept it. Why?"

"It's mine." Angel slid the ring back on his hand. It was a perfect fit.

"Did you lose it or something?" Buffy was more than a little confused. Angel had the strangest expression on his face.

"No, I didn't lose it. I left it in the alley on purpose. Buffy, I mean you, died in that alley. When you died a part of me died with you, the best part. I went to that alley to finally let go, to say good-bye, to try to move on. This ring was a symbol of my love for you, when I left it behind I was leaving my heart behind along with it."

The room was totally silent. Both Willow and Cordelia had tears in their eyes.

Giles cleared his throat. "I believe we've found our power source. The power of love."

Buffy had tears running down her cheeks. She didn't have her memories back yet, but she knew that she had never felt more love for Angel as she did at this moment. It was the power of his love that had pulled her out of that other world and back to his side. He couldn't prevent her other body from being killed, but he saved this body from suffering the same fate.

"So I guess I lose my good luck charm." Buffy looked at the ring on Angel's hand.

"Not really." Angel pulled a chain from around his own neck; on it was a spearhead and a smaller version of his ring. He pulled the ring from the chain and handed it to Buffy.

"What's this?"

"It's yours, if I'm going to take back your good luck charm, I guess I should replace it." Angel didn't know how much to tell her about the ring.

"Was it mine?"

"Yes, it was your 17th birthday present."

"Did you keep it when my other body died?"

"No, Giles told you the story of what happened on your birthday right?" Buffy nodded. "Did he also tell you about my trip and return from...hell?" Angel wasn't looking at her, he felt ashamed when he remembered his demon's past actions.

"Yes, but what does that have to do with my ring?"

"When I came back, I didn't remember much, everything was hazy. I woke up back in my mansion not knowing how I had gotten there, not knowing who I was. I knew what I was, a vampire, but I couldn't connect things in my mind. I was just lying on the floor trying to get my bearings when I saw your ring a few feet away from me. I crawled over to it and just held onto it for hours, I didn't know why it was so important I just knew it was. Later, once I regained my...bearings, I figured you threw it away, that you were leaving it behind along with your memories of me. I kept the ring, I figured you didn't want it anymore."

"I don't know why my ring was there, I don't remember why I put it there. But I do know that I would never throw it away. I know that I would never give up one single memory of my time with you, good or bad. Can I keep it?" Buffy was clutching the ring; she'd never let it go again.

"It's yours." Angel stepped away, he'd revealed way too much; he was already starting to back out of his resolution to stay impersonal.

"Well, it seems that two mysteries were solved tonight. Buffy's love via her ring pulled Angel from hell; likewise Angel's love did the same for Buffy." Giles had seen some incredible, unexplainable things in his time, but he never witnessed a miracle. Tonight he had witnessed two.

"Buffy, we need to decide what we are going to do about your mother, for one, and about your schooling. Once we decide these two factors, I'll catch you up on the events of the past three months; we need to form a plan of attack regarding Faith and the Mayor. Everyone is welcome to stay." Giles was back to business. Buffy was back, his life had meaning.

"I need to go." Angel started for the stacks.

"Wait." Buffy caught up to him. "I think we need to talk."

"I'll be in touch." With that he walked out the back door.

"As much fun as your little party sounds, G-Man, I got to bail too, I have my own party to attend." Xander wanted to give Buffy a big hug but knew she wouldn't allow it. On the way out the door, he made meaningful eye contact with Cordelia.

"Oh! I have a nail appointment! Got to go." Cordelia rushed out behind Xander.

"We'll stay and help." Willow thought updating Buffy sounded like fun.

"Not me, Will. Got to practice." Oz kissed Willow and grabbed his jacket. "Buffy, glad to have you back. It wasn't the same without you."

"Bye, Oz."

"Giles, you really know how to clear out a room." Buffy kept staring at the stacks where Angel had left, something was very wrong with him, with them. She felt as if she were losing him and she didn't know why.

"Everything is going to be OK now, Buffy. I'm so glad you're back." Willow pulled Buffy into a hug, this time Buffy returned it.

Willow was right, everything was going to be OK. She was back and she was going to reclaim her memories, her life and her man.