Tentatively, one by one, the Slayerettes, Angel Investigations, Lorne’s demon troops, and Gunn’s people all raised their heads to look around and see if it was over yet. All of them had wisely dived to the ground and behind various solid-looking objects as soon as Angelus had started to scream.
Not finding the widespread devastation that they had feared and more than half expected, they slowly rose to their feet and surveyed what they had wrought. What they discovered brought gasps and exclamations of shock, including some truly inspired swearing and appeals to various deities.
The docks and warehouse complex that had so recently housed Angelus and the Scourge were gone. Not reduced to charred ruins. Gone. The Pacific now washed on a golden beach where they had been. Rolling dunes had replaced the blacktop, and there were even some grass and palm trees. Sitting, unharmed, in the middle of the dunes, were the trucks and cars that Lindsey and Gunn’s posse had brought.
"It’s beautiful," Willow said, speaking for them all. And it was.
"We’ll have to come back and enjoy it later," Riley said. "*Somebody’s* going to be here to check this out *soon*. With all this noise, the only question is if it’ll be the police, or the National Guard."
"Wait," Buffy cried, pointing. "Look!"
They all followed her pointing finger, and when they saw what she’d seen, their expressions turned from awe to horror.
Standing in the middle of the new beach, beyond the vehicles, was a black, gleaming skeleton. The skeleton’s face was turned up, and its arms were raised in warding positions, as if trying to protect itself from something it had seen in the sky. The spear was nowhere in sight.
With a weary sigh, Giles removed his glasses and began to polish them. "It seems we’ve one last task to accomplish before we leave. Best take care of it quickly then. I’m sure Mr. Finn is correct. Angel, would you do the honors?"
Angel nodded silently and started across the dunes. As he did so, he had only one thought on his mind: *It’s over*.
One hundred fifty years of unparalleled evil. One hundred years of madness. It all ended tonight. This last gesture would put the seal on it.
He reached the skeleton and paused. Interesting. Its fangs and brow-ridges were prominent, and even its ear-holes could be recognized as slightly deformed. Curiouser and curiouser. There wasn’t even a hole in the chest.
He reached out and took hold of the sternum, threading his fingers through the ribs. This was for every life that Angelus had ended or ruined. This was for his family. Their friends. Their friends’ children. This was for Drusilla, for William, for Penn. This was for Jenny and Willow and Buffy and Giles. Even poor old Holtz.
"But most of all, you bastard," he whispered. "This is for me."
He suddenly twisted and squeezed with all his might. The sternum crushed in his hand and the skeleton fell to dust.
Giles replaced his glasses on his face. "Well then," he began. Then he paused, trying to think of something appropriate to say for such a momentous occasion. Then he had it.
"It is finished."
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