"I'm doing a brief background check on Principal Snyder," she said, her eyes never leaving the screen, "just to see if we can figure out why finding Buffy means so much to him."

"Find anything?"

"Just his college credentials. I figured I'd work my way backward. They're perfect."

"That always means something bad," her friend told her. "I saw it in that movie Tomorrow Never Dies. James Bond had impeccable credentials, and that's how they knew he was a secret agent."

"Xander, I wouldn't compare real life to a Bond film." She turned her head to look at him. "Things work a little differently here."

"Yeah, yeah. Just keep looking, okay?" he said impatiently.

Rolling her eyes, Willow turned back to the screen and resumed her search. All the way through his life Snyder never made one slip. He was squeaky clean except for...

"He doesn't have a birth certificate."

"You'll have to come back with me to find out," the demon in front of her said, feeling a tinge of sympathy for this young girl and her predicament.

"How do I know you're telling me the truth?" she asked, curiosity filling her blue-gray eyes.

"Demons don't lie. Not the good kind, anyway."

Buffy thought for a moment. If there was any possibility her Angel could return, she was willing to take the risk.

"If I come back you'll be able to get the charges against me dropped, and I can go back to school?"

"Yes."

"And you won't give me and my friends such a hard time anymore?"

"Now that I know you're the slayer, no. If they're connected to you, I'll try to be more understanding."

She nodded, mulling things over in her head. Finally, she was ready to answer.

"I'll go."

Nodding, Snyder closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The next second they were gone...