I took a good long look at Angel's face as they left me at Caritas. Joyous, triumphant -- all of them, just on top of the world. They'd survived the road trip from hell, walked a whole 'nother dimension, freed a people, and brought back their missing team member and a spare distressed damsel. I mean: Go team! If they'd had a bucket of Gatorade I would have feared for Angel's nice silk shirt, you know? They'd done good and they knew it. Let the good times roll, baby....

Especially when they've only got about fifteen minutes before their scheduled run-in with a brick wall.

It hit me when I was walking up the road from my mother's house with Angel, singing like a bird and happily blowing the little musically-deprived minds of anyone who heard us.

Now the most important thing when you can see the future is to learn not to look. Not at your own future, anyway. Madness that way lies, kiddos, and I never had a problem steering clear of that particular pitfall. It must have been being home, being back in Pylea, whatever. Before I could catch myself I had a quick glimpse of myself with Angel... an Angel who still radiated the pain of Buffy's death like a scream.

Let's just thank whoever's up there that Angel isn't the type to break out into spontaneous song. I wouldn't have liked to see the freight train coming from ground zero, if you know what I mean.

I didn't tell him, of course. Don't ask, don't tell... and as high as he was flying then, why would he ask? Besides, they were all so happy.... As happy as they were gonna be for a good long while.

And so I'm no saint either. I pity whoever actually had to do the dirty deed.

There was something else too.

Before I cut it off, there was something else. I didn't catch enough of it to know and I'm not going back to look, thank you very much, which is why I'm not gonna say anything. But there was something.

All I have left of it is a feeling... a hunch, if you will... but: It's not over, boys and girls. I don't know how, when, where, why, or even who, precisely, but the set's not over, guys, the fat lady hasn't shown...

And I think I feel an encore coming on.