"I'm, uh... pretty good at convincing people of things," says Miles. "I think I told you a little about it when I was mourning the loss of my soul. It doesn't always work, sometimes there comes along an enemy whose goals and interests really are so fundamentally incompatible with mine that they need to be killed, but - what did I call myself, I think the phrase 'fucking miracle worker' may have come up - I really wasn't exaggerating. Mark wants me to decant some highly classified war stories at you to back up this assertion, but I'm not sure Mark's personal entertainment is worth the minor betrayal of certain past employers that that would entail."

Bella laughs. "I mean, if you can work miracles on vampires, be my guest, just please designate them clearly when they're all rehabilitated."

"It won't be hard to tell the difference," says Mark. "Just ask what they think of Miles and watch their faces light up."

Miles laughs, slightly embarrassed.

Bella giggles. "Seriously?"

"I'm - I - I wouldn't quite put it that way," says Miles. "But, look, the way I work miracles is by finding the places where my interests and the other person's genuinely coincide. When I help people they... often come out of it very helped."

"Are you gonna do the thing to the friend you were crashing with?"

"Depends what you mean by 'do the thing'. The reformed vampire thing? He hardly needs it, he's already avoiding eating people and I barely even objected out loud."

"I was just wondering how soon I get an example of watching somebody light up at being reminded of your existence."

"I doubt it'll be long," says Mark.

"I'll look forward to it."

"Even his direst enemies look more alive when he's on their mind. It's a noticeable effect. Hard for him to observe directly, of course, since he doesn't make a habit of spying on his acquaintances to find out what they look like when they aren't thinking about him."

"That would be creepy."

"I suppose so, yes."

"I generally prefer my direst enemies don't look alive, so having this invigorating trait sounds like a mixed bag."

"Valid point. His allies get more use out of it by far, though."

"Convenient."

"Yes."

Bella's phone rings. "Ugh. Cop dad says don't answer the phone driving, sacred calling says do not be unreachable, Miles, can you see if it's Giles or something." She tosses the phone at him.

"It's Soph. Sleepover fell through, need the car to get home unless she wants me walking through Sunnydale alone at night. Hey are you the ray guns one or the creepy house one? I swear she said your name I just forgot."

"Wrong number, I don't know a Soph."

"She also," says Miles, lowering the phone slightly and glancing at Bella with raised eyebrows, "asked me if I was the ray guns one or the creepy house one."

"Called it," murmurs Mark.