Author:- HazelWicca

Email:- hazelwicca@hotmail.com

Disclaimers:- This story is based upon Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which belongs to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Joss is a God whose level of writing I can aspire to only in my dreams. He owns everything, I’m merely borrowing his idea for a little while and I promise to give it back when I’m done.

Rating:- I have no idea! There’s been nothing naughty yet except for a few minor swears, so I’ll say PG-13 for now.

Notes:- This story is set during the summer that Buffy ran away from Sunnydale, so ignore season three onwards because in my twisted world it never existed. (These are Willows thoughts.)

Feedback:- Any would be appreciated. This is my first BTVS fic, so constructive criticism is always welcome, just no flames please, I am of a delicate disposition.

Dedication:- I’d like to dedicate this to Donna who started me on writing fan-fiction, Lorna who shares my Willow-fic passion, and Carrie and Saber for being two of the all time greats fan-fic wise.

PS:- If you notice any problems with facts and stuff, then please tell me. Also, this hasn’t been beta’ed, so any mistakes are my own. Thank you for listening, please come again.

PPS:- If this fic is archived at your site and you find new bits floating around the net don’t hesitate to update, you see I forget where I send things to, I’m terrible that way, oopsie. LOL

(I can’t wait to get out of this chair.......it’s so boring........and everyone is being really…..annoyingly cloying…eep, I’m thinking in Giles speak!) Willow looked around her, Giles was pacing back and forth in front of the check-in desk, book in one hand, glasses held in the other. Cordelia was sitting opposite Willow, flicking through some womens magazine filled with extremely thin women, and beefy guys in CK underwear. Oz was next to her, holding her hand lightly. He smiled slightly at her, which in Oz expression meant extreme gladness. (Okay, so not everyone’s annoying me, only Xander.)

Willow looked at the other end of the table and Xander immediately caught her gaze. "You need anything Wills? I can get some sugary goodness for you, you look a little pale, maybe you should lie down." He stood up and moved towards her.

"Overprotective much. She was in a coma, now she’s in a chair, you see the steps to health? So just leave her alone.....but as you’re up I’d like a low fat cappuccino with extra foam." Cordelia said as he passed her.

"Geez Cordy, what did your last slave die of?" He muttered to himself as he walked towards the doors.

"Thanks." Willow said to Cordelia as the doors swung shut behind him. Cordelia shrugged.

"No big."

"Dammit!" Willow, Oz and Cordelia looked up at Giles in surprise. He slammed the book onto the counter-top. He pulled a handkerchief out of his top pocket and began to clean his glasses. "I don’t seem to be able to translate this new prophecy.....the Latin is very old and, well, long-winded to say the least."

"You’ll get it in the end." Willow said with a sad smile. (If it isn’t one thing it’s another.......Acathla leads to end of world.......leads to us averting end of world......leads to one missing slayer, and one dead vampire........which leads us right back to more typical prophecies on the Hellmouth.......our lives bite, in the most literal sense of the word.)

"So, any news about our absent, yet sorely missed slayer?" Cordelia said, idly flicking through her magazine. (Tact girl strikes again…..sigh.)

"N-no. Nothing as yet, although I do have a number of leads which I am at the current time pursuing." Giles said, frowning slightly. (He blames himself......it’s not his fault......if it’s anybody’s fault it’s mine, should have done the darned spell the first time.)

"You’ll find her Giles. It’s only a matter of time." Willow spoke softly, head down.

"I second the encouraging, uplifting statement." Oz stated, looking at Willow. There was a few minutes of silence, each person thinking private thoughts. (I have to do something......but what? What? What happened, if I knew what happened then I could at least feel better, and maybe come up with a few idea’s. Right, I now have a plan......time to carry out my barely formed plan.)

"Actually, I’m feeling a little tired, maybe I should go home?" Willow looked at Oz.

"Sure." He stood up and walked behind her chair. He started to wheel her to the doors slowly.

"Bye Cordy, Giles." Willow called out, twisting slightly to look at them. They both looked up at her.

"Bye."

"Bye."

"Race you to the van." Willow joked, looking up at Oz who smiled and pushed her out of the library.

"Thanks for coming over Amy. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything important." Willow said to her friend whilst ushering her through the door.

"Nope. Unless you consider an evening with Ben&Jerry’s and Gone With The Wind important." Amy smiled at Willow when she nodded her head in the affirmative, then dropped the bag she was carrying onto the bed. "I got everything you needed. What do we do now?"

"Are you up for a field trip?" Willow asked her with a chirpy voice.

"You take me to the strangest places Willow. Why are we in an abandoned mansion with a bag full of wiccan supplies, and a picnic?" Amy asked, looking strangely at Willow, who just laughed.

"This is where Acathla opened. I need to know what happened that night......why Buffy ran away." Willow sighed. "You can go if you want to, although I don’t know how I’d get home."

"I’m not gonna just leave you, besides, this definitely sounds interesting. You wanna start?" Amy picked up the bag and started to take out everything, putting it by the fireplace. Willow heaved herself out of the chair and staggered over to Amy. The two of them worked for about five minutes, mixing the herbs and setting up the circle.

Amy looked up and said "I’m ready." Willow sat up straighter, cleared her throat, and shook her hair out of her eyes.

Willow looked up at Amy, who poured a bluey-black liquid into a stone bowl that rested between the two of them. There was a flash of light and smoke rose from the mixture. Willow and Amy’s eyes glazed over, as if they were no longer seeing the outside world. Willow fell back and Amy slumped over onto her side, their eyes flickering from side to side, seeing something that obviously wasn’t there.

(Oh Goddess that hurts.) Willow slowly opened her eyes, then sat up. "Amy, Amy....you okay....Amy?" Her voice rose in volume as she shook her friend.

"Owwww.....ohhhh......head......hurt.....bad." Amy rolled onto her back.

"I know exactly how you feel, I’m actually getting used to it." All of a sudden memories and images came flooding back and Willow forgot about the self-pity. "Oh Goddess! Did you see......can you remember?" Amy nodded.

"Yup. I have absolutely no idea what it all meant but I saw, just like we were supposed to. Did you understand it?" Amy sat up and looked thoughtfully at her friend, who was staring into space, a worried frown on her face.

"Yeah......unfortunately, yeah."

"Are you crazy?" Amy shrieked at Willow after she had finished explaining her plan.

"More than likely......but I have to do this. Can you understand? Please......... understand." Willow looked imploringly at her friend who was shaking her head slightly.

"It’s too dangerous Willow. You could get really hurt, you don’t mess with the demon dimensions. It’s called hell for a reason you know!" Amy looked beseechingly at Willow, trying to get her to drop her crazy plan.

"Look, I’m going to get Angel back, and I can do it with your help or without it, although with it would be better because I don’t really want to die." Willow spoke calmly, but forcefully, looking Amy in the eyes as she did so.

"This is like blackmail." Willow smiled.

"Yup! So, you in?" She said in an innocent voice. Amy frowned.

"I don’t have a choice. Come on, we have a lot of research to do." Amy stood up then bent back down, pulling Willow to her feet then helping her into the wheelchair. She went back over to the fireplace and started to gather up their belongings. She looked up at Willow and then dropped the bag into her lap. "You owe me....big time."

"I know. Come on, if we hurry we can catch X-Files re-runs. It’s the one with the aliens and the government conspiracies tonight."

"Ha-ha, very funny." Amy pushed Willow out of the mansion and towards her car. "That was Xander bad."

"Hey! There’s no need to be insulting." Willow said in an outraged tone, Amy just laughed.

(Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Eureka, I’ve got it!)

Willow printed the page off quickly, then saved it onto three different floppy discs. Then she ran over to her phone, and quickly punched in Amy’s number.

Brrrrrrr-brrrrrrr, brrrrrrrr-brrrrrrr, "Pick up, pick up, pick up, pick up....." She was interrupted by a click then a sleepy "Hello?"

"Amy? That you?" Willow jumped up and down in anticipation.

"Uh-huh?"

"Great, wonderful, brilliant, I found it!"

"What?"

"The spell!"

"Who is this? Willow?"

"Well duh. I found it.......on the net......we can get him back Amy." Willow started to spin round in circles, occasionally punching the air with her fist.

"Willow, that’s great." Amy said, a little more awake than before. "I’ll be over first thing in the morning."

"Oh.....I thought we could get started now." Willow said hopefully.

"It’s.....2:30 in the am Willow." Amy said slowly, pausing to look at her clock.

"Really? Oh goddess, I’m so so so so sorry, I’ll go now, so you can sleep, which was what I probably stopped you from doing." Willows words tumbled over each other.

"How much coffee have you had?" Amy asked her, frowning.

"Two pots." Willow said sheepishly. "G’night."

"Night." Amy put the phone down and gave a big heaving sigh. Then she flopped over onto her front and buried her face into her pillow. "I’m never gonna get back to sleep." She said to herself, then she sighed again.

Willow put the phone down and went back to her computer. (I can’t sleep now......too excited......plus there’s the caffeine factor.) She picked up a notepad and started to scan the printout for what she would need. She planned for a few hours more, and finally fell asleep at her desk, dreaming of a certain souled vampire.

"This looks almost too easy. Are you sure it’s right, did you check it?" Amy said after looking over the computer printout that Willow had shoved into her hand as she’d let her in.

"Yep. I made the list, I checked it twice," Amt gave a very unladylike snort of laughter, and Willow glared good-naturedly at her before continuing, "…and I e-mailed it to three wiccan friends of Miss Calendars, they gave it the thumbs up. We are good to go." Willow bounced up and down hoping that Amy would get past the ‘complication makes the spell work good’ mentality she seemed to have picked up during her studies.

"Well, I suppose it’ll still be hard, I mean the whole going into the bowels of hell to rescue a tortured soul, pretty damn hard when you think about it." Amy said after thinking for a minute.

"Exactly!" Willow said loudly, shifting from foot to foot. Amy smiled at her obvious enthusiasm. "I got everything already, so we can go to the mansion and get ready. It’s gonna take the whole day ‘cos we have to cleanse ourselves and the house, but the actual spell looks pretty quick."

"Alright, alright." Amy gave Willow a huge smile then said "Let’s go then, Miss Hyperactive. We have some wiccan magick to perform, don’t wanna get behind, there may be a test later."

"Precisely, don’t want my grade to......hey, you, leave me alone." Willow glared at her and Amy started to laugh out loud.

"Sorry," she managed after a few minutes, "It’s just you’re such an easy target today." Willow stuck her tongue out and quickly followed up with blowing a raspberry, which made Amy laugh even harder. Finally, sick of waiting for Amy to move, Willow picked up her bag and strode out of her house, shoulders back, head held high, and a mock injured look on her face. Amy followed her, still laughing.

"I’ll tell you this, I’ve never been so clean." Willow exclaimed to Amy as they packed away the cleansing tools. Amy got a sly look on her face but before she could reply Willow broke in with "No comment!" Amy sighed and then shrugged.

"Come on, we’ll set up the circle and grab something to eat." Willow picked up her stuff and headed towards the main room of the mansion.

Willow was already sitting at the fireplace unpacking by the time Amy got there. "Are you sure, absolutely sure, that you want to do this Willow?" Amy asked her seriously as she sat down. Willow thought for a minute then spoke with such clarity that Amy had to accept her answer.

"Yes, Amy, I’m very sure. Angel doesn’t deserve to be in hell, Angelus does, but it’s my fault that the wrong person is being tortured so I have to fix it. There’s more too, Buffy for example. She shouldn’t have to live with the fact that she sent the man she loves to hell, and I need Angel. He was my friend, yeah, okay, we didn’t talk much, or bond even....but that’s not the point. He was still a friend, he still is, and I don’t leave friends to suffer when I can help them."

Amy looked at Willow for a few seconds then she hugged her. "I’m glad to have you as my friend Willow." She said finally, blinking away tears. Willow started crying as well.

"I’m glad that I’m you’re friend, Amy." After a few moments the two girls pulled away from each other, and Willow rummaged around finally coming up with two brown paper bags. "Right, you want the chicken or the cheese?"

Willow spoke slowly but clearly. Amy stood outside of the circle, watching in case anything went wrong. Slowly the room was getting lighter, Amy could see a bright light forming just in front of Willow. The light grew brighter, and bigger. Willow opened her eyes and found herself looking directly at a growing, swirling portal. Made of hundreds of different colours. (Beautiful!)

The portal grew slowly until it got to roughly the size of a door. Willow turned slightly and looked at Amy, then she took a deep breath and stepped into the light.

(Ohhhhhh.......ick) Willow stumbled and found herself in a corridor. She turned to look behind her and saw the portal she had just came through. (Looks stable.......gotta be quick.) Willow started to walk down the corridor, trying the doors as she walked, they were all locked. Finally she came to one at the end which wasn’t.

(Here goes nothing.) She opened the door and stepped through. The room was dark, she couldn’t see any walls because the shadows blocked all view. In the middle of the room Willow saw someone lying on the floor. "Angel!" She shouted, as she ran towards him. She quickly bent over and pulled him onto his back. "Oh Goddess Angel, please wake up, I can’t move you on your own. Wake up!" She shook him and he began to stir. He growled once, then passed out.

"Well that’s just great isn’t it. Well fine," she grabbed hold of his arms and began to pull him across the floor. "I guess I’ll have to do this the hard way, you vampiric-lump you." She opened the door and started to drag him up the corridor.

After a minute or so of extreme effort she made it to the portal. "Home free." She exclaimed, as she started to manoeuvre Angel into an upright position. Suddenly she heard roaring from behind her. "Spoke too soon." Willow turned around.

A rather large, and extremely ugly demon, was barrelling up the corridor, swearing like there was no tomorrow. "Oops, gotta go." Willow gave a really big heave and managed to get Angel onto his feet. She started to drag him through the portal just as the demon caught up with them. It grabbed hold of Angel just as Willow stepped into the portal. She stumbled, and dragged herself and Angel back to earth.

Willow hit the floor and Angel fell on top of her. "Oomph." Willow pushed Angel off her and sat up. "Goddess, that was hard." She said, looking at Amy.

"Umm, Willow." She said strangely, looking behind her.

"Yeah?" Willow said, turning round. She paused, gasped, and then blinked.

There, lying on the floor behind her was Angel......and Angel. There was only one thing Willow could say.

"Huh?"

"Okay, I want you to give me one more big push." Sara wiped Elizabeth’s clammy brow. "Alright, now, push."

Elizabeth screamed and gave a final push, all of a sudden you could hear a baby crying and Elizabeth sobbed in relief, dragging in deep lungfuls of air. "It’s a girl, a beautiful girl Lizzie!" Sara wrapped the squirming bundle in a blue sheet, and then handed her to Elizabeth. "What are you going to name her?" Sara said, as she bustled about the bed, straightening the sheets, and taking away the blood-soaked linen.

Elizabeth looked up from her baby’s face and said somberly "Marie, she’s going to be Marie." Then she slowly fell asleep with Marie in her arms.

"Oh goddess! Willow, wake up, wake up before they do or I swear to god I’ll hurt you really bad." Amy shook Willow hard, her red hair flew in all different directions.

"Ughhh. I was having the weirdest dream.....you were in it and so was Ang..." She broke off suddenly as she caught site of the two Angel’s lying on the floor. "Not a dream?"

"Nope, not a dream. So get up and help me panic." Amy pulled Willow to her feet and steadied her as she wobbled.

"What are we gonna do? What’re we gonna do?" Willow asked Amy, a desperate look on her face.

"Don’t look at me, you’re supposedly the brains of this outfit. Think of something.......but make it quick because Angel number one is waking up." Amy backed away from the two men on the floor, pulling Willow with her who was just staring helplessly at them. Amy reached for a stake and a cross, she handed the cross to Willow, then manoeuvre herself into a good approximation of Buffy’s fighting stance.

"Angel?" Willow said timidly, staring at the groaning man. He looked up suddenly and smiled.

"Not quite Red." Willow gasped and Amy looked at her.

"Angelus." She whispered to herself. Amy froze, a scared look on her face.

"Oh goddess, oh goddess, oh goddess....." Amy repeated over and over, dragging an unresisting Willow further away from the vampire.

"Exactly. Thanks for freeing me Willow, I didn’t know you cared. I hate to snack and run but time is a wasting, and I owe the slayer a visit." Angelus vamped out and stalked towards the two girls. Willow started to whimper and Amy started to pray under her breath.

Angelus reached towards Willow and her back hit the wall, her eyes opened wider as he moved closer to her. Amy kicked him in the knees and he swore under his breath. Grabbing Amy by her shoulders, he flung her into the wall, she hit it then slid down to the ground unconscious.

"Alone at last. You know Willow, I always......" He was cut off suddenly, his eyes clouded over then closed. He slumped forward and fell at Willows feet. Willow looked up.

"Angel?"

"W-Willow." He staggered forward slightly and fell into her arms. They both fell to their knees, Willow crying, Angel shaking.

"Oh goddess, A-Angel, you.....you’re Angel.....not Angelus.....because we already have an Angelus....but you already know that because you knocked him out....oh goddess, what are we gonna do?" Movement suddenly attracted Willow’s attention.

"Amy! Are you alright?" Amy sat up groggily, running her hands through her hair and over her face.

"I guess so......I think the wall won." Amy looked at Angel who was still kneeling next to Willow, her arms around him, and then to Angelus, who was lying passed out next to Willow.

"I’m guessing we screwed up, huh?" Amy said slowly, as she rose to her feet. Willow looked at the man in her arms, and his demon double lying on the floor.

"I guess you could put it like that." She smiled sheepishly and Amy grinned. Then in perfect unison they spoke.

"Giles."

A woman was running along a river, her hair flying out behind her, a small bundle in her arms. She looked around her then veered to the right, heading towards the trees. She stumbled but quickly regained her balance. She dodged the trees but managed to keep up her speed, and after a few more minutes of running she slowed down and looked around her.

The bundle in her arms moved, and she put it down. "Marie my love, are you alright?"

"Yes ma. Have we stopped running now?" The little girl looked at her mother expectantly.

"Yes Marie, now we’re going to hide......it’s like a game......you hide under these leaves, and I chase the bad men away, but you have to stay here and not move until I come back for you." Elizabeth pulled Marie over to a large tree, and then started to cover her with leaves.

"Remember, ma loves you....always." Elizabeth kissed her on the forehead, then covered her with the rest of the leaves. She stood up and looked around, then she picked a direction and ran.

She ran for what seemed like an eternity, she ran until they caught her. A large man tackled her from the side as she stumbled through the dense underbrush, and she fell to the ground, rolled, and came to a stop by a large boulder.

"Where is the child?" The leader asked her as he pulled her up, his hands around her throat pressing her against the rock, her feet hanging. Elizabeth refused to speak. They tortured her for an hour and she never said a word. In the end the men gave up.

"Never mind, we’ll find her on our own. Leave her here to die, it shouldn’t take too long." He turned to leave, and for the first time since she had spoken to her daughter she broke her silence.

"I am the chosen one, you can kill me, but there will always be another. The council will destroy you." She said heatedly, the weakness in her voice betraying her. The man turned and smiled at her.

"My dear, we are the council." He nodded to his men, and they started off in the direction that she had come from. Elizabeth lay there, bleeding her life onto the ground, for what seemed like hours.

"Hello. The moon told me you would be here......the stars were singing your name and I knew to come." Elizabeth turned her head to the side slightly and she saw a woman walking up to her, long dark hair, and a white dress with a small bloodstain on it. "Oh, don’t be scared, I’m here to help, I’m needed. Where is the child?"

The woman spoke with a childish voice, her head on one side. Elizabeth tried to speak but found she couldn’t. "Shhhhh.....it’s all right, I can find out. Look at me....." The woman bent down and Elizabeth looked into her eyes.

A minute later the woman stood up, and walked after the men that had left earlier. Elizabeth watched her go and smiled slightly, then her eyes slowly closed, she gave one last gasping breath, and then she died.

"Hello?"

"Giles.....it’s Willow, I need to talk to you." Willow hopped from one foot to the other.

"Can it wait, it’s quite late and......"

"It’s urgent, can you come to the mansion, please, don’t ask any questions." Willow screwed her eyes shut. (Please just come, don’t ask, don’t ask.)

"Er, alright, I’m on my way."

"Thank you Giles." Willow said softly, then hung up. She snapped the phone shut and handed it back to Amy. "He’s on his way."

She nodded then said, "What are you gonna tell him?"

Willow looked at the two Angel’s, then looked back at Amy and shrugged. "Oops?"

Snap......crunch........."Arghhhhhh!"......"Uckkk!".............."Come out come out wherever you are." Marie squeezed her eyes closed and held her breath.

"I know your mummy said to be quiet, but I’m to look after you now, and if I can’t find you, then I can’t look after you." The woman spoke slowly, with a musical voice. Marie thought for a few seconds, the logic sounded right, then she stood up.

"Where’s my ma?" She asked the tall woman. The woman turned to her and looked at her sadly.

"She’s gone to be with the angels like mine has, but don’t worry, I promised her I’d look after you." She held out her hand to Marie, and after thinking for a few seconds the girl accepted it. They began to walk back into the woods, leaving the dead bodies strewn about like toys that had been played with but not put away.

"What’s your name?" Marie asked the woman as they got to the tree line.

"Druscilla."

"Why? For gods sake, why?" Giles voice was rough with emotion, he was standing just inside the mansion having stopped there when he walked in and was met with the sight of Angel.

"Giles, I can explain....." Willow started to move towards him, her hands reaching out, begging him to calm down.

"No, I don’t think you can." Giles interrupted her, he looked ready to go on but then he paused and his eyes went wide. "Two of them?"

Willow looked guilty and Amy stared at her shoes. Angel was silent, staring at Willow, and Angelus was still unconscious on the floor. Giles frowned suddenly in thought. "Two of them." he said quietly, consideringly.

Willow and Amy frowned in puzzlement. "The prophecy, "two shall be brought forth from one." I translated it just before I left." Willows eyes went wide.

"Two. Angel.....and Angelus." Amy looked from Giles to Willow, then back to Giles again.

"Okay, person with a lack of understanding over here. Huh?" Willow looked at her.

"Giles has been translating a prophecy, about.....what is it about?" Willow looked at Giles who was shifting nervously from foot to foot.

"Actually......I’m not 100% sure yet, the language is very tricky." He said apologetically.

"It’s meant to be, if anyone could read it then it wouldn’t be of much use." A feminine voice broke in before Willow or Amy could speak. Angels head shot up and he frowned. The garden doors were open, and a woman walked through them.

"Druscilla?" Angel said, his voice rough and scratchy. She smiled.

"Hello Daddy. Did you miss me?" She smiled and walked further into the mansion. "I missed you."

"Me too." A voice came from behind her. Spike walked in behind her and caught her up into a bear hug, his head resting on the side of hers.

"Well, it’s a bloody family reunion." A voice came from behind Willow. Everyone turned to look and they saw Angelus picking himself up off the floor and dusting himself off. "So, are you two here to help me kill them?" Angelus asked Druscilla and Spike.

Spike grinned and then nodded slightly in Druscilla’s direction. "Actually, we’re here to save them." She said, smiling slightly. In perfect unison the three humans and the two identical vampires in the mansion spoke.

"What?!?"

Chapter Eight:-

"I’ll see you in a few weeks?" Marie looked up at Druscilla, tears in her eyes.

"Of course.....as soon as I can get away again, don’t worry, everything will work out for the best." Druscilla caught the young girl up in a hug.

"I wish you could just tell him about me." Marie stepped back from the woman who had looked after her for the past 15 years. The woman whom she had grown to love as a mother. It had been hard in the beginning, but gradually the vampire had gained a little more of her sanity each year, until she was nearly back to normal.

"I do too, but he’d only get jealous and try to harm you. You can’t be harmed, you are necessary." Druscilla straightened her shoulders, and started to leave. "I want you to be careful." Druscilla looked at Marie, then looked at the baby in the cot.

"I will be. Dru?"

"Yes?"

"You’ve seen what’s to come. It’s soon.......isn’t it?" Marie silently pleaded for the truth. Druscilla looked at her for a moment and finally said one simple word.

"Yes." Then she left, Marie stared after her for a minute, then walked over to her child who was lying on her back, drooling over her fist, and waving her legs wildly in the air.

"Well, Elizabeth, your destiny awaits you." Marie smiled at what her daughter was doing. "I just hope you’re ready for it."

"What, you all gone deaf? I knew you were old Angelus, but I didn’t think I needed to put you in an old folks home just yet. Don’t worry, me and Dru’ll visit you every other weekend." Spike laughed as both Angelus and Angel glared at him. Druscilla straightened slightly and Spike stepped back from her.

She walked over to where Willow stood and stared at her for a minute. Willow looked at her nervously, everyone was silent. Angel, Amy and Giles because they didn’t want to risk Druscilla harming Willow, and Angelus because he couldn’t think of anything to say that would get Willow injured.

"It’s all come full circle. Welcome home." Suddenly Druscilla moved towards the frightened girl, Willow stiffened, preparing herself for the pain that was coming. (Oomph.......hug?) Druscilla had put her arms round Willow, (Oh well.......if you can’t beat ‘em......) Willow lifted her arms and hugged the older woman back.

"Awww, isn’t this a Kodak moment. I have a tear in my eye." Angelus broke into the touching moment, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

"Okay, I still seem to be having a problem with understanding, I’m lacking it. Oh, and shouldn’t we knock him out again?" Amy broke in before Angelus could continue, he glared at her but didn’t reply. She looked at Druscilla and Willow, who had broken off their hug. Then she looked at Spike, finally she turned to Giles who just shrugged his shoulders apologetically.

"It’s quite simple pet, me ‘n Dru are here to help save the world....again." Spike rooted through the pockets of his duster, then pulled out a box of cigarettes, he lit up then inhaled. "Much better." He murmured to nobody in particular.

"What the Hell is going on here?" Everyone whirled to look at Xander, who’d just walked through from the garden. "Spike?" When the vampire heard his name he shifted to one side, allowing Xander a better view of the room and it’s occupants. "Druscilla? Angelus......and Angelus?!?" Xanders eyes went wide and he did what any normal teenage boy would when confronted with a situation like the one he was facing.

He fainted.

"Is it me, or is he really annoying?" Spike asked everyone, as they stared at the unconscious boy on the floor. Willow, Angel, Angelus, Giles and Amy all replied at the same time.

"It’s not you!"

"Vampire!"

"She killed him."

"Stake the demon."

"Use your cross, the Lord shall protect you."

The crowd was gaining on her, she ran through the streets her dress flying out behind her as her feet barely touched the ground. She twisted round the next corner and continued to run, blood dripping down her arm as she went, leaving an easy to follow trail. Her speed had slowed, and she was beginning to stumble but still she pressed on. Finally she made it to her destination, she flung open the door and ran into the main room.

"Dru?!?" Marie looked up from where she was sitting by the fire, Elizabeth was asleep in her arms.

"They’re coming. We must leave.....now." Marie stood up as Druscilla hurried towards her. She placed Elizabeth in her arms then ripped off part of her petticoat. She dabbed at the wound on the side of her friends head. Then they headed towards the door. Just as they got to the door Druscilla stopped.

"We’re too late, I can hear them." Druscilla looked about wildly for a weapon and Marie paused in thought. She grabbed Druscilla’s arm and dragged her towards the back of the house. When they reached the kitchen she pulled the rug off the floor and opened a small trapdoor that led to a small hole. Druscilla gave Elizabeth to her mother, and Marie bent down and placed her gently in the hole.

"We’re going to play a little game, my darling. You have to be as quiet as a mouse, and not come out until me or Auntie Dru come get you. Do you understand?" Elizabeth nodded sleepily and clutched her rag doll tighter.

"Yes mommy." Marie smiled and kissed her on the top of the head, then she started to close the trapdoor.

"I know it’s dark sweeting, but you have to be brave." She said reassuringly as Elizabeth started to whimper. The little girl nodded, then closed her eyes. "Remember, mommy loves you, always." Marie closed the door then pulled the rug back over it. "What now?" She asked as she turned to look at Druscilla.

Druscilla looked back at her sadly, regret in her eyes. Marie dragged in a deep breath. "Well, I’m not going out without a fight." Suddenly the front door burst open and you could hear the shouts of the crowd as they flooded into the house. Marie looked around her, then started pushing Druscilla towards the back door. "Go, you can get out, one of us has to get back for Elizabeth, and your chance is greater than mine." Druscilla stopped resisting her and dragged Marie into a quick hug, then she ran towards the door and out into the garden.

"There she is, follow the demon!" Someone shouted angrily as a dozen sweaty and out of breath men entered the kitchen. They flew past Marie, and she headed the way they had came from. She almost made it to the front door when a man stepped into view, she twisted and headed up the stairs. He and a few more men followed her, they finally cornered her in the master bedroom.

"Where is the child?" The leader asked her. Marie looked at him for a moment, then spat in his face. He backhanded her and she went flying into the wall. She sat up, dazed, and just glared at him. "Kill her."

The other men moved forward, and held her down, then one of them impaled her in the heart with a wooden stake. Blood dripped down her clothing, and she started coughing weakly, blood trickling from her mouth.

"Eventually we will find the child, make no mistake about that." The man said, Maria’s eyes slowly closed and she gave one last gasping breath then she died. Her last thoughts were of her child and of Druscilla, as she prayed that they would be alright.

"That’s so sad." Amy said, hiccupping slightly, as Druscilla finished speaking. She wiped at her eyes with her shirt sleeve, and Willow passed her the handkerchief that Giles had given to her when Druscilla had described Elizabeth’s death. "Thanks." Amy wiped her streaming eyes.

Angelus sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. "Yes, very touching, what does this have to do with me?" Everyone glared at him, but surprisingly it was Amy that actually spoke.

"Oh, shut up. If you can’t think of anything worthwhile and intelligent to say, then don’t say anything." She glared at him for a second longer then looked back at Druscilla. "Is there any more?" Everyone turned to look at the vampiress who shook her head slightly.

"I never got to go back for Elizabeth, I managed to get to Spike who got me out of Prague, but I’d lost a lot of blood. I was very weak, and my powers overwhelmed me as they had before. In a matter of hours I was back to being insane, I only recently found out what happened to Elizabeth." The whole group looked at her expectantly, even Angelus wanted to see how the story would end. Druscilla looked around her then continued. (It’s like children’s story time at the library.)

"She was found by one of the mob who went back to the house, he gave her to the authorities and she grew up as an orphan. She eventually married, had a daughter, and the line continued."

"What I don’t understand is what this has to do with the prophecy?" Giles said as Druscilla stopped talking.

"Well, it’s quite simple mate. Dru here wrote the damn thing." Spike said and inclined his head in her direction.

Giles nodded to himself, quickly running through everything that she had told them. "Could you translate the prophecy for us? I mean.....the language is very.....difficult."

Druscilla smiled, and nodded. "That’s probably because I was insane when I wrote it. I have it memorized." She paused and took in a deep breath out of habit.

"When The Chosen’s light is extinguished and re-lit,

"Okay, I think I speak for everyone here when I say huh?" Xander looked around him asking for support, when nobody spoke he gave a huge sigh that screamed ‘I am so hard done by.’, then he flopped back into the chair.

"So........The Chosen’s light being extinguished would be Buffy?" Willow looked around her, (Buffy......sigh.)

"Yes." Giles looked thoughtful. "Willow had to get Angelus, and Angel out of Hell. Didn’t she?" He looked at Druscilla, who nodded.

"I’m guessing that Spike is the Hunter, and Druscilla the Seer, right?" Amy looked around and Druscilla nodded.

"So who are the Two, and the Child.....and what’s with the Magick?" Xander asked, looking warily at Druscilla.

"The Two are Angel and Angelus, you nit-wit." Spike said condescendingly.

"Hey!" Xander raised his hands, and gave Spike a mock injured look.

"Wait a minute......The Chosen, Buffy isn’t here. Unless......." Giles trailed off and everyone turned to look at him expectantly. "Kendra’s replacement." He finished after a few moments of being stared at.

"She is coming." Druscilla said, then she looked at Xander. "The Magick is the Witch...." she nodded in Amy’s direction. Amy looked startled, then she shrugged her shoulders. Druscilla continued. ".....and the Child is Willow."

"Me?" Willow croaked out, her voice painfully high. (Ohhhh boy, life sucks.....and I mean that in a none vampiric way for once.)

"Great, the entire existence of everything depends on the mouse." Angelus snorted, and looked at Willow.

"It could be worse." Amy said, trying to take the attention away from her friend.

"How’s that?" Angelus retorted, glaring in her direction.

"It could depend on Xander." Amy nodded her head in the adolescents direction and everyone turned to watch Xander, who was pulling faces behind Spikes back, which was now his front seeing as though the vampire had turned around when everyone else had.

Xander laughed nervously at Spikes angry look and shrunk back into his chair. Angelus turned around to look at Amy.

"You know, I think you may be right."

"Well, that was certainly interesting." Amy said as she unpacked her pj’s. Willow turned towards her and smiled.

"You got that right, but it’s scary......and weird......and freaky, and I really hope everyone can get along, what with what happened before." Willow started to hyperventilate and Amy rushed over to her.

"Breathe......breathe....." Willow started to calm down and Amy smiled at her, then went back to unpacking. "Look, I think everyone realises that for now we all have to work together, and I don’t know why we have to stay here. It’s draughty, old.......and oh yeah, full of vampires." Amy added sarcastically, trying to lighten the topic slightly.

Willow walked over to the wardrobe and Amy started passing her their clothes. "I know what you mean, but they can’t kill us until after we save the world." Amy looked up at her, disbelief on her face.

"Geez Willow, there’s a comforting thought." Willow grinned at her friend, who finally began to see the humour in their situation. Finally Amy spoke, "At least we can play our music as loud as we want to with no adults around." Willow grinned, then frowned.

"Angel’s like, 240’ish, can you get more adult?" Amy cocked her head to one side and pursed her lips, thinking.

"Nope, but they don’t come much cuter either." Willow’s mouth dropped open and she made a funny ‘oh-my-god-I-can’t-believe-you-just-said-that’ noise. "Hey, admit it, he is gorgeous, and now there’s two of him......admittedly one is a vicious-demon-murderer-type-person.......but that hair!" She finished with a tone totally devoid of self-preservation. Willow smiled secretly.

"I’m right there with you."

"Sorry."

"Sorry."

Angel looked at the top of Willows head as she stared at her feet. (God, so embarrassed, so very, very embarrassed.) Willow looked up at Angel, whom she could see was inwardly debating something.

"Willow I....."

"Angel........" Willow smiled as they both spoke at the same time. "You first."

Angel shifted nervously and passed a bag of blood from hand to hand, Willow stared and he realised what he was doing and quickly hid the blood behind his back. "I......I wanted to, thank you......for saving me......from Hell." He finished quickly, then looked at his feet, ashamed. (He has nothing to feel bad for, it wasn’t his fault.)

Willow reached out and grabbed him by the arm and he looked up quickly, startled. "Angel, I forgive you." Angel stared at her for a second, and then a tear slowly trickled down his cheek. Willow gasped, then quickly pulled him into her arms. They stood for a minute before they were interrupted.

"Is this a private moment, or can anyone join in?" Angelus said, sarcasm dripping from his words. He was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, head on one side. Angel quickly spun Willow so she was standing behind him. (Dizzy.....)

"Relax, I’m only here for something to eat." Angelus walked towards them.

"That’s what I’m worried about." Angel took a step closer to his demon double, and they faced off like old-fashioned gunslingers.

"This is so eerie!" Amy exclaimed as she walked into the kitchen. "You two could use each other to shave." She walked over and stood by Willow. Angel and Angelus stood for a few moments, then at an unspoken command they both stepped back. Amy turned to talk to Willow.

"They’re here." Was all she said. Willow looked at her, then pulled back her shoulders and headed out of the kitchen with Amy close behind her. Angel and Angelus stood staring at each other for a moment, then both hurried after the two girls. They both tried to get through the kitchen door and got stuck. After a moment of both trying to get through Angelus stepped back. He smirked at Angel, then swept his hand towards the door.

"After you." he said condescendingly. Angel glared at him, then walked through the door, Angelus followed laughing to himself.

"So, what was all that about?" Amy hurriedly asked Willow as they walked down the hallway. Willow looked at her innocently.

"What was all what about?" Amy snorted.

"You know exactly what I’m talking about, little miss butter wouldn’t melt in my mouth." Willow smiled, then opened the door to the main room. Amy reached out and held the door before Willow could open it fully.

"We’ll talk about this later.....there is something going on and I want details." Amy’s voice got louder and Willow glanced behind her quickly. Angel and Angelus had nearly caught up with them.

"Shhhhhhh!" Willow stage whispered to Amy, who smiled evilly. Amy let go of the door, and Willow walked through it. (Here goes nothing.)

Everyone looked up as Angel and Angelus entered the room. The brunette sitting on the sofa shot up, and pulled a stake out of her inside jacket pocket and made a move towards the two new arrivals. Giles hastily stood up.

"No, they’re on our side." The brunette stopped and looked at him.

"You people should make up ya minds. First y’all are stake the vamps, now y’all are play nicely and share your toys." Shaking her head the girl moved back to sit down. The older woman she had been sitting next to stood up, and walked towards Willow and Amy.

"Hello, my name is Christine Jenkins, but you can call me Christine." She smiled, and extended her hand to Willow, who shook it, then to Amy who followed Willows example. "You two must be Angel and Angelus." Christine said warily, not extending her hand, but nodding at them politely. Angelus smirked at her obvious discomfort.

"Perhaps we-we should get down to business." Giles interrupted quickly before Angelus could make some comment to purposefully insult and unnerve the female Watcher. Everyone moved to sit down.

"So......G-man, what’s the business?" Xander asked after a few moments of uncomfortable silence.

"W-well, you see, we, Druscilla and Christine and I that is, have looked into the prophecy further, correlated with various other texts and such like....." Cordelia interrupted by coughing. "Yes?" Giles said tersely. She nodded in the brunettes direction. "Oh, I’m terribly sorry, Willow, Amy, this is Faith, the Slayer." Faith looked up and nodded vaguely in their direction. "Yes, well, we’ve correlated and......" he was interrupted by Christine.

"There’s a terrible evil coming, the end of the world in fact, and if the seven of you indicated in the prophecy don’t fight together everything dies." Christine finished for Giles, basically to speed the discussion along.

"And I care because?" Angelus said, in a mocking voice.

"Because everything dies, as in not go to hell but cease to exist, nothingness, are you understanding Pops?" Spike said with a smirk on his face to rival any of Angelus’, his voice oozed sarcasm.

"I’m still your sire, I can make you bleed and beg for me to stake you." Angelus stood up and Spike followed quickly.

"Stop it, the pair of you are acting like spoilt children." Willow said angrily, rising to her feet. "So just sit down and shut the hell up!" Amy was right behind her.

"What she said." Everyone looked in amazement at Willow, who had just collapsed back onto her chair. (I can’t believe I said that out loud.......I can’t believe I said that out loud.....)

"So, how do we.......they, stop it?" Xander asked Giles. "What exactly is ‘it’ anyway?" Giles looked uncomfortably at Christine, who cleared her throat nervously.

"200 years ago the Watchers Council had a......minor civil war. A small group of Watchers were disillusioned with the way the Council battled the forces of darkness, they favoured a more direct approach......" Druscilla broke in.

"They wanted to make a deal with the Devil to fight the demons."

"Yes, well, needless to say the ‘Devil’, was in fact the most powerful Demon of the underworld, as it was then called. They summoned his essence, but it was so evil that they could not contain it, it infused the twelve who performed the summoning, their guilt, self-preservation, love, they were all tainted, twisted to serve the Demon."

"I’m guessing he didn’t want the occasional chicken sandwich and a back-rub?" Xander quipped as Giles paused for breath.

"Think more along the lines of Armageddon and the end of all things. This Demon wants to destroy this universe, and build one he can control. To do this everything apart from him has to be destroyed. That is where the prophecy and you all come in."

"How do we stop it?" Angel asked Giles, who looked up sharply then turned away to speak to the rest of the group.

"Willow stops it. The other six of you are there to protect her, to guide her, and to give her the strength she will need to defeat the Demon."

Amy looked at Willow, who looked about ready to faint. She put her arm around her, and Willow rested her head on her shoulder for a few moments. Then she dragged in a deep breath, and sat up straight.

"How long?" Christine answered.

"Two months......less than two months." Willow bit her bottom lip. (Oh boy.)

"Oh boy."

"So spill. What’s going on between you and Angel?" Amy sat cross-legged on her bed, a spoon in one hand and a tub of chocolate ice-cream in the other. Willow sat in the same position on her bed, but with a tub of vanilla and cookie dough.

"Nothing’s going on." Amy gave her the sure-I-believe-you-thousands-wouldn’t look. "Really." Willow dug her spoon into her ice-cream forcefully, and ripped out a huge chunk.

"Well, if I were you I’d definitely have something going on, or off, with him." Willow and Amy turned as Faith walked in. Willow blushed and Amy smiled.

"Sit down." Amy nodded to the bed she was sitting on, Faith hesitated then walked over and sat down. "Ice-Cream?" Amy held out her tub.

Faith smiled. "Sure." Then frowned. "No spoon." Willow and Amy smiled, then Amy bit her lip and held out her hand, she mumbled a short phrase, then a spoon materialized in her hand. She held it out to Faith.

"Cool." Faith grabbed the spoon and took a big blob of ice-cream.

"Yup." Willow and Amy said at the same time.

"Anyway, enough of the distractions, back to Angel." Amy said, and she turned back to face Willow. (Hellmouth please open.....swallow me now.....why doesn’t it ever swallow you when you want it to?) Willow sighed.

"Okay, maybe, I might.....kinda like him, a little." Willow mumbled into the vanilla ice-cream. Faith whistled, and Amy whooped. "Well, what about you Amy, what’s the deal with you and Angelus?" Willow successfully diverted the attention to her friend.

"Isn’t he the evil one?" Faith asked her, a frown on her face. Amy screwed her face up in thought.

"Technically......evil but, really hot." Amy made the lame excuse, then dug into the chocolate ice-cream.

"Well, can you handle him?" Faith asked her.

"How do you mean?" Amy replied.

"Ya know, with the magick, if you could handle him then I say get horizontal." Faith leered at Amy, which made Willow and Amy burst out laughing. After a minute or so of hysterical giggling Willow managed to speak.

"At least, you won’t, have to, worry about him, losing, his soul." Willow finally managed to say, after gulping for breath a couple of times. Amy and Faith looked at her, then they all laughed even harder.

The door burst open, and a disgruntled, sleepy Angelus came roaring in. "Would you three mind keeping it down, there are people who are trying to sleep living here you know."

"You’re not people, and you definitely aren’t living." Amy retorted. Angelus glared at her, trying to come up with some scathing retort, finally he gave up and stormed out, muttering to himself about women.

The three girls looked at his retreating back, then at each other, then they burst out laughing again.

"Nooooooo!" Willow wailed. Amy and Faith looked up from their nails, which were being painted several interesting shades, all at once. "I’m out." She held up her now empty tub. She climbed to her feet.

"Grab us some more while you’re up." Amy said to Willow as she headed towards the door. Willow nodded and headed along the hallway, down the stairs, and towards the kitchen. When she got there she headed towards the fridge and rummaged around in the freezer for a few moments, then triumphantly pulled out a tub of strawberry and a tub of pistachio ice-cream. (Thank the goddess for Xander and his shopping priorities.)

She kicked the freezer door closed with her foot, then turned round with the ice-cream in her arms and ran directly into a very large, very solid chest.

"Oh, hi Angel." Willow stepped back quickly, and almost dropped the tubs, Angel quickly grabbed them from her, and smiled. (Gorgeous, sigh, naughty!) "So, ermm, how are you?" (Stupid, stupid, stupid!)

"Fine." Angel looked thoughtful. "You’re certainly going through a lot of ice-cream." Willow giggled nervously.

"Girls-night." She explained quickly whilst taking the tubs back from him, they both held onto them for a few seconds, then Angel finally let them go.

"Oh." Angel replied, they both stared at their feet for a minute or so, then both suddenly spoke.

"Bye."

"Night."

They both rushed off in different directions. Willow headed back to her room.

"Jesus, don’t do that." Faith exclaimed as Amy popped back into the room with a flash of light. "You tell her to get the chocolate too?" Amy shook her head, and smiled slowly at Faith, who frowned.

"I saw something verrrrry interesting. We have planning to do." She winked conspiratorially at Faith, who stared back at her dumbly.

"Huh?"

Amy explained. "Willow and Angel, in the kitchen, acting very strangely." Faith gasped.

"Ohhhh. Why didn’t you just say so.......sexual tension right?" Amy frowned.

"Well, you could put it that way, if you wanted to be crude." Faith smiled slowly, and replied with what would be considered as a patented Steve McQueen grin.

"Always."

"Hold it......hold it, just a little longer." Willow pleaded with Amy, who was sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, sweat trickling down the side of her face, her eyes screwed tightly shut. "Just a minute more."

Thump! Amy looked up. "Sorry Spike." The blonde vampire picked himself up, and dusted himself off.

"No problem pet." He said, with friendly sarcasm.

"Nice form, but a little shaky on the dismount." Willow said, laughing. Clang. Amy looked over at the two sparring vampires.

"I’d be able to concentrate, if you two would go work off your testosterone somewhere else." She shouted across, glaring at Angelus.

He glanced over, distracted slightly. Angel lunged at him, using his doubles break in concentration as an opportunity to end the fight. He plunged his sword towards Angelus’ chest, it entered him smoothly. Angel grinned, then pulled the sword back out, watching Angelus’ vampire flesh heal up almost instantaneously due to a spell Amy had put on the weapons they were using.

"People, we have a winner." Faith said from the couch.

"That’s not fair, the witch distracted me." Angelus moaned, then glared at Amy as she grinned evilly at him.

"All’s fair in love and war." she said to him.

"Why do I think she’s referring to both?" Faith whispered to Willow.

"Huh?" Willow asked, uncomprehendingly. Faith nodded in Amy’s direction, then she turned and looked in Angelus’ direction, who by this time had turned away and was drying himself off with a towel whilst muttering to himself.

"Ya know. Amy has a thing for him." Faith waited for Willow to catch on.

"Oh!......Ohhhhhhhh." Willow quickly looked at Amy, then at Angelus, then back to Amy. "That’s bad though, ‘cos he’s a vampire and, well, evil." Faith smiled slightly, it was time to put operation Love Bug into action.

"A couple of weeks ago that would have been my reaction, but now I’ve gotten to know a couple of vampires, and when they’re not killing people they can be quite okay to know." Willow chewed on a lock of her hair, a thoughtful look on her face. She looked over at Angel, then quickly looked back at Faith, who was trying to pretend she hadn’t noticed Willows preoccupation with the vampire.

"So......vampires, in regards to relationships aren’t....you wouldn’t say, definitely, that they’re sick, sick and wrong?" Willow looked at Faith from under her eyelashes, trying to gauge her friends reaction.

Faith pretended to think about Willows question, then she finally took pity on her and answered. "No. It depends on the vamp I suppose. Take broodboy over there, he’s a vamp, but a relationship with him wouldn’t automatically mean a person going straight to hell."

Faith stood up, deciding to let Willow think it over. "Well, I’m gonna go train with Christine." She headed off, and caught Amy’s eye. The witch looked up and Faith nodded and winked. Amy smiled, then went back to her book.

Amy looked up as someone stood in her light. "Do you mind?" She glared at Angelus.

"Actually, no......I don’t." He looked down at her and smirked.

"You come over here to thank me?" Amy asked him, turning the page over.

"Thank you for what?" He growled at her, crouching down so they were at eye level.

"For ending the fight with Angel that you were so obviously losing." She said, hiding a smile. His eyes narrowed, and he started to grind his teeth. He looked at her menacingly, and she smiled at him sweetly.

"I was not losing." He finally managed.

"Really? If you say so." She looked back at her book, then stood up, gathering all of her stuff.

"Where are you going?" He asked her incredulously, as she walked away from him.

"Out." She said, and headed towards the garden.

"It’s 1:00am, there’s vampires out there." She looked back at him and grinned at his stupid comment.

"Really? Ya think?" She continued towards the door, with Angelus following her. Faith stepped into the room, and smiled.

"Two down, three to go." She said to the empty room. Then she headed towards the kitchen. "Hey Christine."

"Hello Faith." She looked back at the book she was reading, and Faith headed over to the fridge.

"Watcha readin’?" Faith asked, as she sat down at the table with a bowl of cereal. Christine looked up absently, then waved her hand at Faith vaguely.

"The Watchers Diaries." Faith smiled.

"Which volume?" She asked innocently, taking a heaped spoon of cereal and cramming it into her already full mouth. Christine looked up guiltily, then blushed slightly.

"Ermm.....well, it’s Rup-Giles’ actually." She stammered, closing the book quickly. Faith looked at her consideringly.

"Speaking of Giles, I think he left a message earlier." The other woman looked up quickly.

"Really?!? What......what was the message?" She finished off, trying to sound calmer than she was. Faith shook her head slowly, and shrugged her shoulders.

"I dunno. Something about working on some strategies over at his place." Faith looked at Christine, who had stood up hastily.

"Well then, I had best be going......over to work on battle plans that is." She backed away from the table, and practically ran out of the kitchen. About a minute later Faith heard the front door slam, and then a car starting.

"I’m good." She said to herself.

"Really?" A voice interrupted he thoughts, and she turned to see Druscilla walking into the kitchen. Faith grinned at her, debating how much she should tell the older woman. She finally gave into temptation.

"You like Angel, right?" Druscilla nodded. "And ya like Willow." She nodded again, then waited for the brunette to continue. "Would ya like Angel and Willow together? As in a couple?"

Druscilla smiled, and nodded her head again. "They are meant to be." Was all she said. Faith smiled.

"Well, destiny could always use a helpin’ hand. So why don’t you take Spike and go somewhere, and do whatever else apart from killin’ that you vampires do." Druscilla smiled, and nodded her understanding. Both women stood up, Druscilla headed towards the library to get Spike, and Faith headed out of the mansion to patrol.

Five minutes later the only sounds were of Willow working on her computer, and Angel taking out some serious aggression on a punching bag.

"Busy?" Willow looked up as Angel walked into her room.

"Not really. I’m just going over some spells, nothing that can’t wait." Willow watched as he sat at the desk.

"I was thinking, maybe I could help you learn to protect yourself in combat.....if you want to that is." Angel finished nervously. Willow smiled at him and nodded enthusiastically. They both got up and headed to the makeshift gym.

"Where do we start?" Willow asked him. He nodded at the mats, and Willow walked over onto them.

"I’ll show you some basic throws, to help you escape an opponent rather than fight with them." Willow nodded. "I’m going to attack you." He said, and Willow smiled.

"Thanks for the warning." He moved towards her then suddenly lunged. He grabbed her arm and she spun quickly. Then using his momentum she flipped him over using her back and his hold on her. He thumped into the mat, and lay on his back for a few seconds.

Willow helped him up, and grinned mischievously at his look of astonishment. Finally she took pity on him. "After I got out of hospital Mom had a rare moment of parentalness and enrolled me in a self-defence class." He nodded slowly.

"Why don’t you show me what you’ve learned so far." Willow smiled, then lashed out at him with her foot, he stumbled backwards but managed to stay upright. Smiling slightly he moved towards her. (He won’t underestimate wiley-Willow, no sirree........ouch!) Willow lay on her back, and stared up at the light.

"I think we need to work on your concentration." Angel said as he pulled her to her feet.

(How can I work on my concentration when he’s half-naked?) "Excuse me?" Angel asked her, startled. Willow slapped her hand over her mouth.

"Goddess, did I say that out loud?" She looked at Angel, and by the expression on his face she could tell that she had. She backed away, then ran out of the room. Angel stared after her in shock, then headed after her, a determined look on his face.

"Are we there yet?" Angelus whined. Amy glanced behind her and glared.

"Why don’t you just go......bite someone or something." She climbed over a fence, and headed down a steep slope.

Angelus caught up with her as they neared some houses. "Where are we going?" He asked her again, this time in a more polite voice. She stared at him for a moment, then sighed and answered him.

"I’m going home........I need to get some of my stuff, so will you please go away." She quickened her pace.

"Can’t I come?" Angelus asked her, a huge smirk on his face.

"If you think I’m going to invite an evil master vampire into my home, then you’re even crazier than I thought you were." She retorted scathingly. "Just....go away." Angelus scowled and headed in the other direction, a frustrated look on his face. He walked for about a minute, but turned quickly when he heard screaming.

"ANGELUS!!!" Amy shouted, and he ran towards the blond witch, who was struggling with a masked man.

"Get her into the van. Now!" Her attacker shouted to his partner, who moved forward and suddenly hit her over the head with a stick. When Angelus saw Amy slump over, he growled and increased his speed. The two men quickly bundled an unresponsive Amy into the van, and roared off into the night. Angelus chased the van halfway down the street before he realised that he couldn’t catch it. He slowed down and shouted after the vehicle.

"AMY!!!!!"

"Willow......Willow.......wait!" Angel finally caught up with the fleeing girl just as she entered her room. He reached to grab her, but somehow they managed to get tangled together and ended up on the bed. Angel sprawled on top of Willow, who was breathing heavily and was as white as a sheet. (Oh goddess......oh goddess.......shirtless Angel on top of me.........smells good......ick, no.......bad Willow.)

Angel stared at her for a minute, he could see her inner-conflict. Slowly his lips moved closer to hers, and he could feel her warm breath on his cheek. Willows eyes got even wider, and she gasped. (Angel lips.....Angel lips.......Angel kissage.....mmmmmmmmmmm) Willow paused, then gave up and started to kiss him back.

"Get your asses down here now!" Faith screamed at the top of her lungs, she was standing at the bottom of the stairs. Willow bolted upright, and Angel fell off the bed in surprise.

"Ouch." Willow peered over the side of the bed and looked contrite.

"Sorry." Then she scrambled off the bed, and somehow managed to get tangled up in the covers. She fell over the edge and landed on top of Angel, her elbow slammed into his stomach, and their heads cracked together.

"Owwwww!" They both exclaimed. Willow managed to stumble upright, and Angel followed her, rubbing at his head and clutching his battered torso as he did so. Willow shot out of the room, leaving a bemused and befuddled Angel to follow her.

"What’s wrong?" Willow gasped as she got to the bottom of the stairs.

"It’s Amy." Faith replied, and led Willow into the main room, where Giles, Angelus, and Christine were arguing.

"Where is she?" She asked Giles. He looked up at her, sadness evident in his gaze.

"I’m sorry Willow....she’s, that is, Amy i-is......" Angelus broke in harshly.

"She’s been taken." Willow stared at him in shock, then her legs went weak. Faith grabbed her arm, but Willow shooed her away. The slayer took a step back, but remained close by.

"What are we going to do?" Angel asked, he’d entered the room in time to here Angelus’ statement. His double looked up at him, anger in his face.

"We get her back." Was all he said.

"We simply m-must have a plan of some sort. We cannot simply barge in to wherever she is being held and kill everyone." Giles said to the pacing Angelus.

"Why not?" Was the reply.

"I hate to say this, but I agree with him. Why the bloody hell not?" Spike spoke up for his sire, who had resumed his pacing after glaring at Giles.

"B-because, we, it, simply isn’t done th-that way." Was Giles’ flimsy response.

"I have a plan." Willow said, nobody acknowledged her except for Faith, who had been sitting quietly throughout the entire discussion. "I said, I have a plan!" Willow shouted, after she realised that they weren’t listening to her. Everyone jumped at Willows shout, then they all turned to look at her.

"Well pet?" Spike said finally, after Willow didn’t speak. "The plan." He reminded her. Willow shook her head.

"Yeah...yes, the plan. Look, these people took Amy because she’s part of the prophecy, right?" Christine and Giles nodded, the rest just continued to stare at her. "But why take her, can Amy affect the prophecy that much?" Everyone looked at everyone else.

"No, you are the only one who can affect the outcome." Druscilla said.

"Exactly. So, maybe they took Amy because they knew that if they wanted to trade, then I’d make you all go along with it." Willow finished excitedly. Everyone apart from Cordelia looked worried.

"Trade what?" She asked naively. Everyone turned to look at Willow. After a moment it clicked. "Oh! Oh." Cordelia frowned. "That would be bad though, end of the world, everyone dies painfully bad, right?" She looked around her, and Giles nodded absently at her.

"What are you suggesting Willow?" He asked.

"I’m suggesting that when they contact us to negotiate, we.....negotiate." Willow said simply. Angel jumped to his feet.

"No!" He shouted. Everyone looked at him in surprise. Faith and Druscilla exchanged a smug look, but no-one except Spike noticed. "I...we, won’t let you put yourself at risk." Angel continued. Willow stood up angrily.

"Hang on there buster, I think that’s my decision to make. So if you don’t mind I’ll make it, the decision that is." Faith moved between them.

"Time-out." She held up her hands. Angelus walked over to Willow, his eyes glittering.

"What’s the plan?" He asked her.

"This plan sucks." Cordelia said to Xander, who nodded absently and continued to watch Angel and Willow arguing. Faith sighed loudly, then headed to the kitchen for supplies. The argument between the witch and the vampire had been going on for fifteen minutes already, and didn’t look like it was going to stop anytime soon.

"Hey." Faith said, as Druscilla walked in. The vampiress nodded her head slightly, and grabbed a packet of blood out of the fridge. She emptied it into a mug, and heated it in the microwave. "Do you think Angel will let Willow go?" Faith asked.

Druscilla shook her head and smiled slightly. "He loves her to much to allow her to be in that much danger." The microwave pinged, and Faith nodded resignedly.

"Ya know, all we need is a way for Red to be there, without actually being there." She shrugged in defeat, then headed back into the war-zone.

Druscilla paused, the mug of blood in her hand. She frowned in thought. "Not actually there." She mused to herself. Then straightened up suddenly, and headed towards her room.

"You’re not going!" Angel shouted.

"Yes I am!" Willow screamed back at him.

"No you’re not!" He moved closer to her, and loomed over her. She craned her neck and glared at him.

"I am!" She exclaimed forcefully.

"Shut the bloody hell up!" Spike shouted, before the argument could get even more childish. Everyone turned to him. "Dru has a plan." He nodded at the woman who had just quietly entered the room.

"It’s Faith’s idea, actually." Druscilla said, and everyone turned to look at Faith who shrugged. "What if there was a way for Willow to make the exchange, without Willow actually being there." Everyone looked perplexed. Druscilla turned to the two watchers.

"Have you heard of the theory about alternate universes?" She asked them. They continued to look perplexed.

"You mean the one about every action we take leading to a different outcome, and all of them coming true?" Everyone turned to look at Xander, their mouths hanging open. "Hey, I watch Sliders." Druscilla smiled, then continued to explain her plan.

"Uck, oh goddess, who hit me with the wall?" Amy struggled to open her eyes. "Ack, bright." She squinted, and her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. "Why am I hanging on a wall?" She said to herself, looking around the room.

The walls were a rough rock, probably a cave Amy decided. She turned her head painfully, and could just about see the shackles on her wrists. There wasn’t much in the room, just her, and an old wooden chair. It was about two meters away. Amy started to ponder her situation.

"Why me? I mean, I’m not an integral part of the group, yeah, big prophecy involving me but Willow’s the one who............Willow." Amy suddenly realised exactly why she had been captured.

Suddenly clapping awoke her from her thoughts. "Well done. I see you understand your part in all of this." The man looked around. "I hope you aren’t to uncomfortable."

"Oh no, that’s okay. Some curtains, a few lamps, flowers....this place could be home." She quipped. The man smiled predatorily at her. "They’ll never trade." Amy said defiantly.

"Yes, they will. The Child will make them." He said, walking over to her. He ran his hand down the side of her face. Amy held her breath.

"Wha-what are you g-going to do with me?" She asked.

"You’re the bait my dear, I won’t hurt you........until after the trade. Then I’ll kill you." He said matter-of-factly. Then he turned and walked away. Amy held her breath till she was sure he was gone, then she started to cry silently. Tears running down her cheeks.

"Oh goddess, Willow. Oh goddess.....oh goddess." She cried for a few minutes, realising what she’d lose if she died. What she’d never say.

"This had better work." Angelus snarled at Willow. Angel looked about ready to deck him, but Willow held him back. Angelus stalked over to where Giles and Druscilla were talking.

"He’s worried, that’s all." Willow tried to placate Angel, who looked puzzled. "About Amy." She explained. Angel still had no idea what she was talking about. "He likes her, maybe even loves in fact." She said simply, and Angel gasped, and turned to look at his double. Who was annoying Giles, and generally being a nuisance.

"You’re kidding?" He exclaimed, turning back to Willow, who shook her head.

"It gets better. Amy, she totally 100% likes him back." Willow smiled.

"Does he know, that she....I mean.....that is...he’s evil, how can she?" Willow smiled at him sadly.

"He doesn’t know how she feels, and she’s to blind to see how he feels. You can’t choose who you love, you just do. Even if it’s wrong, or bad for you, or even if the other person doesn’t love you in return." She shook her head, embarrassed.

(I’m mooning over him like a lovesick puppy, he’ll know.....back to work, now!) Willow turned back to the book, and she didn’t notice the look on Angels face, he had made his decision.

"Right, we can get started now." Giles walked over to them. Willow nodded, then followed him back across the room.

Willows eyes were closed, and she was kneeling in the middle of a candlelit circle. Druscilla, Spike, Giles, Angelus and Angel all stood just outside. Watching the amazing light and wind show that the spell had created. Images flashed through Willows mind.

(Hellmouth....monster......vampire....Master.....blood........pain......Angel......death......) They came so fast that Willow’s thoughts couldn’t keep up with them. Her head dropped onto her chest and there was a blinding flash of light. Then silence.

"Did it work?" Giles asked Willow, who was pulling herself off the ground slowly. She gulped, and nodded. Then started to close the circle. "Where are they?" Giles said, looking around. Willow walked over to them.

"The Bronze." She said assuredly, then headed out into the night. Angel caught up with her quickly.

"Are you alright?" he asked her worriedly. She sighed tiredly, and nodded. The group went the rest of the way in silence. (Oh goddess, I hope this was a good idea.......if it’s not then we are screwed, with a capital S. and speech marks......maybe even actions as well......okay.......don’t stare at Angel, don’t stare.....to late.)

"It’s locked." Giles said, when he tried the door. Angel smiled, and took a large key out of his pocket.

"Not for us it isn’t." Angelus said, as Angel opened the door. It was very dark inside the Bronze. (Eerie.....the lights are on but nobody’s....)

"Ack!" Willow managed to whimper as the arm tightened around her neck.

"Why hello there, fancy meeting me here." Everyone else turned to look.

"Willow!" Angel shouted. Willow and her attacker responded.

"Yes?" They both said, at exactly the same time, in exactly the same tone of voice. Nobody said anything for a minute or so.

"Why am I here?" The vampire asked Angelus.

"We need your help." He replied simply.

"I care because?" Willow smiled evilly, and tightened her hold on Willow. Angel inched towards them, and Willow growled at him.

"Get any closer and I pop off her head." Then she smiled suddenly, and let Willow go. "Well, what do you need my help with?" She asked Willow, as the mortal girl dragged in much needed air.

"Saving the world." Willow replied, after catching her breath. Her double stared at her, and cocked one eyebrow. "Our world ends, so does yours." Willow stated. (Hope she’s not too insane, this has to work.) The vampire frowned.

"I like my world, it’s all pain and death and blood." She spoke in a childish voice.

"Sounds like fun." Angelus quipped. Willow looked over at him, and smiled slightly.

"I like you. You’re much more fun than my Puppy." She said to him, then she tapped the side of her head in thought. "Ahhhh....oh Puppy, come out and play Puppy." She called to the darkness. After a few moments one of the shadows moved. Someone stepped forwards into the dim light. (Angel?)

He looked like Angel, but after that the resemblance ended. His head was bowed, his posture screamed defeat. His hair fell messily into his eyes, and he had numerous small cuts and burns all over his torso. He wasn’t wearing any shoes, and his trousers were dirty and frayed. "Say hello to Puppy everyone. Be a good boy." She said, as she walked over to him. He nodded slightly, and looked at the people around him.

Giles looked shocked, as did Willow. Angelus looked angry, Angel looked perplexed, and Spike and Druscilla did nothing but watch the scene unfolding. Their expressions indecipherable.

"Well, you in or not luv?" Spike asked as he lit a cigarette. The red-haired vampire thought for a moment.

"Nothing better to do." She took hold of Puppy’s arm, and led him outside. Everyone else followed in her wake.

"She keeps staring at me." Xander whispered to Cordelia, who snorted at him, then went back to flipping through some womens magazine that was about three months old.

"Don’t be stupid." She replied.

Xander stood up and went to find Giles. He made it to the hallway when a voice stopped him. "Where are you going Xander, don’t you want to talk?" he gulped and turned around.

"Nope, nope, that’s quite alright....companionable silences are much better than actual conversation.......actions speak louder than words.......and stuff." He backed away, and started to turn to run. She was just about to grab his arm when Spike walked up to them.

"It’s time ducks." he walked to the main room, whistling a jaunty tune as he went. Xander skirted round Willow, and hurried after him. Willow smiled at the human boy’s retreating back.

"Boy’s are no fun........I think I’ll play with someone else instead." She followed them slowly, her mind working on overload. She smirked to herself as a plan of action formed itself as she walked.

"Haven’t you got anything less.......pastel?" The vampire said with a look of disgust on her face. Willow shook her head in apology, and her double sighed and started to change into the offensive clothing. Cordelia looked at Willow, then looked at her vampire double.

"We can’t call you both Willow, it’s way to confusing." She declared after a moment. The vampire looked up.

"Call me Red." She said negligently, then went back to getting dressed. Faith frowned, looking at Willow, then at Will...Red.

"We’re gonna have to do something about your hair." She said. The vampire scowled at her.

"What’s wrong with my hair?" She asked the brunette in a dangerous voice. Faith backed up slightly and her eyes widened, somehow Cordelia managed to miss the danger signs.

"Well, for starters, it’s.....how do I put this? Limp. It lacks....shine, bounce, life." (She’s right there) Willow mentally giggled. "You know, I have this great coconut butter moisturiser that should help with that." She muttered as she headed out of the room. Willow and Faith looked at each other as Red growled ominously.

"I don’t suppose this would be the best time to bring up skin tone?" Willow asked timidly. Her twin growled even louder, and Willow and Faith beat a hasty retreat.

"Anyone for blood?" Spike asked as he headed towards the kitchen. Xander pulled a face, and when he spoke his voice was literally dripping with sarcasm.

"Yes thanks, O negative if it’s not too much trouble." Spike scowled at him, then he turned to the other vampires in the room. They all shook their heads, and he headed off to the kitchen. The room lapsed back into silence.

"Bloomin’hell, I’ve been in rowdier tombs. Lighten up." Spike exclaimed as he entered the room, a mug of blood in one hand and a chicken sandwich in the other.

"I don’t find anything in this situation that could possibly lead to-to ...lightheartedness in any form." Giles said sharply, then went back to studying a book, occasionally glancing over at Christine. Christine was also reading a book, and stealing covert glances at Giles while he wasn’t looking. Spike rolled his eyes at Druscilla, who smiled slightly.

"When do we go?" Angelus suddenly exclaimed, causing everyone to jump slightly.

"Heel boy.....we’ll go when the girls are ready." Xander frowned in thought. "We men seem to say that a lot." All the men in the room nodded slightly, but then stopped when they realised they were doing it. Druscilla and Christine shared a look of understanding and smiled smugly to themselves.

"Where’re you going?" Angel asked Angelus, as he headed towards the door of the mansion.

"Out.........dad." Angelus smirked at his counterpart condescendingly. Angel nodded slowly, and stood up. He paused, and turned to his other double. He stumbled slightly on what to call him.

"Ermm....Puppy....would you join us?" The vampire looked up at the sound of his name, and nodded slightly. The three identical vampires left the mansion and headed out into the night.

"Is it me, or is that bloody weird." Spike said to the room. Xander nodded seriously.

"Right there with you, buddy."

"Ouch!" Red exclaimed, as Faith dragged the comb through her hair.

"Your a vamp for gods ‘sakes, quit your whining." Willow smiled at the two of them indulgently, and brought the liquid closer to the vampire. She backed away suddenly.

"Don’t you dare come near me with that. I’m warning you......I’ll bite." She actually seemed quite scared of the bottle Willow was holding up.

"Come on, it won’t kill you." Willow exclaimed.

"It’s pink!" The vampire exclaimed, backing into the wall. Willow frowned.

"Well, I wear pink nail-varnish.....so you have to." Faith grabbed the vampire, and pulled her over to the desk, where she forcibly held the struggling vampire down. The red-heads shoulders slumped in defeat, and Willow gleefully painted the vile colour onto nails that had previously been red.....blood red in fact.

Faith looked at the vampire she was holding down. "Why do you do it?" She asked her seriously.

"Do what?" The vampire asked harshly.

"Pretend to be, well.....insane. A few banana’s short of a bunch." Willow nodded, getting into the game.

"A few houses short of a street." She added helpfully.

Faith frowned in thought. "A couple of guys short of an orgy." Willow pulled a face.

"You win." She said to the Slayer. The vampire looked thoughtful.

"Power." She said cryptically. (She’s been taking lessons from Angel.....or would it be Puppy.....) Faith and Willow looked at her blankly.

"As far as vampires go I’m young. There are only two real ways to get power, the first would be age......." Willow interrupted her.

"Example of which being The Master." Red nodded and continued.

"The second way is to make every other vampire afraid of you. An insane demon is one who will do and risk anything.....they have no sense of their own mortality, which scares the vampires who are actually afraid of getting dusted, so they don’t cross you."

Willow and Faith nodded. (That sounds reasonable......hang on a minute, now I’m scared......an evil vampire version of me is making sense.....what have I become?) Willow shook her head, and resumed torturing her double.

"Okay, now the other hand." She said to Faith, who smiled evilly at the vampires look of pitiful defeat as she watched her nails turning pink before her eyes.

They had been walking for about half an hour. So far in silence, Angel sighed, then said what was on his mind ever since The Bronze.

"Do you love her?" Angelus and Puppy looked up at him, startled. They both had "who, me?" looks on their faces. He nodded at both of them. Angelus scowled, and Puppy looked away.

"Do you?" Angelus asked Angel instead of replying. Angel stared at him for a moment, then accepted defeat. He nodded slightly. Angelus looked surprised that he’d actually said yes.

"Well, seeing as though we’re going in for a heavy bonding session, I suppose that I do too. Amy, that is." Angelus amended, just in case Angel thought he meant Willow. Angel smiled slightly, then they both turned to look at Puppy. He blinked at him, then averted his eyes, not wanting to answer.

"You don’t have to say it, it’s obvious." Angelus said finally, and Puppy looked at him in surprise.

"H-how is it obvious?" He asked quietly. Angelus sighed, then nodded at Angel.

"We all know that you could have left by now, or tricked her into killing you....if you really wanted to. But you haven’t, which means that you had a reason to stay." Angelus continued when Angel paused.

"I’m guessing it wasn’t for the torture......I was never one for being the tortured." He smiled slightly, reminiscing. Angel shuddered slightly, a wave of memories coming to the surface. He hastily shut them out.

"Are you going to turn her?" Angel asked Angelus, who looked thoughtful for a minute.

"No. I like her how she is. There is more than one way to make someone immortal and....." Angelus broke off, realising what he’d just admitted to.

Angel smiled at Angelus’ slip of the tongue, then took pity on his demon double. "My thoughts exactly." Angelus smiled at him, then straightened his shoulders.

"They should be ready by now." He said, then turned back towards the mansion. Angel nodded at Puppy, who seemed lost in his thoughts, and the two souled vampires headed after him.

"Ta-da!" Cordelia exclaimed to the room as she flung her arms wide. Faith and Willow forcibly escorted the unwilling vampiress into the room. Everybody’s mouth dropped open in shock.

"You know, I thought I’d gotten used to more than one version of someone walking around.....but this is just plain freaky." Xander said to himself, and Giles nodded, wholeheartedly agreeing with him. Angelus stood up impatiently.

"Well then, let’s go." He headed out of the mansion. Everyone stood up at once, and followed him out in two’s. Giles walked alongside Christine, who was smiling slightly. Cordelia grabbed Xander, Spike held Druscilla’s hand, Willow headed out with Angel, and Faith, Red, and Puppy brought up the rear. The slayer was the last one out, so she locked the door behind them.

"How come I’m the only un-coupled person here?" She asked herself, then she ran to catch up with the departing group. "Oh well, at least I’m gonna get to kick some serious butt."

Amy looked up as she heard her captors approaching. "I am calm.....I am calm." She took several deep, relaxing breaths, then resumed hyperventilating. The man who had spoken to her before walked over.

"Hello my dear. I hope you’re enjoying yourself.....soon you’ll be dead, and your friends will follow you." Amy stared at him, then did the only thing she could. She spat in his face. He roared and wiped his face, then he backhanded her.

"Ohwwm." Amy’s head his the wall, and her ears began to ring. The man grabbed her face tightly, and snarled at her.

"Little bitch. You’re going to die painfully for that." Then he relaxed slightly, and backed away from her. He nodded at the men who had followed him into the room, then he left. The men moved forward and began untying her, then they dragged her after their leader.

"We’re here." Puppy shouted to the empty clearing. Nothing.

"We’ve been stood up, mate." Spike said, lighting a cigarette. The bushes in front of them suddenly rustled, and a group of men came out, one of them was dragging Amy by her hair, her hands were tied behind her back. Angelus snarled, and Amy looked up at him, eyes wide, fear emanating from her hunched frame.

"The Witch for The Child. Deal?" The leader of the men asked Puppy. Who nodded slightly. Red walked forwards, head bent down slightly, eyes firmly planted on the ground. The leader of the men nodded and Amy was released. She stumbled towards her friends, as she passed Red their gazes locked.

Amy’s eyes went wide, then she continued to walk forwards, a slight smile in her eyes. Suddenly all hell broke loose. One of the men reached into his coat and pulled out a gun, he aimed at Amy and squeezed the trigger. Angelus launched himself at the blonde witch, and tackled her to the ground. The bullet whizzed over their heads and embedded itself into an unassuming oak tree.

A lot happened at once after that. Puppy, Spike, and Faith launched themselves towards Amy’s kidnappers, Druscilla started chanting, Giles and Christine started firing tranquillizer darts at the men, and Willow and Angel rushed out from behind.

Angel hit the first man he came to on the head with a stout stick, and Willow released her spell. The five men closest to her keeled over suddenly, then lay still on the ground, sleeping soundly. The rest of the bad-guys pulled out their guns and aimed at their attackers. Nothing happened. They stared at their guns in confusion, still pumping the trigger.

All at once they shot off into the trees. Only a few were left behind, they were fighting with the three vampires and the slayer. A few minutes later the fight was over. Fifteen bodies littered the clearing, and you could smell and see the blood, it was everywhere.

"Bloody good scuffle." Spike said to no-one in particular. Angelus smiled, and helped Amy to her feet. He had been lying on top of her during the entire fight, protecting her with his body. Amy smiled slightly at him, and Willow rushed over to hug her friend. They both started sobbing with relief.

"You’re alright...you’re alright, you are alright? This is all my fault.......I’m so-so sorry." Willow stammered, unsure of what to say. Amy pulled back slightly, and tried to reassure her friend.

"I’m fine, this is not your fault, we’re gonna be okay." Willow gave her a watery smile, then sniffed. Amy turned slightly.

"Thank you." She said to the group. "All of you." She glanced at Angelus, then quickly looked away. Druscilla nodded knowingly at Faith, who tried unsuccessfully to keep her grin in.

"We’d better get Amy home." Angelus said, as he walked over to her. He took off his leather coat and wrapped it around her. He stared down at her for a moment, then took hold of her arm lightly. "Who did that?" He asked her, gently running his hand down one side of her face.

"The red-haired one....he got away I guess." She replied after glancing round for her attacker. He frowned.

"Not for long." He promised her, she smiled at him. Then he did something that shocked the entire group. He leaned down, and kissed her. Not an ordinary kiss.....a one of those passionate, sunset, lovers reunited kisses. The ones that cause the earth to move, or at least sit up and take notice. Faith wolf whistled, and Spike grinned at his sire and started clapping.

The two lovers broke apart, Amy was breathless, Angelus smug.

"I-I perhaps, we should, that is, leave now?" Giles stammered. Everyone waited for a moment, then as one headed towards the mansion.

"Well?" Willow stared at Amy. "Something happened while I was "vacationing", and I want to know what." Faith smiled, and backed her up.

"Yeah Wills, dish." Willow looked around the room, begging someone to save her. Druscilla just smiled at her, and Red was smirking with pure unadulterated enjoyment.

"I know you want him." He vampire twin said.

"How do you.....I mean, what makes you think I want An....anyone?" Willow went bright red, and stared at her shoes. (Uh-oh.)

"That’s simple. I want my Puppy, my Puppy wants me. So you want your Angel, and your Angel wants you." Amy nodded, then looked questioningly at Willow.

"Well, we.....sorta kissed but it wasn’t a proper kiss ‘cos we got interrupted so the smoochies were, only half smoochies but they were nice smoochies and now I’m thinking maybe Angel doesn’t want Willow kissage." Willows words all ran together, and the other women in the room just about managed to understand her.

"I’m sure he does, who wouldn’t want Willow kissage?" Amy tried to reassure her friend. Willow smiled hopefully.

"Do you really think that......." She was interrupted by the phone ringing. Faith picked it up.

"Yeah?" She snapped, she wanted to hear what Willow was going to say. She frowned. "Who? Okay," she looked at the rest of the group.

"Someone called Odd wants to talk to Willow." Willow and Amy looked at each other, extremely puzzled. Suddenly it dawned on Willow, and she leapt up and grabbed the phone from Faith, then she headed out into the hall.

"Who’s Odd?" Red asked, Faith snickered slightly.

Amy frowned, a worried look on her face. "That would be Oz......Willow’s boyfriend."

Xander and Cordelia walked into the mansion. "Well?" Angelus asked them before they could close the door behind them. Cordelia huffed at his haste, and headed upstairs to find Willow.

"We followed them to the other side of town. They’re holed up in the old Michael’s Way quarry. Highly unsanitary, and as Cordy would say, in desperate need of an interior decorator." Giles nodded, then turned to Angel.

"There isn’t long left now. We simply m-must practice more. Willow must be stronger than she is." Angel nodded sadly, then headed off to find the girl who had been constantly in his thoughts over the past few days.

"I’m sorry.....I’m really, really sorry......I didn’t mean for this to happen.....honestly." Willow said to the person opposite her, who just stared back at her. "I never wanted to hurt you, I still love you Oz, it’s just not love love, I have love love with Angel, with you it’s sweet friendship love and......ughhhh that was lame." Willow pulled a face and the person opposite her did the same.

"You talking to your reflection again? I thought we’d talked about that." Amy said as she strolled into the bathroom. She started rummaging through the cupboard. Willow glared at her, then sat on the edge of the bath and sighed loudly. She waited for a moment, and when Amy didn’t say anything she sighed even louder.

Finally she gave up. "Watcha looking for?" She asked her friend, who was now rummaging through the sink cabinet. Amy didn’t turn round.

"My Offspring album." Willow stared at her.

"Okay.....and you’re looking in the bathroom why?" Amy looked at her in surprise.

"Everything always turns up in the bathroom.....plus the brunette-slayer-faerie might of had something to do with the fact that it’s AWOL." Willow nodded sagely, then frowned.

"I don’t know how to tell Oz." She moaned. Amy looked up and smiled at her.

"You could always drop him a few hints.....make out with Angel just as he comes into the room."

"I think that’d be an anvil." Faith quipped, as she entered the bathroom. "Whatcha doin’?"

"Willow’s moaning ‘cos she hasn’t told her boyfriend that she’s two-timing him with one of the un-dead." Amy explained.

"Well, Amy’s looking for her Offspring album, which she accused you of moving." Willow responded. Amy looked at her and glared good-naturedly. "Besides, you’re dating a member of the un-dead species." Faith grinned.

"I second Willows motion, and I move that the last comment be stricken from the record." Amy stuck her tongue out, and started looking through the cupboard again.

"We’re not technically dating though, for the record. He hasn’t spoken to me since that wow-kiss when you guy’s rescued me. Maybe he’s regretting the wow-kiss, maybe his end wasn’t wow, maybe it was just..." Suddenly a voice broke in.

"Why are you all in the bathroom....have I walked in on a shower-orientated orgy? If so, why wasn’t I invited?" Xander asked them seriously. Willow nearly fell in the bath, and Amy and Faith started laughing. (I know how to get rid of him.)

"Why Xander, do I....is that Red I hear, coming this way?" Xanders head shot up, and he glanced behind himself, then he sprinted out of the bathroom as if a whole army of zombies was on his tail. Amy and Faith laughed even harder.

"That-that was cruel." Amy gasped. Willow nodded evilly.

"But so much fun."

"So, where’s this Oz guy been while you were battling evil, rescuing damsels in distress, and generally averting the horrible, painful end of the world?" Faith asked Willow, as she brushed her hair.

"Summer School." Willow said seriously. Faith looked up at her and laughed.

"No way, jeez.......you didn’t tell him, did you?" Faith questioned her friend as she blushed and looked uncomfortable.

"Well, actually....I was in the process of, that is...not 100%, well, no.....I didn’t." Willow stammered out. Faith started laughing, then she shook her head and smiled.

"Willow, sometimes I think you’re worse than Red." Willow looked up in shock, and an identical voice joined hers.

"Hey!" Willow and Red exclaimed in unison, outraged at the idea. Faith grinned at them, then put her brush down.

"I’m gonna get a coke, want?" The two identical girls shook their heads and Faith shrugged, heading downstairs.

"Okay." Oz nodded at Giles, after he had finished his fifteen minute speech bringing Oz up-to-date on recent events. Giles frowned, took his glasses off, and started polishing them.

"Don’t y-you want to know why you weren’t told......or w-why we haven’t sent Red and Puppy back, or why w-we are working with Spike and Druscilla?" Oz shook his head, and gave a slight smile.

"You don’t say much, do you." Spike added when Oz remained silent.

"I’m the sententious member of our clique." He said as an explanation. Spike frowned.

"I don’t even know what that means." Xander nodded his head in male understanding.

"You can join me and Cordy, we make up the unarticulated section of the group." Cordelia hit him around the back of the head.

"Hey, speak for yourself. I represent the poised, fashionably dressed division." Xander stuck his tongue out at her, after she had turned away though. "So, what’s the plan now then?" Cordelia asked Giles, who just shrugged. Everyone looked surprised at his lack of plan, and he shrugged defiantly at them.

"I guess we’d better get back to work." Christine offered, pulling the attention away from Giles. He smiled at her in thanks, and she blushed slightly.

"Yeah, the world ain’t gonna save itself." Spike grinned at Giles, who glared at him.

"Yes, quite......well, I suggest you all, leave. Christine," he turned to his fellow Watcher, "…would you like to, that is.....perhaps we could go over some of the translations together?" He stammered blushing and polishing his glasses even more.

"I’d love to....I mean yes, of course." Christine got even redder. Cordelia glanced at Druscilla, who smiled back at her, one eyebrow raised. Cordelia nodded, then stood up quickly. She pulled a protesting Xander to his feet, and dragged him out of the room.

Druscilla and Spike soon followed them. As they passed Oz they stopped, he looked up at them and gave a slight smile showing he understood. They all left together. Spike and Druscilla followed Cordelia and Xander, and Oz went in search of Willow.

Oz checked the kitchen first, grabbing himself a soda while he was in there. On his way out he ran into Angel. "Hey."

Angel screeched to a halt, then looked anywhere but at Oz. "Ermm....hello, Oz." He stood for a moment, unsure of what to do. Finally, he fled the kitchen as if several chaos demons were after him.

Oz shook his head in bemusement at Angels behaviour, then headed towards Willows room. After he left the room Faith stepped out of the walk-in pantry, a concerned frown on her face. She stood there for a few minutes, lost in thought. Finally, she followed Oz, slowly walking through the mansion.

"So."

"Yes, well...the books are over there, we should read the books, because they have what I need....we need." Giles turned bright red, and hurried to the kitchen. Christine smiled slightly, and picked up one of the heavy volumes. She started idly flicking through it. She could here Giles banging cupboards in the kitchen. She sighed and stood up.

"What was it like being Buffy’s Watcher?" She asked him suddenly, before she could chicken out. Giles jumped about two feet into the air at the sound of her voice, and dropped the cup he was holding. It shattered on the floor. They both bent down to tidy it away, and the next thing they knew they were holding their heads.

"Ouch!"

"Ow!" They both exclaimed, simultaneously. Then they smiled at each other, the tension broken by their mutual embarrassment.

"Sorry." Giles said, as he reached out to stop Christine from picking up the shards. "You should leave them, they’re very sharp." He helped Christine to her feet, and they stood nose to chest, slowly Christine tilted her head back and stared into his eyes. Their mouths got closer, and closer.......

"Hey, where the hell are ya’?" Faith waltzed through the front door, and the two broke guiltily apart. Giles turned to the boiling kettle, and Christine walked into the main room, clearing her throat as she went.

"Something wrong?" He voice went really high, and Faith glanced at her perplexed, then shrugged.

"Naw, just thought I’d help with the book thing.....unless ya’ think I should patrol. Kick some un-dead ass etc." Christine smiled at Faith, and nodded. "I heard Giles has some cool weapons, can I play with em’?" She asked the Watcher as he entered the room, his eyes fixed on Christine.

"Er, well, yes....they’re in the breast, I mean chest...over there." He pointed past Faith, and she headed over to the chest, and started emptying the contents all over the floor.

Christine and Giles sat next to each other, stiffly, and pointedly didn’t look at each other. Every so often you’d here a "Cool!", or a "Nice piece’a steel" from the brunette Slayer. After the longest fifteen minutes of Giles’ life, the girl headed outside with her loot, and left the rest of the weapons scattered on the floor.

"See ya’ back at the mansion." Faith called as she headed out the door. They both murmured quietly, and she smiled to herself, and headed up the steps. "They must think I’m blind." She mused, then shrugged. Her mind now focused upon the hunt.

"If you want him then take him." Red said to her counterpart, who made a strange sound, and hid her head under her pillow. "Well, if you aren’t going to then I will. Puppy and Angel." She growled in pleasure, and Willow sat up and threw her pillow at the vampire.

"You leave Angel alone. He’s mine." Then she put her hand over her mouth. "Oops." Red frowned.

"Why do you waste your time, time that you could spend with him, worrying about hurting the wolf. Be happy." Willow sighed.

"It’s not that simple."

"Then make it that simple." The vampire said, with an edge to her voice.

"I don’t know how." Willow tucked her feet under her, and stared off into space. "I thought I loved Oz, but I know I love Angel. But I don’t want to hurt Oz, he was the first boy who really saw me for me. But Angel makes me all tingly, but good tingly, not foot gone to sleep tingly, which is kinda painful." Red rolled her eyes, and snorted.

"Follow your heart." Willow stared at her.

"Great, I’m taking advice in my love life from an evil demon. Can I sink any lower?"

Red frowned in thought, then gave her famous evil smirk. "Probably not."

"Hi." Amy said to Cordelia and Druscilla as she entered the kitchen. They nodded at her, and continued what they were doing. Amy walked over to them curiously. "Whatcha’ doing?" Cordelia looked up.

"I’m trying to convince insane-o-girl here that Gucci is good." Amy laughed and sat down. Dru looked up at her.

"Why so sad?" Amy frowned and didn’t answer. Cordelia waved her hand around excitedly.

"I know. I know. It’s because Angelus has been avoiding her." Amy glared at her, then gave a big sigh. Finally she nodded.

"I don’t know why, I mean, I thought that he, that we....but no." Druscilla frowned.

"He feels guilty." Cordelia and Amy looked puzzled.

"About what?" Amy asked.

"About letting you get captured, hurt, scared...take your pick." Cordelia shook her head.

"No way. Angelus doesn’t do guilt, maybe a little torture and bloodletting, but guilt?" Druscilla looked at her.

"We feel guilt sometimes. But only about things we feel strongly about, people we love." She looked at Amy, who was sitting in silence.

"He loves me?" Druscilla nodded and Amy’s eyes went even wider. "Wow. I didn’t think he did. So, what do I do?"

"Confront him about it, make him admit that he loves you as you love him." Druscilla said after a minutes thought. Amy stood up purposefully.

"Good plan. Great plan. One problem, how the hell do I find him?" Cordelia and Druscilla looked at each other, and they both rolled their eyes.

"Hello? Witch." Cordelia remarked scathingly, and Amy blushed.

"Oh yeah." She murmured, then walked out the kitchen, murmuring a spell under her breath. Cordelia turned back to the vampire sitting next to her.

"We’ll start with trousers, which women have been wearing for like, 50 years now." Druscilla sighed, it was going to be a long day.

"Hey, vamp face." Faith twirled the stake around in her right hand as she faced down a particularly ugly member of the walking dead. Suddenly a hand closed around her neck, and grabbed the stake from her hand. The vampire she was facing laughed, and headed towards her. His game face emerging. Faith waited until he was in range, then bunched her muscles, and prepared to pounce.

Her captor swung her up, and she lashed out with her left foot, catching her opponent in the jaw. The demon reeled back, and Faith landed off to one side. Suddenly the stake flew through the air and imbedded itself into the shocked vampire. It’s eyes widened, then disappeared as he turned to dust, taking her stake with it.

"That was my favourite stake." She berated her captor.

"Sorry." Angelus shrugged. Faith smiled.

"Was worth it though." Angelus nodded. "Was he one of yours?" Faith nodded at the pile of ashes, that were slowly spreading out due to the gentle breeze in the graveyard.

"No, I’d never sire anyone that stupid." Faith grinned, and headed out of the cemetery.

"How’d ya’ explain Spiky boy then?" Angelus laughed, and followed her. "What’s going on between you and the Witch?" Faith asked suddenly, as they picked their way past the gravestones.

"You’re not shy, are you." Faith snorted. "None of your business."

Faith frowned, and turned to face him. "It is my business. I count her as a friend, and if you’re screwin’ with her then I’ll stake you personally." Angelus drew himself up to his full height, ready to fight, then sighed suddenly, and looked away.

"She scares me." Faith’s eyes went wide at the unexpected statement.

"K, not what I expected to hear." Angelus frowned.

"You don’t understand. I’m evil, I’ve killed hundreds, thousands of people, I have no remorse...but when she was being held captive I wanted so badly to take her place." Angelus smiled to himself. "I don’t usually go in for self-sacrifice." Faith frowned, and then understanding spread across her features.

"You feel guilty." Angelus looked up quickly, then nodded. "So, whatcha’ gonna’ do about it?" He smiled.

"For started, tear the limbs off the one who hurt her." Faith smiled.

"Want some company?"

"It’s official, I hate shopping." Amy said between gritted teeth as she stalked into the next shop on Cordelia’s hit-list. Cordelia rolled her eyes and Druscilla sighed.

"I’m with the Witch on this ducks." Spike stated as he finally caught up with them, his arms laden with bags of what Cordelia had called the "essentials of any modern woman’s wardrobe". At that comment Spike had snorted and remarked that in his book the essentials consisted of red-lacy underwear, then wished he hadn’t as Cordelia smacked her forehead whilst muttering under her breath, and immediately headed for the nearest lingerie shop.

Willow and Red trailed behind the main group, and if any passers-by had heard the conversation in full they would have been very frightened, as it was mainly Red lecturing her twin on vampiric dating, including all the bases and some Willow hadn’t even heard of. (I will literally never get back to my normal colour. I’ll now be known as that perpetually red-faced girl.....oh goddess, I so didn’t need to know what she did with the ice-cream and the stake. Therapy till I’m 90.)

Suddenly a tannoy could be heard, announcing that the mall was closing in 15 minutes. The only person who wasn’t happy with the news was Cordelia, who was already planning tomorrows campaign.

"Look, I seriously don’t think I can wear this." Amy whined at the whirlwind shopper next to her.

"Look, you want Angelus right?" Cordelia waited until Amy nodded before continuing. "Well, to get him you’re gonna have to literally dress to kill. Are you understanding me here?" Cordelia spoke very slowly, and Amy scowled at her, before nodding again. "He is seriously gonna flip when he see’s you. He won’t be able to resist, and believe me, the one thing I do well is irresistible," Then without even looking in Spikes direction she said "…and wipe that idiotic grin off your face blondie bear."

Spike screwed his face up and stuck his tongue out, but as Cordelia wasn’t even looking at him it was pretty pointless, so he ended up sulking the rest of the way back.

In the other car the conversation was just as frightening.

"I could kill him for you." Red said, looking at Willow.

"NO! You aren’t gonna kill Oz, you’re a good, well, less-evil-guy and no killing your team-mates, comprende. Oh, and please watch the road." Willows voice got higher as the sentence went on, and Red grinned at her then went back to driving.

"This car sucks." Red said after a minute of silence.

"You try telling Giles that, he totally flips, in a really British way of course." Willow laughed at the memory that came to mind. "I remember when Buffy said......" Willow’s voice trailed off, as she sat thinking about her friend. Red gave her a considering look, but said nothing.

"So, Dru. Was it fun running with Angelus? Kill anyone famous?" Red asked the vampire in the back seat, who was rummaging through the clothing that Cordelia had forced her into buying.

"There were so many." She smiled reminiscently, then frowned. "How can I possibly carry off the unstable-vampiress wearing these?" She pulled out a pair of knee-high boots.

"I’ll show you how if you like, you just have to match them with the right outfit. They do say that clothes maketh the man..." Willow interrupted her double.

"Or woman." Red continued after grinning at her.

"It’s fun actually, if you get the look right you can scare people without even saying a word." Druscilla frowned consideringly, then nodded an affirmative.

"Why couldn’t I have gone in the car where they have a normal conversation?" Willow mumbled to herself as they pulled up outside the mansion.

"Alright. We need a plan." Giles said to the entire room.

"Tell us something we don’t know G-man." Xander muttered, with caused Willow and Cordelia to elbow him simultaneously from both sides. "Ouch!" He hugged his injured ribs and groaned, his face the ultimate portrayal of a man in undeserving pain.

Spike laughed, which then caused Druscilla and Red to elbow him as well. Giles glared at the entire room, and then continued.

"Yes, well....a plan." He looked around the room. "Does, erm, anyone have one?" Everyone looked away and he sighed.

"Kill the buggar’s." Spike said helpfully.

"Yes, well, we have that part of the plan, we now need the part which gives us clear instructions on how to "kill the buggar’s", as you so colourfully put it." Giles said with a voice dripping with sarcasm, mixed with a slight amount of contempt.

"There must be a spell. I mean, we have a prophecy, spells and prophecies go hand in hand, right?" Willow looked around the room for help.

Amy and Druscilla nodded. "I may have a few idea’s, I’m getting a book translated, it’s possible it may contain something helpful." Druscilla told Giles, who suddenly brightened up. He and Christine dragged Druscilla into the library to find out more about the book, and the meeting unofficially dissolved.

Red went outside and Puppy followed her, keeping a discreet distance. Amy practically ran up to her room, and Angelus headed outside into the garden. Spike, Cordelia and Xander headed towards the kitchen to grab some movie-fest snacks.

The four that were left in the room looked around them uncomfortably. Actually, Willow and Angel studiously avoided each others eyes, and Faith and Oz watched them avoiding each others eyes.

The brunette slayer watched the musician look back and forth between his girlfriend and the vampire. She watched as understanding spread over his features, that quickly turned into hurt, finally dissolving into resigned acceptance. He looked up, catching her staring.

Faith blushed, not knowing why, and Oz smiled slightly, then looked pointedly at the other two. She could see that he wanted her to do something about the situation. Faith bit her lip, then smiled.

"So, Wills.....you gonna tell him?" Willow looked up at Faith, a horrified look on her face. Faith decided to take pity on her. "He knows." She said quietly. Willow looked at Oz guiltily, then started wringing her hands.

Angel was watching the entire thing with a brooding-wary expression. "It’s okay, I understand. Well, I may not like it, but I can accept it. If he makes you happy, then I’m happy." Oz said to Willow, who just kept staring at him with tears in her eyes.

He walked over to Angel, and looked at the vampire consideringly. When he spoke, Angel could almost sense the growl that accompanied his words. "If you hurt her, I’ll kill you myself." Then Oz headed out of the mansion, with everyone staring after him.

Willow looked at Faith, who nodded and headed out after the wolf, to make sure he was gonna be okay.

Then it was just Willow and Angel, alone together, in the room, by themselves.

(Oh boy.)

"I can’t believe I promised not to bite people." Red sighed as she stalked towards the Bronze. Her thoughts were interrupted by a mans voice off to one side.

"You can bite me any day, darlin’." A dark-haired vampire stepped out of the shadows and stood in front of her. Red looked him up and down, then snorted condescendingly.

"If you think you can take me, then I’d love to play with you." She gave him her trademark smirk and put her hands on her hips, flicking her hair over her shoulder. The vampire smiled, and whistled.

Four other vampires came out of nowhere, and surrounded her. She looked about, then pouted. "All this trouble for me? I’m honored, really." Then without blinking she launched her self at the ring-leader, and embedded a carefully concealed stake into his heart. As he turned to dust she pulled it out and whipped round, but was met by a second vampires forearm.

Red flew through the air, and hit the ally wall. She slid to the floor, dazed. The remaining vampires began to laugh when there came a roar. One of the vampires was propelled into his comrade, and a third was staked.

Red couldn’t see much past the blood trickling into her eyes, but she could hear the screams, and the thuds. After less than a minute the pained sounds stopped, and a pair of black shoes were in front of her.

She groaned, and tried to sit up. Her rescuer helped her to lean back against the wall.

"Puppy?" Red spoke warily, realising that this would be the perfect time for him to stake her. Then she realised that if he wanted her dead he’d have let the vampires do it for him.

"Are....are you alright?" He asked her hesitantly. Red nodded, but remained silent. Puppy pulled his sleeve down and started to wipe at the blood covering her face. When he was convinced she was clean he looked into her eyes, and she smiled at him. Not a Red smile, a Willow smile.

He smiled shyly back at her, and she rolled her eyes and groaned.

"Do I have to do everything?" She muttered, just before grabbing his shirt and pulling him down for a huge kiss. After a minute they paused, to think, not because they needed to catch their breath. Puppy hugged Red, and buried his face in her shoulder.

"I love you." He whispered. Reds eyes went wide, then after a moment of thinking she smiled slightly.

"I have to do this. I have to do this." Amy muttered to herself as she walked slowly down the stairs. Suddenly she stopped and started back up the stairs. "I can’t do this. I can’t do this." Then she gave a small scream and headed back down the stairs. "I’m going to do this. I’m going to do this."

She took a deep breath, then headed out into the garden. Angelus was sitting on the bench, deep in thought. Amy cleared her throat. Nothing. She coughed. Still nothing. She started to pretend choke.

"I heard you the first....." Angelus trailed off when he saw her. His mouth was still moving, but no sounds were coming out.

"I’ll take that as a I-like-the-new-look nonverbal, rather than a oh-my-god-you-look-awful nonverbal." Amy smiled at him shyly, and slowly headed over to him. Angelus stood up, and moved towards her.

"What are, you’re wearing.......that is, leather, and......" Amy grinned at him, her confidence growing. She spun around in a circle, her arms wide.

"You like?" When she turned to face him again he rushed forward and grabbed her.

"You have no idea how much." He growled softly. Amy smiled evilly at him.

"Oh, I think I do." Her eyes moved downwards, then back up to his face.

"Oh...OH." Amy smiled at him. Then a minute later she frowned at him.

"Well?" Angelus frowned uncomprehendingly. "Are you gonna kiss me or not?" Amy asked him frustratedly, and at her tone he gave her his patented smirk.

"No." Amy squealed and grabbed his coat and pulled him down to kiss her. She didn’t have to pull very hard.

"Hey, wait up." Faith called out. Oz turned to face her, and waited until she caught up with her. "Ya ok?" Faith asked him, as they began to walk again.

He nodded slightly, but said nothing. Faith frowned, but remained silent. "It’s no good." She burst out a minute later. Oz turned and looked at her, his eyebrows raised slightly. "It isn’t ok. You’re not ok. So why don’t you tell me about it?"

"Share my pain, how Oprah." Faith pulled a face and made a mock laughing sound. "Plus it’s not very masculine, and would mean I’d have to leave behind my normal state of taciturnity." Faith smirked at him.

"Wow, two sentences, highly un-taci......whatever." Oz laughed slightly.

"Thanks."

"No problem, long as ya’ll are five by five that’s cool. Well, shall we go stake us some undead ass?" Faith made a stabbing motion in the air, and Oz nodded.

Willow stared at the floor. Angel stared at the floor. Somewhere there was a clock ticking.

(Uck, tick, tock, tick, tock, driving, me, slowly, insane, arghhhhhhh. Oh goddess, I have to do something.....I should say something. What can I say? Nice weather we’re having doesn’t really work in these situations.....oh goddess, if someone doesn’t say something then nothings gonna get said and then we’ll stand here for eternity, or until the world ends, which is gonna be soon so maybe it won’t be that bad ‘cos I really won’t have to wait for ages.)

Willow glanced up at Angel, who was occasionally shifting from one foot to another. (Oh goddess, he looks.....no, bad Willow, naughty thoughts.)

"Hang on, they’re not naughty thoughts ‘cos I’m officially free and I just said that out loud."

Willow went bright red, and started coughing. Angel was staring at her like she’d just taken all of her clothes off and was preparing to sacrifice a chicken. "So." Angel said, his voice rough.

"So." Willow said in a small voice. They both looked into each others eyes for a minute, then Willow smiled shyly, and tucked her hair behind her ear. Angel froze, then they both moved forward at the same time. Angels arms went around her, and she buried her face in his chest. After about a minute Angel spoke.

"Umm, can you breathe alright?" Willow flushed, then looked up and nodded. He stared down at her. (Nice face, nice hair, nice eyes, nice mouth...whoah, we’re kissing, how did that happen, when did that happen?)

After half a minute they broke apart. "Nice weather we’re having." Willow squeaked out, her voice about an octave higher than a normal human beings should be able to reach. Angel dropped his arms, and backed off a step. They both looked at each other.

"We can’t do this." Angel said, and for a second Willow just stood there. Then her eye’s began to fill up with tears, and Angel groaned and mentally smacked his forehead. "What I mean is, that this isn’t....what I mean to say is, we should wait. Until after whatever is going to happened has happened. So we can focus." He ran out of reasons, and lapsed back into his typical broody silence.

Willow gave him a watery smile. "I...I understand. You’re right, so we should go away and be alone....but not together alone, separate alone." Angel nodded quickly, and they both practically ran in opposite directions. Willow ran to her room, and Angel ran out of the mansion.

"What’s up with him?" Amy asked Angelus after Angel had sped past them. Angelus frowned in thought, then smiled slightly.

"I’m not sure, but I have a feeling that he’s gonna be taking a lot of cold showers from now on." Amy laughed then hit him.

"I thought Dru was supposed to be the psychic one. You keep your mind on other matters." Angelus leered at her.

"Which would be....?" He left the question hanging ominously in the air.

"Making me something to eat, I’m starving." Angelus sighed, it was a typical male do-I-have-to-do-everything-around-here-sigh. Amy’s response to this was to elbow him in the ribs, and then before he could recover push him off the bench. She pointed to the mansion imperiously, and pouted.

"Fine, fine, I’m going." Angelus dragged himself off the floor, and headed towards the kitchen, muttering about apron-strings and fishwives.

Amy glared at his retreating back, then smiled evilly. She thoughts for a moment, then muttered a few words under her breath. A white sign appeared on the Angelus’ back, it read ‘House-Broken Nancy-Boy’.

"I’m so hippy hoppy happy, I’m so hippy hoppy happy..." Amy sang to herself as she twirled around the room, arms outstretched.

"Shut up!" Faith shouted from the bed, and then turned her walkman louder trying to drown out Amy’s obvious jubilation.

"Oh lighten up." Amy said when she was sure Faith couldn’t hear her. Suddenly Red burst into the room. "Hey there......smeared lipstick, mussed hair, someone’s been getting smoochies." She finished in a childish sing-song voice. Red grinned at her then stalked over to her wardrobe and kicked her boots off.

"Where’s Willow?" She asked whilst hopping on one foot.

Amy paused. "Dunno, when I came back from the kitchen, and Angelus kissage might I add, she wasn’t here."

Faith opened her eyes and took off her headphones. "Oz knows. About our resident Romeo and Juliet I mean."

"Oh." Amy said, eyes wide.

"Finally." Red stated, finally getting her boot off, then falling back onto the bed in exhaustion.

"Exactly. Now her and Angel can be shagadelically happy...." Willow ran into the room and dove onto her bed sobbing "or not." Faith finished. She grimaced then looked at Amy, who was frowning. Red buffed her nails on her top, not saying a word.

"You’re in my way." Angelus said to Puppy, who was standing at the foot of the stairs. "Hello?" Angelus frowned at his double, who was staring into space, a slight smile on his face. He sighed then up-smacked Puppy’s head, startling the vampire in action.

Thwack!

His arm came round and hit Angelus in the face, sending him sprawling backwards into Angel who had just come through the front door. Angelus just managed to keep on his feet by using Angel’s body as a springboard. Unfortunately as Angel went down he retained enough co-ordination to kick out at Angelus’ knees in retaliation, knocking him straight into Puppy and dragging him to the ground as well.

"Bugga’ that for a laugh. Ain’t you the three stooges. You gonna do an encore peaches?" Spike managed to get out whilst holding his side from laughter.

"Shut up Spike!" They all growled out together, while attempting to return to a more vertical position.

"Well, if you three are quite finished with the clownish antics we’d like to hold a meeting." Spike drawled, leaning against the wall.

"What about?" Angelus asked him as he dusted off his pants.

"Death, destruction.......dinner. My three favourite things." Spike straightened up and headed towards the kitchen.

"This was your fault." Angel said as he pushed past Angelus.

"My fault. How was it my fault?" Angelus asked incredulously. "You kicked me."

"Well you knocked me over." Angel replied.

"I didn’t push you, I fell into you, there’s a big difference." Angelus explained as they followed Spike.

"Well......you wouldn’t have fallen into me if you hadn’t hit Puppy." Angelus thought that one over, but refused to acknowledge the fact that Angel was right.

"Birds in their little nest agree." Puppy commented. Angelus turned him.

"You’re a vampire. Vampires don’t read Louisa May Alcott. It’s not about evil things, and no-one dies whilst being tortured." Angel coughed into his hand, smirking slightly at the fact that Angelus had to have read the book with him (and not just ignored what he was doing as the demon occasionally did), in order to recognise the quote.

Puppy smiled slightly at Angelus’ look of consternation as he realised what he’d unwittedly confessed to. Angelus’ response was to growl slightly and stalk off on his own.

Angel frowned and looked questioningly at Puppy. "What’s that on his back?"

"That’s the plan?" Xander asked Giles incredulously.

"Well......yes it er, it is. The basic plan I mean. The whole operation will in fact involve slightly more than I just indicated." Giles excused himself nervously.

"Oh good, I mean we wouldn’t want anything to be simple for a change now would we?" Amy quipped then rolled her eyes in Willows direction, who smiled weakly at her in response.

"I like the plan. ‘Specially the killin’ bits. I always say a plan ain’t a plan unless there’s killin’ at some point." Faith interjected whilst twirling her formerly second favourite stake in her hand.

"I agree pet, although for different reasons." Spike grinned at her from where he was standing, which caused Faith to brandish a certain pointy bit of wood in his general direction. "Whoa girl, fellow do-gooder remember?" Faith sighed dejectedly, then turned back to Giles who was making an attempt to continue with the details.

"Enough already, we get it!" Cordelia said exasperatedly, tearing Giles away from his flipchart. He had the grace to look slightly sheepish, the sighed.

"I guess that is enough for today." Everyone sighed mentally. "We can pick up where we left off tomorrow." This time the sighs were audible, which caused Giles to blush slightly and begin to putter around tidying away all of his props. Christine stood up to help him, and for some strange reason Giles went even redder.

"Somebody stake me now." Red said as they all traipsed out of the room.

"My pleasure." Faith replied.

"Nope, me first." Amy broke in.

"Hey! That’s my evil vamp twin your talking about. If anyone’s gonna get to stake her it should be me." Red glared at Willow, then moved towards her menacingly.

"Time out guys." Cordelia interrupted them before things got out of hand. "We have some serious planning to do." They all turned and looked at her in shock. "I believe a Bronzing session is required to initiate the new members into our gang." They all grinned.

"Great idea Cordy." Xander said, draping his arm around the brunettes shoulders. She shrugged him off, and flipped her hair in his face.

"As if! Girls night. No boys, no old dead guys, and no creatures of indiscriminate origin." She looked pointedly at her boyfriend, then stalked upstairs, the girls followed behind giggling at Xanders crestfallen look.

"So, there gonna be any cuties there?" Faith asked as they all traipsed into Willow and Amy’s room.

"There better be, otherwise where’s the point?" Cordelia replied whilst heading towards the closet. "Time to break out the new outfits. Everyone go grab all your clothes, and I do mean all Willow. Include shoes, make-up, and anything else you consider essential. We meet in my room in ten." Cordelia cracked her verbal whip, and everyone, including Red jumped.

"You guys wait for me ‘k, I’m gonna go get Dru." Cordelia said after she looked around the room and realised that her friend hadn’t followed them upstairs.

"Ya think she’ll come. I thought her and brit-boy were joined at the pelvis." Faith asked as she headed through the door.

"Believe me, when I’m through with her she’ll be begging to go." Cordelia said as she headed out the room.

Amy turned to Red. "You think I should warn Dru that Cyclone-Cordy is on a mission?" Red thought for a moment.

"Naw, it’s more fun this way." She drawled, grinning evilly.

"You’re naughty." Amy grinned as she headed towards the closet.

"Well duh!" Red smiled angelically as she sashayed out the room.

After a few minutes of throwing stuff on the bed Amy decided she’d had enough. "So, what’s up with you?" She asked Willow, who was sorting slowly through the accumulating mountain of clothing, attempting to veto them before they got to Cordelia’s room.

Willow looked up at her friend, mentally debating how much, if any of the truth she should divulge. She sighed. (Might as well spill.)

"We, well, I mean that Angel and I kinda’, well......we decided that we should wait to date." (Arghh, now I’m rhyming? I need a life, stat.) Amy looked at her incredulously.

"What?" She shouted. Then tried to calm herself as she saw the look on Willows face. She decided to take pity on her friend, for now. "Come on, lets get this lot through to Cordelia’s room, we can come back for the rest of it later." She nodded at the pile Willow had surreptitiously made with all the cough-i-can’t-wear-that items.

"Ughhhhhhhh." Was the only reply she received, but then again it was the only reply she’d expected.

"No."

"Awwww, come on. Live a little, lust a lot" Faith pleaded. "Where’s the harm?"

"You’re all underage, except for Druscilla that is." Christine replied.

"Oh come on. It’s not like I’m askin’ ya to call forth some death demon from the dark dimensions. One measly round." Faith whined ingratiatingly, and assumed an innocent expression.

"Alcohol is evil, bad, and evil. Christine’s right." Willow said when the her new English friend failed to reply.

"We’re staring down the face of some serious shit here people." Faith replied, getting angry.

"Bored now. Want drinkies. Kill people soon." Red interjected in her most insane sounding voice.

"Look, we’re facin’ total annihilation. One drink isn’t gonna send us all to hell. Do y’all wanna die without getting drunk even once? Well, do ya’?" Faith looked around the group.

"Count me in." Cordelia said, then glanced around the room, then continued with, "Oooooooo, college-crunchies three o’clock." Faith jumped up.

"You get the drinks in, and I’ll grab us some entertainment." Faith said to Christine, who sighed in response then slowly stood up and headed over to the bar.

"7 shots of tequila, please." The bartender raised an eyebrow at her request, but knew better than to say anything, after all he’d lived in Sunnydale for quite some time now, and had learnt that asking questions was a sure fire way to end up six feet under with a strong case of the sun-shy. Christine looked over at the gaggle of guys following Faith. "Just give me the bottle and as many glasses as you have." She said tiredly. It was gonna be a long night.

"My, it’s quiet in here tonight." Giles said as he entered the room.

"Girls night out Bronzing. Guys night in worrying." Xander replied after grabbing a handful of popcorn.

"Shut up." Spike said, then turned back to the television. "Lob ‘is head off, you big poofter."

Angel glanced over at his childe, and smiled slightly. Giles frowned at the television. "What is that?" He asked the room in general.

"Highlander." Puppy replied. Giles nodded as if to say, oh-yes-Highlander-I’ve-heard-of-that-honest-I-have.

"So." He said as he sat next to Angelus.

"Yup." Angelus replied. The tension between the two was palpable.

"You think they’ll be okay?" Angel asked after a minute or so.

"Sure, I mean they’ve got Faith, Red, Cordy........maybe we should check on them. Just to make sure they’re okay I mean." Xander replied.

Everyone got up en-masse, including Spike, although he grumbled a bit as he turned the television off. "You know, if they find out they’ll think that we don’t trust them." Giles said as they headed out the mansion.

"We don’t." Angelus replied, then strode ahead, determined to get in any car but Giles’. After a few seconds everyone rushed past the bemused Watcher as they realised exactly what was at stake.

"Outta the way dead-boy." Xander shouted at Angel.

"I’m not going in that.....car." Angel replied as he kicked into vamp speed mode, leaving Xander in his dust.

"Cheater!" Was the teens shouted response at Angels quickly retreating back.

"Well, if you lot didn’t weigh as much we could bloody well go quicker. Now shut up, before I kick you all out." Spike shouted at the complaining masses that were infesting his car.

Everyone frowned then looked in different directions. "Was that Giles?" Angel said after a moment as a car overtook them.

"We’re in real trouble if we’ve just been passed by the G-Man, his car is severely snail like." Xander commented, and three pairs of identical eyes bored into him.

"Okay. Someone tell the human sitting in a car with four vampires to shut the bloody hell up." Spike fumed silently as he watched Giles’ car get smaller and smaller.

"What took you so long?" Giles asked them as they finally got to the Bronze. His question was met by three glares, a snort, and a ‘pillock’.

"They in there?" Xander asked as they hovered in the back alley. Giles shrugged.

"I didn’t dare go in. Not without backup anyway." Xander nodded.

"Good decision G-Man. Okay, what’s the plan?"

"We wait out here till they leave, then we follow them. Simple. Effective." Angelus stated, peering round the corner.

"Spike’s outside." Druscilla said to Cordelia.

"How do you know?" Cordelia replied, fishing through her purse for her lipstick.

"I’m a vampire with psychic abilities." Druscilla said, then at Cordelia’s disbelieving look she continued with, "I heard his car, it sometimes backfires when he puts it into reverse." Cordelia smiled.

"I see. They don’t trust us. They think we’re gonna have some sort of drunken party with a group of frat boys we just met. Hang on, that’s what we are doing." Cordelia laughed, and Druscilla smiled slightly.

"I have a cunning plan." Druscilla said as they headed back to the table.

"Spill." Cordelia giggled.

"As I will so mote it be." Amy finished, arms outstretched. She looked around, her friends were all forming a large circle. "Operation Men-Are-So-Predictable is good to go people."

"That is so cool. You play lead guitar. I love guys who play lead guitar." Willow giggled drunkenly as she hung on lead-guitar guys arm

"So, where’re we going?" Faith asked to the brunette on her left arm.

"Private party." He leered at her, and she winked in response.

The rest of the group followed them, piling into two separate cars. They sped off, and the men waiting in the shadows stepped out.

"What the hell?" Angel said quietly to himself.

"They’ve made off with our women." Xander exclaimed in shock, turning to the rest in hope of some explanation.

"Bloody hell. They were drunk. We have to save them." Spike said, taking off for his car at top vampiric speed, Angelus and Puppy close behind.

Giles, Xander and Angel headed for the other car, the only sound that could be heard was Angel muttering "lead guitar....lead guitar".

"That was so much fun." Willow giggled as they headed into the mansion.

"Yup. Wonder how long it’ll be before they realise that they’ve been chasing after projections of us, and not actually us." Amy laughed as they all traipsed into the living room, collapsing on various sofa’s.

"Well, I’d say they’ll be figuring it out, oh........right about now." Faith chuckled evilly then looked over at the door. "Hey."

"Hey." Oz replied, as he ventured into the room, wary due to the fact that there were five drunken teens, one of which had a severe sun allergy, a drunken watcher, and an inebriated vamp who’d passed the telegram-from-the-queen age and then some. "Fun?"

"You could say that." Red replied, smirking.

"If you did you’d be correct." Christine continued, staring at her fingers in wonder.

"Very correct." Cordelia finished, then the whole group began to giggle as they relived their little prank.

"Fun is good." Oz said as he backed slowly out of the room.

"Hey! Wanna kick some vamp ass, stake some vampy booty, etc." Faith asked as she stood up, looking at Oz expectantly.

"Sure." He replied, then followed her out of the mansion. A minute later Faith ran back in. "Forgot this." She said, brandishing a stake at the questioning looks.

"Freudian slip I think." Amy said as Faith ran back out. Willow giggled, and everyone else looked at her, extremely puzzled.

"Faith and Oz, sitting in a tree, S-H-A-G-G-I-N-G!" Willow collapsed, holding her sides, which caused everyone else to start laughing again.

"The Slayer and the Wolf?" Red asked Willow, trying to wrap her mind around the new idea.

"Yup. It’s so sweet." Amy replied for her manically giggling friend, when it was obvious that Willow couldn’t speak. Cordelia smiled thoughtfully.

"Have they........" She trailed off, and Amy shook her head. "Well then, I think we should give them a little push. What do you think?" Cordelia asked Druscilla, who was at that point trying to get the TV to turn on, unsuccessfully I might add.

The brunette looked up, and smiled thoughtfully. "They would bond well." She said.

"Euwwwwww, scary visual place." Willow said, then went back to giggling.

"How long before our big, strapping men return to us?" Amy asked just as the front door crashed open. "Speak of the devil." She quipped.

They all groaned at the bad pun, then straightened up, ready for the fun to begin. "Maybe this should be a personal thing." Amy suggested, waggling her eyebrows to indicate her mischievous thoughts.

Cordelia smiled. "Great idea." They all stumbled to a vaguely upright position and stalked out of the room, each heading in different directions just as the guys came into sight.

"What do we do?" Giles asked worriedly.

"Exactly what they tell us to." Xander sighed, and followed Cordelia into the kitchen.

Angelus watched his retreating back, then sighed, heading out into the garden after Amy. Puppy and Angel looked each other, then headed in opposite directions, leaving Giles and Spike standing in the hall. "Buggar this for a lark." Spike said, as he headed for the library. Giles sighed, and headed upstairs.

"Hey Cordy. You look wonderful. Have you lost weight?" Xander slinked over to his girlfriend and kissed her lightly on the cheek. She batted him away, glaring whilst she did so.

"Alexander LaVelle Harris. You followed us. How could you?" Cordelia crossed her arms, and tapped her foot expectantly.

"I’m sorry....they made me, honest." He crossed his heart, then pulled the puppy-dog-eyes out. Cordelia frowned at him, and he gulped, knowing the I’m-innocent tack wasn’t going to work he tried another approach.

"Okay. I admit it. I was insanely jealous. It’s just you’re so wonderful, smart, gorgeous, and all the guys worship you, and I was scared that you’d realise that you deserve someone way better than me."

Cordelia’s face softened slightly, then she caught herself. "You should have trusted me, Xander." He pouted, and looked sad.

"I know, I’m real real real real real sorry. This is all my fault, I should have trusted you. Forgive me?" He tried the puppy-dog-eyes again, and this time it worked.

Cordelia sighed exasperatedly. "Okay. I forgive you. But you owe me some serious groveling." Xander nodded. "Well. Come here and grovel." She smiled wickedly, letting him know exactly what form this groveling would take.

"I shouldn’t have gone out? Are you serious? You stalk me, then have the audacity to lecture me on what I should or shouldn’t do." Amy was fuming mad.

"All I was trying to say was that there are dangerous people in the world who’d take advantage of you." Amy looked pointedly at him.

"People like you, you mean." Angelus frowned.

"No. Other people like me. Look, you don’t wear my mark, no other vampires know that you belong to me which means that you’re in danger if I’m not there to protect you."

"Danger? Protect me? Hang on there buddy, I can protect myself thankyou very much. As for being yours well that’s a load of crap. I’m mine, understand, you don’t own me, I don’t belong to you, and I am sure as hell not gonna wear your mark, whatever the hell that means." Amy turned on her heel and stalked into the mansion, leaving a fuming Angelus behind her.

He growled and kicked the bench, breaking one of the legs causing it to fall over onto his foot. He grunted in pain, then limped after Amy, muttering as he went.

"You bought them alcohol?" Giles’ voice went high-pitched, and Christine stared at him blankly.

"Yes." She slurred, as she collapsed onto the bed. Giles frowned.

"You were the adult. You should have said no." Christine sat up angrily.

"I did, but they were gonna get it anyway." She finished on a whining note.

"You should have called me, I could have come and....what are you.....Christine, C-Christine?" The person in question was at that moment pulling her blouse off.

"Gonna go bed. Sleepy." She murmured, then smiled sleepily at Giles’ shell-shocked look. "Wanna join me?" She asked in a childish voice. Giles gulped, and slowly shook his head.

"I don’t think that would be entirely appropriate." He said, with a trace of disappointment.

"Shame." She replied, then held out her arms. He looked at her questioningly. "Tuck me in." Giles smiled nervously, and hesitantly moved towards her. As he was pulling the sheets from underneath her Christine grinned evilly, grabbed his tie and pulled him on top of her.

"Knew you’d join me." She said happily before he could protest.

"Come on pet, you know that I trust you." Spike said imploringly to the object of his eternal affection. He was met by silence, and he sighed. "Forgive me ducks, you know I love you." Dru glared at him.

"Without trust there is no love." She said, before returning her attention to a book entitled "Gurkalis Demons: How To Enslave Them".

"Bloody hell!" Spike exclaimed, and collapsed onto a chair. "Look. I’m sorry. Me, the big bad, is apologising to you, my dark goddess, light of my night, my eternal companion, do I have to go on?" Spike exclaimed exasperatedly.

Druscilla smiled indulgently at him. "No. I think you’ve been cloyingly sweet enough for one night. I forgive you." Spike let out a sigh of relief, and was about to speak when the door burst open.

Angelus flew in, and then collapsed into the other chair. "She won’t speak to me." He said with a scowl.

"Who won’t mate?" Spike asked him, after a quick glance at Dru who was smiling slightly.

"Who do you think? Amy." Angelus replied scathingly, then shook his head in wonder. "I don’t know what it was that got her so upset."

"You said she was weak and claimed you owned her." Druscilla said after a moments pause. Angelus looked at her quizzically.

"How do you know what I said?" Dru smiled, and tapped the side of her head. "Right. Psychic." She smiled at him.

"Sounds to me like she had every right to say up yours mate." Angelus glared at him, then sighed.

"I didn’t mean it like that. It just came out wrong." Spike frowned.

"Did you tell her that?" Angelus rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"I didn’t get a chance, she stormed off and locked herself in the bathroom." Spike sighed.

"You’re a vampire. Break down the door." Druscilla frowned at him.

"I don’t really think that would help. You have to apologise." She said to Angelus, who looked terrorized at the very idea. "You want her, you are going to have to beg."

"Fine." Angelus said. "I’ll apologise. I can apologise. Only men who aren’t afraid can apologise." Spike smiled.

"You’re a big man alright. Now, why don’t you go crawling to your girlfriend before she dumps you." Angelus growled at him, then limped out of the room, mentally going through what he could say to Amy that would make her take him back.

"Willow?" Angel said as he entered the room, looking around for a certain red-head.

"Down here." She replied, giggling slightly. He looked around the room, not seeing anyone.

"Willow?" He asked more urgently, slightly worried.

"I’m over here, here here here. This is me, I’m over here." Angel followed the sing-song voice back to it’s source. Willow was lying behind the sofa, legs propped up against its back, arms flailing. She looked up at him.

"I’m stuck. I can’t get up. I’ll die here and nobody’ll find me ever." She began to cry as she envisaged her terrible fate, to die along behind the couch. Angel smiled slightly, then bent down and picked her up.

As he put her down on both of her very unsteady feet she stopped crying and looked at him in awe. "You’ve shrunk." She said.

"You’ve grown." He replied with humour in his voice. Willow giggled.

"Really? This is so great. It’s good to be tall." Angel nodded and began to slowly herd her towards her room.

"You are drunk." He stated, finally giving up and swinging her into his arms.

"Am not." She pouted. "I’m in-inebri-ebriated, there’s a difference." He smiled, and she started giggling again. "You smiled. Angel smiled. For me. I got an Angel smile. Yay me! I love it when you smile, you look real nice. Chocolate nice. Strawberry nice. But not frog nice, ‘cos frogs are uck, and not nice. Frogs are bad, evil, bad." Angel pushed open her bedroom door.

"I know. Bad, evil frogs. Well, no frogs in here so you’re safe." He placed her gently on the bed, tucking the covers around her after he removed her shoes. When he looked up Willow was already asleep, and he smiled slightly. As he headed out of the room he stopped, turned round and headed back to the bed.

He leaned over a sleeping Willow, and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. Gently he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, which caused Willow to murmur something in her sleep and smile slightly.

As Angel turned out the light he took a moment to study her sleeping face. "Love you." He said quietly, then he closed the door slowly so as not to wake her.

"Love you too." Willow replied as she rolled over and fell asleep, smiling slightly.

"Sorry." Red looked up at Puppy, who was standing in the doorway, eyes downcast. She rolled her eyes.

"Bad Puppy followed his mistress where he shouldn’t have. Mistress is going to have to punish him. Now then, how shall I punish you.

"Hmmmmmmmm." She cocked her head on one side thoughtfully. "I have an idea." She exclaimed triumphantly, beckoning him over to her.

Puppy slouched across the room and Red stood up and motioned him to sit. When he did she climbed onto his lap and began swinging her legs. "What’s Puppy’s real name?" She asked him after a few moments.

"Liam." Came the hesitant reply. Red smiled and repeated it softly.

"Like it. From now on no more Puppy. No more scraping, bowing, or licking my boots.......although I don’t mind you licking me in other places." She added naughtily, with an evil chuckle. Liam looked up and gave a half smile, then started to purr as Red gently stroked the side of his face.

"Nice." He murmured. Red smiled.

"If you like this wait until we get to the next base." She whispered, making Liam smile.

"I missed you." Amy said, each word punctuated with a passionate kiss.

"I can see that." Angelus growled playfully. He glanced around, then looked down at Amy. "Hungry?" She nodded enthusiastically, before wincing slightly. "Headache already?" He asked curiously as they headed to the kitchen.

"Nope. Just the anticipation of one." Amy laughed. "At least I won’t be alone in my suffering." She joked as they headed into the kitchen, Angelus a step behind her. "Ouch!" She exclaimed as Angelus ran into the back of her.

"You stopped." He said quickly to exonerate himself as quickly as possible. Amy nodded and looked pointedly at Xander and Cordelia, who were making out, passionately I might add, on the work bench.

"Take out?" Angelus asked. Amy nodded enthusiastically.

"Definitely."

"Ya sure know how to show a girl a good time." Faith said as she beat up her second vampire of the night, the first was at that point blowing in the wind, as the song goes.

"Yup." Oz replied, taking a sip of his latte. "Behind you." He indicated with her americano, and Faith kicked back with her left leg whilst staking the vamp in front of her.

"Gee, thanks." She quipped, turning on the third vampire.

"No problem." Oz replied. After a few minutes Faith staked the last vampire and headed back to Oz. He looked at her quizzically.

"Coffee was gettin’ cold." She said, as she reached for the caffeiney goodness he was protecting for her. Their hands touched and Oz looked up.

"Dost mine eyes deceive me? Blushing?" He said jokingly, which caused Faith to bluster.

"I don’t blush. In fact, nothin’ you could do’d ever make me blush." She threw out the challenge and waited for his response. After sitting for a moment or two, he stood up thoughtfully and put the coffees down on a nearby headstone.

"Is that a challenge?" He asked softly, staring into her eyes. Faith grinned and slowly nodded, daring him to take her up on it. Oz smiled slowly, the picked his coffee back up. He took the lid off, and stuck a finger in the cream on top. Then he slowly dragged it down the side of her face, ending the sticky white trail at the corner of her mouth.

Faiths eyes got wide, and she swallowed nervously. Oz leaned in closer and Faith held her breathe in anticipation. "You’re blushing." He said, after a moment. Faith blinked.

"What?" She asked, bemusedly. Oz smiled, then backed off.

"By the way, you have cream on your face." He picked up his coffee and headed out of the cemetery, leaving a dumbfounded Faith standing alone, her cheeks red and covered with cream.

After several moments Faith started after him. "I’ll get ya for that." She promised.

"I hope so." He replied casually. "Don’t forget your coffee." He added, before turning the corner.

"Damn!" Was the only reply.

"That was so sweet!" Amy squeaked enthusiastically as she watched Faith hurry after Oz. Angelus snorted. "Hey. I think it was cute." She said angrily, stalking back towards the mansion.

"I can’t wait to tell Willow." Amy continued as Angelus caught up with her, apparently he was forgiven. He frowned in thought.

"You’re going to tell Willow that her ex and the Slayer are engaging in sexual banter." Amy glared at him.

"They were being really sweet, and Willow will be ecstatic. She was worried about Oz, now she doesn’t have to be. Plus it may make Faith a little easier to live with." She finished.

"You mean she’ll get rid of all her sexual frustration." Angelus replied as they headed into the mansion.

Amy turned and scowled at him. "Why exactly are you noticing Faiths sexual frustration?" The last part was punctuated by air quotes, and Angelus knew he was in serious trouble.

"Cordelia told Dru, who told Spike, who then told me." He replied quickly, following up with an innocent smile. Amy frowned slightly, but let the matter drop.

"Come on, I’m starving." They headed towards the kitchen. "Everyone who’s still awake and wants Chinese get your butt in the kitchen ASAP." She shouted as they dumped the bags on the counter, which Xander and Cordelia had thankfully vacated.

As they began to unload the bags Xander rushed in, dragging Cordelia by the arm. "Great! I’m starving." He said, reaching for the fried rice.

"Hold it Harris." Angelus growled. "We get first pick." Xander nodded, eyebrows somewhere above his hairline. After a few minutes everyone headed into the living-room.

"Hey." Spike wandered in and picked up a carton of sweet and sour chicken.

"Why do you even bother?" Xander asked.

"What?" Spike asked, digging into the carton.

"Eating. You can’t taste it." Xander explained, looking at Angelus then back at Spike.

"Amyuf-ssphfelld-ickt." Xander looked bemusedly at Angelus, who had answered with a mouthful of house special fried rice.

"He said, I spelled it. It intensifies the taste." She looked over at Spike. "Want me to do yours?" Spike nodded enthusiastically and headed over to where Amy was sitting, curled up on the couch with Angelus.

She waved her hand over his food, muttering a few words of Latin, there was a glittering effect over the sweet and sour then Amy nodded that she had finished. Spike hesitantly took a bite, his eyes going wide almost immediately.

"Cor pet, this stuff’s bloody good." He dug into the box, heading back over to his chair, all his attention focused on the chicken. After a few moments he looked up and spoke to Angelus. "She’s good to have around. Can we keep her?" Angelus smiled.

"You think I’d let her go?" He said, kissing the top of Amy’s head. She smiled at Cordelia, who was grinning at the scene unfolding before her.

"I’m tired. Bed?" She said to Amy a few minutes later. Amy nodded her assent, and slowly stood up.

"Night sweetie." She said, kissing Angelus on the cheek before bouncing out the room.

"Sweetie?" Angelus called out after her, and she turned round and blew him a kiss.

"Cordy! Stop sucking face and get over here." Cordelia stood up quickly and hurried out the room, her face bright red.

"I can see why you like her." Spike said when he was sure Amy was out of range. Angelus nodded. "She’ll certainly make life interesting. Pass me yours." Angelus sighed and threw his carton at Spike. "Hey mate. Watch the shirt." He dusted himself off, then dug into Angelus’ food.

"Finally. Someone who eats more than I do." Xander said causing Spike to growl at him, and Angelus to laugh at them both.

"Where’s everyone else?" Spike asked after a few moments.

"Christine and Giles are upstairs." Xander waggled his eyebrows suggestively and the two vampires grinned. "Willow’s asleep." He continued. "Red and Puppy are on the other side of the mansion, making a lot of noise. Angel is I don’t know where, and Faith and Oz went to bed."

"Separately?" Angelus asked with a leer.

""Euwwww. Yes." Xander replied. "And with that scary mental image I’m calling it a night." He stood up, and headed out the room.

"Might as well do the same." Angelus said, standing up. He looked towards Spike.

"I’m gonna finish this lot off mate. Then I’ll hit the sack." The dark haired vampire nodded, then followed Xander out of the room.

Spike looked around the empty room gleefully. "All the more for me."

"I’m in denial." Willow flopped back onto the bed.

"I’ll join you." Amy said as she worked at the computer.

"From this moment on it is no longer my duty to save the world from general evilness in, oh, two days four hours and roughly 25 minutes." Faith looked up and smiled.

"It’s good that you two aren’t stressin’ about this." Amy and Willow glared at her, then smiled secretly.

"So, Faith, what’s happening with you and wolf-boy?" Amy said, pressing the tips of her fingers together and leaning back in her chair.

Faith’s eyes went wide. "Nothin’s going on." She said vehemently.

"Ha!" Willow said and Faith narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean, ‘ha’?"

Willow gave her an innocent look. "What do you mean what do I mean?"

"I mean," Faith glared at Willow and continued, "what do you mean?"

Amy broke in. "Ha! Signifies scorn and disbelief at your flimsy untruth." Faith stared at her.

"Well, as long as we’re all clear." Amy and Willow barely repressed their grins at Faiths riposte.

"Yup, it’s good to be clear." Amy said.

"Definitely, clear is much better than unclear." Willow added, glancing her grinning friend.

"Hey, I was telling the truth." Faith said after a few moments, remembering why the whole conversation had started.

"Ha!" Willow and Amy said synchronously. Faith just glared.

"Checkmate." Liam smiled as he knocked over Angel’s king.

Angel brooded at the board, willing his king to suddenly become un-toppled-over. He finally gave in with a sigh. Red smirked at him, and went over to the board.

"Hmmmm, let me just count up these little marks. Oh look Liam, that’s fifteen games to you, and six to Angel." She turned round and smirked at the glaring vampire. "Even Xander is doing better than you."

Angelus laughed and took his souled/broody/losing twins chair. "You up for a game?" Liam looked over at Red, who nodded indulgently.

"Make it quick, I wanna play later." She headed out the room and Liam smiled at her retreating back. After she was out of sight he turned back to Angelus, an evil glint in his eye.

"You can be white, I figure you’ll need the advantage, but no more freebies." Angelus growled as they began to set the board up.

"Sometimes we’re so alike I want to kill you." Angelus moved one of his pawns.

"Ditto." They glanced at each other and laughed slightly. "So, what’s up with Angel?"

"To make a long story short he’s being all noble and waiting until after the big battle to get with Willow." Liam made a move then looked up at his double.

"Idiot." Angelus frowned, and moved another pawn.

"As Cordelia likes to say, well duh!" Liam smiled and moved his knight.

"Do you want to, maybe, interfere?" Angelus grinned and moved his knight.

"Of course, meddling is what vampiric doubles do best, didn’t you know that?" His voice was dripping with scorn, Liam smiled and moved his bishop.

"Of course, doesn’t everyone?"

"Angel?" Willow exclaimed as the vampire fell into her room, the door slamming shut behind him. She rushed over only to hear a faint murmuring of what sounded like Latin, then there was silence.

Angel dragged himself to his feet and growled, turning to open the door. He gave a big heave expecting it to be locked. He flew backwards as the door opened, knocking into Willow. They teetered for a moment, but holding onto each other they managed to stay upright.

Where the doorway should have been there was a wall of blue light. Willow gulped and ran over to the window, yet more blue light.

"I think we’re stuck." She said timidly to Angel who was glowering at the door, muttering something about ripping certain someone’s into tiny little pieces.

(Euw, is that even possible?) Willow thought as she managed to pick out a sentence from the mouth of the now pacing vampire.

"Angel. Angel? Angel!" Willow gave up on trying to quietly gain his attention.

"Sorry, my mind was elsewhere." Willow rolled her eyes at the obvious statement. There was silence for a few minutes.

"So." Angel said, clearing his throat lightly.

"So." Willow replied, biting her lip.

They both looked around the room, both gazes ended up on the beds. Willow blushed furiously and Angel paled slightly.

(Eeep! This is going to be a very, very, verrrrry long night.)

"Aren’t you worried someone’ll bloody well notice they’re missin’ you poofter." Angelus glared at his childe.

"The only one who would have anything against my wonderful…." Angelus broke in as Liam cleared his throat. "…our wonderfully evil plan would be the watchers." Spike smiled.

"Who are at this very moment shagging each others brains out." He finished Angelus’ train of thought. He frowned slightly. "How’s you get the witch to help?"

Liam smiled. "We were going to lock them in the cellar, she suggested a place with beds would be more…suitable." Angelus grinned.

"I really like her pops, can we keep her?" Angelus smirked at him.

"Of course you can keep me, Spike." Amy said as she entered the room, putting her arms around the bleached blond vamp. Angelus frowned and Amy grinned. "You certainly can keep me, but from now on you’ll address me as either Amy, or Moms. Comprende?" She grabbed hold of one ear and twisted slightly.

"Yes luv, pet, Amy." She smiled and relented. Spike straightened up and grimaced, rubbing his ear gingerly. "That bloody well hurt." He said, pouting slightly.

"Go and get Dru to kiss it better then." Was Amy’s reply as she headed over to Angelus. Spike’s eyes lit up as he pondered the idea, then he headed out the room just as Red came in.

"Amy?" The red-head said quietly, causing the blonde to turn around, just as Angelus leaned in to kiss her. He frowned and Liam smiled slightly. "I need to talk to you." Amy frowned then nodded slowly.

"Later." She said faintly, following the vampiress out of the room.

Angelus frowned at Liam who was still smiling. "I don’t know what you’re laughing at, it’s your girlfriend who wanted the heart to heart." Angelus grinned at Liam’s worried look, then he left his souled counterpart to ponder what the hell was going on.

"Let me get this straight. You, evil demon vampiress want me, human witch who is dating an evil demon vampire, to curse your souled vampire boyfriend who is the double of my un-souled vampire boyfriend, so that you can, to quote Faith, ‘get sweaty and do the horizontal thang’." Red nodded and widened her eyes, almost but not quite managing to attain an expression of innocence.

Amy sighed. "You’re in luck. Willow and I already re-worded the curse so that happiness clause is no longer a problem." Red smiled.

"I hope you’ve performed it on Angel then, because if I’m hearing what I think I’m hearing then they are, ‘getting sweaty and doing the horizontal thang’." Amy’s mouth dropped open.

"You can hear that from three rooms away?" Red smiled.

"Hello! Vampire much." She said in an imitation of Cordelia voice. Amy laughed and nodded.

"When do you want me to do it?" She asked the vampiress.

"I think that’s between you and Angelus." Red smirked and Amy glared at her. "As soon as possible." Her voice went low, and she swallowed slowly.

"Desperate much." Amy smiled, then nodded. "Okay, you go get Dru and I’ll set up in the library. I’m taking it this is a surprise?" Red nodded and headed out the room. Amy sighed indulgently, and headed to the library to get everything together.

"It’s done." Amy said, leaning back slightly, her shoulders drooped and her head fell forward. "Whoah, that spell’s a real drainer." Red paused for a moment then got up.

"Thankyou." She said as she headed out the door. Druscilla and Amy smiled after her hastily retreating back.

"So, how long before she jumps his bones?" Amy asked her friend as she clambered to her feet. Druscilla frowned in though.

"Five minutes, tops." Amy laughed along with the vampiress as they packed everything away. Just as they were finishing Angelus and Spike walked in.

"’Ello pet." He walked over to Druscilla and caught her roughly about the waist. "How’s about you and me go scare us up some delicious thief, murderer, and general scoundrel for dinner, ducks." Druscilla smiled and raised her eyebrows.

"Do you really think we should, it wouldn’t be…..wrong of us?" Spike laughed at her mischievous expression.

"Naw pet." He grabbed her hand and they headed out the door.

"Aren’t you going to stop them?" Angelus asked Amy as she went back to tidying up the desk. She turned to him, cocking her head to one side.

"Why? They’re hunting the nasty guys right. I say go team." She smiled at his doubtful look. "Look, I’ve seen some really icky people, and some of them deserve to die. I figure, as long as no innocents are hurt then no harm no foul."

Angelus thought it over. "Have I told you in the last two hours how much I love you?" Amy smiled.

"Nope, why don’t you…tell me. Right now." She grinned at him wickedly, and patted the desk behind her with one hand.

"It would be my pleasure." He replied, stalking over the remaining floor between the two.

"I’ll just bet it would be." She smirked, then looked over at the door, she frowned slightly and moments later it swung shut, then a clicking noise, then silence.

"So." Amy said softly.

"So." Angelus murmured.

"You wanna play some chess?" Amy giggled at his reaction to her innocuous comment.

"I’ll show you chess." He growled at her.

"So, Amy’s released the spell then?" Oz nodded and handed Faith the maple syrup. "Anyone seen Wills and Fang yet?" Oz shook his head and passed her the stack of pancakes.

He watched as she drizzled about quarter of the maple syrup onto her plate, then took a pancake and dipped it into the sauce, biting into it slowly and with extreme delight.

"Slayer metabolism is a good thing I see." He said innocuously, cutting into his pancakes. Faith frowned and licked the syrup off her fingers, intently watching Oz’s reaction.

"I dunno, what do you think?" She moved back from the table and stood up, she twirled around once then sat back down.

"It’s a good thing." She smiled at his reaction.

"Aw honey, you say the sweetest things." They laughed, just then Giles and Christine came into the kitchen.

"Pancakes? Oh goody, I’m starving." Christine bounded over to the table and piled up her plate. The three looked on in amazement at what the woman packed away in five minutes.

"I’ve never seen anything like it." Faith murmured. "How come she doesn’t choke?"

"Magick." Oz offered half-heartedly.

"No other explanation." Oz frowned and nodded slowly.

"Yeah, no other explanation."

"Christine, can I talk to you?" Oz caught up with the watcher just before she went upstairs.

"Of course, is something troubling you, about Faith?" Oz smiled slightly and shook his head.

"I wondered if you knew, about your condition." Christine shook her head and frowned in bemusement.

"My condition?"

Oz sighed, and nodded out at the garden. "We need to talk, in private." They headed outside and sat in the sun.

"How can you know that?" Christine asked, her voice filled with wonder.

"It’s the wolf, it senses it." Oz explained, and Christine nodded.

"I guess it would, animal instinct, protection of young." She mumbled then trailed off. "Don’t tell Giles." Oz frowned but nodded his head. "It would only worry him, he doesn’t need to be worried right now."

She straightened her shoulders and stood up, breathing deeply for a moment or so. "Thank you for telling me, I’m glad you did." Oz nodded, his face neutral.

"Congratulations." He said, causing her to smile slightly.

"Thankyou." She headed inside and Oz followed slowly behind, lost in thought as he walked into the mansion.

"Is everyone ready?" Giles asked the assorted teens and vampires, several heads were nodded vigorously. "Very well then, pick your straw." He moved his fist around the group, each person taking a straw.

Damn’s could be heard from Angelus, Red, and Xander.

"How about best out of three?" Xander suggested. Giles shook his head.

"You’re in my car, and that is final, now stop complaining. We have bigger things to worry about." Faith nodded vigorously.

"Yeah, like where the hell the black hats have run off to." She looked around at the group. "’Cos what you can’t find you can’t kick the ass of."

"True." Oz said, smiling faintly at her choice of words.

"I believe I can help you with that one." They all turned to look at the man who had just sauntered in.

"Who the hell are you?" Spike said, moving forward slightly. The garishly dressed man put his hands up and laughed.

"Whistler?" Angel said, moving forwards, the man nodded and the smile was replaced by an intent look.

"We need to talk." Was all he said. Angel nodded slowly and Whistler moved further into the room.

"This is Whistler." Angel said as the group watched them talk in low voices.

"We’d guessed that brood-boy." Xander rolled his eyes. "Okay, who wants pizza?" Spikes eyes lit up.

"Me." Xander looked over at him.

"Okay, but you’re buying." Spike frowned. "I’ll get some of Amy’s food taste enhancer stuff for you." Xander said to win him over.

"Deal." Spike headed out to the car. "Anyone want to join me? Best to leave the two fashion victims alone."

"Hey! This is a nifty little combo I’ll have you know." Whistler said in an outraged tone.

"Yeah, maybe in the 70’s, barely." Cordelia said as she stalked past the two.

"Cordy’s right, it just screams ‘I got dressed in the dark today’." Amy said as she followed her friend out of the room.

"I think you look…..brave." Willow said as she hurried out of the room.

"Brave? I think that remark was the most insulting." Whistler mused, then he shook his head and turned back to Angel.

"I have a message from my superiors." Whistler glanced up at the ceiling, and drew in a deep breath. Angel readied himself for a longwinded speech.

"The bad guys are three miles out of town, at an abandoned mineshaft." He paused, and Angel frowned.

"Is that it?" Whistler smiled at the bemused vampire.

"Nope. The mineshaft is a trap, you go there and you’ll be ambushed. The real baddies are at the Hellmouth." Angel glared at him.

"Why couldn’t you have said that to start with?" Whistler looked shocked at the suggestion.

"What, miss an opportunity to heighten the dramatic atmosphere? I think not buddy of mine." The two men smiled at each other. "Well, good luck. I’ll be rooting for you."

"You’re not coming?" Whistler smiled patiently at him.

"I’ll give it a miss if you don’t mind. Besides, I think I left my oven on, I’d best go check." Angel rolled his eyes and Whistler grinned then headed out.

"Good luck, and remember, don’t get killed." With that last remark he was gone. Angel thought for a few moments, then headed out the room to find everyone and inform them that the plan was good to go.

"This is it." Amy said to Willow, who was gazing worriedly at the large building in front of them.

"Yup." She replied. Xander sighed, and the two turned to him.

"You know how I always said that knowing my luck I’d die on school grounds and be forced to haunt the place for the rest of my pathetically miserable existence?" Willow and Amy smiled, and Cordelia rolled her eyes.

"You won’t have to die to be stuck here forever Xander, you’ll just never graduate." She smiled sweetly at him and he got that kicked puppy look. Everyone smiled slightly, the tension easing a little.

"There’s the Cordy we know and love….to hate." He replied after no-one made a move to defend him.

"Well, come on. No use putting it off is there? Strike while the metal’s hot, and therefore infinitely more painful." Spike started forward enthusiastically, the rest of the gang groaned and started after him. As the gang walked up the main steps they split into two groups.

Angel, Angelus, Faith, Amy, Willow, Dru and Spike turned left and headed towards the gym. Red, Liam, Giles, Christine, Oz, Xander and Cordelia headed right.

Angelus turned to Angel. "Well, I’d say our package should be arriving around about now." He grinned evilly, a smirk which was returned by his souled counter-part.

"Will you two poof’s stop grinning idiotically, we’re nearly there." Spike said to his sires, who frowned at him.

"We’ll set up here." Willow said as she looked around the Gym. Everyone went about their assigned tasks silently, not wanting to think of or speak of the battle about to commence.

"Are they here yet? They should be here by now. Do you think they know it’s a trap?" The short man looked around nervously at the men around him.

"Shut up, I can here something." The mercenary’s leader glared at the pathetic man who was cowering in the corner of the shack. He spoke into his walkie-talkie. "On my signal." He waited for a minute. "GO GO GO!"

Men surged from numerous hiding places and charged at the incoming force. The incoming force that was comprised of more than thirty vampires.

For the next few minutes all that could be heard was screaming, swearing, and bones snapping. Soon the only one’s left were the leader of the soldiers and the sniveling man.

"You aren’t who you were supposed to be." The soldier said, back ramrod straight, facing down the vampire leader.

"No. We’re not. I have a message from Angelus though, who I believe you were waiting for." The soldier nodded, and glanced at the crying man in the corner.

"Pathetic." He said, then he turned back, staring calmly in the face of death.

"How long before we go?" Xander whispered to Giles, who glanced at his watch.

"Five minutes." Was the reply.

Giles glanced around at his team, who were calmly lolling about in the corridor, waiting to move.

"Well, see you on the flip side." Xander said as Liam and Red silently stalked past them and around the corner. Red smiled at him, then followed her mate.

They stood, backs against the wall, one on each side of the library doors. They exchanged a glance, and Red nodded. As one they charged into the library, Liam went ahead, taking on three of the men who came at them. Red threw herself over the brawling group and headed towards the portal that was just opening.

Something began to emerge, and before it could step through completely Red stabbed it with a small dagger. The thing screamed in pain, but Red was already heading back out at full speed. Liam punched the man he was sparring with then wheeled around, following the vampiress out of the room.

The red haired man came out of Giles’ office. "Follow them, get the dagger. Blood controls you idiots." He explained at their uncomprehending looks. They headed out of the library and turned, at the top of the corridor a group of seven people stood, smiling at them.

Suddenly the group split up and took off in different directions. "Which one has the dagger?" A blonde man said.

Another shrugged and said, "Follow them all." They ran after the fleeing people, splitting up when they came to the end of the corridor.

"Catch." Oz shouted as he flung the dagger at the waiting group. Amy slowed it down and floated it into the middle of the circle.

Faith raised her crossbow. "Duck!" She shouted at the werewolf, who lurched forward into a roll as she released the trigger.

The man behind Oz toppled backwards, his arm still raised with a knife clenched in his hand. Oz looked at the dead man, an arrow sticking out of his chest directly above his heart.

"Good shot." He said to Faith, who shrugged.

"Reflex." She smiled at him, then turned back to Willow and nodded. Willow raised her arms and began to chant.

Oz picked up a crossbow from the pile, a handful of arrows and a wicked looking sword. He climbed the bleachers and aimed the crossbow at the door, waiting.

As Willow and the others chanted Xander barreled through the door, closely followed by Red and Christine. "Incoming!" He yelled as the two humans headed for the weaponry.

Oz picked off one that came through the door, and Red kicked one back into the third whilst he reloaded. Xander joined Red in the fray with a heavy club, and Christine shot one with the tranquilizer gun.

A few moments later saw Red and Xander pulling the inert bodies to one side of the gym, whilst Christine joined Oz with a crossbow of her very own. Suddenly a group of ten men hurtled through the gym doors, Red and Xander leapt at them. Just then Giles and Liam ran into the gym, and flung themselves into the battle.

At the middle of the brawl the red haired man looked up and saw the chanting group, led by Willow.

"NO!" He screamed, then ran forward, gun in hand. Willow glanced up and saw him heading straight for her, gun at the ready, Red close behind him.

Suddenly he veered left and the chasing vampiress, unable to slowdown, barreled straight into Spike. The man brought the gun up and pointed it at Amy.

"I promised you a death." He said, and squeezed the trigger. Amy’s eyes went wide, and she glanced down at the blood streaming down her shirt.

Angelus roared in anguish and dove at the triumphant man, without any ceremony he broke his hand, then snapped his neck. He turned around slowly, in time to see Amy crumple to the ground.

He ran over and crouched by her side.

"Amy, Amy, no, don’t leave me. AMY!" She gasped and shuddered, her eyes closing slowly. She took one last breath, then silence.

"Amy." Angelus whispered quietly, and gathered her small body into his arms, rocking her back and forth, a single blood tear trickling slowly down his face.

At the other end of the gym the fight was over. Xander, Liam and Giles walked over to the group, everyone was silent. Just then Cordelia came running in.

"I lost them, finally. Sheesh, that was worse than trying to avoid freshman who think they’re god’s gift, I mean come on, do they really think I’ll actually….." She trailed off. "Badness." She said, taking a deep breath.

"Alright, out of the way people, nothing to see." She barreled through to Angelus, who was holding Amy’s rapidly cooling body.

"Dru?" She looked over at the vampiress who was quickly rooting through one of the weapons bags. The vampiress threw a plastic bag over and Cordelia for once showed some hand eye co-ordination and actually managed to catch it.

She glanced down at Angelus. "Fang face." She said, and he looked up, startled. "You wanna get out of the way?" He growled at her and she rolled her eyes. "Trust me, if you love Amy then trust me."

Angelus glanced down at the body he held in his arms, then he nodded slowly. Placing Amy’s body on the floor gently he backed away, watching the brunette as she sprinkled some foul smelling herbs on Amy’s chest wound. Dru made her way over and crouched down on the other side of Amy, and the two women clasped hands over their fallen friends body.

Slowly, and as one they began to chant in Latin, gradually increasing speed until a white light began to emanate from their clasped hands. Suddenly, a bolt of light shot from their hands to Amy’s chest, and the blonde witch arched upwards, gasped and then collapsed back to the floor.

Everyone was silent, straining their ears. Amy drew in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, her eyes opened and she swallowed.

"Now that’s what I call an experience." She smiled slightly, Dru and Cordy smiled in relief and sat back. Angelus rushed forward and Dru moved back quickly before he could stand on her.

"You’re alive, you’re alright, you’re alive, he killed you, but you’re okay now….you are okay now?" He moved back slightly and moved his hand to where the wound had been.

"Not in public honey." Amy said, blushing slightly whilst grabbing his hand as it wandered around her top, trying to find the bullet hole.

"How’d you know?" Oz asked as Angelus pulled Amy into another relieved bear hug.

Cordelia turned around. "Vision Vamp over there had a feeling that someone was going to be killed dead, so Amy, Dru and I worked out a little spell in case she was right." She smiled at Amy, whose circulation was about to be cut off by an overenthusiastic boyfriend. "Which she was." She finished.

Angelus looked over at Dru, who had moved around to help Cordelia up. "Thank you." He said, before glancing back at the top of Amy’s head which was all he could see. Amy closed her eye’s and took a deep breath, then pulled back.

"Okay, let’s get this NC-17 show on the road." Angelus helped her to her feet, and they made their way back to the circle. Willow hurried over and closed the circle, stopping by Amy she gave her a quick hug.

"You scared me." She said, smiling. Amy grinned.

"I scared myself." They smiled at each other, then Willow headed back to her place.

"Alright. Good. Everyone’s good. We can go now." She took a deep breath and began to chant.

"So, what do we do now?" Xander asked Giles, who was talking to Christine. The librarian looked over at him.

"Well, I guess we should wait to pick off any stragglers." Xander nodded.

"Do we have to pick off any large, slimy, evil things?" Giles frowned and looked over at Cordelia, who had a worried look on her face.

"Twelve O’clock." She continued, Giles turned and faced the wall. Cordelia rolled her eyes, and sighed. "Idiot, your other twelve." Giles spun round 180 degrees, and his worried look then matched Cordy’s.

"Oh dear." Christine sighed at his typical British understatement.

"That’s one way of putting it." She said exasperatedly, forgetting that she too was prone to the same understatement at times.

"Kay, whadda we do?" Xander asked gesturing with his hands in a very Italian manner, Giles had no response.

"Stall it." Liam said after a moments hesitation.

"Good plan, Cordy, go talk at it about moisturizers like you do with me sometimes." He turned to the rest of the group and stage whispered. "Always makes me run away." Cordelia glared at him, then whacked him on the arm.

"Now now, little birds in their nests agree." Red smirked at the two, and Liam looked over at her in surprise. She blushed slightly, which in vampiric terms would equate to acute embarrassment. "I read it when I was human, alright. Stop pushing!" Liam smiled at her very obvious discomfort.

"Whatever we’re going to do we should do quickly." Oz said after nobody made a move. The creature was nearly at the gym doors.

"How the hell are we supposed to stall that thing?" Xander asked the group in general as they picked up the last of the weaponry.

"Carefully." Oz replied, hefting a rather nifty looking battle axe.

"Watch it!" Red exclaimed, leaning backwards. Oz smiled at her apologetically, then they all started forward.

"Just for the record, our lives slash un-lives suck." Cordelia said, picking up a short sword, and then brandishing it clumsily in the creatures general direction. Liam jumped back out of the way and exchanged an understanding glance with Red. Then he went over and joined her, keeping well away from Cordelia, and in general the humans with the pointy/swipey instruments of death.

"Hey there, ugly guy, yeah I’m talking to you." Xander glared at the creature that had now turned in his direction. "Yeah, I’m talking to you, who else in here is that butt ugly?" The creature glared at him disdainfully then resumed it’s slow walk towards Willow and the others.

"Well, I guess that means any insults from Cordy’s corner would result in a fat load of nada also." Xander said under his breath.

"We could stab it a few times." Oz contributed.

"Works for me." Red replied, and the two of them circled around behind the creature. "Now!" The two of them rushed it, suddenly they were flying backwards. They finally came to a complete stop after skidding along the floor for about ten feet.

"Can we do it again?" Red said, her voice filled with a sort of childish glee.

Oz looked at her funny, then got to his feet and glanced at the remaining members of the Scooby gang who were trying desperately to slow the creature down yet not become killed by it in the process. "Help them. Back soon."

He said to the vampire clambering to her feet beside him as he rushed out of the gym. She looked in the direction he had gone, a frown on her face.

"Easy for you to say." She sighed, then ran towards the others.

Oz hurtled down the corridor, heading for the library, passing the library, continuing down the hallway, turning, skidding to a stop.

He smashed his hand through the glass and grabbed the fire axe. Then he continued running, finally he came to a stop outside the principals office. A few minutes later he’d hacked through the door and was into the desk.

After a few moments he was triumphant [although his facial expression did not express this triumphantness], and he headed out of the office with the keys. He then headed back to the gym, stopping at the lost and found closet on the way.

"I hope Jimmy’s parents forgot to pick up his bag." He said as he rummaged around. After a moment or two he found what he was looking for. He then headed back to the gym, bag in hand, rummaging through it as he ran, throwing stuff out that was un-needed, and leaving a breadcrumb trail for anyone to follow.

Fortunately at this point there wasn’t anybody left in the bad guy camp to follow it.