Disclaimer: All characters are the property of Joss
Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox and the WB. No copyright infringement intended.
Spoilers: Everything up to Doomed and Somnambulist.
Rating: PG
Content: Willow casts a spell, with unexpected results.

*****

Willow's research had paid off. Still devastated by Oz's betrayal, she had thrown herself into her studies, including looking for a spell to make Angel's soul permanent. At last, she had found a spell, and was preparing to cast it. It had to be done at the site of the Hellmouth, or a gateway to a parallel dimension, so Willow, Buffy, and Angel had returned to the site of the old school, with Amy the rat along in her cage for moral support. Angel stood in a circle drawn with salt, on top of an ankh drawn on the floor by Willow.

Practically exploding with excitement, but trying to remain authoritative, Willow sternly warned Angel not to step out of the circle until she told him to do so. "And Buffy," she added, "don't go into the circle until I say so, no matter what! Remember, we won't know if its worked right away. Angel will still be a vampire, just without the evil stuff. So when you two, uh experiment," Willow blushed, "I'm going to wait in a church with my cellular and an orb. I want you to call me if there's any problem."

Buffy nodded, since Willow had repeated these instructions several times already, unable to speak, her eyes shining brightly as she stared at Angel.  Sprinkling some herbs with her left hand, in her right hand holding a computer printout, Willow walked around Angel, incanting:

Srewop eht ot sgniteerg ym
Ydob sih ni luos sih kcol
Ytilanosrep nomed eht tuo tsac
Htgnerts sih peek mih tel
Cigam etihw fo eman eht ni...

As Willow continued the spell, light flashed within the circle, and Angel's face twisted with pain as he fell to his knees. Amy squeaked and ran around in her cage. Willow could hear Buffy praying in a whisper, and the pain in her friend's voice spurred her on. She finished the spell, feeling weak, feeling the power rising out of her. The light show within the circle continued, and Willow moved to hold Buffy's hand, prepared to do her best to hold the terrified Slayer back if she went to help Angel, who had collapsed on the symbol of the ankh as the power coursed through him.

Without warning, a figure ran into the chamber and charged the circle.

"Riley, no!" shrieked Willow. It was too late. Riley had entered the circle, tackling Angel, then fell unconscious on the ground. Within seconds, the light show in the circle was over. Buffy and Willow ran inside the circle, pushing Riley aside. Buffy lifted Angel's head onto her lap, and his eyes opened.

"Are you still you?" Buffy said anxiously.

"I think so. I think it worked. Usually, I can feel the demon inside me, suggesting things. I don't anymore. I'm still a vampire, my heart isn't beating, but he's not here."

Willow stood up and gave vent to her feelings. "It worked, it worked, it worked! I am a real spellcaster! Yeah, baby, yeah!" she shrieked, twirling around, hopping up and down, her eyes shut, her face full of happiness. Her joyful hopping led to her jumping on Riley's hand. He groaned, stirred.

"What's going on?" He slowly stood up, his left eye twitching. "What are you two doing with that vampire?" Riley's body lurched, twisted, rocked. "What did you do to me?"

Angel and Buffy rose to stand.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Willow said softly.

Willow came and stood before Riley, who lunged at her throat, only to leap back, off-balance. "What the h-e-double hockey sticks?" Riley whimpered. "Who is that talking? Where is that voice coming from? I think there's a bug in my ear," he whined, shaking his head furiously, only to have his left hand come up and slap his face.

"Oh my God," said Willow.

"Angelus, if you can hear me, nod your head," said Angel sharply. Riley's head nodded frantically, even as Riley continued complaining. Angel turned to Buffy, and they hungrily fell into each other's embrace.

"What are you doing to my head? Stop it, stop it!"  Riley grabbed Willow's arm tightly with his right hand. "What's going on?" he pleaded, even as his left hand came up and caressed Willow's throat longingly.

Willow's hand rose to Riley's throat, and she felt it intently, her face cleared of worry. "We were casting the demon personality out of Angel, and it was supposed to go into the Hellmouth. You jumped in the circle, so he got sucked into you instead. But don't worry," Willow consoled as he paled, "you're not a vampire. You just have Angelus's personality inside your head, and as best as I can tell, he may have some control over the left, or sinister, side of your body.  You have ultimate control over your body, though."

Angel lifted Buffy up into his arms and held her tightly as he walked towards the exit. "Willow, we can't thank you enough," he said breathlessly as Buffy dotted his face with kisses. "I am eternally grateful." Glancing towards Riley, Angel's face showed sudden sympathy and pity. "He doesn't like any television except for PBS, he hates modern music, and he likes to describe killing and tormenting people. Anything you do, he's going to make fun of and tell you how he could have done it better. He's not a morning person. Good luck." With that, he and Buffy left without a backward glance.

Riley looked at Willow desperately, fear in his face. "You can fix it right? Recast the spell? Cast him out?"

Willow nodded serenely. "I can fix it, but I'll have to find the right spell. This one won't work for you, because you're not a vampire. Don't you worry, I'll find it, just like I found one for Angel." She bent and picked up Amy's cage, smiling. "Of course, finding that spell for Angel took two and a half years, and deratting Amy is my first priority right now, I've been working on her for a year and a half, but I will fix you as soon as I can."

Riley fainted.

*****

Two weeks later, Buffy prepared to go to LA for the weekend. She and Angel were doing the long-distance relationship thing, recognizing that there were people in LA who needed his help just as there were people in Sunnydale who needed hers. She left, hugging Willow goodbye, and Willow felt tremendous pleasure at having made Buffy's life so much happier. A knock came at the door, and Willow's face fell.

"Come in," said Willow tiredly.

Riley entered hastily. Clad in black leather pants and a red velvet shirt, with a long black leather duster completing his ensemble, he stood before Willow angrily. "He's mad about the sneakers," said Riley miserably pointing at his feet which were clad in a white pair of Keds. "He won't stop nagging me. I've given in on everything else, but my feet have to be comfortable. Have you found a spell yet?" he said eagerly.

Willow sighed. It was going to be a long weekend


The End


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