Willow and Cordelia settled at the bar, twin laptops clicking as they hunted down information about vampires and mates. Occasionally, Willow would squeak excitedly then frown as the lead turned out to be a dead end. It seemed that no one had really ever witnessed a claim on a human, and if they had, they hadn't lived to tell the tale.

"Do you really think we'll find anything?" Cordelia whispered. "I'm not used to being on the research end still, especially with you as a partner. Being back here makes me feel like I should be driving people around, you know?"

Willow smiled. In high school, Cordelia had been leery of showing how intelligent she could be; therefore, it wasn't strange that ex-cheerleader felt out of place hacking with the brainiac. "Actually, this is pretty weird for me, too. Normally, I'm the one out there doin the magick thing, but I botched a few big ones lately, so… Guess this is how Watcher's punish their helpers," she replied glumly.

"Nah," said Cordelia. "I heard Giles telling Wesley that your power is too strong for you, and he doesn't want you accessing it unless you have to. He wants to help you learn to control it so you don't hurt yourself or someone else. He's not punishing you. Besides, I'm okay at this computer stuff, but you're the expert here." She smiled at the Witch, who nodded and smiled back.

"Thanks for saying that, Cordy. You know, you've changed a lot since high school."

"You, too. My God, Shelia Rosenberg's daughter… a lesbian? Did she have a heart attack?"

Willow giggled. "It wasn't as bad as when I told her I was going to UC Sunnydale and not MIT. But she wasn't happy, no. What about you and Angel? When did that start?"

"Only recently. Hell, I never thought I'd get him to even notice me; he still has Buffy stars in his eyes. And now with this Spike thing… I don't know. Maybe it's not the right time yet," she said, picking at her manicure.

"Maybe not. By the way he looks at you, though, it may be some day. He just needs to put his past behind him. It took me awhile to do that when Oz left."

"Yeah. Do you think maybe you could look at that curse thing again? I'd hate to finally get my chance and have to dust my honey, you know?"

Willow knew she meant it. If anyone would dust the person they loved because it was necessary, it was Cordelia. She knew where her priorities had to lie, and always had. "I could look into the wording. Maybe it's more flexible than I thought. I could try a translation spell…" Willow clicked open another window and opened a search engine to find some translating spells while she was at it. Although, at this point, if we bind Angel's soul, I have a feeling we're all going to find out even more about Spike and Buffy's private life than we know now.

"Willow?" Cordelia said, looking up. "I know what you're thinking. And if that's what makes him happy, I can't deny it just because it's not what I want. Sometimes if you love things, you have to let them go. I think we've all learned a little of that since Buffy came to town."

Willow nodded, still amazed at how much could change in a few short months. Had they all grown that much since high school? She made a mental note to ask Angel and Giles what they thought about it later. For now, it was back to surfing for answers…

*****************************************************

Across the room, Xander and Angel were sitting on the couch with a notepad, trying to finish the list of people who'd had significant contact with Buffy in the past four years.

"Okay, Deadboy, tell me this. Do evil people count? Like should we list the looney, and other baddies who're still alive? Scary as it is, Drusilla could have gotten this vision, right?"

Angel stared at the spell Giles and the girls had been trying to cast then at the translation Anya thought Willow had botched. "I don't think so. Besides, it's been over a day and half. If Drusilla had gotten the visions, we'd know by now. She'd be here. She was always quick to pounce on the helpless," he muttered.

"And who raised her that way?" Spike shot back, striding into the room with Buffy in tow.

"Stow it, Spike. We're busy," Xander replied, not even looking up from his list.

Buffy plopped down next to him and examined the list he was making. "Ooh, he's dead, remember? And she is too. Another one. That one's dead, too. God this is sad. Half the people I know are dead," she complained.

"And somehow, Mony Mony lives on," Xander mumbled.

Angel chuckled and everyone looked at him. "It was funny! Billy Idol…Mony Mony?" When they just stared, he threw his hands up in exasperation. "I give up! Why does everyone gape at me like bullfrogs when I laugh?"

"Cause the only time you ever laughed was when you were the prick," Spike filled in.

Angel's eyes got as round as saucers. "Ohhhh. So that's why you all freeze like deer in the headlights when I laugh. Makes sense I guess," he said, mulling it over in his mind.

"Now that we've strolled down Unpleasant Memory Lane, how about we submit this list to you guys, and we can see if we missed anyone. Or if they're dead," Xander added, rolling his eyes at Buffy.

"We only included humans," Angel threw in.

Buffy picked up the list and started reading aloud. "Joyce Summers, Hank Summers, Jonathon, Harmony…no, I think she died at graduation, Larry, Olivia, Maggie Walsh, Riley Finn…oh my god I haven't talked to him yet, Graham, Forrest, Amy (pre rat), Owen, Oz, Billy Palmer, Marcie Ross…Doesn't the FBI have her?, Devon, Ethan Rayne...hoo boy, hope it's not him, Willy, Michael, and….guys, you have Faith on here," Buffy said, surprised.

"Buffy-" Angel began.

"What? I was surprised. Don't'cha think if she'd received some sort of visions of my death, she'd've at least tried to make contact somehow?"

"She is in jail, Buffy," Xander reminded her.

"They have phones there. I'm sure she could have claimed an emergency and called her lawyer or something. Doesn't she have your number, Angel?"

Angel looked at Cordelia, who shrugged. Buffy was taking the subject of Faith much better than they'd anticipated. "Yeah, she has my cell number. She'd probably let me know if something disturbing about you came to her. She's really doing much-"

"Better. Yeah, I could tell," Buffy said absently, looking away wistfully.

Spike watched Buffy, his face unreadable. Inside, he was concentrating hard on extracting Buffy's thoughts about Faith, trying to ascertain whether she was a good thing or a bad thing. Another Slayer…interesting. She went bad and tried to take the Poof's soul...then…an ascension? Buffy stopped an ascension? Bloody hell, my girl is tough, he thought to himself. Nevermind that she almost killed Faith over my Sire; that's old hat for the women I know. But to stop an ascension… that's something special. He looked up to find Angel and Xander staring at him. "What? What are you gits staring at?" he growled.

Xander opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He tried again, but when he failed, he simply pointed a finger at his forehead then motioned to Spike's.

"Yeah, my bumpies came out. What of it?" He looked at Angel, who appeared transfixed. "What is going on?"

Xander made a noise that sounded like something out of the three Stooges and shook a finger at Buffy.

"There's nothing wrong with-" his voice dwindled to nothing as he looked at his mate, her forehead ridged like his, the light catching off a razor sharp fang as she muttered to herself. "Well, I'll be a limey sonuvabitch. She's got 'em, too!" He bounded out of the chair and grabbed Buffy, spinning her to face him.

When she gazed at him in confusion, he asked, "What were you thinking about just a minute ago?"

"I could hear you thinking. By the way, I know you were pilfering my memories, you creep. And you were talking about how strong I was and special… that's all. I was being sentimental. Why?"

"You can't feel that?"

"Feel what? And why are you all 'game face'?"

He took a deep breath and raised her hands to her face, guiding her fingers to the ridges and fangs. At her shuddering gasp, he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly.

'What did you do to me, Spike? I trusted you!' she shouted in her head.

'I did nothing wrong! You got them when we connected on a base level. I went 'grr' because of how upset you were at Faith, and you responded physically to my emotions. You're not a vampire, Buffy. But you can draw on all of our strengths, of which having a weapon you always carry, i.e. your fangs, is most definitely a perk.'

'I don't know, Spike. This is weird. I feel ugly.' She whined.

"Well now you've gone and hurt my feelings, luv," he said out loud, smirking. "Gonna tell me I'm fat, too?"

Buffy giggled, and the ridges faded immediately. "Whoa. Now that is a wiggy sensation. How do you deal with that all the time?" she asked, grinning at him.

"I dunno. How do you deal with bleeding off a pint of blood every month? Just get used to it, is all."

"Can I say 'ew'?" Xander finally said, regaining his ability to speak. "No one wants to know about you and your fetishes, Spike."

Angel paled, and cleared his throat. "Um, Buffy, you do know you, uh, you…"

"Went 'grr'? Yup. No big."

"I should say it is a rather big…big," Wesley cut in, carrying a bag full of supplies from the magick shop. He sat them on the counter and picked up a heavy volume to start searching through. "Developing fangs is certainly not on the list of skills a slayer should hone."

"I told you people I never got a copy of that damned handbook!" Buffy shot back, sticking her tongue out. "I wouldn't know what's on the skills list." She flopped down in the chair, pouting.

Angel's brow furrowed for a moment as he considered the events of the past few minutes. "Wait a minute. Buffy, did you say Faith 'seemed better'? When on Earth did you go see Faith?"

"Yeah Buff. Did you get the bleached psycho to take you to LA to see…well, the other psycho?" Xander asked reproachfully.

"No. I- When I left here, upset, the other night…before you guys came barging in the first time… I fell asleep on the bed at Angel's. I woke up and saw Spike pacing, talking to himself, and I didn't tell him I was awake. All of the sudden, Faith was in my head, talking to me. She told me she'd had a daydream about me and Spike and what was going on with us. She advised me not to be afraid of what I felt because I'd gotten hurt before. When she was talking I could feel how sorry she was for before, and how hard she was trying to make up for it. I told her-I told I'd come visit," Buffy replied, staring off into space.

"Obviously that's it," Wesley interrupted. "Faith received the visions. It must have happened because a vampire feeding on a Slayer usually leads to something a bit more grim than…a marriage…of sorts." He shut the book he was rifling through and smiled. "I'm glad to hear you two found some closure, Buffy. It's important to talk out your-"

"Oh, can it, Wesley," Cordelia snapped from the bar. "Buffy and Faith had their moment. No need to get all sentimental about it. I'm sure she's dealing with other things right now. Hello? I'm still stuck on the fangs…" she muttered, starting another search string.

Angel looked up at Buffy, who smiled at him tenderly. "I'm glad you and Faith… Wait, what exactly did she say?" he asked suspiciously, catching the mischievous glint in Buffy's eyes.

"You so don't want to know. There are things even I'm not dumb enough to repeat. Besides, I don't feel like peeling a bloody, sweaty, snarling pile of you and Spike apart if I did," she remarked wryly. Suddenly, a flood of thoughts invaded her mind, flashing pictures of her and Spike and Angel, sweaty, sticky, and bloody, crawling all over each other in a field. She breathed in a hitched gasp, her eyes sliding shut as the images played in her mind. Her head fell back, and purring filled the room as Buffy and her vampires indulged in a secret moment.

Spike opened one eye and watched Buffy, the scent of her arousal attacking his nose. He let out a low growl, frustrated with their confinement due to the sun. He wanted nothing more than to bury himself inside her until relief washed over them both. Angelus always had a creative mind when it came to indoor sports, he thought, licking his lower lip. He had to go screwing around with gypsies… damn curse!

Angel just stared off into space, unable to focus on anything but the fantasy he was living out in his head. The last time he'd felt like this was the Doximall incident. Although this time he wasn't going 'all evil twin' as Cordy called it, but… Oh, hell. Cordy. The thought of Cordy shook him out of his trance, and he glanced over to the bar where she was still working, oblivious. Xander was sitting on the couch next to Wesley, studiously ignoring the three people lost in thoughts.

Spike paced back and forth frenetically. Without thinking, he stepped closer to the window, and let out a half howl when he felt the warmth of the sun, expecting his skin to sizzle. When it didn't, he stared at his arm in amazement. "Holy bloody Christ; look at this people!" He opened the curtain a crack more and stood in the sunlight, bathed in a light he hadn't seen for more than a century.

The room turned and gasped. Spike's hair was gleaming in the sun, and he was grinning like a madman. Willow and Xander were making twin Shemp noises, and Wesley looked like he might faint. Angel's jaw hit the ground; Cordelia shrugged and went back to typing. Buffy's mouth went dry while another part of her flooded with wetness as she stared at her handsome lover in the daylight.

"This is just neat!" he said, sweeping Buffy into his arms and spinning her about.

"How-how-how…" Willow babbled.

"Like I'm going to look a gift horse in the mouth!" he replied, still grinning.

Buffy collected herself, willing herself to think and not just stand there, lusting after Spike. It must be the claim, she thought. But how? Then she remembered the poem Spike had recited: ' From the mating, Strengths shall be twofold, Weaknesses shall be eliminated, And love will rule, For the eternity that is their bond.' That's it!! His natural vampire weaknesses are gone, which must mean my natural Slayer weaknesses are gone, too. But the only thing that make me weak is…that I can die. Oh my god. that's what the eternity part means. Bloody fucking hell…

Angel raised his head and looked at Buffy as if waiting for her to explain what was going on. His eyes begged her to tell him the truth.

So she did. "It's part of the claiming ritual. I thought it was some dumb chant thing, especially since Spike didn't really say it when he was supposed to. But he was supposed to say it during the ritual. It's something like-"

"Is that what that part means? 'Cause I confess, Slayer, I didn't have a sodding clue. You know ancient chants, tend to be a bit on the boring side. I usually skip ahead to the fun parts," he leered.

"What in the world are we talking about?" Giles asked, walking into the packed living room. "And why is the curtain open so far, Angel and Spike will…fry?" He stared at the blond vampire basking the small rays of sun filtering in, and took off his glasses to clean them. "Oh, dear."

"Look at me, Watcher. Think I'll look good with a tan?"

Giles rubbed his temples. When he looked up, he noticed Angel doing the same thing. Their eyes met, and they shared a half hearted smile. Two grown-ups amongst a roomful of teenagers, even if one of them was 125 years old, made them an overwhelming minority. "Yes, well, Spike, for whatever reason you can…withstand the sun, I don't know if it's rays will effect you like they would a human…"

"No. I like you pale and sexy. No tan," Buffy pouted.

"Got a thing for Goth guys, eh, Slayer?" he preened.

"Will you two put a sock in it?" Willow said, turning around. "The rest of us would like to know what Buffy is talking about. It might help Cordelia and I search out information." Giving them a stern look, she turned back to her screen, listening for Buffy's explanation.

"The poem thingy said something like strength will be double and weaknesses will go away for all eternity like their love. That a pretty good synopsis, blondie?" Buffy said, contemplating stealing away to go the beach and watch Spike frolic about like a kid. And why wouldn't he? He's spent five times my life span in the dark.

"Yeah, that's close enough to the second part, pet," he replied absently, still looking out the window wistfully.

"Yes, that's very helpful," Giles said, mulling it over. "Perhaps Wesley and our group will go outside and try again with this new information. "Buffy, have you noticed any distinct changes yet?"

"Other than the pointies? Nope. But I'm willing to bet you could a run a sword through me and the hole would just close up like nothing happened. I think Spike made me the Highlander," she said, biting back a laugh as Giles stuttered his response.

"Well, that would be a strength I suppose… right. Carry on with your investigations in here. I think I might go lie down upstairs for a few minutes," he muttered, heading up the stairs.

Buffy jumped into Spike's arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and holding onto his neck. "I think we gave Giles an aneurysm, baby."

"He'll get over it. Meanwhile, we should…patrol. Right? Patrol outside… in the sun…around…," he said longingly.

"I can't see the harm in it. Obviously, the light's no problem anymore. Shall we?" He set her down quickly and practically dragged her out the door.

As the door shut, Willow stared at her computer in amazement. She'd found it. All these years, it had been sitting right here on the Net, and she'd never bothered to look. The cure to Angel's curse was bookmarked on the laptop she'd inherited from Miss Calendar under a link called 'Chicken Soup for the Pagan Soul'. She must have known no one would bother looking at this, and therefore, it would never get used or erased. If I hadn't clicked the wrong window because I was distracted, I might never have seen this… Willow considered how their lives might have differed if this had come to light earlier, and decided she liked things the way they were now, even if Buffy was now the proud owner of bumpies and fangs. But what do I do about this? Should I go against Giles' wishes and 'fix' Angel's curse, so to speak?

Cordelia, who had been reading over the witch's shoulder, squealed softly. "Oh my god, Willow, you did it! You can curse Angel in a way that won't hamper his sex life! Thank GOD!" She wrapped her arms around the redhead spontaneously, and Willow groaned inside. She was never going to hear the end of this if it went wrong…she'd have to get Anya and Tara to help, maybe even Cordelia as well. As she began planning how to escape to a place where she and the others could work, her mind traveled to Buffy and Spike, wondering how they'd react when Angel no longer had to worry about losing his soul. Something told her everyone else might want to be far, far away….

Buffy sat on a rock several feet from the breaking surf, watching Spike run through the breaking surf like a kid. He'd rolled his jeans up to his knees and taken off his boots, then sprinted into the glistening water eagerly. The sun was reflecting off his wet white blonde hair, making it almost glow from a distance. He's so happy…and I gave this to him. Because I trusted him, and loved him, he is happier than I've seen him since…since I dropped an organ on him. She chuckled to herself and pulled her knees up to her chest, smiling fondly at her lover.

"Buffy, luv, come out here. The water's perfect, and the sun isn't frying me. What could be better?" He grinned, taking her shirt off and tossing it toward the sand, water rolling down his chest.

Buffy's mouth suddenly went dry again watching the path the seawater was taking over his rock hard abs. God, he is so fucking hot! I can only imagine how wonderful it would be to be with both him and Angel…she sighed. But that can never happen. If it did, it would change everything. But Angel could claim me, too, and then he could come outside with us. Her thoughts flickered to the scene in the field again. I just don't know. Do I really want to add someone else to a relationship that's already working beautifully? And nothing with Angel is ever easy… She sighed and turned her head to watch Spike cavort around, wiggling his sand covered toes at her as he laid just below the surf line. His bleached locks were curling at the ends, giving him an adorable boyish charm.

"Buf-fy! Come on, luv. Pleeeeeease?"

Giving up, she stripped off her shirt and shorts. Making sure her bikini straps were tied tightly, she jogged down to where Spike was making a sand angel. "You are totally insane, you know that?" she asked, smiling fondly at him.

He looked up at her, golden brown and blonde, drenched in sunlight like a goddess and found it hard to breathe all of the sudden. Her skimpy little bikini barely covered enough to be decent and he felt his jeans grow uncomfortably tight. Licking his lips, he dragged her down onto the sand next to him, moving to cover her body with his.

"I thought you wanted me to play with you," she said frowning. "All I'm doing down here is getting sand in my unimaginables."

"Oh, I'd say that'll change in a little while," he smirked, crushing his lips to hers.

"If you insist," she sighed, melting under ministrations.

The sun warmed them as they made love, and the waves continued to crash around them, cooling them at the same time. Neither could have ever imagined such an idyllic time, and it seemed even the Powers That Be were smiling down on the unlikely couple half buried in the sand.

*****************************************************

Willow leaned over to Cordelia, and whispered in her ear. "I have the list of what I'll need finished. We have to get Tara and Anya away from Wesley and Giles so we can ask them to help. Then we have to convince everyone that all four of us need to go do something, and once we do, we'll take off to the mansion and do the spell."

"No problem. I'm an excellent liar. Especially when it comes to fooling Wussley. One eyelash bat and he dissolves into a stuttering pile of mush. Want me to go now?"

"Cordelia, are you sure this is what you want? I mean, I don't know if this will even work. It might make Angel bad and we'd have to kill him. Or it might do something worse that we don't know about. Miss Calendar wasn't always exactly honest with us… And I'm not having the best of luck with spells lately, either. Maybe we should ask Giles what he thinks first," Willow fretted.

Cordelia placed her hands over Willow's and looked into her eyes. "Willow, we both know you can do this. I think you're more worried about what will happen with Angel and the Dynamic Duo once his soul is anchored or whatever. I assure you, I'm not going to stake Angel if he decides he has some things to work out. It won't do me any good to have Angel if he's always wishing he were somewhere else. Or if he's always brooding over 'what might have been'. So if he chooses them for now, or forever, he's still my friend, and I still love him. I can accept his right to make his own decisions, even if they are misguided." She shrugged, and cocked her head towards the door. "Ready to see me turn Wesley into a blabbering idiot?"

Willow grinned. "It's not like it's something I haven't seen before. What happened to that great relationship you two were going to have?"

"Call it temporary insanity. Or maybe I just had the flu, I don't know."

Willow chuckled and pocketed the papers necessary for the spell. "We need to go to the magick shop and my apartment, too. Can you borrow Angel's car?"

"When it comes to Angel, I've learned it's better to take and run than ask. Trust me. I'll get his keys on our way out. Let's go rescue Tara and Anya and head out."

They were greeted by a loud boom and the stench of sulfur as they walked out the back door. Giles was waving a burning bundle of herbs and Wesley was drawing symbols in the dirt. Tara and Anya were holding hands, chanting something in Gaelic until the sulfur smell faded. Everyone opened their eyes and looked around.

"Damnit. Nothing again. What on Earth could be wrong with the spell that keeps it from even giving us the slightest result?" Wesley muttered.

"I don't know. Maybe we need to re-write the whole damned thing and try again later," Giles sighed.

Tara and Anya just looked at the Watchers expectantly until they noticed Cordelia and Willow standing on the steps.

"H-Hey, sweetie. Any l-luck?" Tara called.

"Well, no, but…"

"What she means," Cordelia cut in, "is that we're not sure if we found something or not. We have a lead but we're going to check it out. We figure we'll be safe cause it's daylight. The only vamp about is Spike, and I'm pretty sure he and Buffy aren't hanging around the Museum library." Cordelia smiled brilliantly at Wesley, batting her eyelashes a bit.

"I don't know if you can… Well, what I mean Cordelia is that you and Willow might not... Don't you think someone should accompany you?" he finally got out.

Willow snickered and everyone looked at her. Blushing bright red, she floundered to cover up her mistake. "You're right. We can take Tara and Anya with us. And if we have a problem, Cordelia has her cell phone. We can call you. How's that?"

Giles pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. All the stress from the events of the past few days was starting to take its toll on him. "If you really feel it necessary to investigate, go ahead. The Museum should be relatively safe for the four of you, provided no one reads aloud any inscriptions on artifacts or what not. The last thing we need are more surprises. When you get back, Wesley and I will have worked out the kinks in this spell. Do be careful and don't be long." Having given his permission, he picked up the spell papers and headed for the house. Maybe with most of the children gone, he'd actually get to lie down like he'd wanted to earlier.
Wesley shrugged and made to follow Giles. Before going inside, he turned and spoke. "Please do heed Giles' warnings. We need everyone at their full strength to help discover what's going on. 

With these mysterious demons running around to complicate things, it makes it even harder to concentrate on Buffy and Spike's…problem. And we can't forget that Buffy's well being is essential to…well, everyone really." Giving Cordelia a final smile, he went inside to use the laptops to find a translating program to help them better write the spell.

Willow turned to Anya and Tara excitedly. "Okay," she said in a low voice. "We're not really going to do research at the library. Cordy and I have found a spell on Miss Calendar's laptop that will help us rid Angel of the happiness clause. We can't tell Giles because he'll say it's too risky to try. I know we can do it, but we need to run to the apartment and the magick shop for supplies. Then we'll go to the mansion, and within an hour or so…Angel will be free for good. Are you in?"

Tara stared at Willow. "D-didn't Giles tell you n-no m-magick until he works with you s-s-some more? Are you su-sure you want to d-do this? It's seems d-dangerous," she asked worriedly.

Anya nodded. "We don't even know if it works. What if it takes Angel's soul away? What will we do then? He could kill us all, and then we wouldn't be able to have orgasms anymore."

"Guys, I can do this. And truthfully, with this whole Buffy and Spike thing getting to Angel, we don't know if he might make a hugely bad decision sometime in the near future. When the three of them get into each others' minds, it gets very intense. Who knows when they'll crack? This is just as much for our own safety as for Angel and Cordy's future." Willow put on her resolve face and looked at her friends.

"Are you with us?" Cordy asked softly. "Cause if so, I need to go steal Angel's car keys so we don't have to hoof it."

Tara and Anya looked at each other, then at Cordy and Willow. Anya spoke first. "You seem very intent on doing this no matter what. I think I'd rather be there in case something goes wrong or if you need us than sitting here listening to the British guys bicker over Gaelic translations. Especially since Xander and Angel are busy playing chess."

Tara nodded. "O-okay. I-I'm in t-too." She took Willow's hand.

"Cordy, go steal us some car keys. We'll go around the side and wait by the car." She squeezed Tara's hand and motioned for Anya to follow them to the car.

Cordy returned minutes later with the keys and tore out of the driveway in the convertible. They hit the magick shop first, coming out with their arms full of herbs, ingredients, and candles. Willow grinned as she imagined the look on Angel's face when he realized Cordy had also stolen his wallet. They arrived at her apartment soon after, and she ran in, grabbing basic ceremonial supplies and the Orb of Thessula she'd used to re-curse Angel.

"Next stop, the mansion. Home of some of the creepiest memories we'll ever have," Cordy muttered.

Willow nodded grimly, then went back to staring at the words to the spell. She'd had Anya write out the phonetics underneath all the words so she wouldn't mispronounce anything and cause a disaster. Luckily, being a thousand year old ex vengeance demon, Anya was fluent in just about any language, including Romany, and skilled at spell casting. Cordelia would be their weakest link magickally, but since the spell really only needed two anchors, it didn't matter. She felt Tara squeeze her knee in encouragement and smiled. Soon, Angel would soulful forever, and Giles would have to recognize her skill in magick.

The car pulled up in front of the mansion slowly, and Willow took a deep breath. "Everyone ready?" At their nods, she gathered up the supplies and her instructions for each person. "Then let's get going. We've got a lot of set up to do and not much time to do it in. Make sure every single elements is precise to the nth degree or who knows what will happen. Got it?"

The girls piled out of the car solemnly, their assignments clutched in their arms. No one wanted to be responsible for failure, so they worked diligently and carefully. When the last candle was in place, Willow gathered Anya and Tara in a circle of three. Cordelia stood on the outside, ready to say her part and wave the incense. The chanting began, and Willow slowly lit each candle with her mind. No one even blinked as the ceremony began, knowing they would find out if it had worked almost as soon as they finished.

Angel suddenly collapsed on the floor, his body shaking like he was having a seizure. Xander's eyes widened in panic, and he yelled for Giles at the top of his lungs. Wesley came running from the kitchen, and gasped at the sight of his friend prone on the floor.

Giles came running down the stairs, assessing the situation as quickly a she could. "He looks as if he's having a seizure. I doubt that's what's happening, but nonetheless it can't hurt to take precautions. Xander, retrieve some pillows from the guest room to prop his head under. Wesley, find something strong to hold his tongue back. Remember he's a vampire and his jaws will crush normal things. When you two return, I'll go in the kitchen and brew a small amount of Hecate's Mark."

Wesley ran to find something they could use, and shrugged when the only thing could find strong enough was a crowbar. "I'm sure he's had worse things in his mouth in two centuries," he muttered. He walked into the living room just as Xander came down the stairs and together they held Angel in place.

Wesley stared at his friend as his breathing became labored, the shaking increased, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Something is very wrong here, he thought. When Angel's demon came forward, he shrunk back, but gradually he realized it wasn't attacking him, just the unseen illness. "Rupert, what are you concocting in there?" he asked, his eyes never leaving Angel's struggling face.

Giles threw the last few roots in the mix, and leaned over the bar. "I told you: Hecate's Mark." At Wesley look of utter ignorance, he sighed. "Don't they teach anything to Watcher's anymore? Hecate's Mark is a very harmless potion that will detect the exact number of spells or hexes on a person. It works for us better than just a spell detector because always has a spell cast on him…his curse. This will let us know if anything else is in the mix causing him this trouble. Each spell will leave a different color spot in a line to the area we apply it to. Dark spells like his curse will leave a dark jewel toned color; those of the light will, of course, be lighter. The colors will also tell us what kind of spell it is, like aura rings."

"Why don't people use this spell more often? It seems a very useful sort of spell for a Watcher to have in arsenal."

"Yeah, G Man, what's the catch?"

"Xander, I've told you repeatedly- Nevermind. The 'catch' as you call it is it only works right on demons. If you apply this to a human, it tends to, well.."

"What?" Wesley asked sharply.

"Make them explode," Giles finished quietly.

"Well, no wonder they don't teach it anymore. I can't think of anything more unpleasant to clean up," Wesley muttered. "Especially if an untrained amateur was dabbling about with my spell books."

Giles acknowledged the jab about Willow and made a mental note to lock his cabinets more securely. She was quite an inventive young woman when there was something she wanted.

"Speaking of Wils, even if it is in the bad sense, where is she and the rest of that crazy gang of girls I've kissed? Well, excluding Tara of course," he added.

"They went to the Museum library to follow up some lead Willow had on that dreaded thing," Giles replied, carrying a small bowl of foul smelling liquid out of the kitchen.

He knelt beside Angel and motioned for the other two to hold his arms down jut in case. He carefully pushed Angel's sleeve up and daubed a few drops of the brew onto his arm, blowing air across it. The potion dried as soon as the air hit it, and the colors started to appear. A large, dark blue dot was first, followed by a light pink dot. The three men shared a relieved look when they realized that whatever spell Angel was under was one of lightness. When they glanced back down, they were astonished to see the pink dot fading and the blue dot slowly changing color.

"Extraordinary," Giles breathed, his eyes never leaving the tiny dot as it lightened from a dark navy to light cerulean in a matter of seconds. When the color stayed a solid blue, Angel's body stilled. His eyes glowed a bright red, then his demon retreated. He slumped, out cold for the moment.

"Most intriguing," Wesley murmured, removing the crowbar from the limp vampire's mouth and setting it aside. "Have you ever seen anything like that?"

Giles shook his head emphatically. "No. It was like the pink dot's spell was modifying Angel's curse in some way. I can't wait until he wakes up to ask him what he feels like."

Wesley nodded in agreement, then turned to Xander. "Perhaps you could fetch a cold cloth for his head, and heat one of the pig's blood packets in the fridge? Giles and I will clean up the chess board mess while we wait for him to awaken."

Xander hopped to it, and the Watchers sat, staring at the Angel's prone body together. Xander returned with the cloth and they placed it on his head, still examining him for the slightest movement. It was imperative they find out what had happened to their friend.

******************************************************

Spike raised his head from Buffy's lap slowly. Something's…different. I can sense it. He sniffed the air carefully, trying to ascertain if something was watching them, or worse stalking them. Nothing but the flowers and Buffy's cologne caught his attention, but he still cut his gaze around, examining their surroundings.

"What's up, baby?" Buffy yawned. They hosed themselves off at a beach shower after making love in the sand, then walked hand in hand to the park, where they were currently half napping under a large tree.

"I don't know. Something feels…off. Do you feel it?"

Buffy searched around in her mind, trying to locate the feeling he was describing. A frown creased her face as she found a small spot inside where she felt unbalenced. He was right; something was wrong. But what? "It feels like someone, not something, is different. I'm not sure if it's good or bad, but it is certainly not normal. Did this just start? And why didn't I notice it as quickly as you?"

"Maybe it has something to do with the claiming. Maybe it's something in you that's changed, although I don't really think that's it. Maybe it's someone I have closer ties with than you. But we only know a few people in common…"

"And only two of them could be closer to you…oh, God, it's Angel. We have to go. Now." She got up abruptly, dumping him off her lap onto the grass.

Her face belied none of the panic Spike could feel radiating from her every pore. "Relax, pet. We're vampires, er, sort of. We can run there faster than you could drive. Ready to fly?" he asked, taking her hand and smirking. She grabbed his hand and squeezed and they took off together. Spike said something that could passed as a prayer under his breath as they headed toward Giles' house.

****************************************************

Buffy and Spike arrived at the apartment just as Angel was waking up. A quick conference with Giles and Wesley confirmed their fears: something was up. Buffy paced the room frenetically, her worry blanketing the room with tension. Finally, Spike yanked on her arm, pulling her onto his lap on the couch. She glared at him and made to get up. Then she heard his voice in her head.

'Luv, why don't you just dip into his mind and see what you can find? I don't know if it's possible, but maybe you can figure it out by peeping a bit. I didn't say this out loud because the Watchers wouldn't let you do it. I wouldn't let you if I could do it instead. He's bound to have some pretty sick things in there, and I don't want you to get hurt. So if it's too much, get the hell out, okay?'

'Yeah, I get it. Lemme get comfy and I'll try.' She thought in reply.

Buffy situated herself on Spike's lap and stared at Angel, concentrating on getting into his mind. Her face scrunched up as she slipped past his mental wards to get into his inner most thoughts. She searched around, inwardly cringing at some of the memories she was finding. She saw things about Angel and Spike that she'd always wondered, and lately, fantasized about. She saw lots of blood, sex, gore, and death. And then she found the motherload. She entered the part of his mind that was helping to bind his soul to his body, and along with it, she found a place where it felt like something was missing. It was like something had been ripped away recently. Gasping, she shook her head, falling out of his mind immediately.

"What? What did you find, luv? Cuz if it was me, he's making up. I didn't do it, no matter what you saw," he declared forcefully.

Buffy smiled at him, her heart almost bursting with love for him, and then winked. "I didn't see much I didn't like," she replied in a sultry voice. Her demeanor changed rapidly, and she frowned. "What I did find was that there is something changed inside Angel, and it seems like it has to do with his curse. I couldn't get anymore than that. He has some pretty tough mental wards put up." Her eyes grew troubled and Spike hugged her close.

"Why don't you tell the Watchers what you saw? Maybe it will help them figure out what's up with the old pain in my arse," he teased. There was a smile on his face but not on his heart as he looked at his Sire. For years, he had hated Angel for taking Drusilla away, but since he'd fallen for Buffy, that hatred had faded, and even more so in the past few days. It was like old times, when he and Angel had been inseperable, and he had adored the elder vampire in an almost obsessive fashion. He longed for Angel's acceptance and love again, though he'd cut out his tongue before he'd admit it to anyone. Except maybe Buffy. She, too, had a rocky past with his Sire, and knew what it was like to yearn for him from afar.

A tap on his forehead brought him back to reality and he shook his head to clear his vision. A quick glance at Buffy, her forehead ridged and yellow softly shining at him, told him she'd been mucking about in his thoughts again. He growled softly and she answered him playfully. Leaning in, she nipped his lower lip and flicked her tongue across it. "Bloody hell, woman. Do you realize I still have sand in places my mum never even saw?" Buffy giggled, and Angel snickered from the couch. Spike quirked an eyebrow at his Sire. "And suppose I said that you've probably seen them, though?"

Angel growled from the couch, but in his weakened state it sound more like a puppy than a Master vampire. He sighed, and settled for flipping Spike off instead.

Spike's laugh echoed through the room. "A bit testy there, poof? Not my fault you're a pansy."

"I think that's enough witty repartee for today, you three. Now what did I over Spike saying you should tell us, Buffy?" Wesley asked, a smug grin on his face. He sat in the chair opposite hers, and poised his pen over a legal pad.

Giles walked in, handed Wesley a cup of tea, and Angel his mug, then sat down on a straight backed chair from the dining room. "Yes, and do be thorough because we really need all pertinent details to investigate accurately, Buffy."

Spike glared at the Watcher. "And where's my mug, then?"

"Since you are no longer chained to the bathtub, I feel no compulsion to make sure you are fed, Spike. I suggest you get that growth off your lap, and walk yourself to the kitchen and get one. Your favorite mug is clean," he taunted.

"Oh, bollocks," he muttered. Sitting Buffy aside, he stalked to the kitchen. As soon as he took the blood out of the microwave, he looked for his mug. To his horror, the only clean one left was dreaded 'Kiss the Librarian' mug form his tub days. "Oh, ha ha bloody ha, Rupert."

As he was making his way back to the living room, he heard Angel ask "When was Spike chained to the bathtub?" and Buffy replying offhandedly, "Two weeks ago.....oh shit!" then gales of laughter. That woman will be the death of me, even if it is from embarassment....

Continued...