Disclaimer: Joss and company own everything
Summary: The loss of one of the Scoobs gives the Initiative an added threat, and Willow a new priority.
AN: Seventh story in my Remedy series.
Spoilers: General spoilers for S4, plus the other stories of this series- you'd really have to read them to understand this.
AN: < > indicates a person's thoughts
Rating: I'd say PG-13 to R.
Distribution: Want it- take it. Just let me know where it’s going.
Feedback: As always, greatly appreciated.

All the days passed by, monotonously. What did you do with time when you had it in super-abundance? Where did you put your eyes when you had already seen everything? What direction should your thoughts take, when daydreams could lead you into so much trouble and pain? What were once happy memories and emotions had been rendered torturous to look back on thanks to the actions of another.

"Willow? Buffy and the others should be here in a little bit, dear."

"I'm coming, Joyce."

And where was happiness? In the yesterdays? In the tomorrows? Not in this hour, this minute, this second. WIth Oz's death, Willow Rosenburg had one thing, and one thing only, to give her a spark of joy- hope. Not hope for a possible intervention to be the catalyst in her one-time best friend's potential return to their inner circle. Not hope that somehow, someway, Oz had managed to survive the cave-in.

Stumbling around in the broken pieces of her grief and loss, the spurred young woman found her only solace in her new contemplation- her new agenda. However, she was quite unaware that her life, as well as all of the lives she held dear to her, were soon to change so drastically, so dramatically, that the words "daydreams" and "memories" were to become synonyms for heaven- and just as hard to find.

******

Cordelia had made it about halfway up the walkway before losing her nerve. < It's six in the morning on a Monday and I'm doing this *why* exactly? > Muttering a few words of support to herself, she pushes forward, finally arriving at the mansion's front doors. She looks back at the pavement her new black heels had just graced over before straightening out the folds of her skirt. Lowering her gaze once more, she looks back towards the street, wondering if she shouldn't just call this off after all. < This would just be too weird- considering he actually says yes. > After a minute more of debate, the nervous brunette lifts a shaky hand to knock- coming into direct contact with Buffy's nose.

"Aw!! Cordelia?!"

"Buffy! Oh! I'm sorry- I didn't even see you standing there. You okay?" Taking a step back to let her into the mansion, Buffy gives her friend a quick once over before answering. "Cordelia Chase...up at seven…and ready for classes? Something's not right here."

"Trust me- if I wasn't desperate I wouldn't be doing any of this. Where were you headed out the door anyway?"

"To pick up Willow from mom's."

"Oh, that's right. Today's her first day back, huh?" A week had passed since the loss of Oz, and although Joyce had done a wonderful job of consoling Willow, keeping her from spiraling into despair, the redhead had already lost so much of herself, it was a surprise that she was dealing as well as she was.

"Yeah. Angel and I were gonna take her to breakfast before heading to campus. We didn't think you'd be up so early, but why don't you come?"

"Yeah, sure. Speaking of Angel though, where is he?"

"In the dining room with Doyle and Gunn." With Cordy following behind, the slayer makes her way down the hall over to where the others were hovering over a mess of papers.

"I wanna know all investors, any contributors, associates, former employees- anyone in Sunnydale who's had anything to do with Wolfram and Hart," Angel says, looking across to Doyle and Gunn.

"You really think they're still somewhere in Sunnydale?" Gunn asks, taking a few sheets of paper from his new boss.

"They wouldn't leave yet," Angel answers.

"At least not until they've finished what they came here for," Doyle adds, looking up as he suddenly catches a glimpse of Cordelia from the corner of his eye. " 'Delia. You're up early."

"Hey Cordy," Angel greets her, stacking his paperwork back into order. "We were just about to leave for breakfast."

"Yeah, that's what Buffy said. But, um…I was wondering if maybe…we coul d talk first?"

"Uhh…sure." While clearing off the rest of the table, Angel can't help but feel a deep, glassy fright creep along his skin. He'd rarely seen the brunette so serious, let alone wish to speak with him about what sounded to be a serious matter. Following Buffy into the great hall, Cordy takes a seat on one of the couches, twisting her wrists back and forth as Angel takes a seat across from her, pulling Buffy down onto his lap. "So…what's up?"

"Well…I know this is gonna sound sooo ridiculous, especially coming from me. See, my father, the moronic simpleton that he is, made a few tiny mistakes on his income taxes, and as a result, we're kinda lacking in the money department. Meaning, I now have to pay for my own tuition. So I sorta…need a…job." There- she'd said it. All her preparations, all of Doyle's encouragement had finally been put into action and she'd made her announcement. Although, the reaction she got was far different than the one she'd expected.

"You?" Buffy scoffs, letting out a cute snicker. "Cordelia Chase, *heh heh*, wants a, *ha ha ha*, job?!" Burying her face into Angel's chest, Buffy begins laughing hysterically, smiling even more once she can feel Angel's own laughter beneath her. When she finally lifts her head, she's met with Queen C's heated stare. "Oh god…you're serious?"

"Wait a minute," Angel cuts in, "Cordelia…what does any of this have to do with me?"

"I was hoping that maybe you could…ya know, help me?"

"Oh. Umm…okay, sure. I think the bakery on Pine Street is hiring. Other than that, maybe you could get a job on campus, or-"

"Angel," Cordelia stops him, letting out a loud, frustrated sigh. "Please tell me that you're not this dense!"

"He is," Doyle chimes in, earning a quiet giggle from Buffy in agreement.

"Am I missing something?" he looks down to where Buffy was still trying to mute her laughter against his gray silk shirt, though she knew the task would be impossible.

"I'm asking *you* to let me work for *you*," Cordy finally blurts out.

"Me?" Now it was Angel's turn to let out his own scoff. "Doing what? I don't have a business or anything."

"That's not what this card says." Stretching an arm across the coffee table, Cordelia hands him a small business card with what looked to be a tiny angel etched into the top corner. WIth a puzzled grimace, Angel reads it aloud. "Angel Investigations? We Help The Hopeless? What is this?"

Looking no further than to the half-demon sipping away at his personal *mix* of orange juice, Angel flips the white card onto the table before him. "This is your doing I take it?"

"Oh, come on, Angel. Look, it's a great idea. And everyone's really excited about it." Tearing his eyes away from Doyle, the former vampire lifts a hand to his girlfriend's chin, bringing her eyes up to meet his. "By everyone, I'm assuming that includes you too?"

"Oooo- I think I left my psychology book upstairs," Buffy grins, trying to hop out of his lap to race up the stairs, but finds herself being easily held in his grasp before she can even make a move. "Okay, okay. I just think it would be a good idea. A great opportunity even."

"A detective agency?"

"Angel, you and Buffy have been helping people for years," Cordy tries reasoning with him. "You might as well make a career out of it, right? And I'm just saying that if you're going to be helping people out, maybe a small charge would be in order. A fee. You know, something to help pay for daily necessities. And...my salary. You need someone to organize things."

"You want to charge people?" Angel quirks an eye at her, still trying to digest everything.

"Well not everybody, but sooner or later we're going to have to help some rich people, right?" Grabbing her purse, she pulls herself to her feet, flipping her hair off to one side. "Of course this would just be temporary, until my inevitable stardom takes effect!"

"In other words," Buffy hops down from Angel's lap, grabbing her own bag for classes, "you'll be employing the lovely Miss Chase until she's eligible for retirement."

"Cute," Cordy smirks back at her. "So how 'bout it, Angel? We could set up an office right here in the mansion-"

"Hold it!" Buffy stops in her tracks, spinning around on her heel upon hearing this latest development. "The mansion? As in, our *home*? I don't want a bunch of strangers coming in and out of here at all hours of the day. I mean, aside from the whole idea of us having our privacy, what would clients say if they saw some of our weapons here? Swords, axes, maces-"

"They'd think it's Thursday and you two are playing mistress of pain," Gunn adds his own insight.

"And besides," Doyle finally finds his voice after shaking his head from the mental picture Gunn had just instilled, "I don't think *our* kind of clients would really be surprised by anything you have here."

"Look-" Gunn says, "I'll back you up a hundred percent on this, Angel. Personally, I think it'd be great."

"You know, there's a lot of people in this city that need helping," Doyle adds.

"So I noticed," Angel sighs. < Namely me… > Sensing that he'd succeeded in his task, Doyle gives him a quick nod, accompanied by a clever grin. "You game?"

With a final look to Buffy, seeing everyone else's determination reflected in her gleaming hazel eyes, Angel's trademark half-smile returns to his face as he leads them out of the mansion. "I'm game."

******

As they'd expected, the whole student body was abuzz with the news of the mysterious cave-in of Lowell House. The students were all shocked at the various rumors going around about secret labs, government agents, and savage creatures being involved. For their part, the Scoobs had managed to keep a low profile as they made their way across campus, Buffy and Angel forming a protective shield around Willow, floating by her side at all times.

"Okay…" Buffy spins around, grabbing Angel around the waist. "Psych class is gonna start soon."

"And?"

"And…what?" She stares up at him suspiciously, wondering just why he wasn't giving her his usual good-bye and goodluck kiss. "Don't tell me you're coming to classes with us *again*?"

"It's a crime to want to spend time with you?" he lets out a small chuckle.

"Of course not," she assures him, leaning up to capture his lips. "But pretty soon they're gonna start charging you by the hour to take classes with us."

"I just want to make sure you're all safe. Especially since today's your first day back in Psychology."

"Wonder who they got to replace Walsh?" Cordy ponders aloud, sliding her head to the side to peer into the lecture hall. "So long as they've got someone new to replace Fish Boy too, I'll be set. Come on, Will." She links an arm with the redhead, walking alongside her into class before calling back to Buffy and Angel. "We'll save you two some seats."

"Gunn and I are gonna do some searching," Doyle speaks up. "Check into a few places where our refugees may be holdin' up base."

"Great," Angel gives them both a quick nod in approval. "We'll meet you back at the mansion at two."

Linking hands with Angel, resting her head against his arm, Buffy's slightly startled when she feels a soft tapping on her shoulder.

"B-Buffy?"

At first only turning her head over her shoulder, the petite blonde turns completely around once she sees who was approaching her. "Oh- hi, umm…" Her eyes trail upwards, searching for a name. "…Tara, right?"

"Yeah," the young, visibly timid young woman smiles back. "Hi."

"Hi. Oh-" she suddenly notices the girl's eyes drift over to the solid mass she'd been resting against. "Sorry. Tara, this is Angel. Angel, Tara."

"Hi," she gives him a friendly nod. "I- I was just wondering if Wil- Willow's okay. I haven't seen her in classes for awhile, and she hasn't been to many of our wiccan meetings. I- is everything okay?"

"Oh. We, umm…lost someone close to us last week. I'm not sure…did you ever meet Oz?"

"Willow's boyfriend?" A gasp leaves Tara's mouth slightly open as she takes a small step forward. "Oh god…I'm sorry. H- how did it happen?"

"Uh…we're still not really sure," Buffy sighs, still not sure as to just how much Willow may have told her about the friends' evening activities.

"How's Willow?"

"She's still pretty shaken up, but…" she casts a sidelong glance inside the room, glad to see Cordelia had obviously said something to make Willow laugh. "…she's in class today though, if you wanted to talk to her." Waiting for her to step past them through the doorframe, Buffy and Angel stand watch as the young girl slowly makes her way up to where Willow was sitting. Nervously tucking a few strands of loose hair behind her ear, she greets the redhead with a smile. "Hey, Willow."

"Tara," she sits up a bit in her seat to face her more fully. "Hi."

"I just- I just wanted to say, h-how sorry I am about Oz."

"Thanks," Willow manages a faint smile before motioning for her to have a seat alongside them.

With most of the lecture hall filled, Cordelia spots a young woman walking in, slinging her bag onto the front desk, her glasses falling from her face in the process. She tries surpressing her laugh at the girl's awkwardness, nudging Buffy softly to get her attention.

"I'm guessing she's the new TA," Buffy observes as she retrieves her notebook from her bag.

"Already a vast improvement over Finn, in my opinion," Cordy grins, once again looking down to the front of the hall.

The young girl couldn't have been much older or taller than Buffy. Her long, chestnut hair flowed evenly down the back of her tiny frame as if somehow trying to compensate for her small stature. As she slides her glasses back on, her lips curve in a welcoming smile that lights up her eyes as she adresses the class.

"Morning everyone. I'm sure you've all noticed that I'm not Professor Walsh- at least, I hope you've all noticed," she laughs softly to herself, relieved when she hears a few other voices join her own. "I'm going to be taking over her class for the rest of the semester. My name's Winifred Burkle- you can all just call me Fred though. Unfortunately, Professor Walsh's TA seemed to vanish with her, so you're all pretty much stuck dealing with only me for the next few months."

Part 2

Though young herself, a bit uneasy about being thrust into such a position at a virtual last minute's notice, the dynamic grad student found her new class hanging on her every word right until the last minute of class. "Alright then- just finish up reading chapters eight and nine, and I'll see you on Wednesday."

"So…what's the verdict?" Cordy turns to the others, anxious to hear their own assessments of Walsh's replacement.

"She's cute," Buffy grins, immediately turning to Angel. "Don't you think she's cute?"

"Hmm? Oh…I didn't notice…" he answers truthfully, reaching for her hand as they make their way down front.

"Course not," Cordy smiles back. "Your eyes were too busy roaming all over- "

"Buffy!" Fred waves a hand, calling the slayer over to her desk. "Hi…I just wanted to tell you I loved your comments during lecture today."

"Oh…thanks. Thanks a lot."

"I never thought that I'd have such a huge response from everyone on my first day," Fred shyly admits.

"Please- after all the hell Walsh put us through?" Cordy speaks up in typical fashion. "You're gonna have this class eating out of your hands."

"I'll keep that in mind. And you…" her eyes trail over to the slightly intimidating figure Buffy had been leaning on. "…are you a grad student? I- I haven't seen you around campus much, but you look a little older…"

"Oh…" Angel hesitates, mulling over just how to respond. "I was just sitting in on class today," he finally smiles back.

"Sorta bring-your-boyfriend-to-work-day," Buffy adds. She wasn't necessarily trying to project a defensive manner, but if that's what came across, she wouldn't have been too apologetic.

" 'Bring-your-boyfriend-to-work-day?' " Cordy finally snips out once they head towards the library. "Can we say lame?"

"Can we say jealous?" Buffy smirks back. "Just because you're currently lacking in the department doesn't mean I can't proudly show-off my own."

"Cordy- what about Doyle?" Angel tries tossing the attention away from himself. "You two have been getting pretty friendly over the past few weeks."

"And? In case you all haven't noticed, I've been warding off guys of any kind since the Harris-hysteria."

"Harris?" Tara whispers to Willow as they finally reach the library. "Wh- who's Harris?"

******

"Harris!"

Lilah Morgan was waiting. Outwardly patient and relaxed, she was enjoying the headline that adorned the morning's paper, holding it out before her with a promising smile as she relaxes back into her chair. "Finn! Harris!" Hearing footsteps approach, she carelessly throws her copy of the morning edition onto her desk. "Where's Xander?"

"Not in yet," Riley sighs, taking a seat across from her.

"Care to tell me why?"

"Said he had something important to do. I think it was with his girlfriend." Muttering unappreciatively at such a total display of irresponsibility, the young woman merely points to the paper lying before them. "Take a look at that-" she smiles, her eyes peering up at him. "Tell me what you think."

Leaning over the desk, Riley narrows his eyes as he reads aloud. "Local museum to present Polaris Exhibit until end of the month." Casting it aside, Finn can only manage a shrug in response. "So what?"

"What did you major in again?"

"Psychology."

"One of the more *effortless* sciences, I'm sure," she makes a quick roll of her eyes, reaching for a notepad off to the side. "In any event, this is our new focus. What museum-goers and the rest of this town's mindless twits think to be a simple stone is going to be the key to Angel's undoing. Oh…speaking of undoing…" she folds her hands in front of her, leaning over with a devious smile. "How goes our little project?"

"Slow, but sure. Walsh is almost done with the final stages. He should be completely rehabilitated by tomorrow night."

"Good to hear. Our dear friends' poor, poor *loss* is going to work to our gain after all. And won't they just be thrilled to see the finished product."

"What about McDonald?" Finn raises the issue, untrusting of the sly lawyer by nature, still unsure of where his allegiances would fall.

"Let me worry about Lindsey. Right now, your only concern should be to find your partner and organize yourselves to get us this stone." Standing to his feet, he rolls the newspaper into a bundle, tucking it under his arm. "And just what's so special about this Polaris Stone?"

"I'll give you your history lesson once you retrieve it. It arrives at the museum this Friday. I *want* this stone, Finn," she says in no uncertain terms, snatching the paper back from him.

"Little short notice, don't you think?"

"I'm sure that along with our newly aquired help, you and Xander will be able to take care of things," she smiles back, calling out to him a final time before he can shut her door. "And Riley…if you don't come back to the lab with the stone…don't bother coming back."

Thinking she was alone, Lilah spins around in her seat, allowing her gaze to stray to the row of windows behind her desk. "Little risky to be threatening the only help you've got, isn't it Lilah?" comes a familiar voice from the shadows. Quickly snapping back around, Lilah lets out a slightly annoyed laugh. "Why worry about losing help when I've got you around, McDonald. You're always so much fun to screw around with."

"I'm hardly your personal lackey, *dear*."

"Then why are you always showing up meddling in *my* business-"

" *Our* business," he's quick to correct her, flopping back onto one of her leather couches. "I've got a personal claim in this too."

"Please," she lets out an angry huff. "The only thing you're looking to claim is little Miss Summers, and, no offense, but I really don't see you lasting a minute against Angel to even get within three feet of her."

Ignoring her berading, for now, the cunning young lawyer jumps from his seat, walking slowly over to her desk. Reaching over, he lifts the discarded newspaper from the surface. "Polaris Stone, huh? That should work nicely." He tosses it at her, causing her to flinch backwards. "And you're trusting your boys to get it for you?"

"Well tell me, *dear*, who else can I trust to go and get it. You…?" she trails off with a laugh.

With a careful smile, Lindsey straightens his tie a bit, buttoning up his suit jacket as he heads towards the door. "No…" he says with an utterly predatory smile. "I wouldn't trust me either…"

******

Cordelia had taken it upon herself to recount her traumatic foray into the craziness known as dating Xander Harris. It had taken her all of five minutes to explain everything to a more than astounded Tara, who found it near impossible to believe that a person would be capable of causing so much pain for the obviously close circle of friends, let alone Willow herself.

From time to time, the redhead would look up from her notes with a small smile to the others as they were doing their research for their upcoming Psychology project. For the most part, she reserved herself to silence, but would occasionally murmur her agreement with Buffy's findings or sigh at Cordelia's random curt remarks of people walking past their table.

During one of her quick glances up, she spots Tara nervously looking at her, as if wanting to pose a question. Capturing her gaze, she raises her eyebrows a bit, a smile forming at the corner of her mouth to welcome her.

"H- have you started studying for our literature test yet?"

"No…" she sighs, mentally kicking herself. "I forgot all about it."

"Well, you still have until three. I- I could help you if you want?" she offers, absentmindedly tucking a loose strand of hair from the side of her face.

"Sure…I'd like that. Umm…I'm pretty sure my book is back in our dorm. Are you busy now?

"N- no. Do you wanna…"

"Sure…"

"Oh…o-okay," Tara grabs her bag, flashing the friends a warm smile before standing to her feet alongside her fellow wiccan.

"We'll catch up wth you tonight, Will?" Buffy asks hopefully. "We're still all going to the Bronze, right?"

"Uh…sure. Yeah, sounds good."

"Tara, why don't you come with us?" Buffy offers, already having taken a keen liking to the shy and quiet girl.

"O-okay. Thanks. I- I'll see you all tonight then."

Buffy grins, thrilled to see her best friend showing signs of her old self, as she gives them a quick wave, watching them round the corner out of the massive library. Before she returns to studying, her eyes catch glimpse of Fred brushing past the two as she approaches the large corridor. Matching her gaze, Fred gives a big wave, unfortunately losing her grip on her load of books in the process. As she sidesteps to reach down and grab them, her bag catches on the handle of the library's doors, its contents spilling out onto the tiled floor. "Perfect…"

"Lemme give you a hand." Looking over her shoulder, she sees the owner of the generous voice, slightly blushing at his eagerness to help her. Casting their own glances over to where their new teacher was having her share of problems, the Scoobs have a slightly different response to the new face.

"Hey guys," Graham greets them all with an earnest smile as he follows Fred over to where they were gathered.

"Graham," Angel nods, hoping Cordelia would follow his lead and maintain a civil atmosphere.

"Willow…" Graham breathes out, not really sure of how to proceed. "How…how's she been?"

"Dealing…" Buffy replies, managing a friendly smile at his concern.

"Thanks to some…" Cordy wasn't expecting the room to light up at her low mumble, but she wasn't expecting the not too subtle jab that Buffy offered her leg in response.

"Okay…I'm sensing a lil' tension here," Fred says, feeling slightly awkward at the situation among the friends. "I think I'll just…" she points towards a row of shelves, slowly beginning to back away from them, until her back comes into contact with a hard, broad surface. Craning her neck, she goes to look behind her, immediately wishing that she hadn't.

It was the young girl's shrill yell that finally caught the friends' attentions, only to see Fred being lifted by her throat by the snarling, horned demon that had suddenly emerged. Sprinting over to her, making their way through the wildly scattering crowd of terrified students, Angel and Buffy are the first to her aid, the slayer snapping the creature's head back with a sharp side kick. Still held in a fierce grasp, Fred winces, tightly shutting her eyes as Angel's fist flies out, landing with a hard right to the demon's head, narrowly missing Fred's own.

"Stay here!" Graham yells back over his shoulder at Cordy as he races over, reaching down to his pant leg, extracting a gleaming blade. Keeping a few steps back, waiting until Buffy and Angel cleared him for a direct hit, he makes his dive, driving the knife into the creature's chest. With a screeching cry, it topples forward, thick, blue blood pooling around the prone figure as it's gasping finally comes to a halt.

Grabbing the knife from him, Angel hurries over to where Fred was laid out as well, her neck still held within the creature's gnarled claw. With a quick slice at its wrist, he frees her, prying off its hand, finally freeing the terrified young girl. "Are you alright? Fred??" After a few strained breathes, she's finally able to cough out a response. "Yeah…f- fine…"

"You guys okay?" Graham checks as he steps away from the demon's lifeless body.

"If we could manage to go one day without a close encounter of the demon kind, we'd be just peachy," Buffy smirks. "What the hell was that?"

"Trouble," comes Angel's worried reply before he turns to the others. "Come on. Let's get back to the mansion…see if Giles knows anything…"

******

Part 3

Once again, Cordelia found herself playing storyteller as she filled in a surprisingly accepting Fred on the friends' unusual extracurricular activities. The endearingly sweet girl had suspected that Sunnydale had its share of strange occurances. She'd seen and studied her own fair share of vicious fiends in LA- both of the human and not-so-human kind- and was quickly learning to prepare herself for the worst sort of situations.

"So you two are sorta like…" her eyes fixed on her saviors, though more intently focused on Angel's towering frame, she searches for the most appropriate term, finding herself at a loss for a better word, "…superheroes, right?"

"Well…I wouldn't quite put it like that." Moving instinctively closer to Angel on the couch, Buffy quirks a cute smile at her new teacher, at the same time wrapping an arm around Angel's waist, her subconscious senses kicking into gear. "We deal with some pretty hardcore stuff today's little incident being a perfect example," she adds in Giles' direction. "Any theories yet?"

"Just one." the englishman sighs in typical form, returning to the great hall with a book under his arm. "…and I'm hoping that it's wrong."

"But then, when do *we* ever get off so lucky?" Cordy chirps, earning a small chuckle from Doyle as he goes to stand behind her seat.

"Demons typically don't make daytime attacks," Giles begins, "I mean, there are such instances, but in general, they prefer the cloak of night in their excursions. However, if a force or power were to draw them out.." he hands the book over to Buffy, pointing out a picture in the upper right corner.

"Oooo- shiny." she notes of the illustration of an oval-shaped black stone. Appearing polished and smooth, the marblized artifact held a burgundy-red tint in the small indecipherable design etched in its center.

"The Stone of Polaris." Fred recognizes it instantly as she leans over to take a look.

"You know of it?" Giles looks to her with a smile of admiration.

"I'd been researching it in LA before I transferred to UC Sunnydale a few years ago. You think this is what drew out that thingy?"

Walking over to the dining room table, Giles retrieves the morning's paper. "I'm afraid so." He holds open the front page for the group to see. "As of this morning, it's already on its way to Sunnydale." Disgusted and concerned at the possibilities that came with the stone's appearance, Giles tosses the paper aside, sending its sheets flying.

"So what's this rock do?" Gunn asks.

"It has the power to summon any demon, any spirit- and not just in form. It can bring forth a person's inner demon…"

******

"…bringing to the surface a level of evil in a person that would normally never exist in their nature."

Slowly closing the book's cover, her eyes lingering for a few minutes on the picture of the stone, Willow's tension shows in the way her eyes turn to aimlessly wander around the walls of hers and Cordelia's dorm room. Her hands slowly trailing over the felt binding, she wonders for a moment whether Giles would even notice she'd taken the book from his collection.

As Tara continued going over her notes, reciting various key phrases and definitions in an attempt to help the redhead, Willow found she couldn't focus, her mind too set in the developing details of her preparations for Friday evening. Her intentions would play out through her mind- always in the same manner: with the Polaris Stone to help her, she'd finally be able to carry through with the behavior others would find untypical of her; all the others would disapprove, unable to fully understand what needed to be done- what she needed to take into her own hands. At indiscrete moments, she found herself feeling uneasy about her sudden burst of rage and fury- the only emotions she found herself capable of as of late. All the same, she found it difficult to stop from plotting.

"Willow? Ar- are you okay? You look like you zoned out for a minute."

"Huh?" Her line of sight finally makes its way back to her friend as she shrugs in response. "Oh, sorry. Guess it's just a little overload- you know, cramming."

"But you're okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

"You think you're ready for the test?" Tara smiles, grabbing her bag as she walks alongside Willow towards the door.

"Thanks to you, I think I'm up to it," she manages her own warm smile, shutting the door behind them as they make their way into the hall. They walk together down the hall, silently descending the few flights of stairs before Willow's eyes focus on something. The awareness quickly sinks in as her gaze falls upon Anya, lingering in the campus lounge. The wiccan could sense, almost see, that Xander was not far- most likely on his way to come and get her. The wrath that the treacherous bastard had sent seething into her very being was now twisting and twitching, slithering its way to fully overtake her.

For a moment, as they continue their walk past her, she debates whether or not to alert the others, on the chance that the ex-vengeance demon could lead them to where Lilah and her new team had setup their base, but her flow of rational thought quickly shuts off. Now, her thoughts drifted to a nearby table, spotting a lone pencil that was slowly rolling across the wooden surface. < I could catch it before it hits the floor. Keep it in the air drive the point straight at her >

She slows in her pace, eventually coming to a total stop, much to Tara's surprise. She thinks for a brief second of how easy it would be. Float the pencil from the table- use it to stab her, straight through the eye. Or perhaps she would drive the pencil's point deep into her ear, rupturing the eardrum, digging for the soft tissue of the brain beyond. She could almost hear Anya's scream. < Wouldn't be able to muffle it, though > she gathers, just as the rolling pencil finally reaches its destination, rolling to the floor with a single clink.

"Willow? You okay?"

Then she stopped. She didn't want Anya dead.

"Come on, Will, class is gonna start."

At least not until she had Xander there to see it.

******

"Angel? Can I ask you something? Angel??"

Hearing Doyle's voice laced with a seriousness he wasn't used to hearing, Angel cranes his head into the master bathroom, searching for Buffy. "Honey? I'll be downstairs."

Reaching a hand out, Buffy slides the frosted shower door open a bit. "Come 'ere a minute," she calls over to him sweetly, a huge smile breaking out across her face as he makes his way over to her. With a laugh she throws her arms around his neck, pulling him to her for a kiss, drenching him in the process.

"I already took a shower," he reminds her, unable to resist trailing a hand along her soapy bare arm.

"Mmm, should've thought about conserving water and waited for me to take one with you," she giggles against his lips.

"Angel??"

Groaning at Doyle's third yell upstairs, Angel breaks their embrace, stepping back from the steaming mist of the shower. "We'll be waiting downstairs."

Shoeless and jacketless, but otherwise neat in a dark blue silk shirt and black slacks, Angel finally makes his way down the staircase, meeting Doyle halfway in the great hall. "What's wrong?" Doyle was beginning to pace in front of him, idly fiddling around with his watch as he lets out a deep sigh.

"I'm just a little worried 'ere. I mean, what if there's just no way of doing this? Then what?"

"Doyle, relax," Angel places a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder, trying to calm him. "Giles is at home doing research. And now that Fred knows everything, we've got her help too. We'll take care of this Polaris Stone before anything can happen."

"Uh…that's good to know…but, umm..." he lets out a small laugh before looking back up at him, "actually, I was talkin' about my date with Cordelia tonight."

"Oh." As his brow furrows, slightly taken back by just what the half-demon's priorities were focused on, Angel takes a seat on one of the couches, leaning over to put on his shoes. "So, what exactly did you want to ask *me* about?"

"Well, you know…dating," he admits, taking a seat beside him. "Can't say I've had much experience in the department as of late. Unless you count those years of wedded hell-"

"Wait- you're married?"

" *Was* married. But aside from that, being half-demon hasn't exactly been such a turn-on when it comes to relationships. So, what's your advice?"

Stretching a bit as he stands back up, walking over to grab his duster, Angel lets out a confused chuckle. "Doyle, I think you'd better talk to Gunn about this."

"Why's that?"

"I don't know the first thing about dating," Angel quickly laughs back.

"Uh-huh," Doyle grins as he chews on his bottom lip. "And, uh, just how would you define yours and the missus relationship then?"

"Buffy and I never really *dated*, per se. We were already in love from the beginning. In case you haven't noticed, we're not exactly your everyday couple, so dating's not really my area."

"Okay!" Buffy's voice breaks up their little chat as the radiant beauty appears at the foot of the stairs. "How do I look?"

Swift in his walk over to her, Angel grabs her hands as his gaze lingers on her. Admiring her simple, light blue dress that stopped just above her knees, he places a kiss over the thin strap resting on her shoulder. "You look heavenly," he whispers, welcoming her response as she leans into his embrace, forgetting for a moment that Doyle was still standing behind them. "H- hey Doyle."

"Buffy." he replies in turn, admittedly taken back by her appearance as well. He gives her a quick nod as she strolls past him towards the front door. Waiting for Angel to join him, Doyle grabs him by the arm, pulling him aside before they follow her out. "You don't know anything about datin', huh? And what *area*, exactly, would you consider *her* to be?"

******

Part 4

No one can hear
All that's been said
You're feeding me useless lines
Of nothingness

The week dragged on, the days passing by in an unusual peacefullness; the calm before the storm. By Thursday night, the Scoobs were finally able to spend another night out relaxing. Willow seemed to be getting better by the day, Tara's almost-constant presence seeming to help more and more, and Graham had even begun to find acceptance among the friends, finding himself among their company on present evening. Although slightly hesistant, the slayer left Giles on research duty, still trying to find out just which museum he'd be sending his former slayer to tomorrow night to retrieve the latest item of danger being thrown at them.

From his position above the immense crowd of people gathered inside the Bronze, Xander stares unblinkingly at the sight directly below him. His face takes on a spiteful appearance as he watches Angel lay his hand along Buffy's cheek, leaning across the gang's table to give her a quick kiss. After another minute or two of watching, Xander follows along from above, trailing Angel as he walks over from their table, stopping to talk to Cordelia in the middle of the dance floor. Having to shift his position, trying to get a clear view as to the third figure standing between them, the young man's face flashes with a twinge of jealousy as he spots Doyle wrapping his arm back around his ex-girlfriend's shoulders, leading her back out to dance.

Let me run away
Don't keep me here
I can't stay around
And take this fear

It wasn't fair. In all the time they'd been together, he'd never seen her smiling as much, seemingly having a great time with Angel's new demon cohort. < It's Deadboy's fault anyway. He's the one who's ruined all of them. Cordelia, Willow, even Joyce and that traitor, Graham. And Buffy… > His eyes return up from watching the scene below, washing over briefly with a pang of guilt at almost getting Buffy killed. His face goes numb and pale in an instant as the image from a few weeks back flashes before him. Somehow he'd ended up doing what he'd sworn he'd never do- hurt Buffy Summers. < But it wasn't me. 'Course it wasn't me- it was Angel. Even Riley sees it, > he tells himself fervently. < I won't let him do it again. I won't give him the chance. >

Is everything I want to be
A disgrace to my identity?
I don't mind
No, I don't mind

He didn't have to say he was sorry…Buffy and the others would be able to see it all over him. < Once I can just do this. Just get rid of Angel. Once I show her…Buffy will understand. And Cordelia, and Willow. Especially Will… > he allows himself a small smile. < Once she sees that Oz is okay…she only puts up with Deadboy because of Buff, anyway. She's not strong enough to deal with him, but I'll help her. > Trailing a hand along the rail, making his way down the metal stairs, he goes in search of Anya. < We'll all help them see… >

Just give me my indifference
Stop questioning my reasons
I don't mind
No, I don't mind

"I can't believe you've never been here before this week, Tara," Buffy smiles over at the shy wiccan.

"I- I guess I don't really get out much. But, Willow's mentioned it a few times. I've always wanted to come."

"Yeah…" Willow smiles in agreement. "It's nice here. Always has been."

"Until it came under new management," Buffy groans, throwing a glance to where Lindsey was busy "talking" with some ditzy blonde over by the stage. "Gunn- have you and Doyle found out anything about where Lilah and Walsh may be?"

"Nothing," he sighs. "We checked out three more places today- not a trace of Lilah or her crew. Doyle's calling in a few favors from LA, though- some background on Lilah. Said he'd have something by this weekend. "

"I hope so. With the Stone of Polaris arriving tomorrow night, you're all gonna wanna keep it as far away from these creeps from Wolfram and Hart as possible," Fred chimes in, surprising the group at her eagerness.

"You're really into this stuff, aren't you?" Gunn flashes her a warm smile, having already taken a keen interest in the lovely young girl.

"It's nice…knowing that I'm not the only one who deals with this sorta stuff."

The table's conversation begins to drift into silence for Willow as her eyes bulge at the sight of Xander, leading Anya by the hand behind him up the stairs, slipping into what she assumed was Lindsey's office. She lets her gaze stray only for a moment, watching as Buffy, Graham, Gunn and Fred try pulling Tara out onto the dancefloor. She knew she should've told the others that she'd spotted Xander. She knew it would've been, more likely than not, their only lead as of yet to finding Lilah.

Uncomfortably clear
All is the same now
I'm adapting to this
No I'm not afraid now

But now everything had changed, forcing her from her usual stoic position among the friends. < I wonder if they'll see it coming? I wonder if they've even noticed anything at all? > she lets out a cynical laugh as she gives a small wave to Tara. < She's the only one who's noticed anything. And Oz… > a small sob escapes her before she can regain her composure. < Oz would've noticed. He would've understood. >

Let me run away
Don't keep me here
I can't stay around
And take this fear

"Will," Buffy saunters back over to their table with open arms, yanking the redhead to her feet and into the dancing crowd. "Come on." So caught up in trying to bring out the "old Willow" in her best friend, Buffy's slightly startled when she feels two strong arms encircle her waist from behind. "Hey…" Angel smiles against her cheek before placing a gentle kiss to the side of her head.

"Would you two please get a room-" Graham speaks up over the blaring music.

"And stop embarrassing the rest of us in public?" Cordy adds with a grimace, though finds her smile quickly resurfacing as Doyle laughs, pulling him even closer in their embrace. She couldn't explain it- the total lack of fashion sense, the at-times annoying evasiveness when dealing with the others, not to mention the whole half-demon aspect...and that simply ridiculous first name of Francis. Everything about him went against all that Queen C stood for. And yet somehow, everything about him only endeared him to her more and more.

"Have I told you how beautiful you are in that dress?" Angel leans his head on Buffy's shoulder, tucking back a few strands of her hair, his lips seeking the warm skin of her neck.

"Mmm…" she sighs, turning around in his arms to face him. "Once or twice. But maybe it would be more convincing with drinks," she gives him her best smile before sending him off to the bar.

"Anyone else want something?" Before turning back around, he looks up with a smile to where Doyle was trying to keep up with his new 'secretary'. "The usual?" Doyle merely nods in response, too wrapped up in his date to really care at the moment.

"Can I have two iced teas and a shot of scotch?"

"Can I see some ID?" Casting a dismissive glance over his shoulder from where he was leaning against the counter, Angel can't help but let out a groan as he sees the Bronze's new owner grinning back at him.

"What's the matter, McDonald?" Little short on help these days?"

"Aw, come on, Angel. I'm just messin' with ya. I guess I can let you get away without ID just this once. You'll be, what…? Two-hundred and forty-four? Forty-five?" Quickly spinning around, he reaches for Lindsey with his left arm, pulling him by his shirt until his smirking face was just inches from his own.

"I would've thought you'd be smart enough to head back to LA."

"What…and miss all the fun here?" Lindsey manages to chuckle from under Angel's tight grip.

"What do you know about the Stone of Polaris?"

"Supposed to be pretty old and powerful. Can't say I've had the pleasure of ever using it. "

"Funny…" Angel finally releases him, pushing him back against one of the tables. "Why don't I believe you?"

"You can believe what you want," he says, straightening out his shirt before approaching him once more. "It's not gonna change the fact that I may be the only person you've got to keep you up on things with Lilah and the others. Not to mention…" he grabs Angel by the arm, turning him towards the sight of Buffy waiting for him back at their table, "…help protect her."

Is everything I want to be
A disgrace to my identity?
I don't mind
No, I don't mind

"Ya know, if you really wanna get some information on your stone, maybe Joyce Summers would be able to help. She runs one of the museums in town, doesn't she?" he asks with a sly grin. "And doesn't she also happen to be your girlfr- oh," he stops himself, pausing to look directly over to Angel. "Sorry…I mean, your *wife's* mother? I wonder…have you told her about the marriage yet, 'cause I think she'd love to kn-"

In an instant, the young lawyer finds himself with his head pressed against the nearby empty table, Angel's hand firmly planted behind the base of his neck as he leans over his helpless form to speak into his ear. "You think I haven't noticed your little fixation on Buffy? A bit of advice…stay as far away from her as possible or I promise that you're not going to find yourself in any condition to be a help to anyone," he emphasizes his last word with a shove, slamming Lindsey's head against the hard surface before making his way back over to Buffy.

"You two looked like you were playing nice," the slayer lets out a small chuckle. "What's up? What did Lindsey have to say?"

Grabbing his jacket from where he'd lain it over the back of his chair, Angel's eyes sweep the crowd, stopping as he sees Lindsey being approached by two of his club workers. He watches as the gracious owner gestures dramatically towards their table, and makes a gentle grab of Buffy's arm, pulling her up to him. "Let's go."

"Angel, what's wrong? What happened?"

"Let's just go," he repeats, a pleading in his voice that didn't go unnoticed by his lover. With a simple nod, deciding to wait until they'd gotten back to the mansion to press the matter any further, Buffy takes the hand he offers as they head out onto the dance floor to tell the others goodbye.

The sight that awaited Lindsey in his office was met with an irritated glare. With his feet stretched out across his desk, his paperwork crumbling and curling underneath them, Xander was leaning back in chair, a guitar resting clumsily in his lap. "Would you kindly put my guitar down," the young lawyer snaps, shoving Xander's feet off of his desk as he makes his way over to reclaim his chair. "Don't you have your own *playthings* around here," he nods in Anya's direction, offering her a quick smirk as Xander goes over to join her on the couch.

"What was the deal with you and Deadboy? Make fun of his hair or something?"

"Or something…" Reaching into a drawer, Lindsey extracts a bottle of aspirin, the force of Angel's grip still playing hell on his head. "Overprotective, isn't he?"

"Like a little lost puppy you just can't shake," Xander's quick to agree.

"I could say the same about *some* people," he gets out in between his sips of water.

"Well at least I've aways just wanted what was best for her. Not to mention the whole issue of me being human coming into matters."

"True- but now, so is he." Xander's eyes cast to the floor before he stands to his feet again, walking over to peer through the blinds of the office. His gaze intently focused through the crowd, watching with a careful eye as his former circle of friends head for the back doors. "He won't be for long. Once we get hold of the stone…we'll show Buffy just what lurks beneath her little boy-toy." Slowly closing the blinds, he turns slightly to face Lindsey. "We're clear on tomorrow night?"

"Of course…can't let anything happen to Buffy's mom, now can we? Wouldn't exactly help me win Miss Summers' favor-"

"Just make sure nothing happens to either one of them," Xander instantly snaps back, not really caring for the lawyer's sudden interest in his friend, but knowing that he had not other choice if he wanted his help protecting her from Lilah. "In the midst of your little 'dance' with Angel down there, did you manage to warn him about tomorrow?"

Just give me my indifference
Stop questioning my reasons
I don't mind
No, I don't mind

Leaning his head off to the side, he chuckles, smiling for a moment before leaning back further into his comfortable leather chair. "He's got all the information…now let's just see what he does with it."

******

Part 5

Angel tossed and turned all night, waking on every hour to check on Buffy. He would tighten his hold on her as Buffy would reach for his hand, placing it along with her own over her heartbeat. He would allow himself a few minutes of contentment as he buried his head into the curve of her neck from behind, reassuring himself that the two of them had a long future ahead of them. When the sun finally crept up above the horizon, he was almost glad. Being awake meant work, and work meant not being able to lie around and think morbid thoughts. He quickly and carefully crawls out of bed without waking his beloved and slips into the bathroom.

Noticing the sudden lack of warmth and hearing the familiar sounds of the sink, Buffy figures she might as well drag herself out of bed too. The drawstring of her gray cotton pants swings loosely around as she races around their bed, peering her head into their bathroom where she spots him in the middle of his early-morning routine. She gazes at him appreciatively before hopping up onto the marble counter beside him, dangling her legs over the edge as she leans to her side, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Morning."

"Mmm."

"How long have you been up?"

" 'ittle 'it…"

"Ya know, you're cute when you're brushing your teeth," she nudges him playfully with her shoulder.

"I guess you would know…" he smiles, looking over to her after finally rinsing out his mouth. "…since you seem to like watching me all the time. "

"Hey- can I help it if I like watching you do anything?"

"I'm just as guilty of watching you," he chuckles, running his hand through his toussled hair as he stares up at the mirror.

"You sleep okay? You seemed pretty restless all night."

"I'm fine…" comes his automatic response.

At least he was talking more than he would last night when they'd returned home. He'd hurried back to the mansion so fast, Buffy never had a chance to protest his not wanting to discuss what had caused him to want to leave the Bronze in such a frenzy. He'd seemed preoccupied when they'd finally covered up in bed, his hold around her waist seemingly one out of fear and desperation instead of his usual comforted embrace. He could be so damn maddening when he got like this, but she was determined to get something out of him right now. "You feel fine enough to tell me what happened last night between you and Lindsey?"

"It was nothing," he mumbles, making a move towards the door, but soon feels her grip around his waist, drawing him back over to her. Holding him firmly in place as her legs straddle either side of him from where she was sitting on the counter, she lowers her voice to a whisper. "Angel, please…just tell me…"

Realizing that he wouldn't be able to keep his fears from her forever, Angel finally concedes with a heavy sigh. "Lindsey's…taken quite a liking to you…" Pulling him closer, linking her arms under his, Buffy urges him to continue. "I tried getting any information out of him that could help us, but…" he begins shaking his head, trying to clear the memory, "…he just got to me…talking about you…" He lifts his head as he shrugs, idly gazing into the mirror. "I guess I just lost it- and probably blew any chance of finding out anything about Lilah and Walsh."

"Angel…" She reaches out to caress his face, tracing her fingers over his lips before capturing them in a gentle, reassuring kiss. "I'm right here- and I'm *fine*," she stresses with another kiss. "We all knew we couldn't trust Lindsey. I doubt if he'd even be a help if we *could* trust him. But we'll all be fine. Giles said he should know where the stone is being delivered by this afternoon, so once we get a hold of it, we'll figure out our next move to find Lilah, okay?"

Angel still harbored his doubts, but it was clear that he was feeling better when he grabs her, pulling her to him as she wraps herself around him, sharing a tender kiss as he carries her back into the bedroom. Buffy manages to extricate herself after several highly pleasurable minutes, hopping down from her comfy spot.

"Much more of that and I'm really going to be late for classes," she laughs .

"I'm going with you today," he calls after her, as more of a determined, no-nonsense statement than anything, still trying to shake the foreboding anxiety swarming through his mind.

******

With Angel tightly clutched to her side, Buffy wound up being only ten minutes late for Psychology- a slip she was sure Fred would overlook. Expecting to see her best friend studiously taking notes for her as always, she was shocked to sit down beside a Willow-less Cordelia. "Cordy? Where's Will?"

"No clue."

"Aren't you two roomates?" Angel ponders aloud.

"She never came in last night. I think she was spending the night in Tara's room." Frustrated by the clock's sudden slowness, the brunette begins tapping her pen wildly, anxious to meet Doyle at the Espresso Pump. The more time she spent with him, the more determined she became to draw him towards a more favorable drink of choice, figuring her best place to start would be with coffee.

"Tara's?" Buffy raises an eyebrow. "Again? And missing class because of it??" Watching her facial expressions shift along with her silent musing, Angel cranes his head, leaning in to whisper to her. "What's going on?"

"Have you noticed how close Will and Tara have gotten over the past week or so?"

"Tara's really great," Angel replies. "She and Willow have a lot in common- they've been friends since you all came to college, right? Plus she'd be a great help to us on the magic front."

"Yeah, I know, but…" she leans over on her elbow, narrowing her eyes as she makes her implied observation, "…have you noticed how *close* they've gotten?"

"No," Angel smiles, oblivious to what had been transpiring between the two wiccans. With an amused sigh, Buffy tries again, this time grabbing his hand in an effort to draw his complete and focused attention. "I don't think I've seen the two of them leave each other's side since Willow came back to school. They've been pretty *cozy* whenever they're at the Bronze. And I think Will's spent at least three nights in Tara's room this week-"

"Four," Cordy's quick to correct her, her eyes still glued to the painstakingly slow clock.

"So what are you saying?" Angel finally asks.

"I think that Willow and Tara are…*Willow and Tara*," Buffy smiles, a certain uneasiness washing over her with the thought, but still, her face displays a sweet and appreciative grin.

"What?"

"Ugh-" Cordy moans, stretching a hand across Buffy's desk to grab hold of Angel's, "Sweetie- get a clue. Willow and Tara are as together as you and Buffy."

"They're tog…wait a minute…" The realization finally begins to dawn in Angel's mind.

"Mmm-hmm. Our innocent and naïve Willow has become a lesbian," Cordy confirms.

"Cordelia!" Buffy shouts, forgetting for a moment where they were as half the class stares at her.

"A lesbian?!" Angel's shout follows, drawing the remainder of the class' attention, including Fred.

"Uh, guys? Is there a problem?"

"Uh- no, Fred," Cordy flashes her a smile. "We're fine. Sorry about that- really sorry." The class returns their collective focus to the front until Cordy's voice draws them again. "Oh- and by no means were their little outbursts in reference to me. Cause I'm no lesbian," she proudly states, noticing Buffy and Angel turning slightly away from her, rolling their eyes. "What? Well, I'm *not*! I happen to be dating a very hot guy, thank you very much!"

******

"Anything yet?" Graham takes a seat beside the elder man, reaching over to grab one of the papers strewn about the mansion's lengthy dining room table.

"Not a blasted thing."

Evening was fast approaching, and the usually annoyingly resourceful Giles still had no word from any of his sources as to where and when the Polaris Stone was going to be delivered. Mulling over his notes, trying to formulate a list of every known museum and gallery close by, the englishman looks up to see Angel and Buffy sitting apart from the rest of the Scoobs, a somewhat shocked look plastered across the former vampire's face as he finally takes notice of Giles watching him. "I can't believe it. I mean- I just can't believe it. You know how it is when you can't believe something?" he asks of his friend.

"Angel, I know. I thought we would've found something by now, but…still no clue as to where the stone is."

"Stone?" Angel looks over to him, casting a sidelong glance over Buffy's shoulder. "I was talking about Willow and Tara."

"Honey-" Buffy cuts him off before he can go into a lengthy discussion about their suspicions. "Let's spare Giles the details until later." Quickly hopping down from his lap, the slayer hurries over to grab the cordless. "Speaking of Will, I'm gonna see where she and Tara are. She said they'd be here for research duty tonight."

******

"No…sorry Buffy, but…I- I haven't seen her since she left. A- a little while ago…I- I didn't know if you'd all still want me to come by if I wasn't with Willow…Oh…o- okay…I'll be around in a little bit. Bye."

Slowly placing the phone back onto its receiver, Tara turns around, offering a smile to her dorm room's second occupant at the moment. "Was that okay?"

"Yeah…" Willow smiles back, standing to her feet to take Tara's hand. "Thanks for that. I- I just didn't feel like doing the whole 'research and patrol' double feature tonight."

"I understand," Tara nods, following the redhead as she leads them back over to sit on the bed.

"I was hoping maybe we could work on some new spells tonight? Maybe take a look at some of your older books?"

She watches with a pleased smile as Tara crawls over to the edge of the bed, reaching over the end to unlock the small trunk resting in front of it. With a few swift movements, she retrieves a book she thought Willow would find interesting. "How about this one?"

"Actually…I was thinking more along the lines of something from the book of Signut. Do you have it?" she asks, a certain desperate pleading in her voice. Returning to the trunk, Tara reaches over, lifting the fairly small, black felt covered spellbook. "Are you sure you want this one, Will. I- I mean…it has some pretty powerful stuff in it?" she worries for a moment, until she feels a sudden warmth, a forced sleep overcoming her.

Lifting the book from her hands, Willow tucks it under her arm as she sits up from the bed. She tucks aside a strand of hair from Tara's face, hoping the spell she'd just cast over her would keep her asleep for awhile. "I'm sorry…" she whispers before leaning down to brush a gentle kiss across Tara's lips. "I hope you'll understand…"

******

"Tara said she left a little while ago," Buffy returns to the great hall, letting the others know her news. "I hope she's okay."

"I'm sure she's fine," Doyle tries calming her, placing a mug before her on the dining room table. "Ya know- this coffee stuff ain't half-bad…" he muses, taking a quick sip. "Ain't half-good either, but-"

The sudden ringing cuts him off as he watches Buffy reach out a hand to grab the cordless. "Willow?"

"Hi honey," comes Joyce's cheerful tone.

"Mom! Hi- how are things going in Burbank?"

"Well that's why I'm calling. I just got home this afternoon. I've got everything we need for the new exhibits this month and next month. In fact, I'm at the museum now. I just wanted to finish up a few things, but I wanted to see if everyone would be up for some dinner back at the house after I'm done closing up."

"We'd love to, mom. But tonight's no good. Big evil lurking on the horizon. You know the drill."

"Of course," Joyce sighs, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"I'm glad you're home though," Buffy adds as an afterthought. "I really missed you this week-"

"Well look here!" a voice echoes over the line, causing Buffy to flinch at its familiarity. "Aren't we in luck, guys! It's Buffy's mom," Xander laughs, his gun stretched out before him as he and his two teammates approach a terrified Joyce from behind. "Hi Buffy's mom…"

******

Go to Part 6