Professor Maggie Walsh sat back in her chair and pyramided her
fingers. "Report, Agent Finn."

"Night Systems appears to be exactly what it is." The dark blond
young man folded his arms across his chest, mentally going over his
information. "An advanced computer company run by English computer
genius, Katrina Knight. Offices in London, England, Washington D.C.,
Boston, San Francisco and now here in Sunnydale."

"Headquarters."

"London until just recently." Forrest Gates stepped forward. "It
appears to have followed Ms Knight here as CEO. Chairman is
registered as R Knight."

"Agent Miller, your report please."

"Katrina Merlyn Knight. Aged twenty-four. One brother Raven aged
twenty-one. Parents murdered by an unknown intruder and then raised
by an unknown guardian from the age of eight. Educated at Oxford and
graduated at eighteen with masters in History, Literature,
Archaeology and Information Technology. First class in Business
Management. Worked at the British Museum at the same time as Rupert
Giles."

"Interesting." She leant forward. "What information do we have on the
brother?"

Graham turned over a page in his notebook. "Spent the last four years
here in the States at Yale. Appears to be based in LA but is known to
make frequent trips interstate. San Francisco in particular."

"Is that it?"

"Research haven't forwarded a full report as yet."

"I want it on my desk first thing tomorrow morning." She sat back
again. "What is the current status on Hostile 17?"

"Still unclear how he escaped and no sightings." Forrest replied
grimly. "Agents on duty at the time are undergoing interrogation by
Internal Security. I've placed all remaining agents on alert and
doubled the watch on the cell block."

"Thank you, Agent Gates. Continue to monitor that situation."

"Yes ma'am." He saluted smartly, then left the office with Graham.

As the door closed behind them, the professor turned to her top
agent. "Riley, other than Rupert Giles, who has our Ms Knight had
closest contact with since she's been in Sunnydale."

"From what I've seen myself, only Willow Rosenberg, Mr Giles' student
assistant."

"Isn't she one of the two girls that you've had under surveillance as
possible recruits." Her interest was immediately activated.

"Yes ma'am, the redhead." Riley replied. "Buffy Summers is in Los
Angeles at present visiting her father. The other two members of
their group, Xander Harris and his girlfriend Anya are with her."

"All four graduates of the recently destroyed Sunnydale High School."

"Yes ma'am and from what I've discovered, there's more than a seventy
five percent possibility of them being aware of Sunnydale's alternate
nightlife. Their names have appeared in connection with some of the
stranger events of the past three years. In fact, Ms Summers was
named Class Defender." He stepped forward. "Orders!"

"Your current orders stand." She rose and moved to the
window. "There's a mystery concerning that particular group and I
want to know what it is."

"Yes ma'am." He drew to attention, nodded briefly and left.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Part 14

"You're a right one for keeping secrets." Kat shot at her brother.
The siblings had moved to one side after Angel's shock announcement.

"Huh! Look who's talking." He raised an eyebrow. "Just when have I
had the chance to speak to you, Kat. You've been busy and I've been
sleeping."

"You must have know about this vision, Raven." Kat leant against the
frame. "Time frame places you in Angel's office."

"Simple. You never asked." Raven nodded over her shoulder to the
bleach blonde vampire. "What's up with the childe?"

"How do you mean?" Her tone was curious.

"There's something off about him. I can't quite put my finger on it."

"Beyond me. As far as I can tell, his presence is unexpected, at
least to Giles." Kat turned to look at the redhead. She was still
sitting on the sofa with Angel, her face pale and the vampire's arm
still around her. Spike had moved to stand behind them, his eyes
flashing yellow every so often.

"Willow wasn't that surprised to see him though. I'd go as far as to
say she was expecting him."

"Neither of them are exactly typical Kindred are they. Especially not
for the Ventrue clan."

"So that's their clan, I had been wondering." Kat frowned. "What are
a pair of Ventrue doing on a Hellmouth and in the company of the
Sabbat Slayer."

"Well, you're the research queen of this partnership." Raven grinned
at his sister earning himself a well-deserved thump in the arm. "Mind
the leather."

"Oh ha ha! Very funny." She leant against the frame again, her gaze
on the two vampires, redhead and former Watcher. Her frown grew
deeper. "They really don't like the idea of Willow being in danger,
do they?"

"Maybe she's more important than we think." Her brother replied
calmly. "Your area once again, I'd say Kat."

"It is, isn't it and you may be more right than you realise." She
replied thoughtfully, her eyes darkening as her fingers touched the
pentagram round her neck. The memory of what she had seen in the
redhead's eyes the day they met came to the fore. "Yes I think
perhaps I will."

"And you accuse me of keeping secrets. You're even worse."

"With what I deal with, I have to be. You of all people know that."
Her tone demanded no questions and he acceded to her silent request.
Nodding silently in thanks, she crossed over to the sofa and sat down
next to the redhead. "Willow are you alright? You're awfully pale."

"Daft question if I ever heard one." Spike muttered. "Of course she
bloody ain't."

"Spike, leave it be." Angel growled his childe's name, turning
slightly to glare at him. "This isn't the time."

"Isn't time for what?" Cordelia made her usual timely entrance into
the sitting room followed closely by Wesley. One quick look round
gave her part of the answer, even though the younger vampire's
presence confused her slightly.

Pointing at him, she continued. "You, I'll find out about later,
Junior."

"Nice to see you too, cheerleader."

"Can it, Spike." She snapped back with a glare before turning back to
her boss. "I take it you've mentioned the vision's focus, Angel."

"Tact's never been one of your strong points has it, Cordelia."
Giles' smile did not reach his eyes though. "What danger is Willow in
exactly?"

The brunette sank down on a nearby chair, her eyes filled with pained
remembrance. "All I could see was something that looked like the
park. Willow was on her own when she was attacked by a demon of some
sort then there was a sense of intense pain and overwhelming danger."

She paled. "And blood, oh God, so much blood."

Wesley immediately moved to her side, enfolding her in his arms as
she buried her face against him, shaking at the memory.

Across the room, Willow was now holding tightly on to Angel with both
hands as he tightened his arm around her. She raised her face to
him. "Angel, is that why you made me promise?"

"Do you really think I will let anything happen to you, little one."
He replied eyes darkening. He touched her pale cheek, before turning
to the former Watcher. "Giles, I want Willow to move in here for the
time being."

"Angel, I can't." Willow objected violently. "For one thing, I would
never get permission to move out of dorms and for another." She broke
off, moving away from him and over to the fireplace.

He was quick to follow her, much to the amusement of his silently
watching childe. Catching hold of her shoulders, he turned her to
face him. "What is it, Will, tell me?"

"Buffy thinks we're being watched by the Initiative."

Giles shot up straight. "The commandos you've seen on patrol."

"Yes." Willow looked over to her mentor. As she did so, she caught a
strange look cross Spike's face and she made a mental note to find
out what it meant. She returned her full attention to the former
Watcher as she suddenly remembered something. "Giles, you know Riley
Finn, don't you."

"Isn't he the young man who's been showing an interest in Buffy."
This time, Giles rose to his feet.

"One and the same. Well, I think he's one of them." Willow replied
leaning slightly against the vampire at her side. He put his arm
around her trim waist, drawing her closer. "And guess who's TA he
happens to be. and the first two don't count."

"Walsh." Kat put in, a grim look on her face. "Alright, so Willow has
to go back to her dorm room, but let me point out, the campus is
littered with green spaces."

"Way to go, sis." Raven murmured in amusement.

Kat glared at him. "Shut up you!"

"Look, I'll stay with her till Buffy gets back." Cordelia emerged to
offer. "If that's okay, Wills."

"I can live with it if you can." The first real smile since being
told of the vision crossed Willow's face. She pulled Angel's arm
around her even further, entwining her fingers in his. "I only ask
one thing."

"What?" Cordelia replied warily.

"Just don't reorganise my wardrobe."

"Willow!" The brunette exclaimed blushing violently as those that
knew her started to laugh. "I'll get you back for that, be sure of
it."

The redhead merely ginned.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Part 15

"I can't believe this, Giles. Why didn't you call me the moment you
found out that Wills was in danger." Buffy stood in the middle of the
library, hands on hips glaring at her mentor. "Her safety is way more
important that a weekend in LA with my dad."

"Believe me, Buffy, as much as I may agree with you." Giles started
to say before the redhead herself jumped in.

"We had. have enough people around here to make your presence
temporarily unnecessary." Willow continued as she entered the
library. "Besides, I can look after myself these days, contrary to
popular opinion. So Buffy, how was LA and your Dad."

"Wills, why didn't you tell me in registration." Buffy swung round to
glare at her best friend who merely grinned at her, totally unfazed
by the Slayer's look. The blonde immediately understood the silent
message and blushed slightly. "Alright, so maybe I was going on just
a bit."

"And then some." The redhead responded as she sat down, still
smiling. "I think I managed to insert an hi but that was just about
it."

"And here we were thinking Willow was the ramble queen." Cordelia
murmured from where she had been listening in the corner of the
library. She put her book down and joined the other two girls at the
conference table. "Hi Buffy."

"Cordy."

"Besides, we thought it would be better to tell you away from
everyone." Giles added calmly. "We knew how you'd react."

"This is so nothing like as bad as how Xander's going to react."
Buffy responded. "He is so not going to like this."

"Just make sure I'm nowhere in sight when he is then. I can so do
without it at the moment." Willow frowned. "Where is the big lug?"

"Anya."

A `I might have known' look of resigned understanding crossed all
three girl's faces just as Kat came into the library and she stopped
to look at them curiously. "Do I want to know what that means?" She
asked. "Or should I just pretend I didn't see it."

"I wouldn't bother, Kat, you'll find out sooner or later." Willow
replied. "You've still got to meet Anya and Xander."

"Most likely the former." Buffy mumbled under her breath to Cordelia
who grinned.

"What brings you to the library, Kat. I thought we weren't meeting
until later up at the mansion." Giles moved round the table towards
her.

"Yeah, we were." She replied, jumping up on the table just beside the
redhead. "I got bored and Raven was asleep so I couldn't annoy him,
so here I am."

"Somehow I don't think that actually a good thing. Not if the look on
Giles' face is anything to go by." Buffy murmured to Willow and
Cordelia who grinned, before turning to the tall brunette. "Hi, I'm
Buffy."

"Kat. I won't bore you with the details. Giles can do that for me."

"Katrina!"

"What!" She threw back, making the three girls laugh.

Before anyone else could say something, a young man entered the
library and Buffy and Willow grimaced at each other behind Giles'
back.

"Mr Finn. What can I do for you?" Giles moved forward, knowing only
too well how his two students felt about the young man.

"I was looking for Willow and Buffy. Professor Walsh has an extra
credit project for them."

"Doesn't that woman persecute us enough in class." Willow growled
under her breath. "This is one class I am so beginning to hate."

"I so hear you." Buffy nodded as the redhead rose to her feet.

"What extra credit project. I've done enough to finish the course
this year and next." Willow said in a tone very unlike her.

"An psychological analysis of the emotional upheaval a teenage mind
upon transferral from High School to College given traumatic events
of senior year. You've been assigned each other as partners." Riley
moved towards Buffy. "If you wish, I can run through a possible
format with you. and Willow of course."

"Thanks, but like Willow said, we've done enough to finish this
class. Professor Walsh can find herself other guinea pigs." Buffy
responded surprisingly calmly. "Besides, we have. personal things to
deal with."

"If you sure." There was a strange look in his eyes. "The Professor
will be disappointed though."

"Tough!" Muttered Willow in an aside to Cordelia, who promptly had to
hide a grin.

"Perhaps we could go for a coffee still."

"Sorry, already booked. Bye Riley. See you in class." Buffy continued
brightly, only to finish saying as the door shut behind him. ".
Unfortunately."

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