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A week later, Xander glared with barely restrained anger at the
currently blue haired guitarist on stage. "Are you sure we can't just
grab him off there and duff him up, cause I'm really getting an urge
to go up there and do manly things."

Cordelia promptly hit him across the back of his head. "How many more
times do I have to tell you. NO! You dweeb, you can't. You'll ruin
Willow's plan if you do."

"Actually I thought it was my plan." A voice that was becoming
rapidly familiar murmured as Ven joined the two teenagers at their
usual table. "Evening. Oh sit down, Xander you're blocking the view.
Even if it isn't much of one."

It eventually took both women to make Xander sit down, his girlfriend
resorting to kicking him.

"Alright it was your plan but it's still Willow who has to carry it
through." Cordelia responded once she had sat down as well and picked
up her drink. "But you have to admit that this is the first time Xan
and Angel have ever agreed on anything."

Xander pretended to shudder before turning to glare at the werewolf
again. "If there's one subject that Deadboy and I will ever agree on,
I think it'll always be Willow." He turned back to Cordelia and Ven
suddenly. "Talking of Wills, where did you drag my girlfriend and
best friend off to this afternoon, Ven. I saw you disappearing with
Ms Greenwood."

"I took `em shopping." Ven murmured as she rolled her eyes. "And it
needed all three of us to bring Willow."

"On which point, try to keep your mouth shut, Xander. We're going to
have enough dropped jaws about here as it is when Willow arrives with
Angel. including his." Cordelia took out her compact to check her
make-up before glancing mischievously at her boyfriend.

"He doesn't know?" Xander exclaimed.

"Are you kidding?" Cordelia exclaimed. "Xander, she's trying to prove
a point here and that vampire of hers will be even more protective of
her when he finally gets to see what she is wearing."

"Heaven help us all then." Giles' voice came unexpectedly from behind
them. The three turned round to find the Watcher smiling grimly and
dressed unusually in a grey sweater and black jeans. "From the sound
of it, it's a good thing that I decided to join you after all."

"G-man!" Xander exclaimed making him shudder.

"And what are you wearing?" Cordelia added as she took in his unusual
apparel.

"Clothes, Cordelia and how many times, Xander." He sat down next to
the former cheerleader. "Ven."

"Giles." She replied looking over his shoulder, frowning. "Diana,
what are you doing here?"

"Just thought I would come see how things went." The tall brunette
sat down next to the blonde. "By the way, I saw Willow and Angel
heading here on my way in."

"Oh good." Cordelia used Giles shoulder to stand up on the bar of her
stool. "They're here and. oh my God, she did it. Ven, Diana, she
actually did it."

"Did what?" Giles and Xander exclaimed.

"Turn round and look for yourselves." Diana said calmly as she
pointed over to the main door, then switched to mind speech. *I never
quite believed she would though. *

<And you've been working with her for a week now. Lack of far sight
Diana. >

*Oh shut up, Ven. *

The dark haired vampire was standing in the doorway, scanning the
club and the reason for Cordelia's shock was clear to see. He was
dressed in a black silk shirt, leather trousers and a long black
leather coat, an outfit belonging to his Angelus period. Catching
sight of the others, he nodded once although his eyebrow raised at
the sight of the two women with them.

He moved to one side to reveal Willow's petite form behind him. She
was also wearing a floor length, black leather coat. Even across the
club, they could see the strange expression in her green eyes.

"Oh man, Wills out for blood." Her childhood friend muttered as the
two approached. "What. the. hell! Willow!"

Willow had just removed her coat, throwing it to Cordelia at her
silent command.

"Hi! Xander." She chirped. "Ven, Diana. Giles, this is a surprise."

"You're telling me." The Watcher murmured as he took in his youngest
charge.

The little redhead was wearing black leather hipsters, healed black
leather boots and a green velvet handkerchief top that revealed a
surprisingly toned stomach and a bare back with a mock angel tattoo
on her shoulder as she turned to look round swiftly. Her red hair was
wildly curled around her face and her make-up had been done in such a
way she looked dangerously beautiful. If not for the slight colour in
her cheeks, she could most definitely have been mistaken for a
vampire.

"God in heaven!" The words left Giles' in a hushed undertone. He did
not miss the stunned look that appeared in Angel's dark eyes nor did
he miss the way it turned possessive and protective. just the way
Cordelia had predicted.

He shot a swift look towards the stage and found the guitarist
looking at them, a peculiar expression on his face. He turned back to
his companions and the vampire just in time to hear Ven say. "You've
got his attention, Willow."

"You've got every one's attention." Xander added dryly. He had also
been looking round the club, watching the faces of their peers. "And
not just the boys."

"Meaning?" Angel asked as he moved closer to Willow, his hand resting
on her bare shoulder.

"Harmony." Cordelia grinned in pure satisfaction. "Green is so her
colour at the moment."

"Focus Ms. Chase, focus." Diana murmured as she watched Willow lean
unconsciously back against the vampire's tall form. A swift look
passed between the two older women as it became obvious that only his
presence was helping her maintain her mask of self-confidence.

As he felt Willow tremble, Angel moved his hand to rest on her hip,
pulling her closer to his side and she looked up at him, a soft smile
gracing her red lips as she leant into his strength. He lowered his
head and murmured in her ear. "It will be alright, Wills, I promise.
I'm here, remember."

In response, she rested her hand on his where it lay at her hip.

"Yes, Cordelia, we're here to deal with the wolf, not the secondary
bitch Queen." Ven grinned nastily, watching both the couple and the
young man on stage.

"Oh bother that!" Cordelia retorted. "Killing two birds with one
stone has always been a good thing in my book. By the way Angel, your
move has Oz starting to fume and for him, that's saying something."

Willow looked at her for a moment, green eyes puzzled as she asked in
a genuinely mystified tone. "What move? Cordy, what are you talking
about?"

Giles swiftly stepped in, sending both Ven and Cordelia a warning
glance. "What exactly are you going to do, Willow."

Before she could reply the Dingoes finished their current set on
stage and the permanent Bronze DJ started to play a slow Latin beat.
Angel grinned slowly, then answered Giles' question. "She's going to
dance."

"I am?" She murmured, looking up at him. "Really."

"You are, little one." He replied tightening his hold on her before
looking back at the others. "Keep the wolf here while we are." The
look he shared with Xander was most definitely evil. "By force if you
have to."

"You've got it, Angel." Xander's grin was almost as bad; his eyes
holding a vicious glint as he just considered the possibility. "Oh,
you have so got it."

"Giles, stop them. You so have to stop them." Cordelia begged,
tugging his arm. "They're going to cause trouble."

"I thought that was the whole point of this evening." The Watcher
murmured, eyes glinting with almost the same vicious light.

"Oh God, Giles!" Cordelia buried her head in her hands for a moment,
then raised it to look at the two older women. "Can't you two do
something?"

"They haven't done anything. yet." Diana responded, "Other than dance
like that."

< It looks more like mating to me! And if anyone should know, it's
me! >

*You can say that again! *

On the dance floor, Angel and Willow were unconsciously, at least on
the redhead's part, putting on a display of sensual dancing that had
the temperature of the club rising to almost equatorial levels. Their
eyes were fastened on each other; bodies so close not even a piece of
paper could get between them. It was almost as they were lost in
their own world and they were the only two in it.

"I didn't even know that Willow could dance like that?" Xander got
out round the lump in his throat. "When did she learn to dance like
that?"

"Someone turn the temperature down." Cordelia agreed, waving her hand
in front of her face as she blushed.

"Here comes the wolf." Ven murmured. "Now things are going to get
really interesting."

Apart from her silent remark to her sister, she had been keeping her
attention on the guitarist thereby catching the furiously possessive
look on his face when he had seen the way his former girlfriend was
dancing with the vampire.

"Just no violence please." Cordelia begged, catching hold of her
boyfriend's shirt with both hands. "I know you and Angel really want
to tear him apart, Xander but I'm sure, no, I know Willow would
rather you didn't."

"Even if he is a low down egg sucking son of a uh-hum who should be
castrated without anaesthetic, Ms Chase." Giles repeated the
brunette's own heated description of the werewolf from the previous
day. "How extremely interesting."

Her embarrassed blush grew even deeper, especially as all the other
occupants of the table turned their attention to her for a
moment. "Well, I was angry." She tried valiantly to defend
herself. "And you hadn't seen Willow's hurt expression."

Before anyone else could speak, a sudden commotion came from the
dance floor.

"Hades!" Ven swore jumping to her feet. "He's gone straight for
Willow and Angel."

"And you're actually surprised!" Diana exclaimed herself as she
followed her. "Come on, Ven."

"Diana, shut up! This isn't the time for one of your wise cracks."
She threw back over her shoulder at her. "Now hurry up."

"What the hell have you done to her." Oz grabbed Willow, pulling her
away from Angel roughly. "My god, Willow, you look like a.a. slut!"

Angel growled low in his chest, eyes flashing gold for a second. "Let
go of her, wolf boy. or lose the arm."

"Angel please, you promised me." Willow said quietly, looking up at
him. The quiet plea in her eye silenced him temporarily and she
turned her full attention back to her former boyfriend, just as the
others arrived on the dance floor.

Miraculously, the whole club seemed to have cleared, leaving them the
only occupants.

"He hasn't done anything to me, Oz." Willow said quietly in the
sudden silence that had fallen over them. "The only person who's done
anything to me is you."

For a moment the werewolf actually looked ashamed of himself but it
quickly faded. Before he could say anything, Willow spoke again.

"You should have just told me, I would have understood you know."

"I didn't. I haven't done anything wrong." He started to apologise
but changed abruptly.

"I don't call walking through the middle of Sunnydale kissing another
girl while avoiding your current girlfriend nothing." Xander growled,
moving forward. He didn't like the fact that Oz still had hold of
Willow's arm in a firm grip.

"Or avoiding her phone calls and having your friends lie to her."
Cordelia added, as she caught hold of Xander, pulling him back.

"And I really think you ought to let go of Willow's arm now, Oz."
Giles murmured as he watched Angel move into game face. "That's if
you want to be able to play guitar still."

"If you call what they play music. What ever could my twin have been
thinking of." Diana murmured to Ven who promptly giggled.

Oz released Willow's arm, sensing the sudden potential for violence
all directed at him, and took a step away from them. Eyes wary, he
watched them, his instincts shouting for him to get out of there
before he regretted it.

The petite girl moved backward straight into Angel. He immediately
encircled her waist with his arms, turning her into his side. "Are
you alright, Will." He asked ignoring everyone, his attention
completely fixed in her.

"I'm fine, Angel." She looked up at him, reaching up to run her
fingers across his ridges. Under her gentle touch, they faded away
until he was looking at her with brown eyes again. "Every thing is
under control. Only a fool would try to do anything when I'm
surrounded by my friends and Oz has never been a fool, have you, Oz."

She turned her attention back to the werewolf who was still watching
her with angry but wary eyes. "Or are you a fool, Oz, after all.
You've always been a little emotionless, but most definitely not a
fool."

"Willow, what are you playing?" Ven asked curiously. This was not
exactly what any of them had had imagined when they had discussed
dealing with the cheating werewolf.

"As much as I know Angel, Xander and Giles."

Cordelia coughed.

"And Cordy want to hurt him, I can't let them do it, any of them."
Willow replied her eyes fastened on the guitarist. "They would be the
ones most hurt by it."

"Willow." Diana moved forward, eyes flashing slightly.

"No." She moved her gaze from the werewolf for a moment to look at
her. "Let me do this my way. It was me he hurt after all."

For a second, they stared at each other before the older woman nodded
and moved back wards. "As you wish."

She nodded and returned her bright green gaze to the werewolf once
more. For a second, they almost seemed to flash with power.

"You see, Diana, I think Oz is going to persuade the Dingoes that
it's time to leave Sunnydale again. After all, its not like they are
going to get the record deal they want if they stay, is it? And
believe me, guys, for as long as he remains in Sunnydale, I think I
can almost guarantee that nothing is ever going to go the way they
want as long as they remain in the county. in anything they want to
do."

"If that's what you really want, Will." Ven murmured, sharing a
speaking look with her sister - who was grinning broadly at the plan
the redhead had had just come up with.

* That's our girl. Revenge but with not one of the people she really
cares about getting hurt. *

< I told you she had brains. Is it my fault you keep forgetting. I so
don't think so!!! >

* Stop gloating. Zeus, you are so unbearable sometimes. *

< Only sometimes! >

* $&*£% *

"It's what I would like." She murmured, removing her gaze from her
former boyfriend, meeting the eyes of all her friends. They all
nodded, understanding.

Although Xander still sent a killing glare at the werewolf.

Leaning her head against Angel's side, she looked up at him, asking
him the question silently.

"So be it." The vampire turned his own darkened gaze to the
werewolf. "With one added proviso, they're out of town by sunset
tomorrow. We find him after that."

He left the consequences to the werewolf's own imagination.

"The so it shall be." Both elder women replied simultaneously, their
eyes flashing for a moment.

Gulping, the werewolf took one last look at the group of people
staring at him. and ran out of the club.

"Bye Oz. Let the door hit you on the way out." Xander called after
him, earning him a hit on the head from Cordelia.

"Take me home, you idiot." She promptly pulled him out of the club,
muttering in his ear.

"Well done, Willow, I'm proud of you." Giles murmured as he kissed
her on the cheek. "Ladies, would you care to escort me on a patrol of
town."

"We'd be delighted to." Ven murmured as she linked her arm in his,
Diana taking his other. "Angel, I trust you will see Willow home.
after you've talked with her, and Will, ... "

"Yes, Ven." She murmured, taking her eyes from Angel's still angry
face.

"I do mean THAT talk."

The redhead blushed violently, drawing away from Angel slightly.

"Good night, Ven." She responded with a firm tone of voice though.

End

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