~~~Part One~~~

The hotel was deadly silent. Shadows darkened corners of the Hyperian making the mammoth building just plain creepy. Cobwebs clung to the light fixtures above, occasionally swaying in the unnoticeable breeze, pieces of broken glass littered the marble floor reminding Wesley of the fateful day that he had come to confront Angel about his erratic behavior.

Wesley loathed admitting it but in a small way he wished he could have that day back. He felt horrible because Douglass had been so close to death's door but she had pulled through hadn't she? And if they knew then what they knew now...Oh Lord how things would be different! They would have pursued Darla with a vengeance, showing the bitch no mercy but they hadn't known and there was no way of going back.

So here he was, stuck waiting at the hotel with Aria and Dawn. The two girls were huddled on one of the couches gripping one another's hands, the longer they had to wait the more worried they became.

"Why haven't they called?" Dawn's frightened voice bounced off the walls breaking the concentration of Aria and Wesley who were thinking the very same thing. Looking at one another over Dawn's head they shared a look of worry, it was well after midnight with no word from the others.

"I'm sure every thing is fine." Wesley answered unable to look the young girl in the eye.

"Wesley's right." Aria tried to support the ex-Watcher's words that weren't too heartening. "I'm sure that any second now they'll call letting us know
everything is all right."

As if by just saying the words the phone on the counter started to ring. Aria and Wesley jumped at the same time, by the third ring Wesley had leapt off the couch and reached the phone.

"Hello?" He answered breathlessly. "It's about bloody time." His voice dropped. "I don't understand...Dear Lord..." Wesley's face paled and his hand started to shake. "I...I don't understand...not that. I understand why you did it but the part about finding an unbinding spell. I'd think that at a time like this we'd be searching for an Orb of Thesulah..."  Aria found it difficult to breathe, good news never had the words Orb or Thesulah in it, something had happened. Hearing a sob coming from the teen sitting next to her Aria tried to pull herself together.

It wasn't as if Dawn didn't have enough going on in her life. Now it seemed that they had hit yet another bump in the road, only thing was, in their lives bumps were more like huge man eating holes.

Aria gave Dawn's hand a hearty squeeze of reassurance. "Dawn, what ever it is we can fix it."

"Yeah." Dawn answered numbly.

"Angel, don't worry we'll make sure everything is ready." Wesley held the phone to his ear as the other end went dead.

It had happened. He knew eventually something like this would, they all lived on borrowed time and unfortunately for Willow, hers had run out. Now she was a vampire and thank the gods it was Angel that was now her sire. Funny, he knew that he should feel more upset than he did, should be appalled that instead of allowing the girl eternal rest she was given eternity to walk the earth.

"Which one?" Dawn's voice cracked and Wesley was reminded of the two females who were waiting for some kind of news. Hanging up the phone he turned slowly in their direction.

"W-Wesley?" Aria felt sick. She was trying hard to remain calm for Dawn's sake when all she wanted to do was drop to the ground in a hysterical fit.

"It's Willow." The silence was ear shattering as the two females tried to grasp the meaning of his words.

"She's d-dead?" Dawn paled and started to tremble.

"In technical terms? Yes." Not knowing how to explain any further Wesley stayed silent for a moment.

"What do you mean 'In technical terms.' Dead is dead right?" Aria approached Wesley who looked uneasy for a moment.

"Darla turned her." Dawn answered, her tone was flat, eyes unfocused.

"Good God no!" Wesley sputtered. Making his way slowly to Dawn's side he wrapped the girl into a warm embrace. "Angel did."

"Angel!?" Dawn pushed out of Wesley's arms to get a look into his eyes. "You're lying!"

Wesley knew that Dawn was still in many ways a child, and would find this hard to grasp. She had been raised knowing that vampires, all vampires were bad. Heck many of them had been raised that way, it wasn't until the last few years that their lines were blurred. Curses introduced, chips surgically planted.

"Darla stabbed Willow, she was dying." Wesley had no idea how to explain this to Dawn, he was never really all that great with teens even when he was a teen.

"So what, he just decided to turn her? That he'd rather have her all evil like than lose her." Dawn's voice was rising, as she looked back and forth at the two adults in front of her frantically.

Aria and Wesley exchanged a look with one another, "Dawn we're going to curse her, then anchor her soul." Wesley tried to make it sound like a walk in the park.

"Really?" Dawn voice was still hysterical. "I may be a child to you all and maybe the memories I have aren't real but I can remember when Willow re-cursed Angelus. She was drained for days and that had nothing to do with the coma she had been in and don't you need *Two* powerful spell casters to perform the anchoring spell. Tell me if I'm wrong but isn't one of them dead right now?"

"Dawn calm down, Douglass remember. We're going to unbind her second set of powers." Wesley wished he knew the right words to say to calm the teen down.

"But I thought you tried to unbind her powers?" It was Aria who asked this time.

"It's complicated but the best way I can explain is that Douglass has two power sources. Her mother bound the first one, the power that comes from her bloodline, when Douglass was just a child. The second was bound by Max last fall, when Willow tried to unbind Douglass's powers the spell was successful but it just unbound her first ones, the ones that no one knew she had."

"What about the baby?" Dawn shot back trying to find the holes in the plan. "Will the unbinding spell hurt Lindsey and Douglass's baby?"

"No." Wesley quickly reassured. "Douglass's powers are natural, she didn't obtain them from another source."

Dawn had noticeably calmed down. "And W-Willow. She'll be our Willow. Not some weird person we know."

Wesley looked Dawn right in the eye and answered. "She'll be our Willow, I promise." Wesley held the eye contact wondering when he had gotten so good at lying. He didn't know if Willow would be the same and had no right to make that promise but he had to believe it himself and just by hearing the words it made him feel better.

"Spike!" Angel growled from the backseat as Spike took another sharp corner.

"What! I'm doing the best I can. Or do you want sleeping beauty to wake up before we get there? Personally I don't want to be stuck in the car when she pops open those emerald greens hungry and confused.

Angel looked down at the pale girl cradled in his lap. Why was the only thing that he could repetitively ask himself. Why would the powers give him someone as perfect as Willow? Not just as a friend but as someone who was able to love him entirely. Someone who accepted the demon that was housed in his body, that knew his many faults but yet loved him or them. Why would they allow something like Darla to endanger that?

"You did the right thing." Spike looked over at Angel thinking that his Grandsire was beating himself up about having to turn Willow.

"I know." Angel ran his hand through her hair.

"Then why the long face? You have her for eternity. No worries about her growing old and dying." Though Spike's words were laced with a slight jealousy.

"Spike, you can't turn her." Angel knew how his grand childe's mind worked. "Willow was dying."

"I know that Peaches, I'm not stupid. But I'm telling you this, situation reversed and Aria was dying there isn't a bloody thing you or anyone else could do to stop me from keeping her by my side." Spike made another turn looking in his rearview mirror to make sure the others were following from behind in the car Slutty had arrived in.

"I don't know if I would stop you." Angel answered softly. "But with the chip in your head, I may have to help." Spike took his eyes off the road to stare at Angel. Was this the same vampire that was supposed to be so self-righteous? The one that pranced around speaking the words of the annoying? Did he just say that he'd help turn Aria if the time were at hand, and the chip interfered?

"Spike the road!" Angel snapped. Spike shook his head. Boy how death could change things.

Lindsey held onto Douglass being careful to avoid the cuts and bruises as much as possible. Because of the situation, they had all decided that it would be safer if Spike, Angel and Willow took one car while the rest followed in the other. Though it was tight fitting no one complained.

"How come I don't feel bad?" Cordelia whispered. No one asked her what she had meant by that because they were all thinking it. "I told him to turn her, would've begged Spike if Angel refused. And I don't feel guilty about it."

"I wish I could answer your question but frankly I'm wondering the same of myself." Giles barely whispered.

"But everything's gonna be cool right. We'll curse her then anchor her soul just like Angel's right?" Gunn asked, just wanting to hear that everything was going to turn out all right. Just as long as red got back her soul he was fine with this.

"Yes. Though we'll have to wait a few days to anchor the soul. We first need to unbind Douglass's powers but she needs a few days of rest.

"I'm fine." Douglass started to protest but she felt Lindsey's hold on her tighten.

"No, you're going to rest. You may not be tired but our baby inside you needs all the TLC we can give it right now." Lindsey didn't leave any room for argument. His points were just and he was positive that the others would back him in this.

"Lindsey's right Douglass. Right now we just need to worry about cursing her." Giles backed Lindsey.

"Fine." Douglass bit back a groan as the car hit another pothole causing Lindsey's arm to brush up a long cut on her arm.

Buffy had remained quiet listening to the others and knew it was either she accepted now that Angel and Willow were meant to be or go on living in denial. "He loved her so much that he changed her." The whisper registered with everyone in the car, no one knowing what to say.

"He didn't do that for me when the Master drowned me. I guess it's time I stop lying to myself. Angel and I have been over for a long time." Giles reached out to hold her hand. He knew that it was hard for the young blonde to accept that her first love had moved on but harder yet for her was to admit she was wrong.
 

~~~Part Two~~~

He watched the screen in mild interest, only smiling slightly when Lilah grunted in pain asLindsey twisted her arm behind her back. The tape had been shot the night before and it irritated Adam Gallagher to no end that it took this long for him to be made aware, his daughter had been missing now for over a month, taken from her bedroom in the middle of the night not be heard from since. There were  leads, lots of them but none that brought his disobedient daughter home. Damn bitch turned out just like her mother! Slinking off in the dead of night trying to make an ass out of him, her mother had been easy to find, she really hadn’t been all that smart to begin with. But he'dtaught her, showed her that no one made a fool out of Adam Gallagher.

Adam had been on his way out of the office for the night when one of the mailroom clerks came and tapped softly on his door, out of the thousands of dollars he pitched over weekly to his own string of informants he had to get this vital information from some pimply mail clerk.  What had things come to? Ever since Holland’s death everything had been going down hill. No this started even before that, it was when Angel and his little group showed up in LA sending the firm into astate of alarm, had they just let things be, waited quietly for the vampire to mess up things would be entirely different now. The biggest blunder was Darla, when she provenuseless they should have cut their loses and rid themselves of the blonde tramp.

"W-Word is Mr. Gallagher,  that Lilah has been seen with D-Darla. They’ve been up to something for several months, last week she took some book from L-Lindsey’s office." Adam watched as the skinny little leech stuttered his way through the dialogue that he was so eager to share.

"And I’m sure that this information would have been more useful last week, BEFORE Lindsey beat the crap out of Lilah and took her from the building." His words were spoken blandly but his anger practically glowed from his eyes.

The clerk fidgeted, he knew he should have kept his mouth shut, he just wasn’t good at the games everyone seemed so proficient in at Wolfram and Hart. He was way out of his league and if he didn’t think fast, he was going to find himself at the bottom of the nearest harbor.

"T-They’ve both been missing since the tape was shot *and* today the building that Lindsey’s ex lives and works in was burnt down." Gulping for air he was silently grateful when Adam’s eyes lost some of his anger.

"Did any of those annoying twits die?" Adam remembered Douglass, he never believed for one second that that she and Lindsey had anything serious going on between them.

"N-No one knows sir. They all just disappeared."

"This is all interesting but what does it have to do with my daughter?" Adam leaned back in the chair swearing that if the skinny little puke started his stuttering again his days were numbered.

"There’s talk that your daughter is being hidden by Angel and his friends." Adam felt his blood run cold, he hated being the center of office talk. Damn Aria for putting him in this position! "And that Lindsey has gone to them as well."

"Has anything been confirmed?" Adam stood up from behind his desk. "You may have a chance to live and perhaps get out of the mailroom if you get some concrete information." Looking disdainfully at the sweaty clerk Adam couldn’t believe he was stuck with this situation. "Find out where Angel may take his little pals. I want at least three addresses on my desk in an hour."

Spike came to a screeching halt in front of the Hotel and bounded out of the car before he barely had a chance to put the convertible in park.  They had to hurry and get Willow restrained before she woke and was taken over by the bloodlust that would take control of her body.

Angel carried Willow close to him as he dashed up the front steps and through the door that Spike held open for him. Stealing glances down at the tiny form in his arms, praying that when all was said and done she would understand why he had donewhat he felt he had to.

They were greeted by Wesley, Aria and Dawn who were frozen like statues in the lobby, walking past them to the stairs Angel saw Dawn make a move to them from the corner of his eye. "Stay back." He didn’t mean to growl at the startled girl but if Willow woke up he didn’t know if he could contain her from trying to feed from her friends. Due toher heavy blood lose before he'dbegun the process of turning her he had given the redhead more of his blood then a childe would usually get from its sire.

Rushing up the steps to his room he was relieved to see the chains attached to his bed as he hadinstructed Wesley to do over the phone. Spike had been following from behind and helped clasp the metal manacles around Willow’s small wrists and ankles.

"All’s clear." Spike looked toward the door where the three humans stood watching in concern he lockedgazes with his mate. Aria was pale, her eyes wide with fear and concern and it tore Spike apart that he couldn’t whisk her away from the room to some secluded part of the hotel and show herthat everything was going to be alright.

"Did you find an Orb?" Angel tore his jacket off letting it drop to the floor as he pulled a chair next to the bed.

"Yes it wasn’t all that hard really...Oh I can’t lie. When we all worked here Cordelia and I invested in a case of the Orbs and hid it here." Guilt oozed from the former Watcher. "We had talked intensely about we’d do if Angelus should return. Neither of us could make ourselves harm you...Angelus or not."

Angel looked at Wesley. "Thank you." His words and expression showed just how grateful he really was.

"Has she... Is she awake?" Giles stood behind Dawn in the doorway.

Angel looked from Wesley over to Giles. "No. We might have time to resoul her before she wakes up." At Angel’s words Wesley grabbed the printout and Orb from the bedside table and carried them over to the older Watcher.

"Under the circumstances I think that you... That well." Wesley looked slightly uncomfortable. "Unless you’re worn out from tonight's activities." Giles understood Wesley’s concern.

"Wesley I think that I speak for all of us when I say that we have faith in your abilities, you have proven yourself twice over since your Watcher days. You have the talent and ability to do this."

"Will you two bloody wankers shut your yaps and do this?" Spike barked out from his position next to the bed. He was impatient to hold Aria in his arms, to feel her warmth after the destruction of the night. It was reassuring that Willow was going to be around to spend eternity with but he had no special desire to see her without a soul.

"Where’s everyone else?" Dawn asked Giles.

"Lindsey insisted that Douglass get medical attention this time, it took him five minutes to out shout my daughter but I’m proud to say that he won." Giles smiled warmly at the teen. "What do you say that we go and get our friends some nourishment?"

Dawn looked questionably at the man she considered her Father. "Do you mean blood?"

"Yes." Blushing slightly Giles led Dawn away from the room leaving Aria at the door alone to watch.

"Yes, well, I suppose." Wesley cleared his throat.

"Wesley, I know you can do this." Angel’s words were softly spoken.

"Thank you Angel." Wesley clasped onto the Orb tightly as he made his way over to Angel’s dresser where the herbs were to begin the spell. Angel and Spike shared a look over the tiny redheads body silently praying that this would work, they had talked in the car ride over that if after Wesley, Giles andthen Douglass tried and Willow was still soulless it would be Spike’s job to stake Willow.

As Wesley mixed the herbs and started to recite the words on the paper, Angel kept his eyes glued on Willow. She remained unmoving until Wesley’s voice changed as though another entity had invaded his body. It was then that Willow’s body started to spasm, her arms pulling at the chains though through all this her eyes remained shut.

Wesley passed out in an ungraceful heap which leftthe room in silence.

"Did it work?" Spike looked from Wesley’s limp form to the motionless body laying on the bed.

"Something happened." Angel wished he could unchain his soul mate and hold her close but he knew that until they were positive that she was indeed Willow, the chains stayed.

Movement at the door reminded Spike and Angel that Aria had stuck around and by her worried expression she also looked like she wanted to make sure Willow was fine. "Come here Luv." Spike held out his hand to her and Aria practically ran across the room wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"I was so worried." Inhaling deeply Aria smiled at the scent that she had come to know as uniquely Spike and silently thanked whatever Gods may be listening for keeping her vampire safe.

Kissing the top of her head Spike squeezed his arms tightly around her. "What? Didn’t think an old man like myself  could handle two females?"

Aria shuddered. "Are they?...They’re dead right?"

"Yes. I took Dru out. I think she knew it was going to happen and with the last of her strength Willow took down the big bad bitch." Spike looked down again at Willow with pride in his eyes.

"So, now all we do is wait?" Aria looked over at Angel and gave him a soft smile showing that she’d be there for him.

"This is stupid." Douglass grumbled loud enough for Lindsey to hear, she had been settled into a hospital room where she would be staying until her doctor and an over protective Lindsey felt she was healthy enough to go home.

"I told you before Doug, if you can make it to the door you can leave." Lindsey smirked down at the disgruntled witch.

"You held me down." Douglass argued.

"I didn’t say that I was going to play fair." Lindsey laughed at her frustration. "Let me enjoy this one small triumph. I’m sure this will probably be the last time I’m able to get the upper hand."

Letting out a long dramatic sigh Douglass conceded. "Fine...I’m just worried about Willow. We should be there helping."

Lindsey took on a serious expression "No you need to be here. I’m not going to let history repeat itself. The last time you almost died and now we have a baby to think about."

Douglass nodded as it all finally started to become real for her. It had been easy to pretend that it was just another day at the office but the sucky thing about reality was that it didn’t seem to care when to come crashing down on you.

Sucking in a deep breath, tears that she promised herself wouldn’t come, finally fell from her eyes. "I was so scared." Deep soul wrenching sobs shook her body as Lindsey sighed in relief and gathered her battered form to him. He had been holding his breath waiting for her strong exterior to crack so she could vent the emotions she held locked inside.

"Shh, Honey it’s going to be alright. Willow will get her soul back and when you’re better and get all your powers back you'll anchor her soul just like Angel’s. Our baby is fine, you heard the doctor." Whispering the words in her ear, he rocked them back and forth, Lindsey smiled when she stopped crying and started to hiccup.

"Better?"

"If I say yes can I go home?" Douglass hiccupped out.

"No."

"No, I’m not fine but I will be." Her hiccupping ceased as her eyes drifted shut.
 

~~~Part three~~~

Never in his entire existence had he sat still for such a long period of time. Sitting, waiting, his nerves stretched to the point he was positive he'd
soon go insane. He knew that Angel needed him here to help when Willow finally awoke. With or without a soul, the bloodlust that would posses her body made her dangerous to anyone that stood between her and her first meal.

Everything was ready. Bags of blood sat on ice beside the bed. All humans were told to stay clear of the room and floor if possible. Not to enter the room under any circumstances until either Angel or Spike ventured out with any news.

Angel hadn't said a word, his eyes had stayed locked on Willow's unmoving form. Occasionally he would take on of her hands into his, only to let go when he started to squeeze too tightly. It wasn't until Angel rested a hand on her chest that Spike had enough of the consuming silence.

"You won't feel anything you know."

"I know." Snatching away his hand, Angel rubbed his hands down his face. "She had a heartbeat yesterday. She was breathing, her lungs expanded as she took in breaths. That was barely twenty-four hours ago." Spike stopped the sarcastic words that threatened to spill from his mouth. Now wasn't the time. "Did you know that Willow was the first person I saw when I got to Sunnydale?"

Spike looked up in interest. "Thought it would've been the Slayer."

"No. I was wandering the park just after sunset one night. She was sitting alone on a swing. My first thought was how stupid she was, being alone in a park after dark, that she wasn't long for this world. I was about to walk away when I heard her laughter. It was so childlike, filled with such innocence. I couldn't move."

"You fell in love with her." Spike nodded.

"No, actually I didn't. Xander had joined her and was pushing her high into the air, telling her jokes. It was her laughter that captivated me, or I should say it mocked me. I never had felt so alone and isolated then I did at that one moment. I had to force myself to turn around and walk away."

"That's the most pathetic thing I have ever heard." Snorting Spike shook his head at Angel. "So when was it that you fell for the little witch?"

"I don't know really. It was a slow process. When I met Buffy it was as if the sun had scorched me, the burning I had for her was so intense at first sight. But as things progressed, it seemed that the more time we spent together the quicker the feelings between us dissolved, until we were standing knee deep in denial. With Willow it was the opposite. There was no intense feelings at first sight, I hardly even noticed her."

"Bit of advice. If you and Red are ever having a heart to heart, leave that little bit of info out." The corner of Spike's mouth twisted.

"Point taken. I think with Willow it was like she grew on me."

Spike choked down the laughter the threatened to escape. "What, like a fungus? You're not the most romantic sod on the face of this earth are you? Let me sum this up for you. The slayer was like...a flower. Real pretty to look at, smell real nice, but the problem with flowers is that there's no substance. They only last a season before withering and dying away. Now Willow is more like her namesake, she's more like a Willow tree. At first there's not a lot to notice, just a sapling growing from the earth. But after awhile the beauty unfolds. Taking root, growing stronger and prettier every year. They're strong, able to withstand the elements. Yet ethereal at the same time. " Angel nodded, agreeing with everything that Spike had just said. "And I if I'm not mistaken your little tree is finally stirring."

"So this is where my daughter is staying?" Adam looked around the shadowed hotel. "Wow must have been real difficult to find. Seeing that it took almost an entire day." Sarcasm dripped from every word as the older gentleman walked around the empty lobby.

"Yes Mr. Gallagher, the man I put on surveillance said that he saw your daughter and a few other's leave the building about an hour ago." Adam looked at the man in disgust. It didn't really matter what his name was, he was yet another underling that was hired in mass every year at Wolfram and Hart.

"Well that doesn't help me now does it? What do you expect for me to do, wait here all night until that slut of a daughter shows up?"

"Actually I thought we'd just toss you and your little monkeys out on your asses." A female's voice came from behind, startling Adam and the three men he brought with him.

Adam turned slowly and faced a tiny blonde standing in front of a large group of people. Adam recognized Wesley Windom-Price, Charles Gunn, and Cordelia Chase who was presently standing in front of Aria trying to protect the tramp. But there were two others besides the blonde that he couldn't place.

"I just came for my daughter, so there's really no need for the dramatics. Aria." Adam's voice clearly held the tone that a father would have for a
disobedient daughter. As though by just saying her name she would jump like some well trained pup.

"No." Aria's voice was soft but unwavering. Taking a small step from behind Cordelia, Aria stared her Father in the eye. "I'm staying here. This is my
home."

Adam's face reddened as a vein in his right temple started to throb. "Do *not* attempt to grow a spine Aria. I think you'll find that I am not in a very giving mood at the moment."

"Are you deaf?" Adam was outraged as he watched the blonde walk slowly down the steps only to stop when she stood toe to toe with him. "She said no. And I think you'll find that you are clearly outnumbered here."

"Listen to me little girl." His words forced out between clenched teeth. "You are making a huge mistake here. Do you know who I am?"

"Look at my face." The blonde leaned in closer. "Does it look to you as though I care? But since you want to plan the name game I'll tell you who you are. You're a weak pathetic piece of trash that abuses his daughter. Thinking that he's some big bad. "

Aria knew that this day was coming, that her father would finally come and demand that she return. But oddly for some reason his presence no longer created the fear that it once had. He looked older, perhaps a little grayer at the temples.

"This really isn't the best time for you to drop in Mr. Gallagher." Giles had separated himself from the group to join Buffy's side. "In fact I can say that it's a dangerous time for you to be here. But we do have something you can take with you when you leave, so that your trip won't be a total waste. Gunn can you please fetch our guest? Aria please go up stairs and wait, I'd rather not see how Spike would react should anything happen to you." Aria smiled warmly at Giles, before sending an evil glare toward her father.

"Aria I am warning you..."

Stopping on the third step, Aria pivoted to look down at her father. "No *Father* I am warning you. Don't come here again. These people are my family now, and I think that you'll find that unlike me, they aren't scared of you. " Adam took a step forward but was stopped but the tiny blonde.

"Not really the smartest thing you can do." Adam tried to yank his arm from her grasp, but found that he couldn't. "Let me introduce myself, I'm Buffy-."

"You're the Slayer." Adam hissed, reassessing his first impression of the girl.

"One of them. Actually there's two of us, but I don't think I need to remind you of that." Buffy sneered. Out of the corner of her eye she could see one of the man that Aria's father brought inching toward her. "Perhaps your little friends haven't heard of me." Adam looked over to his men and shock his head, stopping them in their tracks.

A commotion at the top of the stairs gained everyone's attention as Gunn escorted Lilah down the steps. She halfheartedly fought against him but Gunn held on tight, not wanting an *accident* to happen to their hostage. Once downstairs Gunn shoved Lilah in Adam's direction. Lilah stood feet from Adam, as she wearily assessed his expression.

"Lilah." Adam's voice was low, making Lilah flinch. "I seems that one of your little *projects* blew up in your face."

"It was Lindsey sir that blew up in my face." Lilah's eyes shifted trying to find the person who put her in this position.

"Yes I saw." Snapping his fingers at the man, they came forward and escorted Lilah from the building. With one last look up the stairs Adam followed them out. Silently vowing that this wasn't over.

"Wow and I thought my parents were bad." Cordelia said as Gunn helped her to one of the lobby couches. "Look at this place. When was the last time Angel had a date with a broom?" Everyone looked around the lobby's disarray. "Is that the vase I bought him shattered all over the floor?" Cordelia questioned.

"Yes." Wesley looked sheepishly at the brunette. "Actually I broke it." Cordelia nodded her head, not really understanding, but not really wanting to ask.

"Will you hold her down?" Angel snarled over at Spike, who was all but lying on top of the redhead. Angel had the second bag of blood in his hand trying to get Willow to calm down enough to feed.

"Stop babying her. You're her bloody Sire, make her feed." Spike spat out.

Angel stood back assessing the mess they were in. As was expected Willow had awoken in a state of panic. There had been no time to think as she started thrashing against her bonds, growling and snapping at them in hunger. The first bag Angel had offered she had spit back at him, her eyes glowering in anger. That was when Spike had jumped in to help, holding her down as Angel tried again. But each time he brought the bag to her face she'd turn her head away in disgust.

Deep down Angel knew he was being to soft on her. Any other childe would've faced his wrath had they dared spit blood back at him. Perhaps it was because he knew that once the demon's bloodlust was met, the Willow he knew would be there, confused and needing his comforting.

But Spike was right, the bottom line he was Willow's Sire. Her Demon needed to know who was Master. Looking from Spike's agitated face, and then back to Willow's crazed one he knew what had to be done.

With a jerk of his head, in indicated to Spike to let her go. Quickly straddling her bucking body Angel dropped his human mask and leaned forward grasping Willow by the chin. A deep growl emanated from his chest, "Drink!"

Her eyes glowed defiantly up at him. Until Angel wrapped a hand around her neck and squeezed. "FEED!"

Spike watched as Angel ripped the top of the bag open and shove it under her nose. She resisted for a brief moment, Angel tipped the bag the blood spilled out, dripping down her chin onto her clothing. Some of the liquid actually made it past her lips. Angel grabbed another bag, this time he slammed the back of Willow's head into the headboard. "All of it."

Yellow eyes blazed back at him, then lowered in submission. Pushing the bag up to her face Angel nearly sighed in relief as Willow sunk her sharp teeth through the plastic. She greedily sucked down the contents, her eyes begging for more. Spike went to hand Angel another bag, but the older vampire shook his head. Instead he offered Willow his wrist, flinching when she swiftly sunk into his flesh.

"What were you thinking?" Spike growled as Willow sucked contently on Angel's wrist. "Had Dru or Pen pulled that you would've torn them apart."

"Willow's not Dru or Pen, I didn't want to hurt her." Angel avoided Spike's incredulous stare. With a deep sigh Angel's shoulders slumped "I messed up."

"Are my ears betraying me? Did the Big Bad Pouf just admit he was wrong about something? Yes you bloody well messed up. It's your job to teach her to be a vampire, with or without a soul. She's not human anymore, and by trying to forget that you aren't helping her. You're going to get her killed."

"Do you think that I don't know she isn't human anymore? I was there remember. This has taken me by surprise, I wasn't ready." Angel tried to retract his wrist from Willow's eager little mouth, but her teeth only clamped down harder when he moved. If it were possible Angel could swear that he could hear Spike smirking from his seat near the bed.  "Get out Spike I need some time alone with her."

Spike studied the pained expression on Angel's face and nodded. Leaving the room he leaned against the wall outside the door, and let out a sigh of relief. Honestly he thought that Angel would put up more of a fight than that, knowing just how deep his grandsire's feelings ran for the little witch. The circumstances behind this siring were so different than any known in history. Angel had a soul's conscience to hinder him when it came time to prove dominance. And right now Willow's demon was in control because of the bloodlust, and if Angel hadn't made a move to show who the Master was then Willow might never be able to control the new part of her being.

Hearing the sound of flesh hitting flesh, Spike winced slightly. A low threatening growl that could only be Angel's made the hair on the back of Spike's neck stand on end. It wasn't until he heard the sound of ripping material that Spike finally pushed himself away from the wall, knowing that Angel was taking care of his responsibilities.

"Spike?" Spike swung around, spotting Aria at the opposite end of the hall. Her eyes darted from him to the door that led to Angel's room when a piercing roar came from the room.

"Pet what are you doing up here?" Spike was so incredibly happy to see her, but he knew that this wasn't the place they should be standing having a little chat.

"How's Willow?" Aria nearly leapt out of her skin when a growl and crash came from the bedroom.

Spike ran a hand through his hair and hurried down the hall before any other loud incriminating noises came from behind the door that he might have to explain. "That's not answering my question Luv. You know how dangerous it is up here-."

"My Father showed up." Aria's lower lip trembled as she tried to manage a weak smile. "So Giles sent me up here-."

Spike's hand snaked out wrapping around Aria's waist, bringing her as close to his body as he could. Even if he couldn't hear her erratic heartbeat, he could *feel* it pounding as he held her. The damn bastard dared to come here, and Spike inwardly raged that he hadn't been there to protect what was most precious to him. "Is he still here?" By looking at him it seemed as though he wasn't phased, he seemed calm and under control. But taking a closer look, Spike's hands shook as he clenched them into fists.

"No, Gunn brought Lilah downstairs about five minutes ago and they left. Amazingly enough it was Buffy that stopped him from doing anything stupid." Aria tried hard to match his attitude, act as though the entire situation hadn't phased her in the least.

Another loud crash made her jump, and Spike lat go of her long enough to guide her to the stairwell. "How bout you and me find a dark corner to rest?"

Aria nodded the sound of a nap curled in Spike's protection sounded like heaven. After a bit of hunting through the hotel's many rooms, they finally found one clean enough to rest in. The bed was slightly dusty, and smelled a little of mold, but at this point Aria decided that she'd be happy to stay in a dirty rat infested ally if it meant being next to Spike.

Taking off his leather trench coat he waited until Aria climbed into bed before slipping in next to her and covering them both in his jacket. Pulling her
close, Spike inhaled the soft sent of her shampoo and unique scent that only belonged to the female he intended to one day be his mate. His mind drifting to the last day and a half Spike silently thanked whoever was listening that Aria and the rest were safe. Even though Red was no longer part of the living, she'd be around for eternity.

He could feel the tears that fell from Aria's eyes, and he kissed the back of her head trying to comfort her as best he could. He didn't have the words to express to her how much she meant to him, and how sorry he was that her father was such a flaming ass. Sarcasm and rude comments was more his style. So he lay there quietly, stroking away the tears as they fell. Silently letting Aria know he was there for her.
 

~~~Part four~~~

"Why." Slam. "Wont." Kick. "He." Punch. "Die?" Gunn yelled as he lashed out with the long ax he held in two hands. Wesley held a hand to his head trying to stop the flow of blood from a rather nasty gash he had received when the demon they were fighting tossed him up against a trash dumpster.

"I don't understand it. The book said that this particular demon wasn't supposed to be so vicious." Gunn spared a glance at Wesley, sending him an 'Oh really' kind of look. The demon took advantage of the opening and kicked out at Gunn dropping him to the ground.

"Gunn?" Wesley called out as he tried to stand, casting a look over at where Lindsey lay unconscious the ex-Watcher determined what the correct course of action should be. For the last two weeks they had been tracking this particular demon, one that was responsible for the deaths of at least twenty innocent people. Because they had thought it was going to be an easy kill the three males had decided not to wait for Angel, Willow or Spike, instead they left a fuming Douglass to relay the lead they had received.

The witch had wanted to go and help from a distance, seeing that both powers had been fully restored to her but the second the words came out of her mouth Lindsey turned red in the face and put his foot down. Which in turn began the half-hour battle of wills between the two, Douglass vowed to cut Lindsey off for the next month which made the young man turn three shades of white but he didn't back down.

With great effort Wesley got to his feet to face the demon. The crossbow at his side was too heavy to lift in his weakened state, Wesley watched as the red scaly demon threw his head back and laughed.

"I don't know what you're laughing about." Came a soft voice from the shadows. "You're going to be dead in forty seconds."

The demon scanned the ally's shadows and laughed again as Willow came into view. "You're threatening me, little girl?"

Willow grinned. "I guess I am." Her human mask quickly disappearing as her demon came forth. "Now I haven't gotten the hang of this completely so if you have any pointers feel free to just spit them out." Launching herself at the demon they both crashed to the ground. After a brief struggle Willow flipped them over so she was on top.

"Not bad." Spike commented as he slung an arm around Aria's waist pulling her closer to his side. "Though she should've waited until he made the first move."

"Are you kidding?" Angel grinned, watching proudly as Willow pounded her fists into the demon's scabby face. "She's art in motion."

Spike cocked a brow. "Art in motion? What kind of drivel is that? Art in motion!" Spike smirked over Aria's head at Angel. "You're more of a bleeding poof then I gave you credit for, am I going to have to put up with this blathering for eternity?"

Angel's smile slowly vanished as he watched Willow viciously plummet her opponent, it was clear that the demon was dead, not just from the fact that there was no longer a heartbeat but from the blood that seeped from the back of its skull when Willow had slammed it into the ground repeatedly. "Willow?"

"Damn, now that's what I called tenderized." Gunn watched in astonishment.

Cautiously, Angel skirted around Willow so as not to come up from behind and startle her. "You can stop now Willow." Waiting for a moment, he could see that his mate didn't intend on quitting any time soon. "Willow that's enough!" Angel barked hoping his raised voice would stop her. This was the second time the demon got the better of her but at least this time she wasn't ripping her opponents jugular out with her teeth.

Ignoring the look that Spike was shooting his way, Angel closed the distance between himself and Willow, grabbing the witch by her beautiful red hair. "I said ENOUGH." A low growl emanated from deep in her throat but after a brief second her yellow eyes flickered and then changed to her beautiful emerald green orbs.

"I did it again didn't I?" Willow asked a little embarrassed. Angel let go of her hair and pulled her close.

"It's not easy trying to control the demon's power once you let it out to play but you did better this time."

"Well, that's a good thing." Smiling weakly she squeezed Angel back allowing him to help her to her feet Willow took a look around. "Where's Douglass?"

Angel watched her with trepidation, she was actually doing a great job learning the ins and outs of the everyday life of a vampire and never once had she complained. No one in the group was concerned that Willow would lose it on them but even with an anchored soul it was hard to control the demon during highly stressed times, especially in a fight.

As much as Angel hated it when he had to dominate her when things got out of control he was relieved that she didn't struggle against him. All it took was a sharp word, occasionally he'd need to grab her to get her attention but other than that he didn't need to go to the lengths he had that first night over a month ago. He didn't even like remembering what he had to do to finally get Willow's demon to submit to him. Where he felt no guilt or remorse for having turned her he would forever feel disgusted with himself for that one night.

Willow's demon was strong, stronger than any new vampire. It had struggled for what seemed like an eternity & in the end he had to commit the one act he swore he'd never do to Willow to get her demon under control. Perhaps had she not been so strong he wouldn't had to do what he did, but when she had struck out sending him across the room he knew he had no choice.

"Angel?" Willow asked again turning toward her mate. Angel looked up shaking his head of the memories. "Where's Douglass?"

Scanning the area Angel found the witch kneeling by Lindsey's side healing his injuries. "She's with Lindsey." Willow found the couple and nodded.

"I think Gunn's leg is broken." Angel looked over to where their friend was lying on the ground clutching his leg and moaning. "When she's done with Lindsey can you send her over?" Willow kissed Angel's cheek and walked over to assist Gunn.

Willow knew that Angel was dwelling on that first night again. He always got that disgusted look on his face when he did, she had tried several times to explain that she understood he had to do what he did. In fact she was grateful he had, without him dominating the demon with sex, making it submit to him, she doubted that she would've had the strength to control her inner demon.

"Gunn?" Willow knelt down next to her injured friend. "Do you think it's broken?" Gunn winced and nodded, he was taking in big gulps of air trying to block out the pain. "Don't worry. As soon as Douglass is done with Lindsey she'll be over here to help you."

Willow looked over at Angel again, he hadn't moved from his spot. She wished there was a way she could pound it into his thick skull that she wasn't angry with him, heck she wasn't even a tad bit tiffed, she loved being a vampire. Perhaps it was because she hadn't killed or maimed anyone that it was so easy to accept her new life, it had taken awhile to get used to the advanced hearing and night vision. There was also the aspect of the demon itself that she was learning to control but with time Willow was positive that she'd be able to, drinking blood wasn't as traumatic as she might have thought it would be. Angel knew all of this but still beat himself up over that one incident and since then they hadn't done anything
more than kiss and perhaps a stray touch. Sexual frustration was a bitch!

Douglass could feel her power swimming inside her as she held her hands above Lindsey's head.  It hadn't taken very long to learn how to control her newly acquired ability, after Wesley explained what he had found after hours of research it just made sense.  The book of Ansuz, a family heirloom that had been passed down in her family was linked to her powers. At first glance the book that had caused so much pain didn't seem to be much, just a few remedies for common colds, notes from advanced midwives but Wesley had explained that the information and knowledge of each owner was handed down with the book. It had been her ancestor's voices she had heard whispering in her head telling her what to do, she started by practicing on the many bumps and bruises the gang would get, each time getting better control of her powers.

Her other powers were unbound making her and Giles the two people that were needed to anchor Willow's soul & though it was a little weird that Douglass's best friend was now a vampire, it also seemed right. Willow and Angel fit together so perfectly, their personalities, their sense of humor so why not share another trait?

The last two months had been busy.  The LAPD wanted answers pertaining to the arson at their former home and business, the neglected hotel needed a good scrubbing and a few coats of paint to make it livable plus there had been hours of research to find something to help their Sunnydale friends conquer Glory.

"Douglass?" Lindsey squinted trying to focus on the young woman at his side. "I thought I told you to stay at the hotel where it was safe."

"You did." Douglass grinned. "Good thing I don't do very well with demands, huh?"

Closing his eyes Lindsey let the subject drop. When it came to Douglass he knew when he had been beat. "How's everyone else?"

"The usual. Head trauma, a few broken bones. You were unconscious and had a few broken ribs." Studying her boyfriend's face Douglass wondered how it was possible that he even looked good after a sound beating.

"So am I still cut off for a month?" The corners of Lindsey's mouth lifted making Douglass laugh.

"Hey Spike, come take a look at this." Aria was standing over the demon's body looking down at it.

"What is it, luv?" Taking a last drag from his cigarette, he flicked it into a near by puddle as he walked in Aria's direction. "Don't tell me you've
taken a twisted interest in corpses...it might just turn me on."

"Why not...since I'm already in love with a walking one." Aria smirked back. "No really, take a look at the ring our demon is wearing."

Spike leaned in to take a closer look at the silver band on the demon's right hand. "What about it?"

"I've seen that ring before, many... many times. Wolfram and Hart hands out those rings like candy to their employees and highly appreciated associates. My Dad has one that he never takes off and I'm sure if we asked, Lindsey would tell us that he had one as well."

"Are you telling me that this bloody demon worked for Wolfram and Hart?" Spike nudged the corpse with his booted foot.

"That or did side jobs." Aria nodded.

"Bloody Hell!" Spike looked over to where Angel was standing staring off into space.  The great bloody pouf better get a grip because it looked as though the evil law firm was waking from it's two month nap. It'd be one thing if Willow were mad or upset with him for having to dominate her but she wasn't.

Grabbing the demon's hand Aria tried to yank off the band. "It won't come off."

"Pet, you have no idea where that hand has been." Spike made a face. "Here let me." Not wanting Aria anywhere near the dead demon Spike gave a hearty pull on the ring until it slid off the finger it was on. "If you wanted something pretty I would've gotten you one better then that."

Aria made a face. "I wanted it so that we could do some research. Don't you think it's odd that everyone associated with Wolfram and Hart has one of those rings? There has to be a reason behind it."

Spike shoved the band into his pocket cursing that once again Wolfram and Hart was coming into their lives. For the last two months the firm hadn't
bothered them but with Lindsey having deserted the law firm and Aria defying her father they knew it was just a matter of time.

Two months just wasn't enough time to clean up the mess that had been created the last time they went up against the firm. Douglass was having recurring nightmares of the torture she and her roommate Tori had gone through. She still had the fading scars from the rope burns, Willow was still getting used to being a vampire, something that could've been avoided if those stupid pricks hadn't brought Darla back from her hell vacation & then there was Cordelia. She had been constantly on edge the days following the incident, every little noise making her jump out of her skin, she wasn't as bad now but she still had a ways to go to get back to her tactless self.

"I don't care if the Vindoric demon we have contracted hasn't returned with the body organ we need I want this project to continue on as scheduled!" Adam Gallagher barked into his cell phone. "Don't we pay you people enough damn money to make sure there isn't any snags? If the Vindoric isn't back in an hour use one of the dim-witted interns we have running around this place." Snapping the phone shut Adam turned to his attention back to the pictures in front of him.

Aria was in several of the shots taken by the informant he had following his daughter and her new little friends, it made him positively ill to see his
daughter whoring herself to some worthless vampire. He didn't care if William the Bloody was a member of the Scourge of Europe he was still just a vampire.

There were pictures of Lindsey and Douglass as well. The couple that had duped them all. Adam knew something was up when Lindsey started to date that little tramp but no one would listen to him because Douglass had been able to charm them all with her sweet smile. Stupid idiots always thinking with their cocks!

The rest of the pictures were of Angel and his newly made mate, it wasn't enough that they had two vampires to contend with but now three & by the looks of it the little redhead could hold her own. It aggravated the hell out of him that it seemed that nothing weakened Angel's little group of do-gooders, they just kept getting stronger. Now they had three vampires, two witches, a seer, an ex-Watcher and Lindsey and Aria. The last two new additions knew enough about Wolfram and Hart to actually pose a threat but if the little experiment went as planned there wouldn't be anything to worry about.
 

~~~Part Five~~~

Lindsey stormed through the lobby, every movement in his posture rigid, his face  taunt with anger, clutched in his hand was the ring that Aria had taken off the corpse. He would have recognized the band anywhere, in fact, he had one identical to it hidden in the room he and Douglass shared, it served as a reminder to him of the life he had left behind. The bad decisions he had made in abundance and the evil that Wolfram and Hart were capable of, of the constant threat of getting stabbed in the back on a day he least expected it.

When Aria came up to him he had seen that look on her face. Somewhere in-between being sick and being scared shitless, she had slowly opened her palm to him and when his eyes caught the shiny metal he couldn't help but take a step back. They both had just stood there, wordlessly staring at the object Aria held while everyone else asking questions but there was only one answer needed.

"Wolfram and Hart."

Something was brewing over at the firm, mass public murdering sprees just weren't their style, not to say they didn't have assassins or demons contracted to do their dirty work but usually it was done with a little more discretion. The victims this last demon left in its wake were brutally torn apart, many with missing limbs and organs.

Douglass silently followed Lindsey waiting from him to speak. It was as if she could feel the anger rolling off him and when he exploded she wanted to be there to calm him, secretly she wished the demon that worked for Wolfram and Hart was just some weird fluke and that they still had time before their inevitable confrontation with the firm but not even she was capable of such optimism.

Everyone else had decided to go on one last patrol before returning, Douglass believed they unconsciously wanted to put off   having to sit down and face the fact that Wolfram and Hart was once again in their lives. She didn't blame her friends, they all knew that this day was long overdue and she was just grateful that they were given the amount of time they had but still it hadn't been enough time to mend past wounds and patch over problems they had as a group.

Even if there wasn't a pre-existing declaration of war between Angel Investigations and the evil firm, there were two other reasons why Wolfram and Hart would rise up again to bite them in the butt. Lindsey and Aria. Lindsey because of his abandonment and treason. Aria because her father was an unhinged psychopath.

"Damnit!" Lindsey hissed looking around for something to hit. "I didn't want to put you and the rest through this." He knew that Douglass was there, waiting. She was always there and he didn't know whether to laugh or cry about it, he loved her so much and couldn't imagine life without her. Douglass wasn't perfect, far from it, she hogged the bed, was stubborn as a mule and could try the patience of a saint but she loved him unconditionally and that scared him a little. Who was he kidding? It scared him a lot.

For the first time in his life he felt vulnerable, before nothing would phased him because there wasn't a thing that he really cared about. Now there were two very important things in his life and that had him thinking and doing things he never imagined he was capable of. The concern for Douglass and their unborn child made him act like some freak of nature, he started analyzing his decisions in a different light thinking of their safety before his own. Something that he had never done before, put another's needs before his. It had always been about himself. How to get to the top first or what would make him the most money turned into how to keep his family alive and out of harms way. At times the new sensations made him feel like a new man, someone he could almost like, other times they made him feel like a fool.

"Lindsey we knew, and I mean all of us knew, that Wolfram and Hart wasn't going to just stay away. That someday they were coming after you or Aria or Angel but that doesn't change a thing. We want you and Aria here, you both belong with us, plus  we don't really know that Wolfram and Hart is coming for us now. It's just a ring on some random demon we killed not the end of the world, there still could be time."

"Douglass you're being naive." Lindsey snapped, wishing instantly that he could take it back.

"Why? Because I refuse to run around thinking that the sky is falling because of a little ring? It's going to take a lot more than that to scare me, Lindsey McDonald!"

"That's what I'm afraid of." Pulling her to him Lindsey held onto her for dear life. He could feel that something bad was on the horizon and he just
needed to figure out the best way to keep everyone safe.

"Are you going to sulk all night?" Willow reached out and took Angel's hand into hers.

"I don't sulk." Rubbing circles on the back of her hand Angel tried to muster up a smile for Willow's benefit.

"Fine, so are you going to be a pain in the ass all night?"

Angel couldn't help but laugh at the sour expression on Willow's face. "Pain in the ass huh?"

"The biggest. Almost like having my own personal walking and talking hemorrhoid." Willow screeched as Angel reached out and pulled her to him.

"You just called me a hemorrhoid." He pretended to look wounded.

"No, I called you a walking and talking hemorrhoid." Willow countered, a sly grin on her face.

"How do you do it?" Shaking his head Angel placed a chaste kiss on the top of her head, squeezing her slender body tightly with his arms.

"Do what? Put up with your brooding? Or perhaps tolerate your annoying habit of blaming yourself for every little bad thing that happens?"  Not moving from his embrace she nuzzled her cheek against his muscled chest. They had very few moments like this, where Angel would hold her close allowing them to enjoy the feeling of one another's bodies pressed up together.

"How are you able to act like what I did to you was nothing?" Feeling his body tense again Willow quickly wrapped her arms around him, not allowing him to step back and away from her.

"Angel, I've told you over and over that you did what you had to, what was expected of you. I wasn't strong enough to fight the demon. If you hadn't dominated it I would've put everyone we love in danger." He wouldn't look at her but she knew if he did what she would see in his eyes. Guilt, pain, torment. It was what Angel did best. "You didn't do anything to *me* you did it to my demon."

Unlocking her arms she reached up in between them to cup his face, he pulled back at first but hearing the low rumble from her chest Angel obeyed, dipping his face to hers. Their lips met softly at first, both scared that the other would pull away but after a brief second the kiss deepened when Willow ran her tongue along his lower lip causing him to hiss as though he were in pain. Taking advantage she snuck her tongue into his mouth.

Caught up in the pure emotion of the moment Angel wondered why he had denied himself of her passion for so long. Her firm little body pressed  up against him was pure bliss, his hands had a mind of their own as they memorized every curve of her.

He didn't know how they ended up pressed against the alley wall, her legs wrapped around his waist. The image of what they must look like had Angel drop Willow quickly and stepping back as though he had been set on fire, she deserved better than getting molested in the shadows of some filthy alley. It was bad enough the way he took her virginity but now he was trying to ravish her in an alley? He was a sick sick man.

"What?" Feeling frustrated at having him pull away just when they started to get somewhere Willow felt like screaming until her throat was sore.

"I can't...not here."

"You can't anywhere." Straightening her clothing she pushed past him. Not only was she way past sexual frustration but he had her sounding like Dr. Seuss. They had slept side by side for over a month now with only an occasional touch and a handful of kisses and just when she thought he was ready to give up his guilt over a situation that he couldn't help, he'd pull back and they'd start all over at square one.

Shaking his head in disgust, Angel let out a low string of profanity. How was it that he couldn't forgive himself for that night when Willow never
blamed him for it to begin with?

"So tell your man what's going on in that head of yours, Luv." Spike flung the cigarette into a puddle a few feet away from the swing  Aria was sitting quietly on.

"Nothing really." Looking up, she saw the give me a break look Spike gave her, making the corners of her mouth curl in that impish way that always turned him on. "Fine, it's about that demon we fought tonight. It just doesn't add up."

"What's there to add up? Evil firm hires evil demon to kill. Sounds logical to me." Taking another cigarette from the pack inside his jacket pocket he lit it with a shrug.

"Because I know Wolfram and Hart. I've grown up knowing all about that hellhole. I've been forced to attend the functions, the important court cases, I know what goes on there behind the scenes. True, they do some really vile things to get ahead, kill a witness, bribe a jury, hell even buy the judge. They have the most twisted and demented client list but Wolfram and Hart won't do anything that's not going to help get them ahead. Everything thing they do has a purpose." Listening quietly Spike nodded, evil wasn't always black. Hell wasn't he a non-breathing example of that? Sure he was a part of a group of do-gooders that raced off into the night to keep innocents safe but his reasons for helping out were much different then Angel's reasons, or Willow's or even Dougie's. He  was there not only for the spot of violence he so loved but to keep the few people on this earth that meant anything to him safe. When it came down to it the little family meant more to him then all the innocents in LA.

Lindsey was just like him as well. Not good but not completely evil. Lawyer boy didn't fool anyone into thinking that he had exchanged his black cowboy hat for a pristine white hat and shiny silver star. The boy was head over heels in love with Douglass and knew that she'd never stray over to the dark side, that there was a longer life expectancy with the fang gang than there was at the firm but all the same the group had accepted Lindsey into their little cult.Just like they had accepted him.

"Most of the victims of this...this thing were teenage boys. None were from important families, hardly any similarities linking them together. It's just so unpredictable. What would Wolfram and Hart be getting out of these murders?"

"So you think that something evil is brewing over at the firm?"

"Yeah, something I hope we can stop before it starts." Stopping the swing with her foot Aria slipped off and headed toward the water-fountain in the center of the park.

"Well, it does us no good sittin about getting stress lines over it. When the time comes we will face them like we face all the other nasties we've had to face." Slipping his arms around her waist Spike rested his chin on the top of her head. "I wont let anything happen to you, Luv."

Closing her eyes she relaxed against his hard chest. She loved how safe she always felt wrapped in his arms. Never in her life did she think she would love a man like she loved Spike, after watching the years of torture her mother had survived being married to her father Aria swore she'd never fall victim to the same fate. That she'd never let a man into her heart only to have him betray her by throwing her love back in her face every time he hit her but here she was, in love with a soulless demon who had more love in his little pinky than her father had felt in his entire life.

"I know you won't but sometimes things happen..."

"I don't think you heard me the first time. Nothing will happen to you." Turning her around to face him, Spike looked deeply into her eyes letting her see the seriousness of his promise. "There have been two women in my life that I would've given up my existance for. I staked the other one when she became a threat to you."

Aria blinked back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes as a giggle erupted from her chest. Leave it to Spike to prove his love by killing his ex, to keep her safe.

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