Author name:  Jackie

Author Email: jackieb@kconline.com

Disclaimer:  Joss and Mutant Enemies owns Buffy and Universal owns The Mummy.

Couples: W/A, of course, and S/X

Category:  AU, Crossover with The Mummy

Spoilers:  Through Doomed, S4, of Buffy and Somnambulist, S1, of Angel.

Rating:  R

Dedication:  To Judy for beta reading and for all the wonderful people who've sent me feedback and that keeps me writing

Distribution:  Just let me know where it's going

Summary:  Spike, Willow and Xander get in trouble and turn to Angel for help.

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~Part: 1~

Collapsing against the alley wall Xander glared at his blonde nemesis. He couldn’t believe he’d let Spike talk him into this stupid stunt. "This is all your fault," he accused as he tried to catch his breath.

"It’s not my fault you can’t fight your way out of paper bag, Chubs," Spike taunted as he lit a cigarette and waited for his companions to recover. Actually, if the whelp and Red weren’t as good as they were they’d all be dead, or dust in his case. Not that he’d ever tell them that.

Xander felt his temper go up another notch at the insult. No matter what he did Spike was always derisive and he’d about had enough of the blonde vampire. Regardless of how good-looking he was. No! He wasn’t going there. Pushing the unwanted thought away, Xander concentrated on getting back at him…and he knew just what was the blonde’s weakness was too. Giving Spike a derisive look, he taunted, "You didn’t do so good yourself, Oh Fangless One."

"At least I have an excuse." Grinding his cigarette savagely under his heel, Spike glared at the insolent boy. How dare he question his fighting abilities? If it wasn’t for the bloody chip he’d show him just what being a master vampire was all about.

"Shut up! Both of you!" Willow pushed herself up off the ground where she had been kneeling trying to recover. "I’ve had enough of your bickering. It doesn’t matter who’s to blame we’re all in this together. Agreed?"

Both men stared at the ground and shuffled their feet at the irate redhead’s rebuke. Not wanting to bring the witch’s wrath down on themselves, they both reluctantly nodded.

"Fine, Wills, I’ll stop insulting the Chipped Wonder." Xander ignored both Spike’s growl and Willow’s glare as he continued. "But what do we do now? It won’t take long for that bunch to find us. And even if it would help, we can’t give them the book back."

Clutching the book in question to her chest with one hand, Willow ran the other through her hair. Xander was right they were going to need help. The group after them was too strong for the three of them to take on by themselves. Going to Buffy was out of the question. Buffy would stake Spike before they even finished explaining. Not to mention she didn’t trust Riley and the whole Initiative deal. Willow groaned as she realized what they were going to have to do. Not for the first time, she wished she had decided to stay home instead of going over to Xander’s. Or better yet, she had just said no to Spike’s coaxing and ignored him and his taunting. "We’re going to have to ask Angel for help."

"Deadboy?!"

"Peaches?!"

"Uh-uh. No way am I going to Deadboy’s." Shaking his head at the idea, Xander crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at his best friend.

"For once, I’m going to have to go with Xapper. I’m not going to ask my poof of a sire for help."

Willow barely stopped herself from growling at them. Through this whole damned excursion they had done nothing buy argue and bait each other. So when do they finally decide to get along? When it comes to Angel. Well, she wasn’t really happy to be asking him for help either but it was the only viable option and if that meant nipping their little ‘I hate Angel’ tantrum in the bud, fine. She knew just how to do it, too. "Alright, if we don’t go to Angel we’ll have to get Buffy to help. And I’ll let the two of you explain to her how this whole situation came about."

Xander and Spike shared a look as they both imagined Buffy’s reaction to their little escapade.

"We can take my car," Spike offered.
 

~Part: 2~

Sitting in his darkened office, Angel once again found himself lost in thoughts of a certain redhead. Busy spinning fantasies from his memories of her taste and the feel of her skin under his hands, he was unaware of the two people standing in the corner behind him.

"I don’t know about this. He doesn’t seem like the best choice for this."

"Actually, I think she made the perfect choice."

"Evie! He’s a vampire!"

"And just what does that have to do with anything, Rick O’Connell. When we first met you were in a Cairo prison about to be hanged for having a ‘good time’. And look how we turned out," Eve O’Connell reminded her husband.

Rick couldn’t help but smile as he remembered the first time he saw his wife. "Alright, you have a point there." Rick still didn’t think this souled vampire was the best choice the girl could make but he knew better than to argue with his wife when she had that look on her face. He always ended up losing. Actually, come to think of it, Angel may be the only one strong enough to deal with the redhead. Because when it came to guts, determination and shear stubbornness Evie and Willow had a lot in common. Which is probably the reason Evie liked the girl and was so insistent on helping. Other than the whole Imhotep thing.

"Besides," Evie continued, "Willow’s going to need his strength to deal with the blonde. He can get into more trouble than Jonathan ever managed."

That was a fact Rick couldn’t argue with and that was saying quite a bit. He had never seen anyone with a talent for falling into trouble like Jonathan’s. Not until he saw Spike. And the kid Xander wasn’t much better. Rick couldn’t help but feel a little bit sorry for Angel. Between trying to stop the world from ending, a stubborn woman and two troublemakers he was going to have his hands full. "So what do we do now?"

"Your favorite thing. We wait."

"Like you have more patience then I do."

Ignoring Rick’s accurate but unneeded comment, Evie continued, "Once they get more involved in stopping Imhotep, hopefully, we should be able to help direct them to the answers." Pausing, Evie listened to something only she could hear. "She’s coming."

Taking his wife’s hand, Rick and her gradually faded away.

********

Angel was jerked from one of his favorite fantasies by the sound of the front door being thrown open. Grabbing a stake from his desk, he entered the outer room, only to come to a halt upon seeing the three people standing in the foyer. For a moment Angel thought he was still dreaming.

"Hello, Daddy. Glad to see me?"

He was awake. He dreamed about Willow all the time but they never included his irritating childe.

"Still as talkative as ever, Deadboy."

Or the equal irritating Xander Harris. "What are you doing here?"

"See your manners are as good as ever, Peaches," Spike commented as he pulled out a cigarette.

Ignoring his urge to shove both Spike and Xander back outside, Angel turned to Willow. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so rude. Please sit down and I’ll make some coffee, then you can tell me why the three of you are here."

"It’s understandable." Trying to control the rush of hormones that his dark good looks always engendered, Willow smiled at Angel as she brushed past Spike to take the seat he offered. "And coffee sounds wonderful. It’s been a long night."

As she went by him Spike’s mouth fell open and he dropped the cigarette he had been about to light. Once Angel went to make coffee, he moved closer to Willow and leaned down to talk to her so Angel couldn’t hear. "You want the bleeding poof," he accused.

"What?!" Both Xander and Willow cried out.

"Keep your bloody voices down! Unless you’d like for Peaches to hear this conversation?"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about, Spike. Angel is just a friend," Willow whispered.

Spike snorted at Willow’s denial. A friend, yeah right, he always got hot and bothered over a friend. Oh, alright, maybe he did but he was a demon. The good little witch wouldn’t. "Tell that to someone else. I can smell your desire, pet. And if you don’t get it under control, so will he."

Groaning, Willow hid her face in her hands. Realizing the implications of what Spike said, she quickly glared up at him. "I’ll control myself and you don’t mention this little incident to him. Got it?"

"What’s in it for me?" Spike smiled as he realized the potential for blackmail in this secret.

Aware of what Spike was getting at, Willow growled softly and yanked him closer by his jacket. "Me not turning you into a rat!"

Pulling his coat from her grip, Spike straightened up. "How’s a bloke suppose to make any money with you around?" Catching Willow’s glare, he held up his hands. "I won’t tell Peaches anything about you having the hots for him."

Satisfied with Spike’s sincerity, Willow turned her attention to her best friend. "Xander?"

"I’m not going to say anything. It makes my skin crawl imaging you lusting after Deadboy," Xander reassured her as he shuddered.

"Is something wrong?" Angel asked as he entered the room with the coffee.

"No!" Willow and Xander shouted.

Shaking his head at their pitiful display, Spike figured it was up to him to change Peaches train of thought. "We were just discussing why we’re here."

Angel handed a mug of coffee to Willow before moving back to sit on the corner of Cordelia’s desk. Crossing his arms over his chest, Angel studied the three of them for a moment. "Okay, why don’t you tell me about it?"

Taking a deep breath, Willow pulled the black book out of her backpack. "It’s all because of this."
 

~Part: 3~
Earlier in Sunnydale

"What type of bleedin’ fruit wears a skirt when trying to create havoc?" Spike looked down in disgust at the group chanting in front of the Hellmouth. Chip or no chip he’d still want to take them out. They were giving evil creatures like him a bad rep.

"Oh, and we all know you’re a much more spiffy dresser." Xander gave Spike’s outfit a derisive glance. He actually thought the leather duster enhanced Spike’s blonde good looks. Not that he’d ever admit that, especially to the vampire in question.

"At least I don’t look like a reject from Magnum P.I." Taking in the printed shirt, T-shirt and loose jeans, Spike couldn’t help but wonder what Xander would look like in tight leather pants. Not that he was interested in the boy, he hastily reassured himself. "Besides, this is my lucky jacket."

Xander couldn’t help snorting. "If it’s so lucky, why do you have a chip in your head?"

"Shut up! Both of you, before they hear you," Willow hissed. She couldn’t believe they could be so immature as to be arguing, now! Here they were hiding in the ruins of the stacks of what use to be the school library, spying on a cult that was up to no good and they were sniping at each other. Satisfied that she had got through to them, Willow turned her attention back to the priests below them. "From the clothes and relics they’re using they have to be some type of Egyptian sect."

Suddenly, the pitch of the chanting rose as a new group filed into the room. "Um, Will, what are those?" Xander gestured at the creatures entering.

"Well, in most Egyptian ceremonies the priests would wear masks that represented their god."

"Those things aren’t wearing masks, Red. They’re walking statues."

"Whatever ceremony they’re performing is obviously important enough that their god, Anubis, I believe, sent his own personal representatives," Willow continued, ignoring Spike’s interruption.

Spike and Xander exchanged a look that said, ‘Shit! We’re in trouble now!’

Willow’s eyes widened as the creatures parted revealing the High Priest and the book he was carrying. "That book!"

Spike and Xander both rolled their eyes at Willow’s exclamation. Some Egyptian god was hosting the shindig below and she was worried about a book.

"Don’t get your panties in bunch, Sabrina. It’s just a book."

Willow gave Spike a dirty look. "If that *book* is what I think it is, they’re planning something a lot worse than opening the Hellmouth. We’ve got to get it away from them."

"What’s this we business?"

"Oh no you don’t, Spike. You got us into this mess and your going to help us get out of it." Xander grabbed a handful of Spike’s duster preventing him from moving. He didn’t really expect Spike to desert him but he was taking no chances.

"Watch the coat, whelp." Pulling his jacket loose, Spike smoothed out the wrinkles caused by his grip. He was irritated that Xander actually thought he’d ditch him and the witch. He may be a demon but he didn’t turn his back on his companions. Spike paused in his mental tirade as he remembered some of his past actions with Angelus. Unless they pissed him off, he amended after a moment’s thought. "And incase you haven’t noticed, those singing gits down there are human."

"Not all of them. The ‘walking statues’ are basically the Egyptian version of demons," Willow explained absently. She was running through the spells that she knew, trying to find a way to get them down there to get the book without attracting attention.

"Why didn’t you say that in the first place? One book, coming up." Standing up, Spike jumped from their hiding place and began attacking one of the Anubis’ demons.

Xander and Willow watched in stunned disbelief as Spike began fighting.

Sighing in exasperation at the blonde’s antics, Xander grabbed the axe lying beside him and stood up. "We better go save the idiot before he gets himself killed."

Quickly preparing a spell, Willow joined Spike and Xander in the fight.

********

"We fought for a while before managing to grab the book and run," Willow finished.

Angel stared at the three people sitting calmly in front of him and had to grit his teeth to stop himself from lecturing them all on the foolishness of what they did. Once he was sure he could talk without yelling, Angel asked, "What book was so important that you risked your lives for it?"

"I believe it’s the Book of the Dead." Willow jumped up from the sofa and went over to show Angel the book. "I don’t think they were trying to open the Hellmouth. I think they were trying to bring something out."
 

Taking the book Willow handed to him, Angel examined it. It matched all the descriptions he had read about the book. But what sealed the fact for him was the power he could feel coming off the book. Something, Willow and Spike, at least, had to be aware of as well.

"See this here," she leaned closer to him to point out the indention on the front, "I believe this is where a talisman of some sort goes to open the book. Probably the head priest has it."

Angel froze as he felt her press against him. God, all he wanted to do at that moment was toss the book aside, push Willow down onto the desk and make love to her. Taking a deep breath, Angel inhaled her intoxicating scent. He wondered if the smell would be stronger between her breasts or her legs. Angel quickly pushed aside those thoughts aside as he felt himself harden at the images.

"I think you’re right." Looking over at her, Angel lost track of what he was saying as he saw his desires echoed in her eyes. Drawing another deep breath, Angel could smell her arousal, for him.

Realizing what Angel was doing, Willow blushed as red as her hair. Rushing back over to the couch and sitting back down, she ignored Spike’s amused look and Xander’s glare. If she could put up with their arguing all night, they could put up with her attraction to Angel.

Pushing aside what he had just learned to be dealt with later, preferably sometime when he was alone with Willow, Angel focused on the matter at hand. "I can see why you took the book. We will leave the discussion of why you three were at the school, as well as your methods, for another time. My main question is why didn’t you go to Buffy?"

The three conspirators exchanged panicked looks, before sinking back against the couch. None of them were anxious to bring up their reasons for avoiding Buffy.
 

~Part: 4~

"So how long have you been lusting after Deadboy?" Xander watched as his best friend turned bright red before looking down at the ground. The two of them had escaped on the pretext of getting their stuff out of the car. Not that they had much, but they both knew Angel hadn’t bought their excuses for avoiding Buffy and had wanted to get away from him before he managed to pry the truth out of them. Well, that was why he wanted to get away but Xander had the feeling that Willow’s reasons had more to do with her attraction to the dark vampire.

"I…" Sighing, Willow stopped. There was no sense in denying what she felt, thanks to Spike’s sense of smell and big mouth. Not that she had anything to hide; it wasn’t like she’d ever acted on her feelings. Except that once but that was an accident. Well, there was also that time he was sick from that poison but that didn’t really count since Angel had been delusional and thinking she was Buffy. Shaking off that line of thought, Willow looked over at Xander. "I thought he was attractive the first time I saw him but then as I got to know him it just kind of grew."

Xander dropped the bag he had just pulled out of the car in shock at what Willow was saying. "You’re in love with him!"

"No! Well, maybe." Pushing Xander aside, Willow reached in and grabbed the overnight bag she had managed to pack before they had left. "It doesn’t matter. Angel doesn’t think of me that way. He’s in love with Buffy and Buffy’s in love with him."

Seeing the pain in his friend’s eyes, Xander took the bag from her, dropping it beside his, and pulled her into his arms. He hated seeing her hurting like this. "Why didn’t you ever say anything?"

"To who?" Willow rested her head on Xander’s chest, letting him comfort her. "You? You’ve never hidden your dislike for Angel. Buffy? *That* would’ve went over well."

Flinching, Xander had to admit she was right. If she would’ve told him that she loved Angel when they were in high school he would’ve a blown a gasket. He still didn’t like Angel but he could sympathize with Will’s pain, now that he was in love with a vampire that couldn’t stand him. Xander’s eyes widened at that. No! No way in hell was he in l…have feelings for that bleached blonde irritant.

Pulling away from Xander, Willow wiped away her tears. "Enough about me. What’s up with you and Spike?"

"S-spike?" This time it was Xander who flushed before looking away. "He’s an annoying, blood-sucking fiend."

"Yeah but you still want to jump his bones."

"What?!" Xander shook his head vigorously. Partly to deny Willow’s claim and partly to get rid of the images that had flooded his brain at her words. "I do not! I can’t even stand the blonde menace!"

Willow couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s reaction. She had watched the bickering between the two, and having learned from his courtship of Cordelia, had put two and two together. This was the first chance she’d had to actually sound him out. Looked like she was right, too. But then she’d always been good at math. Willow swallowed her chuckle at that. She didn’t figure Xander would appreciate it. But this was too good of an opportunity to pass up teasing him a little. "That’s good. You won’t be upset at Angel then."

About to go into a tirade about why he didn’t like Spike, Xander stopped at Willow’s apparent change of topic. "Why would I be upset with Angel? Besides the usual reasons, anyway."

Biting back her grin, Willow shrugged. "Well, since Angel never questioned the lame excuses we gave him, I figured that he was probably beating the answers out of Spike."

Remembering how easily Angel had let him and Willow leave, Xander growled. "He better not be!" Picking up his and Spike’s bag, Xander stormed towards the hotel.

Oh yeah, Xander liked Spike. Grinning, Willow picked up her bag and hurried after her friend. She’d better get in there and referee before Spike and Xander really pissed off Angel. Or one of them said something they shouldn’t.

********

Once Willow and Xander went out the door, Angel was on Spike. "What the hell did you do this time?"

"Peaches, I’m hurt." Putting a hand to his heart, Spike gave Angel a sad look. "Why would you think I did anything?"

Vamping out, Angel grabbed Spike by his lapels and pulled him up off the couch. "Why did they want to avoid Buffy?"

"Watch the leather!" Spike tugged his coat from his sire’s grip. "What is it with everyone grabbing the jacket. At this rate I’ll be lucky if it lasts the rest of the year."

"Spike," Angel growled, tired of his antics.

"All right, already. You always were an impatient bloke, despite all your high-and-mighty airs." Seeing Angel’s jaw clench, Spike knew to back off. At least for now. "It’s not that big of a deal. Slutty’s so wrapped up with her new boy-toy, the Initiative and her slaying, in that order, that she doesn’t have any use for her friends. Which is making Red and Chubs feel a little useless."

Angel wasn’t buying Spike’s story. Oh, he believed what he said about Buffy. He knew all too well how she tended to get wrapped up in whatever she was doing at the time. No, it was better to say he didn’t think that was the entire story. "And you had nothing to do with them feeling useless."

"Well, I might’ve pointed out a fact or two but I don’t see why you’re complaining. Angelus was always good at using the truth to torture his victims."

Grabbing Spike by the throat, Angel slammed him back against the wall. "Just remember, boy, mental torture wasn’t the only form I was good at. And if you hurt either of those kids, I’ll be more than happy to demonstrate."

"I wouldn’t hurt them," Spike muttered sullenly.

"What do you call telling them they were useless?"

Spike scowled. "I didn’t call them useless. I just made them realize they could do better than wait around for the Slayer to need them. Hell, they can both hold their own in a fight and if Slutty can’t see that, it’s her problem." Okay, he didn’t put it that way actual and maybe what he’d said had been hurtful. But he was a demon for crying out loud! What did they expect?

Angel’s game face faded away as the meaning behind Spike’s words registered. "You like them," he stated as he released his childe and stepped back.

"I do not!" There was no bleedin’ way in hell that he was going soft over a couple of mortals. That was the Poof’s job. He was the Big Bad. Crossing his arms over his chest, Spike leered at his smiling sire. "Though the little witch has potential. I wouldn’t mind taking her for a ride. I bet she’d be a real wildcat in bed."

His eyes flashing yellow, Angel snarled as he ripped a savage punch into Spike’s gut, dropping him to the floor. Before he could pick him up and hit him again, Angel found himself being shoved back by a furious Xander.

"What the hell do you think you’re doing?" Xander glared at the dark-haired vampire as he placed himself in front of the fallen Spike.

"Did you hear what he said about Willow?" Angel demanded.

Frowning, Xander looked censoriously at the blonde getting to his feet.

"I didn’t mean it. I was just trying to get a rise out of Nancyboy." Demons’ don’t apologize, Spike reminded himself as he avoid the boy’s eyes. "Besides, it isn’t like I’ve imagined bedding Red. Well, not often, at least. And you can’t tell me you haven’t either," Spike hastily pointed out.

Angel turned his enraged glare onto Xander as Spike’s words registered.

Flushing, Xander forced himself to meet Angel’s gaze. "What? I may have occasional had naked, naughty thoughts about Wills," he took a nervous step back as Angel growled, "but its not like I’d act on them. She’s my best friend."

"It’s not like the chit would give us the time of day, anyway. Not when she’s all twisted up over…"

"Spike!" Willow’s shout prevented him from finishing the sentence. "I think you’ve aggravated Angel enough," she said tightly, while glaring at him. "Angel, could you show me where I can sleep? It’s been a long night." She wanted to separate the two vampires before Spike could say anything else.

Despite being curious about what Spike was going to say, Angel nodded and led the way to the elevator. He could tell by the look on Willow’s face that he wasn’t likely to get an answer now. He’d have to wait until he could get him alone.

********

Sunnydale

"Show me where our enemies are," Kedar, the High Priest of Anubis, beseeched as he cast the sand he held out across the floor. As it settled on the floor, the sand rippled, moved by an unseen hand, to form the outline of a city. "They are there."

"Los Angeles." The grim, scar-faced mercenary stated. "It may take us a couple of days to locate them but we can find them."

"You may take as many of our followers as you need," Kedar offered generously, anxious to get the Book of the Dead back.

The mercenary looked over at the collection of Anubis’ warriors and mummified priests standing by the wall, waiting for the priest’s orders. Dark amusement briefly lit his cold eyes before he shook his head. "They’d be too conspicuous. I’ll take my men." He motioned at the vampires and demons standing behind him.

"As you wish." The priest inclined his head. "Just bring me the book. If possible bring the thieves back alive. If not kill them."
 

Chapter 5

In the process of pulling on a pair of sweatpants, Angel paused as his enhanced hearing picked up the sounds of Willow moving around, getting ready for bed. Settling the pants in place, he braced his hands against the sink, silently cursing the builders who made the walls thin enough he could hear her every move.

When the three of them had walked in the door of his office he knew his patience was going to be tested. But he had figured it would be the two bickering over who was sleeping on the couch and not the petite redhead. Angel snorted at his delusion. Spike and Xander could summon the hounds of Hell and he doubted he’d register it as more than a minor distraction. His mind was to focused on the fact that Willow was sleeping in his bed, in nothing but his shirt.

Angel’s eyes slid to the objects he’d been trying to ignore since he first entered the bathroom. He had never imagined Willow wearing such wisps of lace and silk. A sardonic smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. That probably had more to do with the fact that when he imagined her she was always naked. Though from the looks of it he had been missing out. The black silk would enhance her pale skin and the lace inserts were cunningly position to give tantalizing glimpses of the skin underneath.

With his mind busy imagining Willow posing for him wearing those confections, Angel’s hand reached out and pulled the damp silk of the towel rack. Bringing them to his nose, he inhaled the faint trace of her natural scent that lingered under the smell of the soap she had used to wash them. Angel crushed the soft underwear in his hand as a surge of desire shot through him, nearly bringing him to his knees.

Forcing his grip to loosen, he quickly hung the panties back up. He had to get his thoughts under control or he’d never make it through the next hour, let alone the next couple of days, without jumping her. Angel couldn’t stop the groan that tore its way out of his throat at the images that thought caused; the erection he had been sporting since Willow walked through the door began to throb.

Angel was jolted out of his erotic thoughts by a muffled shriek coming from Willow. Not giving himself time to think, he ran out of the bathroom and into his bedroom.

********

Willow pulled the T-shirt Angel had loaned her to sleep in over her head. She self-consciously smoothed her hands down over her hips, making sure she was completely covered. The shirt wasn’t that bad, it was long enough that it reached mid-thigh and baggy enough to be comfortable. What had her fidgeting was the lack of underwear; she was still peeved that she’d forgotten to pack any, or pajamas for that matter.

It was all Spike and Xander’s fault. Willow frowned. She really shouldn’t blame them for what she’d forgotten to bring. Replaying Spike’s caustic comments on her clothing selections and how he’d rushed her, even though it had taken her less time then him, she revised her earlier claim. She shouldn’t blame Xander; Spike on the other hand deserved everything she heaped on his head.

Finally, unable to put it off any longer, Willow looked over at the object she had been trying to avoid, the bed. Gingerly moving to stand beside it, Willow wondered how she was going to be able to sleep. Willow gave a huff of exasperation. It was just a bed, maybe a little bigger than she was use to but still just a bed.

‘But it’s Angel’s bed," her inner voice pointed out.

‘It’s not like he’s planning on sharing it with me.’

‘Yeah but you want him to. That’s why you’re afraid to get in.’

‘I’m not afraid!’ Backing up her words, Willow laid down on the bed. ‘And…and I don’t want to sleep with Angel. I’ve never even thought of it.’

As if to prove her wrong, Willow’s mind started bringing up pictures of what Angel would look like stretched out beside her. Her eyes drifted close as the spicy scent she always associated with him wafted up from the pillows and sheets, making the images in her mind more vivid.

She could feel his hands sweeping down over her chest. He moaned in pleasure at the realization she was naked under his shirt. His lips began to make their way across her jaw to her ear. Catching her earlobe with his teeth, he let his tongue flick out, sending shivers down her spine, before releasing it and whispering, "I want to make love to you."

Feeling a moan building in her throat, Willow snapped her eyes open as she bit down on her bottom lip, preventing the sound from leaving her mouth. Scrambling from the bed, she ran her hand through her hair as she wondered how she was going to survive staying in the same apartment as Angel.

Maybe they should’ve taken their chances and went to Buffy.

‘Yeah, cause we know how well that would’ve gone,’ came her inner voice again. ‘Hey, Buffy, sorry to drag you into another life or death fight, but we’re such losers that we can’t even steal a book without needing your help. Why did we steal the book? See, there were these Egyptian demon thingies that were planning to use it to pull something out of the Hellmouth. What were we doing at the school? Oh, well, Xander and I were feeling slightly useless and Spike was bored, so we let him talk us into going out and finding some bad guys to fight. Oops! Well, Xander it doesn’t look like your going to have to worry about how much room Spike takes up; he’ll fit in an ashtray now.’

Willow snorted. She was in serious trouble; the voice in her head was beginning to sound like a combination of Spike and Xander, which wasn’t a good thing. Not that there was anything wrong with them. She loved Xander, he was her best friend, and she was beginning to like Spike but she didn’t want them living in her head.

Though, in spite of the sarcastic tone, it had been a pretty accurate view of what would happen. Buffy had been pulling away from them this year but she was still pretty protective of them; not to mention the fact she *really* disliked Spike.

Willow couldn’t help but grimace when she imagined Buffy’s reaction to finding out that Xander was attracted to Spike. Not that she’d have a problem with the being gay part. After all the things they’d encountered living on the Hellmouth, finding out one of your best friends is gay, while a shock, would still seem pretty normal.

No, what Buffy would have a problem with would be that it was Spike, Xander was attracted to. Not that Willow could blame Buffy for her antipathy where the blonde bloodsucker was concerned; he went out of his way to be a pain in the ass to her, before and *after* being chipped. A relationship between him and Xander would have Buffy whittling a stake with his name on it.

Which, Willow sighed, was why they were here in LA. Fighting her attraction to the Brooding one, as Xander called him on his better days, was a small price to pay for keeping Spike alive and Xander happy. Maybe, she amended as she remembered their acerbic comments earlier. If they kept that up, she’d have to find some way of making them pay.

Willow’s musings were interrupted as movement off to her side caught her attention. Turning towards the dresser, she started to scream but quickly clamped a hand over her mouth muffling the sound. The brief glimpse she’d caught of the apparition before it had faded reassured her that the priest they were running from didn’t send it. There had been something about the woman that told Willow she was one of the good guys.

After standing and staring at where the ghost had been, she realized there was something on the floor; a newspaper, one that hadn’t been there earlier. Before Willow could go and pick it up the bedroom door slammed open and Angel burst in.

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