"He loves her."

"What?" Amy asked a little confused by the sudden change in direction of their conversation.

"Angel. He loves Willow. Truly."

"Of course he does. The party, all of this was for her."

"No, well yeah that too, but when she was taken, he looked so…. terrified… I've never seen him like that before… not even when he saw Buffy dead because of the Master. He's never looked like that before. It was like someone had taken away the blood he needed to survive on."

"She loves him the same way. I've never seen her happier," she revealed, hoping not to hurt his feelings.

"I know. She deserves to be happy…and if he makes her happy, then I'm happy for her."

"We should all go out together, double date."

Xander looked down at the precious bundle he held in his arms. He remained silent for a moment then smiled.

"That would be nice."

Amy smiled and snuggled deeper in his embrace. She liked this, a lot. He had offered to stay with her, and she had been more then happy to agree. Now in the silence of the bedroom, they lay content just to hold each other.

"So you think you might get along with Angel?"

"Anyone that helped me get back the two most important people of my life pretty much scored a lot brownie points with me."

"Then you'll be friends?"

"Yeah. It's time I grew up a bit and see what I have in front of me. Have I told you how terrified I was I would never see you again," he asked with deep concern.

"Many times, but I'll never get tired of hearing it. You mean a lot to me Xander," she told him as she looked up, her head slightly leaving his chest.

"So do you Amy, so do you."

His lips met hers with tenderness, then settled back down on the pillows, welcoming sleep wrapped in each others arms.

"So what's the plan?" Xander asked the small group in the parlor.

"Well, we could go to dinner," Amy suggested.

"We could, but dead…" he caught himself before he finished off the word and corrected himself. "But Angel doesn't eat."

Willow gave him a large smile as Angel simple looked at him surprised.

"We can, if you guys want. I can eat something there, not a problem," Angel replied, still in shock.

"Cool. Then we can go to Bourbon Street," he happily said.

"Ugh, no. Boobs, bars, and nudie places are not my idea of fun," Amy said, Willow agreeing with her.

Xander just smiled wider.

"We'll get beads," he offered.

"No. Anyway, no bar is going to let us in, let alone the clubs around."

"Come on Angel. You have to know of some underground club or something here. Someplace we can buggy."

"Or what ever Xander does," Willow added, making the rest of them laugh.

"There's this one place…"

Oz sat in the darkness of the room remembering what he had seen on the terrace last night. Remembering the way Angel looked when he was told Willow was missing. It was more then a friends worry, more then a one kind of date concern. He had held her in his arms as though she had always belonged there.

"Oz?"

"What?"

"A bit cranky?" she commented as she tried to find him in the pitch-black room.

"Sorry. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Did Willow ever have a thing for Angel?"

"What?"

"Did Willow ever have a thing for Angel?" he asked with a seriousness that she had never heard from him before.

"I don't think so.... why?"

"I saw them kissing last night."

"What?! You mean a friend kiss."

"No, not a friend... it was more, a lot more. I wouldn't hear what they were saying, but it was important."

"You do know how ridiculous that sounds...."

"No, it doesn't. You didn't see them last night. Something's different. They're close. Too Close."

"There's no way that Willow is Angel's *friend*"

"Why not?"

"She isn't... isn't his type," she tried to rationalize.

"That time in the pool. She looked mad, hurt even. Something is going on between them," Oz said as he stood up, heading to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Going to find out what's going on."

Buffy followed close behind, scared to know what exactly was going on.

"Are we going for the "look at me - I'm Sandra Dee" look, the "Jump me, take me, shag me" look, or just the plain "Turn every mans head" look?" Amy asked as she looked through Willow's closet.

"I'm thinking "I look damn good, don't you want me" look," she replied with a slight giggle.

"That sounds better. Have a told you how grateful I am for being the same size in clothing as you?"

"Quite a few times. What about this?" Willow asked as she took out one of the outfits from the closest.

"Think it's me?" she asked excitedly.

Willow smiled and handed her the pants and top as she reached for her own dress.

"Tonight, we dance," she told her in the most seductive tone she had covered over with giggles.

After they finished laughing they parted to their own rooms and began to get ready.

Willow and Amy hide inside the jackets of their escorts, refusing to let them take a peek at what they wore. Both men had tried countless times to trick them into letting them see them completely, even working together at times, but had no luck. After a twenty-minute drive they entered through a back way, where Angel led them to a Latin club hidden among the buildings. After a short talk with the doorman, Angel led them into the dark blue-lit club, where countless people danced closely, passionately, if not erotically on the dance floor. This was definitely not Bourbon Street or the Hard Rock Cafe. This was where seduction reigned and passion filled the room. Angel ushered them to an empty table near by, depositing them as he went to get a couple of sodas.

The three looked around enthused. This was something different, something they liked very much. Angel returned to the table with drinks in hand, sitting next to Willow, his hand moving to her covered knee.

"Aren't you hot?" Xander asked as he pulled at the collar of this dark v-neck hugged gray shirt.

"A bit," Amy replied as she looked at Willow in order to get the nod to finally take off their coats.

The red head took a deep breath and agreed, both women shrugging their coats off. Before Xander and Angel would come out of their shocked, lust filled haze, Willow and Amy pulled them up from the booth as they headed to the dance floor, the music taking control of their bodies. Xander fell into step with Amy as her hips began to sway to the beginning strands of the erotic music. Her leather pants encased her long legs, the small v-top, open back, showing off her arms and shoulders. Her hair was placed up in a twist, a few strands straying down her cheeks. She had Xander's complete attention as the brunette began to glide her body along his, as the temperature seemed to rise in the crowd.

Willow turned around, her backside a tantalizing view for Angel to watch as she swayed from side to side, her hips moving to the rhythm. The light silver dress went as low as her knees, but with slits that sliced up to her upper thighs, encasing her body tightly. He pulled her tightly against him, his hips grinding in hers, as his fingers lightly trailed down the side of her body. From the top of her shoulders, whispering by the sides of her breasts.
 
 

Willow laid her head on his chest, her body surrendering to his as her hands moved behind her to hold onto his thighs tightly, melting into him.
 
 

Angel held her as he closed his eyes enjoying the feel of her body pressing into him. They swayed, his hands settling on the smoothness of her waist and hips, lost in the music.
 
 

Xander pulled Amy deeper into his arms, the feel of the music intoxicting slow, erotic and sweet. They entered their own worlds, forgetting the rest around them.

They remained there the rest of the night, enjoying the music and conversation. It was nearly 3am when they arrived at the dark mansion sneeking in through the back, not wanting to wake anyone.

The morning would come soon enough.

After breakfast, the two couples entered the living room, never noticing the silent twosome sitting in one of the corners out of sight and fuming. Their look darkened as they saw their loves hand in hand with each other, acting, as two lovers would, not as friends.

Angel was the first to sense them watching them and stiffened, alerting Willow that something was wrong. She looked at him, her free hand caressing his arm and knew what he found as she heard a low growl emitted from his chest.

"We need to talk," Buffy said as she stood up and walked towards them, Angel immediately placing himself in front of the redhead.

Buffy looked on a bit confused, wondering what he had meant by the gesture.

"What is that?" Oz asked, his voice deep with concern, worry and dread.

Xander and Amy backed away from the confrontation, finding another nice corner of the room and remaining there for the time being. This was something that had to happen.

"What is what?" Angel asked, his eyes narrowing.

"You're hand on my girlfriend," he stated with anger, his nose flaring slightly.

"I am not your girlfriend, Oz."

"Then whose exactly are you?" Buffy asked, her anger rising as she feared the response.

"Mine," the vampire replied.

Buffy nearly fell back at the response, Oz growling, his eyes becoming narrow.

"That's not possible…." Buffy denied.

"It's true, Buffy. Angel and I are together," Willow said softly, knowing this would hurt them more then anything because of false hopes.

"There's more, this isn't something that just happened," Oz said, suspecting their sudden relationship.

Angel looked down at Willow, the fragile mousy girl re-appearing.

"Oz, I didn't mean to hurt you….."

"That's original Will. Would you like for me to take out the tissues?" Buffy asked sarcastically, her anger rising.

"Take it as you like Buffy, but neither of us wanted to hurt either of you. We don't have a relationship and we didn't have one when I got back from Hell. It was over Buffy. If you held onto false hopes then I could do nothing about it," Angel replied.

Buffy gasped in surprise by his response, not aware Angel would ever speak to her in such a manner.

"When?" Oz asked, trying hard to see how blind he had been.

"After we came back from Paris," Angel replied.

The revelation surprised and floored both of them.

"After you both came back from Paris?" Oz asked a bit confused.

"The week Willow disappeared."

Buffy looked on with rage in her eyes as she looked from Angel to Willow, settling her rage at her.

"You bitch, you had this planned."

Willow looked up, finally coming out from wallowing in her guilt over the pain she had caused.

"I didn't… I never would have done that to you…"

Buffy gave a small mock laugh not able to believe what she just heard.

"I believe you Will, completely. Just as much as I'd believe a demon robbing tramp."

"This doesn't make sense. What did you do to her?" Oz demanded, his hands already curled up into fists.

"I didn't do anything to her," Angel replied his own patience becoming thin.

"She never would have gone with you willing, not my Willow."

That was the last draw for Willow, snapping something inside her.

"I am not your Willow. I haven't been for a long time. No one asked me how confused I was, or felt after we sent back my doppelganger. I needed a friend and when I went to you, I was turned away, offering it to be only a fluke I needed to get over. And you, you refused to see that perhaps I could be something more then your girlfriend."

With tears in her eyes she continued on, what once was guilt turning to fire.

"I had meant to leave on my own to Canada for the week. I needed to get away."

"You never told me," Oz quickly added.

"She didn't need to. I just don't know how two of the closest people in her life couldn't see what was happening to her. I found her at the Bronze breaking up with you, and then I followed her. I had been worried about her."

"That's so sweet. How one minute you confess your love to me, then the next your jumping on a plane with the tramp."

"When was the last time I told you I loved you?" he asked the blonde.

Willow tensed at the question, not sure if she really wanted to know.

"All the time," she replied.

"No, Buffy, you're wrong. You asked for us to end and it did. I had accepted that fate much before you told me you wanted someone else, the time I spent in Hell."

"I had never meant for that to happen…"

"It doesn't matter now. It was over between us for some time Buffy, you just don't want to see it."

"What are you saying Angel? We're forever, soul mates…."

"No, Buffy we aren't. What I'm saying is that I don't love you anymore, not the way you want me to."

Willow let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. She held his hand tighter knowing it was now her turn.

"Is that how you feel too, cause I never sent you to Hell," Oz said raw emotion evident on his face.

"It's been over for some time Oz. Things have been changing between us, you know it, and you've felt it too."

"But I love you and you love me…" he tried to persuade.

"I'm sorry Oz, I don't love you, not that way anymore. I'm not yours and you're not mine."

"So you're his, is that is?" Buffy asked, her anger rising.

"For as long as he'll have me," she replied.

"You fucken bitch," Buffy said as she ran at her, her hand ready and raised to strike.

Willow flinched back a bit, waiting for a blow that never came.

"Don't you dare touch her," Angel warned as he harshly halted her hand by the wrist.

"Or what?" she demanded

"You'll regret the day…." Angel began to growl out.

"The day what? I met you?" she asked him with venom in her voice, ready to finish his retort.

"The day you cross me," he replied as his eyes glowed and face shifted, the demon present.

Buffy trembled, never before seeing him this way.

It was in the mist of the confrontation that Oz noticed something on Willow's neck that released his own beast within, unleashing all his anger against the tall vampire.

Angel never expected it as he fell to the floor, dragging Buffy with him as Oz pounded his fists on top of him. Willow quickly reacted, reaching for Oz and trying to pull him off her boyfriend. It was in one of those instants that one of Oz's elbows connected with Willow's face, knocking her to the side effectively. Seeing the opening, Buffy lurched at her.

That was when hell broke loose.

Buffy jumped on top of Willow, grabbing her hair, dragging her off the other two fighting men. In pain, but more angry then ever Willow waited only seconds for a clear shot, her right leg kicking the slayers left leg that released her hold on her, both falling back, Willow landing on top of her, winding Buffy. She rolled off her, the blond grabbing her arm, not finished with the quarrel. Willow felt the slayers fingers digging her claws into her neck, provoking Willow to hit her with as much force as possible with her bent elbow on her face. She crawled away, feeling the tiny amounts of blood begin to drip down to her shirt.

With a final kick to his legs, Oz once again fell flat on his face, this time staying down as Angel turned to see Buffy getting up, blood falling down her nose reaching for Willow. The redhead prepared herself as best she could, trying to remember the defense moves Angel had taught her as she began whispering a spell.

But before Buffy could attack she was viciously pulled back, falling against a chair.

"You never touch her, do you hear me, never," he snarled as he moved to Willow, removing her hand from her neck, barring the cuts Buffy had created.

"Are you in a lot of pain?" he asked worried.

"No… no, just a bit bruised."

She looked up seeing the bruise on his cheek. Her hand covered it, while her other hand moved to the ridges of his forehead, trying to calm him.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

He kissed her tenderly, needing to feel her, make sure she was there and fine.

"We all need to talk," Willow said once his lips left hers. They turned to find Merle and Giles running towards them, out of breath, asking what had happened. Oz and Buffy had already gotten up, trying to steady themselves with the help of the furniture.

"Everyone to the dinning room," Angel told them, as he took her hand and went out with Willow. The rest followed, not knowing what would happen the only thing clear was, and it was time to settle this.

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