“OPEN THE FUCKEN DOOR ANGEL!”

Angel and Willow quickly awoke, both hearing the furious voice from the living room. Angel bolted up from the bed and moved to the living room
cautiously. He looked over to find Cordelia standing in front of his fridge, frozen in place.

He moved to the door as the pounding continued and flipped the locks open, then quickly stepped back as it was pushed open. He flinched back as
the three crosses blinded him. Xander rushed at him, taking out his holy water, ready to strike. Cordelia quickly ran over to him, pushing him as hard
as she could to the side, making sure Angel was out of range. Xander crashed to the floor, sending the jar and cross flying to the floor. Before the new
arrivals could react, Doyle raced into the apartment, his gun drawn.

“Put the crossbow down, slayer. And the stakes, watcher.”

They both hesitated, but soon heard a bullet hit a vase across the room.

“I won’t hesitate putting the next one in either of you.”

Buffy looked over at her watcher and gave his approval. She placed her crossbow down as well as one of her stakes as Giles disarmed himself as well.

“Grab the cross bow, Saks,”

Cordelia did as she was told and retrieved the weapon from the floor. Angel got up from the floor slowly, looking at the small arsenal the group of
people had carried with them.

“The other stake, Buffy,” Angel reminded her.

Buffy gave him a dirty look, then felt the barrel of the gun poke her on the back. She complied giving up her last weapon.

“You too, Xander,” Cordelia added as he waddled over next to Giles. Giles motioned for him to do as asked and took the stake out of his pants.

“Now, if you all would like to take a seat.”

The small group did as the stranger asked and settled uncomfortably on the long blue sofa.

Doyle remained standing, his weapon still drawn.

“Bit late, “ Angel commented.

“Came as soon as I got the message. Just came into town tonight.”

Angel took the weapon from Cordelia’s shaky hands and thanked her.

“So what do they want?” Doyle asked him.

Before Angel would answer, Giles replied.

“We’re here for Willow.”

Doyle looked up at Angel, still confused by the situation at hand.

“And the need for all the weapons......?” Doyle asked.

“We came to rescue her,” Xander replied angrily.

“What are you talking about. Willow came here willingly,” Cordelia said.

“We came to take her back to Sunnydale with us,” Buffy told them, the worry and stress from the past days showing.

“No,” a simple reply came from in back of them.

The entire group turned to see Willow standing against the hallway entrance.

Xander quickly stood and started walking towards her. His evident shock remained on his face as she moved away from him, seeking out Angel.

The other two looked on confused, still not aware of her current situation.

“We came to take you home,” Buffy quickly said as she stood up.

“My home is here,” Willow replied as she stood next to Angel.

“No, it’s in Sunnydale, with us,” Giles told her.

Willow looked away from them, trying hard to remember if they were saying the truth. It was just all too confusing. She looked back at them, her
eyes filled with unshed tears.

“I don’t remember you,” she mumbled.

“What? What are you talking about, Willow. We’re you’re friends, we.....”

“I can’t remember,” she replied, her mind trying to search for a memory.

“Remember? What is she talking about Angel?” Giles questioned.

“She has amnesia.”

“She doesn’t remember us?” Buffy asked surprised.

“It’s a trick...” Xander told them, ready to attack.

“It isn’t,” Cordelia tried to explain.

“We’re here to take her home and that’s what we’re going to do,” Xander declared as he moved to take a hold of her.

Willow quickly moved behind Angel, his body shielding her.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she replied a bit frightened.

“You heard her,” Angel said.

“There is no way she is staying here,” Xander said he said as he pulled out a hidden cross from his pocket.

“You heard the lady,” Doyle warned him as he pointed the weapon at him.

Giles pulled him back, whispering some words for him to calm down.

“This is not getting us anywhere,” Cordelia commented.

“We all need to cool off. There’s a conference room downstairs. Saks, would you mind helping me escort our guests there. We need neutral ground
and for now that’s as good as it’ll get.”

She nodded in agreement as she accepted the crossbow from Angel.

“We’ll be down shortly,” he informed them as she felt Willow grab onto his waist rather tightly.

“We are not leaving her here alone with this monster,” Xander retorted.

Doyle shot him a deadly look, and motioned for them to walk out with him.

“We don’t have a choice,” Giles informed them as he began to walk.

Once the group left, Angel turned around to see a very weak Willow barely standing. He carried her to the sofa, scared to ask.

“What’s wrong?”

Willow looked at him as a tear escaped her red eyes.

“I’m dying.”
 
 

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