Part 5

      "Who was that on the phone, Giles?"
      "Willow," the Watcher replied, looking at the blonde girl in front of him.
He couldn't believe what he had just been told by the young hacker, unable
to comprehend the secret that his Slayer had kept from them all.  The fact
that she had convinced Willow not to say anything hurt him even more,
because of the way that it had affected the young girl.
      "Oh, is she on her way over to help research that demon we heard about?"
Buffy asked, oblivious to the way that Giles was staring at her.
      "Actually, she already has informed me of what kind of demon we are
facing," Giles told the girl.  "It's called a Wambata demon."
      "That's our Willster.  Always a stop ahead of us," Xander stated.
      "Saves us a lot of time researching, that's for sure.  Now we can go have
sex," Anya told her boyfriend.  Xander just smiled at everyone, who
pretended not to have heard Anya's comment.
      "So, how did Willow find out about the demon so fact anyway?" Riley
questioned.  "I mean, my men just discovered it last night."
      "Yeah, and I haven't had a chance to talk to her yet today," Buffy informed
Giles.  "She was gone before I got home this morning.
      "Whoa, maybe Wills had a hot date this morning," Xander joked.  The other
teenagers joined in the laughter.  Giles looked on, disgusted by what he was
hearing and seeing.  He couldn't believe that none of Willow's friends had
even noticed that she had left town.
      "Yeah, that must be it," Buffy joined in.  "Or maybe she spent the night
somewhere else, like Tara's."
      "Or Spike's," Anya giggled.
      "Or, maybe even Angel's," Giles added, completely serious, causing the
others to stop laughing.  The two couples looked at him, shocked that he had
even mentioned the vampire's name.  It was generally accepted among those in
the know , that when Buffy was around, Angel was a topic not discussed.
      "Giles, that is so not funny," Buffy said, looking at her Watcher.
      "I didn't mean it to be," he told her.
      "Then why did you even mention Willow being with Deadboy?" Xander asked.
      "Because that's exactly who she is with.  As a matter of fact, she has been
there since last night," Giles told them all.  "She and Spike went to Los
Angeles after Willow found out that Angel hadn't been informed about his,
ummm, condition."  Buffy paled as she realized exactly what condition Giles
was referring to.  Riley felt Buffy tense in his arms.
      "Buffy, what's wrong?"  He asked, recognizing the name Angel from a brief
discussion Buffy had had with him in regards to her past.  He knew that the
man had hurt Buffy badly and couldn't understand what would possess Willow
to be with him and betray Buffy that way.
      "What condition are you talking about, G-man?" Xander questioned, oblivious
to the tense atmosphere surrounding everyone.  The only thing he was
concerned with was the fact that Willow was with Angel.
      "His soul," Giles answered suddenly not caring that Riley had yet to be
informed of what Angel was.  Giles had noticed Buffys reaction to the reason
why Willow had gone to Los Angeles and realized that she did indeed know
that Angel's soul was permanent.
      "What about his soul?"
      "The happiness clause is no longer there," Giles informed the stunned teen.
"It hasn't been since Willow restored Angel's soul two years ago."
      "And she never thought that was important enough to tell any of us?" Giles
stared pointedly at Buffy, who looked away, unable to meet his gaze.
      "She told Buffy."  Xander, Anya and Riley all looked at the blonde Slayer.
      "Buff?"  Buffy couldn't look at Xander.  "Buffy, did you know that
Deadboy's soul was permanent and didn't tell us?" Buffy only nodded her
head.  "Why?"
      "I don't know.  I just didn't think it was anyone's concern other than mine
and Angel's," she told her friend.
      "Then why didn't you tell Angel himself, instead of telling Willow not to
say anything?  If it only concerned you and Angel, don't you think you
should have told him that he couldn't lose his soul again?" Giles
questioned, upset at the selfishness of the girl that he considered like a
daughter.  She had watched as they had all fought their way back to a
tentative trust in regards to the souled vampire, none of them truly
comfortable in the other's presence.  If they had known that Angel's soul
could not be lost again, maybe things wouldn't have been as tense.
      "I couldn't tell him," Buffy pouted. "I didn't know how.
      "How about saying something like, hey Angel, you know that pesky happiness
clause the gypsies put in that curse eighty years ago.  Well, guess what.
It's gone," Anya said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.  She had only met
the vampire once, but she liked what she saw.  She also liked Willow and
knew how much the witch cared for Angel, even if she never said anything.
      "Wait a minute," Riley interrupted.  "Soul?  Curse?  Gypsies?  Eighty years
ago?  This is the Angel that you used to date, right?"
      "It's a long story, Riley," Buffy sighed.  "One I don't really want to get
into right now."
      "Well, maybe I do want to talk about it," Riley bit back, tired of how
Buffy constantly changed the topic whenever it came to her ex-boyfriend.
      "Riley, please, not right now," Buffy begged, afraid of how the commando
would react to the details of Buffy's relationship with Angel, let alone the
fact that Angel was a vampire.
      "If not now, Buffy, when?" Riley demanded.  "You've put off telling me
about Angel for too long now and I want answers.  Now."
      "I....I...I can't," Buffy cried, running from Giles home and away from a
confused and angry Riley.
      "Well, that was fun," Xander quipped.
      "It will get worse," Giles stated.  The remaining three people looked at
him.
      "Worse?  Why am I suddenly afraid to ask how it will get worse?"
      "Willow and Spike are on their way back from KA.  And they aren't coming
back alone.  Angel, Cordelia, Wesley and Faith are with them," Giles
informed the stunned group.
      "All of them?"
      "Yes, and there's more."
      "More?"
      "Apparently, there have been a few changes in their relationships that I
think you need to be aware of before they arrive," the Watcher explained.
"Cordelia and Spike are now officially a couple.
      "Well, that's different," Xander said stiffly at the news that his ex and
the blonde vampire were together.
      "That's not all.  Angel and Willow have finally admitted their feelings for
one another and now that the clause is gone.." Giles didn't go into detail.
      "Things on the Hellmouth are about to get even more complicated," Xander
finished.
 

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