Part 33

      Spike and Cordelia made their way back into the emptying auditorium.  They
could see Angel and Willow fighting their way towards Harmony, while Giles,
Faith and Wesley were fighting the vampires that were still around and
helping the students get out of the school safely.  When they saw that the
trio had things relatively under control, once Buffy had decided to join
them, the couple started heading towards Harmony also, deciding that enough
was enough.
      "Harmony," Willow shouted as she got close to the girl.  The blonde smiled
sweetly at the red headed witch.
      "Willow, so my sources were correct.  You are the one that is here to stop
me," the cheerleader said.  "I wasn't sure when I saw you get back together
with that musician.  Your taste has improved I must say."  Harmony looked
over at Angel, nodding her head in approval at what she saw.
      "You won't mind if I don't thank you for the compliment," Willow retorted,
stepping closer to the vampire, not liking the way that Harmony was staring
at him.  "Why did you do it?"
      "Willow, Willow, Willow," she tskked, "and here I always thought you were
the smart one.  It should be obvious, even to a nobody like you why I did
it."
      "She did it so she could become Prom Queen," Cordelia stated as she climbed
the stage, Spike at her side.  "And here I thought you were different, Harm.
  But calling on the dark side just because you wanted to have some stupid
little title that really means nothing is just so typical you."  Harmony's
face lost its smile at Cordelia's condescending attitude.
      "It wasn't so long ago, Cordelia, that you would have done the same thing,"
she told the brunette.  "Until you got yourself involved with those losers
that you hang out with, you would have done anything to be named Prom
Queen."
      "Not this," Cordelia answered, firmly, all the while remembering a time in
the not so distant past when Harmony was right.  She would have done
anything to be named Queen, and had on many occasions.  Harmony rolled her
eyes as the denial left Cordelia's lips.
      "Oh please, Delia.  This is me you're talking to.  Don't lie, it's
unbecoming of someone who once held so much promise."  Harmony walked
towards her former but Spike stepped in between the two girls.  "Hmmm, going
to let your vampire boyfriend do all your fighting for you?"  Cordelia
pushed Spike aside.
      "It's okay, Spike.  Let me handle this," she told him.
      "Are you sure, pet?"  Cordelia nodded her head and approached Harmony.
      "How, Harm, how'd you pull it off?"  Harmony just shrugged her shoulders.
      "It's relatively easy if your family has a long history of being witches
and warlocks," she explained.  "You just have to know the right demon to
call forth for what you need and then go ahead and do it."
      "What exactly did you call forth?"
      "Her name is Attractinus.  She's the demon of feminine wile."  Willow
groaned at the thought of a demon that uses feminine wile as its calling
card.  "I allowed her into my body and she allowed me to use her power."
      "That's how you got Steve to say that you were the Prom Queen even after he
had announced that Willow had won," Cordelia stated flatly.  "Why didn't she
just rig the ballots for you so that you would have been announced Queen in
the first place."
      "We did.  It was only because the actual winner was Willow that it didn't
work."  Angel put his arm around Willow's waist as he watched as Harmony
turned to face the petite red head.  "Her being involved with the prophecy
to take me down was the reason I lost.  That and the fact that she was
involved with him."  Harmony pointed her head towards Angel.  "They're
goodness outweighed what I had wanted to happen.  What was supposed to
happen."
      "What are you planning to do now?"  Cordelia asked as she went towards her
former friend.  "You've won the crown.  Its yours.  So, it's over, right?"
Cordelia backed away as she noticed a sinister sneer cross the pretty
blonde's face.
      "Oh, it's only just begun, my dear Delia."  Harmony's voice was cold and
hard.  All four people noticed as a new expression took over and could tell
that it was the demon that was now in control.
      "Harmony?"  Willow tentatively asked.
      "Harmony's gone away now, little girl," came the reply.  "She got what she
wanted and now it's my turn."  The demon that inhabited Harmony's body
approached Willow and Angel made to block her, only to be thrown aside by
her.  The girl picked a struggling Willow up by her throat.  "You interfered
with my plans.  You had such potential to wreck havoc with the men of this
town.  The way you played with the wolf's affections only proved that point.
  But you and the brunette both chose to remain faithful to those that swore
their love to you.  You would rather stay faithful to one man than use your
powers as a female to have the world fall at your feet."
      "There's nothing wrong with that," Cordelia cried as she and Spike rushed
to their friend's aid, only to be pushed back by a powerful forcefield that
seemed to envelop Willow and Harmony.
      "Cordelia, I can't believe you of all people are saying that.  It wasn't
that long ago that you used men for only what they could give you.  What
changed?"  Demon Harmony asked.
      "I found someone who accepted me for who I was, that's what," Cordelia
answered.  "He completes me.  Makes me feel special without asking for
anything in return other than my love."  The demon looked injured at the
words that came out of Cordelia's mouth.  "Without him, I'm nothing.  What I
did before, using men, it was wrong."
      "Nooooo," the demon screamed.  "You're wrong.  Men are meant to be used.
It is the nature of being female." Cordelia shook her head.
      'No, you're wrong," she stated.  "Men and women were meant to love each
other.  Just like Spike and I do. Just like Willow and Angel."  At this,
Demon Harmony began to shake Willow again and the couple watched helplessly
as their friend started suffocating from the lack of air that was able to
get through to her lungs.  Angel again lunged for Harmony, desperate to get
Willow out of her grip.  This time he was successful, sending both women
flying.  Harmony landed at Spike and Cordelia feet while Willow fell the ten
feet to the floor, landing on an overturned chair that was lying there,
unconscious.  Spike picked up Harmony, holding her by the neck, her back to
him.
      "I'm sorry that it had to turn out this way, Harmony."  Cordelia told the
blonde.  "I really am."  With that,she nodded to Spike, who twisted
Harmony's neck, breaking it.  He then dropped the lifeless body to the
ground and he and Cordelia quickly joined Angel on the floor next to Willow.
      "Peaches?"  Spike asked tentatively.  He could see the angle that Willow
had landed and knew that it didn't bode well for the young girl.  He put his
hand on Angel's shoulders.  "Angel."  He tried to pull the crying vampire
away from Willow when he noticed that she wasn't bleeding.  They were joined
by Faith, Wesley and Giles who had finally defeated Drusilla's vampires.
Buffy and Oz stood on the outskirts of the circle that had formed around the
girl.
      "No," Angel shouted when Spike tried to pull him away.  "She's not dead.
She can't be."
      "Angel I'm so sorry," Giles said, tears coming to his own eyes as he looked
at the lifeless form in front of them.
      "No, she can't be dead."  Blood red tears made their way down Angel's face
as he began to rock Willow's body in his arms.  "She was meant to grow old.
I refuse to believe anything different."  Faith knelt next to the grieving
vampire.
      "Fang, I'm sorry but she's gone.  No matter what we have to say about it,"
she said gently trying to coax the vampire to loosen his grip on his mate.
"I hate it too, but we have to accept it."
      "No," was the simple reply.  Faith looked up helplessly at the others, then
back down again at Willow's lifeless body.  That's when she noticed
something that made her hope.  A twitch.
      "Angel, stop moving."  She told him sharply, causing him to look up at her
but he did what she asked.  Then she saw it again.  Another twitch of
Willow's hand.  "Damn, she's moving."  Angel looked down at the girl he was
holding only to find her green eyes gazing at him.
      "Angel," she whispered.  Angel held Willow close to his body, ecstatic over
her return to the living.  Faith stood up and backed up into Giles' arms as
she watched the lovers embrace.
      "I thought I lost you, sweetling.  When I saw the way you were laying and I
didn't hear your heartbeat.  I was so scared."
      "What happened?"  Willow asked.  "One minute I was walking towards some
light and then I heard someone say that you and I were meant to be together
and I was back here, in your arms.  Not like I'm complaining or something."
      "The spell,"  Cordelia nearly yelled, startling everybody.  At their
confused glances she explained.  "You remember, that spell that Buffy, Oz
and Xander used a while ago.  According to Xander part of the wording was
binding the lives of the soulmates together."  Giles saw where Cordelia was
going with her logic.
      "And since Angel is immortal, then Willow couldn't die.  At least not
permanently."  Spike wrapped his arms around Cordelia as he realized that it
also meant that she would be with him forever.  "As long as one lives, so
does the other."
      "Well, I'll be damned," Spike muttered.  "For once, Slutty and wolfboy were
good for something."

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