Part Two:
Angel watched in silence as she worked for hours leaning over the glowing computer screen. Ever so often she would make a sound of defeat or frustration but for the most part remained silent allowing him to think on the passed few days. A lot had changed, he no longer was so sure of what his standing was. He'd thought that he could at least count on Buffy, but even with proof she refused to believe in him wholly while the woman that lay across her bed had given her ut most trust.
He lost himself in his mind, not really paying attention to Willow she was reading voraciously on her computer screen. He watched as her eyes ran over something that had surprised her because her lips formed a shocked oh. Angel found his gaze locked on the soft curve of her lips. So soft looking kiss able. He stared shocked at his mind's wanderings over words. He kissed me. He realized that he had wanted even for a moment to be the one who had kissed those lips.
"Angel?" she called to him from her spot. "I found it."
She saw Angel's eyes flutter and him pull Willow closer to him. He looked up suddenly sensing her presence in the room with them. He moved slightly and Buffy was shocked when instead of pulling away Willow rolled back over into his arms. She snuggled more deeply into the vampire's arms.
"Go," Angel said too softly to wake Willow. The slayer angrily stepped out of the room leaving them alone.
Angel's gaze moved back to her serene face. He loathed to wake her after last night but as it was she needed to be awake to share what she had learned from the web. He leaned down and tenderly stroked her cheek..
"Morning Angel." She whispered.
"Morning little girl." Angel whispered.
"What's up?" She demanded.
"We have company downstairs Buffy is here." Angel said at last. She shook her head understanding. She pushed herself out of the bed and headed to her closet.
Buffy waited agitated down stairs. She looked up as Angel entered the living room. Buffy took in Angel's slightly sleep rumpled appearance and the hacker's own ruffled look. Angel's hand rested on the hacker's shoulders when she came to stand before her.
Buffy tried so hard not to notice the way Angel was touching the hacker. So hard not to feel the jealousy and mistrust that bubbled up inside her. Willow wouldn't go after Angel, and besides Angel wouldn't be interested in Willow.
"Look Buffy I know you have questions, but we need to see Giles to find out what he can tell us about the doppelganger. It's a type of demon that takes over the life of someone it's come in contact with."
Buffy looked at both of them as though they had lost their minds. If Willow hadn't read it herself she wouldn't have thought of it. It made however in her mind perfect sense. Angel was the one in the group that the least was known of. Even in his time when he and Buffy where together they hadn't really shared the vampire's past because it would have made Buffy live with his being a vampire. While Willow had learned a lot about the vampire in the past year. They had become close. Angel had finally called it quits because of the Curse and Buffy hadn't been given a choice she except the break or Angel would simply leave.
Willow and Angel had talked long and late into the night about the possibility of him leaving and her own imitate departure to college to have one things solved by UC Sunnydale and another by Angel's determination that he was still needed here.
That didn't mean however that Buffy would except that Willow and Angel might be more then friends. It confronted the slayer at every turn and last week at the bronze the way she'd seen them dance had angered her. Neither of them had found it necessary to explain to her what that incurably slow sexy dance had been about. When they had seen the Slayer both had flushed guiltily and Buffy was reminded once more of what Angel had once said to her.
I don't mind, I'm fine sometimes it's good just to feel. She had felt at the moment an intense sense of jealousy because she realized that Angel had been dancing with Willow not to make her jealous, but simply for the pleasure of holding and being held.
"Buffy?" Willow said her name softly, the slayer looked up at the hacker and down at the wood that had appeared in her hand and was now splintered from the force of the girl's anger.
She raised an eyebrow and waited expecting an answer from the slayer. It wasn't okay Willow was aware of that. Had been aware of that, this thing with the doppelganger was only making things worse and although Willow would never say it. Buffy's willingness to believe that Angel had gone bad was just another point of proof that no matter what happened she could never forgive completely Angel for Angelus.
Giles looked up at the two girls as they walked in the library doors, he was momentarily surprised to see Angel with the hacker, and slayer. He hadn't realized it hadn't gotten so late but glancing outside revealed that darkness had fallen. He knew how ever that this was Angel it was indeed as Willow had said a matter of seeing.
"Hey Giles, what's up?' Willow asked looking at the watcher hoping that he'd been able to learn something about what was happening and what was to be done about Angel's double. Giles looked down at the hacker and knew that she wanted answer.
"Well from what I can find the doppelganger has to have drawn the blood of who ever it is modeling itself after." He paused and picked up another book, "and that it is given through this exchange the memories and feelings of the one it has modeled itself after. "Giles looked at the Slayer, "Hence why he attacked you. Angel wouldn't' but his demon would in a second." Giles paced again and picked up another book. "These are a second class demon that feeds on the souls of the living, it is however forced to feed in much the same way the vampire minus that it doesn't require blood but essence." Buffy stared at Angel for a long moment.
She took a moment to digest what Giles had said so the doppelganger worked on unspoken and acted on impulses. Did that mean that Angel secretly had feelings for Willow that he wanted her. She could still see the two intertwined on the dance floor. Him holding Willow so close that each downward sway of his hips had moved the hackers. She shook her head to clear it of those unwanted thoughts.
"So what do we do. It's a demon I slay but how?" she asked looking at Giles, who was once more scanning the book before him.
"It would appear that only the true name of the demon and Angel can defeat this demon."
"So exactly how do we find out the true name of a demon?" Buffy demanded. Angel was watching Willow who appeared to be wracking her brain for something, and the strange other worldly light he'd seen around her on accession had begun to glow in his second sight. He gasped as the glow became so strong that even his own eyes could pick it up and it was not longer an astral glow against the inky blackness of the other side.
"Willow?" Angel asked softly, she opened her eyes to look up at him, he gasped. The irises had gone iridescent green, unlike any color he'd ever seen. He paused before reaching out to touch the hacker. She turned toward him her eyes widening comically large as she took in the full brightness of Angel's aura. She grinned suddenly. That's it. She realized. Angel's soul would be the key, his soul and her sight. The bright color around her died down and Willow looked over at the vampire, she suddenly threw her arms around him. The vampire wrapped his arms around the hacker slowly holding her close, enjoying the warmth she offered him.
Giles cleared his throat quietly drawing both vampire and hacker back to what was at hand. The two drew apart and Giles tried not to notice the reluctant way the vampire released the hacker.
He wasn't sure what was going on between the two. He knew that they hadn't evolved into any sort of understanding. He could see as was his job per say that they had strong feelings running between them, it was part of the reason he'd believed perhaps the vampire had enchanted the hacker. It wasn't unheard of it was simply that most vampires didn't do it.
"Okay so we begin." Giles asked wanting to what each of them was going to do. The library doors opened suddenly admitting Xander and Cordelia.
He hadn't realized at the time of contact. That the man was a vampire didn't realize it till he had seen the vampire's game face when they had fought. This Angelus was strong and had many twist and turns to his psyche.
There was little too nothing involved in taking over someone's life as a rule. People as a rule tend to be rather easily convinced or left behind. Human's as a rule where excepting and expecting when it came to others. He had seen many a doppelganger take over the life a loved one taken over and had them simply believe that the doppelganger was the real thing. Leaving the person and their double to fight it out which almost in all cases led to the death of the original.
He briefly considered going after the witch tonight only the very real prospect of getting killed by an angry vampire stopped him. He walked into the street light, he pushed his hand through his short hair and almost wished the vampire had, had longer hair. He growled lowly hunger washing over him again. He shook his head something about this wasn't right.
He had never hungered so soon after feeding. He knew that part of it was partly do to the fact that they where situated on the hell mouth.
The mystical energy that whispered like slimly green trellises of power reaching out to those that lived above the hell mouth. It touched each of them tainting them slowly with its power. Not the witch though she had walked through this world untouched and untainted.
He wasn't sure what it was about her that allowed it. She had reached for the power inherent in magic. She had done so and well if what he had learned from the vampire's mind was true, she was extremely powerful as well. Though from what he had been able to pick up since taking on the vampire's form she didn't think of herself in those terms.
That was perhaps the only other thing that he hadn't planned on. He had thought that it was the slayer that he would have the hardest time convincing and instead this little witch that wasn't even aware of her own power. She shouldn't be his challenger here. The slayer should be.
He started out for the bronze every intention of taking yet another victim while he tried to figure out what he would do about the witch. He knew that the vampire would protect her at all cost and he would have to go around him to get to her.
"Damn I need a beer." he said softly before slipping into the crowed club.
She looked warily at Angel and then back at the laptop that set on her desk. She needed to find the doppelganger's weakness it had to have one. If only it was as simple to kill as a vampire. By comparison vampires where simple to kill. Willow cringed, it would in the end mean Buffy having to kill something that looked like Angel since the only way to force it back to it's true form was to know it's true name. It wasn't as though there where lists just waiting to be found looked through and called upon. She knew it didn't work that way but for once she dearly wished for a camp young adult novel end. She wished that she was in a store then maybe she could skip ahead and find out the end.
She looked up to find Angel's eyes trained on her. "What?" she asked.
"What do you think he is going to do next?" Angel asked.
"What would you do?" Willow demanded. She had realized that on some strange level the creature was Angel.
"If I were me...only well not me...looking at this and wondering what my next move would be?"
"Yeah." She said softly.
"I would kill you." he answered bluntly.
Angel saw the shock on Willow's face and he immediately felt guilty for upsetting her, but he had answered her question because she asked.
"Why?" She asked in a bare whisper.
"Because it's clear you know the difference and that would make you a threat." Angel answered truthfully. "No that's not true I don't want you dead." Angel trailed off softly.
I just wanted you.
She was staring at him now her eyes wide. She had known that some how it was her presence her belief that was protecting Angel from Giles and Buffy, while strangely Xander had been willing to believe Willow without much fight.
"So, I need to be extra careful now. Until we learn what he can do and can't do?" Willow said more then asked.
"Yes, and I am not letting you out of my sight till this resolved. I am not going to lose you." Angel said.
Willow fought down the burst of pleasure that whispered through her at the words. She met his dark gaze and offered him a warm smile.
"Nothings going to happen to me or you. We'll find away to stop it just like we do everything else." Willow said trying to sound as though she truly had faith in herself and their ability to beat this bad guy.
He reached forward and gently cupped her cheek in his right hand. Gently he ran his curved fingers along her silken flesh. He smiled down at her momentarily lost in her gaze. He knew he would let nothing harm this extraordinary woman she had believed in him when others had believed the worse.
Her soft sigh broke the moment.
"Your tired." Angel said leading her up the stairs in into her own room. She smiled softly when he paused at her door yet again.
She waved him in. "Come on. No need to get all proper on me." Willow said.