Part Seven:

Buffy looked up from her perch on the desk and smiled as Xander walked in. "Hey Xander how's it going?" she asked as he set beside her in the chair.

"I've been better Willow and Angel you know you could have told me that she'd been bitten and that he was all protecto guy on her." Xander said looking up as Giles entered.

"So it's really not Angel that's doing all this stuff but some sort of demon that took on his from."

"So it would appear." Giles allowed sitting down a large dusty volume. He opened it and turned a number of pages, and pointed to the page. Both, Buffy and Xander stared down at the page. There was picture of a rather misshapen creature that neither resembled a humanoid shape nor, really any demon that they had, had the unfortunate form to face.

"That's a doppelganger?" Xander and Buffy demanded, shocked. "How the hell am I supposed to fight that." she demanded, as she began to read the passage beneath the illustration. The doppelganger apparently had no know weaknesses and that the only way it had ever been stopped in the past was to be confronted by it's human counter part who possessed it true name.

"We don't have it's true name." Xander pointed out looking at Giles. The watcher nodded and turned another page. It was a ritual. "The only way I can think of to find out the name is to call on another that would know."

"What you have the demon's directory of who's who?" Xander asked looking at Giles in shock.

"Well yes I believe you could loosely call it that." Giles muttered. He hadn't told Willow of the book simply because it was a dangerous thing and he couldn't have her harming herself by finding out the names and inadvertency summoning one if not more of the creatures.

"So what we call up another demon and it will tell us the name of the doppelganger. And we know demons are just so known for their honesty." Buffy pipped up.

"Well yes that could be a problem which is why we need Willow here to do the summoning if I am not mistaken her powers are beginning to become even greater and that should be enough of a fear insensitive to the demon we need to learn the truth." Giles stated he didn't want to put Willow in danger, but he also was sure that only she in there small group would frighten it enough to learn the others name if it knew. Giles sighed softly as he looked warily down at the book. He would need Angel a small amount of the vampire's blood as well as Willow to perform the spell.

He walked over to the phone. Picking it up out of the cradle he opened the large planner that he had set on the desk and flipping to the back found Angel's phone number. The phone rang a number of times before it was picked up and gruffly answered."Yes, An...Angel this is Rupert Giles. I need you and Willow to be at the library at Sundown." Giles said.

Angel looked warily at the hacker that now lay sleeping on his couch. She hadn't said anything after he had tried to explain why he had kept the truth from the slayer and her. She was upset to say the least and angry, hurt and a million other emotions that her eyes had barely given way. He groaned low in his throat what had he expected her reaction to be. Yeah lets go jump in the sack and screw like bunnies till dawn. He knew part of it was that he wanted her love, only in the past few days did he realize he had a real chance at gaining it. Well had, had he couldn't be sure that after the little revolution he'd dropped that he had a chance any longer.

He stopped his hand as it reached to caress the lose tendrils of long red hair that fell over his pillow's. He couldn't even be sure that his touch would be welcome now. He growled softly as he looked at her, his mind filling with images from earlier that morning. Her lips were so soft and she tasted like heaven and wild honey. He reached forward unable to stop himself burring his hands in her soft locks.

"Willow," he whispered her name softly against her cheek as he leaned in and placed a soft kiss against it. He watched as her eyes fluttered open. A smile brushed her lips as she looked into his worried gaze. It took the hacker a full minute to realize why Angel looked so worried.

"It's okay." she insisted. "No harm no foul." Willow added. She started to sit up, only to find that Angel's hands held her in place.

"I think we need to talk little fire. We need to really talk." Angel said, his hand wrapping around a few strands of her fiery locks. He tightened his hold turning her face forcing her to meet his gaze. "I am not going to let go Willow. Not now."

She smiled sadly. A large part of her heart wanting to believe him, she didn't want to be let go of. Then don't, hold me as tight as you can. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers softly before speaking, "And as much as I would love to stay here and prove to you how very much I want you I am afraid that Giles is expecting us with in the hour." Angel said kissing her again. Her taste was addicting Angel thought as he leaned in to kiss her yet again. His tongue brushed fleetingly into the depths of her mouth, flicking at hers before with drawing. He smiled at the disappointed sound she made.

"Come one Little fire." Angel said holding out his hand to help her off the mattress. He studied the bed for a long moment his mind filling with images that scorched his minds eye, of the innocent hacker spread before him like a banquet for the taking.

He let out a soft groan at his minds wondering. He felt her hand squeeze his and turned to see her looking at him curiously. He opened his mouth to speak only no words formed. She smiled softly at him tugging at the hand still in her own. "Come one Angel, We don't wanna be late." she said.

"No absolutely not." Angel yelled, Willow and Xander both stood back surprised at his rage. "I will not let you put her in danger because you can't control the contents of a circle that you want her to create. She's only been practicing for a short time." Angel pointed out.

"Yeah and in that short Time I've restored your soul, closed doorways to other dimensions and traveled the ghost roads. I can do this Angel if you let me. It's the only way. That thing can't go unchecked." Willow said stepping toward Vampire watcher slayer and Xander.

"Willow," Angel whispered shocked as he felt the power raising in her. Angel stared down at her, his worry palpable. Giles could see it pass between them the tender fierceness that he didn't remember ever seeing directed at the slayer.

"Don't worry Angel, I'll be fine." She said as she walked over to the area Giles had set up before they had even gotten to the library. She picked up the dagger and once more wished Giles had told her what he was up too. She would have felt so much better using her own tools.

She stood in the far eastern corner of the circle and began her casting. Giles and Angel both watched with no small amount of awe. Knowing what they should be seeing and actually seeing it where to very different things. Angel found his eyes roaming over her form, watching the easy grace in which she moved. His eyes stared at the triangle outside her circle where the demon would be summoned, as it began to glow and the air to heat and shimmer.

He watched as the form began to take shape in the center. Angel stared hard at it wondering if Willow would be able to control it. The creature turned and looked at Willow.

"Oh look." it said in a slithering voice. "A little girl playing dress up." It tested the edges of the triangle

"I want an answer to a question Demon." Willow said darkly. Holding the dagger before her..

"What question little witch."It sneered at her angerly. She shivered slightly as the thing lunged against the confines of the triangle reaching for the hacker. She gasped as she saw the bright brilliant glow that warned of the impending break in the protective barrier. She gasped as it lunged from its place in the triangle to stand before her in the circle she had erected.

"Willow," Angel cried out lunging forward to protect her from the demon with out thought for the circle that separated them. He drew back hissing his face shifting as he watched the demon grab Willow by the hair. He heard her scream in pain, as it drew her closer to it. It's hot burning breath brushed over her flesh as it leaned closer.

Angel growled lowly running toward the circle yet again. Willow please let me in. he begged silently. Willow closed her eyes as she saw Angel moving toward them yet again. She forced the edge of the shield that was before the vampire to give as he pushed through it.

He grabbed hold of the demon's spiny back and pulled it away from the hacker. Willow fell unceremoniously onto the floor in a heap. Angel roared angrily ripping the demon's head from his neck with a sick tearing sound. Willow stared at Angel's animalistic display fascinated in spite of herself.

The vampire watched as the demon in his hands slowly began to dissipate and turn into a strange sort of filmy substance that coated the vampires hands. He moved over to the hacker and helped her carefully to her feet. Willow mentally pulled down the quarters of the circle she had cast and grasping Angel's wrist pulled him with her quickly down the hall. She pushed him unceremoniously into the girls bathroom and grabbing his hands forced them beneath the water faucet. She turned it on full bore, as she watched the last of the demon sludge slide down the drain. She breathed a sigh of relief. "There that's better. Can't have you hurting yourself." Willow said as she lead him out of the ladies room and back toward the library.

"Sorry ‘bout that Angel the film is bad and it's not dead so we had best get back to the library before it regroups." Angel stared at Willow with some shock.

"I tore that thing in half and you think it's going to be still of the living. OR what ever it was." Angel demanded his voice rose with shock.

"OF Course Angel it's a demon, and not the kind that is bound by our laws." Willow insisted as she heard a load shocked scream from the library. "Like I said before it gets back." Willow said running for the library. Angel was with her in seconds following close on her heels.

The doors swing open. The creature that had grabbed the slayer dropped her the moment it's eyes fell on the hacker. It growled and smiled showing rows of sharp teeth. He started for her, she stared at it not looking away. She drew in a deep breath. She could control it. She could.

She needed to. Willow closed her eyes and drawing on that will of pure steel that lived with in her. She forced her mind to pool her energy in a single bolt that would hit the demon head on. She drew back deep in herself, she could feel it closing in on her and just when it's foul breath brushed against her face, she let the spike go.

The demon let out a horrendous cry and flew widely across the room, and hit the wall dissipating in a huge blast of light ane energy.

"Now it's gone,"she gasped out as she slumped over in a faint. Angel came forward with out thought and caught the young woman in his arms. He stared down into her lax face and looked over at Giles. The watcher took a step back at the fury in the vampire's eyes.

"Next time you want someone to put them selves at risk, maybe you should remember she's not the slayer." Angel ground out angrily. He picked Willow up in his arms, and started to walk toward the library doors.

"Angel you can't go out there, what if someone jumps you guys, where are you taking her, let Giles drive you at least." Xander said stepping closer to the vampire. Angel growled softly his game face having slipped into place when Willow fainted. He looked over at the watcher expectantly and then watched as Buffy came forward.

"Look why don't we take Willow home and she can rest there?" Buffy asked as she started to lead Angel and the gang towards the back of the library. Giles' excuse of a car was outside in the parking lot.

Buffy helped Angel rest Willow along the back seat of the car, her head resting in the vampire's lap. She set on the other side holding the hackers shoed feet over her lap. Looking down she grimaced slightly when she saw that her new purple short- short skirt had been smudged with dirt from the hackers sneakers. So much for Bronzing. she had realized it wasn't Angel had excepted it, and was hoping to drag he and Willow to the bronze tonight. Oz was playing.

They arrived in the front of the Rosenberg residence within a few minuets. After a little maneuvering, they managed to get Willow into her house and up stairs to bed. Buffy looked up at Angel when he made no move to leave.

"I'll watch over her Angel." Buffy insisted she didn't like the way he was watching Willow the light in his eyes so warm and familiar. It bothered her more for its familiarity then anything. Angel shook his head reluctantly knowing he was being thrown out. He didn't want to leave but at the same time he didn't see how he could stay without inciting Buffy's anger and at this point she might direct the anger at Willow as well. He wouldn't allow that. Couldn't allow that.

He turned and headed back down stairs. Giles still set out front waiting.

"Would you care for a lift home Angel." Giles asked seeing the vampire's clear distress. The vampire settled back into the car and waited as Giles closed the door. "I am sure she will be fine Angel. She's strong perhaps the strongest of us all." Giles said hoping to calm the vampire's worry.

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