Remember him, whom Passion's power
Severely---deeply---vainly proved:
Remember thou that dangerous hour,
When neither fell, though both were loved.
-- Lord Byron, 'Remember Him'

Willow could feel the anger and hate radiating from the library before
either she or Angel opened the door. She turned away from the door and
looked up at Angel.

"I don't want to this," she whispered.

"I know," Angel replied, just as softly, reaching out and caressing her
bare neck and the bite marks that were in plain view. "But it might be
important." She nodded.

"And besides we need to share what we know of the Ascension." Before Angel
could reply, the library doors swung open, and Faith stepped into the hallway.

"You two comin' in or do Oz and me have to deal with the 'We Hate Willow'
fan club by ourselves?" the brunette Slayer asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Give us a minute?" Angel asked. "Stall them or something." Faith nodded.

"You two okay? Nobody's gonna be dying on me, right?" she asked, her voice
teasing but her eyes belied her tone.

"We're fine. Neither one of us really wants to be here, though," Willow
replied.

"Oh, and why is that?" Buffy asked, her voice icy from behind Faith. "You
two need to be home fucking like rabbits?"

"B," Faith growled, turning on the blonde. "Can't mind your own business
for once?"

"No, F," Buffy replied, placing her hands on her hips. "I can't."

"Maybe for once you should," Faith retorted.

"And if I don't?" Buffy smirked, stepping up, nose to nose with Faith.

"I'll kill you," Faith replied quietly. Buffy blinked at that but didn't
say a word. Instead the blonde turned to Willow and grinned.

"You don't get that you aren't wanted here, do you?" Buffy stated, walking
up to the redhead. Willow regarded her friend with a cold stare.

"Giles called them here," Faith stated, glancing over at Angel, but the
vampire was too busy watching Buffy, prepared to attack if the Slayer did
anything to Willow.

"Did he?" Buffy asked, turning her attention to Angel. She walked over to
the vampire and stroked his cheek. "I can take him from you, you know?"
Buffy stated, glancing over at Willow. Both Faith and Angel scoffed at that
statement. "All I have to do is try." Buffy ran her hand down Angel's
chest, but before she could go any lower, Willow's hand was suddenly
wrapped around her wrist.

"No," Willow stated, stepping between Angel and Buffy.

"What are you going to do, Witch?" Buffy hissed.

"Back off," Willow demanded, pushing Buffy away and letting go of her
wrist. The blonde grinned again and stalked forward.

"You gonna fight me, Will?" she smirked. Willow met her gaze. "C'mon,
then." Buffy grabbed Willow's shoulders and pushed her back slightly. Angel
growled in warning as Willow impacted with his chest. "You're weak," Buffy
stated, leaning over to whisper in Willow's ear. "And I'm the Slayer."
Suddenly Willow lashed out, slapping Buffy across her cheek, sending the
blonde across the hallway. Faith moved deftly out of the way as the blonde
hit the wall. Buffy snarled, starting to stand and make her way over to the
redhead just as Angel stepped in front of Willow. Faith reached out and
grabbed Buffy's wrist, halting the blonde's progress. She twisted until she
felt Buffy's bones snap under her grip. Buffy whimpered slightly as pain
flashed through her.

"Don't touch my friends, B," Faith smirked.

"You always let your friends fight for you?" Buffy taunted, never removing
her eyes from Willow. "Oh, but I guess you have to, don't you? No
superpowers to fall back on for you."

"Why can't you get over this?" Willow whispered.

"Because you took what was mine," Buffy hissed.

"No, not yours," Angel stated, speaking for the first time. "Never yours."

"And I'll get what's mine back. Just watch," Buffy stated, ignoring Angel's
commented. She pulled her wrist out of Faith's hand and started towards
Willow. She cradled her hand against her waist. "I'll get what's mine, even
if you have to die for that to happen."

"No, you won't," Willow replied as an unusual calm settled over her. She
smiled at her former friend, knowing that battle lines were being drawn. "I
won't let you."

"And how are you going to stop me?" Buffy taunted, stepping forward until
she was eye-to-eye with Willow. "You can't do anything to me." Willow
cocked her head, just as Angel stepped up behind her and placed his hands
on her shoulders. "You'll never be able to do anything to me." Willow
lashed out, not with her fists this time but with the power that had
suddenly come into being in her body at Angel's touch. Buffy was suddenly
forced back down the hallway violently, crashing into a heap. Buffy forced
herself up, preparing to attack Willow and Angel when she was suddenly
thrust back to the floor by another blast of power. She moaned slightly
then collapsed into unconsciousness.

"What's going on?" Giles asked, stepping into the hallway followed shortly
by Xander, Cordelia, Oz, and a new guy that was unfamiliar to both Willow
and Angel. "God," Giles whispered, hurrying over to Buffy's prone form
followed by Xander and the new guy. Oz stepped over to Faith and touched
the brunette's arm gently. She smiled at him before turning back to Willow,
Angel, and Cordelia, who hadn't rushed to Buffy's side.

"Are you okay?" Cordy asked, glancing at Willow. The redhead nodded her
head, shocked at the brunette's interest.

"Cordy!" Xander demanded, as he and the new guy lifted Buffy up and began
to get her into the library. Cordelia opened her mouth to commented, but
she closed it with a snap. She glanced at Willow again, and the redhead
nodded her understanding. Cordelia followed the three others into the
library as Giles stepped up to the group. He glared at Willow and Angel.

"Get out," he hissed. "Don't ever come here again."

"She attacked them--" Faith began, stepping forward.

"And you," Giles growled, staring at the brunette Slayer, "have been
insolent from the start. You are no longer welcome here either. As of now,
the Council will be informed that you have gone rogue." He headed back into
the library.

"Giles," Willow called out calmly. Everyone in the hallway turned to her,
shocked that she could be so calm. "Why did you want us here?"

"We were going to ask for your help with the Ascension, but that is no
longer needed," Giles snapped, walking into the library, the door slamming
shut behind him. Silence covered the four in the hallway as Willow slumped
back into Angel's embrace.

"What happened?" Willow whispered, her voice belying her fight with her tears.

"Don't worry about Giles," Angel soothed. "He's just blinded by loyalty."

"No," she shook her head. "I meant what did I do?" She held her hands out,
staring down at her upturned palms.

"Whatever it is, Red, could you put it back in it's holster?" Faith asked.
"I can feel it over here." Angel released his grip on Willow, allowing her
room, and she slumped forward as the power drained from her body. Her eyes
widened.

"It's you," she whispered, turning to Angel. "It's you." She reached out,
touching his chest, sending another bolt over power into her body.

"I know. I feel it now," he muttered. "The bond," Angel muttered, reaching
up at stroking the bite marks on her neck.

"A side effect of being your mate?" Willow smiled slightly, looking up at
him. He grinned, nodding. Faith cleared her throat.

"Can we get out of here? I don't really wanna be around when B wakes up."
Willow and Angel nodded, and the four of them left the high school headed
for the mansion.

*FIN*

next