~2 weeks later~

Charles Gunn walked into the Hyperion Hotel with a spring in his step.  He'd just spent the day with his people, and they were doing well.  The
neighborhood seemed lighter, friendlier and better yet, everyone was doing fine.  Although he was happy with that, he was itching for some action.

He closed the door with a slight bang.  "Yo hows my peeps?", he boomed.

Everyone looked up from their respective stations.  Wesley in front of a book, as per usual, Cordelia at her desk flipping through a magazine.  Angel
was standing by the Englishman, drinking a cup of... well that stuff Angel drank, and Faith was nowhere to be seen. The street tough assumed the Slayer was downstairs in the training room, that seemed to be a usual thing for the brunette.  He was mildly surprised he didn't see Willow, the redhead was usually in front of the computer.

Cordelia smiled at her boyfriend, and Gunn felt his heart rate increase in response.  'Damn she was beautiful.'

triding quickly over to the seated girl, Gunn kissed her soundly on the lips.

"Hey."

"Hi", she whispered quietly, looking up at him.  "How was it?"

"Good", he replied, "everyone's good.  Looks like the neighborhood's cleaning up real good too, they don't have nearly enough to do."

The Seer rolled her eyes.  "They're not the only ones.  No calls, no clients, not even one of my painful scratch and sniff home movies."

"Well it could be worse.  There could be an army of zombies trying to beat down the door."

"Hey, as long as they could pay our fee, I'd deal with my distaste for the walking dead."  Cordelia's eyes opened wide as she realized what she'd just said, and looked over Gunn's shoulder at her boss.  "No offense Angel."

Cordelia laughed, and Gunn turned just in time to see the dark haired vampire mime the actions of getting a stake through the heart.

"So Angel, since nothings going on, why don't we patrol?"

The ensouled vampire smirked.  The idea of some good old fashioned violence, in the form of dusting vampires, appealed.  Ever since he'd mated to Willow, the integration of his soul and demon had left him with some darker needs. And the slow work week they'd been having compounded that.

Faith's voice was heard next.  "Patrol?  Count me in."  The Slayer was standing in the doorway to the basement, Willow beside her.  Both girls'
hair was slightly damp from perspiration, but Faith had definitely had a much easier time of it, whatever it was they had been doing.  Where the
witch's shirt was dark from sweat, the brunette looked positively fresh, she wasn't even breathing heavily.

"Hey Willow.  What's up Faith?", Gunn called, cocking his head. "Yeah patrol, you up for it, homegirl?  I could always use some expert backup."

"I'm always ready", the rogue Slayer quipped winking at the black youth. "Wanna come Red?", Faith asked the girl next to her.

"I would", Willow began, shaking her head slightly, "but Cordelia and I volunteered to help at that runaway shelter that opened up down the street."
The witch's eyes sought out those of her mate's and Faith watched the tender interaction with a bit of jealousy.  All that love, all that passion,
it was right there, in that look.  The brunette sighed softly and then took a deep breath.  She'd accepted a long time ago, that that wasn't something she would ever have.  Happy endings weren't meant for people like her.

Shifting her attention, she then found herself looking back and Gunn and Cordelia.  The Seer was whispering quietly into her boyfriend's eyes, hazel
eyes twinkling.  'Looks like someone's getting laid tonight', Faith thought darkly.  Her thoughts were interrupted.

"I will come as well", Wesley said.  Faith opened her mouth, and then shook her head closing it.  Even though she now understood that he often came on patrols, it still boggled her mind.  Not only that Wesley could handle himself respectably well, but that he even wanted to.  It became more and more apparent everyday, that the former Watcher was very different from the person she'd known and despised in Sunnyhell.

"The more the merrier English", Gunn remarked.

Faith began her way up the steps.  "Give me fifteen to shower and change."

"Hmmm, shower could be a good thing", Willow said wrinkling her nose as she looked down at her tee shirt.  The material was clinging to her form.
"Guess I should be doing that too."  Angel was at her side in moments, speaking quietly in her ear.  Her tinkling laughter sounded for a moment
throughout the lobby, before the witch got on her tippy toes and planted a kiss on her lover's cheek.

The witch and the vampire disappeared upstairs together.

The remaining trio, sighed.  Gunn grinned and sat down, putting his feet up on the desk.  "I might as well get comfortable."

"Quite", Wesley intoned, "even if Faith is ready and downstairs in fifteen minutes.  Angel won't be."

"Forty-five minutes at least", Cordelia chimed in.

"Naw", Gunn said disagreeing, "twenty."

Cordelia looked at him in disbelief.  "Twenty?!"

"Well, I say an hour.  Would anyone care to wager on it?", Wesley asked.

"I'm in."

"Me too."

"I'm thinking this is gonna take a while, so what's say I order us all some Chinese food, while everyone waits?", the Seer asked.

"Good idea", Wesley agreed.

"We're not going to have enough time", Gunn said.

His girlfriend and his friend, shared a look.  As a unit they turned and spoke.  "Oh yes we are."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Later, as Wesley was counting his winnings and walking out the hotel's front door with Angel, Faith and Gunn, he looked at the street fighter pointedly.

"Don't say it English."

"But..."

"Wes", Gunn said warningly.

"Fine, I won't say I told you so."

The younger man did a fine approximation of a growl, while Faith and Angel looked on in confusion.

"Uh, feeling left out here guys.  Care to share?", Faith asked.

The two men looked at her, and then at Angel.  "NO!", the both yelled, wanting to keep their heads between their shoulders.

Once the dark haired vampire reached his car, Gunn plucked at Faith's sleeve.  The young woman looked up.  "Tell you later", he mouthed.  Faith's
brown eyes widened and she glanced at Angel from the corner of her eye.  She nodded, grinning.
 

~Part 12~

Angel tried to walk quietly into the bedroom he shared with his mate. He didn't want to wake her, since this evening's patrol had taken a lot longer than any of them had anticipated.

The vampire placed his shoes by the door and walked to the foot of the bed. Willow's quiet breathing and heartbeat filled the room, and his ears.  The sound was instantly reassuring, a balm to his soul and demon.  He allowed his demon to surface, yellow eyes cut through the darkness easily.  Willow was asleep, her face relaxed in slumber.

With a quiet sigh, he forced his human mask back into place and began the task of undressing.  As much as he would have liked to simply lay at her side and sleep, he needed to shower.  He felt filthy, dirty, and there was no way he would taint their bed, or the petite redhead, if he didn't have to.  Besides, the prospect of hot water pounding his cool body was very tempting.

Naked, the dark haired vampire, strode into the adjoining bathroom.  He closed the door behind him before turning on the light, not wanting to risk waking his beloved.

Angel twisted the knobs and adjusted the water's temperature.  Before long, steam filled the room, and with a contented sigh, he stepped into the shower.

Grabbing the lightly scented soap he favored, he proceeded to take a long, leisurely shower.  It made him feel immensely better.

'Almost human', he thought with a smirk.

Before his relationship with Willow had blossomed, such a thought would have sent him reeling into a depression.  All that was a memory now, however.  He wasn't human.  Angel knew that, and finally, he accepted that.  For the first time, he was at peace with himself.  And it was all due to a little redheaded witch who's love and acceptance, had forged a union between his two halves.

Suddenly in a hurry to join her in slumber.  The dark vampire gave himself a final rinse and turned off the water.

~~~~~~~~~

Angel opened exited the bathroom and started in surprise.  Candles were lit about the room. Willow sat, indian-style on the carpet, a candle in front of her.  She was nude, her pale skin almost pearlescent in the flickering light.

The witch opened her eyes, and smiled invitingly to her mate.

"I'm sorry if I woke you."

"You didn't", she said, "not really, I just missed you, and then I felt you near by..."  The redhead shrugged delicately.  "I decided to meditate for a while and wait until you finished cleaning up."

She looked so relaxed and beautiful, Angel had to fight his baser instincts, to prolong the game.  He wouldn't give in this time.  He would feign indifference.  He groaned silently, realizing that would be difficult with the erection he suddenly knew, he was sporting beneath his robe.

Turning from the tempting picture Willow made, the ensouled vampire rubbed his hair briskly with a towel, and walked towards his bureau, opening one of the drawers.

"How did patrol go?  Were the vamps out in full force tonight?", the witch asked, cocking her head to the side slightly, green eyes glittering.

He nodded, not trusting his voice.  "It went like clockwork, though.  Gunn and Faith are absolutely amazing.  Even Wesley is starting to impress me. Not that I'm belittling him, but everyone can't be good at everything, and he's so intelligent and good at the research....  I sometimes forget that the Watcher training included more than just book learning."

Rifling through his drawers, he finally found what he was looking for. Taking an unneeded breath, and counting to ten in order to get himself under control, he turned back to his mate, a sensual, full-lipped smile gracing his features.  Deliberately giving off an aura of complete ease, Angel untied the knot at his waist, and allowed the black terry robe to fall at his feet.

Willow's eyes widened, the pupils dilating.  He could see the pulse at her throat start to quicken, and almost laughed in triumph when a small moan escaped her as he bent to put on the silk pajama bottoms he had chosen.

Noting the smug look on his face, the hacker's eyes narrowed.

"So how did Faith and Wesley deal with each other?"

"They started out as well as can be expected", Angel began.  "That is until Wesley pushed Faith out of the way when one of the fledglings tried to sneak up on her as she fought another.  The vampire got in a good punch and sent Wesley to the ground.  I've never seen Faith so angry."  The ensouled vampire frowned and shook his head.  "She staked the fledgling so fast, it didn't know what hit it, and then she practically took Wes' head off...", he paused, "well not literally, but you know what I mean."

Willow nodded.  "What happened?"

"They fought, for the rest of the night.  I don't even know where half of what they were talking about came from.  At one point he insulted her intelligence for not knowing peanuts were invented by some Schultz guy and not some Schwartz guy", the vampire shook his head, frowning.  "I really didn't get that... but Faith looked really hurt for a minute, and then the walls came back down."  Angel sighed, and ran a hand through his still slightly damp hair.

The witch thought for a moment, before understanding dawned.  "Oh! 'Peanuts', not peanuts... you know, the comic strip by Charles Schultz?"

Angel arched a dark eyebrow. "No, actually."

Willow bit her lip.  "Well I guess that's not important... So tell me what else happened?"  As she spoke, the lithe young woman chose that moment to stand gracefully, before stretching languidly, her arms raising to the sky, her entire body extending heavenwards.

He stared, at her.  'Damn it!  She's not playing fair', he thought, growling deep in his chest, as his eyes roved uncontrollably over his lover's body. Angel took a step closer.

"Faith left.  She made some comment, about slaying still making her hot and horny.  I figure she went off to the clubs again. Its what she's been doing for the past two weeks.  She'll come home tomorrow morning smelling of cheap booze, stale cigarettes and meaningless sex", Angel said quietly, taking a step towards Willow.

His mate took a step toward him.

"We're not her parents", she said.

"I know, but I'm not going to let her self-destruct again."

"Neither will I."

Angel's eyes flickered, as he again stepped nearer, the scent of Willow's arousal flowing over him, its heady perfume causing his body to once again harden in readiness.  He didn't care if she saw, the time for games was over.

"It's too bad, though", he murmured.

"What is?"

"The night started out well.  They were laughing and getting along.  It seems Wes, Delia and Gunn made some kind of bet that Wesley won."

"What about?", Willow gasped as Angel pulled her abruptly against his hard body.

"Us."

"Us?"

"Mmmm hmmm", he rasped, growling, and grinding his cock against her sweet, hot center.

Willow pulled and yanked at his pajama bottoms, sighing in relief as they finally fell to the floor.

"They thought I couldn't hear them, but they bet on how long it would take before I came downstairs from your 'shower' earlier this evening", Angel hissed, between clenched teeth, as Willow's blunt teeth and tongue licked and nibbled up the large vein in his throat.

The redhead giggled, against his skin.  "How long did he bet?"

"An hour, I think.  Cordy bet forty-five minutes, and Gunn bet twenty."

"Twenty?", Willow laughed, her breath leaving her in a startled exhalation as her back was pressed into the wall.

"Angel... ahhh", she sighed, as his hand crept up her ribcage cupping one of her aching breasts.  His thumb flicked the peach hued, and pebbled nipple.

"I think I can do better", he growled, purposefully pressing his cock against her moist slit.  Teasingly he allowed the tip to enter her passage before retreating.

"Oh Goddess...", she moaned, before forcing verdant eyes open.  His beautiful face swam in her field of vision.  "Better than twenty minutes... you don't say", Willow gasped, the smile on her face widening.

"Much, much better...", Angel groaned, as the tip of his manhood, once again entered his mate's velvet heat.

And then suddenly, he was swiftly and fully inside of her.  His larger body pinning Willow to the wall as he moved in and out of her.

"Willow", he moaned.  He lifted his head from her shoulder and watched his witch's face.  Although her eyes were closed, a steady stream of words and sounds escaped her lips.  His name, that she loved him...  Gods, how he loved her.  She was perfect, so perfect.  His movements quickened, and her legs tightened about his waist.

Willow's eyes opened once again.  She took in her lover's true visage and groaned, hot pleasure pooling in her womb at the sight.  "Please Angel", she sighed, "please..."

"What ionuin?"

With a trembling hand, the redhead pushed her hair over her shoulder. Angel's lips dropped to place a kiss at her throat.  After a moment, with a roar, his sharp fangs pierced her flesh.  Her hot, delicious essence flowed into him, and his body responded to the pleasure with forceful thrusts that sent Willow over the edge.  Her core's muscles tightened powerfully around his shaft.

"Willow!", he cried, extracting his fangs as her pleasurable tremors closed around him.   Unable to take it anymore, Angel gave in, allowing his own body the release it so craved.  So powerful was his climax, his legs trembled beneath him.

The young witch let go of a shuddering breath, leaning her sweat-moistened forehead to touch her mate's much cooler one.  "It just gets better and better doesn't it?", she sighed in contentment.

Angel couldn't speak.  His body rumbled.

Willow smiled.  "I love it when you purr."

The vampire chuckled and forced himself to withdraw.  He kept her in his arms and made it to the bed.

After a moment, he spoke, if a trifle gruffly.  "You know...."

"What?"

Angel gestured to the glowing red numbers on the digital alarm clock.

The hacker giggled.  "Okay so we beat Gunn's estimation that time..."

"But not Wesley's", Angel observed.  He turned to the woman at his side, his large hand trailing up her slender thigh.

"I guess we're just going to have to try that again, now aren't we?", she said in mock thoughtfulness.

Angel smirked.  "Witch."

"Yep."
 

~Part 13~

Faith stumbled into the Hyperion.  She took a hitching breath, wishing desperately that she was still drunk. Unfortunately, the welcome oblivion of alcohol had long since faded, and with it the ability to push aside the memory of the guy she had met in the club, and the dirty alley she'd allowed him to take her in.

'Why do I keep doing this to myself?', she wondered, closing the door silently behind her.  Her left hand came up to rub at her right bicep.  She felt dirty.

She was halfway across the lobby when she felt it.  Faith stopped in front of the staircase.

"You've got something to say to me Angel?"

The dark haired vampire's shadow suddenly loomed behind the Slayer.

"Why do you keep doing this to yourself, Faith?"

Faith squared her shoulders, her jaw tightening.  "Trying to be my daddy now, Angel?"

"No.  Believe me I know better than most that a father is something I'll never be."

"Shit", she muttered, her shoulders slumping with the reality of her hastily chosen words.  "I didn't mean that that way."

"I know", Angel said quietly.  His brown eyes looked down upon her.  "So why do you do it, if it makes you feel this way?"

"Do what?", she whispered harshly, her eyes darting away from her friend's face.  "Feel in what way?  I'm fine."

"No, your not."

"Leave me alone.  Please, just leave me alone, Angel.  I just want to go to bed.  That's all I want", Faith hissed.

She whirled away from him, and started up the stairs, only to have her arm captured in a firm grip.

"You want more than just that Faith.  You're just too scared to try and get it", Angel whispered intently.

The dark Slayer's eyes widened.  For a moment, she debated acting as if she didn't know what he was talking about... but she knew it was no use.

"I don't deserve more than this.  People like me...", she shook her head, "just don't."

Angel's bitter chocolate eyes lightened for a split second, startling her. "People like us, don't you mean Faith?"

Faith blinked.  "No... you're nothing... you're nothing like me."

The vampire smiled.  The gesture was so unexpected, she recoiled.  "I think we're a lot alike."

"Stupid, stubborn vampire.  Why can't you just leave it alone?"

"Because you're slowly destroying yourself Faith.  And after all the time you and even the state of California have spent piecing you back together, I'm not gonna let it happen again", Angel said quietly.

"How touching", she said sarcastically.

"I'm also not going to allow it because I consider you a friend, and a colleague."

Faith swallowed, her chin dipping forward to her chest.  "It just hurts Angel.  I'm lonely, but I can't get too close to anyone.  I can't.  Slayers don't live very long.  I'm a killer.  It's what I do best... its all I know how to do."

"That's not all you are Faith, and you know it."

Her eyes filled with moisture.  "Isn't it?"

Angel shook his head.

"I wish I was so sure", she muttered quickly, turning and running up the stairs two at a time, leaving behind her a wake of stale cigarette smoke and staler sex.

Sighing the ensouled vampire followed slowly.  He didn't know what he was going to tell Willow.  He didn't think he'd helped Faith at all, he could only hope.
 

~Part 14~

~A few days later~

Willow laughed aloud poking Faith, who sat next to her in front of the computer, with her shoulder.

"No... you can't just stake it.  In no part of any computer instruction manual is 'slay' one of the approved methods of computer use", the redhead
deadpanned.

Faith wrinkled her nose, and shook her head.  "Tell me again why I'm doing this?"

"'Cause if you don't learn some basics, Angel's gonna relegate you to Wesley's research assistant in times of crisis", Willow said smiling.

"Bite me Red", the brunette moaned.

"Sorry, that pleasure is mine and mine alone", Angel said from the other side of the room.  The dark haired vampire looked over at his mate, and
wiggled his eyebrows comically, while Willow made a big production of snapping her teeth together with audible clicks.

"Ewww!  Hello!  So not a mental picture I need!", Cordelia groaned melodramatically.

"Oh I don't know.  Sounds kind of kinky to me.  Maybe I'd learn something", Gunn joked.

The Seer glared at her boyfriend, hazel eyes widening.  Angel chuckled and opened his mouth to say something.

"Angel!  Stop right there", Willow shouted, her cheeks flushing a bright pink.  Realizing that everyone in the lobby had turned to look at her, huge
grins on their faces, caused the witch to sink into her chair.  "That's enough personal information", she mumbled.

Rolling her eyes, and feeling a bit left out, Faith suddenly found herself looking at Wesley.  The former Watcher had also been rather quiet throughout the round of teasing.  She wondered if he was as lonely as she.

Wesley sighed, looking up.  He'd had nothing to contribute to the conversation they were all having.  It was at moments like this that he realized just how sad his life had become.  He snorted under his breath. 'Life. What life?'

His eyes met those of the rogue Slayer.  His breath caught in his throat as he watched her take a deep breath, and lick her lips.  The demon hunter's groined tightened, and he found himself shifting uncomfortably in his chair. Blinking, he tore his eyes away from Faith's.  Wesley bent his head, one hand coming up to rub at his temple.

"You okay Wes?", Faith asked to his surprise.

They hadn't been speaking since that last patrol.  He realized only days later how much he'd probably hurt her feelings.  The raven haired young
woman did not easily confide in anyone, and her small commentary on 'Peanuts' had actually given him a bit of insight into the workings of her mind.  Unfortunately his pride had kept him from apologizing.

"Its just a small headache.  I'm fine, thank you, Faith", Wesley said.

"I've got oodles of aspirin, if you need some Wes", Cordelia said, holding up and shaking her jumbo bottle of pills.  I don't really use them anymore
with Willow around to zap away my headaches.

The Englishman's lips curled slightly.  "No, thank you, I'm fine."  He turned back to the Slayer.  "Could I talk to you privately Faith?"

Faith swallowed heavily and nodded.  She put the most nonchalant look she could on her face.  "Sure."  Getting up, the brunette followed the tall,
wiry man to the back of the lobby staring at his ass the entire way.

The obviously, non-obvious way everyone in the room, kept sending them looks, alerted Wesley to the fact that they had an audience.  He cleared his throat, trying to speak as quietly as he could.

"I wanted to apologize, for uhh... well, insulting your intelligence ...", he began slowly.

"Huh?", Faith said.  "Oh... OH!  You mean on patrol that day."  Her brow furrowed, and she shrugged.  "That's okay.  No big."

"But it is", Wesley disagreed.  "You told me something privately, and in a moment of pique I threw it back at you."

"Yeah okay", she whispered.  "I guess then I should, er, you know--"

"Apologize?", the former Watcher prompted.

"Yeah, for jumping all over you when you pushed me outta the way of that vamp.  I just don't want you, uh, any of you getting hurt cause of me.  I've hurt enough people.  I'm the Slayer, I'm supposed to get hurt", Faith said, finally looking back up into Wesley's blue eyes.

Before she really knew what was happening, the former Watcher had taken her hand.  He was looking at her intently, shaking his head.

"But you're not just a Slayer.  You're also a person, and somebody we all want to be around for a long, long time."

"Really?"

Suddenly, Wesley's face seemed a lot closer, to Faith.  'Damn but the man had beautiful eyes.'

He nodded unable to speak, enjoying the sensation of her warm breath on his mouth.  It would be so easy to just kiss her...  Slowly, he moved closer, giving her ample time to pull away if she wished.  To his surprise she didn't.  The office and its occupants faded from his mind.  Their lips were just about to meet when--  a loud knock on the lobby door caused Wesley and Faith to jump apart, and everyone else to curse.  Loudly.

Groaning, Gunn jogged up to the door and swung it wide.   He looked at the dark haired youth enquiringly.  "What can I do for you man?"

"Actually, maybe I have the wrong address.  I was looking for Willow Rosenberg", the visitor said.

At the sound of the voice, Willow stiffened and swiveled her chair around to face the door.

"Xander?", she squeaked.
 

~Part 15~

Willow was still gaping at the figure in the doorway, when a blur of motion caught her attention.  In horror she watched as Angel tackled her former
best friend with the force of a sixteen wheeler.

The dark vampire's weight propelled them outside into the courtyard.

Angel growled, his arm pressed against Xander's esophagus.  The youth gasped and coughed.  "You hurt Willow", he bit out between sharp fangs.

"Angel!", Willow shouted.  "Angel stop it."

Gunn, Wesley and Cordelia looked on in silence.

Charles Gunn turned to his girlfriend.  "So that's the bastard, who was Red's best bud, I take it."

Cordelia nodded, looking over at Faith, who's own face was set in stone. Although her Slayer's instincts screamed at her to kick Angel off of the boy, she just couldn't bring herself to care.  Xander had disregarded a deep friendship, she herself had been so jealous of, she would have given her right hand to experience.

Xander stared up at his attacker in shock.  He couldn't speak, he could barely breathe.  Only a gurgle of sound made its way past his throat.
Suddenly, he was free as the vampire was propelled off of Xander. Everyone assembled heard him take a huge deep gulp of air.

"Dammit Angel", Willow yelled at her mate, "that was uncalled for!"

The dark haired vampire glared at the boy, yellow eyes boring into him.  "I didn't think so.  In fact if you hadn't interfered--"

"Angel!!", the witch interrupted.

Sighing in resignation, the vampire vaulted back onto his feet, and came to stand next to his crew.  He watched as Willow grabbed hold of Xander's hand to help him up.  The youth used his other hand to rub at his brutalized throat.

"Good to see you have a leash on your pet vamp Wills", he croaked.

Without preamble Willow let go of Xander's hand and watched as he fell back on his ass.

"That's my mate your talking about Alexander LaVelle Harris, and the only way he reacted that way is because he knows all the pain I went through when you cut off all ties to me", the redhead said tightly.

"Yeah, we don't take kindly to friends turning their back on friends around here", Gunn grunted.  "Loyalty is all that keeps you alive when you need to trust the people who are guarding your back."

"Sure", Xander snorted, looking from Angel to Gunn to Wesley to Cordelia, and finally to Faith.  "I'm sure friendship and trust is something you all
know a lot about."

The sarcasm in his statement was not lost, and it was only Wesley's hand on Angel's arm, that kept the vampire from knocking Xander's block off.  "He's not even worth it Angel", the Englishman intoned grimly.

Angel nodded, dark eyes flickering to his mate.  Willow stood there, shaking her head in disbelief and horror.  "If all you're doing here Xander is
insulting my family, I suggest you leave", she said resolutely.

"Family?  There was a time when I was your family Wills", Xander said, as he climbed back onto his feet.

"Yeah well, apparently only I thought so", Willow murmured.  "I tried for months to contact you.  You said you'd be there for me.  And you weren't."

The dark haired youth flinched.  "I know.  I'm sorry.  Things have been hectic."

"Too hectic, to even say hello?", Willow queried archly.  She turned her back on the young man and walked into Angel's waiting arms.  Kissing the
vampire softly on the lips as an apology for using her magic and thrusting him off of Xander, she looked into his eyes.  In his liquid brown eyes she
saw that her apology was accepted, and that he would punish her privately, later.  Smiling slightly, she turned back to Xander.

The boy was gaping at the couple in openmouthed shock.  "I, I, you know I just never really believed it.... I mean... Buffy... I... "

"Whatever, Xander", Cordelia humphed. "You would have known everything if you'd even cared."

"No one was talking to you Cordelia."

"Talk to my girlfriend like that again, and you'll be eating you're meals through a straw", Gunn snarled.

Xander's gaze widened in surprise before sliding back to Willow and Angel. That's when he noticed something.

"Willow?  What's Deadboy doing standing in the sun and not going poof?"
 

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