Dawn ran as fast as her feet could manage, her breath coming in shallow pants.  She would not cry.  She would NOT cry.

Why did Willow have to come back.... and especially now, when things were so terrible?  And why hadn't the redhead known her, remembered her?  Was her existence really only relevant to those who'd been in Sunnydale when the monks had cast the spell?  Did that mean, her father didn't know her too?

The thought filled Dawn with horror, sending her feet scurrying even faster to her destination.

The young brunette's mind whirled, the reason she'd gone to her house in the first place forgotten.  There was no way she could eat now.  Food was the last thing on her mind.  She needed to talk to someone... and only one person came to mind.

"Spike!", she called, as she pushed the stone door open.

The Slayer's sister did not even pause to wonder why she felt safe with an undead creature, she simply knew she did.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
~L.A.~

Faith sat at the bar, and tried to relax.  She'd spent most of the day with Gunn's crew.  She'd wanted a distraction and a way to hide, and they
conveniently had had a vampire nest they wanted help to destroy.  It had sounded right up her alley that morning, and was just the kind of thing she needed to get out of the hotel and away from Wesley's disturbing presence.

She felt guilty about it, though.  After all she'd pretty much bullied him into staying at the Hyperion and told him she'd nurse his ankle back to
health.  The Slayer sighed.

"Oh look, if it isn't my favorite sexy Slayer."

Faith didn't even lift her head.  "Hey Lorne."

"What's got you down?", the aura reading demon asked, already knowing the answer.  He wondered if she'd fess up to him.

"Nothin'", she said quietly.

'Guess not', Lorne thought, rolling his eyes and taking a seat next to the raven haired beauty.

"That better just be coke, hon..."

"Yeah, it is.  I'm laying off the rum", Faith mumbled.

"Good, cause the last time--"

"I apologized for that."

Lorne patted the woman's hand reassuringly.  "I know, but that table is just never, ever going to recover."

The comment extracted a small giggle.  Lorne smiled.  He'd done his job, now Wes just had to do his.  Ordering up a fruity, pale orange drink, the
green-skinned demon glanced at his watch, and then looked up at the door, just as the bespectacled former Watcher walked down the stairs.

'Bingo!', the demon thought.  'Should of known Wes would be right on time.' He really did have to call up his friend and let her know her predictions
were getting downright scary.

Wesley sat at Faith's right.

"I'm sorry", he said.

Startled Faith, glanced in his direction.  "Wesley."  She frowned.  "What do you have to be sorry about?"  'Saying he loved you, I bet', her mind
supplied.

"Being so stubborn... pushing you.  I am sorry.  I don't want you to ever feel you have to run away from the Hyperion, it should be your refuge..."
The Englishman pinched the bridge of his nose.  "I really am sorry Faith. I'll do what you want, I'll never mention our grossly negligent behavior
again.  Consider what happened forgotten."

With every word, Faith's heart shattered into smaller and smaller pieces of oblivion.  She couldn't understand why.  She was getting what she wanted, wasn't she?  Swallowing back tears, the brunette forced a bored expression on her face.

"Great.  Thanks Wes."

"Friends?", the former Watcher asked, holding out his hand.

Quickly, Faith shook the proffered hand and dropped it.  "Yeah, right", she said, avoiding his eyes, "friends."

Lorne watched the fake smiles and pseudo-friendly handshakes with a sad shake of his head.  He was damned positive, that meeting didn't go the way he'd hoped.
 

~Chapter 37~

~That night~

The Slayer stalked the cemetery with intrinsic and predatory grace.  She needed to get in and out without incident.  She'd spent the day sitting by
her mother's grave.  Buffy wasn't sure why she did that, all she knew was that it calmed her a bit.  It wasn't as if she had much else to do.  She
never in a million years thought she'd see the day, when she actually missed school, but she did.

When darkness had settled, it hadn't been the absence of light that had told her it was time to go, it'd been the stupid fledgling who had risen and made the mistake of trying to make a fragile-looking blond sitting by a tombstone his first meal.  That had woken her up, and it was in annoyance, that the Slayer made her way home.

Buffy noticed immediately that Dawn wasn't there, but wasn't initially concerned.  Her sister often went straight to Giles' store after school.  So
her absence didn't set off any alarms.

It was the flashing light on the answering machine which got her attention. There were two messages from Dawn's teacher.  Her sister hadn't come back from lunch.  She'd told her teacher she'd forgotten it.  The woman was fairly certain Dawn had sneaked off school grounds to get it, but then never returned.

That's when Buffy imploded, automatically assuming the worst.  She imagined that somehow Glory had found out that Dawn was the Key and snatched her sister.  After almost collapsing to the floor at the very thought, the Slayer realized that it was very possible her sister could be safe and sound; with Spike of all people.  Lately the youngest Summers woman had taken to sneaking around, finding ways to spend time with the vampire. Buffy didn't understand the bizarre friendship that was developing between Spike and her sister.  All she knew was that she didn't approve, and she didn't *want* to understand.

She paused outside the door to the vampire's crypt.  There were no discernible sounds and for a moment panic gripped her heart yet again.

Viciously, Buffy kicked in the stone door.  Sound ricocheted through the empty room and her hazel eyes narrowed.  Striding to the sarcophagus which sat in the middle of the tomb, she set her shoulder against it and began to push.  An opening appeared beneath.

Poking her head through, she called out.  "Dawn!  Dawnie!", she paused, taking a deep breath before screaming, "SPIKE!!"

Far off, she heard the sound of scurrying and suppressed the urge to shudder, thoughts of rats and other nasties making her cringe.

"Buffy", a tinny voice, could be heard.

"Dawn!", the Slayer sighed in relief, her head drooping.

"Coming Slayer, keep your bloody knickers on!"

Scowling, the petite blond stood.  After a few moments, an almost white-bleached head appeared.  Spike pulled himself up easily, and then bent
to lend a hand to her sister.

Dawn grinned slightly at the chipped vampire, and then glanced at her sister.  She swallowed.  "Buffy I can explain."

The Slayer held up a single hand, halting the girl's flow of words.  "Save it.  We're leaving", she announced, turning round and heading to the exit.

Dawn followed reflexively, murmuring a thanks to Spike.  He looked angry, and she wondered if it was because Buffy had knocked down the door to his home, or if it was because her sister hadn't even acknowledged him.

The younger woman rushed out the door behind her sister, trying to catch up. 'For being such a shrimp, Buffy sure moved fast', Dawn thought.

"Buffy...", she whined.  The Slayer slowed down slightly. "Buffy wait up, I can explain.... Something happened today, I saw--"

"Well lookee what I've got here."

Buffy stopped, standing stock still, almost knocking over Dawn who'd been rushing to catch her.

"Glory", Buffy hissed, spotting the tall, blond hell god sitting on a tombstone.  Dawn gasped, ducking behind her sister.

"Hey Slay-gal", the blond said, eyes never lifting from a miniscule split in her thumbnail.  "Damn", she muttered, never looking up.  "Could you
recommend a good manicurist?"

Behind her, cloaked minions began to come out of the woodwork.

~~~~~~~~~

"This burg is spooky quiet you know.... I really don't get what all this hype about Sunnydale comes from", Gunn complained, walking next to Cordelia
and Willow down an almost completely silent main street.

The redhead grinned at the black youth, looking over her shoulder at him. "Think Gunn, its barely 6:30, the sun just set like ten minutes ago--"

"Yeah", Cordelia interrupted, "look around.  How many people do you see?"

Gunn's brow furrowed, his steps faltering as he really looked around.  The street was practically empty.  Except for a nervous looking man in a three
piece suit, practically jogging on the other side of the street, and an older woman sweeping her stoop with her front door open, there was no one
around.

"Yo... that's just, man, that's just freaky", he said finally, suppressing a shudder.

"The only place there's ever any life in this town is at the Bronze", Cordelia said.

"The Bronze?"

"Club for highschoolers", the Seer explained, "its like takeout for the vamps."

"Oh and don't forget the UC Sunnydale campus, that's usually busy with the students rushing about at all hours... lots of vamps there too", Willow
volunteered absentmindedly, her thoughts on Angel.

The trio kept walking.  They'd met up accidentally at Giles' shop.  Willow hadn't really expected to see them, but there was no harm in anyone knowing the former May Queen was in town with her.  It was Angel who had to keep a low profile.  The witch sighed, sure her mate was bored out of his mind. Still, it was his own damned fault for being so darned stubborn.  No one had told him to come.

They turned a corner, and Gunn froze mid-step.

"What was that?"

Cordelia paused next to him, looking across the street at the blackened ruins.  "Oh that, that was our high school."

"We blew it up", Willow added helpfully.

"Oh."
 

~Chapter 38~

"Run Dawn! Hide", Buffy ordered her sister, just as Glory's minions charged toward them.

Dawn nodded, stumbling back, just as the first short creature's head met her sister's small fist.  She was unable to tear her eyes away, marveling at the carnage the Slayer could reek when she had a mind to.

When two of the cloaked figures spotted the retreating girl, they headed in her direction.

Horrified, Dawn stepped back in readiness to run, and stumbled against something.  A scream bubbled up in her throat, only to be cut off by a hand
over her mouth.

"Its just me Nibblet."

"Spike!", Dawn breathed.  "Oh thank God."

The platinum haired vampire arched a scarred eyebrow in silent mockery of her phrasing, but remained silent, his eyes drawn toward where the Slayer was quickly and efficiently mowing down the insane hell god's cretins. Glory herself stood some feet away, seemingly enthralled by her fingernails.

Grabbing, Dawn's shoulders, Spike pulled her behind him quickly before snapping a kick towards one minion's gut, and backhanding the other one.

"Hide 'Lil Bit", the vampire yelled, as more minions swarmed toward him.

"No", she said stubbornly, unwilling to leave her sister and her friend to fight her battle alone.  She knew she wasn't much help but she couldn't,
wouldn't hide.  That was cowardly. And Dawn Summers was not a coward.

Lurching forward, Dawn grabbed a large rock from the dew soaked grass and ran towards where Spike stood surrounded.  The short demons swarmed around him, trying to pin his arms and get him off balance.

Muttering under her breath, the Slayer's sister ran forward to help him, swinging her new implement with deadly intent, her face grim.

~~~~~~~

Buffy tossed the last minion aside easily, whirling around to face Glory. She was gone.  Buffy blinked.  'Where did she go, she was just there?'

When she felt the tap on her shoulder, the Slayer cursed under her breath, she knew what was coming.

She turned, just in time to see the taller woman's fist slam into her face. The impact lifted Buffy off of her feet, sending her flying.

Groggily, the petite Slayer pushed herself upright preparing to launch herself at Glory again.

"Anybody need a little help?", a deep male voice asked.

"Hey look, it's Little Miss Likes-To-Kill. Looks like Sunnydale's just like I left it", an all too familiar female voice said sarcastically.

"Cordy?", Buffy mumbled, catching sight of the former cheerleader who stood by one of the larger mausoleums, crossbow at the ready.  She blinked as the brunette fired shot after shot, loading the weapon efficiently and easily, after each one.  When yet another wrinkly, dark skinned minion slumped to the ground with one of Cordelia's bolts in its chest, the Slayer shook her head in wonder.

"Taking lessons?", Buffy quipped.

"You like?", Cordy asked grinning.  "I've had some practice since we last did the killing thing together."

"Come on Blondie, show me what you got", that same male voice said somewhere behind Buffy.  Startled by the unfamiliar voice the Slayer turned just in time to see a tall, black man launch himself at Glory.

"I wouldn't do that if I were y--", Buffy started to say, only to close her mouth when whoever the guy was, met the business end of one of Glory's
punches.

Cordelia's mouth dropped open when she saw her boyfriend become airborne. "Gunn!"

"Friend of yours?", the Slayer asked dryly.

The Seer glared at the blond.  "Do something!"

Ignoring her, Buffy looked around, and saw that Dawn was okay.  Spike was protecting her and she looked like she was getting a few good shots in with a big rock.  The Slayer shook her head warily.  Although she was glad the vampire was there in this case, she was really getting tired of Spike trying to get in her good graces.  She blinked, frowning suddenly, when she noticed yet another figure fighting alongside him.

'Who was that?', the Slayer wondered fleetingly.

"Who is that fashion victim anyway?", Cordelia asked, interrupting Buffy's thoughts.

"Huh?... Oh... That's Glory.  As in Glorificus, insane hell god extraordinaire", the Slayer told her.

"Ahhh... so then it probably wouldn't be a good thing if she was headed this way right?"

Buffy's hazel eyes widened and she turned to see Glory heading their way. Grabbing the crossbow from Cordelia's suddenly nerveless fingers, she fired shot after shot, but the god shrugged them off as if they flies.

Growling angrily Buffy brought her arm up to block Glory's next punch, and used the crossbow to whip the loony bitch across the face.

"Hey!", Glory cried.  "Watch the hair!"

"Oh please", Cordelia said, rolling her eyes.  "Has she even looked in a mirror, this decade?"

"You're really just making this unnecessarily difficult Slayer.  Just give me the Key.  Its mine", Glory said, abruptly sounding lucid and in control.

"No."

Cordelia watched as the two blonds went at each other ferociously, and backed away.  This was Buffy's fight.  'Where was Gunn?'

The Seer's hazel eyes widened, spotting her boyfriend's fallen form stir by the feet of a younger girl weilding a rock, a familiar stubbornly determined
look on her face.

"Gunn!", Cordelia cried, running towards him.

"Ouch", Charles Gunn said, wincing and rubbing his jaw.  "I'm pretty sure more than just my pride got hurt in that one."

The brunette fell to her knees by his side pulling him into a big hug.  "You almost gave me gray hair, you big lug", she murmured against his cheek.

Dawn watched Cordelia, surprised by her actions.  "Hey Cordy"

Cordelia looked up at the teenager, and their eyes locked.  After a tense moment, the Seer's blank stare disappeared.

"Hey Dawn... Isn't it a bit dangerous for you out here?  Or do you make it a habit to go out with your sister on patrols now?"

Dawn shrugged, her eyes straying from the ex-cheerleader's face to where her sister and Glory seemed locked in mortal combat.  She shivered, biting her lip.  Behind her, Spike and his redheaded fighting companion finished off the last of Glory's minions.

~~~~~~~

Buffy blocked a powerful punch to the face, retaliating quickly with one of her own.  The next few blows struck the hell god in the side, and the Slayer really hoped Glory had kidneys and that it had hurt like a bitch.

"Okay", the tall blond woman bit out, "now I'm pissed."

The next thing Buffy knew Glory's foot was in her face and she was down on the ground, the very air knocked from her lungs.

"Give me the key!"

The petite Slayer gasped, unable to even suck in enough air to tell the insane god where she could shove it.  She struggled to get up, but found she couldn't move.  Glory had straddled her.

"Don't tell me then, I'll know all I need to once I explore that tiny, little brain of yours.... "  Glorificus giggled.  "I've never brainsucked a Slayer before--"

"And you're never going to."

Buffy blinked, it couldn't be.  "Willow?", she moaned.

The redheaded witch stood above Glory, her green eyes a colorless void, as a spell in a language Buffy didn't even recognize fell from her lips.  One
pale hand landed on the god's cheek, as the last word exploded from her throat.

Glorificus screamed enraged, as the spell took her, a bright light engulfing her form.

Her scream still echoed through the graveyard, though the light disappeared quickly.

Everything was still. Buffy's eyes were locked on Willow's slender form. The blond forced herself into a sitting position and realized with a start
that Dawn, Spike, Cordelia and the cheerleader's friend all stood around them.

"Buffy", Willow croaked, falling to her knees.

"Will!", Cordelia shouted, rushing forward to help the weak-looking wiccan.

Buffy couldn't speak, still staring at her former best friend in stupefication.

The hacker's frame shook.  "Are you okay?", she asked Buffy.  The Slayer didn't answer, her eyes drawn to the blood which had just begun pouring from Willow's nose.

"Bloody hell!", Spike rumbled. "Move over Cheerleader", he said, taking the weary redhead into his arms.

"What's wrong with her?", Gunn asked in concern, his eyes taking in the stain of red on Willow's pale skin.

"She just severely overdid the magickal mumbo jumbo", Spike replied, his quick eyes taking in the stiffness of Dawn's body and the shock which still
colored Buffy's features.

"Move it Slayer, we ain't got all night.  We have to take the witch where she can rest."

"Yeah", Cordelia said quickly, thinking of Angel.  "We can take her to the hotel we're staying in.  She'll be fine."  Gunn was just about to second his
girlfriend's statement, when Buffy finally spoke.

"NO!", the Slayer   We're going back to the Magic Box, so Giles can take a look at her.  Besides, I need to know what she did to Glory and if its
permanent."

Spike nodded, and took off at a fast clip headed for the center of town. Buffy followed in silence, Dawn by her side.

"Is it safe for him to be around Red?", Gunn asked Cordelia under his breath.

"Yeah, he's been clipped so to speak.  Can't hurt a fly according to what Willow told me.  Anyhow, I don't think Spike's foolhardy enough to mess with his Sire's mate", the receptionist told the youth.

"Wait, wait, wait... are you telling me that Bleach Boy over there is Angel's", he swallowed harshly, "son?"

Cordelia nodded, preoccupied with another thought.  "This is bad.  Angel's going to flip."

"Do you think he knows?", Gunn asked.

"Are you kidding me?", the brunette sighed. "You've seen how 'connected' they are..."

"Oh smack.  The shit's gonna hit the fan now", Gunn groaned.
 

~Chapter 39~

Angel paced around the confines of the hotel room.  He was alone and he was agitated.  He didn't bother trying to mask his displeasure with his usual stoic facade.  There was no reason to.... and it was that very fact which was driving him slowly batty.

'Where was his mate; where was Willow?  And where were Delia and Gunn?  The couple had gone out in the afternoon, to 'visit' as Cordelia put it, and they still hadn't come back.'

He glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table.  It was almost eight o'clock, and night had fallen.

Grumbling, the dark haired vampire peeked through the blinds at the darkness outside.  This inactivity was grating on his last nerve.

For the first time, Angel wondered if he'd been wrong to follow Willow to Sunnydale.

At the time, following her had made perfect sense, but now, here, he wondered at his reasoning.  He was trapped in this room, all because everyone was so worried about how the Slayer would react to his presence; when he could've been in L.A. making a difference.

The vampire sighed.  'Who was he kidding?  He very much doubted he would have gotten anything done in L.A. either, not without his love there by his side.

At least he was occasionally receiving bits of Willow's and the demon's emotions through the bond.  Anger, pleasure, satisfaction... Angel wondered
at that curious combination. They were Angelus' usual emotions when they patrolled.  Curious, he went deeper into the bond while trying to remain on the fringes of Willow's own perceptions. He didn't want to startle her by announcing his presence if she were in fact fighting.  She'd need to be
focused.

He smiled when he realized his assumption was correct.  His mate was kicking ass.  He sighed, pushing a hand through his dark hair, wishing fervently he was there by her side.

Suddenly, Angel frowned.  'Was it possible she was with Buffy?  Had the meeting with the Slayer not been as volatile as they'd all anticipated?  Why
would Willow be patrolling otherwise?  It couldn't be possible that after two days here, his love had still not run into his former girlfriend, was it?'

When the stream of random sensations, abruptly stopped, the souled vampire fell to his knees with the weight of the awful silence in his head.

'Willow?', he sent through the bond. 'WILLOW!'

Lunging to his feet, the vampire had grabbed his leather jacket and was out the door in mere seconds.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~L.A.~

"So tell me again what this demon looked like?", Wesley asked Faith.

"I told you already", she sighed.  "It was about the size of a dog, and I guess it kind of looked like one too", Faith murmured thinking back, to what
she'd seen in the parking lot behind the supermarket. "It even had the whole pointed ear, sharp, jagged teeth thing."

"And it attacked those people unprovoked?"

Faith nodded, her eyes on Wesley's hands.  They were gentle as they cleaned and disinfected, the scratches on her arm.

"You have to be more careful", he said quietly, his eyes fixed on her flesh.

"It was stronger than I thought", the dark Slayer admitted, "it caught me by surprise."

Wesley's blue eyes crept up slowly to Faith's face.  "I'm glad you're alright."

The rogue Slayer swallowed, looking away.  After a moment, she spoke.  "So you ever seen or heard of anything like them before?"

"Well", the Englishman said thoughtfully, his hand reaching for the Neosporin, "it could've been a devil dog or a Cujo..."

Faith scowled disbelievingly.  "A Cujo?"

"Yes, actually.  Mr. King didn't just invent that concept", he stated dryly.

"Fine.  Whatever.  How do I kill it?"

"Well, as I recall, its actually pretty simple.  You need to use a knife made from alder wood", the former Watcher told her, placing some butterfly
bandages along the length of Faith's scratches.

"Do we have one of those?", the raven haired young woman asked, her brow furrowed in thought.

"I believe we do, down in the cellar actually.  If we don't, I'm sure we can find one at the local occult shop, or through Willow's contacts", Wesley
said.

"Cool.  I want to kill this stupid thing."

"We're going to have to find it first."

"Killjoy", she responded.

Wesley smiled slightly, pushing his glasses back up to their place on his nose.

"Well they usually hang out where they can get at the young, old or infirm--"

"Defenseless people than?"

"Yes", Wesley confirmed.

The Slayer paused in thought.  "Well there was a park near the supermarket...."

"So maybe that's its hunting ground."

"Well wouldn't that mean its lair is nearby?", she asked.

Wesley smiled brightly at her.  "Good thinking, you may be right."

Faith grinned back.  "So do these things hunt during the day?"

"Not usually, they don't react well to sunlight, but if desperate I suppose it is possible."

"Okay", she said decisively, "I'll search for its hidey hole tonight.  If I find it, I'll keep it too busy to attack anyone else, and you try to find me an alder knife."

He nodded, and wiped his hands on a towel.  "How are the scratches?"

"Five by five.  I won't even feel 'em tomorrow."

"Yes, you are most probably right."

For a moment, the two people simply stared at one another.

"Uh, I, I guess I'll go search for the thing's nest."

Wesley stood relatively easily, the pain in his ankle having declined to a manageable throb.  "And I'll find you an alder wood knife, and an blessed
silver dagger."

"Huh?  Blessed silver dagger?", Faith said blankly.

"Just in case."

"In case what?"

"In case the alder wood knife doesn't work", Wesley said starting to hobble away on his cane.

"Wesley!", the dark beauty shouted in frustration.

"Well its better to be over prepared--"

Faith groaned.  "Don't say it."

"A stitch in time saves nine you know."

"I told you not to say it."

Wesley grinned, opening the basement door and heading slowly downstairs.
 

~Chapter 40~

The bleached blond vampire burst through the Magic Box's entrance.

"Spike!", Amy exclaimed, immediately darting from behind the register to help him.

The witch looked the chipped vampire over carefully, noting the bruised face and black eye.  Amy's gaze softened.

"I'm okay", he mouthed to her, gesturing with his head to the burden he carried.

"Oh Goddess... Willow", she breathed.  "What happened?"

"Glory did", Dawn volunteered.

"Yeah that crazy hell bitch, looked like she was about to take a permanent chunk out of Skipper over here", Gunn said.

"Her name is Buffy, not Skipper", Dawn bit out.  "She's the Slayer."

"Oh we've got one of those too", the handsome black youth said.

Dawn glared at him. "Not like Buffy."

"Yeah, our's is bigger, meaner, and has better technique."

Spike almost grinned, but managed to stifle the urge as he followed Amy into the back room, and set Willow down on one of the couches.  The flurry of activity brought Giles out of his office.

"Good heavens, what happened?"

Immediately, Cordelia told Giles what had occurred.

The Englishman, frowned, cleaning his glasses as he listened to the Seer's story.

"So you're saying Willow interfered when Glory said she was going to 'brainsuck' Buffy?"

Cordelia nodded, her hazel eyes drifting back to where her redheaded friend still lay quiescent on the couch.

"Is she going to be okay?", Gunn asked, his hand patting Willow's still one a bit awkwardly.

"She should be fine.  I think Spike was correct, and she just overloaded on some powerful magicks...", Giles' voice trailed off.  His eyes sought out
those of the former May Queen.  "Just how powerful would you say Willow has become in the time she's been with you Cordelia?"

"Big time", the brunette replied, "I think the bond thing with Angel may have something to do with it."

"What?", Buffy asked, speaking for the first time.

The Seer's mouth abruptly shut, she couldn't believe she'd been so thoughtless.

"Nothing", she told Buffy curtly, turning to face Giles once more.  "She's really-- well, witchy I guess.  She never gets spells wrong anymore.  They
always work.  Really well too.  She even sent Darla back to hell."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?  That bitch grandsire of mine is dead.  The Pouf did the world a favor when he staked that bint", Spike
grumbled.

"Well she was dead, but then this evil law firm raised her back to life", Gunn said.  "Red sent her back to hell, so now she may as well be dead for
all the good it does the skank."

Everyone nodded, as if the youth's explanation made total sense.  After all, evil law firms were practically an everyday occurrence.

"Has Willow ever passed out after casting before?", the former Watcher queried.

"That time with Darla, actually.  She was out for a few days", Cordelia told them, her gaze sliding back to Willow, and thus to Dawn who stood by her side. The younger girl's eyes were moist and large in her wan face.

"I shouldn't have slapped her", Dawn whispered harshly.

"You slapped Willow?", Buffy asked in confusion.  "When?"

"Yeah.  I was so mad.  I mean-- I went home to get my lunch and she was at the front door.  She said she wanted to talk to you, and then she didn't recognize me and I freaked and I couldn't believe she'd come back here after leaving like she did to be with Angel....", Dawn said in a rush, "and, do you think she'll ever speak to me again?"

"Is that why you were with Spike?", the golden Slayer asked.

Dawn nodded. "I really needed to talk to somebody."

"You could try talking to me", Buffy retorted hotly.

"Really?  When?", Dawn cried.  "Before patrol?  Oh, I forgot I can't, because you disappear for hours on hand.  During patrol?  Oh, oops I can't
cause I can't go with you.  After patrol?  Oops, not then either, its too late and all good little Slayer's sisters have to be in bed."

Buffy blushed, her eyes dropping, only to fall on Willow's deeply breathing form.

"At least he's there for me!", Dawn shouted, running out of the room.

The Slayer started after her, only to have a hand stop her.

"Let me talk to Nibblet", Spike said quietly.  "You find out what Red here did to that Glory loon."

"But--"

"He's right, give her some time to cool down", Amy told Buffy, "I'll go with him."

Buffy nodded.  "Thanks."

Silently, the two blonds left the room, following Dawn's earlier footsteps.

That left Giles and Buffy alone with Gunn and Cordelia.  The couple couldn't take their eyes off of Willow, worry for the redhead commingling with worry for their boss.  They couldn't even imagine how Angel was perceiving what happened to his mate through the bond.

"I don't get it.  Why would this have happened?", Gunn asked.  "I mean, she's done stuff more impressive than just making someone disappear... Why would this knock her out like this?"

"She may have had to resort to some darker magicks to be rid of Glory", Giles guessed.  "That could be a legitimate reason."

"You knew she was here didn't you Giles?", the petite Slayer asked, interrupting the conversation.

The ex-Watcher nodded.  "Yes, I found out just recently.  We... well, we talked."

"Did she know?"

Giles looked at Buffy blankly, before deducing what she was referring to. "Yes, actually I believe she had just found out about Joyce's death.  She
was very unhappy, Joyce was more of a mother figure to her than her own you know."

Buffy nodded.  She knew that was one area of her life were she had been lucky.  She had had a wonderful mother.  Considering the type of parents
Willow, Xander and even, Cordelia had had, she had in fact been very fortunate.

"I believe however, Willow was more worried about you than anything else", Giles added.

The Slayer snorted in disbelief.

"I was."

Buffy turned.  "Wills", she said, rushing forward to the couch.  She stopped abruptly, feet from where her former best friend sat.

The two women stared at each other, each at a loss as to what to say and how to react.

Deciding to nip any unpleasantness in the bud, Giles asked the hacker about what she'd done to Glorificus.

Willow shook her head.  "No what I did to Glory wasn't permanent.  I just did a transportation spell... I think", she replied.  "Its not exactly
something I've ever even attempted before."

Giles shook his head.  "That's not possible, a transportation spell needs to be practiced, perfected, its a powerful incantation.... especially when done on a full grown person."

"So how did you do it Willow?", Buffy asked, her voice tinged with something akin to suspicion.

The redhead shrugged.  "I don't know.  I never know.  Its like sometimes I just hear this voice in my head, and she tells me what to do and how, and... i don't know", she repeated at a loss.

"A voice?", the Watcher echoed thoughtfully.

The sudden loud crash of glass brought everyone up short.

"What in the world", Giles muttered.

"Oh God... ", Buffy muttered.  "Dawn!"  She ran out of the room into the shop, only to shrink back in shocked surprise.  Her mind refused to process
what she was seeing.  'Angel! Angelus!', her mind told her.

Spike was pinned against one of the bookshelves by the larger male.  Angel's face was buried in the chipped vampire's neck, while a distraught Amy tried to pull him away.

Lucidity returned, and Buffy visually scoured the shop.  She spotted Dawn hiding beneath the big, heavy table at the back of the Magic Box.

Cordelia and Gunn had hurried after the Slayer and were still reeling by what they saw.  The black youth couldn't believe the souled vampire had
shown his hand so soon.  Wasn't the Broody One supposed to be hiding out?

"Wasn't he supposed to be laying low?", Gunn asked his girlfriend under his breath.

The Seer's eyes were wide, her breathing shallow.  It was like her worst nightmare come to life.  Her best friend had lost it, he'd reverted to his
evil self.... this wasn't supposed to happen.

The tall brunette felt her throat close up, and stumbled when someone else pushed her aside.  The quiet gasp told Cordelia that it had been Willow.

"Goddess... Angel?", Willow whispered.  She flinched as she watched the insensate vampire elbow Amy off of him.  The dark blond witch flew through the air as if she weighed nothing.  Spike raged and jerked against his Sire at the sight of the girl hitting the floor, trying to break free of Angel's hold, but not succeeding.

Shaken from her stupor, Buffy ran to Amy's side and checked her pulse.  She was alive.  Closing her eyes in relief, she opened them in time to see Giles toss her a stake.  She caught it easily. Gritting her teeth and gathering her courage, the Slayer stalked toward where Angel was mauling his Childe. Blood ran down his chin, splattering on the floor of the Magic Box.

"No!"

Buffy paused, glancing toward the redhead who'd spoken.  Willow still stood next to Cordelia and Gunn, her face one of concentration as she turned her attention to the bond.

"ANGEL!!! STOP!!!", Willow commanded, her voice striking out with all the authority of a cracking whip.

The dark haired vampire stopped.  He let go of Spike's pale, shaking form and turned.  Abruptly freed, the chipped vampire slid to the ground with a
thump, his eyes trained on Amy's still form.

Angel growled at the lithe redhead.  He was in full game face, and his rage was palpable to everyone in the room.

Shocked by the lack of comprehension and even recognition in her mate's face, Willow probed their bond, hoping to use it to get through to him.  The color drained from her face.  The bond had been shut down.  All she felt was nothingness.  That's when she understood.  Angel thought she was dead.  The bond had shut down when she'd been knocked unconscious, since he hadn't seen what happened, the lack of her presence in his mind had made him assume she was dead, and it had driven him into this state.  It also explained why he'd attacked Spike.  Since, Willow surmised, it had probably been the British vampire who'd carried her from the cemetery.  Angel had smelled her on him.

The dark vampire growled threateningly at the redhead, his amber eyes boring into her with lack of emotion which was frightening.  A slight movement behind him caused Angel to glance back and spot Spike trying to crawl forward in the direction of the blond witch.

The Warrior for the Powers That Be, lurched forward, as if to physically restrain the other vampire again, and Willow did the only thing she could.
She drew the demon she shared with Angel into herself, and growled powerfully.

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