Willow sighed, exhausted from her training session with Dieter and Angel, and slipped further under the bubbles of the hot bath she was rewarding herself with.

The training she had been subjected to was tough and arduous. Kaelin was a great teacher but unyielding in her efforts to get Willow caught up with even the basic spells. To Willow, some days seemed long and boring…going over the same spell over and over again. The young witch realized that these spells…mostly for protection…were especially important. Although they would provide her with some safety, they would not keep her safe from everything, especially other magic.

The physical training was just as tough. Because Dieter could not go out in the sunlight, most of the training was done in a specially outfitted room. She would work with the two vampires for two hours a day working on hand to hand combat, along with the use of various weaponry. And as if that weren't enough, Angel had her running every morning to try to increase her stamina with the fighting. Willow actually believed that the vampire used it as a trick to get outside in the sunshine every morning, especially since the run had no effect on him whatsoever.

Closing her eyes, the young girl sighed happily as the warm water soothed her tired, aching muscles. It had been a tough two weeks, but enjoyable nonetheless. She really enjoyed working with the group of people here and a strong friendship was growing between them.

At first it was a little tense, but it seemed that Angel and Dieter were making peace…finally. Things were a little touchy the first few days, but then both vampires seemed to realize the silliness in their distrust of the other and began to build a tentative friendship.

Willow enjoyed watching the two vampires spar. Angel had always been impressive when fighting, but the vampires together were incredible. They seemed to move in perfect union, synchronized steps, knowing each others weaknesses and faults. Their mock fights were like a beautifully orchestrated ballet, which were quite arousing to watch, and the young girl blushed at her indecent thoughts.

She wanted to call Buffy again today but never got the chance to do so, and because of the time difference, she decided to just wait until tomorrow. Willow had talked to both Giles and Buffy last week, assuring them both that all was well there and that she had begun her training. Actually, Willow had called the library looking for Giles, and Buffy just happened to be there training. When Giles had said that Buffy was begging to talk with her, the young witch wanted to make an excuse and hang up, but she knew that would just prolong the inevitable. She had been a little nervous about talking with the slayer, especially in light of the way Buffy had acted before they left. That, coupled with her new relationship with Angel, left Willow a little skittish.

Although Willow felt a little guilty about her relationship with Angel, she wouldn't have changed it for the world. The redhead realized now that Buffy and the vampire could never be together, not like she and Angel. Hopefully, Buffy would realize that too, especially during his absence.

But the phone call left Willow both happy and surprised at the slayer's attitude. Willow could swear she could detect a hopefulness in Buffy's voice that wasn't there when they had left two weeks ago. The slayer seemed to be happier and more accepting of the situation that included Willow and Angel's absence. The two girls had talked, laughed and gossiped about the people in Sunnydale, especially Cordelia. By the time they ended the call, Willow was left wondering what had put the bounce back in Buffy's step. She knew that no matter what, Buffy's enduring strength would continue to help her deal with whatever life threw at her.

Hearing a noise from the bedroom, Willow smiled, knowing her lover had returned back to their room. He had promised that he would give her some time alone, to soak and relax, and basically 'veg' out, using her own words.

He had been a wonderful and tender lover, living up to his promises of unequaled pleasure. Making love with him had been wonderful, but she especially loved the moments when they lay in bed, snuggled close and just talked…just the two of them, getting to know each other more and more everyday. Going from a virgin to living with someone practically overnight took some getting used to. It still took her by surprise every morning when she woke up to the wonderful feeling of his body wrapped around hers protectively. And when he touched her…

Thinking about him was arousing her more and more. There was more than enough room for the two of them…maybe he would like to join her.

"Did you want me to wash your back?"

The young girl's eyes snapped wide open as she stared stared in stunned silence at the man who entered the room. "What are you doing here, Ian?" she asked, sliding down further under the bubbles, trying to hide herself even more from his leering gaze.

In the library Dieter and Angel sat in companionable silence, sipping their evening meal.

Dieter had not mentioned to anyone his growing distrust of Ian. Before joining Angel in the library, the vampire had just finished speaking with Whistler, but unfortunately the demon had not been able to shed any more light into Ian's life history, beyond what Kaelin had told him. Still the green-eyed vampire's distrust of the man did not stop. He had a bad feeling about him, and trusting his instincts, he decided to speak to Angel about the situation.

They needed more information about Ian, and unfortunately, Kaelin was their only source. Dieter did not want to alienate Kaelin with his constant questions about her lover…he really liked her and was extremely attracted to her, but something was not right between the witch and warlock. The older vampire did not know what kind of a relationship they had before coming to Germany, but he could see an underlying tension between the two. Dieter could be accused of being paranoid, but he knew that Willow noticed it too. He had heard her asking Kaelin if all was well with her and Ian, but because they moved too far off for him to hear, he never got to hear her reply.

This only made the green-eyed vampire more suspicious. The intense stares Ian directed at Willow only added to his fears. Just how to broach the subject with Angelus without him going ballistic would be the key. He needed a calm ally, not a jealous lover going off half cocked. If Ian was a threat to Willow, they needed to act judiciously if they wanted to stop him before he did anything to the young girl.

"Angelus, we need to talk about Ian," Dieter said, launching into an explanation of his fears for his friend's safety.

Evil began to rise again in Sunnydale as was expected and foretold. With the rising tide of vampires and other assorted evil, time for fun was eliminated. Although Buffy and Xander saw each other daily, either patrolling together or during research sessions, the two young people had nary a moment to themselves, leaving no time to work on a relationship beyond friendship.

During this time, Buffy had found an inner-strength that she tapped into. Whether it was caused by her talk with Giles, her tentative relationship with Xander, or maybe because she had the good fortune to talk to Willow, Buffy was feeling better about herself and her future. Even Cordelia's comments earlier in the evening did not bring her down. Buffy enjoyed spending time with Xander, and even if things did not work out with them, she realized that she didn't need a man on her arm to define who she was. No matter what happened between her and Xander, she knew she had the strength to stand on her own.

Willow was caught completely by surprise by Ian's intrusion and didn't have the time to activate a protection spell. As he moved closer to her in the bathtub, she tried to formulate a plan, but when she tried to move, she found her limbs frozen in place. <Did he put some sort of spell on me?> As she looked at the approaching man, she noticed that his beautiful eyes had taken on a weird blue glow, and her feelings of helpless grew as he began chanting louder and louder. Suddenly, from behind his back, he pulled out a knife, and she knew she was in trouble. Whatever magic he had used on her, it had left her helpless against his attack.

Trying to search her mind for a spell that would thwart his attack, she found herself crumbling under his mental assault as well. Crying out from the pain, she felt herself losing consciousness, her body unable to handle the anguish any more, barely noticing the hand holding the knife coming closer to her heart.

Dieter's explanation was brought to a halt as Kaelin came barreling through the library doors.

"Do either of you know where Ian is?" the witch asked, worry evident in her voice.

Standing up and ready to jump into action, Dieter moved over by Kaelin. "No, but why do you ask?" he asked her shortly.

"I…I have been…worried about him lately," Kaelin answered, shoulders drooping.

Already briefed by Dieter, Angel was immediately wary of Ian's disappearance. "Now is not the time to hedge, Kae," Angel said. "If you think he is in trouble, we need to know what has been happening. Dieter has had some concerns…," the vampire abruptly stopped speaking, his body suddenly going rigid with fear.

Angel did not know what was going on, but suddenly his body was engulfed with a mind-numbing terror. Not able to detect any sort of trouble approaching, he was baffled by the crippling feelings that were crashing through his body. With amazing clarity, he was alerted to Willow's danger. Somehow she had projected them onto him, hoping to reach him for help.

Once the feelings subsided, he raced out the library doors, calling back to the two staring at him in confusion. "It's Willow. She's in trouble, and I have a feeling it has to do with Ian."

Not waiting for an answer, he barreled towards their room, taking the steps two at a time. Finding the door locked, he broke it down and made his way into the room, looking for the intruder that dared to strike terror in his consort. The demon inside him was screaming to tear Willow's assailant limb from limb for daring to touch or harm what was his. Throwing the bathroom door wide open, he was unprepared for the sight that assailed him. Willow was slumped unconscious, and Ian was ready to stab a knife into her heart. Working on instinct, Angel leapt for the intruder, taking him hard onto the tile bathroom floor. Without a thought for mercy, he quickly took the man's head in his hands and within an instant, Ian lay dead on the floor with a broken neck.

Chapter 17

Dieter and Kaelin were only steps behind the enraged Angelus, but by the time they reached the bathroom, Ian's body was already disappearing...collapsing in on itself...turning into ash. The inhuman wail of the demon disappearing into the ether pierced their ears, reinforcing their fears that their trusted ally and friend was no more.

Seeing her lover dead and what his lifeless body was doing, the ancient witch could only scream in heartache. She didn't understand what had happened, what had gone wrong, but as she swept from the room she knew she would move heaven and earth to find out what happened.

Kaelin felt like the walls were closing in on her. Knowing that Dieter and Angel would take care of Willow, the woman wanted only to alone with her thoughts. The recriminations from her friends could wait. She needed to deal with her guilt and her grief on her own first.

As Dieter moved to follow Kaelin, Angel halted the vampire's departure. "She needs to be by herself right now. I don't think even she knows what happened and needs some time to grasp that he is really dead."

Dieter could only nod his head in agreement. "Did he hurt her?" the vampire asked, looking at the unconscious girl, worry evident in his voice.

"I don't think so. Her heartbeat is slow but steady," Angel said, his hands balling into fists as his anger began to rise as what could have happened to Willow infiltrated his mind. "When I came into the bathroom, he was ready to stab her and she was already out cold."

Not concerned about decorum, only Willow's welfare, Angel pulled the young girl from the water and carried her into their bedroom. Lying her down on the bed, he began to check for any wounds. Not finding any, he took her in his arms and began to rock her, oblivious to the other vampire's presence, just content to be holding Willow in his arms. So consumed was Angel, so oblivious to the world around him, when Dieter slipped from the room to give them privacy, the brown-eyed vampire never noticed.

The suddenness and ferocity of what had just happened in the bathroom rocked Dieter. He had suspected a problem with Ian but never expected to have it come to a head and dealt with so quickly.

As he let himself into the library and settled into the easy chair, he began to discern the ramifications of what just had happened. Not taking emotions into account, he looked at the facts at hand. They had just lost a member of the team. How long Ian was 'possessed' was something that would have to be ascertained and how much of a security breach it presented would have to be discussed. The green-eyed vampire realized that Kaelin was not emotionally prepared at the moment to talk about it, but unfortunately, this would have to be dealt with and soon. The secrecy of their whereabouts could have been breached and another plan would have to be decided upon.

Deciding not to wait to speak with the others, Dieter reached for the phone and called Whistler. As the seconds passed and the call went unanswered, Dieter became more agitated. At this point he felt very helpless, not in control, something he was unused to. He had trusted Angelus' instincts in the past, but it seemed that the vampire's objectivity was clouded by his apparent affection for the witch. The younger vampire had not seen the warning signs that Ian emitted, so smitten with the young girl. Kaelin also was clouded in her perception. He wondered how long she knew something was going on and why she kept it to herself. The group was going to have to talk soon. The safety of Willow depended upon it, personal feelings be damned.

As he tried Whistler's number again, the call still going unanswered, the vampire vacillated between going to find Kaelin or going back to Angel's room to talk to him. Deciding on the vampire he knew best, Dieter swiftly left the library, taking the stairs two at a time, reaching the bedroom in no time at all.

Kaelin was miserable. She felt a void inside of her that she could not define. The wizened witch knew that she did not love Ian in a 'hearts and flowers' sort of way, but he had been her lover and her friend, and as she sat in the garden she began to mourn her loss. Their relationship would never set the world afire, but they had shared some wonderful times together. Trying not to slip into an abyss of despair, Kaelin attempted to get a grip on her emotions.

She realized that she had much to answer to when she went back to the house. She could not hide from the two vampires that would want answers, personal emotions set aside. Willow was almost killed tonight, and a large part of it was Kaelin's own fault. She groaned aloud at that thought. The witch had taken her away from Sunnydale for that reason, but ever since they left, she felt like she was out of control. After Matthew's death and they arrived at Dieter's, she had felt some safety. Yes, there were the problems with Ian, but she truly believed at the time that his behavior was personal…caused by a problem in their relationship that she did not see. <If it were only that simple.> She was disconcerted that she never considered the alternative.

Something had happened when she left him in New Jersey, and for that she felt responsible. While she was in California and Ian was 'infiltrating' the group, she realized that someone there knew who he was. Because she involved him in her escapade, he was now dead.

As Dieter entered the bedroom, he was taken aback by the raw emotions playing across Angel's face as the younger vampire looked up at him. The older vampire was moved by the pain, anguish and obvious affection he saw there. Dieter was truly surprised by Angelus' tenderness, as he watched the other vampire cradle the young girl in his arms. He knew the vampire cared for her, but did not realize the extent of his feelings. Dieter wondered if Angel was even aware how much the young girl meant to him.

Dieter moved to the bed slowly and sat on the edge closest to Angel. Compassion flooding him, the vampire reached out and brushed Angel's cheek gently with the back of his hand. "She'll be alright, Angelus. Her heartbeat is stronger than when I left." It wasn't a lie. As Dieter looked at the girl now clad in an oversized tee shirt, he could see the color returning to her face.

Angel closed his eyes, startled by the comfort he felt from Dieter's touch. The simple act and words brought him some much-needed clarity. He focused on Willow's heartbeat, and he knew that Dieter was right. Willow just needed time to regenerate, to heal. He had been overwhelmed with the fear of losing her, but now he needed to concentrate on keeping her safe.

Shifting Willow in his arms, he moved to a sitting position, ready to deal with the situation, but still unwilling to let her go. Angel could see Dieter's understanding smile, and he was not embarrassed by his need to touch Willow. Clasping the other vampire's hand, he simply said, "Thank you." The emotions were running high between the vampires, each reliving the closeness they had shared decades ago, but neither knowing how to deal with these emotions.

Breaking the spell, Dieter turned back to the business at hand, effectively dealing with the situation. "I tried to reach Whistler, but there was no answer. We will have to talk to Kaelin and find out as much as we can about Ian's actions." Taking an unnecessary sigh, Dieter continued, "When Whistler approached me about you coming here, he basically intimated that there was nowhere else for you to go." With his eyes piercing Angel's, he said, "If your whereabouts have been discovered, where do we go from here?"

Unconsciously gripping Willow tighter, Angel's thought through the possibilities. "It would do us no good to just fly out of here and roam endlessly through Europe. The way I see it, we have only two possibilities, and one is to stay here." Seeing Dieter's face grimace, Angel added, "The other is as unappealing…go back to Sunnydale. Although it seems foolish, there are two slayers that could help in protecting Willow." Seeing Dieter's look of distaste at the mention of slayers, Angel laughed, breaking some of the remaining tension.

"You know they aren't all that bad," Angel said. "I think I could even persuade them not to stake you," he said baiting the vampire, knowing the Dieter's ego would scoff at that statement.

"As if they could," Dieter said, smiling at his friend.

Their light banter was quelled when the door opened to reveal a washed-out Kaelin.

"How's she doing?" the witch asked the two vampires guiltily, moving to the bed to touch the young girl lying there. Her movements reflecting her need to assure herself that Willow was indeed OK.

Seeing the expectant look on the vampires' faces, the witch collapsed into a chair near the bed and launched into an explanation, wanting to get it off her chest. "It started right after we first arrived. Every night he would have violent dreams...nightmares. When I would ask him to tell me about them, try to help him deal with whatever problem that was plaguing him, he would clam up and tell me he didn't remember them. Sometimes I would wake up later in the night and he would be gone. I asked him about it, and he told me that after he woke up, he couldn't go back to sleep…that he would need to take a walk," she said, looking at the vampires, trying to gauge their reactions. "It made sense," she said, trying to justify her actions. "But that wasn't it," she continued. "Although he seemed fine during the day, especially during training, when we were alone, he was distant...removed. The warm, loving man I knew had changed. He didn't want to be...intimate anymore," she said, embarrassed at her admission. "He never really said anything, just brushed me off, blocking kisses, hugs, any sort of intimacy and affection. I tried to talk to him about it, but he said there wasn't a problem. He put it off to being tired and cranky from his lack of sleep. I didn't know what to think...I don't know what to think now."

Her strength weakening again, she softly began crying. Neither vampire spoke, just let her cry herself out. Both realized the anguish she was dealing with, and her breakdown did not leave them thinking any less of her or diminish her in their eyes. The woman had lost her lover and did not know why. She had spent two weeks with him, trying to understand his coldness, not realizing that he had changed into a killer...an assassin trying to kill the person she was sworn to protect.

Kaelin had left the room to pull herself together and freshen up. When she returned, Willow was still out cold, Angel was lying in bed with her, and Dieter was slouched in a chair by the bed engaged in conversation with Angel.

"What I don't understand is how you knew she was in trouble?" the older vampire asked Angel.

Shifting his position on the bed, he took a moment to answer Dieter's question. "We were talking in the library when out of the blue I was overcome with naked terror. Suddenly it dawned on me that these were not my feelings but Willow's. I just knew she was in trouble."

Turning to Kaelin, Angel asked, "I have felt her feelings before but never with such intensity. I know we have a connection…bond…but this was unbelievable in its intensity. Why so strong now?"

"I believe our training has refined her skills immensely. Her powers are slowly beginning to emerge, and although she didn't realize what she was doing, she tapped into a totally unused power and contacted you through the connection you already share," the woman said in explanation. The two vampires could only stare dumbfounded at her explanation.

"Then why don't I feel anything now. Why don't I know if she's in pain, happy, or secure?" Angel asked confused.

"I can only assume she tapped into the power unknowingly. I would bet money she had no idea she did it or how," Kaelin explained.

As the two vampires absorbed her words, the group fell into a silence only broken by Angel's words. "I think we should call Giles and tell him what's going on. Whistler too, but maybe Giles could help. Although he reluctantly became a Watcher, he has known many of the council members his entire life." Angel looked at the thoughtful expressions on the others in the room. "I think it is our only choice."

Standing up, Kaelin said, "I'll do it. Ian and Willow were my responsibility. I swore to keep her safe and I failed. If anyone should answer to Giles it should be me." With that she swept from the room, leaving two very stunned vampires behind.

"This is Jameson, sir. I have some interesting news about the young witch and her whereabouts," the council member said into the phone. "Rupert Giles has informed me that a demon was exterminated in a botched attempt to assassinate the girl."

As the Watcher listened to the man on the other end of the phone, a grimace began to form on his face. "Yes. They do believe that you had something to do with it, and they think they know when the man was 'infected'. They are asking for advice and help, and I want to know how you want me to proceed."

Listening attentively, the man asked, "Do you care which slayer is sent and which stays behind?" Again the man listened to his instructions, asking questions only when necessary. "Yes, Master. I will call Rupert Giles immediately."

Jameson hung up the phone and sat in thoughtful silence for a few minutes, deciding on a course of action that would surely result in his friend's demise as well as the lives of the two slayers.

The watcher had done what Kaelin had requested and called a close, trusted friend at the Council. A decision had been made and now he had some decisions to make that could effect the tenuous balance of emotional control that the group in Sunnydale had settled into.

Dieter could tell that Angel wanted to talk with the Watcher as well, yet at the same time did not want to leave Willow.

"Why don't you catch up with Kaelin and I will stay here with Willow?" the vampire said. "Willow probably won't wake up for a while, and I know you want to talk to the Watcher also. "

Angel was torn on what to do, but when he looked down at Willow's peaceful state, he decided to take Dieter up on his offer.

"I'll be right back up…this shouldn't take too long," Angel said as Dieter raised his eyebrows. Placing a quick kiss on her lips, Angel bounded out of the bedroom and down to the library where Kaelin was making the call.

It hadn't been ten minutes since Angel had left when Willow woke up. Opening her eyes sluggishly, the young girl slowly took in her surroundings, surprised when her gaze fell on the gorgeous, green-eyed vampire smiling at her. As her mind battled the haze, memories of what had happened filtered through, and she sat up frightened.

Unable to gain a sense of balance, she swayed on the bed, and Dieter caught her up in his arms. For a brief second, Willow luxuriated in the feeling of the vampire's strong arms around her, before rational thought prevailed. As the red-headed witch tried to pull away from him, frantically trying to get out of bed, he only pulled her tighter, making movement impossible. Dieter did not know what condition she was in and didn't want her to get hurt falling. "Willow, calm down. You're safe."

Willow looked frantically around the room. "Ian? Is Angel…Kaelin?" she babbled incoherently, trying to understand what had happened, hoping the people she loved were okay.

Shushing her, Dieter gently pushed her back down onto the bed and began his explanation. "Angel and Kaelin are OK. They are downstairs calling Giles," he said, trying to decide what to say about Ian. "And Ian…well, he won't hurt you anymore."

Willow settled into the pillows as Dieter explained what had happened and why Angel and Kaelin were calling the Watcher. The vampire could see the play of emotions cross her face as she thought about the ramifications of what had happened with Ian.

"How's Kaelin dealing with this?" the young girl asked.

Dieter smiled at her, amazed that the young girl immediately thought of Kaelin's pain rather than her own first. "The situation would have crippled a normal woman, but not Kaelin. Although she blames herself, she is not wallowing in self-pity but rather taking charge and insuring everything is back under control."

Willow and Dieter had been talking when Angel and Kaelin finally returned to the bedroom.

Angel immediately took her into his arms, delighted she was awake, smiling and talking animatedly with Dieter. The vampire was upset that he had not been there when she awoke, but felt better that at least she did not wake up alone.

Sighing contentedly, Willow snuggled deep into Angel's embrace, listening to the vampire and Kaelin relate their call to Giles. Not realizing how tired she still was, the young girl fell into a blissful sleep secure in Angel's arms.

When she woke the second time it was to Angel alone in their bedroom, but this time she felt much more refreshed and strong. She actually felt like eating. It took a lot of convincing and much cajoling, but Willow finally talked the vampire into taking her downstairs for something to eat.

As the she sat at a table with the other members of the household, Willow was told what had happened since she had fallen back to sleep.

"Did Giles say if it was Buffy or Faith that would come?" the young girl asked, not quite sure of her feelings about having one of the slayers here. Willow had been feeling more confident of her powers, and even her relationship with Angel, but having one of them here with them would surely undermine that confidence. Willow immediately felt bad about her feelings. She truly missed her friends, but at the same time, she had been enjoying her newly found freedom. There was no doubt that they would expect her to be the same girl she had been when she left Sunnydale only weeks before. They would never understand the life changing events that had taken place and molded her into someone more confident and independent.

Kaelin could tell the emotional turmoil the girl was going through. She knew the redhead was strong, but the events of the past couple of weeks were taking a toll on her. "No, Giles didn't say. I'm sure he is not looking forward to making a decision like that." Both Angel and Willow shook their head in agreement. Only they could truly understand the battle of wills that would take place when the rest of the group was notified of the Council's decision.

"But the Council wanted both slayers on the Hellmouth and it seems they were right. I mean, when I talked to Buffy and Giles, she said that they were working non-stop. What will happen to the slayer that is left behind with Giles?" Willow asked, wondering about the change in attitude. "Can she handle it?" she asked, concern for their safety evident in her voice. "Maybe we should just disregard what the Council said and just go back to Sunnydale?"

"The Council decided that it was more important to have you remain in place and finish the training without interruption. The additional slayer here would ensure your continued safety even in the event of an attack. As for the Hellmouth, the Council will be sending trained reinforcements to help the other slayer and Giles to keep the balance," Kaelin explained, and Willow continued to frown over the decision. "We are not even sure if your location has been compromised. I had some concerns at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I think it's a good decision."

"But…," the young girl started to argue before Kaelin interrupted her.

"Willow, let's not get into this now. We can discuss this tomorrow," the witch said, trying to placate the tired, young girl. "I still want to talk to Whistler about this, too. Besides, I told Giles we would call him tomorrow and let him know our plans. He won't talk to Buffy or Faith until then. Things are not set in stone."

The young girl was appeased for the moment. She did not have a good feeling about what the Council wanted them to do. She would have to talk to Angel about it later and find out what he thought about the decision.

Willow was still not 100 percent and Angel could see her energy waning as she tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn. "Why don't we go back upstairs, Willow. Actually, we could all use the rest," the vampire said. It had been a long night and everyone was more than happy to retire to their rooms for some much needed rest and solitude.

When they were alone in their room, lying on the bed, Angel took Willow into his arms and kissed her gently. "Willow, before…about Ian…?" the vampire started to ask, concern etched his voice as he worried about her reaction to his animalistic attack on Ian…one very reminiscent to his murder of Jenny Calendar. He did not want her frightened of him, but she had to know, deep down, that it was the demon that drove him to kill Ian in such a way. The demon and human soul acted together to protect their consort. Angel just hoped that Willow could deal with these revelations about his demon and the influence it had on his soul. Everyday she learned more about him. He just hoped this wasn't too much, that the truth that Angelus was an integral part of his life wouldn't alienate her from him.

Willow could read the fear in his eyes, and before he could even finish his question, she was already answering him. "Angel, you were protecting me and did what you had to do to keep me safe. I'm not in the least bit frightened of you because of it," she said, stroking his cheek with her palm. "If anything, I feel even more safe with you, if that is possible."

Angel melted under her touch and soothed by her words. "I was so frightened that he had hurt you. All I could think about was getting to you and protecting you. I thought that I had lost you," he said, kissing her more urgently as the fear began seeping back in. Taking her lips in an even more passionate kiss, the vampire tried to assuage his fears through the feel of her lips and body next to his.

"I don't know what I would do without you," he said between kisses, his hands moving down her back and cupping her backside, pressing her close against his erection. "I'm afraid…that I couldn't exist without you," Angel said, his urgency contagious, her hips grinding into his.

Willow was tired but also aroused beyond belief. Letting him know how much he meant to her without actually saying the words, Willow deepened their kiss. The feelings they shared were tangible, yet unspoken, neither one saying the words, only sharing their feelings through their loving actions.

Each moaned their needs as their bodies met and their lips melted together. Willow could feel his arousal through the thin cotton of his boxer shorts, and Angel could smell her arousal permeating the air around him. Grinding their pelvises together as the kiss grew more intense, their desires were escalating, need driving their actions

Angel slowly pushed the oversized shirt higher and higher up until he totally uncovered Willow's sumptuous body. Gingerly pulling it over her head, he gently laid her down on her back and began to lavish kisses randomly over her body, basking in the incoherent sounds the redhead was making. After slipping off his boxers, the vampire concentrated on making her understand how much he loved her by making slow passionate love to the hacker beneath him.

Willow was awash in sensation, lost in the warmth of feelings that were pouring from the vampire, and her heart began to swell. Although she did not admit it to herself before tonight, Willow was concerned about what would happen when the rest of the Slayerettes found out about her and Angel. Not to mention, his reaction to seeing Buffy again. Although Willow knew he had deep feelings for her, the young witch was still concerned about the slayer. But as she lay there on the bed, basking in the warmth of his kisses and touch, she realized that her fears were unfounded. The vampire loving her, worshipping her body with his touch and his kisses, was letting her know his feelings through his actions. And, boy, were those actions screaming to Willow. She felt aroused, loved, and desired. There could be no mistaking his actions or the look in his eyes. One look into the chocolate orbs and all insecurities dissipated, his smile quelling any remaining fears. He was hers and she was his.

Neither one wanted to rush this. Each felt the importance of letting the other experience their feelings. They both lay on the bed, letting the sensuality of their kisses take them higher. Then, slowly, they began to explore each other's bodies as if for the first time, enjoying the feelings they were evoking in the other. Each movement, each touch, each kiss, was tender and loving.

Willow had believed that Angel was a tender and patient lover, but as she delighted in his touch now, she realized that she never truly experienced such sensuous lovemaking before. Each time they came together over the past couple of weeks, although it started out tender and even gentle, it soon escalated into something wild and frenzied…something that drove Willow to the brink of sanity in its intensity of feeling. Their couplings were always enjoyable, and Willow would never complain, but since her only experience was with Angel, a vampire, she suddenly realized how tender lovemaking with a human could be. Was she disappointed things were the way they were? Never! The young girl had begun to realize that she had the best of both worlds right at her fingertips…finger tips she was using to tease and stroke her lover's erection.

Angel softly moaned as Willow's little hand and fingers were stroking his arousal. He was fighting back the demon, trying for all his worth to make this the most loving moment of her life. He had wanted her to feel his love for her, as a human, not a vampire, but already he was losing his control with each stroke of her hand, each kiss and nip to his body. Again, he was trying to be something he was not. He was lying to himself in an attempt to make this woman happy. He was not human. As he gave way to the vampire in him, his face changed and his fangs elongated, and he realized something about Willow he never noticed before. His change only excited her more. Her heart rate increased, her panting became more pronounced and her actions seemed to become more 'animalistic'. Basically her body was in tune with him and his change, her body naturally reacted to the change that occurred in him, and Willow enjoyed it. A part of him always wondered if she was even a little repulsed, but now, because he was so hyperaware of her feelings, her movements, he soon realized that although he wanted to be more human for her 'sake', she really enjoyed it both tender and rough. She truly did accept him as he was, and he could not be happier. <If only she could love me the way I am beginning to love her.>

Looking into her lust-filled eyes, he rolled her on to her back and slowly made his way down her body to her core. The young girl naturally reacted, bucking wildly when his cool lips and tongue touched her, slowly licking and then flicking his tongue wildly on her clit, bringing her to a quick orgasm.

Not wanting or able to delay the act any longer, Angel quickly moved up her body, capturing her mouth with his, pressing his tongue into her mouth, letting her taste her juices on his lips.

Willow was desperate for more and reached down between their bodies, trying to steer his erection into her heat, but the very aroused vampire only pulled his hips back, denying entrance into her. The young girl was confused, but understood his motivation, as he quickly flipped her over onto her stomach, pulling her onto her knees with him directly behind her. They had done it like this once before, and he knew she liked it. It had given her more opportunity for movement…for her to take control from him and vice versa. It was a war of wills that they both enjoyed.

As he slid into her slowly, she groaned in pleasure, bucking her hips back, trying to take all of him at once. Angel had her hips though, and he was able to control his movements, teasing her and himself with the slow penetration…slowly drawing out their pleasures. When he was totally sheathed in her, he pulled her up slightly, wrapping his arms around her and kissed the nape of her neck. It felt so good to be in her, to feel her wrapped around his coldness, that he was loathe to move, but his desire was spiraling out of control and both their bodies were screaming for the satisfaction.

As of one mind and body, they both began to move, slowly at first, then faster and faster until they were both near their climax.

Willow was incoherent as the waves of pleasures rode over her body. His hands were not idle, roving over her breasts, alternating tender caress and pinches to her nipples, stroking her clitoris, spreading the wetness seeping from her core over her swollen lips. She felt bereft when his body lifted from her back, but realized why he moved when she felt his finger at her anus. Slowly he began to rub her virgin hole with his wet finger, entering her a little at a time, waiting until she adjusted to the intrusion.

The young girl was frightened at first, then as she grew accustomed to him, she began to relax. The slight pain and burning was still there as he moved further and further into her, but the pleasurable sensations he was invoking were overriding any displeasure she felt.

Angel was trying to hold back his climax as he slowly inserted his finger into her tight hole. As her body wrapped tightly around his finger, squeezing him, he began to lose control. The erotic feelings it evoked as he imagined his cock slipping into that tight orifice brought him over the edge. Roughly pulling her up as he leant down towards the nape of her neck, he slowly bit into her tender flesh, taking some of her lifeblood as his body and hers trembled in release.

Collapsing into a tangled mess on the bed, he slowly eased himself from her body and took her into his strong arms, kissing her gently, rocking her still trembling body as she came down from the most incredible climax she had ever experienced. Her green eyes slowly shut in exhaustion, her body succumbing to the need for sleep, both from the exertions of their sexual activities, and a need to regenerate from the attack. As she drifted off to sleep, she never realized the words she spoke aloud.

"I love you, too," Angel said as he too drifted off in much needed sleep.

Chapter 18

Dieter and Kaelin were talking amicably when Angel and Willow came down for breakfast.

"Did you get hold of Whistler?" Angel asked the two sipping their coffee as he poured cups for both him and Willow.

Handing it to the young girl digging into her cereal, Angel took a seat and looked at his companions.

"No, we didn't, and frankly, I'm getting worried," Kaelin said.

Indecision was written all over the hacker's face. Willow and Angel had talked about the situation this morning but did not come to a mutual decision. Actually, they were of two different opinions. The young witch was concerned about splitting up the slayers no matter what the Council said. Her concern was that a single slayer could not control the growing tide of demons entering Sunnydale. And although she did not directly say so, Angel knew she was concerned about Giles' welfare too. No matter which slayer was left behind, Giles would be at the front of the battle, helping his slayer. Yet, if the group did not know Willow's whereabouts, they could be making a big mistake leaving Germany. They seemed to be in a no-win situation without a clear-cut answer about what to do. The vampire had hoped that Whistler would help, but it did not look like they would be talking to him anytime soon. That, in and of itself, opened up a whole other can of worms.

"I don't like it either," Dieter said. "I think we have to make a decision soon though, whether or not we stay here or go back to Sunnydale. The longer we delay, the quicker we open ourselves up for an attack, if our location has been compromised. I like being in control and the way things stand, we are definitely not." Dieter finished his coffee and started pacing around the room. "How much can we trust the Council?" the vampire asked no one in particular. "I think that is what will drive our decision."

It was a beautiful Saturday morning that Giles sat in the library, waiting for his charges to show up. He had called them earlier, much to their ire, and requested that they come to the library because he had some very important things to discuss with them. No one had gotten much sleep. They had been up late doing more research, finally conceding defeat at 3 AM. The watcher hadn't been home very long when he received the call from Kaelin. Leaning back in his chair, he took his glasses off and closed his eyes for a few minutes, waiting for his warriors to arrive.

Giving one final sweep around the bedroom to make sure she did not leave anything behind, Willow reluctantly closed the door and headed down the hallway. Although she was happy that she would be seeing her friends again, she was also sad. The young girl knew she would never be back to Dieter's estate. Sure, she may actually visit Germany again, but probably never to this estate. She had grown to love the place, the land and the people she made friends with here. It would always hold a special place for the relationships formed at this house, especially since it was in this very room that she realized she was in love with Angel.

The watcher was amazed at the tenacity of the group as they arrived, talking animatedly, sipping their Starbucks' coffee and looking none-the-worse for wear. Yes, if you looked close enough, you could see some of the weariness of the last few weeks taking its toll, but overall they were doing well. As Giles accepted the jelly donut, he could only hope that the plan they were about to put in motion would work.

"Thank you very much," the watcher said, biting into the donut the gang brought him. Watching the group with worried eyes as they milled around the library, he called the impromptu meeting to order. "Well…yes…sit down…all of you. We have much to discuss," he continued, placing the donut on the table and taking off his glasses. All three occupants looked at each other, reading the watcher's movements, knowing that something big was brewing, and deep down knowing that it had to do with Willow.

Angel looked at his companions sleeping peacefully in their seats. The plane had been in the air an hour now, and the rest of the group was taking the opportunity to get much needed rest. Actually, he knew Dieter was not sleeping but most likely taking the quiet time offered to reflect and plan. The two vampires were so very much alike, yet so very different. Although he was happy to see the vampire again, and re-establish a friendship, there was something about the situation that left Angel uneasy…the fact that they shared such a violent past. Angel hoped that together with Willow, he could finally put his past to rest and work on the future.

Looking at the sleeping girl at his side, he could only marvel at the wonders she brought into his life. Without her help, he would be without a permanent soul, forced to live in the darkness and exist without love. Now he knew all of those things, plus he was given a second chance for a real friendship with Dieter.

Angel reflected on the events of the day. After the discussion at breakfast, everyone split up responsibilities, making the necessary plans to move their base of operations to Sunnydale.

It was not an easy decision to make and everyone had their own ideas about what was right, but finally they came to a mutual agreement. They would go back to Sunnydale in secret, the Council would believe a Slayer would join them in Frankfurt and they would continue to train…hiding in plain sight, as Dieter called it. Willow, using her skills with the computer, rented a large mansion on the other side of town far away from the one Angel had lived in on Crawford Street. Using her expertise, she manipulated the records to show the rental on Main Street had been acquired six months ago.

The house, with five bedrooms, would be large enough for them to live there comfortably and train, including the Slayer 'who left for Frankfurt'. Angel smiled to himself as he thought about what Giles would be going through at this point with the group in Sunnydale.

<Poor Giles.> Angel again smiled to himself as he thought about Buffy and Faith each badgering Giles for the job. Thinking about the pandemonium in the library, realization hit him and the smile turned to a grimace as he considered the ramifications. <Harris. How could I forget about him? I bet Willow hasn't. He best not cause trouble with Willow or I swear to God, soul or not, I will break his neck.>

"But, Giles, she is my best friend. They would expect me to go to Frankfurt," the blond slayer said. <And it really has nothing to do with Angel…or that…Kaelin. I just don't trust her with either of them!>

"Well…umm…," the watcher began before being cut off by Faith.

"That is exactly why I should go. You are too close to it, B. The powers that be would assume that Giles would send me," the dark haired slayer said. "Why would Giles send you to Frankfurt, especially with Angel being there? Too much temptation, you know?" she added, hoping to goad the other slayer into a battle of words.

Faith enjoyed seeing Buffy squirm…loved to taunt her. It was hard to hold back sometimes. It was obvious that the other slayer was Giles' favorite, at least to the dark-haired slayer. Faith tried to lay off Buffy, but somehow she couldn't help herself. Sometimes bringing to both the blond slayer and her watcher's attention just how imperfect Buffy could be, was the salve Faith needed to heal her wounds.

"I think…," the watcher started, but this time was cut off by Xander.

"I think Buffy and I should be the ones to go," he said to the shock of everyone present. Xander had never been an issue. "What?" he said in answer to the three people staring at him. "Well, of course I would go. Willow's been my best bud forever. It would seem…Hellmouthy if I didn't go."

Giles continued to stare at the boy. <There was actually something in what the boy said. Good, Lord!…I'm taking advice from Xander now.> "I think…um…Xander has made a very important observation," he said. The two slayers looked at their watcher slack-mouthed. <Did he really just say that?> "Yes…well…he did hit upon an important fact. If Buffy and Xander go, it might alert the cult as to the identity of the witch. We still don't know if they have identified Willow yet. We assume Kaelin has been, but we cannot be sure about Willow or Angel. That is why it has to be Faith," the watcher said to the group.

As Xander began to open his mouth in argument, the watcher said forcefully, "That is my decision and that is how it will stay. We are not sending them into exile, Xander, you will just…umm…have to be careful when you go see them," the watcher said, hoping that the last sentence permeated the teenager's brain.

Tired from the argument, lack of sleep and endless research, Giles took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, trying to get some focus. Although his decision had been made, arrangements still needed to be finalized on their end in Sunnydale. Jameson at the Council had informed him that ten watchers would be arriving in Sunnydale in four days time. He needed to set up lodging for them, as well as stocking up the house on Main Street with both food and blood for his friends. They would be tired and hungry when they arrived.

"Buffy, why don't you go to Willy's and get some blood for Angel," the watcher said. "They will be arriving tonight and are going to need some supplies. Xander, if you wouldn't mind going to the food store…umm…well, yes, of course you don't mind, and get some of the necessities for Kaelin and Willow," the watcher said, then amended his request. "Why don't I write some of the…umm…things down that you will need to get. Your idea of necessities might not be the same as mine."

"Ho-hos are a necessity," the boy said indignantly. "And so are Yankee Doodles, and cheesy puffs, and frozen pizza."

"Exactly," the watcher said, handing the list to the young boy. He was surprised to see Buffy still there.

"Giles, I don't see why I have…" the blond slayer began, before her watcher cut her off.

"Buffy, that is enough. Faith needs to go home and pack and begin to move some household supplies into the house. Would you rather get the sheets and pots together?" the watcher asked.

"No," she said grumbling and pouting. With that she headed out on her mission to Willy's with Xander quickly following.

"Why don't I think B is 5X5 with this, G?" Faith asked, happy that Buffy was put into place. <Maybe this gig with Willow and Angel won't be so bad!>

They quickly exited the plane after a grueling, long journey from Frankfurt, and Willow was glad to be on the ground again.

The plan was to rent a car and drive into Sunnydale from Los Angeles. The house would be open and the slayer-in-residence set up already. Willow was looking forward to seeing her friends but a little apprehensive also.

She and Angel had talked a little on the plane about what would happen when they reached Sunnydale, and neither wanted to keep their relationship hidden. Both realized that it would necessitate a talk with both Buffy and Xander, and that was something Willow was not looking forward to. Especially if Buffy was the slayer selected to stay in the house with them. She and Angel had hoped to have a day or two before talking with them, but if she was living there, then the timeline would have to be pushed forward. Angel did not want Willow sleeping in another room, and frankly, she didn't relish the idea either.

The young girl had no idea how her friends would deal with the revelation. Buffy would naturally be upset, but since the slayer and Angel had broken up before he left, Willow hoped that Buffy truly had let the relationship go. From what the young witch had gleaned from her phone conversations with the slayer, Buffy indeed had begun to move on with the help of someone new in her life. She just hoped that Buffy didn't view her relationship with the gorgeous vampire as a betrayal. The young girl had no idea how she would deal with that.

Xander would be a whole other matter. Although Willow and Xander were never officially dating, they were trying to work out a relationship. At least Willow had been trying but all Xander did was stall for time. No matter what, the redhead knew that her best friend would not be happy about the relationship with Angel. His hatred of the vampire was so strong that she feared he would hate her, too…force her to make a decision between their friendship and her lover. Sighing as she settled into the rental car, she just prayed that Xander had matured a little while she was gone.

Chapter 19

Xander and Buffy walked together from the library to the house on Main Street. During their few weeks together as a couple, neither teen had talked about what would happen when Willow and Angel came back or what they would tell them. The two teenagers had been trying to work out a relationship, which wasn't an easy thing to do on the Hellmouth. Between the research, the slaying and really getting to know each other, neither teen had the luxury, nor the desire, to consider what would happen when Willow and Angel returned.

"When do you plan on telling her?" Buffy asked Xander. No further explanation of who or what was necessary.

"Tomorrow," he said, becoming silent again. He hadn't thought about how he was going to do it, but Xander knew that he couldn't lie to Willow either. He just hoped that his best friend wouldn't lose it when he told her.

"I really don't want to prolong it. Will deserves to know right away…not like what I did with Cordy," he added.

Buffy made a face at the mention of the prom queen. The slayer wondered if Cordy had any feelings left for Xander. Willow...well, Buffy didn't really worry about the hacker. She wouldn't be happy, but she'd deal. <After everything I have gone through, Willow would never begrudge me any happiness…even if it is with Xander.> The slayer knew she could count on the hacker to be a real sport. <I mean…what's the bad here?>

Buffy's real concern lay with Angel and how he would deal with her and Xander being together. Although she recognized the fact that a slayer and a vampire shouldn't be together, and Angel was the one who broke up with her, she just knew the vampire still loved her and probably always would. She was the love of his unlife. The slayer understood that it would take a lot of time for the vampire to get over her. In the past, Angel had always been jealous of her relationship with Xander, and this could very well send him over the edge. Hopefully, Angel and Willow were close enough that Willow could control the vampire and stop him from doing something to Xander, if necessary.

"Good," the slayer said. "The sooner the better, I always say," she added and with a bounce to her step they continued towards the mansion. "I plan to talk to Angel tomorrow, too," Buffy told him. She hadn't broken the news to Xander about what she had planned with Angel because she knew that he was jealous of the vampire. "I'm sure he'll want to go patrolling with me tomorrow night...you know…he'll probably want to see me…talk…since we haven't seen each other for so long." Sensing Xander's jealousy, she added, "I mean, I would rather have you with me, but it might be a good idea for you to talk to Willow then, too. We can let them down easy."

"He should know straight out that there is no chance of him and I getting back together," the slayer told her boyfriend, confident that she knew exactly what would happen. "We really don't want to give either of them any false hopes."

The ride from the airport was quiet and tension-filled, at least for Willow. She was worried about the next two days and the events that could ruin the friendship of a lifetime.

Angel picked up on her nervousness. "Are you OK, Little One?" he asked, taking her hand in his.

Smiling up at her lover, she responded with a tremulous smile, "As long as you're here, I'm fine."

"You have nothing to worry about then. I'm not going anywhere," he replied, knowing his words would soothe her somewhat but not totally. Her concern about the Slayerettes' reactions to their relationship was pushing Willow to the edge. She had barely said five words on the plane and nothing in the car, and Angel knew that her worry was festering. But there was nothing he could do to help. They would just have to wait and see what happened tomorrow when they talked to Buffy and Xander and deal with whatever happened.

As they the four got closer to Sunnydale, Dieter began grumbling. "You know I am not all that happy about having to live in a house with a slayer. Angelus, you and I could have proved more than enough protection for Willow."

"True, but then again the plan was that it would appear that the slayer left town," Angel said, speaking slowly as if trying to reason with a child. "It was your idea after all," the dark-haired vampire pointed out.

"I didn't intend for her to stay with us!" Dieter bellowed. "Why couldn't she stay with her Watcher? Or the other slayer?" he said. "You know how I get around 'them'," he warned, letting his distaste of slayers be heard in his voice and seen on his face.

Willow began to worry when she saw a flash of yellow in Dieter's eyes, and she looked at Angel for reassurance.

"Well, you better keep yourself in check now," Angel said to the other vampire.

No matter what anyone said, Dieter just continued to grumble until they finally turned into Sunnydale and he felt the power of the Hellmouth.

They were all gathered together in the mansion, Buffy and Xander fidgeting on the couch, Giles reading a book and Faith sharpening her knives. They made such a lovely family.

"Where are they?" Buffy asked, patience not her strong suit.

"They should be here any minute," her watcher replied, never taking his eyes from his book. "And please, give them a minute to walk in the door before you…," he started to say as Buffy jumped off the couch.

Before he could even finish what he was saying, both slayers were up on their feet, their enhanced hearing picking up sounds from the driveway.

Not giving her watcher any thought, Buffy said, "They're here! I heard a car door."

At the blonde's words, Xander immediately jumped up from the couch and quickly followed his girlfriend out the door, with Giles and Faith following close behind.

"What were you going to say G?" Faith asked, feigning innocence as they moved to follow the other two. <God, I just love needling him about Buffy!>

Giles gave her his best glare as he, too, left the house.

Everyone was so focused on Willow, hugging her and barraging her with questions that no one paid any attention to the other people who had also exited the car…except for Faith.

Faith never felt more like an outsider. She never really felt comfortable with the warm and fuzzies, which this group seemed to thrive on. Yes, she could have gotten used to them, but everyone always seemed to keep her at arm's distance. Granted her attitude didn't help, but no one really tried either.

Faith was jolted out of misery with that familiar niggling feeling she got whenever a vampire was near. Realizing that it was not Angel setting off her early warning system, she turned around to face one of the most gorgeous men she had ever seen <God, he's got to be a vampire. No humans who live in Sunnydale ever look that good!> Circling the car, never taking her eyes away from his piercing green ones, the slayer moved closer to the vamp, easing out a stake from her pocket. At this point, she wasn't going to attack; she'd sit back and see where this would go. Now in full view, the brunette quickly raked her eyes over his body, quickly noting his fine physique, which was accentuated by his tight blue jeans and form fitting v-neck sweater. Dragging her gaze back to his face, she was again mesmerized by his beautiful green eyes, sculptured face and lustrous, long black hair pulled back away from his face. <A definite hottie.>

"I assume this fine example of a vamp is with you, Willow?" Faith asked, still maintaining eye contact with Dieter while gaining a fang-tinged smile from the subject of her question. She already knew the answer, but the slayer couldn't wait for Giles' reaction.

"Huh," Willow said turning her attention to Faith. She was confused momentarily, assuming the slayer meant Angel until she saw the focus of the brunette's attention. "Oh, don't stake him," Willow cried, forgetting the other vampire in the group. "That would be a bad," she added. "He is helping us."

As far as Xander was concerned, the timing of Faith's question couldn't have been better. He had noticed that once Buffy had finished greeting her friend, she had turned her attention to the vampire that was once her lover. Although he could see the strain between the two, he did not really care for the look in her eyes. <Did I just hear Willow say another bloodsucker was helping them? Oh god, not another one!>

Quickly moving to stand in front of Dieter, Willow tried to explain. "I'm sorry. I forgot…you know…that he's a vampire. Buffy, Faith, please put down your stakes. He won't attack…doesn't attack." Turning to Dieter, she asked, her voice cracking, slightly nervous, "You don't attack anymore do you?"

"No, he doesn't," Angel said, answering for the vampire who was enjoying the pandemonium far too much. The brown-eyed vampire knew that Dieter was itching to get into it with one of the slayers and would probably at any minute start goading them. Moving over to Dieter and Willow, Angel put himself between the slayers and the other vampire. Angel had a bad feeling about this and wished that they would just get inside and get everybody home.

Kaelin finally spoke up and quickly explained who Dieter was and how they found themselves with the additional help. Slowly Faith and Buffy backed down.

"Do you think we could take this inside?" the witch said to no one in particular. "I am dying for a shower." Kaelin wanted to get inside. She was disturbed by Dieter's tantrum in the car and wanted to avoid any and all confrontations if possible.

Giles immediately began to usher the group into the house. "Umm…yes. Sorry. Let's…umm…move inside."

As they walked, the watcher continued to question Kaelin. "You said that Whistler sent you to him?" the watcher said, feeling slightly uncomfortable under the green-eyed gaze of the vampire who was watching him intently.

"We had no idea where to go, and he sent us to Dieter, without a second thought, " Kaelin explained.

"Umm, well, Dieter, how old are you?" Giles asked the vampire. "I don't, umm, recall a mention of you in any of the old Watcher Journals."

"270 years old," Dieter answered, and then with what could only be described as a devilish smile added, "And I don't think you will find anything either. I usually made sure I…destroyed…any evidence I came across about myself."

"What do you mean destroyed?" Buffy asked snottily, instantly dropping into attack position. The blond had taken an instant dislike to the long-haired vampire, and she was just itching to wipe the smirk off his face.

"Dieter," Angel said in warning, trying to stop the vampire from saying too much.

"Oh come on, Angelus. Don't be modest," Dieter said to the other vampire. Turning to Buffy he answered her question. "No vampire worth his salt wants to have himself recorded in the Watcher's Journals for other slayers and watchers to study. Whenever we could, we would kill the Watcher and Slayers we came across. Actually we were very good at it, weren't we Angelus?" Hearing Buffy's gasp just prodded Dieter on more. "What was your final tally? five? six? And what about the gypsy girl that you killed and we both got cursed for? Did you ever find out if she was a slayer like we thought?" Dieter said, relishing the idea that he was at least getting to one slayer.

"Damn you, Dieter," Angel ground out between clenched teeth. Frankly he didn't care anymore what anyone else thought about his past, but he did not tell Willow about it yet. He sure didn't want her to hear about it this way either. <Damn him to hell for his bravado!>

As he looked at Willow to gauge her reaction, he was quite surprised that she seemed relatively unaffected, but an angry, blond slayer interrupted his temporary relief.

"You bastard," she said, walking up to Angel and slapping him in the face. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears and her lips were trembling in an effort to seem unaffected…to hide her hurt and fear, her anger at his never sharing this information with her. "How could you? How could you be with me and never tell me! How could you keep that from me!" the slayer said, pounding on this chest with her fists. "Tell me how!" she said, finally breaking down into tears. "You were right when you once told me that the truth can be much worse. It sure is." With that said, she turned on her heel and left the mansion.

When Xander attempted to follow his distraught girlfriend out of the mansion, Kaelin grabbed him by the arm and stopped his retreat. "Leave her be. She needs to deal with this on her own," Kaelin told him. "There is nothing you can say or do that would make her feel better right now."

Xander knew she was right, but the teen was angry as hell at the two vampires. He was angry with Angel for keeping all this information from Buffy and angry with Dieter for telling them. As he was about to lay into them both, Willow stepped forward and took the situation into her own hands, literally.

Willow was beyond angry...not with Angel, but with Dieter. He knew that Angel had a professional relationship with the slayers and that this would affect it. Dieter knew that they all had to work together, and he still couldn't keep his hatred inside. This would no doubt have a profound affect on their working together. If the vampire didn't stop acting like Xander, they would wind up killing each other and not have to worry about what would happen in a few months time. <At least Xander has the excuse of being young and immature. How do you rationalize that kind of behavior from a 270 year old?>

Willow walked over to Dieter who was openly laughing and stopped in front of him. "You...nasty...vampire!" she shouted at him. "You might as well be...soulless...the way you took pleasure in her pain." Angel moved to hold her, but Willow just shrugged her off. She was not done with Dieter. "How could you!" the young girl screamed at him. "You have no idea what she's been through…what it's been like for her…not having a choice," she added in a low voice. Willow wanted to cry, but she wanted to hurt Dieter more, but before she could say anything further, he countered what she said.

The laughter now faded, he stood straight and said to Willow while pointing to the group seated in the living room, "Tell me, besides the young buffoon, who here has had a choice about their life path, hmm?" he asked Willow. "Who in this room couldn't have been dealt a better hand?" When no one said anything, he continued, "Willow, I'm a vampire, and so is Angel, no matter how you try to sugar coat it, things are not going to change. We are demons, and if you want to be part of the Slayer's support group, then that's just fine, but don't include me in it."

"You don't understand," Willow started to explain, but Dieter stopped her.

"Oh, I think I do understand. Your slayer needs to grow up and face reality," the vampire countered.

The watcher could take no more. "Well, yes, she may have, umm, overreacted, but she is a young girl…her sensibilities in such manners…"

Faith had to say her piece. "Come on, G. Sensibilities? I mean, be real here. The concept is not that difficult, even for B to understand…Master vampires plus slayers equal fight to the death, and it includes watchers. Hell, Buffy witnessed it herself when her first watcher, Merrick was killed, and so did I. This is not a new concept. Did she think Angelus just avoided slayers?"

"Well, umm, to be fair, she may have overreacted, but because of the situation with Angel," the Watcher said but again was interrupted.

"What situation?" Dieter asked Angel, and Willow could only groan. She knew Dieter would exploit that information to no end with Buffy.

"Well, yes, of course, you don't know," Giles said, uncomfortable talking about it with the vampire. "Well, Buffy and Angel…umm…became intimate," he said, taking off his glasses as his discomfort grew, "and then he lost his soul, starting a campaign to destroy her and all of us," Giles said. "Willow restored his soul, but not before Buffy had to send him to Hell...before Angelus destroyed the world. If not for Willow, Angelus would still be in the demon dimension."

Dieter could not help laughing. "Oh, this is too much even for you Angelus. You are really screwed now."

Getting confused looks from everyone, he elaborated, much to Willow and Angel's dismay.

"When 'Buffy' finds out that he has become 'intimate' with Willow she is going to…" Dieter stopped, trying to find the words to finish his thoughts properly.

"Go ballistic," Faith said, finishing his thought for him.

A loud thump was heard and all turned to see its cause.

"Xander!" Willow yelled, as she rushed to the fallen teen's side. <Goddess, I guess he's not taking this well.>

Part 20

As Willow rushed over to her fallen friend, Angel and Dieter stood nose-to-nose. If not for the clear thinking of Kaelin, who quickly separated them, things would have gotten out of hand. Things were bad enough without a fistfight between two master vampires.

Turning to the green-eyed vampire, Kaelin told him, "Why don't you go and talk a walk or settle into a bedroom upstairs. You've caused enough damage." As he began to protest, she continued, "You are not welcome here right now, Dieter."

Hearing the determination in her voice, he realized this was not the time to argue. Not truly conceding surrender, the vampire, giving Angel one last look, picked up his coat and headed towards the door, planning to leave the group and their problems without a second thought. But before he could leave the house, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Willow bending over her friend, tears staining her face. Suddenly he realized what he had done. In his desire to attack the slayers, if not physically then emotionally, he had unwittingly hurt his friend. The demon in him had blinded him to the pain he was causing Willow and Angel, in an effort to get to Buffy.

During the last two weeks, Angel and Dieter had worked hard at forging a tentative friendship, and Dieter was the happier for it. As for Willow, her trust in him was given so freely that seeing her face now only made him realize what his little victory over the Slayer might have cost him. Closing the door behind him, he realized that he had some serious apologizing to do when he came back. Angel would undoubtedly understand, but would Willow?

"Xander! Xander! Are you OK?" the young woman called to the young man in her lap. Hearing a sound behind her, she realized that Kaelin had joined her on the floor and was looking the boy over.

"He should wake soon, Willow. He has a thick skull, which I'm sure the fall did little to," the witch assured the young girl, bringing a smile to her lips.

As the young man, stirred in her lap, she looked at Angel. "Oh God. I didn't want him to find out like this," she said, catching Angel's eyes. "I knew it wouldn't be easy, but now…," she trailed off, knowing the worst was yet to come.

"Can I speak with you?" Giles said to Angel in a tight-clipped voice.

The vampire turned to the Watcher, hearing the repressed anger in his voice, and nodded his head in agreement.

When Giles turned on his heel and left the room, Angel was forced to follow.

"Angel?" Willow said, not sure she understood what was happening. All her attention had been on Xander, and the young girl did not see the hatred burning in Giles' eyes at the revelation of Willow and Angel's relationship.

"It's OK baby. I'll be right back. I need to talk to Giles a minute. If you need me, just shout and I'll be right back," he said, before leaving the room and facing the angry wrath of Ripper.

Once Angel had entered the small sitting room, Giles closed the door, and the Watcher took a moment to compose himself before he began. It was taking every ounce of control the Watcher had not to throttle the vampire.

Angel could feel the man's rage just under the surface, waiting to explode at the slightest bit of provocation from the vampire. Angel realized the explosiveness of the situation, and the vampire steeled himself for what he was sure would be a dressing down from the Watcher. The vampire did not want the situation to get physical, and he realized that one little thing could cause it to become so. As he settled into a nearby chair, he waited for Giles to begin.

"Will?" the young man asked, then groaned as he tried to get up. As the memories returned he groaned again, not really wanting to deal with the situation.

"Was the Fabio wanna-be telling the truth...about you and Deadboy?" Xander asked the young girl, shifting out of her lap so that he could look at her face, his voice betraying his fears.

Xander had planned on telling Willow about him and Buffy and thought he was prepared to deal with the repercussions. Instead, he was at the receiving end of something he could not quite fathom: Willow with Angel. The young man had been worried about Willow's reaction, now he was finding himself having problems with what she was telling him. And God only knew how Buffy was going to deal with this. He knew that the Slayer and Angel were through, but how she would deal with Willow with the vampire would be another thing.

Willow shook her head and looked down at her hands in her lap. "We didn't really want you to find out like that. I had hoped to talk to you about it tomorrow. Angel even planned on telling Buffy on patrol, if she wanted him to go with her."

Seeing his mouth fall open and nothing come out, the young girl just continued her explanation, "I know you hate him, but with the way things are...with umm me...and the prophecy...could you please give him a chance?" she pleaded, hoping to reach her best friend.

When he still said nothing, she continued her rambling, "You and I, well, it was what I thought I wanted. I realized when I was away that you were right when you held back. I mean, it's not that I stopped caring about you, I just realized the way I care about you got confused with the way I thought men and women should feel when they are in love," the young girl babbled. She became very confused and worried when he started to laugh, and she really wished that she had Angel here with her to deal with it.

"Wasn't Buffy enough?" the Watcher growled, turning around and facing the vampire. Not waiting for an answer he continued his tirade at the vampire. "Wasn't taking her heart and smashing it to pieces enough for you? " Giles asked, turning away from Angel, trying to get his anger under control. With his back still turned he asked the vampire, "Why Willow?" he said quietly, the hurt in his voice overriding the anger.

Hearing the pain in the Librarian's voice, Angel could only cringe. The vampire knew that his relationship with Willow would not be easily accepted, but hearing the pain and anger, the venom in the man's voice, the vampire definitely underestimated the man's hatred of him. In Giles' eyes, they had to work together and they would, but he would never forgive the vampire for what he had done. It bothered Angel to no end that the Watcher couldn't even look at him when he spoke, that Giles was so angry with him, so disgusted that he couldn't even look him in the eye. The vampire was only coming to realize just how much Giles cared for Willow, that the Watcher cared for her as much as a father would care for a daughter.

Giles continued, his voice and body betraying his barely controlled hostility, "She is so young, so innocent, why did you have to do this to her? Why did you have to taint her...with...with your twisted need for companionship? Vampire sex and Willow should not even enter the same sentence," Giles said, turning around and looking at the vampire. "Buffy…I can understand her…not that I ever liked it or condoned it for that matter, but the Slayer is a supernatural being, the opposite of your demon, but equals, so to speak. She could hold her own if need be. But why did you have to…tarnish…the one beautifully, innocent creature in this world. Is there no end to your depravity? Do you realize what will happen to her when you are done dallying with her, or worse, if you should lose your soul? I don't know what got into Willow…umm…or what you were thinking, since the last time your foolishness nearly destroyed us all. You nearly killed Buffy when you lost your soul, and agai! n when you broke up. What do you think will happen to Willow?" the Watcher demanded, turning his back again to the vampire as his control began to fade and Ripper started to emerge.

Angel quietly listened to the Watcher's tirade, keeping control of his rising temper. He realized that he had done nothing but cause pain to the man before him and that the Librarian was only looking out for Willow's best interests. Still, it was hard to keep the demon in check. When Giles had finally settled down and said his peace, the vampire began his explanations, going back to Angel and Willow's time when they were still in Sunnydale, how their friendship blossomed then, how it grew into something more when they were in New York. Angel told the Watcher about his soul being permanent and related to him all the events that happened while in Germany. During the entire explanation the man never turned around once, never said a word, just listened as the man who stole Willow's innocence proclaimed his love and devotion to the petite redhead in the other room. When he was done, when he said his piece, Angel opened the door and walked out of the room leaving Giles to his t! houghts. The vampire had nothing further to say to the man; it was now up to Giles to decide how he wanted to deal with the situation. Angel knew one thing though, that no one, Giles, Buffy or Xander, would get between him and Willow.

Upon entering the room, Angel realized that the situation had changed dramatically since he had left with Giles.

Faith and Kaelin were gone, and Xander was hysterically laughing.

Looking at her lover who just entered the room, Willow said to Angel, "I think we broke him...this the last straw. I know it would've been better if we told him and he did not find out the way he did," the young girl said, tears running down her face again.

Taking her into his arms, Angel tried to soothe the beautiful redhead. "Sshh. It's OK baby. Just you wait and see. It'll all been alright."

"All right," the young man sputtered. "Hello! Does Angelus ring a bell with you two? Remember Angel plus happy equals Angelus, death and destruction. Am I getting through to you two wild and crazy kids?" he practically screamed at them. The hysterical laughter was gone, but the fear in his voice was evident.

Xander could not believe Angel, let alone Willow. He had thought she was the smartest person in the world, but this had to be the stupidest thing anyone could ever do. <Oh God, even something stupider than I could do?> At any minute Angelus could come back. <Wait, why didn't he come back when they were gone?> As he silently thought about the reasons, his hatred for the vampire increased tenfold.

Launching himself at the vampire, he managed to get a piece of Angel before the vampire could move to the side. "You, Bastard! You're just using her…for…for…" he said, tears streaming down his face. The young teen couldn't even begin to voice his fears on what the vampire was using his best friend for. Pushing himself off the vampire, he slowly moved back, suddenly wanting as much distance from the two of them as he could get. Hurt for his friend was rife in his voice, "Buffy…you lost your soul for her…now you and Willow...and you still have your soul?"

Before either Willow or Angel could explain, Xander continued, turning his attention to the vampire, "I just can't believe you. I mean, I know you've done a lot of nasty things, to quite a number of people, but this has to be the worst! How could you do this to Willow?"

"What are you talking about, Xander?" Willow questioned her friend. His words were meant to hurt the vampire, and they were succeeding from what she saw in Angel's eyes. The young girl was both angry and tired from Dieter's antics, and frankly, Willow was not in any mood to deal with Xander's games. "How could Angel do 'what' to me?"

"Don't you see it, Willow?" Xander asked his friend. When all he saw in her eyes was anger and frustration with him, the young man decided to lay his cards out on the table. Sure, Willow would be angry with him, but it was for her own good. He would be damned before he let the vampire use her like that.

"Sex with Buffy equals Angelus. Sex with you equals Angel. Don't you get it, Willow? He doesn't love you. I don't know what he's done to you, I mean, you'd never do anything like...that...with him, unless he was controlling you somehow. You don't do...that." As the young girl turned from her friend to Angel, Xander noticed the marks on her neck previously hidden by her long, red hair. "Look at your neck!" Xander sputtered. "You let him bite you! God, Willow, it's worse then I thought. I don't care what the plan is, you're not staying here with him and the other freak of nature. I won't let him use you for meaningless sex and warm blood."

After dealing with Giles' anger and now Xander's, Angel's resolve broke, and he lashed out at the teen, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and lifting him to his feet. "I don't care what you say about me, what you imply, or what you think, but when it comes to Willow, you are treading on thin ice, Harris. I don't give a damn what you think about our relationship, but Willow does, so it becomes important to me, too. My soul is permanent, happiness clause be damned."

As the vampire released the teen, Xander faltered back to the ground and looked at his friend. Seeing the question in his eyes, she nodded her head, confirming what the vampire had said.

Realization of what Angel said was sinking into Xander's addled brain, and the situation became quite clear. If he didn't accept Willow with Angel, he would lose his best friend. He hated the vampire, but not that much. He could deal with the vampire if need be, but some ground rules would need to be set. <Definitely no double dating! Oh well, I better begin groveling now if Will is ever going to forgive me.> Moving over to the redhead, Xander took her into a hug. "I'm sorry, Will. Sorry for…you know…what I was implying."

"I understand, Xander. I just hope you understand about Angel and me. I love you, but I'm not willing to sacrifice my happiness because of your feelings for him," she said, pulling out of his embrace. "And I'm not giving up 'that' either."

"Oh God, Wills, I don't know if I'll ever be OK with you and Deadboy, but I realize that I can't do anything about it," Xander said truthfully, "and I really don't want to lose you over it either. If there was one thing I learned while you were away, it was that I need to have you in my life." Realizing what else his friend said, the young boy could only groan. "Ugh! Visuals I really don't want, Will. It'll be hard enough to deal with you and Deadboy together as it is."

After a moment he continued, "I have something to share, too. We had actually planned on telling you tomorrow, but I guess now is as good a time as ever. Buffy and I are seeing each other," Xander said, causing the couple to stare at him dumbstruck.

Part 21

He had found her an hour before dawn, heading home. She had finally calmed down but was unwillingly to talk about what had happened, and how she felt. This hurt Xander immeasurably. After all they had been through together, the demons, the end of the world disasters, her running away for the summer, he had thought that they had come a long way. The young man had hoped that they could discuss anything, but he was wrong. He finally left her alone to work things out on her own and headed for his own bed for a few hours of sleep. He would get some needed shuteye and then talk to Willow. It was great having his best friend back.

When he opened his eyes to the sun's rays, the events of the past night replayed themselves in vivid Technicolor detail, opening his wounds anew. He was hurting from his girlfriend's rejection and did the most normal thing in the world to him - he went to Willow.

Without a second thought, the young man headed over to the place which now housed two ensouled vampires, one Slayer and his very best friend.

Once everyone had calmed down last night, Angel had disappeared to talk with Dieter, and Xander had helped Willow settle into her bedroom in the rented house. He was happy to have the time alone with her, to talk about his feelings of abandonment when she had left and now that she had moved on and had a man in her life. The teen wasn't able to put into words exactly what he felt when he had realized that her and Angel were 'together', but he hoped she understood. Xander needed Willow in his life, not as a girlfriend or lover, but as a friend. He had missed talking with her about anything, the impromptu visits when lonely and when he just needed to see her. His jealousy about her and Angel had nothing to do with the sexual aspect of it; the teen was just worried that the vampire would monopolize her, basically eliminating Xander's time with his best friend.

Without a thought, Xander entered the house, shocked that the door had been unlocked. <Knowing Faith, she probably just left the house and never locked it.> Not missing a beat, the young man headed up the stairs straight to Willow's room, just like he had done a million times before when she lived at home.

Buffy had been fuming. Smoke was practically coming out her ears as she realized just how silly she had seemed at the house. <Am I ever going to act rationally where Angel is concerned?>

The more she thought about the situation, the more she became conscious about how silly she truly looked to everyone there. Not only that, she had played directly into Dieter's hands. She had played directly into Dieter's hands, and that realization made her even angrier.

She had instantly disliked the vampire. Soul or not, there was still something wicked, evil about him. In a way, he was like Angelus, but with a soul, and the Slayer found herself wondering exactly what the vampire had been like when he was human.

After prowling around Sunnydale, killing all unlucky vampires that came into her path, she finally found herself at her Watcher's house. Unfortunately for her, he was not home yet, and she settled herself in to wait for his arrival.

She watched him from the shadows, as he made his way towards his apartment. He looked haggard, tired and her guilt grew tenfold for she immediately blamed his appearance on her actions.

Stepping out of the shadows, she made her presence known, startling her Watcher. Buffy realized how out of it he really was. Thanking God above for getting him home safely, she uncharacteristically reached out and enveloped him in a hug. To her relief, he reciprocated, and she could feel some of the tension leave his body.

They stood for a long moment, each enjoying the father-daughter-type hug they shared, before Giles spoke, worry evident in his voice. "Do you still love him?"

Buffy pulled out of the embrace and looked into Giles' eyes, seeing the hurt and anxiety resident there. Momentarily she was confused, wondering exactly who he was referring to - Xander? Surely not Dieter? <Oh God, he means Angel. No wonder why he looks so hurt.>

"No, Giles, I'm not in love with him," the Slayer assured her Watcher. "I still don't understand why I react the way I do about him, but I do know that it is not love."

Pulling her back into a hug, Giles was relieved. What he had found out about Willow and Angel would surely upset the Slayer, but at least she was not in love with the vampire. Just the thought of Angel with Willow made his blood boil, but before he could get lost in his angry thoughts, Buffy's voice brought him back to reality.

"Are you OK, Giles? Is something bothering you, other than my horrendous, embarrassing performance before?" she asked, trying to make light of the situation.

"I'm just worried about you, Buffy. You've been, umm, well, through so much lately, and you haven't been dealing with it. You've been pushing it all aside," he said, pulling back out of the embrace and directing the young girl towards the door to his apartment. "Let's get inside."

Once they were seated and the tea had been poured, Giles started the conversation anew. "It has been a rough few weeks for all of us. Angel's return was difficult," the Watcher said, taking off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose, pushing down his anxiety. "For all of us. I admit that when things did not work out between you and Angel, I was happy," he confessed looking down at his hands before looking into his Slayer's tear-filled eyes. "I thought it would be for the best, but it just seemed to make things worse. Willow's leaving only compounded your pain. Do you want to talk about what happened tonight?" When she hesitated, he started to back-peddle. "I understand, umm, that I might not be the person you want to confide in…there's Willow…and Xander…who might be..." Giles continued babbling, until interrupted by his Slayer.

"Giles, it's not that I don't want to talk to you about it. I really don't want to talk about it in general. I guess, I'm basically embarrassed about the way I acted tonight. I let that vampire push my buttons and I reacted badly. I should've known better," she explained, looking down at the floor. "I just don't know when it'll stop hurting…when I won't react to Angel…or something about Angel…in a psycho-Slayer way." Looking up at his face, she asked, "Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

When he shook his head, she tried again. "As I said, I'm not in love with him, but our relationship is still affecting me, and I don't know how to stop it. Tonight was just another example of the way I've been dealing with him. I know we can't be together. I don't want to be with him, but it's still making me crazy. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I'm the Slayer and he's a vamp," she explained as she got off the couch and began pacing.

"That's the other thing, Giles. I really feel stupid about tonight. Actually I just feel stupid about Angel in general. How could I have deluded myself about him? What did I expect? I knew he was the "Scourge of Europe", a Master Vampire. How did I not expect him to make childre, like Spike and Dru, or kill Slayers or Watchers? I should have known he was a Slayer killer, especially after what I saw when he was Angelus. Why is it, Giles, that I just don't think straight when it comes to him? That whenever something happens that has to do with him, it totally upends my world and all reasonable thinking goes out the window?" she wondered aloud, stopping her pacing in front of him.

Looking up at the Slayer and seeing the tears in her eyes, Giles felt so helpless. He wanted to help Buffy, but she needed to do it on her own. "Buffy, I wish I had the answers to all your questions, but I think that's something you'll have to work through on your own. Your relationship with Angel was…intense…and although you might not want to hear this, you tried to deny from the beginning his vampiric nature. You're not the only one to blame - so is he. He's been around much longer and should've known better, but then again, he was deluding himself also, trying to be something he's not. The relationship was doomed from the start. Your natural instincts were constantly at war. It might sound like a cliché, but in time you'll move past this. Xander will help also. But Buffy, sometimes before things get better, they get worse, and you need to be prepared mentally and physically."

The Slayer looked at her Watcher thoughtfully, seeing something in his eyes that he quickly masked. Not wanting to pressure him further but sensing something else bothering him, she decided to not press the issue. She needed time to herself, to think things out. The young girl thought she had worked through her "Angel issues", but with him back, she realized it was not so.

Thanking Giles and promising to stop by the library tomorrow, she took her leave and headed for home. She didn't want to see Angel for a few days. The petite blond needed time to work things out and reconcile who 'she' thought Angel was, who he 'actually' was, and try to find a happy medium. If she didn't, she wouldn't be able to be around him without swaying from one emotion to the other.

As her thoughts began to drift, she realized the presence of another. Normally she would've been more than happy to see Xander, but at this moment, she needed to be alone, to work out all her feelings without the help of her friends. All she had to do was convince him that she was fine and that he could go home.

Xander knew exactly where he was going in the house. Willow's room was just down the hall and to the right. He felt so happy to finally have his friend back that he never considered the new 'man' in her life. The young boy never considered Angel as he gave his little knock and just barged into Willow's room.

Unfortunately for Xander, he never considered Willow and Angel actually sleeping together, and the shock he received when he entered her room knocked him for a loop. Physically, he stepped back, horrified at the scene before him. His best friend was wrapped happily in the vampire's arms, both apparently naked, although nothing 'vital' was showing. If he could've fallen into the Hellmouth, he would have.

The young boy wanted to run but he was frozen in place, mesmerized as the vampire's eyes opened, and changed from the soft, chocolate brown of the human to the golden color of the demon. The demon's hands covering her naked breasts, began to move slowly, kneading the mounds, making the teen swallow hard. The young boy wanted to leave, to look away even, but he couldn't - or wouldn't - move. Both the eyes and the actions of those hands hypnotized him. Xander softly groaned as he barely caught Willow's moan in reaction to the pressure and attention of the vampire's hands. Never removing his eyes from the teen's, Angel's tongue slowly slipped from his mouth, sensuously laving the twin punctures on the girl's neck, fresh wounds, from what Xander could see. As he watched the vampire's tongue move in and out of his mouth, slowly tasting and savoring the flavor of Willow's blood, Xander found himself growing hard, his erection becoming noticeable as the show enfolding before hi! m became more erotic. Without realizing it, his mind filled with pictures of Willow and Angel making love - the vampire striking out, his fangs piercing her skin, her cries of pleasure and the release that followed. As another groan escaped his lips, Xander's erection became almost unbearable, he knew he should be repulsed at the idea of the vampire taking Willow's blood, but instead, he found himself turned on even more by the idea of Angel biting her neck. <Oh God, I am turning into a voyeur...and with my best friend! Can my life get any sicker? I need to get out of here, now, before Willow sees me and realizes...what? That I am really getting off watching Angel...Oh God, is he really fucking her now?>

Disregarding his own internal debate, he slowly moved towards the bed, wanting to get closer, wanting to see more of the show, prodded forward by each stroke of Angel's tongue, each moan made by Willow, each thrust of Angel's hips against Willow's ass, the movement of the demon's hands on her breasts. The young boy's desire escalated, and as he moved to touch himself through his pants, his best friend's eyes shot open in wide-eyed disbelief.

"Oh my God, Xander! What are you doing here? Oh my God. Angel stop it! Xander's here. You didn't see anything did you, I mean…well…I mean…Xander?" the young girl babbled as she reached down to her waist in an effort to pull up the sheet to cover herself from her friend's gaze.

Chuckling, Angel's hands slipped, exposing Willow's breasts to Xander's gaze for a brief moment before she could cover herself, and the young boy could only wonder if it was on purpose. He had never seen his best friend blush so deeply that it actually matched the color of the velvet curtains that were drawn back from the windows… which were letting in the sun…the sun which was streaming onto the bed…onto Willow and Angel.

"Oh my God!" the young boy exclaimed, the erotic spell broken. Again Xander began to back-peddle, a look of horror slowly crossing his face as he realized what had just happened, what he had just seen, that Willow might know what he had been doing. As he moved backward, he cringed at the thought that the vampire could move in the daylight. But more than that, Xander was mortified that he was turned on by watching 'them'...that he would have...if Willow didn't open her eyes. Turning he began to flee, wanting nothing more than to go downstairs and await his friend in the safety of the living room, but as he crossed the thresh-hold, he heard Willow admonish the vamp, and suddenly he wanted to hear what transpired. <Won't I ever learn?>

"What did you do to him, Angel? You're incorrigible, you know that?" Her words were followed by the same chuckle Xander heard as the vamp's hands slipped from Willow's breasts.

"And you love it," Angel answered with a sensual growl, followed by Willow's melodious giggle.

As he began to harden again, spurred on by what he imagined as another amorous exchange between the two, Xander dashed for the steps, only stopping to relax when he reached the safety of the couch he had left only hours before.

With his erection fading, Xander's thoughts turned to what had just transpired, and he realized that he was feeling very uncomfortable about his reactions in the bedroom moments before. Fleetingly he wondered what would've happened had Willow not opened her eyes at that moment.

He had settled himself on the couch and tried very carefully not to examine what had almost transpired upstairs, when Willow joined him.

"I'm sorry, Xander. Angel wanted to apologize himself, but I wouldn't let him come down. I didn't think it would be fair for him to terrorize you any further," the young witch explained.

Shocked at her words, Xander could only gape at her.

Willow continued her explanations. "I'd like to say I'm sorry about his behavior, but I guess I'm really not." Turning away from him, embarrassed, she explained further. "I have changed a lot in the short time I was away, and I may seem un-Willowy, but I think I have finally come into my own. He truly understands me, the real me, not the one everyone wants me to be. He's fun, he's sexy, he's dangerous, and he's a vampire. I can't excuse his behavior because I don't want to. I hope you don't hate me, him, because of this. I had hoped we worked out any problems with Angel last night, that you'd be OK with it, but after this morning, I don't want you running and screaming from me, from us."

Xander walked up behind his best friend and put his arms around her giving her the sign that all was well. "Oh, Will, I promise never to run and scream from you. Him, well, that's another matter and this morning is something I don't think I want to go into now…with you…with anyone for that matter, right now."

Willow giggled, turning in his arms and reciprocating the acceptance he offered, before they both went to the couch to talk.

"Why 'did' you come here, Xander. I mean, not that you can't come here, that you aren't welcome when you need to come here…but I mean, why did you come to the bedroom? I mean, we could've…it could've been…awkward, I mean…I'm not a sex fiend, he's not…well, maybe he is…but…," the young girl babbled, but Xander quickly cut her off, taking pity with her discomfort over the subject matter.

"Will," the young boy interrupted, "I understand what you're trying to say. I just didn't think. I know, I know, what's new about that? But I guess even though I 'knew' about you and Deadboy, I was still in denial."

At that final comment, Willow sighed, worried again about their friendship.

Xander knew she was worried and continued speaking. "It's OK, Will. Really, I'm OK with this. I'll get used to it. It's just new…and different. I guess I just forgot that you get to grow up, too."

When she shook her head in understanding, he continued, "I came here because I wanted to talk to you about Buffy." Not missing a beat, they dropped into a long conversation much like the old days…Willow listening and Xander talking, with Willow interjecting her advice when needed.

As Willow was talking, telling him exactly what he should be doing for the hundredth time, Xander found his mind wandering and only half listening to his friend. Instead of doting on every word like he should have done, he found himself realizing that all his fears about losing Willow were unfounded. Sure, Buffy was still a wildcard in the whole game, but no matter what, he would make time for Willow no matter what happened with Buffy. Plus, he knew that even though Buffy could be selfish at times, even self-centered, she could never hold a grudge against Willow. The young man was sure that even if a problem arose with Buffy regarding Willow and Angel's relationship, the Slayer would come to her senses.

As he looked at Willow, really looked at her, he marveled at the wonderful changes in his friend. He could see the laughter in her eyes, the confidence in her voice, even when babbling, and he truly understood why she told him that she wouldn't give up Angel for any of them. The vampire truly made her happy, gave her everything that she needed to grow, something none of them could. But no matter what was going on with Angel, Xander knew that Willow would always make time for him. Today was proof positive. God help him for saying this, but in part because of Willow, maybe he would even make a friend of Angel. <Oh God, it must be the Hellmouth!>

Buffy kept her distance for a few days only seeing Giles and Xander at first. Finally she made her way back to the library, having thought she made inroads into her feelings, or at least getting a grip on reality. She was the Slayer and she would act like it and not run away from her problems.

But nothing is ever easy and although she knew that Angel would be there, she never expected, or wanted to see Dieter. To her surprise though, Dieter took her aside and apologized for his actions the first night he met her. Although he tried to sound sincere, she knew he truly wasn't sorry, but she also realized that he wouldn't pull another stunt like that again. Buffy had spoken to Willow, who had assured her of Dieter's loyalty. The Slayer would never like him, but she would trust him, at least for now. When the blond played his game and called him on the reasons for the apology, he freely admitted that he wouldn't have done it on his own. It was done in return for Willow and Angel's forgiveness.

Willow. Buffy could only marvel at the changes in her best friend. The young witch had garnered love and loyalty in the Slayerettes, but to see those same things from the two ensouled vampires, Master Vampires, was something else. Angel respected only a few, and she could see, even before he and Willow left to train, how much he thought of Willow. Her best friend had changed a lot while she was gone, and Buffy was slightly jealous that although Willow's life had been turned upside down, the redhead was dealing with it much better than Buffy had, or still was, for that matter. She had resolved to spend more time with her friend, maybe picking up some tips on how the young girl faced her fate with such calmness -- something Buffy was in sort supply of lately.

True to her word, Buffy had spent more time with Willow and everyone else, but the more time she spent with them, the more she saw, the more she inferred. They tried to hide their feelings, but Buffy knew them. She had known them intimately, had shared them with him for a brief time herself. Angel had seemed to be in love with her then, but the slayer realized now that what he felt for her best friend went far beyond anything Buffy and Angel had shared. The looks he gave Willow, the barely masked emotions on his face, were things she never saw when they had been together. He rarely smiled, even for her, and although Buffy knew he cared for her, she had to guess, to assume, because rarely did he let her see into his heart and soul like he was doing with Willow. Jealousy filled her heart, and she wanted to lash out at them both.

Buffy was happy with Xander, happier than she had been in a long time. There was no guessing in this relationship, because the cards were down on the table from the outset. She knew who he was, what he was like, far before a relationship began. She liked him. Truly liked him and was slowly beginning to feel stronger emotions. Because of this, she held back any confrontation with either Willow or Angel. She knew that any overture on her part would cause a fracture in their group. She knew that her boyfriend would be crushed if she lashed out at Willow, that they all would. Most of all, she realized that her jealousy with Willow and Angel lay not in the fact that she still loved Angel, but that he had moved on and loved someone more than herself. She had always believed that she was his one and only love, that the love they shared that would never be surpassed. It was a rude awakening, a slap to her pride, when she realized that Willow had taken up residence in the hea! rt she thought would only be hers -- a heart that seemed to be freely given to the redhead with no misgivings or recriminations.

After training one night, Buffy was left alone with Willow in the library. The reinforcements the Council sent were actually inept Watchers-in-Training that could neither fight nor research. Giles was trying valiantly to do something with them, to at least use the extra manpower, but Buffy wondered if it was not just a waste of time. The message sent though was loud and clear. The backups, as they were supposed to be, would never have provided the same punch as the missing Slayer, incriminating Giles' friend Jameson. Because they couldn't be trusted, they were kept away from Willow and the group at the house on Main, and left to patrol ineffectively with Buffy when Giles needed them away from the library. The group had a council of war and everyone agreed that it was only a matter of time before the attack would come. The cult had to have learned that the other Slayer was gone and would be readying to take out Giles and Buffy.

Willow was packing up her gear, waiting for Angel and Dieter to accompany her home, when Buffy dropped the bomb.

"How long, Will? How long have you and Angel been together?" The Slayer saw the fear in her friend's eyes, but continued anyway. There was a part of her that wanted Willow to hurt, even just a little, as she had hurt when she found out.

Instead of answering, Willow just stared at the Slayer, and Buffy continued. "I've seen you two together, the looks he tries to mask when he watches you, or touches you. I've seen the way you look at him. I'm not blind or stupid. Why didn't you tell me?" Buffy had tried to keep the hurt from her voice, to make it sound angry, neutral, void of emotion, but that last question came out in a cracked voice, giving Willow a hint of the pain the Slayer was feeling.

Not directly answering the Slayer's questions, Willow began talking. "I don't want you to hate me. None of us wanted to hurt you. It just happened and I really can't be sorry. I won't be sorry about it. Just like you can't be sorry about what happened with Xander."

"Is that what this is about? You're angry, hurt that I'm with Xander? Did you start this with Angel because of me and Xander? God Wills, you and Xander would never have worked out," the Slayer said, lashing out in anger at the implied accusation of Willow.

Willow could only wince as the words came from her friend's mouth. She didn't want it to get to this poin. Actually, she had hoped to resolve it when they first arrived, but because of the confrontation with Dieter, things had gotten out of hand and everyone walked on eggshells around Buffy, hoping not to set her off.

"Just like you and Angel, Buffy?" Seeing her friend cringe, Willow regretted her words but continued on. "No Buffy, I realized before I came back that Xander and I would only be friends, best friends. Angel and I have been together since we were in New York," as the Slayer's eyes widened in shock, Willow continued her explanations. "I wanted to tell you when we arrived. Actually, Angel had planned to tell you about it on patrol the next night, but then that thing with Dieter happened, and we were all afraid to upset you. I'm not blaming you, just don't blame me. You've been unapproachable." Turning to hide her tears, Willow faced away from the Slayer, not wanting her to see her pain.

Buffy realized she had no room to argue. Willow was right. The Slayer was unapproachable and had been unstable, but Buffy was still hurting. Everyone probably knew about Willow and Angel except her. "Everyone knows." It was more a statement than a question.

Willow nodded her head. "Giles thought it best. He really didn't want you hurt anymore. I begged Xander not to tell you; it wasn't his place. I realize it would've been best to tell you right at the beginning, but the way the events played out, it wasn't to be. There was no right time after that. I guess, well, I just assumed that we'd tell you after the fight."

Buffy just nodded her head. She was hurt, but understood none-the-less. She had one other question, one she really didn't want an answer to, but needed to ask no matter what. "Are you sleeping with him?" A part of the Slayer hoped that was the case. It would mean that Angel didn't love Willow more or find her more satisfying than Buffy. The Slayer was almost hanging on to that hope to salvage the pride she felt was hurt.

Willow nodded her head and a smile of satisfaction crossed Buffy's face. The blond was happy that Willow still had her back to her. She was not proud of the way she felt, but she couldn't help it. If he didn't lose his soul with her up till now, then he probably never would, but Buffy felt the need to admonish her friend's irresponsibility. "I can't believe you two are taking such a chance. Does Giles know you are…together?"

The blond received the shock of her life when Willow turned back around with a confused look on her face, realization sinking in slowly what her friend meant. "Oh, you don't know…I'm sorry, Buffy. You must be so worried. He can't lose his soul again. It's permanent, no matter how happy he becomes."

Whatever Buffy wanted to say was lost as the first wave of the attack came, catching Buffy and Willow off guard.

Part  22

It was a beautiful, clear night and the two vampires were talking amicably as they walked through the park. Their friendship had been
growing slowly and steadily while in Frankfurt, then was stalled temporarily by the near disaster with Buffy the night they arrived.
Everything went back to normal once Dieter had promised to behave himself, and good to his word, he avoided taunting the Slayer whenever they were forced to be together. On nights like tonight, the longhaired vampire couldn’t keep his thoughts to himself and began
bemoaning what he considered Buffy’s many faults.

“Sometimes her self-importance is just too much to take. I don’t know how ‘our Willow’ can deal with it sometimes,” the vampire said, looking to Angel for his reaction and happily seeing a grimace cross the younger vampire’s countenance at what he assumed was his possessiveness of Willow. “She’s good. I’ll give her that much, but her cockiness will get her into trouble one day, and I don’t want ‘our Willow’ in the crossfire when it happens.”

Angel stopped suddenly, and Dieter wondered if the other vampire would call him on the ‘our Willow’ comment, but instead of taking him to task, Angel’s eyes changed color from brown to yellow, his facial expressions shifting from amused, to angry, to frightened. As if pulling himself from a spell, the younger vampire looked to Dieter, eyes slowly focusing as some semblance of what was happening took over his being.

“Willow,” Angel growled and took off at a run towards the library. The route the vampires had chosen back to the library was a long one,
knowing that Willow wanted to spend some time with the Slayer.

Dieter cursed himself, realizing what had happened - Willow apparently channeled her feelings to Angel like she had in Frankfurt, effectively
letting him know that she was in danger. Following behind his friend, using every ounce of his vampiric endurance and speed, Dieter quickly
rushed to the library, hoping that Willow would be fine when they got there.

The Slayer groaned as she tried to pick herself up off the floor. Her brain was still addled, and she couldn’t quite remember what had
happened. Looking around the library, her memory slowly returned, and as the haze that fogged her brain cleared, she began visually searching the room for her friend.

The attack had been swift but not successful. True, Buffy and Willow were surprised, but the advantage had been on their side. The vampires expected a weakened Slayer and a Watcher, not an angry Slayer and a powerful witch.

Although Buffy expected Willow to be more of a liability, she realized that the young girl had actually learned something about fighting while
she had been away. As uncharitable thoughts went through her head about the redhead learning quite a lot of other things as well, the two young girls managed to take out the vampires with little resistance. Neither realized, or at least Buffy didn’t, that the inexperienced vampires were sent only to distract and tire the Watcher and Slayer. The follow-up team was meant to do the most damage.

The blond was quick to attack the two men that entered after the vampires were dusted, and although Willow told her not to, Buffy rushed
into the fray, her need to protect her friend blocking out everything else. Before she knew it, the young girl had been thrown through the
air, her last thoughts on the pain in her back as she came into contact with the wall.

Her worry growing exponentially as her memory returned, the Slayer tried unsuccessfully to stand as she detected the prone body of the redhead. Her concern for her friend drove her harder than her body wanted. As she slowly crawled across the room, trying to reach Willow, every muscle screaming in agony with each movement forward.

Before she could reach Willow though, the library doors crashed open, and Angel quickly moved to the redhead, his vampiric senses quickly finding the young witch among the mess of upturned tables and felled bookshelves.

The Slayer experienced a rush of pain in her heart worse than the pain in her body as she watched the vampire hold her best friend in his arms, anguish plain across his face. Not caring who witnessed his suffering, Angel murmured sweet nothings into Willow’s ear, stroked her face and hair as tears leaked from his eyes.

Buffy had to turn away from the scene before her, lest she begin to cry herself. A chapter in her life had just closed. Well, it actually
closed when Angel became Angelus, but she was just now beginning to realize it. Grief she never dealt with rushed over her. There was so
much she was sorry about - time she wasted agonizing over the vampire and what could or couldn’t be, the things she did and said to Willow, and even Angel himself. Her life had been out of control, her actions immature, and her duty as the Slayer suffered. She had been adrift, but suddenly felt grounded. As she watched the scene before her, she finally put to rest her obsession with the vampire and felt she could move on and be the friend that both Willow and Angel needed. Buffy knew where she was going and what she had to do, and nothing would stand in her way. She was the Slayer, and she would do anything to protect her friends and the lives of innocent victims. For the first time in a really long while, the young blond felt strong enough to take on the world - she was ready.

“How is she?” Dieter asked his friend, worry evident in his voice as he burst through the library doors.

“Her pulse is slow, but steady. I believe she was just stunned,” Angel answered Dieter.

Finally acknowledging Buffy, Angel was just about to question the Slayer about the events of the attack, when Giles, Xander and Kaelin arrived. Once everyone was satisfied that Willow was indeed OK, Buffy began her tale.

“Willow and I were…talking when ten vampires stormed the library. We quickly took care of them, but then these two guys came in. I went to
take one out, hoping Willow could take the other, when Willow tried to stop me. I don’t know…maybe she sensed something about them…even though I didn’t. Suddenly one of the…thing’s…eyes turned blue and before I knew it, I was flying across the room. Next thing I knew, I woke up and Willow was just lying there. I was making my way to her when Angel and Dieter came in.”

As one, the group looked to Kaelin for clarification of what happened.

“She must have picked up some traces of magic…something familiar from her…attack in Frankfurt,” she explained, guilt written all over her
face. “Willow must have discerned the same evil in the two men that she sensed in Ian,” the witch murmured barely audible.

“You mean when your boyfriend went psycho on my best friend and tried to kill her?” Xander asked, hitting the witch where he knew it would hurt. The young boy was still angry at what he believed was a transgression on Kaelin’s part. Willow should not have been put in that kind of danger - not with the type of protection she had.

As the longhaired vampire rose to ‘straighten out’ the youth, Kaelin stayed him with her raised hand. “It’s OK, Dieter. I deserved that.
If I hadn’t been so focused on what was wrong with him and me, I might have observed what was really wrong.”

Giles took off his glasses and began pinching his nose. “Let’s not rehash this again. What we need to find out is why Willow is
unconscious and when she’ll come out of it,” the Watcher said. “Have you seen this before?” Giles asked Kaelin.

“I think Angel was right when he said she was stunned. We had been working on shielding, but I think when she destroyed the two demons, she was unprepared for the backlash of power that smashed into her, effectively knocking her out. She might have been able to handle
one…but two overloaded her system.” Shrugging, she added, “She needs more training.”

“Obviously,” the Watcher said, plainly annoyed with the older witch. “I thought that is what you were doing in Germany and what you planned
on doing when you got here.” Giles was visibly angry and was trying to reign in “Ripper” before it got out of hand. His worry for Willow and
the upcoming battle was making him take out his aggression on anyone available.

The tension in the room had been on the rise, steadily increasing with each passing minute. No one said anything as Giles turned on his heels and left the group in the main room and headed to his office to cool down.

As the witch turned to follow the Watcher and give him a piece of her mind, Buffy took her arm and stopped her. “Don’t. I’ll talk to him and
tell him what happened. He’s just worried about Willow and is taking it out on you.” Buffy put her arm up to silence Kaelin as she began to
speak, “I know it’s not right, but you just happened to be in the line of fire. As much as I don’t want to admit it, you’ve done a great job
with her training,” in a lower voice she added, “so has Dieter. I never would’ve believed that Willow could help me slay that many vamps,
but…wow…she was incredible. I’ll let Giles know just how good she’s become. He could really use the reassurance now.”

“We’ve all been through a lot, but I think Giles has been hurt the most. He’s been trying to protect Willow and me, and it’s taking its
toll on him. I’m sure he hasn’t taken Willow and Angel’s relationship well, not to mention trying to shield me from it. I need to take some
responsibility, so if you don’t mind, please let me deal with him,” the Slayer asked Kaelin.

The witch was surprised. Buffy had acted immaturely during their last meetings. The change was refreshing, and she nodded her acceptance of Buffy’s proposal.

Angel stood by, shocked at what Buffy had said. He wasn’t sure exactly how the Slayer knew about him and Willow, but he felt he owed her an explanation of why neither of them told the Slayer themselves. “Buffy, I’m sorry …,” the vampire said, but stopped when she began speaking.

“I know, Angel. Willow and I…talked…before ‘they’ came in, although I already knew you were together before then.” Looking down at her hands, she continued, “Every time you were together, I could see it, but I tried to deny it. I confronted Willow about it tonight, and frankly, I
said some mean and hurtful things to her,” she said, finally looking up into his eyes. “I love you both and although it might take some getting
used to, I want you to be happy…both of you.”

“Willow will understand…she always does,” the vampire said. “She loves you like a sister.”

Buffy smiled. “I hope so,” she said. “Why don’t you take Willow home, and I’ll stay here and soothe Giles’ nerves. We have a lot to talk
about and some planning to do.”

Smiling, the vampire picked up the unconscious girl and carried her out of the library, some of the worry lifted from his shoulders. <Now all
we have to do is get through the battle.>
 

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