Cordelia opened the door on the first knock and stared out at Xander. A wide grin crept across the young man's face as she gaped at him.
"Hey, Cordy," he smiled as he led Giles inside the apartment. "Giles said you'd be here."
She whisked back a handful of long hair from her face as her warm eyes took in the young man's well-toned physique," Geez, Xander, if I'd have known you were actually going to grow up after graduation, I'd have stuck around."
He grinned and reached out to take her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, "You look pretty great, too."
Her gaze followed him as he walked over to give Buffy a hug. Then, realizing she was staring at him, she pulled herself together and sat down on the sofa, crossing one shapely leg over the other.
"What happened to the geek clothes?" she asked as her eyes traveled over the perfectly tailored shirt and khakis he was wearing.
"Ah, Cordy, don't ever change," he chuckled and bent to place a soft kiss on her forehead.
She scooted over a bit, and Willow and Buffy shared an amused glance as the young man plopped down next to her.
"Well, you look like you're all in one piece, Xander," Buffy spoke. "You must have recovered from your stay in the hospital."
"Hospital? You were in the hosptial? Why?" Cordelia asked.
"I ended up on the wrong side of a fist," Xander answered and turned to look over at the redhead, "Will, maybe you'd better sit down."
She nodded and sat down in an armchair across from him. Angel perched on one arm of her chair and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"The men who are after you are all working for this guy," he began, reaching for a file folder he had given to Giles.
He opened it and pulled out a photograph. Angel took it and looked at the man before passing it over to Buffy.
"Is he a demon, or what?" Willow asked. "Can you photograph demons?"
"He's human, pretty much," Xander told her. "Those other men answer to him, and he answers to a demon. I landed in the hospital the first time I got too close to three of his goons."
"Well, if they're all after Willow, what are they doing in London?" Buffy asked him.
"Just because the council tossed Giles out on his British rear end doesn't mean they haven't kept an eye on him," Xander answered.
"They've kept tabs on what we've been doing since Wesley returned to London, through various sources," Giles explained.
"Some of those sources have been of the unhuman variety," Xander added.
"Wait a minute. You're saying the council has been working with demons to find out what we've been doing here?" Willow asked.
Giles nodded, "It wouldn't be the first time. I've been known to work with demons before."
"Anyway, the council's alliance with this particular demon is how this whole problem got started," Xander said.
He paused for a moment and studied Willow, unsure of how to explain it to her.
"Just say it, Xander," Willow smiled softly. "This demon the council has been working with is after me? Why?"
"They thought they could trust him. Then again, this is the same group of people who thought Wesley ought to be a watcher. The demon came to Sunnydale and followed us around until he decided he wanted you for himself."
"So, why hasn't he come after her instead of sending a bunch of his flunkies?" Cordy asked him.
"Because he didn't want to risk being found out, especially by Buffy. Willow, he's put a price on your head. He's recruited humans because he was afraid another demon--or vampires, for that matter--would kill you. He's offered immortality to whoever brings you to him."
"That's one hell of a bounty," Doyle whispered. "No wonder they've been so obsessed with getting to her."
"Bloody sod," Spike snarled. "When do we kill him?"
"You can't just go after him," Giles warned him. "He's got too many people working for him. And you can't place Willow in such a vulnerable position. She needs you here, with her."
"Then, what the hell do you suggest we do?" the blonde vampire hissed. "Wait until they've dragged her off before we go after him?"
"Giles, what exactly is he planning to do with me once he gets me?" Willow interrupted Spike's frustrated tirade. "I mean, if he's just going to kill me, anyway--"
"Willow," Angel spoke and gripped her hand in his. "We're not going to let that happen--"
"He doesn't want you dead," Xander said to the redhead.
She waited for him to continue, but he fell silent, refusing even to make eye contact with her. Willow dragged her hand out of Angel's and stood up. Spike reached for her arm, and she shrugged him off with an angry sigh.
"Would someone just tell me what the hell he wants with me?" she demanded.
Xander rose from Cordy's side and took her hand, "Will, he wants you alive, for now, anyway."
Her confused green eyes stared steadily up at his, "Why?"
He looked over his shoulder at Giles, silently pleading for help. The watcher looked reluctantly at Willow.
"You two are worse than Angel!" Cordelia snapped. "Just tell her, already!"
Giles nodded, "The council discovered--long after they'd asked for his help--that he has the ability to breed with a human female."
Angel raised himself from the arm of the chair, his eyes boring into the watcher's, "Breed?"
"For lack of a better word," Giles nodded. "Though not in the same sense that humans procreate. The demon's offspring is actually carried to full-term within the demon, but he requires a human host to birth it. He takes possession of the human--they actually become one being for a brief period of time--allowing the offspring to be transferred to her body. The demon then leaves the human host. Willow, are you sure you want to--"
"I have to know, Giles," she nodded, though her voice shook slightly.
"The offspring claws its way out, through the host's body," he spoke softly, his eyes holding hers.
"Oh, Goddess," she whispered, prickles of terror running down her spine.
Cordelia rose from the sofa to stand beside Xander and looked around at each of them, "Is anyone else finding this too gross to even think about?"
"Absolutely," Buffy nodded. "But we have to. Willow, I swear to you; this is _not_ going to happen."
Angel saw the shudder that shook the redhead's body, and he moved behind her and gripped her shoulders.
"How do we stop him?" the slayer asked Giles.
"The council has no idea, and I haven't had a chance to research it myself," he answered.
"Then you'd better get started," Spike's suggestion carried with it an unspoken threat.
End Part 9
Over the course of the last thirty minutes, Willow had made two trips to the kitchen; picked up the newspaper and pretended to scan it before dropping it again; wandered to the bookshelves; fired up the computer and shut it down moments later; and returned to the living room to stare at the flames in the fireplace. She turned to make her third pass toward the kitchen when Angel rose from the armchair to block her path.
"Would you sit down? You're making me tired," he grinned.
"I don't want to sit down. I want to know what they're doing," she scowled.
"You know what they're doing. They're pouring over Giles' books, looking for a way to stop all of this. Now, sit down."
He took her arm and hauled her over to the chair to settle her on his lap.
"I should be helping them," she grumbled.
"You should be here where you're safe," he argued patiently.
"Angel, I want to _do_ something! I can't stand sitting around waiting for this demon to come after me."
"Yes, you can, and you will," he said firmly. "He's not going to get to you. You know we won't let that happen."
"I'm sorry. I know I'm being a major pain in the ass," she sighed and tried to wriggle off of his lap.
Angel's arms tightened around her, and he placed a kiss on her temple, "I understand this is hard for you, love. Giles will come up with the answers we need, and then we'll take care of the bastard who's after you."
"Where's Spike?" she asked.
"He went out," Angel's gaze darted to the mantle clock. "Over an hour ago."
"An hour? Shouldn't he be back by now? Do you think something's happened?"
"I don't know. Let's give him a few more minutes before we panic, okay?" he suggested.
She looked at him uneasily, but nodded and settled back against him, resting her head on his shoulder and placing a kiss on his neck. Angel ran his fingers through her hair, toying with it mindlessly, as his eyes returned to the clock across the room.
Fifteen minutes of silence passed before they were jolted from their quiet worry by a soft thud from outside the front door. Willow jumped to her feet, and Angel stepped in front of her. Curling his hand around the doorknob, he threw open the deadbolt and glanced back at his redhead before jerking the door open.
Spike, who had been leaning against the door, nearly fell over the threshold. Angel slammed the door shut and reached out to steady him. Willow gasped at the bloody bruise on the blonde vampire's face and ran to him. He hissed as her hand wrapped around his wrist, and she quickly released it. Spike groaned and stumbled over to the sofa, dropping down onto it as Angel checked the lock on the door.
"Oh, Goddess, Spike! What happened?" Willow asked as she sat down next to him and eyed his injured arm.
The flesh on his forearm was blistered and burned, exposing part of the muscle underneath.
"Holy water, damn bastards," he groaned through clenched teeth. "There must have been a dozen of them. Fewer before they finally gave up and took off."
Angel sat down and took hold of Spike's wrist. His blue eyes gleamed amber, and his fangs descended as a bolt of pain raced up his arm.
"It's bad," Angel told Willow, ignoring his childe's low growl.
Spike was in full vamp mode as Angel tore open his own shirt and tugged it away from his neck. He curled his hand around Spike's head and drew his mouth down. Spike, completely surprised by the offer of his sire's blood, hesitated.
Angel lowered his voice and snarled the command, "Drink."
The dark vampire flinched as he felt Spike's fangs sink into his flesh, and Willow watched in silent fascination as Angel cradled his childe's head in one hand and gripped his shoulder with the other.
"Get two bags of blood from the fridge and some bandages," he said softly to Willow.
The redhead nodded and quickly vanished into the kitchen. Angel closed his eyes and allowed the long-forgotten sensation of his childe suckling his blood to reawaken within him. He groaned softly as Spike's uninjured hand moved to cup his sire's growing erection. His frenzied feeding had slowed, and he laved his tongue over Angel's cold throat while his fingers stroked his sire's twitching member. He unbuckled Angel's belt and freed his cock from its confinement. Angel's fingers curled through his childe's hair as Spike pumped him until his shaft was hard and fully erect.
Willow reappeared from the kitchen as Spike withdrew his fangs, and Angel lowered his mouth to run his tongue over his childe's bloody lips. Spike's lips parted, and Angel pushed his tongue inside as his childe continued to work his aching penis. A warm tingle suffused Willow's body, and she leaned against the entryway as her body responded to the erotic encounter unfolding before her.
Angel growled softly as Spike's tongue thrust against his, mimicking the motion of his hand on his sire's cock. Angel crushed Spike's lips to his and grunted as he came, and Willow moaned as Spike drew away and raised his hand to his mouth to taste his sire's essence.
Angel looked over at her flushed face and smiled softly, "Go get those bandages, and then we'll see about your turn."
She laughed softly and headed for the bathroom as Angel fastened his pants and examined Spike's arm once again.
"Thank you," the blonde vampire spoke softly.
Angel brushed his lips over Spike's, "I've missed you."
"Like a bloody toothache," Spike chuckled.
"Like my childe," he replied.
Willow returned with the bandages and sat down beside Spike.
"Someone else could do with a bit of attention," he told Angel as he caught the scent of her arousal.
Willow blushed to her roots and kept her eyes on his arm, "Let's tend to this first."
He laughed and lifted her chin with his finger to place a kiss on her lips. She placed her hand on his chest and pushed herself away.
"Arm. Bandages. Now," she ordered.
Gingerly, she lifted his hand in hers, and her eyes grew wide as she looked at the burns, "It's already healing!"
"Sire's blood," he grinned. "It's better than liquor."
"Thanks," Angel laughed. "I think."
End Part 10
Angel stared down at Willow's pale, still body and bit back tears. They wouldn't help now. He wondered if anything would. His brow furrowed at the dark thought, and he shook it away. She looked so very small and frail enveloped in the crisp, white sheets of the hospital bed. His eyes fixed on the dark bruise on her cheek as he strained to hear her faint heartbeat.
He looked up as the door quietly swished open, and Spike limped into the room. His ghostly pallor mirrored the redhead's, and Angel shuddered at the realization he had nearly lost both his childe and his lover, might very well still lose her, in fact.
"We failed her," the words rasped from Spike's lips as he stood beside his sire and took Willow's limp hand in his own.
"We didn't know. We weren't ready." Angel's words did nothing to assuage either Spike's guilt or his own.
Giles had found the way to destroy the demon who had been stalking Willow. They had met in the cemetery five hours ago--just after sunset. Neither vampire had wanted Willow to be there, but Buffy insisted it was necessary if they were to lure the demon out of hiding.
The demon had, indeed, appeared, but not alone. While Spike had no aversion to killing the mortals who had aided the demon's assault, Buffy was reluctant, and it had taken too much time and too much attention to fight them all off. Willow's frightened cry had signaled the demon's physical hold on her, and his human conspirators quickly fled the scene. Willow had struggled against his unnatural strength, and the demon had slammed her slight frame to the ground and enveloped her with his own.
Spike had lunged at him, only to be flung against a tall monument several feet away. The distraction had been enough, however, for Buffy to level her sword and sever the demon's head from his shoulders. The demon's dead body collapsed on top of Willow, but he had already managed to leave a part of himself within her. Fortunately, he had not had time to transfer his offspring to Willow, and Angel had scooped up her battered and bloody body and fled to the hospital, with Spike and the slayer fast on his heels.
Giles had returned to his home and had, with Xander's help, rid the redhead of the demon's presence. But he'd tempered this bit of good news with the warning that he didn't know how much damage the demon may have done to her mind or her body. Now, the vampires keeping vigil at her bedside could only hope she would awaken and give them the opportunity to love her back to health.
Buffy entered the room as Angel smoothed the hair away from Willow's face and bent to kiss her forehead. He straightened as she approached the foot of the hospital bed.
"I love her," the firm declaration was softened by the worried guilt in his eyes.
"You think I haven't figured that out?" she smiled softly. "It's okay, Angel. You and I have moved on. A slayer and a vampire--even a souled one--is just too painful a combination. If I have to watch you give those feelings to someone else, I'd want it to be Willow. She's the only person I know who deserves to be loved the way you love."
He returned the smile and reached out to squeeze her hand, "Thank you."
"Besides," she grinned. "If the poor woman has to suffer being chased around by Spike, she's going to need you to help keep her sanity."
Spike glared across the bed at her, "Willow doesn't seem to mind being 'chased around' by --"
"Relax, Fangboy. I'm joking," she said. "I know Angel won't let you hurt her."
"As if I would," he murmured as his gaze rested sadly on the little redhead in the bed, and he drew a gentle hand across her cheek.
Angel and Buffy exchanged a teary glance at the sorrow in the blonde vampire's voice. The door swung open once more, and Xander came in with Cordelia and Doyle. Buffy's blood froze at the grim expression on his face.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Giles finished researching the demon and what's happened to Will," he answered. "Buffy, she isn't--"
"Isn't what?" Angel demanded as the young man hesitated.
"When the demon entered her, he took a piece of her mortality. When he died, that died with him," Doyle explained. "She isn't going to make it."
"Like hell she isn't," Spike snarled and took a step toward him.
Angel's firm hand stopped him.
"She's dying?" Buffy whispered. "There's nothing we can do?"
"Oh, yes there is," Spike stated, turning to look at his lover.
"Spike," Buffy's voice lowered in warning. "I won't let you do that."
"Would you rather have her dead?" he growled.
"Than a vampire? Hell, yes, I would!" she shouted back.
"Well, Angel isn't so bad, if you ignore the blood bags in the fridge and the occasional grrrr," Cordelia reasoned calmly. "I mean, I agree we wouldn't want the leather-encased psycho-bitch that was running around Sunnydale, but couldn't you give her a soul?"
"Have you lost your mind?" Xander stared down at her.
She shrugged, "I've gotten used to living with demons. Believe me, humans can be a whole lot worse. She could come back to L.A. with us. I could use another female around when the testosterone level starts choking the life out of me."
"Would we have time to get all the ingredients?" Buffy asked, seriously considering the idea.
Angel gaped at her in shock.
"You don't need them," Doyle told her. "I can do it, and make it permanent."
"Buffy," Angel spoke. "You can't really be thinking--"
"I don't want her to die," she said softly. "And neither do you. You love her."
Angel looked back at Doyle, "You're sure you can restore her soul?"
"No problem," he nodded. "And we won't have to watch her sit around moping in the dark. No guilty past to brood over."
The dark vampire remained quiet, wanting desperately to keep his redhead beside him, but reluctant to submit her to an eternity of darkness.
"Angel," Spike spoke from behind him.
He turned and looked at his childe. Spike's eyes held his, and a dozen images of the past weeks together raced through the older vampire's mind.
"Don't give this up," Spike asked.
He nodded, and Cordelia smiled and tucked her hand in Xander's to pull him toward the door. Buffy's gaze lingered on Willow as she followed them out of the room. Angel turned and looked at Doyle.
"Ready whenever you are," Doyle said brightly.
Spike stepped back to give Angel free passage to Willow's side.
"No," Angel told him. "You do it."
He stared at his sire in utter astonishement. Angel smiled and put a hand on his shoulder.
"I have a childe. I have no desire to create another. I just want to be with her--with both of you. You'll bring her to L.A.?"
"We'll go when you do. That's a promise," he nodded.
Doyle moved to the other side of the bed as Spike sat down and took Willow in his arms. He kissed her softly and held her for a minute before pushing her hair away from her neck. Angel placed his hand on Spike's head as the blonde vampire kissed the pulse beating weakly under the flesh of her throat. He carefully pierced her skin and drank until her heartbeat slowed to the faintest of whispers. Withdrawing his fangs, he dragged a nail across his own throat and drew Willow's mouth to the wound. Doyle began to chant softly as Spike's blood trickled past Willow's lips.
Laying her carefully back against the pillows, he stood and turned to look at Angel as Doyle finished the incantation. Angel put his arm around his childe and kissed him slowly, drinking the last vestige of Willow's mortality from Spike's lips. Their tongues met and gently slid over one another's until Angel broke the kiss to look down at the redhead.
"I'll tell the others it's done," Doyle said and went to the door. "We'll have to get her out of here before the doctors come along and wonder why she's awakened with no heartbeat."
"How are we going to get her past them?" Angel asked.
"We'll just trot Miss Legs past them," he grinned. "With that skirt she's wearing, they'll be too busy trying to get a look at her bum to notice you ferreting away the undead."
End Part 11
Angel had been trying for the better part of an hour to get Willow to eat. Spike watched as she once again pushed the mug away, and he dropped down beside her on the sofa and pulled her onto his lap. Gently cradling her head in his hand, he pulled her mouth toward his throat. Her body went rigid as she tried to fight the unrelenting desire in her belly, and he stroked her back with his free hand, drawing her ever closer. The part of her that was still the same old Willow--her mind and her soul--was repulsed by the burning hunger building inside her. The demon, however, was drawn inexorably to the blood singing in her sire's veins.
"Drink from me, sweetheart," Spike's deep voice murmured low in her ear.
His soft words, the slow caress of his hand on her back, the scent of his blood was intoxicatingly hypnotic, and Angel held an unneeded breath as he witnessed, for the first time, the amber gleam in her eyes. Willow snarled quietly as the demon broke through, and she sank her fangs into Spike's neck. He groaned and wrapped his arm tightly around her, stilling her body as the nectar flowing from his wounds seeped past her lips and flooded her senses.
The demon sated, she withdrew her fangs and lapped at the punctures with her cold tongue. Spike ran his fingers through her silky hair and looked over at Angel as she rested quietly against him . The dark vampire smiled in relief, and Willow pulled away from Spike and looked at her lovers.
"I'm sorry I'm being so...difficult," she said softly.
Angel took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly, "This is more difficult for you than it is for us, love. You were brought over with your soul intact. That's never been done before, as far as I know. Maybe inflicting this on you was selfish of us, but neither one of us knew how to give you up."
She graced him with a shaky smile, and he leaned forward and brushed his lips over hers. He pulled away as the doorbell rang and rose from the sofa. Buffy and Xander entered, and the slayer looked up at him with anxious eyes.
"How is she?"
"See for yourself," Angel smiled and nodded toward the sofa.
The redhead pushed herself off her sire's lap and stood up. Buffy took a hesitant step toward her until their eyes met. Then, with a wide grin, the slayer threw her arms around Willow and hugged her fiercly.
"You can stand me like this?" Willow asked as Buffy stepped back a pace.
"I couldn't stand to watch you die. You're here, and you're Willow."
"Only a little different, or a big different, maybe," she nodded.
Willow felt a strong hand curling over her shoulder, and a low growl rumbled in her throat, startling both herself and Xander, who quickly jumped back.
Willow's fingers flew to her lips, "Geez, did I do that? Was that me?"
Spike laughed at her surprised expression, "That was you, baby."
"I'm sorry, Xander! I didn't mean to go all grrr on you! I didn't even know I _could_ go all grrr. I'd never--"
He grinned, but waited until her hand reached for his before moving closer to her.
"I'm sorry," she repeated.
"It's okay," he answered. "I'll just remember not to grab hold of you so suddenly again."
Her eyes clouded with sorrow, and Xander pulled her into a hug, "Don't be sad, Will. We'll get used to it. It'll just take a little time. We still love you."
He squeezed her tight to him, and Spike reached out and took her arm and pulled her out of the embrace, placing her between himself and Angel.
"Okay, maybe a lot of time," Xander continued as Angel's arm moved around the redhead's waist.
End Part 12
Willow growled, amber eyes burning angrily, as the vampire swung the heavy tree branch into Angel's shoulder. Buffy raced to help him, and Willow shoved her out of the way and threw herself at the attacking vampire, knocking him backwards onto the ground. He placed his hands on her shoulders to push her away, and Willow slammed her knee into his chest, grabbed a fistful of his hair, and ripped his throat out with her fangs. She watched for a moment as the blood poured out of his body, a cold smirk curling her lips, before plunging a stake into his heart.
"Willow," Angel spoke softly and reached down to pull her up off the ground. "Honey, I'm okay."
Her fingers were clenched around the stake so tightly, the dark vampire had to pry it out of her hand. He pulled her close to him and felt her tiny body trembling in his arms as the fury inside her burned itself out.
"Angel," she whispered.
"It's all right," he said, gently stroking her hair.
"How could I--I never felt so--"
He pushed her slightly away to look down into her green eyes, "Baby, it's all right. The demon reacted to--"
"I don't want a demon!" she cried out. "Make it stop. Make it go away."
"I can't do that. It's part of you. You'll learn to cope with it," he promised her.
"I was afraid of this," Buffy said quietly and smiled at her friend as she turned to her. "I shouldn't have agreed to let you patrol with us. You aren't ready for this. It's too soon."
"I wanted to come along," Willow reminded her.
"Will, you're asking too much of yourself. You haven't even had time to figure out what you are, yet."
"I know what I am!" the redhead hissed. "Every time I look in a mirror, every time the sun rises, every time I smell blood, I remember what I am!"
"Willow," Buffy murmured sadly.
A red tear spilled from Willow's eye at the misery stamped on her best friend's face. She shoved Angel away and took off running through the trees that bordered the cemetery.
"No," Spike barked as the slayer moved to follow her.
Buffy felt Angel's hand on her shoulder, and she turned to him and buried her face in his chest as the blonde vampire went after his childe. *** Spike caught up to Willow as she wandered aimlessly through the park. He walked silently beside her until she finally turned her face to look up at him.
"Sometimes, I wish you had just let me die," she told him, bitterness edging the sadness in her voice.
"Sometimes, I wish we had left you soulless. This would have been much easier for you."
"Angel never would have agreed to that," she said.
He looked down at her, surprised that she wasn't angered by his words.
"I don't know how he does it," she continued softly.
"He's got a few years on you, sweetheart. He's learned how to deal with it." Spike pointed out. "From what I've heard, he had a pretty rough time all over again after you resouled him, and he returned from hell."
"That's true," she conceded.
He felt her hand slide into his, and he smiled, his worry somewhat abated, and raised it to his lips.
"I scare myself, though," she told him. "You never scare yourself."
"No, I scare everybody else," he grinned.
She giggled and squeezed his hand, "I love you."
"I love you, too, baby. You make me proud."
"Proud? After the way I acted back there?"
"Hey, you know I love Angel, but I'm no soulboy. I love your demon just as much as I love your soul," he said. "Besides, it was the bad guy you went after back there."
"But what if I get angry someday and go after someone I care about?" she asked.
"You couldn't do that anymore than Angel could," he assured her.
"Buffy thinks I was a liability tonight. I let her down."
Spike stopped walking and turned her to face him, "You didn't let anybody down. You just shocked the hell out her. Personally, I think you ought to make that a daily ritual. She's the slayer; who gives a bloody damn what she thinks?"
Willow laughed and put her arms around him, "I do love you. Thank you for being so patient with me."
He brushed his fingertips over her cheek, "With you, pet, it's easy. Let's get you home."
"Okay. I want to see Angel, and I'm so hungry. All that blood back there--" she stopped with a shudder, suddenly disgusted by her thoughts.
"It's a natural reaction," he said, kissing away the scowl that had formed on her brow. "It just means I get to have those lips attached to my neck, and Angel has to sit there and wallow in horniness. You won't hear me complaining."
She grinned and tilted her head to brush her lips over his, "What would I ever do without the two of you?"
"You'll never know, sweetheart," he promised.
End Part 13
"Angel?" Willow spoke from the open bedroom door. "What are you doing?"
He tucked the last of his belongings into the large duffle bag on the bed and zipped it shut.
"I have to go back to L.A.," he told her.
"Why? When?" her puzzled eyes stared over at him.
"Tonight," he answered. "I got a phone call from Doyle. He's had another one of his visions. He and Cordelia have already started back. I'm needed there."
"You can't!" she protested, going to him and taking his hand. "What about Spike and me? We need you, too!"
He smiled softly down at her, "And I need you, Willow, but Spike is your sire. You'll be fine--"
"We won't be fine!" she said angrily. "We love you! We belong together! Don't we get any say in this at all?"
"What's going on?" Spike asked from the doorway, having been drawn to the room by his childe's desperate voice.
"He's leaving! He's going back to L.A.!"
"I have to," Angel told him. "I wasn't going to go without telling you, first. I just got the call from Doyle a half an hour ago, while you two were out."
"I should have seen this coming," Spike snapped. "I should have known you'd run out on us as soon as--"
"I'm not running out on you," the dark vampire insisted. "My work is there, now. People need me, and I need to be there for them."
"You can't just leave us! We need you more than they do!" Willow knew the argument was selfish, but she was beyond caring.
"Look, it won't be forever. It won't even be for very long. I'll come back as soon as I can."
"Then we'll go with you," the redhead decided brightly.
Angel shook his head, "Willow, I can't ask you to do that--either one of you. You belong here, with Spike."
She put her hands on her hips, "We belong with YOU, you bloody wanker!"
Spike snorted as Angel's jaw dropped open.
"See, it works like this," she explained patiently. "You're his sire; he belongs with you. He's my sire; I belong with him. We love each other; we belong together. Simple enough, Gramps?"
He chuckled and looked over at the blonde vampire, "She's becoming a mouthy little thing."
"Takes after her old man," Spike shrugged. "Mouthy, but smart. She's right, you know."
"Besides," Willow added, stepping closer to Angel and running her hand over his chest. "You don't want to ride all the way back to L.A. alone. We'll make Spike drive, and you and I can pass the time in the back seat."
"Hey!" her sire shouted.
She giggled as Angel shook his head, a slow smile forming on his lips as his eyes met Spike's, "Or we could take turns driving and--riding."
Willow's arms snaked up to encircle his neck, and she reached up to kiss him, "Then we're going with you, right?"
"I suppose I really can't leave you here with him. He's a terrible influence," Angel answered.
She kissed him once more and stepped back, "I'll call Buffy and let her know--"
"We're leaving tonight, Willow. Make it fast," he warned her.
"Yes, sir," she saluted and turned on her heel, giving Spike's ass a quick goose as she brushed past him.
"See what you've created?" Angel grinned at his childe.
"Yeah," he nodded and turned to follow their redhead as she disappeared
down the hall. "Bloody brilliant, isn't she?"
The End