PART I:

"He's doing good, much better than he was a few months ago."  Eve sighed and hopped up on the lobby desk.  "Work's been busy, I think it's been keeping his mind off things."

"That's good.I think."  Willow replied, causing Eve to giggle.  She didn't have to see the red head to picture the look on her face.

Eve had immeaditly taken a like to Willow.  She had watched how Will acted around her, and came to the conclusion that Willow was good for her brother.

  It was Buffy that Eve had a problem getting used to.  She couldn't quite put her finger on what made her dislike her but it made for tense times at
the mansion the first couple of months after Eve moved in.  It wasn't until Buffy died that Eve regretted not trying to be more of a friend to the blond Slayer.  She had watched how Angel retreated into himself after she died. So when he announced that he was moving back to LA, Eve deiced that she was going with him.  Now she was in the middle of her weekly telephone conversation with the red head letting the Sunnydale gang know how the dark vampire was doing.

"It has been.  How is Will doing?  Is he behaving himself?"

"No more than usual."  Willow snickered.

"What has he gotten himself into now?"  Eve laughed.

"Ah nothing worth repeating.  It's actually been kinda dead here.  No pun intended."  Willow was silent for a moment before she thought of something. "Maybe you should start dating."

"Huh uh, no way.   You have NO idea what Will is like in full big brother mode.  He's like a rabid dog."  She growled.  "Give it a few days, the
Hellmouth will spit something out."

"Yeah I know."  Willow sighed.

"Have you met the new Slayer?"  Eve asked almost afraid of the answer.

"No.  Giles doesn't even think there's going to be another one called until Faith dies.  Then again he could be wrong."

"How is Faith doing?"  Eve twisted the long phone cord around her index finger.

"She's doing good.  She seems better adjusted now."

Eve nodded.  "Yeah time in prison will do that to a person."

Willow picked up on the personal statement hidden within that comment but figured she shouldn't ask.  "I'll have her give you a call.  Anything else
you want to tell me before I let you go?"

Eve smiled to herself.  "I take it Cordy told you that Darla was in town."

"She told me a little bit about it, I mean I knew that those lawyers brought her back as human and then had Drucilla turn her again, but things didn't go the way they wanted to and she kept her soul and then she had to go off and deal with things after Angel helped her get over the major issues."

"Breath Willow."  Eve laughed.  "Yeah, she heard about Buffy and thought Angel might need some extra support.  Cordy still doesn't trust her."

"What about you?  Do you trust her?"

"I'm not sure Willow.  I never trusted her to begin with.  She is different now."  Eve sighed.

"But Angel is different now too, right?"  Willow asked.

"Not really.  Willow you have to remember the Angelus I remember, wasn't the same one that you met five years ago.  The one I remember was quite a bit like Angel, only less broody.  Well that and had one hell of a nasty temper."

Willow giggled and shifted the phone.  "No not too different at all."

"Yeah just be glad Will wasn't the one that was gifted with a soul."  Eve smirked looking up as Angel, Wesley and Gunn came in the front door.  "Gotta go Willow, I'll talk to you next week."

Eve hung up the phone and smiled at the guys.  "How was the massacre?"

"Quite fun actually."  Wesley smiled laying the goo-covered ax on the counter top.

"I think I'm going to go clean up go to bed."  Angel replied quietly turning toward the stairs.

"We were going to Caritas later, why don't you come with us."  Eve pleaded, hoping Angel would change his mind.

"Not tonight Evie."  Angel sighed.

"Come on Angel."

"I said not tonight, Evelyn."  He growled.

Eve quickly looked away trying not to let the hurt show.  "Ok Fine."

She hopped down off the counter and walked toward the center of the room as Angel stalked up stairs.

"You shouldn't let him get to you like that."  Wesley told her quietly.

"Yeah I mean the man's been through a lot lately.  First with Buffy dying and then Darla showing up."  Gunn replied absently, trying to get the yellow goo out of his shirt.  "Does this stuff stain?"

"I know he's been through a lot, but damn it he can be a pain in the ass." Eve stated as she walked behind the counter and grabbed a few of Cordy's Shout Wipes and a towel.  She walked over toward Gunn and hopped back up on the counter.  She pulled him between her legs as she pulled a wipe out of it's packet.  "And that's saying a lot from someone who is related to William the Bloody."

Gunn and Wesley chuckled.

"Well I guess, I'll head on home."  Wesley sighed.

"You backing out on us too English?"  Gunn asked as Wesley walked toward the front door.

"I'm afraid so."  He chuckled.  "I got hit with the most slime, and I'm afraid that after two hours it becomes acidic.  Night."

Gunn looked worriedly at Eve.  "You have gotten all of that shit off of me right?"

Eve laughed and looked up at the handsome black man.  "Yeah it's all off." She tossed the wipe into the trash behind her.  "I should've just let you
take care of it."

"Ah but you do a better job of it than I do."  Gunn smirked as he admired the spotless shirt.

"Yeah well I'm going to start charging you for my services."  Eve replied as she jumped off the counter.

"How about I start by buying you a drink when we get to Caritas."

"You were going to do that anyway.  You owe me for the bet last week."  Eve slid her leather jacket on.

"What bet?"  Gunn asked as he held open the door for her.

"The one where you were damn certain that all Angel had to do was cut the head off the Trog demon."  She giggled as she got into the truck.

"How the HELL was I to know it wasn't the head on his shoulders."

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