Giles looked up from the files he had been huddled over with a pen light for the past fifteen minutes.

"I think you'll find that our new friend is Samantha Harrison of San Diego. She and Sara were placed with adoptive parents at about the same time.  It's not totally clear, but I'd assume that they are sisters, identical twins."

Willow thought to herself, more identical than you know.  The mental message she had received was Sam's only communication.  She had closed her eyes immediately afterwards and appeared to be asleep, probably the drug the men had given her.

The men, Willow thought, what about the men?

"Buffy, do you still have the cell phone?" Willow asked.

Buffy handed it to her and Willow hit redial.

"It's about bloody time, " Spike growled answering after the first half ring. "What the hell is going on?"

Willow quickly explained about Sam, at least the little they knew.  When she got to the part where she grabbed Sam and ran for her life, he interrupted.

"What were you thinking taking a chance like that, " he said angrily. "Sodding slayer, watcher even meat boy all there and they let you …"

"Shut up Spike, " Willow said forcefully, " we haven't got time for this."

She continued, " is someone watching the house?"

Spike was silent.

"Spike! " Willow nearly shouted.

"Calm down Red, yeah I think there's a bloke in a car across the street.  Do you think it's one of them?"

"Can't take a chance, " she replied.  "Tell me where he is and we'll try to take care of him when we get back."

"Too much time luv, if we're going to take him, we have to do it now, " Spike said.

"But who, you can't … the chip…I won't let ….." Willow protested.

"Don't worry about me, I'll set Dawn up with some defenses and then I'll go see our little peeping Tom."  There was a moment's pause, "take care Red, you know …..  bye, "Spike said and hung up.

Buffy, who was leaning close during the call, looked up at Willow and saw the tears in her eyes.  Oh shit, she thought, poor Tara, it's too late.

Spike approached the car from the rear after circling around from Willow's side door.  He tapped on the driver side window and smiled as the window slid down.

"Sorry, do you know where number 37 is, I can't seem to get my bearings."

Spike tensed for the pain and just as the man began his answer swung an elbow into his chin.  A shocked Spike watched the man slowly collapse onto the seat next to him.  Shocked because he felt nothing but satisfaction, no pain.  He peered more closely at the man and noted a blue mark on his cheek.  He reached in and touched the man's face.

Make up, the poof has make up, Spike thought.  Moving his finger he noticed the blue spot growing.  Bloody hell, he's a sodding demon.  The insistent buzzing of the cell phone on the seat interrupted his thoughts.

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

The man angrily clicked off the cell phone.  Both of them gone, he thought. It was time he knew, past time to make the call.  He slowly punched in an LA number.

He realized he was afraid, afraid for the first time in a very long time.

"Speak, " the voice on other end said in a deep cold voice.

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

When Spike returned, Dawn handed him the phone.

"Spike?" Willow said with a note of desperation.  "Are you OK?"

"Better than ever, turns out some of our friends are less than human, demons in men's clothing."

Willow paused, her mind racing.  "Spike, get clothes for you, Dawn and Sara, enough for a few days at least.  Take my keys, there's a set hanging up in the kitchen.  You three get in my car and get out of there.  I'll call you on my cell .."

Spike interrupted, " I don't know how the bloody things work, how can I …"

"Calm down Spike, let Dawn handle the phone, now get going."

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

"Both of them are gone, " the cold voice said, it was a statement not a question.  A long silence followed.  Eventually the voice continued, " call
in the teams, keep a loose surveillance on the Rosenberg house.  Report movement of the subjects.  Take no further action until you are instructed." The phone clicked as the circuit was broken.

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

Spike was heading north out of town when the phone buzzed.  Dawn pushed a button and answered.

"Willow, where are we going?"

"Tell Spike to head for LA, Angel's place."

Spike took the phone from Dawn, "LA?  Are you sure Red?"

"I figure it's the last place they'd expect us to go, and Angel has experience with these guys.  Giles found some files, maybe they'll be of some
use.  Anyway, I couldn't think of anything better, "Willow admitted.

"Take care Red, " Spike said quietly.

"You too Spike, and take care of Dawn and Sara.  I ….. I …. " Willow stuttered to a halt.

"I know luv, too many ears around, right?  I understand me too, "Spike said handing the phone back to Dawn.

Willow sat smiling holding Cordelia's cell phone.
 

(17)

Buffy cleared her throat, "Did you say LA?"

Willow's face fell, " Oh LA … Angel, I forgot, I'm sorry.  Maybe we can think of something else.  Giles …"

Buffy sighed, " no Will, it's the right place to go.  I can't live my whole life avoiding LA and … him.  Anyway, he's probably way over me now."

Cordelia caught Willow's eye and shook her head.

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

Spike looked over at a sleeping Dawn and smiled.

"Sara, I guess it's just you and me for a while."

Spike started to talk. At first, he rambled on about unimportant things, just for something to do.  Then he began to talk about other more personal
things.  He couldn't explain it, but he felt comfortable telling the sleeping child how he felt about Willow.  He told her about the trust she gave him
when no one else would.  He tried to explain the way he felt when he charged in to rescue Dawn.

"Later when I was recovering, she stayed with me day and night.  Remember that she had just been in hospital herself.  Every time I'd open my eyes, she'd be there."

He paused, staring at the nearly empty freeway.  "Why would she do it? First, I thought it was just gratitude, then friendship, then ….."

"I think I love her, but I don't know how she …."

He heard Sara move in her car seat, " she loves you, we love you Spike."

A puzzled Spike continued to drive.

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

"I'm coming, I'm coming, " Angel muttered as he walked to the door.  He couldn't imagine who it could be at this hour, but he'd make them pay for
interrupting him.

He swung open the door and his face changed from anger to amazement.

"Me and the family were passing through and I thought we'd drop in, " Spike said.

He was holding the sleeping Sara and propping up a drowsy Dawn.

"Bloody hell, let us in before Norman Rockwell paints us."

Angel gestured for them to come in, " what the hell are you doing here and who …."

He was interrupted by noise coming from the stairway.

Spike grinned, " I think it's the rest of the kin folk cousin Angel."

Giles, Cordelia, Xander, Anya and Willow holding Sam came pushing into the apartment.

Angel looked around at the crowd, with a puzzled expression. Then he noticed a new figure slip through the door, "Buffy?"

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

"The house is empty, they've all gone ……No idea sir, none at all"

After a moment, the cold voice responded, " dispose of the teams and report at 10 AM tomorrow."

The man clicked off the cell phone and began to sweat.

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

Willow and Dawn were making a place for the two children; Giles and Spike were going over the files they had taken from the ranch with Cordelia's help with references.  Xander and Anya were inventorying the refrigerator.  Angel and Buffy found themselves alone in the living room.

"How have you been? " Buffy asked in a faltering voice.

"OK, fighting evil and rescuing the odd maiden, " Angel replied.

"Me too, " Buffy said, " except for the maiden part. What would the guy equivalent be?"

"Xander."

"Not since he's been dating Anya, " Buffy said with a smile.

"I .. ah .. hear you're seeing some kind of soldier, " Angel offered.

"Not so much anymore, he's gone."

"I'm sorry, " he said touching her shoulder.

"Old story, " she said, " boy meets slayer, boy runs away."

"Angel, Giles called from the next room, " I'd like to have your opinion of some of this information."

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

"You go, " Willow whispered to Dawn, " I'll be out in a minute."

She sat and watched the two children.  The bond she had first felt with Sara was stronger now.  When she concentrated, she could hear their sleeping thoughts like a back ground hum in her mind.

I bet they'd like some milk and cookies, Willow thought, they must be hungry. She felt answering thoughts from the girl's.  Milk and cookies she thought again with answering echoes from Sara and Sam.

Opening the door, she nearly ran into Xander.

"Oops Xander, you almost lost your stuff, " Willow said glancing down at the tray he was carrying.

"Huh, " he said shaking his head, "stuff, what stuff?"

"The milk …and …cookies you're carrying, " she said uncertainly.

Looking down, he said, " I was looking for a beer and a sandwich and the next thing I knew you were talking to me.  Anyway, what would I do with two glasses of milk?"

She took the tray, " go back to your beer, I'll take this from here."
 

(18)

Giles was going over the files they had found with Angel.

"Here're are the copies of letters to and from Wolfram & Hart.  Collins supplied the material to them and they in turn supplied it to a company
called Swiss-Gen."

"Hold on, " Angel said, " what material are we talking about?"

Giles first looked around then lowered his voice, "you remember the dreams Willow was having last year and the things we found at the Collins ranch?"

Angel nodded, " he was collecting human eggs, some kind of strange racial experiments, right?"

"That's what it looked like, but now I'm not so sure.  There seems to have been something else going on.  Some of these letters are over five years old. Wolfram & Hart were monitoring Collins' experiments before Willow was ever involved."

Giles continued, " this letter here, " he held out a Xeroxed sheet, "it specifically instructs Collins to include 'the Rosenberg girl' in his program."

"Damn, it makes me so angry.  It's so cold and matter of fact, 'your program' they said.  A mild and simple name for terrorizing children.  Whichever
circle of hell Collins is in is probably too good for him."

Angel patted Giles on the shoulder, " I know, it's got Wolfram & Hart's fingerprints all over it."

"Now, Cordelia just searched the LA Times archives for Swiss-Gen and found out something quite interesting.  The European Union Medical Authorities shut them down a little over four years ago."

"For?" Angel asked.

"For suspected human cloning experiments," Giles said grimly.

"The children then?  The resemblance isn't coincidental?"

Giles shook his head, " no, not a coincidence, I think both girls are clones of Willow.  They were adopted out to Southern California families five years ago.  Now I think they're gathering them in."

"Why Willow?  This whole thing must have been tremendously expensive. Collins' program, the cloning itself all that money for something that would
take five years or more to develop?"  Angel wondered.

"I don't know, " Giles said, " there must be something about Willow or her family that would make it worth their while to go through all this expense
and all this secrecy."

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

Willow thought as she munched a cookie.  Do people get you things that you want a lot?

Sometime if I'm real mad or crying  … me too,  the second thought came through.

You weren't mad or crying for milk were you?

No … no. I was hungry .. so was I … and when you thought of … yeah when Willow made the echo.

The echo, Willow thought, maybe the three of us together.

The three of us, both voices said together.

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

Angel was reading the files for the second time, " I think we might be able to hold them off for at least a while."

Do you think it will work?

"Willow, I didn't know you were …." Angel was stopped by Giles' puzzled look.

"Did you hear Willow?  I think she's still in the bedroom with the children, " Giles said.

"I … ah .. I don't …"  Angel stood, walked to the bedroom, opened the door and walked in.

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

There were four of them around the polished mahogany table.  The large balding man at the head of the table shook his head.

"I don't understand it.  How can this project have fallen into this position?"  He slowly looked from one man to another.  "The Senior Partners
are very interested in this project.  We don't disappoint the Senior Partners."

He fixed the man newly arrived from Sunnydale with a withering look.

"You were there on the ground and not only failed to capture one subject, but managed to also lose the second."

He remained impassive.  He knew no answer was expected and no excuse could be accepted.

I think that perhaps you might like to report to the Senior Partners in person on your part in this little fiasco.

His next thought was interrupted by blaring alarms.

There was a knock on the door and a uniformed officer looked in.

"Pardon Mr. Williams, there may be an intruder.  I'll leave an officer here and we'll continue to sweep this floor."  A second uniformed figure stepped
into the room and closed the door.  He stood with his back to the table facing the door.

The man at the head of table continued, "this is all we need, did you bring a few friends with you from Sunnydale, " he said glaring at the same man again.

"No, I consider myself a native Angelino now, " Angel said as he turned from the door to face the men.
 

(19)

"Wilson, tell your friends to relax.  You know how I feel about violence, " Angel said in a matter of fact tone.

The bald man looked at the other three and shook his head.  They all settled back in their chairs.

"Gentlemen, and I do use the term loosely, we have a problem.  You want something and I don't want you to have it, or rather them.  The two little
girls that you've been after, you're going to leave them alone.  No one is going to look for them or try to contact them, ever.  Oh, and the damage that you did to their adoptive families, you're going to clean it all up.  No police reports, no missing persons investigations, no publicity."

After a short pause, he added, " are we clear?"

Wilson smiled, " if in fact we were seeking to locate some individuals for a client, and I don't admit that we are, but if we were; why would we pay the least attention to your wishes in the matter?"

Angel removed some papers from his coat pocket, " because of these, " he said tossing the papers on the table.

Wilson gathered them up and began to read.

Angel continued, "they are copies of letters from this firm to a known serial child abuser detailing your knowledge of and interest in his continuing
activities.  Do I hear '60 Minutes' here or '20/20'?  Maybe we can just let them fight it out for the story."

"This is your threat, to make these letters public?"  Wilson asked.

Angel nodded.

Wilson looked across the table to a small elderly man in a rumpled suit. The man gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"Very well, " Wilson said stiffly.  "I'll summon Security to escort….."

"Not necessary, " Angel said as he thumbed the key on the two-way radio on his uniform belt, opened the door and vanished.

"Don't just stand there like an idiot Wilson, take your lackey and go, " the old man said in a cold and even voice.

When he was alone with the field operative from Sunnydale, he continued, " perhaps we can proceed in this matter to the satisfaction of the senior
partners.

"The letters, what about the letters?" the operative asked.

The old man dismissed the question with a wave of a pale blue veined hand.

"They would never see the light of day, a minor inconvenience at best, " he said.

"No, " he continued, " I want them to think they've won.  Here is what you will do."

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

Willow sat in the van with Sara and Sam, Cordelia was behind the wheel. Anya, Xander and Buffy were with Giles across the street in Willow's car.
Spike was behind the wheel of Angel's convertible, top up, motor running parked at the entrance to the office building's driveway.

The radio in Willow's hand clicked twice.  "Now!" Willow said to the girls.

Willow pictured Angel for a moment and then he disappeared.  No one can see him, no one can see him, Willow thought and two small voices repeated it in her head.

In a few minutes, the radio clicked again and Cordelia sounded the van's horn twice.  Spike rolled up the driveway stopped in the shade of the entrance canopy and opened the passenger door.

The door closed as if by itself and Spike drove on.

"OK Will, he's out, " Cordelia said as she pulled out to follow Spike.

Willow slumped back into her seat.

"You did good girls, very good, " Willow said.

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

Willow was getting ready to leave.  She was packing the girl's clothes, thinking about a shopping trip to the Sunnydale Fashion Mall.  Cordelia had
written out detailed instructions on where to go and what to buy.

Why can't we wear Willow clothes?  She felt the girls ask.

Because Aunt Cordelia would have a fit, well maybe a couple of fuzzy sweaters and pairs of baggy overalls, if you promise not to tell, Willow thought with a grin.

Buffy and Angel not like Willow and Spike, she heard.

Willow sat down on the bed and looked at the girls.

"What do you mean?" Willow asked.

Sam looked at Sara and Willow felt her voice.

Angel is cold, he loves Buffy and Buffy loves him, but they're scared.  Bad things would happen if they were a family.

"Yes, I know.  Right now they can't be together.  Maybe one day .." Willow explained.

Spike is cold, he loves Willow and Willow loves him.  No bad things will happen if they were a family.

Willow stared at the pair.

I don't.. maybe I do, but he never said… how would they know….. me and Spike together.  Then she pictured it.

She felt a giggle.

"Sara and Sam, no more thoughts only words for a while, OK?"

"What I thought about Spike and me doing, certain things are private, only for Moms and Dads and adults and …."

"Only Moms and Dads kiss?" Sara asked.

"Oh kissing, right that's what I was thinking about a little thank you kiss for Spike."

"About this love thing, Spike feels the same thing Angel feels for Buffy for me?" Willow asked.

"And you and Buffy feel the same for them without the scared part, " Sam added.

Willow took a deep breath and thought, it's finally time to face things with Spike and Tara.  Tears began to slowly run down her cheeks.  Sam and Sara each held one of her hands.

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

"Spike told me you were going to LA, I caught him just before he left, " Tara said.

"I'm glad things went well and the girls are out of danger. " She got up and wandered around the living room, then turned back to Willow, " with them and Spike here, I was wondering if the house might be a little crowded."

She sat down opposite Willow, " I was thinking, maybe I should go back to the dorm or find a little place of my own."

Willow began to sob, " I'm sorry, so sorry.  I don't know how I could do this to you."

Tara moved to sit next to her and put her arm around her shoulders, " things happen, I know.  I love you Willow, I think I always will.  If you've changed …"

"No .. Yes .. I don't know, " Willow stammered between sobs.  "I love you too and I'll never forget you, but I've got to find out about Spike and me."

Tara kissed her and held her while she cried; and thought to herself, I'll be here for you whatever happens, Spike or no Spike.

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

Spike was playing with the girls in the living room while Willow put the finishing touches on dinner.

 In the weeks since they'd returned from LA, she'd taken care of some important issues.  Tara had a small apartment near school, she seemed to
still want to be friends and Willow was glad.  The girls were settling in. Between preschool, Dawn and some creative scheduling at school she had
managed to make as normal a life as possible for them.  Then there was Spike, the girls were right.  He was a big coward, afraid to tell her how he felt. He was great with the girls and they loved him, he wasn't too shabby as a boyfriend either.  She blushed thinking about their first night together, the night she discovered exactly how much Buffy must be missing Angel.  The doorbell brought her back to reality.

"We'll get it, " the girls and Spike yelled together.

Xander and Buffy came into the kitchen, each with a bottle of wine.

"Thanks you guys, just put it on the table.  Where's Anya?"  Willow asked taking a pan of vegetable lasagna from the oven.

"She's out there talking with Ward Cleaver, I swear he was wearing a cardigan sweater and smoking a pipe, " Xander said sarcastically.

"Uh huh, no pipe and no cigarettes, at least in the house and around the girls, " Willow replied.

Xander wandered over to the counter and began toss the salad.  Buffy sat on a stool next to Willow.

"How are things Will?  Are the girls Ok, Spike and Tara?" Buffy asked quietly.

Willow smiled, " things are coming along, I think it's gonna be OK.  Let's get this stuff on the table."

"Girls, time to wash up, dinner, "Willow called out as she pushed through to the dining room.

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

"Things are better now, they really are.  I see Willow almost every day.  I still feel protective, I guess, but we're friends now."

"I'm glad Tara, you know as Willow's therapist, I've been apprehensive about all the changes in her life.  It's good of you to agree to help me in
following her progress."

"Dr. Phillips, I'm just glad you asked.  These talks have really helped me and, " she blushed, " I couldn't have afforded it myself."

"No I appreciate the chance to help, remember though, we can't let Willow know about our arrangement.  I'm bending ethical considerations as it is."

A few minutes after Tara left, Dr. Phillip's phone buzzed, " yes, ask him to come in."

The man from LA sat opposite her desk, " how did today's session go Doctor?"

"Fine, she thinks she's helping Willow by reporting details about her life, " she said bitterly.

"Now Doctor if this offends you, we can forget about our arrangement and you can deal with the patient you had an affair with who later committed suicide. Let's get those prescription records out to the DEA too.  I'm sure the ones for medicinal cocaine would interest them."

Dr. Phillips dropped her eyes.  The man rose and dropped a fat brown envelope on her desk and left.

"Yes, " the cold voice said.

"The arrangement is in place, the first report on Rosenberg and the children will be on your desk Friday, " the man reported.

"Very good, I do believe we can pull it off.  We can observe and perhaps influence the development of their special talents remotely.  Very good
indeed, " the voice said.

The phone clicked off.

END
 

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