ICY FLAMES [1/?]

The crackling of the log fire was the only noise in the log cabin as the
group of ten sat silently around the room, all staring gloomily into space.

"Anyone want some more hot cocoa?" Xander asked as he looked sadly into his
empty mug.

At the others negative reply he sighed and made his way into the kitchen
that was connected to the living room, the only thing that separated the two
rooms was the breakfast bar where Xander placed his empty mug.

"I'm going to go to bed," Giles told them. "It's been a long day and I could
do with an early night.

Anya glared at him. "No you're not. It's only nine and we haven't played any
games or done anything remotely fun yet. This is meant to be a *vacation*
people. Not some wake."

The others glared back at her including Xander.

At the annoyance that was beginning to appear on Anya's face, Xander
muttered, "Sorry honey," and then added, "It was peer pressure."

"Whatever. Now do I have to tie you all up to force you to smile or are you
going to it without the rope?"

They all forced smiles on their faces.

"Now what are we going to play?" She asked them as if they were all six
years old.

"There aren't any board games in the cabin." Buffy informed them. "None of
my family have been up here in years."

"So we're gonna have to play truth or dare then." Xander replied, sighing
dramatically.

"Bor-ing." Cordy answered. "That game always brings up too many weird
things."

"I've got an idea!" Anya exclaimed.

Willow began to look slightly scared.

"I heard about this game a few years ago when I was a demon-"

"And that makes us feel *so* much better." Buffy interrupted.

"It's like truth or dare. Everyone has to write their greatest fear or
biggest secret on to a piece of paper. We then put all the pieces of paper
into a box and lock it. One reliable person looks after the key but they
have to promise not to look at the contents, if they do then their secret is
read out." Anya said, ignoring Buffy's outburst.

"Ooh interesting." Spike muttered.

"Shut up you biteless pup!" Anya yelled. "Everyone then has to perform a
dare and if one person doesn't complete it then their secret if read out.
The more rounds you complete, the harder the dares become." She looked
around at them all.

"Who does the dares?" Willow asked.

"Everyone writes a dare and we put them together and each one of us pulls
one out. You start with normal things like I dare you to spend the night
outside alone and then you advance to things you know the person would never
do." Tara answered quietly.

Willow turned her confused green eyes on Tara. "How do you know all this?"

"I read things," she shrugged.

"Everyone in?" Anya asked. "Or any of you gonna chicken out and run home
now?"

They all glanced around at each other.

"I'm in," Buffy replied.

"I guess from the way you're looking at me i'm in." Xander added.

Willow looked at Xander and sighed,"Count me in too."

Spike scowled at the others "I've got nothing better to do."

"So you're in?" Anya replied.

"Yes."

"Well since you're all joining in it would be rude for me not to. So count
me in." Cordy said.

"I'm in," Tara said, not looking at all comfortable with the situation.

They all looked at Wesley, Giles and Angel who nodded and replied with a
yes.

"Then lets start the fun." Anya smiled gleefully.
 

ICY FLAMES [2/?]

The tension hung thick in the room as the reality of the game sank in.

"I'll go get paper," Buffy said, her words like a knife that cut thick
through the mist of tension.

"I've got a box that we could put the paper slips in." Willow said speaking
up. When she got no reply from the others she added, "I guess i'll go get it
then." Her arms moved as she spoke gesturing towards her room that she
shared with Cordelia before she headed toward it.

The others all stayed still in the silence as if in some kind of spell as
their minds pondered the game, their fears, their secrets. Buffy and Willow
soon arrived back, Buffy laden with paper and pens, Willow with a box that
fell small enough that it rested comfortably in both of her hands.

The box appeared to be made of some sort of metal and was decorated only by
what appeared to be a poem that was engraved in the top of the box and a
small border along the edges. The two keys to the box were clutched in
Willow's left hand that lay mainly under the box.

Anya stared at the box as if it was an old cherished object that she had
found whilst clearing out the attic, and couldn't remember when or where she
had seen it before. As if it was part of another lifetime long ago.

Giles' attention had also been captured by the metal box and he stared at it
like a child in wonder.

"It's exquisite," He told Willow. "How did you come of it?"

"My parents gave it to me for my birthday. Apparently my mom was shopping
and she thought it would be a good place to keep my journal." Willow rolled
her eyes. "Of course I didn't tell her that I keep that on the computer...
my computer... at home. That is." She blushed. "Anyway... she has this thing
for pen and paper when it comes to journals and letters. So I just put
spells in there, outrageous sort of things... not that i'm thinking of doing
them. You know, because me and dangerous spells... well just don't go
together." She nodded and then realized that she had been muttering on. "And
i'm gonna be quiet now." Willow fell back into the chair behind her.

Buffy handed out the small slips of paper she had cut up to the others with
the pens she had searched the study for.

"Everyone got?" She asked.

The others all replied positively.

Angel began to chew absent mindedly on his pen that screamed out the name of
some company as he traveled through his life. ((I guess all you want to know
is recorded somewhere in the council.)) He mused. ((Well maybe not
*everything* but nothing that's not important isn't in there.)) His eyes
wandered wistfully over to Buffy who sat hunched over her own paper. ((I
wonder where her boyfriend is... I don't remember anyone mentioning him.))
He concentrated on his paper and tried to read something that wasn't there.
((Or maybe they didn't mention him because there's nothing to mention.))
Angel tried to contain the glimpse of happiness he felt as he scolded
himself that it wasn't what he wanted for her when he'd left her to be
happy. Of course he didn't know then that he'd be human one day. Human... To
live without some of the guilt in the sun for a little while.
Guiltlessness.)) He hastily wrote it down in his smooth fine hand and then
gently folded the paper, placing his name on the top. ((I wonder if it's
even a word...)

Spike looked up at the others as he finished writing his name on top of the
paper that he hoped would never be read. ((They'll have to get to it over my
bloody dead body.)) He thought before he silently laughed. He carried on his
observation as he looked at the chewed pens. ((Even Peaches has joined in
the fun.)) Spike thought as he glanced at Angel's now extremely gnawed pen
lid. ((This'll last me a good century... He'll never get over such an
obvious display of nervousness.)) The others had by now finished and all
looked slightly wide-eyed with relief that was mixed with the scaredness.

"Everyone ready?" Willow asked as she opened the box. In sight of the
others, she placed her paper in the box and handed it to Tara who sat next
to her. Tara followed Willow's actions and passed it on to Xander who
carried it on until Giles passed it to Buffy who was the last to place her
paper in the box. Willow locked the box in front of them all and gave it to
pass around. At Xander's expression she answered, "I want everyone to be
absolutely sure, don't want you all ticked off at me."

As the box came back to her she sighed as she attempted for the millionth
time to read what was written on the box only to be faced with the knowledge
that it was a language she'd probably never know.

"So, who's looking after the keys?" Willow asked as she held them up.

"I don't want the axe over my head." Xander joked.

"Giles should take one," Buffy replied. "After all he's the responsible
adult." She smiled wryly at him.

"I guess that's to be taken as a compliment." Giles answered, taking one of
the keys from Willow's outstretched hand.

"Angel can have the second one." Xander said.

The others all looked at him.

"What? I can't be *nice*?"

The others rolled their eyes at him.

"Okay, okay. I'm thinking that the guilt of reading everything stored in the
box or letting the key out of his sight would be too much for his soul to
bear. So... you get what i'm saying. Right?"

"Xander!" Buffy said defensively.

Angel reached for the other key that Willow held out to him. "It's ok." He
answered. "He's got a point." Xander's grin began to widen. "For once."
Angel added.

"Everyone up to carrying this on tomorrow?" Cordy asked. "'Cause sleep's
becoming an issue." She stifled back a yawn.

"I'm happy with that," Wesley replied.

The others gave their goodnights and trooped back to their rooms. The energy
taken out of their bodies through the simple yet somewhat exhausting task.
All seeking a goodnight's sleep that doesn't always come.
 

ICY FLAMES [2/?]

"OUCH!" Xander groaned, rubbing his knee as he attempted to make his way to
the kitchen, this time without bumping in to any coffee tables that were
plotting to ruin his morning before he'd touched food.

"Where's Anya?" Willow asked as she grinned, as he made his way to the
kitchen and started a new victory dance.

"Sleeping."

Willow raised an eyebrow.

"Well I'm hoping she's sleeping. I haven't seen her since she complained
that we couldn't have our own room, ((Which was a god send for my aching
body.)) and decided to launch an attack on Buffy... everything went pretty
quiet then. I think it was because I fell asleep... though I have a sneaking
suspicion deadboy knocked me out. Or it could have been the fangless
wonder... ((I wonder where the two are, probably swapping sob stories...))
Anyway, I haven't seen her." Xander sighed as he launched himself on to one
of the breakfast stools and watched Willow make breakfast. "Say Will... is
there enough for two there?"

"I guess I can make room," She replied sighing back but inwardly smiling.
((I've gotta make a mental note to thank Buffy for arranging this trip. If
the only good thing to come out of this is me and Xander having some bonding
time. Then *yay* for good things.)).

"Say where's your roomie?" Xander asked as he began to eat the pancakes
Willow was making.

"I have no idea. I woke up this morning and there was no sign of her...
maybe she went for a walk or something." She frowned. "She does seem to be a
different Cordy."

Xander began to splutter. "You *are* joking, right?"

"No... if I tell you something, you promise not to tell anyone?"

"Hey, this is Xander, king of secrets you're talking to here."

Willow raised her eyebrow again.

"Ok... Anya won't find out."

"Well..." Willow bent over and whispered in Xander's ear. "She apologized
last night for all the times she's been mean to me, and we even agreed to
stay in contact when she goes back to LA."

Xander spluttered again.

"Would it help if I said I was joking and you could stay living in denial
land?" Willow asked.

++++++++++++++++++++

Anya sighed as Xander filled his mouth with yet another pancake and the
others carried on with their conversations.

"Hello? Am I talking to myself here?" She yelled.

The others looked up at her.

"Why thank you," she replied sarcastically. "I think you've all forgotten
about our little game..."

Buffy groaned. "And here I was thinking that *you'd* forgotten all about
it."

Anya replied by sticking her tongue out at Buffy.

"It's t-time for round one then," Tara said.

"Yay, someone who isn't afraid of a bit of fun." Anya answered as she took
the paper and pens off the coffee table, where they had been lying in await
since the previous night. "Uhhh... I'm guessing you all know which pen is
yours... right?" She said, looking at the chewed pen lids in a disgusted
manner.

The others replied by hesitantly taking their pens from Anya's outstretched
hand and paper from the other.

"Everyone has to write a dare on their piece of paper. We'll then mix up all
the paper slips and everyone chooses one. Since it's round one, the dares
should be pretty simple." Anya looked at them. "But don't even think of
doing those crazy dares you always see on the television. I want decent
dares people."

"Fine," Willow mumbled in reply as the others just went straight into
writing. ((This is just what I need. Some stupid bets that embarrass you and
make you do stupid things that everyone can use as blackmail later in life
when they need help. Just great...))

Buffy sighed as she stared at her paper. ((Now what am I supposed to write?
I dare you to go jump off a cliff??? I can just see Anya's face when she
hears that one. Hmmm... Anya's face.)) She quickly scribbled down her dare
and then folded the paper so she could clearly see which her dare was.

"Everyone finished?" Xander asked. "My stomach's still hungry here."

Anya took the unused mug that sat on the counter next to her and placed her
paper in. "Everyone now puts their own paper into the mug, but don't even
*look* at any of the others in there yet."

The mug was soon filled with the scraps of rolled up paper and finally Anya
smiled.

"E-Everyone takes.. a erm... scrap of paper now." Tara replied. "I'll umm...
go first." She knelt over and shook the mug before taking out her dare.

"Hey I sure can feel the fun here," Cordy muttered as everyone followed
Tara's actions.

"So we read them out now?" Willow asked.

"Yes." Tara replied. "Unless.. well. It specifically tells you to do
something that would wreck the umm... dare if you read it out."

"Well I've been dared to wear only Cordy's fluffy pink robe for the day."
Willow groaned.

"You own a fluffy pink robe?" Buffy replied as she tried not to laugh.

"So what? That thing cost me a fortune." Cordy replied defensively.

"Lets just go through the dares without the comments please," Giles said
impatiently.

"I can't say mine." Buffy replied.

"Uh... I've been dared to go to the nearest town and umm... find as many
donuts as possible and to well... buy them all." Tara said.

"I can't say mine," Angel said.

"I've been dared to call Buffy 'Peaches' all day and to call Angel,
"Slayer," Giles said frowning.

"I've got to go through the day without saying yes or no," Xander said. "Hey
that isn't possible!"

"I've been dared to do something I can't say." Wesley said.

"Gee hasn't everyone." Anya replied as the sarcasm dripped from her words.
"I've been dared to not say a word all day starting from when I read
this..."

"That's a relief," Spike said. "I've got to learn everyone's favorite memory
and say them at the end of the day. Like I care what you chits favorite
memories are."

"Well I've got the worst one of the lot." Cordy sighed. "I have to say 'Fuck
me' at the end of every sentence."

"Which you didn't do..." Buffy replied laughing.

"Shut up!" Cordy shouted and then remembered her dare. "Fuck me."

"No thanks." Buffy replied between bursts of laughter.
 

ICY FLAMES [4/?]

Willow anxiously tugged at the fluffy pink robe that was threatening to
consume her as she made her way to the front door were Tara was patiently
waiting, arms laden with bags and bakery boxes.

"You need any help?" Willow asked her as she watched Tara try and balance
the objects of her dare.

"Please..." Tara managed to reply as she staggered into the house and put
the bags and boxes on the coffee table. "There's umm... more in the car."

"You're joking?" Willow said, "You didn't have to buy them *all*, you're
probably in a serious cash flow situation right now, in that you have no
cash."

"I couldn't go back on the dare... and well- I sort of explained why I was
buying all the donuts and I think the woman at the bakery felt sorry for
me. She umm... gave me a discount."

"Well that's good."

"Is that the overwhelming smell of donuts that has woken me from my
lovely nap?" Xander asked as he practically bounded into the living room.

"And I wonder who's dare that was..." Willow muttered to herself.

"Hey I heard that!" Xander replied.

"Did you really?" Willow smirked.

"Y-" Xander began, before changing his mind. "I did." He shouted over his
shoulder as he headed toward the donuts.

"Where is everyone?" Tara asked Willow as they headed out the door into the
afternoon sun to Giles' car to collect the rest of the boxes and bags.

"Anya is alone somewhere because of the no-talking thing, Cordy's also
disappeared out again. Giles went to read a book. Spike's wandering about
with a notepad. Buffy is following Angel and Angel's trying to escape her,
and Wesley's mooching around."

Cordy came running up to them as Willow finished her sentence.

"You OK?" Willow asked. "You seem a little out of breath."

"I went running," Cordy gasped, "Fuck me."

"I'm guessing Anya came up with that dare?" Tara said.

"I'm guessing you could be right," Willow replied.

"I could *so* kill her sometimes. Fuck me." Cordy said as her breathing
started to slow down. "I'm gonna go shower. Fuck me."

She headed for the cabin as Willow and Tara followed her, stifling giggles
and bringing the rest of Tara's dare to the house.

"Could you have taken any bloody longer?" Spike complained as they entered
the cabin and closed the door, keeping the sunlight out. ((Just cause I have
eternity doesn't mean I want to hang around waiting for these two pricks...
Not even if one of them's been pretty decent to me. I mean i'm a vampire for
crying out loud!))

Willow rolled her eyes and Tara moved awkwardly to put down her bags.

"Right, best memories," he said.

"Erm... I guess meeting Xander." Willow replied.

"Chubs???" Spike choked out. "How can *that* be memorable?"

"He was the first friend I made at school." Willow explained. "He was late
for the first day and we all had to divide into pairs. I was the only one
without someone until he showed up late. We started talking about chocolate
and we've been best friends ever since." She finished with a smile. ((Not
that we've been acting like best friends recently... but it's all
changing.))

Spike watched the smile as it spread up to her eyes and he felt the
loneliness break through the barrier he had been keeping it under. ((Get it
together.)) He silently told himself. ((You're only feeling this way because
of the chip. When it's gone you can kill them all...)) But the problem was
even as he mentally spoke the words, no pleasure came forth to rid him of
the loneliness.

"How about you?" He asked Tara.

"My... umm... first family get together." Tara replied hesitantly.

"Any gag worthy story to accompany it?" Spike asked bluntly.

"N-No..."

"Is Bu-Peaches here?" Giles asked as he entered the room, anxiously cleaning
his glasses. "A-Slayer asked me if I could keep her occupied for a while.
She's been following him all day, asking him all sorts of questions."

"Like what?" Spike asked.

"What he thinks of some pop group, or something along those lines." Giles
replied.

"Favorite memory?" Spike said to him.

"Becoming Buffy's Watcher." He replied.

"Kill me now," Spike gagged.

"Oh I'd love to do that," Buffy said as she walked into the room. "What's
Angel's problem? I've been trying to do my dare and all he's been doing is
avoiding me." She threw herself into one of the oversized chairs.

"You've interrupted his brooding schedule," Willow replied.

Everyone looked at her.

"What? I can't crack a joke? ...Uhh... deja vu."

Angel came into the room, an unusual smile on his face as he sat down next
to Buffy.

Everyone looked at him.

"What?" Angel asked.

Their attention was turned away from him as they heard a banging coming
along the hallway. A figure was hunched over something large and he appeared
to be struggling to move it.

"Ahhh!!!" The figure screamed somewhat silently.

"Wesley?" Buffy asked.

"Shhh!" He told them as he pulled the object slightly into the room. "I'm
trying to do my dare." He proceeded to spend an hour pulling the object
halfway into the room, refusing everyone's offers of help.

"A bed?" Spike snorted, "Shouldn't you have removed Cordelia first?"

"The dare," Wesley huffed.
 
 

An hour later, the bed was outside and Cordelia was surprisingly still
asleep in the bed.

"Aha!" Wesley said triumphantly.

"Dinner's ready," Buffy informed them. "Someone get Anya."

"Done your dare then Buff?" Xander asked her.

"Yep!" She replied enthusiastically. "Angel's favorite Spice Girl is Posh
Spice."

"That's why you were asking me all those questions?" Angel said.

"Well it did say I couldn't ask you *directly*. Lets just say you weren't
forthcoming with information."

"And you Deadboy?" Xander asked.

Angel scowled at him and walked to his duster that was hanging in the
hallway, reaching into a pocket he removed a fluffy pink object and
successfully waved it in front of them all.

"Mr Gordo?" Buffy spluttered.

"I had to kidnap him without you noticing," Angel replied.

"I guess that means everyone's been successful then but... the fangless
wonder. How about you?" Xander said gleefully.

"I've done it." Spike replied as he started to repeat everyone's favorite
memory.

"Uhh... guys. Anyone seen Anya go out, cos she's not here now." Willow said
as she came back from her search for Anya.

"No," the others replied.

"She went out before everyone because she was annoyed with the no talking
dare." Xander said. "Except she didn't say anything, just glared at me." He
shuddered. "She'll be back when she cools down."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Willow walked further into the woods as she debated with herself whether she
should go get backup or carry on before it got too dark. ((This is what
happens when I sneak out.)) She thought scolding herself.

Something snapped underneath her foot. "That doesn't sound healthy."

She moved her foot away to find an extremely broken twig and she breathed a
sigh of relief.

"Too much living on the hellmouth," she told herself.

As she walked it was clear she was coming to a clearing and Willow looked at
her watch to discover she had been walking for the better part of half an
hour.

Suddenly someone screamed.

"Oh god," Willow breathed.

The clearing had come quickly upon her and lying in the middle of it was
Anya. Or what was left of her. Anya's hands were strapped to small posts in
the ground and from her neck to the middle of her stomach was a long, deep
cut that blood was weeping out of. Cordy looked up from Anya's body, blood
soaking her clothing and hands.

"Cordy?" Willow said hesitantly.

"Willow... oh God... Willow she's... Anya's dead." She replied as tears
wracked her body. "She's dead."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"She's died from the cut," Giles informed them. "But it appears that she's
been dead for a while. Probably sometime this morning."

"Someone killed her," Buffy said without emotion. "Someone followed her,
strapped her up and killed her." Her voice broke. "And none of us even
thought of looking for her until now."

They all looked at each other.

"The police have left but they want Willow and Cordy to go down tomorrow
morning, make a statement." Angel said as he entered the room.

"Who did it?" Cordy asked.

"Who or what?" Buffy replied. "Come on... it could have been anything and I
*didn't* stop it."

"It's not your fault Buffy," Giles said. "This is meant to be a vacation and
you had no idea there'd be anything out there."

"But there's *anything* out everywhere. I can't just take vacations."

"I wonder what her fear was," Xander mumbled to himself. He looked at Giles
and Angel. "I'd like to know." He whispered.

Giles and Angel looked at each other, silently talking before Angel took his
key from his pocket and handed it to Xander who took the box from the coffee
table and opened it.

He looked inside and silently removed the paper bearing Anya's name and
handwriting. Locking up the box he opened the paper and suddenly went
extremely white.

"Xander what is it?" Willow asked.

He passed the paper to her.

"Oh God..." Willow looked up at the others. "She was afraid of dying alone."
 

ICY FLAMES [5/?]

Willow looked at her hands that lay in her lap. Green eyes stared at the
hands as if by looking hard enough, they could see through the lines of
past, present and future and to the answers that lay beneath the skin. Her
mind swirled with thoughts as her hands fidgeted as if they were fighting
with the very thoughts that caused them to come alive from their slumber.

She could hear the muffled sobs that belonged to Xander coming from the next
room and her body began to ache. ((It's all your fault.)) The voice in her
head cooed. ((It was your idea to have a vacation, your idea to get away
from the destruction that comes with the hellmouth.... Well look what you
did... All that mess... all that unneeded destruction... Your fault.))

"No... " She called back. "I didn't kill her... I couldn't, I didn't."

((Maybe you didn't cut her up, but you put her in those woods. It was your
innocent little dream, your innocent little trip. Now it's on your
not-so-innocent little head.))

Willow's head jerked up as footsteps entered the room.

"Is Cordy OK?" She asked her.

"Well... she's coping." Buffy replied as she sat down in the chair across
from Willow and stared gloomily at the coffee table.

"I guess... that's good."

"You know, this is really funny when you think about it."

"Funny?"

"Yes. I mean, how we fight demons, monsters and everything else that likes
to upset the balance, everyday. But as soon as we take a step away from the
hellmouth and survey everything around us. It all collapses. Some demon can
just come up and kill one of us... right before our eyes and it takes us
half a day to discover it out."

"It could just have been a coincidence... Anya could just have been in the
wrong place at the wrong time." Willow attempted weakly.

"I wish I could believe that. Like I wish I could believe it was just a
warped out human, who happens to need to be locked up in a place for the
insane." Buffy sighed. "God, why did this have to happen, just when
everything was going well."

((I guess it's the balance)) The voice in Willow's head whispered to her.
((Bitch.))

"Quiet..." Willow muttered to the voice.

"What?" Buffy looked up at her.

"I said... Why? ...Why do you think it was some demon?"

"Maybe because the box has done a disappearing act."

"It's gone?" The green eyes swept the coffee table. "Where it go?"

"Judging from the fact that we've had the entire police force here last
night and a lot of other concerned people. Then i'd take a wild guess and
say someone decided they'd take a souvenir."

"So the demon sent someone to pick up the box. Now we're caught in the
headlights."

"I guess this calls for research," Xander said softly as he entered the
room. His eyes were puffy and the whites of his eyes were fiercely red. "I
guess we've got enough donuts."

"Xander, you should be in bed." Buffy replied.

"And do what? Sob my eyes out while some demon takes us out one by one. I
owe it to Anya to take down this bastard and kill it."

"Count me in," Angel said from the doorway. "I'll go get the others."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Giles came into the room with the last of his books piled high in his arms.
He raised a hand to his glasses that were threatening to fall down his nose.
As he pushed them up, the books subsequently began to fall from his arms.

"Now I know why it took us so long to get here." Cordy remarked. "It would
have taken anyone hours to get somewhere with that kind of weight in the
back of a car."

"I brought them to catch up on my reading. I've been a little... forgetful
of late and well, it won't do me any harm to brush up a little."

"Everyone got a book?" Wesley asked.

"Yes, but I don't see why we just don't go out, find this thing and kill
it." Spike replied.

"Maybe because of the fact we know nothing about *it*. Buffy commented.

"Can you two just be quiet. We're losing valuable time when you argue."
Giles said impatiently.

Buffy and Spike quietened down, but not before deadly glances were exchanged
between them.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"This is useless!" Buffy exclaimed. "We've been researching for hours and we
still haven't come up with anything useful."

"I told you that hours ago." Spike replied.

"Spike, be quiet." Willow muttered.

"Why? It's the truth."

"No it isn't. We haven't exhausted all the options yet, that's all."

"There's only one way we can," Angel replied quietly. He looked up, catching
the questioning gazes of the others. "We carry on with the game."
 

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