...~*~...

Part 1

"You look awful," Cordelia informed Willow when the redhead emerged from her bedroom.  Willow glared at the other woman blearily, the effect ruined by the yawn her retort was swallowed by.  She scrubbed at watering eyes with the heel of her palm, a strangely vulnerable motion that made Cordelia's heart ache for the witch.  Tugging the sash of her robe tighter around her slight body, Willow approached the couch on which Cordelia sat.

"I didn't sleep well last night," Willow admitted.

Cordelia patted at Willow's knee sympathetically, her fingers curling inwards slightly to rest against the warm flesh exposed by the opening in Willow's dark green robe.  "Nightmares?" she inquired.  Since Willow had shown up on her doorstep five days earlier, Cordelia had spent more than her share of sleepless nights crying into her pillow.  And, some could have argued that Cordelia had less reason to be heartbroken than did the witch.  Cordelia had lost her crush to another.  Willow had lost her lover.

Willow's lips twitched into a twisted grin.  "Depends on how you define nightmares," she answered.  Cordelia's arm automatically moved about Willow's slight shoulders as the redhead shifted closer to her, wearily resting her head against the seer.  "I dreamt about walking in on them again... I woke up, I cried.  I fell back to sleep and dreamed about staking both of their undead asses.  Strangely enough, I felt better after that one," Willow chuckled humourlessly.

Cordelia's arm tightened around Willow sympathetically.  "Think that form of therapy would work in real life?" she asked, her voice serious.

"I miss him, Cordy," Willow murmured.

"I know, Willow," Cordelia answered softly.  "You know that he loves you --"

Willow nodded.  "I do know that, Cordelia," the witch confirmed sadly. "But I also know that Spike loves Angel.  And really, what do I have to offer him when compared to Angel?  He's Spike's sire, his friend, his lover... there's nuances and experiences between them that I can't even begin to imagine.  Hell, Angel's even better looking that me!" Willow grunted sourly.

She looked up at Cordelia's pinched face and guilt flooded her shinning green eyes.  Willow's soft hands moved to cup Cordelia's cheeks.  "I'm sorry, Cordelia.  I shouldn't be going on like this when you--"

The other woman cut off Willow's words with a gentle pressure of her fingertips against Willow's lips.  "I never had a chance with Angel... no matter how much I wanted things to be different, I don't think he ever saw me as anything more than a child.  If he'd cared about me even a fraction as much I do -- _did_," she modified, ignoring the look of disbelief in Willow's face, "he would have come to _me_ once he found out his soul was permanent."

"He just had to come to Sunnydale and screw _my_ man," Willow muttered darkly under her breath.  They'd gone over variations of the same conversation more times than Willow cared to recall -- one or both of them always ended up in tears, mourning lost loves and unfulfilled hopes.  "Men suck," Willow growled.

"Majorly suck," Cordelia contributed.  She straightened suddenly, and Willow slipped against her at the unexpected motion.  "Angel's coming back to LA in a few days -- and I can't exactly hide you away in my apartment while he's dropping in for the occasional visit.  He'll find out you've been here the entire time while he and Spike were tearing through Sunnydale looking for you, and the next thing you know, Spike will be at our door grovelling for forgiveness.  I'm not sure I'm ready to face Angel without going into hysterics..."

Willow nodded in agreement.  "I'm not looking forward to having to see _either_ of them any time soon," the witch said.

Cordelia grinned widely.  "I think I've more than earned a nice, long, paid vacation, don't you?  We'll head out for some fun and relaxation, break a few hearts of our own, and be totally over them by the time we get back."

"I don't think either of us have the funds for that," Willow said dubiously.

Cordelia leaned down, whispering against Willow's ear, "we will once you hack into Angel's computer and find out what kind of treats of the monetary kind he's been hoarding away."

Willow shivered at the feel of Cordelia's breath against overheated flesh.  "That's illegal and immoral and--"

"Payback," Cordelia said firmly.  "He stole your man, I think it's only fair that you steal a bit of his money."

Green eyes narrowed thoughtfully.  "Don't you mean _we_ stole?"

...~*~...

Cordelia rubbed her hands together gleefully as she surveyed the packed bags siting next to her front door.  It had taken less time than she had
anticipated to get things in order.  She had drawn on her connections to find proper accommodations for Willow and herself -- they would be house-sitting for a friend of a friend of Cordelia's for at least the next two weeks.  One of Willow's wiccan friends was heading in the same direction, and had agreed to giving the two young women a ride there. 'This is a _brilliant_ idea!' Cordelia thought.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Willow asked hesitantly as she emerged from her bedroom, final suitcase in hand.

Cordelia mock glowered at the redhead.  "Angel?  Spike?  Awkward and painful attempts at explanations and lame ass excuses?  Ringing any bells here?"

Willow's shoulders straightened, her chin lifting proudly.  "Right. Let's go, or with our luck, Angel will come back early and we'll end up running into him on the way outta here."  She briskly rapped on Cordelia's wooden end table.
 

Part 2

"Cordelia, you can't be serious!" Willow protested as the brunette came to a halt before the window of a lingerie store. She shifted her bags from hand to hand, watching Cordelia's profile as the other woman stared at the scraps of lace and silk in the window longingly.

"I'm always serious when I comes to shopping," Cordelia proclaimed, ignoring the fact that she and Willow had spent the last several hours being anything but serious about their shopping. "Picture it, Willow," Cordelia instructed as she pressed her open palm against the small of Willow's back, holding the redhead in place. "That little black number over there," she said, gesturing towards the skimpy nightgown. "Soft white breasts nearly spilling out over a delicate lace neckline that barely covers your nipples... the silk clinging to their gentle curves, flowing over flat stomach, arching past rounded hips... And then, imagine Spike. His eyes going wide as he falls to his knees before you, begging you to let him touch you. The hemline of the gown would hardly reach past the tops of your thighs, and your legs would look so very long, smooth and soft... and he'd look at them hungrily, hands aching to move up your calves and thighs and climb up between your legs..."

Willow blinked and drew in a shuddering breath. "You paint quite the vivid picture, Cordelia," she said finally.

"Don't I," Cordelia said mildly before winking. She hooked her arm through Willow's, leaning forward to whisper in the other woman's ear. "So what do you say we go in there and take a step towards making that particular fantasy a reality?"

...~*~...

"Perfect," Willow nearly sighed as she uncapped the bottle of vanilla scented bubble bath she held. She tugged Cordelia closer, motioning for the seer to smell the stuff. "Don't you think?"

"Mm hmm," Cordelia murmured her agreement, her eyes slitting closed in pleasure.

Willow giggled slightly, her lips brushing lightly against Cordelia's skin as she leaned forward. "Picture it, Cordelia," she urged. "It's been a long, hard day, and you're too tired to head on home. Angel tells you that you can stay with him for the night. You sink into the tub, there, the bathroom steaming around you as the warm, scented water caresses your skin. The water laps at the upper slopes of your breasts, leaving your skin slick and wet. You slide deeper into the water, sighing in pleasure, your finger lazily trailing through the cloud of bubbles drifting across the bath's surface. You feel a draft of cool air as the bathroom door opens, and your nipples tighten at the sudden influx of cooler air. Angel's standing there, wide eyed as he stares at you and you can clearly see that he's most definitely not looking at you as if you're a little girl..."

"I was going to buy it anyway," Cordelia said, her tongue darting out to wet her lips.

Willow grinned impishly. "I know. I just like 'convincing' -- and I owed you for the nightgown," she said.

...~*~...

They looked at the bottle of chocolate syrup before turning to look at each other. Both women started laughing in unison. "Imagine," Willow began, her voice low, a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"Spike," Cordelia completed.

"Angel," Willow added.

"You."

"And you."

"And chocolate."

"Lots of chocolate."

Cordelia drew in a shaky breath. "I'm hungry all of the sudden," she breathed.

Willow nodded. "I think I saw an ice cream place before we came in here. We can go get some chocolate sundaes."

The seer shrugged. "If we can't have chocolate covered vampires, I suppose chocolate covered ice cream will just have to do."
 

Part 3

"What's it like?" Cordelia asked softly, rolling the long neck of her beer bottle between slim fingers.    She cocked her head, dark hair spilling across bronzed shoulders as she surveyed Willow.

Willow's bare toes curled into the cushion on which she sat.  "What?" she inquired, chasing the word with a mouthful of rapidly diminishing beer.

"Sex with a vampire," Cordelia elaborated, her eyes caught against Willow's flushed face.

The witch stilled, the bottle held motionless against her slightly parted lips.  Her hand drifted to her lap, the bottle cradled in the curve of thigh and stomach.  "A learning experience," Willow said mildly.

Cordelia worried at the full lower lip.  "Was it... frightening?" she asked softly.

Willow watched the brunette from behind drooping eyelids, her green eyes screened by a thick fan of lashes.  "At first," the witch admitted.  "As human as Spike sometimes seems, he's a demon -- he wasn't all that nice even before he joined the ranks of the undead.  You can't help but feel vulnerable, knowing that the hands that are touching you could tear you apart before you even realized that things had changed." She took a deep draw from her beer, and settled the newly emptied bottle beside the others next to her chair.  "But after you've done it time and time again, and you're still in one piece... it's intense.  It's like this primal force packed into human form, and it's attention is focused entirely on you."

The seer shivered slightly, sinking deeper into the plump cushions of her seat.  "Was it weird, knowing that he's dead?" she asked.

"I never really thought about it," Willow answered after a brief, thoughtful pause.  "The thing that got to me was his experience... knowing that he'd touched who knows how many men and women before.  And sometimes, I wondered if he'd looked at them all the same way that he looked at me... if I were something _special_, or just another piece of human fluff to occupy his time."

"He loves you," Cordelia contended.

Willow nodded.  "Yeah... but that didn't stop him from screwing Angel, did it?  He loves Angel more than he does me.  He loves Drusilla more than he does me.  I don't know how to put it to words, Cordy, but even when I know he loves me... I can't help but feeling he _doesn't_."

"He loves you," Cordelia stressed stubbornly.

"Sometimes, love doesn't cut it," Willow said sadly.  "Oz taught me that.  He loved me, but I couldn't understand him like he needed.  What if being human, just being _me_, means that I can't ever understand Spike enough to love him like he needs?  His demon... it scares me, it excites me sometimes, it intrigues me... but I can't even begin to understand it. I don't know that I want to."

Cordelia drew her legs up to her chest, hugging them to her tightly. "I think I understand," she admitted.  "God knows I wish I don't, though.  I can see a glimpse of something in Angel's eyes, sometimes... and I know that at that moment, he's anything but human."  She paused, glaring at the bottle still clutched in her hands.  "Even had he looked at me as more than a friend," the last word came out choked, "I don't know that he could have loved me."

"He loves you," Willow said.

"How do you know?" Cordelia nearly growled.

Willow smiled sorrowfully.  "Spike told me so."

"Then _why_?"

"It's not enough, I suppose."  There was a bitter tint to her words.

"Are we fools?"

"The worst kind."

...~*~...

"There's this dream I used to have," Cordelia said softly, stretching out against the blanket they had spread over the sand.  They had moved out of the house some short minutes earlier, attempting to shake loose the melancholy mood that had descended upon them.  "I'm in this mansion... but its more than just that.  It feels like a _home_.  I'm alone in front of the fireplace, waiting.  But I'm not worried or anything, because even though he's not there at that moment, I know he'll be there eventually.  It's secure, peaceful."  She crossed her slim arms beneath her head, staring up at the stars, unblinking.  "I thought for a while that it could have been Doyle."

"I'm sorry."

"So am I.  He loved me, you know.  _Me_."  She forced a lightness into her tone that she did not feel in truth.  "I wish you could have met him, Willow -- he was adorable, in that clueless, fashionless way."  She chuckled suddenly.  "I think he had a thing for Angel, too.  Talk about your fantasies..."

Willow giggled, rolling onto her stomach.  She propped her chin in her cupped hand, looking down at Cordelia's face.  "We must have some of the strangest materials on which to build fantasies," she paused.  "I know what dreams dance behind Buffy's eyelids at night," Willow grinned wickedly.  "I told you about the Initiative?  Lets just say that Buffy _really_ likes all those men in uniform."

"And you?"

"Different faces over time, but all a variation on the same theme. Just... someone who'd let me do what _I_ needed, what _I_ wanted." Willow sighed, twisting a soft red lock of hair around her finger.

"Security and acceptance... we certainly do enjoy wild fantasies, don't we?"

Willow found a grin.  "Well, dreams about wild sex don't count once you've actually _done_ it, do they?"

...~*~...

"Cordelia," Willow breathed, batting her eyelashes at the seer outrageously.  "Forgive me, I was a fool for not seeing what was before me all this time!  Buffy shmuffy!"

"I don't know, Angel..." Cordelia sighed, tapping her forefinger against her compressed lips.  "You've treated me rather shoddily -- ignoring me, flirting with other women, fucking Spike..."

Willow's lower lip trembled.  "Mistakes, all of it, Cordelia!"  She crawled up the blanket, leaning over the other woman.  "Let me make it all up to you, beloved..."  Willow wriggled her eyebrows as Cordelia smothered her laughter behind her hand.

"I don't possibly see how you could..."

"Ah, Cordelia -- I am a very determined man... a man who need not breath... a man with immense stamina.  There must be something--?"

"Well..." Cordelia drawled thoughtfully.  "I suppose I could use someone like that for my next shopping expedition."

Willow reared back, her face a mask of injured pride.  "Shopping, beloved?  I offer my luscious, manly body to your every whim and you wish to _shop_!"

Cordelia arched her eyebrows.  "Luscious, manly body?" she repeated with a snicker.  She schooled her features when Willow pouted at her. "Right.  Well whatever else could you have been thinking of, Angel?"

The redhead gave her best impression of a leer.  "I was thinking along the lines of pleasuring you until you pass out, Cordelia, sweety."

The seer pursed her lips.  "That sounds nice... but my shopping--"

"Stubborn woman!" Willow exclaimed.  "I always enjoyed a challenge." She cheerfully winked at Cordelia before leaning down, lightly pressing her lips against the other woman's.  Cordelia's arms unconsciously wound about Willow, pulling the redhead closer to her.

A long moment later, Willow pulled back, dazed.  "Oh Goddess," she breathed.

Cordelia nodded soundlessly, sucking in deep breaths.  "I thought you were joking," she said finally.

"So did I."

"Was it a... mistake?"

Willow rolled next to Cordelia, drawing in a nervous breath.  "...No?"

"No," Cordelia agreed.

"Is this a rebound thing?" Willow questioned.

Cordelia closed her eyes, recalling the times she had spent in Willow's company -- sitting close enough that their bodies brushed against each other, snuggling together in bed while Spike and Angel were out, the thrill of pleasure she got whenever the redhead was with her.  "No."

"No," Willow affirmed, equally vehement as was Cordelia.

"I've never--"

Remembering Tara, Willow smiled.  "I have."  She leaned over, her lips seeking Cordelia's once more.

"Willow!" Spike's voice snapped through the night.

"Cordelia?" Angel called out.

The two women jumped apart.  They stared at the approaching vampires before turning to each other.  In silent agreement, they scrambled to their feet and made a mad dash towards their temporary home.
 

Part 4

Running probably hadn't been the most sensible reaction, Cordelia thought as she dashed after Willow. She cursed slightly as sand gave way beneath her bare feet. Her arms windmilled desperately as the seer stumbled. She found her feet again, nearly flying up the steps to their front door. Her heart was pounding frantically, and the part of her mind still capable of rational thinking informed her that was sure to inflame the predators at their heels.

Willow yelped as she tripped on the stairs, and Cordelia grabbed at the redhead's wrist. She yanked the witch upwards, rough with haste. Cordelia didn't look back as she fumbled with the door. It swung open beneath damp palms and the seer lunged into their home, pulling Willow after her.

Both women were breathing hard when they turned to find Spike standing on their doorstep, a hint of gold flashing beneath the blue of his eyes. "Willow," he called out, her name emerging between a growl and a plea.

"Fuck off!" Willow hissed, her shaking hand flinging outwards, bringing the door shut in Spike's disbelieving face. Her knees shook and Willow collapsed to the ground. She looked up at Cordelia, wiping damp strands of hair from her forehead. "That was certainly exciting," she gasped.

"Excitement I could have done without," Cordelia panted. She winced slightly as she saw the long scrape marring Willow's leg. Cordelia squatted down before her, her fingers lightly skimming over the wound. "I think we have some bandages--"

"Get your bloody hands off of her!" Spike growled, his voice muted by the closed window that separated them. The vampires' faces were pale,
ghostly ovals against the darkness outside. Spike's eyes were flashing with anger, and Angel's eyes were dark with confusion and guilt.

Cordelia fought back a bark of hysterical laughter. Although she knew that neither vampire would hurt them -- 'or at least Angel wouldn't allow Spike to,' she amended as she took in the blond's stormy expression -- falling into the pattern of flight from demons had ignited an instinctive terror of things stronger and deadlier. She and Willow had ended up spooking themselves by running.

She rose to her feet, long strides eating up the room. Cordelia paused before the window. Unable to face Angel, the seer glared at Willow's lover. "I believe the lady said fuck off!" she ground out, before yanking down the shade and hiding the vampires from their sight once more.

...~*~...

Angel blinked as the shade whipped down before their eyes. "That went well," he said blandly. "You shouldn't have startled them like that," Angel continued, a hint of a reproach sinking into his tone as he rounded on his childe.

"Bugger off," Spike said sourly. He knew damn well that shouting out a warning hadn't been conducive to a stealthy approach, but he'd been unable to hold his tongue when he saw Willow and Cordelia kiss. Willow's physical affections were not given easily, and seeing her about to bestow upon the secretary what it had taken over a year to achieve himself had been decidedly upsetting. "You may be used to seeing your little trollop grope at--"

"Don't say another word," Angel growled above Spike's words. The window shuddered next to them as Angel pinned the younger vampire against the wall, his forearm at Spike's throat. He squeezed down against the blond's throat warningly before stepping back. Angel ran a hand through his hair, sighing in frustration. "If you don't get a hold of yourself, Spike, you're going to make things worse than they are now."

Spike gritted his teeth. "The only thing I'm going to do is get my hands on Willow and shag her so bloody hard that she wont be able to walk straight for a week."

"Always the ladies' man," Angel snorted.

The younger vampire sneered at Angel before stalking back to the front door. "Willow!" he howled as he pounded at the door. "Let me in!"

Willow's reply was faint but unmistakable. "Go to hell, 'darling.'"

...~*~...

"What do you figure they're doing out there?" Willow wondered fretfully. She broke off another piece of her candy bar, popping it into her mouth. She licked at her sticky fingers as she watched the locked door. There had been a brief shouting match between the two vampires outside several minutes earlier. Their voices had then fallen silent, replaced by the sound of their doorknob rattling.

Cordelia shrugged. "I figure they're either planning on picking the lock or kicking the door open," she replied.

Willow's brows furrowed. "Why?" she wondered. "Open door or not, they aren't getting in here."

"Men. Who knows?" Cordelia responded. She sighed, stretching her legs out before her on the floor. "This is never how I pictured it, you know," she commented.

"Pictured what?"

"You know, the men crawling back to the women they hurt... flowers, candy, jewelry -- now that's nice. Being chased, screamed at, and potential breaking and non-entering is all a bit... disturbing to say the least." She broke off a piece of her own chocolate bar. "I could almost believe that Angel really cared."

"He does," Willow insisted. "In that brain dead, non-recognition sort of way." She paused thoughtfully. "I don't understand why Spike is so worked up, though. He's the one who dumped _me_ -- although he failed to do the actual dumpage and skipped straight to the next lover part of the deal... I thought he'd be _happy_ with me out of the way -- clear conscious and no reminders while he was off making googly eyes at Angel."

"Must be one of those vampire things," Cordelia suggested.

"Wonderful," Willow muttered acidly, watching the door tremble.

...~*~...

It had been Angel's opinion that shouting through a closed door wouldn't be advantageous to their cause. Even with the barrier which stood against the vampires, Angel felt that he and Spike would be a step ahead so long as the two women could see them. Angelus had long ago mastered what could be termed his 'puppy dog eyes,' and Cordelia seemed no more immune to the look than were the other women the vampire had bestowed the look upon.

Angel cast an annoyed glance in Spike's direction. The younger vampire was snarling curses beneath his non-existent breath. Unless Willow was
weaker than Angel suspected, Spike would be stuck outside for far longer than would his sire. He had never seen the bleached blond vampire so
worked up -- Spike had completely lost control of his emotions upon discovering that Willow had left. There hadn't been such misery in his eyes even during his roughest times with Drusilla.

The latch gave way beneath Angel's hand, and he swung the door inwards. Willow and Cordelia were sitting on the floor, their backs against the side of the couch, their shoulders and thighs pressed together. Discarded candy wrappers littered the floor next to the two women. "I hope you didn't break our door," Cordelia said coolly.

Spike ducked around Angel, his open palms resting against the unseen barrier that held him trapped outside. "Willow, stop acting like a bloody child and talk to me," he ground out.

Angel winced as he noted Willow's flashing green eyes narrow. "Excuse me, Mr.. I can't control my hormones?" she hissed. "I'm not the one acting like a child. I stepped aside so that you and Angel can pursue a relationship. I didn't scream, or cry, or threaten to get Buffy to stake you. I didn't chase you down, or try to break through your door."

"How did you find us, anyway?" Cordelia interjected while Willow drew in a deep, angry breath.

"Wesley," Angel informed the brunette.

"Figures," Cordelia muttered.

Angel looked at the young woman imploringly. "Why are you doing this, Cordelia?" he asked. "I know you and Willow are... friends," he paused over the last word as Spike snarled, "but there's no need for any of this."

"Is he blind or just stupid?" Cordelia spoke under her breath, her words still loud enough for the vampires to hear.

Willow shrugged, absently patting at the seer's knee. "Why don't you boys just run along?" the redhead suggested. "Cordelia and I are going to finish our vacation, and we'd prefer being able to _enjoy_ it."

Cordelia nodded. "Don't worry, Angel, you aren't going to loose your _secretary_" she spat the word as if it were a curse. The seer rose to her feet, offering her hand to Willow.

"We aren't leaving," Spike said, watching the women through narrowed eyes.

"And we'll be ignoring you."
 

Part 5

The vampires did not passively settle down to the business of being ignored. Angel did his best to remain calm and appropriately guilty. He spoke to the two women, offering at first explanations, and when his excuses ran out, drifted into random, one-sided snippets of conversation. Spike was considerably louder. He alternated between cursing at Cordelia and Willow, demanding that he be let in, and informing Willow of exactly what he planned to do with her once he was let in. The only sign that Willow had heard him was the long, cold shower she had taken upon hearing the latter.

Angel suffered a momentary twinge of worry as the sun began to creep over the horizon, long tongues of light stretching across the ground towards them.

"The two of you are still here?" Cordelia sighed from the doorway. She cast a look into the sky before sighing deeply. "You may as well come in," she said grudgingly, stepping aside as both vampires darted into the house. Spike immediately zeroed in on Willow, striding towards her purposefully, leaving Angel and the seer alone together.

"Cordelia..." Her expectant look faded when he left her name hovering on the air.

"I'd offer you something to eat, but we didn't exactly stock up on blood. This was supposed to be a non-vampire inclusive outing." Her voice was more resigned than angry. "Why is it that you're so single-minded about all the wrong things?" Cordelia murmured, shaking her head slightly.

Uncertain as to what the seer meant by the latter comment, Angel latched onto the former. "We have a cooler of blood in the car," he offered.

A resounding slap drew their attention towards the other couple. Spike's eyes were gleaming gold, and his body was straining against the urge to lung at the redhead who had struck at him. "Don't you dare, you damned horny bastard!" Willow shrieked angrily. "You decided that Angel was a more exciting toy - go play with _him_."

A growl rumbled deep in Spike's chest. "Willow, you are _mine_."

Willow lips parted, soundlessly struggling for the right words with which to reply. She finally resorted to sticking her tongue out at the vampire. Spike shuddered at the motion. Her shoulders held stiffly, Willow reeled around on her heel, stalking towards the bedroom. Angel's hand fell against Spike's shoulder, holding his childe in place. "I don't think that was an invitation to join her," he murmured.

"Not unless you want a stake rammed up your ass," Cordelia snorted from behind them. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed. The two of you
kept us both up all last night." She brushed past Angel, heading towards the door Willow had disappeared through.

"Don't you have your own bloody room?" Spike ground out before Cordelia had shut the door all the way.

"This is my room," Cordelia responded, closing the door behind her.

...~*~...

Before leaving the relative safety of their room, Willow had hunted through her bags in search of a cross. She slipped it over her neck, leaving the symbol laying above her tank top. Although the witch doubted that it would hold Spike at bay if he was really trying to get to her, it at least provided safety enough in that he wouldn't be likely to cling to her side constantly when she emerged from her room.

Surprisingly, Angel was the first one to approach her. He winced at the cross prominently displayed around Willow's neck, but stepped forward nonetheless. His voice was low and worried when he addressed the redhead. "Willow, I know I'm probably one of the last people you want to see right now..."

"And you would be right."

"But I'm worried about Cordelia."

Willow's eyebrows arched. "Are you really?"

"Of course I am! I want to know what's bothering her, how I can help her."

The witch's eyes narrowed. "Do you love Buffy?" she demanded.

"I... of course I do. There's a part of me that always will. But she's moved on--"

"Have you? Emotionally, at least."

Angel nodded slowly. "Things started changing between the two of us a while ago. I'm not in love with her anymore."

Willow nodded. "You're Cordelia's problem," she stated firmly.

"Me?"

"She wants you."

Angel's eyes widened. "I figured as much," he said. "I know she has a crush on me, but it's never caused anything like this to happen before..."

"Dummy," Willow growled. "It isn't a crush. There's definite lust in there, affection and friendship and a whole heap of love. You've been treating her like little more than an employee, or maybe a _buddy_. Bad enough, but then you get your soul anchored and... and all those unspoken hopes and dreams go out the window because you're off fucking Spike." Tears sprang to Willow's eyes. "You could have made her happy, Angel. Why did you have to come to Sunnydale and make us _all_ miserable instead?"

"Willow--"

"You're sorry. Right, got that. But _sorry_," Willow swallowed heavily, blinking back her tears, "doesn't make things right. _Sorry_ doesn't mean that Spike didn't cheat on me. _Sorry_ won't make Cordy's heart stop aching. Be as sorry as you want, Angel - just don't expect me to be impressed by it."

...~*~...

"What do you say we have a bit of fun?" Cordelia grinned as she swung open the top to her suitcase. She drew out her own cross, tying it around her neck before shifting her attention to the shopping bags piled in the corner.

"What kind of fun?" Willow inquired curiously.

The seer turned to face Willow, holding the delicate scrap of red lace she had purchased for herself during their shopping spree with Angel's pilfered money. "This kind of fun," she breathed. "We have our crosses, and with the sun out, there's no where for them to go..."

Willow shook her head, biting down on her answering grin. "That's cruel, Cordelia."

"Isn't it?" the brunette giggled.

"We'll be playing with fire, you realize."

Cordelia paused. "I know. But it'll be fun... and we owe them." She narrowed her eyes, sucking on her lower lip. "Do you have any idea of how often Angel has paraded around in front of me shirtless?"

"Do you need any help with that?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Cordelia replied, batting her thick eyelashes.
 

Part 6

Spike and Angel sat side by side on the couch, both of them moodily glaring at the closed (and locked -- they'd tested it) door to the girls' room. "What do you figure they're up to in there?" Angel wondered as Cordelia shrieked in laughter.

Spike shrugged. His eyebrows flew upwards at sound of the bed squealing. "Cordy! No more! That _tickles_!" Willow was protesting, the words interspersed with uncontrolled giggles.

"Willow isn't ticklish..." his eyes widened. "Except--" the blond vampire lunged to his feet, crossing the room in five brisk steps. "Get your hands of her, you bloody twat!" he snarled, pounding at the door with fisted hands. By the laughter that chased hard upon the tail of his words, Angel doubted that either girl had paid much attention to his childe.

"Calm down, Spike," Angel told the agitated vampire.

"Calm down?" Spike ground out. "_My_ woman is in there, doing--" he cut his own words off, shaking his head violently. "Doing stuff that she shouldn't even be _thinking_ of doing without me at her side."

Angel drew upon his best calming voice. "Spike, Willow and Cordelia are not doing anything. They're merely having a bit of fun, and probably getting a kick out of how worked up you're getting over an innocent game."

"Oh, God. Willow!" Cordelia's voice floated out from behind the closed door.

Spike's lips twisted into a frown. "Have you lost your sense of sight, hearing _and_ smell, you bloody wanker?"

Angel cleared his throat uncomfortably. "They're both sweet, innocent girls--" he began. "No, forget that. I admit it, you're right. Damn it," Angel groaned dejectedly, his head falling to rest in his hands. "I should be in there."

"Not with _my_ Red!"

"I was blind... she was right there the entire time and I was treating her like a little sister."

"Right, right," Spike waved him off. "I truly give damn about your pain."

"Remind me why I love you again?"

Spike snorted. "And if they just so happened to walk out of their room then?"

Angel rolled his eyes. "I wasn't talking about the sex."

"Well I am. I want some. And I want it with Willow."

"You're insufferable."

"Insatiable."

Willow and Cordelia had fallen silent. Both vampires' faces were towards the door as it swung open. A long, shapely, and painfully bare leg slid out from behind the partially opened door. "I don't know, it seems kind of chilly out there," Cordelia complained, her leg drawing back.

"I'm sure it'll warm up soon enough," Willow answered. "Besides, I have to satisfy my chocolate craving... and since we finished off our stash in here already..."

Cordelia chuckled. "God, what a night _that_ was!"

The door swung all the way open, framing the two women.

"Oh my..." Angel breathed.

"You wish," Cordelia grinned haughtily.

Willow lounged against the door-frame, keeping her eyes fixed on Cordelia. Her hair was mussed, her pale cheeks flushed. Her finger purposefully ran along the length of the cross around her graceful neck. Painted toenails ran up along the inside of Cordelia's calf, claiming the brunette's attention. "Don't you pay any attention to _him_, sweety."

Cordelia sucked in a deep breath, her breasts heaving. "Why would I pay any attention to anyone else, when you're right here?" She leaned forward, her lips inches from Willow's pouting ones. "You're wrong, you know. You're the better looking one, hands down," she said, recalling Willow's complaint that Angel was even better looking than her.

Willow's eyelashes fluttered. "Flattery will get you everywhere."

Spike chose that moment to let out a strangled grunt. "Willow..." he warned. "Enough."

"Not even close."

"We figured that we owed you this much, at least. After all, you did pay for this, Angel."

"Well, the modelling has been a bust," Willow complained. "They're no fun!"

The seer shrugged. "The getting dressed part was, though."

"I wonder if getting undressed could possibly match the experience?"

"Let's see, shall we?"

The bedroom door slammed shut again.

...~*~...

If the amount of lingerie Willow and Cordelia had donned was anything to go by, Angel doubted that he'd have any credit left on his card. He squirmed uncomfortably against his seat, holding his glass of ice water more firmly against his crotch. It really wasn't working. He'd counted backwards from a thousand in as many languages as he could recall. He'd been reduced to depending on the ice once he realized his mind was no
longer functioning properly -- he'd been getting confused trying to count from one to ten, in English.

"She's vicious," Spike grumbled, his legs splayed out before him. "Damn, I love that woman."

Angel scowled. "We'll see how much you're enjoying this once Willow slams the door in your face again. I don't think you have any sex in your immediate future."

Spike scoffed. "Shows what you know, Peaches. Willow is going to be thoroughly shagged before the night's over, and she knows it. She's just making the most out of things while she still has the upper hand."

"You never cease to amaze me, Spike..."

The blond grinned.
 

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