Angel woke up to the feel of soft hair brushing his
fingers.  He smiled at the girl sleeping next to him.
She looked so beautiful. He would have kissed her if
he hadn't been afraid to wake her up.

   Angel disentangled himself from the sheets and got
out of bed .  He pulled on a pair of jeans (black, he
believed in simple colors) and reached for his sketchbook.
Pulling a chair up beside the bed, he started drawing
the sleeping girl.

   Smiling again, he thought about how much could be
told about a person from their actions...the way her
sleeping form lay there so innocently before
him...even if they weren't awake to confirm that
opinion.

   His charcoal pencil flew over the paper; her one bare
leg, with it's smooth calve sent a wave of lust
through him.  So did the way her left arm curled
around the pillow, while her other hand clutched the
sheet to her breasts, allowing no glimpse of what lay
underneath.  Modesty even in unconsciousness.

   In the bed, Willow stirred.  Angel was sitting in a
chair several feet back, sketching.

   "Angel?", she asked .

   He looked up.

   "What are you drawing?"

   Angel grinned, stood up, and walked over towards
Willow, carrying the picture.  He handed it over to
her and sat down against the dresser, near her head,
as Will studied the sketch.

   He was staring at her hair, almost lost in it, when
Willow smacked him on the chest with the drawing pad.
He started.

   "Angel!"  She looked extremely upset, and for a
moment Angel was afraid she regretted last night.  But
he didn't.  He couldn't.  He had woken up today with
his soul still in his possession, and he could never
regret anything again.

   Suddenly Willow's expression changed to a worried
look.

   "Is my nose really that big?", she asked.

   Angel tried to choke back a laugh, but failed.
"Are you sure you want to know?", he replied with a
semi-serious look.

   Willow frowned.

**********************************************************

   Willow walked down the halls of Sunnydale High,
trying to make sense of the past week or so of her
life.  First, Oz had broken up with her, and Cordelia,
big surprise, was back to her previous bitca-like
ways. Then Buffy told her she had broken up with
Angel.

   After Buffy and Angel had split up, Willow had seen
him only once. Still, that had been enough to find a
new project, one to keep her mind off Oz.

   She had thrown herself into all of Giles' books
that she could read, trying to find a way to restore
Angel's soul so he wouldn't have so much pain
on his face anymore. She hated to see him like that.
Besides, he had saved her from that
flame-glove-thingy, so it couldn't hurt to look.

   Willow didn't tell anybody about her research.  It was
a secret, not meant to be shared, the same way she
wouldn't say anything now about what had happened.

   That day, Willow walked down the halls surrounded
by the unmistakable aura of a girl who has a lover.

   However, Will was subtle in all things, but high
school had no eye for subtlety...or anything else.
Xander was stressing over Cordelia, Oz had been trying
to avoid her, Cordelia wanted her old life back, which
involved insulting all of them, and Buffy had her own
problems.  The only person who noticed the difference
in Willow was Rupert Giles, and he tried to avoid the
emotional problems of the Slayerettes.  He was
certain that dramatic high school traumas would drive
him completely insane.  But he was scared for Willow's
sake.  The sweet, shy hacker was like a daughter
to him. He wanted to protect her.

**********************************************************

   Later at the Bronze, Willow was hanging with her
two main pals at their regular table. Xander was
watching Cordy and complaining about how slutty she
was acting.  Buffy was staring off into space,
thinking about something...or someone. And Willow was
fighting sleep.  She had lost the battle with boredom
a long time ago.

   She was staring at nothing in particular, studying
the familiar scenery that she had known since freshman
year.

   Willow's mind started wandering.  She had seen
Giles giving her a strange look earlier today.  She
had been seriously wigged (Why else would
he look at me like that unless he knew ?!)  Then she
realized it was probably because she was wearing the
same overalls she had had on yesterday.

   That's why she had gone home after school and
changed into a skirt and sweater.  Still, neither
Buffy nor Xander seemed to notice.  As usual.

   As her eyes glanced over the room, she noticed a
figure shrouded in darkness.  She strained her eyes,
trying to see who it was.

   "So where were you last night, Will?", Xander asked.

   Willow jumped. "Wh-what? Why? Me? ", she stammered,
blushing.

   "'Cause I was busy leaving about 70 messages for
Cordy," Xander continued. " She still didn't..."

   Willow tuned him out again and continued staring at
the mysterious stranger.  Suddenly, the person moved
slightly out of the shadows.

   Angel.

   He stayed there for a few seconds, then disappeared
again.

   "Hey guys, I'll catch you tomorrow, OK?  See ya!,"
Will called.

   As she rushed off, Buffy zoned home long enough to
ask, " What's with her?"

   "Probably some computer problem," Xander replied.
"Look at her!" he said, shaking his head as he pointed
at Cordelia who was dancing with some college guy.
******
Willow walked carefully down the alleyway outside the
Bronze.
Maybe she was wrong.  Maybe Angel wanted nothing to do
with her...or to try and pretend last night never
happened.  But she couldn't.  That had been the
happiest night of her life, and she would never regret
it. Ever.
"So...," a voice said from a darkened area of the
alley.
Angel walked into view.  "What's a pretty girl like
you doing in a place like this ? "

                *****

   Giles had been studying his books .  He hadn't seen
the volumes in the back of the stacks for nearly a
year.

    But he had to admit that his mind was not on his
work.  He was wondering about Willow.  For the past
three days she'd been doing nothing but studying
ancient texts and almanacs.  She had never said what
she was looking for, and he couldn't tell from the
books.  All he knew was that she had been
studying ancient spells.

                *****

   Willow sat on the edge of the bed as Angel knelt
before her.  So slowly that it was almost
torturous, he unbuttoned her sweater.  As he pulled it
gently over her shoulders and off, she shivered at his
touch.  While he pressed her lightly against the mattress,
she thought about how strange Buffy had been acting,
how she might still care about Angel, and if she did,
then this was very, very wrong.

   Then Angel kissed her and she didn't think about
anything anymore.

                *****

   Willow curled up against Angel's side and found
herself thinking about the difference her spell had
caused.

   Will had spent three days searching for another
ritual that would give Angel his soul, without all
that 'pain of humanity' .  Finally, she found it in a
journal entitled "Rowan Mayfair's Book of Spells."

   The first half just looked like a jumble of various
spells, but the second section of the journal
dealt specifically with vampires.

   The book had been dusty, but it didn't look
particularly old.  And it was in English, which was
a plus.  Even the spell didn't seem to be too difficult.
The incantation went this way :

     Let the fire be a light to guide the spirit home,
     Let the blood be a beacon so it shall never roam .
     Let my words be a binding of the body to the spirit,
     Never to answer the siren's call, or to even hear it.
     Through fire, through flood,
     Through hate, through love,
     The mind and the soul are one, forever.

   All the spell had really consisted of was lighting
a candle, dripping a little of her blood into the
flames (that hadn't sounded like much fun, but all she
had done was nic her fingertip with an X-Acto knife a
little--it had already healed,) and reciting the
words.

   Willow had almost thought it had been too good to
be true, compared to all the work she had put into the
Ritual of Restoration.  Even Angel had
seemed amazed .

   The spell had been really frightening for a
different reason, though.

 As soon as she cut her finger and started that part
of the incantation, she felt an enormous swell of
energy go through her.  It was like the spell was...
drawing all of it's power from her.  And the most
amazing part was that she hadn't been afraid.
She had almost instinctively known that
she was safe.  And after that, strange things had
been happening.  Well, not strange, but odd.  It was
probably just backwash from the spell .  But still,
it was kinda scary when coincidences
happened and she couldn't explain them .

   After the casting, she realized what a burden the
gypsy curse had placed on Angel .  Once the
suffering and happiness clause was gone, she could see
some of the Irish gentleman breaking
through.  He was a tease, and much, much happier.
Just because he could be.

   Willow snuggled closer and felt Angel's arm
encircle her waist.  It didn't matter if it was
wrong, if she was betraying her friends, if she was
seriously fucking up her future.  As long as
she could be in Angel's arms, she was fine.

                *****

   Giles nearly reached the back of the library before
he noticed the book. It looked like it had been
used recently.  Rowan Mayfair's Book of Spells; he
studied the cover, then started flipping through
the pages.  As he did, he came to a page that had been
bookmarked.

   Giles stared at the spell, realizing how many
answers--Angel's disappearance, Willow's...
experience--could be explained by reading
the title.

   "How to Restore a Vampire's Soul"
*****
  *****

   Giles was sitting behind the counter when Willow entered the
library,
nearly bouncing .

   " Hi, Giles !  Need any help ? ", she asked .

   " Willow, can I speak to you, please ? "

   Will was immediately on the alert .  He was giving her that funny
look
again .  " Aren't we talking now ? "

   Rupert pulled out Rowan's book and placed it on the table .  "
Willow,
did you cast this spell ? ", he asked, flipping it to the proper page .

   Willow sighed inwardly; there was no use lying .  ( Wonder if Giles
is
psychic ? )  " Yes . ", she replied .

   " Is Angel still in town ? "

   Another sigh .  ( Yay, it's lecture time ! )  " Yes . "

   Giles studied the fiery-haired girl in front of him .  She was
alive,
that was good, and standing in sunshine, even better .  And, she seemed
happy .

   " Be careful, Willow . ", he finally said .

   She looked up at him, startled, and still half waiting for a lecture
.

   " Have you told the others ? ", he inquired .

   " Told us what ? ", Buffy asked, as she and Xander entered the
library
.

   " Yeah G-man, what are you holding out on us ?  Demons, vamps,
Godzilla ? "

   Giles looked irked .  " Would you please not call me that ? ", he
asked .

   " Sorry, Sir Giles . ", Xander quipped, executing a formal bow .  "
Tell us what ? "

   Giles looked at Willow .  Her eyes were pleading with him not to
tell
.  Looking at her, he realized her request was not simple selfishness .

Not with Willow .  She was afraid for Angel .  Xander hated the
vampire,
he had made that very clear .  Rupert remembered the violence with
which
he had responded, in his words and actions, when he had discovered
Angel
was alive .  No telling what he would do if he ever learned of this .

   And Buffy .  She certainly would never forgive Willow, even if she
and
Angel had broken up .

   " Willow tried to do a spell last night . ", Giles covered .

   " Oh . ", Buffy said .  " That's nice . "

   " Come on guys, we're going to be late for class . ", Will said .

   As the Slayerettes left the library, Willow paused by Giles .

   " Thank you . ", she said .

   " I hope you know what you're doing . ", he replied .

   Willow looked at Buffy's retreating form, and thought about the way
casting that spell had made her feel .  Like she was strong enough to
do
anything, if she just knew how to access that energy .  " I don't know
anything anymore . ", she whispered .

   With that, she left .  Giles watched her go, something tugging at
the
back of his mind .
*****
Angel pulled on a black silk shirt and a pair of black jeans .
Later,
he would head to the Bronze .  It was still too bright right now .  He
needed to talk to Buffy .  He thought about her, and Willow .  Even
though she had broken up with him, Angel still felt, in the back of his
mind, that he was betraying her .

   And, he wasn't sure if Willow would be there, but if she was, he
wanted to look nice for her .

        *****

   Willow stood in front of her closet, wrapped in a towel .  She was
trying to decide what to wear to the Bronze tonight .  She had to talk
to
Buffy .  And, if Buffy suspected anything, it should probably be
something she could bleed on .

   But...

   Finally, Willow decided on her blue tank top and a semi-short yellow
skirt .

   But if Angel showed up, she'd want to look nice .  Just in case .

        *****

   As Willow sat on her bed, brushing her hair, she heard her mother
calling .

   " Willow ! "

   " Yes, mom ? ", Will called back .  ( Uh-oh . )

   " Honey, are you all right ? ", Sheila asked, coming to the bedroom
door .  " We haven't seen much of you the past two days . "

   ( The fact that I haven't been here might help . )  " Yes, mom . ",
Willow repeated .  " I'm fine . "  ( Can't you see the difference in me
?
)

   " Alright, then .  Your father and I are going to be out of  town
for
the next week and  a half .  Will you be OK here alone ? "

   " Yeah .  I'll be fine . ", she said .

   " Great ! We'll be leaving soon .  Do you need a ride to the Brass ?
"

   " Bronze, mom .  And I can walk . "

   " Okay .  Be careful . ", her mom said, leaving .  Then she turned
back .  " Say, sweetie, is that a new shirt ? "

   " No .  You gave it to me for my birthday, remember ? ", Willow said
.

   " Oh, right . "  Sheila looked at her watch .  " Bye, dear . ", she
said as she rushed down the stairs .

   Willow stared blank-faced at the spot where her mom had stood .
Then
she threw the brush at a picture frame and stormed out .

   The brush hovered an inch from the picture and dropped to the floor,
without hitting anything .

        *****

   Angel was headed towards the Bronze when he noticed Willow from the
opposite direction, just a little ways in front of him .  She was paler
than usual, and didn't seem to really see anything in front of her .

   Angel moved forward .  " Willow ! ", he said .  " What's wrong ? "

   Will didn't even bother wondering what he was doing there .  " I had
a
talk with my mom . ", she answered .

   " And ? "  Angel bent his knees a little so he could look into her
eyes .

   " She thought my shirt was new ! ", she said, voice cracking .

   Angel just stood there, trying to understand the oddity of women .
"
Umm... "

   Willow began to cry .  " She gave it to me for my birthday ! ", she
sobbed .

   Without thinking, Angel wrapped his arms around her waist and began
to
rock her gently .  " Shh, my love .  Don't cry . "

   Willow had to smile .  ' My love ' was Angel's pet name for her .
Another hint of the Irish gentleman .  Slowly, she stopped her tears
and
just enjoyed the warmth of Angel's arms .

        *****

   Buffy and Xander stared unbelievingly at the scene before them .
Angel, with his black clothes and dark hair, embracing Willow, with her
bright outfit and red hair, looked like a study in contrasts .  At the
same time, though, they looked so right .

   " Is Willow crying ? ", Xander asked .

   Of course .  Will was upset about something, and Angel was
comforting
her .  ( That was all . )

        *****

   Angel pulled away a little to look at Willow again .

   " Besides, " he said, " It's a nice shirt . "

   Willow stared at him for a second, then started to giggle .

   " Tank top . ", she corrected .  " Technically . "

******
 Willow didn't even think .  She tackled the vampire, throwing all
the
strength of her slight frame into it .  The attack threw the vamp off
long enough for Angel to dust one of the Ugly Twins .
   He turned to see the other one trying to choke Willow . He grabbed
the
corpse by the collar, yanked him up, and staked the bastard with no
fanfare .
   Angel knelt beside Willow, who was pushing herself up .  " Are you
alright ? "
   Willow's eyes were wide .  " My life flashed before my eyes ! ", she
coughed .  Then she frowned .  " I have a very dull life .", Will
confided .
   Angel shook his head .  " On the Hellmouth ?  Consider yourself
blessed . "  He grabbed her hands  and helped her stand up .  It was
perfectly natural not to let go .
   " This has been a very strange day . ", Willow muttered .
   Angel glanced at the front door .  " What are your parents going to
say if they see you holding hands with a strange, older man in the yard
this late ? "
   " Nothing . ", Willow assured him .  " They're out of town for about
two weeks .
   " What ?! "  Angel was mildly outraged .  " Your parents are gone
while their daughter's being stalked by vampires ? "
   " Stalked ? "  Willow's eyes got bigger .
   " When I walked by, these two looked like they'd been hanging around
for awhile .  Plus, the one I was fighting seemed stronger than normal
.
"
   Willow glanced at the dust piles, and moved closer to Angel .  " Why
me ?  Why where I live ?  I mean, is it safe here ?  I mean- arggg . ",
Willow always got tongue-tied when she was stressed out .
   " I don't know .  But I know where it is safe . "  Angel looked down
at the beautiful 17-year old shivering inches from him .  " You can
stay
with me until they come back . "
   Willow looked up at him .

        *****

   When Buffy and Xander showed up fifteen minutes later, they arrived
at
an empty house .
****
" No one home . ", Xander said disgustedly .

   " Really ! ", Buffy replied .  " Golly, and I thought a party was
goin' on inside ! "  Then she got a hold of herself .  " Sorry, Xander
.
I guess I'm just kinda wigged over Willow .  And guilty . ", she added
.
" Very guilty . "

   " I know . ", Xander empathized .  Then an idea hit him .  " Hey, if
Angel and Will are so chummy, maybe he knows where she is ! "

   " So, go ask him . ", Buffy said .

   " Uh-uh, no way ! ", Xander held up his hands .  " I ain't goin' to
Angel's without you, Buff . "

   " Me ?! "  Buffy couldn't believe his suggestion .  " Xander, we
broke
up .  I broke us up .  Me showing up at the mansion would be as
tasteless
as you showing up at Cordielia's doorstep . "

   " Willow . ", Xander said .

   Buffy caved in .  " Okay .  But don't stay too long . "

   " Believe me, " Xander muttered, " I'm as anxious to stay away from
Dead-Boy as you are . "

   Buffy glared at him .

        *****

   Willow threw her backpack on the  couch .

   " Ohh, that's heavy . "  She stretched .

   " Weakling . ", Angel teased .  " I carried this all the way . "  He
held up a duffel bag .

   Willow handed him the backpack .  " Compare . ", she said smugly .

   Angel grabbed the pack confidently and did a double take .  Willow
smirked at him .

   " Alright, " he said .  " You win . "

   " There are a few more rooms behind those doors, and the bathroom is
at the end of the of the hall .  For some reason, the previous owners
built it really close to the front door, " he effectively changed the
subject . Angel would give anything to have Willow sleep in his bed
again, but he didn't want to push her .

   " Okay . "  Willow smiled at him .  ( Aww .  Angel's so gentlemanly
!
He offered me my own room ! )  " Are there any drawers around here ? "

   " We can look . "

   As Will moved towards her stuff, there was a voice from the
curtained-off garden .

        *****

   " Angel ? ", Buffy called .  " Angel, are you there ? "

   " Maybe he's out killing rats . "  Xander didn't have a joking look
on
his face .

   " Xander, shut up . ", Buffy said .  " Angel ?! "

        *****

   Angel looked at Willow .  He could tell by her face that she hadn't
told the others .

   " Angel, I don't want to deal with them .  Not yet . ", she said .

   He nodded .  Together, they grabbed Willow's stuff and hurried to
get
it into unseen quarters .  Willow ducked behind the double doors and
into
the first room she could find .

   She dumped her stuff and looked around .  There was nothing
spectacularly special about the room, other than a chest with a broken
lock around a heap of dolls .  Willow moved over to them .  ( Neat
dolls,
but why are they all tied up ?  Is this some kinky vampire thing I
haven't heard about ? )

   " Weird . ", she said, reaching for one .

        *****

   Angel could hear Buffy and Xander coming down the steps .  ( Guess I
should answer them .  I did mean to talk to Buffy today . )

   " Hello ? ", he called .  " Buffy ? "

   A few seconds later, Xander shoved aside the heavy black curtain .

   " Xander, " Angel smirked .  " I knew the teenage years would do
strange things to your voice, but I wasn't aware it would change that
much . "

   " Yeah, yeah . ", Xander glared . " You're a real dead comedian . "

   " Thank you . ", Angel said .  He knew that Buffy was behind the
curtain, but if she didn't to see hem, then he had a good reason for
procrastinating .

   " Where's Willow ? ", Xander asked .

   " Excuse me ? "  Angel was a slightly startled .

   " Willow .  Red hair, green eyes, kinda short .  You were talking to
her at the Bronze . "

   " I know what she looks like . ", Angel said impatiently .  " Why ?
"

   " We can't find her anywhere . ", Xander told him .

   " Did you go to her house ? ", he asked, sounding concerned .

   Xander paused for a second, processing the insanity that was his
life
.  The same man who had tried to rip Willow's throat out not less than
a
year ago now was concerned about her safety .  " Yeah .  She wasn't
there
. "

   " And you checked the Bronze ?  She was there . "

   " Did .  No Willow .  We ran into Oz, he said we just missed her .
And that she was in a big hurry . "  Xander gestured to Angel .  " We
thought you might know where she'd gone . "

   " I don't . "  Which was partially true .  He knew the general
vicinity, but not the specific location .  " Sorry . "

   " Is she dead ? ", Xander asked bluntly .  Only his clenched fists
revealed the seriousness of his question .

   " WHAT ?! "  Angel was floored .  ( Who the hell does he think he
is,
accusing me of killing Willow ? )

   " Giles told us about the spell she did for you, and how it required
her blood .  Did you bite her ? "

   Angel repressed his desire to throttle the younger boy .  " No .
She
just cut herself  .  On her pinkie . ", he said, stopping any questions
before they were asked .  " It should have healed by now . "

   " Do you know why she's been missing for 2 days ?  Those are her own
words . "

   "  I don't know .  I just listened to what she was saying .  I
didn't
interrupt to ask what she meant . ", Angel said .

   Xander finally noticed the tenseness in Angel .  He decided it would
be a good time to go, seeing as he obviously had no support in the
Buffy
area . It wasn't until the mansion was barely visable in the distance
that Xander remembered he hadn't asked Angel if the spell had worked .
(
Huh . That's weird . All I was thinking about until I got there was if
the spell would have gone right . )
*****
After Buffy and Xander left, Angel spent nearly half an hour looking
for Willow .  He finally found her asleep in Drusilla's room .

   Sighing, Angel turned to leave when he nearly tripped over that
inane
doll Dru had carried around all the time .  That was enough to give him
the creeps about leaving Will in this room, especially after what
Xander
had said about him feeding on Willow .  He felt a pang of regret over
Dru, but it was muted .  That had been something he had noticed about
Willow' s spell; it didn't force memories on him, like the gypsy curse
.

   He turned back and lifted Willow gently out of the bed .  As he
carried her to his room, he marveled at how fragile she felt in his
arms
.  How small and delicate, but at the same time, she was so strong and
brave .  He saw again how she had flung herself at that vampire,
headless
of the danger .  She could have gotten killed tonight, just to save him
.
 

   Angel had never been touched that deeply before .  Not even by Buffy
.
 She was the Slayer; she was built to fight vampires .  One vampire
could
not have harmed her much .

   Will, however, could have died .  Almost did die, in fact .

   The rage he had felt when he saw the vamp choking Willow had been
like
nothing he had ever felt , even when he had first gotten out of Hell .
Not only because she had been killed, but because it reminded him of
when
he had been Angelus .  Right after he had lost his soul, she had been
the
first of Buffy's friends he had tried to kill .  He had understood that
she was the emotional anchor that held the Scooby Gang together .

   And the thoughts he had had when he had been holding her throat,
smelling her fear, counting how much time there was before Xander came
back with the others...

   Those were the few memories that remained with crystal clarity, the
ones that made him sick to his stomach .  Even killing Ms. Calendar had
paled compared to that .  He hated that memory .

   Tucking her under the covers, he thought about how Willow had always
reminded him of a porcelain doll .  Her paleness helped accentuate that
.
 But looks can be deceiving .

        *****

   Buffy sat in the bedroom .  She never felt like it was hers, not
anymore .  Her mom had changed it too much .

   She had gotten in late and climbed through the window .  She wanted
to
avoid another awkward conversation with her mother .

   Buffy stared out at the sky .  It was beautiful, not quite a full
moon
.  And her stupidity had left her with no one to share it with .
Somehow, she doubted Angel would want to share it anymore .  He had
been
lying, Buffy knew that .  But why ?

   She burst into tears .

   But only for a moment .

        *****

   Willow woke up before the alarm, like usual, reaching out to smack
the
snooze button, like usual, and nearly falling out of bed .

   Actually, that last part wasn't like usual .  ( Umm... )

   Last night came crashing back into her memory .  It had seemed
really
long .  An upsetting talk with her mom, running into Oz, fighting
vampires, nearly dying, & hiding from Buffy and Xander .  And something
else she couldn't remember .  Whew .  If life with Angel was always
like
this...she turned to see him sleeping next to her .  Well, it was still
worth it .  But her grades would definitely start to go down the tubes
.

   Grades .  School !  Willow jumped awake and threw of the covers,
causing Angel to turn restlessly .  She was missing school !
She...wait
.  Was she ?  How the heck was she supposed to know the time if there
weren't any clocks ?  ( Angel and I will have to talk about this . )
She
started changing .

   Speaking of missing objects, where was that warped doll collection ?

Of course, she was in Angel's bedroom .  There weren't any dolls in
here
.  He'd forbidden Drusilla bring them when she slept here .

   Willow froze .

   ( Where did that thought come from ? )  It had some thing to do with
the dolls .  She had picked one up last night, and....and what ?  Why
couldn't see remember anything ?

   Thinking of the impending school issue, Willow left the mansion,
completely preoccupied with that question .
*****
 Oz walked into the library.  He could hear Giles talking on the
phone
in his office, but no one else seemed to be around.  He went to the
shelves on the upper level where the bibliographies were kept.  Mrs.
Formby  wanted a report on a great classical writer, and Oz had always
admired Bram Stoker.  ( Must come from living on a Hellmouth. )
Sunnydale High was one of the few places he knew that had an
autobiography of Stoker.  He headed to the shelves just inside the
stacks.

        *****

   Will walked into the library and sat down at the table.  Giles
walked
out of his office, carrying the phone and receiver.  " Yes, thank you,
Lee.  I would really appreciate that.  If you find anything, please
call
me immediately. "  He nodded into the phone, which is completely
pointless for reasons which anyone who has used a phone can tell, and
replied : " Rowan Mayfa--r-o-w-a-n. Thanks again.  Good day.  Er, night
then. "  He hung up, replaced the phone on the counter, and turned to
Willow.  " Hello. "

   " Vamps were hanging outside my house last night. ", she replied.

   Giles moved to Watcher mode.  " Hanging ? "

   " Angel said they looked like they had been waiting for a while. "

   " How did Angel see them ? ", Giles asked.  He had a feeling that
this
was going to be an interesting story.

   " He was going to the mansion.  You have to pass my house to get
there.  I say him fighting two of them on the front lawn.  They weren't
even bothering to hide.  And Angel said the one he was fighting was
stronger than a regular vampire.  The one I tackled didn't seem like he
was, but I don't have a lot of experience in that area, so- "

   " You attacked a vampire ?!? "

   " He was about to stake Angel ! ", Willow said defensively.

   Giles let that slide.  " Do you realize how foolhardy that was ? "

   " I think it passed my mind while he was strangling me, yes. "

   " Oh, my. "  Giles took off his glasses and started rubbing them.  "
Please, go on. "

   " Basically, I'm staying at Angel's until my parents get back from
their trip. ", Willow said.

   Giles glanced up sharply.  " Do you think that's wise, Willow ? "

   Willow nodded.  " Yes.  I don't want to stay alone, Giles.  I've had
enough of hiding locked up in my house, afraid for my life.  These guys
were waiting for me to come home.  They're trying to kill me, and I
don't
know why. "

   " They might have just randomly picked you, Willow. ", Giles said,
trying to calm her.  Willow was acting very strange.  She wasn't the
type
prone to outbursts.  Or becoming annoyed rather than being scared.

   " I don't think so, Giles.  Ever since I did that spell, things have
been happening.  They seem like coincidences until you put them all
together .  I threw a brush at a picture in my room, but the second I
turned my back, I didn't want it to hit because the frame was really
pretty, so when I went back into my room to pick it up, the brush was
on
the floor and the frame hadn't moved at all ! "  Willow had stood up
and
was now pacing, trying more, it seemed to Giles, to explain everything
to
herself rather than him.  " I dressed nice in case I ran into Angel and
I
did .  In fact, if I hadn't dressed nice I wouldn't have thrown the
brush.  And last night at the mansion I picked up one of Dru's dolls,
and
I don't remember anything after that until I woke up a little while
ago.
"

   Giles tried to get this statement to make sense, and failed
miserably.
 " Um. ", he said replacing his glasses.  " How did you know it was
Drusilla's doll ? "

   Willow slumped back into the chair.  " I don't know.  I just did. "
She looked pleadingly at him.  " Tell me what's going on, Giles. "

   Giles sat down.  " I got a friend of mine on the Watcher's Council,
Lee Collins, to study that spell you used.  She's going to tell me as
soon as she finds anything.  Still, any effects you felt during the
casting would help. "

   " It was just...this huge rush. ", Will described.  " I felt like
something inside me was waking up and waking me up.  It was like
remembering a memory you haven't had yet. "  She shook her head.  "
That
must sound insane. "

   The bell rang.  " No, " Giles said, " Just odd.  If you start to
feel
any of these...things again, go home and try to relax.  You may have
done
something terribly wrong in the spell, and it's draining you, or
creating
hallucinatory effects, or something. "

   Willow grabbed her bookbag and headed for her 1st period class.  "
Thanks for the pep talk, Giles. ", she said out of hearing range.

   Rupert tried to call Lee again, but her line was busy.

        *****

   Somewhere in Oxnard, a girl was asleep on one of those
sofa-mattresses
that feel like they're stuffed with cabbage heads and cutlery.  The
phone
was trying desperately to wake her up, but eventually quit and handed
things over to the answering machine.

   *beep*  Hello, Wainwright's Fruit Emporium.  Mr. Wainwright is not
able to take calls at this time since he is not right in the head and
thinks he is a cucumber.  Thank you for calling.  *bleep*

   " You have way too much time on your hands. ", Lee said.  " Wake up,
Rowan.  You're book's causing trouble. "

   Groaning, the girl picked up the receiver and started to sit up.  "
I
know it caused trouble.  That's why we burned the copies in that fire
in
LA, 'member ?  All but the original. "

   " And the ones that the Council kept. "

   Rowan threw off the covers and stretched her legs out.  She had
gotten
in late and just gone to sleep in her maroon midriff shirt and black
panties   " It's not my fault you guys did that. "

   " Well, some girl in Sunnydale, Boca del Inferno, cast one of the
spells. "

   " What, I should send flowers to her funeral ? " ( It'd probably be
the decent thing to do.  I hate it when humans try to do these spells.
)

   " That's the thing, she's still alive. ", Lee said.

   Rowan glared at the phone.  " Are you for real ? ", she asked.

   " Yes.  The Watcher in Sunnydale is an acquaintance of mine.  He
called me to ask if I'd research a spell for him.  Apparently the use
of
blood annoyed him.  And I heard that some Shifters already were
attacking
the girl. ", Lee told Rowan.

   " Christ. "  She managed to pull on a pair of overalls without
dropping the phone, interrupting her conversation, or breaking any
bones.
 "  How come they always seem to know about everything before we do ?
Do
they bug phones or something ?  Is every sleazy tabloid reporter a spy
?
How'd she escape ? "

   Having known Rowan for nearly 20 years, Lee didn't bother trying to
answer the rhetorical questions.  " Chris said her vampire boyfriend
saved her. "

   Rowan glared at the phone harder.  " Excuse me ? "

   Lee grinned from her desk at the Watcher's Council in London.  For
the
first time she could remember, Rowan sounded startled.  " Wait'll you
hear who it is. "

   " Who ? "

   " Ms. Collins, phone call for you. ", a voice interjected.

   " The address is 1220 Elm Avenue.  Willow Rosenburg. Sorry, I have
to
go. ", she apologized.

   " Bloody right.  If I have a heart attack when I meet him, Lee,
you're
gonna regret it. "

   " Angels on your body. ", Lee said, and hung up.  She then hit the
other line.  " Giles ?  You've heard more ?...Yes, that could be very
useful. "

        *****

   Rowan stuffed a wallet into her battered backpack.  She yanked on
her
tan jacket and picked up the backpack.  If Willow was already getting
attacked and she didn't know how to defend herself, then there wasn't
any
time to waste.  ( Assuming, of course, that the spell isn't just making
her go insane.  )  She left the apartment and headed down to the
nearest
bus station to buy a ticket  to Sunnydale, a town she'd tried to avoid
for the past 60 years.
******

 Oz waited until Giles went back into his office before exiting the
library.  He was already late for class, but that was nothing new.
Even
though he didn't hang out with the Scooby Gang as much, he still would
have known that Willow and Angel were together if the others had.
Which
meant not only had Willow been keeping secrets, so had Giles.  That
talk
about a spell...God knows what she had been doing.  ( Maybe the others
do, though. )  He went to wait by Buffy's locker.

        *****

   Willow trudged out of first period English.  She hadn't paid
attention
to anything Mrs. Formby had said, and had completely drawn a blank on
the
pop quiz in class.  ( Geez, now I know how Buffy feels. )  Will almost
grinned at that, but then Oz appeared in view.  ( Oh God, not now. )

   " Hey Willow. "

   Will was about reply, when she realized that Oz had been in the
library while she had been talking to Giles.  It was another one of
those
freaky things she couldn't explain, but she knew it was true.  " Oz !
",
she called, running after him.

   Oz turned around.  Willow was trying to get past a group of people
talking by the student lounge.  Soon she got over to where he was.  "
Oz,
it's not like you think. ", she started.

   Oz stopped her.  He didn't want to hear it.  " I don't care, Willow.

It's your life.  But did you ever stop to think about Buffy's feelings
?
How she might feel when she finds out you and Giles haven't been
telling
her everything ?  Or how you're acting extremely paranoid ? "  Oz was
certain that Willow would apologize after hearing all this.  She never
wanted her friends hurt.

   Instead, Willow got mad.

   " Why should I tell Buffy everything ?  It's my life, as you pointed
out !  And of course I've though about her feelings !  But what I want
to
know, is why does it matter ?  She broke up, and so did we.  So you
have
no right to preach to me.  And if you think I'm paranoid, I guess I
better leave before I infect you.  "  With that, Willow stalked off.

   As Oz watched her go in shock, he finally realized that he had never
mentioned being in the library, although Will had seemed to know.

        *****

   As Will was going through the hall, she suddenly felt very tired.  (
I
think I'm going to take Giles' advice and go home. )  She had been
planning to try to explain to Oz what had been going on, but listening
to
him attack her, she had suddenly realized she was sick of it.  She was
sick of everyone venting to her,and dumping on her, and trying to keep
her in a confined, carefully labeled box.  If people couldn't handle
that
fact, then that wasn't her problem.  Some refrain from an old song ran
through her head: ' I have my own life, and I'm stronger than you know.
'

   Unconsciously, Willow Rosenburg walked through the hall tall and
proud, almost as if she didn't belong there.

        *****

   Angel was reading by the fireplace when he heard the door open.  As
he
was standing up, Willow walked in.  " Hi. ", she said.

   " Did the school finally blow up ? ", he asked.  " Or was Principal
Snyder killed and the school is having a holiday ? "

   Willow smiled.  " Neither.  I just wanted to leave. "

   " Do I need to give a 'education is good' lecture ? "

   " Try it, old man. "  Willow sank down on the sofa.  " Weird stuff
started happening again, so I left. "

   Angel sat down and studied her face.  " Weird stuff ? "

   Will nodded. " It's kind of hard to explain. "

   Angel shrugged.  " I'm not getting any older. "

        *****

   " Did you hear ? ", Cordelia said to Buffy between classes.  " Of
course not, you're not into the newest gossip.  Willow totally tore up
Oz
last period.  Right in front of the student lounge ! "

   Buffy looked confused.  " What ?  Willow ? "

    " Duh. ", Cordy said.  " She's been acting so weird this week.
First, she like, disappeared and now she's Ms. Attitude.   Just thought
you should know. "  With that, she turned and flounced down the hall.

   Buffy stared after her for a minute, then turned towards the
library.

        *****

   " Giles ! ", Buffy called.  " What is going on ?!?  Cordelia just
said... " she cut off as she saw Oz and Xander sitting at the table.

   " Willow ? ", Xander asked.

   " Uh-huh. "

   " Join the club. "

   " Giles said he has some Watcher support in the studying area.
Looking up side effects to the spell and everything. ", added Oz.

   Giles walked out of the office.  " Yes.  I think we all agree Willow
has been acting differently since her last casting.  The spell might be
severely affecting her emotions and mental health. "

   " Have you talked to Angel about her ?  He would probably know more.
", said Oz.

Giles started and turned towards him.  ( Bloody hell, we don't need
this.
)  Before he could say anything, though, Xander spoke up.

   " We talked to him already.  He hasn't seen her since last night. "

   Giles saw Oz bristle, but thankfully the boy didn't say anything.
He
would have to talk to him later.  " Well, if you see her later, try
talking to her. "

   " 'K ", Xander said, standing up.  He and Buffy left the library.
Behind them, they heard Giles say, " Oz, can I speak to you for a
minute
? "

   " Yes ? ", he said.

   " How did you know ? ", Giles asked.

   Oz looked him in the eye.  " I came in earlier to look for a book.
I
heard everything you and Willow said.  How bad could this spell affect
her ? "

   Giles took off his glasses and started to wipe them.  " I wish I
knew.
 I'm completely lost.  This book seems to be extremely contemporary.
Not
my forte. "  He put his glasses back on.  " The others don't know about
her and Angel.  I think she has other things to worry about right now,
but I think she'll tell them when she's ready. "

   Oz didn't say anything for a while.  Then he nodded and left, with
Giles looking after him.
******
That night, at the bus station:

   " So, if you buy short and sell long, then you're certain to make a
killing . "  The fat guy next to Rowan settled back, having finished
his
45-minute tirade on the stock market.

   ( Wow.  If i hadn't known that since i was 10, i'd be impressed. )
Rowan stared at the Welcome to Sunnydale sign that was lying on the
ground.  ( geez.  you'd think this town could afford to keep the damn
sign up. )

   In Sunnydale, Chris was sitting at the bus station.  ( that was
spike's work. )

   Rowan jumped in her seat.  ( spike is here ?  i'm leaving.  this bus
better turn around fast. )

   ( don't worry.  he's been gone about a week now.  i don't think he's
coming back anytime soon.  )

   ( why not ? )

   ( because the slayer kicked his ass. )

   Rowan jumped again.  The guy next to her asked, " Hey, are you okay,
sweetheart ? "  She ignored him and continued her telepathic
conversation.  ( the slayer is here ?! )

   ( didn't lee tell you ? )  Chris was starting to feel confused.

   ( okay, lee called me this morning, gave me a name and an address,
and
hung up.  i have no clue what's going on. )  Rowan glanced out the
window.  The bus station was coming into view.

   Chris let out a whistle.  ( you've got a lot of catching up to do. )

   The bus braked to a stop.  As Rowan was exiting, the bus guy come up
behind her and asked, " So, what are you doing tonight ? "

   " Insulting you, " she replied.  Chris was slouched over by the
ticket
booth.  She recognized his dark brown hair and glasses.  " Hey ! ", she
yelled.  He nodded and headed to the parking lot.  Rowan moved to catch
up with him.

   When they reached his Jeep, he asked, " Where to ? "

   " I think I want to find somewhere to live first. "

   " Cheap motels.  Got it. "  Chris and Rowan turned out of the lot
and
down towards Hamilton Street.

        *****

   " So, now that Willow has officially committed her first act of
class
cutting, can we lean to the possessed theory ? ", Xander quipped.

   " I'd like to avoid that particular avenue until I get a call back
from Ms. Collins. ", replied Giles.

   " We don't know how long that could be, " argued Buffy, " and I'm
starting to get worried.  It's not like Willow to be so... "

   " Assertive ? ", Giles asked.

   " Well... "  Buffy trailed off.

   Oz spoke up.  " Should we check her house again ? "

   Giles glanced at him, as Xander said,  " Yeah !  She's got to go
home
eventually. "  He stood up to leave.

   Giles was about to say something when the phone rang.  " Wonderful,
"
he said, and disappeared into his office.

   " Let's book it. ", Buffy said.

        *****

   " Angel, I need a clock. " Willow grumbled over her pizza slice.  "
Let's just grab one from my house.  How am I suppose to know when I
need
to get up for school ? "

   " Okay, " Angel shrugged.  " When ? "

   " Why not now ? "  Willow stood up.  " I'm not very hungry. "

   As Oz, Xander, and Buffy were approaching Willow's house, she heard
a
strange sound.  " Buff, what's up ? ", Xander asked.

   " I heard something. "

   " I didn't...oh. " Xander nodded.  " This is one of those Slayer
perks.  Get it. "

   " Yeah, " Buffy answered.  She sped up and passed the hedge that
blocked Will's house from the neighbor's.

   Two people, a guy and a girl, were on her front lawn, throwing rocks
at her bedroom window.

        *****

   " Hey !  Tree-girl !  You home ?! ", Rowan yelled.  Finally giving
up,
she turned to Chris.  " I guess we better go check the hospital. ", she
sighed.

   The guy turned a little and the light from the street lamp was
thrown
over his face.  Buffy recognized him as the vamp that had gotten away
from her last week.

   " Why are you so intent on thinking she's going to die ? ", asked
Chris.

   " Because I completely refuse to believe the opposite.  If I do, my
synapses will explode. ", Rowan answered.  " All but three of us died
in
the earthquake, and despite all the insanity in the universe, I don't
believe the irony gods would be as warped as to have someone new come
out
of Sunnydale. "

   " All right, that would be a little strange, but it could happen.
Stranger things have. ", Chris said.

   " Not to me. "  Rowan picked up her backpack.  " Which way ? "

   " You know, she might just not be able to hear us. "  He picked up a
larger rock and threw it.  It smashed through the window.  " It's this
way. ", Chris said, pointing left.
   " Good one. ", Rowan muttered, as they left.

        *****

   Buffy was about to follow, when two more figures stepped out of the
shadows.  Angel and Willow.

   " You know her ? ", Will asked.

   " Yeah, " said Angel.  " Rowan joined the Master's clan for a short
time in 1814.  She disappeared right before a major cave-in.  Only 9
or10
vamps got out. "

   " What did you say her name was ? ", Willow demanded.

   Angel glanced at her. " Rowan...Mayfair.  The name on your book.
What
is going on ? "

   " I don't know, but apparently I should be dead right now.  What did
she mean, all but three of us ? ", Will asked.

   " I don't know. I never saw her with anyone else. " Angel looked
down
the street.  Willow, however, looked up at her window.  "  Angel ? "

   " Yes ? "  He looked back at her.

   " Didn't you hear the glass break ? "

   " Of course.  That rock was too heavy. "

   " Look. "  She pointed at the perfectly smooth pane.

   Angel and Willow looked at each other for a second, then tore off
down
the street.

        *****

   Buffy and Xander, however went the other way.
*****

 " So, who the vamp boyfriend Lee mentioned ? " Rowan kicked a can
across the street. By unspoken agreement, the two were taking the long
way to the hospital, thereby avoiding the school.

   Chris looked startled. " Man, Lee really did send you in here blind,
huh ? " He shrugged. " Me too. Luckily though, the local vamps like to
keep up on the latest info. I've got a vague idea of what's going on
here. "

   Rowan glanced over at him, eyebrow raised.

   " Yeah, yeah. Apparently Willow stole her best friend's boyfriend. "
Chris was cut off.

   " Wait, I though you said Willow was best friends with the Slayer.
If
she isn't, this'll be a whole lot easier. "

   " She is. "

   Rowan shook her head. ( This town has always been a fountain of
insanity. That was why I liked it at first. ) " So her boyfriend is
Angel
? ''

   Chris looked startled for a second, then gave a small half-grin. " I
forgot. You guy…you've been here before. '' Chris mentally kicked
himself
for what he'd almost said.

   Ignoring the oversight, Rowan glanced back at Chris. The sadness in
her eyes was fading, but if you knew her, you could still see it. "
Just
tell me Buffy's not a vampire, " she pleaded.

   " She's alive. And kicking. " Chris rubbed the sore spot at the back
of his head that he'd gotten in last weeks fight. " In fact, if you see
her wearing boots, duck. "

   " That would be advisable right now. " Rowan commented.

   Blocking the street in front of them were 5 Shifters.

        *****

   " And then Angel said something about knowing her. " Xander finished
his tirade and collapsed into one of the chairs. " I *knew* Dead-Boy
was
up to something. "

   Giles took off his glasses and started cleaning them. " Xander, we
could really do with out you jumping to conclusions right now. If you
don't mind. " He replaced the glasses. " Now, where did you say they
were
headed ? "

   " The hospital. " Buffy finally spoke up. Giles had noticed the way
she had become so quiet lately. It was completely unlike her not to be
so…outgoing. " Apparently Rowan thinks Willow should be in the
hospital,
too. Giles, about that soul restoring spell ? "

   " Yes ? ", Giles asked, a little thrown off by the sudden subject
change.

   " Could Will do it ? Do you think she's strong enough ? "

   Giles nodded. " Yes, but she's still young. These side-affects could
be because she has yet to properly harness… "

   Buffy had stopped listening. ( If Angel has his soul, why didn't he
tell me ? Why can't we at least talk ? ) That annoying rational voice
at
the back of everybody's mind answered. ( Because you have an
interesting
habit of hiding when he shows up, Buffy. )

   " Oh, shut up. ", Buffy muttered.

   " Pardon ? " Giles asked.

   " Nothing. Should we go to the hospital ? Look for them there ? "

   " Yes, that would be the best course of action. "

   " Alright, " Xander said. " Let's go. "

        *****

   Angel and Willow were walking into the admissions section of
Sunnydale
General.

   " So, where do we go ? ", he asked.

   " Umm…I guess we just stand. Here. Until they show up. "

   After a few minutes of typical chattiness, Willow remembered the
question she'd been planning to ask.

   " So, how did you know Rowan, exactly ? "

   " Yeah, Angel, that could be pretty useful information, " Xander
added.

   Willow and Angel turned around. Behind them were Buffy, Giles, and
Xander.

        *****

   " Hi. Why are you guys here ? Not that it's bad to see you. " ( Shut
*up*, Rosenburg. You're about to start babbling again. )

   " We came to find Rowan. ", Giles answered.

   " You guys were at my house ? " Willow asked, astonished. " Why ? ''

   The four stared at her for a moment, until Xander said, " Uh, Will,
whatever you're doing, could you stop it please ? It's wiggy. "

   " I'd like to. " Willow grumbled. " Unfortunately, that doesn't seem
to be an option. "

   " Are you okay ? ", Buffy asked.

   Willow shrugged. " I'm not in a hospital bed. "

   Giles cleared his throat. " You said you knew Rowan ? " He directed
his question towards Angel.

   Angel nodded. He hoped it wasn't too obvious that he was grateful
for
anything to avoid the questions he could see in Buffy's eyes. He saw in
the way Willow stood away from him that she recognized that look, too.
"
Yeah. Rowan appeared in the Master's chambers one day. In about a week,
she made her way into his favored inner circle. She even replaced Darla
as his favorite. "

   Giles interrupted. " Do you know any of these others that she
mentioned ? "

   Willow cringed. ( Oh God, how long were they there, anyway ? )

   Angel took a step closer to Willow and continued. His actions didn't
go unnoticed, but it wasn't the time to discuss that. " No. I never saw
her with anyone else. It would have been mentioned. "

   Giles nodded, taking everything in in his analytical Watcher's way.
"
And the cave-in ? "

   Angel shrugged. " Happened. She was long gone by then. Rumor was she
had been killed. There was no evidence of tampering, so I don't think
anyone suspected her. But if she was - is - a witch… "

   " Then she wouldn't need to do any visible tampering. " Giles
finished. Angel nodded.

   " Well, it seems like she's on our side. " Buffy said. " I mean,
killing a lot of vampires isn't something most vamps do. Present
company
excluded, " she added.

   Just then, Willow felt a kind of tingling at the back of her mind. (
She's here. They both are. ) Will whirled around, oblivious to the
others, and found herself staring into a pair of impossibly green eyes.
They looked almost like cut emeralds. The wavy, semi-curly black hair
that framed her face and fell to her shoulders, put together with her
height, dark clothes, and easy stance made it obvious that this was a
girl who was comfortable with the shadows. The slight tan, however,
proved that she didn't have to live in them.

   Next to her was a fairly cute guy, standing slouched, as if he had a
limp. He nodded at Willow before collapsing on to a bench.

   Behind her, Willow sensed the others watching the pair. Finally,
Angel
broke the silence:

   " Rowan. "

   " Angel. "
*****
*****
Darkness !
Horror of darkness enfolding, resistless,
unspeakable visitant sped by an ill wind in haste !
madness and stabbing pain and memory
of evil deeds I have done !

        - Oedipus the King
   *****
 

         1814 - A cave in the wilderness outside Hamburg, Germany.
 

   Inside, a chorus of screams of terror and pain, cut off only to be
repeated in new voices, would have been undetectable to a human
outsider.

   If a human Outsider were a possible thing.

   Far enough in the distance, two figures stood around a small circle
drawn in the dirt. Their work finished, the taller of the two whispered
to her companion, " Get out of here. "

   The other stared at her " Ya can'na think I'm gonna leave ya here !
"
he said in Scottish overtones.

   " I can and do, " she replied. Gesturing to the crumpled female form
next to two frozen horses. " Get her out of here. I'll catch up to you
in
town. And Christopher ? " She placed a hand on his arm, stopping him in
the process of moving towards their steeds. " We're in Germany. Watch
your accent. "

   He nodded, and cautioned, with his voice sliding from Scottish to
German through the process, " One day, you're going to be caught. "

   A particularly loud scream of terror made them both cringe, and
caused
the woman on the ground to stir. The girl's face was a mask of
indifference as she spoke, and only the pure hatred in her eyes showed
the controlled recklessness of her words:

   " Who cares ? "

   Christopher wanted to argue, but the Master and his clan had caused
them all too much pain and loss for his words to be heard. " Angels on
your body. " he said instead. Although the three of them used it for a
parting, that was originally a blessing. God knew they needed a little
blessing right now.

   Another scream, cut off too suddenly be a simple feeding, caused the
horses to snort and try to stamp their feet. As Christopher pulled Lee
Ashley into a comfortable position to ride, and releasing the paralysis
spell holding the horses in place, he heard her comment. ( i don't
think
the angels really give a damn about us right now. )

   ( Not us…but you ? They'll never leave *your* side. ) Christopher
guided the horse over a fallen branch, holding onto Lee Ashley tighter.

        *****

   Inside the caverns, the screams and crying were starting to wind
down.
Not much time was left.

   Standing inside the large circle, she focused her inner energy on
the
magick she was about to perform. Holding the smallish stone in both
hands, she raised it over the collection of stones at her feet that
formed a near-exact replica of the cave.

   Standing still, eyes closed, she waited until she could feel her
power
coursing through her.

        *****

   Standing beside Darla and their last kill of the night, Angelus
suddenly felt a disturbance in the air around him. He saw that others
sensed it, too. Something powerful was happening.

   With the instincts that saved him before, Angelus run for the mouth
of
the cavern, just before all hell began to break loose.

        *****

   Her eyes snapped open, the pupils nearly transparent. The stone
dropped, collapsing the small structure. A few seconds later, the
sounds
of falling rocks and inhuman shrieks could be heard.

   Smiling bitterly to herself, the girl pulled the hood of her cape up
and moved gracefully over to the remaining horse.

        *****

   Angelus escaped before any major damage came near him. By the light
of
the torches set around the perimeter, he saw a figure going the other
direction. He recognized her instantly; only one vampire he had met
wore
a black silk cape.

   He took off after her.

        *****

   Instantly aware of the creature following her, the girl broke into a
run and cut away from her horse, intending to double back.

   Even with her typical heels traded in for boots, the 19th century
dress still slowed her down, giving the vampire behind her the edge. (
Shit, I can't wait until it's acceptable for women to wear pants. I
hate
these dresses !  )

        *****

   Angelus had caught her, and they both knew it.

   Reaching out and grabbing her arm, he pulled her backwards and
twisted
her arm behind her back, forcing her around and knocking off the hood
shielding her face.

   Staring into her flashing green eyes, Angelus spat out: " What the
*hell* do you think you're doing, Rowan ? "

   Instead of responding, she brought her free arm up and grabbed the
side of his face. As a stabbing pain bolted through his head, Angelus
dropped herb arm. She brought that hand up to the other side of his
face.
Grasping his head firmly, Rowan stared directly into his eyes.

   " You never chased me. You stayed outside the cave. You won't
remember
any of this. " She let him go. Angelus almost fell over, but caught his
balance and headed back towards the cavern.

   Rowan ran top speed back to her horse.

        *****

   Galloping off, she looked back over her shoulder. A few bloodsuckers
were wandering around, but that didn't matter. As long as the Master
was
dead, that was payback enough for the earthquake.

        *****

The two stared at each other, centuries being disintegrated in that
instant while they checked each other for any obvious sign of change
over
the years.

   Angel noticed Rowan's Celtic cross and smirked, recalling a heated
debate between her and Darla over the existence of heavenly beings,
which
had ended in some not-so-heavenly words. " You still worshipping God ?
"

   " You still mocking him ? ", Rowan replied harshly. " *Angel* ? "

   Angel winced. When Rowan had heard about his penchant for cutting
crosses in his victims' cheeks, she had started calling him Angel. At
the
time, it had been amusing. " I heard you were dead. "

   " That was just Darla's wishful thinking. " Angel took a step
closer,
ready to attack. He had forgotten about the hospital corridor,
forgotten
everything but her. Rowan had betrayed the trust of his family, and as
absurd as it was, he couldn't help being angry at her. ( A
troublemaker,
always… )

   Before anything happened, though, a nurse's voice broke in. " Can I
help you ? "

   Rowan turned to her. " Uh, yeah. I think I need stitches. " She held
out her right arm, displaying a blood soaked jacket wrapped around it.
Angel stared, shocked. He hadn't smelt blood on her. ( In fact, I can't
smell *her*. Or the boy over there. No heartbeat, nothing. Like they're
not there. )

   " How did it happen ? " the nurse asked suspiciously.

   " I fell down the stairs, " she replied.

   The nurse glared at her for a second, before turning around with a '
come this way ' and a few comments about teenage gangs. Rowan followed,
leaving the group staring after her.

   Chris leaned back and stared at the ceiling. " Oh, that went well. "
     *******
The group turned to look at him.

   " Okay, what was *that* ? " Xander asked.

   Willow realized she had reflexively placed her hand on Angel's arm to
hold him. She moved away and took a step towards the dark-haired man on
the bench. He was fairly handsome, if not for the fresh scar running from
his cheek to his right temple. " You're the guys from outside my house.
", she stated.

   " You're not human, " Angel added.

   The vampire gave him a disgusted look. " Well, obviously. " Then to
Willow, more sheepishly: " Yeah. Sorry about your window. "

   " Thanks for fixing it. " she replied mildly.

   Chris raised his eyebrow in appreciation. The redhead was *sharp*, in
brains as well as looks. " Welcome. "

The courteous interplay was too much for Buffy, who had always preferred
bluntness to being subtle. " Why the hell are you here ? And who are you
? "

   " You know him ? " Giles asked.

   " That's the vamp that escaped, the one I told you about. "

   Instead of responding to that statement, Chris quickly spoke to
counter Angel's reaction. " I'm not part of the group that attacked you.
I'm- " he gave a mirthless grin, " One of the group that fights them.
Chris. " he said, introducing himself.

   " But what are you ? " Angel gritted out.

   Chris was about to answer - after all, it wasn't wise to annoy a
vampire with Angelus' reputation - when an ear-piercing shriek came from
the hall Rowan and the nurse had gone down.
*****
 Chris was on his feet in an instant. It wasn't her scream - hell, he
didn't think she knew *how* to scream - but it was a reflexive action.

   " Wait. " he told the others, holding out an arm.

   All but Willow no longer felt a need to explore further, and she
stayed because she felt someone trying to get her to stay. It was creepy
- another coincidence - but she suddenly knew Chris had the answers she
was looking for. ( If I could talk to him long enough to find out ! )

   Half a minute later, Rowan walked back down the hall, her arm freshly
bandaged.

   " For a town with a Hellmouth, the people sure are wimps. " she
muttered. " Like she's never seen a poisoned cut before. I said just give
me the band-aids, but noo… "

   Chris buried his face in his hands and sat back down again. ( don't DO
that ! )

   ( like it's deliberate ! )

   " What happened ?!? ", Buffy demanded.

   Rowan glanced at her. ( Geez, she's a bitch. Dead *or* alive. ) "
Nurse freaked. "

   Buffy opened her mouth to counter, when she was interrupted by Willow.

   " Everyone, just stop ! " she yelled. Everyone did, four more forcably
than another two. Taking a deep breath, she continued, " Okay. I cast a
spell which had some *wacky* side-effects, causing vampire-creatures to
attack my house and…Angel, and now you two showed up and you looked fine
at my house and now you're all beat up. You- " pointing to Chris " -said
more or less you're on my side, and you're with her- " pointing to Rowan,
" -and you two- " gesturing to Angel and Rowan, " -obviously know each
other in a not good way, and you two- " gesturing back to Chris and
Rowan, " -think I should be dead. " The hacker took another deep breath,
not because she needed to calm down, but because during her tirade she
forgot the nessecity of breathing. " And I want some answers ! "

   Willow gave the strangers her best glare.

   Rowan nodded. " Okay, short version - First, the vampire-creatures are
more commonly known as Shifters, who attacked us, causing our beat apon
state. Second, Angel and I never got along, so it's no surprise that he
would want to fight me. Third, the side-effects are part of the awakening
power the spell apparently caused in you. And last, the reason you should
be dead is because only Outsiders can cast the spell you did, and at last
count, there were only three. "

   Chris finished the speech, directing it at Angel.  " And in answer to
your interrupted question, " He glanced briefly at Rowan, who shrugged. "
We are Outsiders. "

      *****

   There was no sound except for a gurney being rolled down the hall.
*****
 Then there was a lot of noise at once, but it was basically questions
and exclamations of disbelief.

   " Whoa ! " Rowan held up her hands. " A hospital corridor isn't
exactly the place for life-changing disclosures. I mean, ten out of ten
for style, but minus several million for good thinking, yeah ? "

   Giles nodded. " Rowan's right. Let's go to the library- "

   " No ! " Chris and Rowan said at once.

   " Pardon ? "

   " How 'bout someplace else. " Chris near-ordered.

   " We can go to my house, " Willow said. " My parents aren't home, and
I meant to go there anyway. " She turned around and started leading
everyone out.

   ( her parents aren't here ? ) Chris hadn't been aware of that.

   ( even better. ) Rowan started to pull on her jacket, then looked at
the blood covering ¾ of it, and pitched it into the trash on her way out.
( i'm not looking forward to explaining that their daughter's not exactly
normal. i think we're gonna have our hands full with her friends. )
*****