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Buffy:

I didn’t want to be doing this, but we were at a lose. Willow was simply gone, and we had no way of knowing how to find her, there
wasn’t a clue. She was simply gone and I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to ask him, but everything I had learned sense we realized
that Willow was missing pointed to the fact that she had been spending a lot of free time with Angel.

I didn’t want to think about the implications of Angel and Willow spending time together. I didn’t want her to be hurt and a small part
of me couldn’t stand the thought that Angel might have gotten over what we had so soon. While I was still languishing in that not good
place that I had been in.

I mean so much had happened, I hadn’t expected to have to deal with all that we had to deal within the past weeks. First the whole
Mayor deciding that the best way to though me was to steal Angel’s soul from him. I hadn’t been able to get over the fear. Then Angel
had up and moved and only now did I know where he lived. Willow had known, and hadn’t told me, Willow had been seeing Angel even
though she had promised she wasn’t.

Though if I were honest, which I do try to be, we Xander Giles and I didn’t exactly ask Willow not to see Angel. We just assumed that
because we had stated that we thought it would be better for her and us that she didn’t see him that she wouldn’t. It wasn’t like Willow
to do things against our wishes. Or so we had thought it appeared however given the notes we had found in Willow’s folders that she had
been doing more then just seeing Angel, she had also continued her magical learning.

She had gone way beyond what Giles had thought and what I had believed as well. I had never expected to realize that Willow was
changing before our eyes and we hadn’t even seen it. Now I was standing on Angel’s porch, Xander behind me. His hand resting on my
shoulder, he seemed to understand how hard it was. Neither of us where looking forward to seeing Angel, there was no doubt that he
knew of their attempts to keep he and Willow apart.

It was still light and Angel wouldn’t be able to leave for a few moments and I knew that it would give us time to talk to him. I wasn’t
sure I wanted to deal with Angel when he learned that Willow was missing. I raised my hand and knocked on the door.

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

Angel
I knew it wasn’t, but I wanted it to be, I wanted the dream I had that woke me from a sound sleep to be nothing more then a dream, yet
somehow I knew something was very wrong. The feeling had started three days ago and I hadn’t been able to shake it since it had begun
the moment Willow had walked out the door. It had taken every ounce of will power to stop myself from simply grasping her arm and
keeping her with me.

I knew I was being pessimistic but I couldn’t help myself, expecting the worst was a normal state of being when you lived on the hell
mouth. I opened the door at the sound of the knock. I wanted it to be Willow, but I knew from a sense I hadn’t felt in quite sometime
that it wasn’t Willow, but Buffy, and Xander? I couldn’t figure out why they were here, it wasn’t like I was someone that they made
social calls to.

Buffy stood there looking at him, and Xander stood behind her hand resting on her shoulder, I raised and eye brow at them," what can I
do for you?" I asked making no move to let them in.

"Aren’t you going to at least invite us in?" Buffy demanded, it was on the tip of my tongue to say no, only something in the look on her
face caught me. I stepped back.

"Come in." I said and motioned for them to enter my home. Buffy walked in slowly, looking around taking in everything, clearly treating
this as a hostel environment. Strangely after the last few months I no longer felt a twinge of pain at seeing her react like this to me and
mine. I think it might have the company I had been keeping Willow had a way of making you comfortable with yourself. She seemed to
expect me so completely that it became nearly impossible for me to remain unaffected.

I waited for Buffy or Xander to speak and both of them where fidgeting clearly not wanting to be here. Whatever it was that had
brought them to my door couldn’t be good. Buffy opened her mouth as though she wanted to speak. Then closed it without saying
anything. I was starting to get angry, I knew I wasn’t being fair, but I couldn’t help it, they had something tell me I knew it but what it
was I did not. The more they stalled the more worried I got.

"Out with it already what the hell is going on?" I growled. Both of them jumped with I spoke up and Buffy finally spoke.

"When was the last time you saw Willow?" It wasn’t the question I was expecting and for a moment I wanted to say that I hadn’t seen
the hacker in a long time. Only the fact that I hadn’t been able to shake the feeling of dread I had sense she left made me answer them
true.

"Three days ago."

"That’s the last time we saw her, now isn’t that a coincidence?" Xander asked, in no way hiding his dislike.

"Stop it, I don’t think Angel had anything to do with this." Buffy shot back at him and I felt like a third person left out on this.

"Yeah just like he wouldn’t ever hurt us. Am I the only one that remembers Angelus?" Xander demanded, I saw Buffy tense and the rage
I had always felt at someone hurting her didn’t stir, I was surprised for a moment. "First you now he’s got Willow. What happen dead
boy get hungry and she was handy." At his words I felt my already tattered control slip a notch and I growled angrily in answer.

Willow would have yelled at me, I could hear it in her voice yelling at me for letting him bate me but I couldn’t help it. They were using
her and she was my weakness. "Did you simply come here to accuse me of harming her in someway or was there something else you
needed?"I demanded coldly. Buffy seemed once more surprised, I knew why, they wanted my help it was clear. I was the one that knew
Willow best now.

"We need your help to find Willow, we’ve not come up with anything," Buffy said finally I could see how much it bothered her to have
to eat her own words. A part of me a childish vindictive part of me wanted to make her beg for my help, only the very real danger to
Willow kept me from doing it. I nodded curtly and looked toward the doorway which they had carelessly left open.

"Well then we had best get going." I said and headed toward the sunless sky.

As we entered the library I caught site of Giles and the younger man’s haggard appearance and the worry that was so clearly living in
his eyes immediately worried me. I knew then that he knew more then he’d told Buffy or Xander or something had happened while they
went to get me. He looked up as we entered and he nodded to them, and me.

"Angel good, it would appear we have need of you after all."He walked over to us and stopped in front of me. He dropped a bloody
piece of paper onto the table before me, the blood that stained it was hers, I’d know the sent anywhere. I looked at it in shock. I knew
the hand writing. It hadn’t changed in over a hundred and fifty years and in that knowing came an added horror, because it met that he
would kill her if I hadn’t arrived in his amount of due time.

I took the note and stun on my heel and started out of the library.

"Where in hell are you going?" demanded Buffy.

"To get Willow back." I answered shortly. I kept walking slowing my pace only slightly when Buffy sprinted to catch up with me.

"You can’t go down there alone, they will be expecting you."

"There expecting Angelus, Buffy and I intend to give it to them, so if you wanna come that’s fine just stay out of my way." I growled,
my demon in an up roar. They had challenged my claim, it didn’t matter that the woman in question didn’t understand the complexity of
what I had done when I had in all intensive purposes claimed her as my own, her skin bore my mark her blood sang in my veins, and
regardless of how much my demon hated its souled entrappings it despised anyone taking what was mine, and Willow was Mine.

I continued walking falling some inner sense to ware I was going, I couldn’t really explain to Buffy what I was following. It was more
then a sent in the air it was the taste of her blood in it, it was the feel of the bond that exists between vampire and one that has been
marked. I was not strong enough to call out to her or tell her that I was coming but it was strong enough to tell me where to turn left
rather then right.

I started to move faster pushing myself, I could feel her now a tangible thing something I could grasp and grasp at it I did. I knew
where she was down to the room in the lair. I had only to reach her before they harmed her anymore. I kicked open the door announcing
rather loudly my presence but Drake had wanted Angelus and now he had him. I started walking down the main corridor I could hear the
vampires stirring as the sound of the broken door woke the late raisers. I didn’t care however nothing was going to stand between
myself and that which I sought.

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

Willow
The noise woke me, I was exhausted but then being a captive of vampire’s that took great pleasure in cutting you with sharp objects to
bleed you would do that to you. I needed to eat something, I felt like I was going to faint. Only I wanted to concentrate on that noise.
Never had such loud forceful sound, been so welcome. I wasn’t sure why but my panic was receding away leaving in its wake a type of
crystal certainty that Angel would find me that Angel would save me. Suddenly I was stuck by the absurdity of all this, little Willow
languishing in a room, held captive by some insane vampire that wanted to get to Angel, no Angelus, and was certain that I was Angel’s.
Not that I wouldn’t want to be Angel’s, but well I can’t be Angel’s it just wouldn’t ever happen.

The romance novel scenario was making me insane how many times had I been kidnaped threatened cut and harmed by people. Lets see
first there was Spike who I felt sorry for when I wasn’t terrified, then I lost Oz, then Faith goes renegade and tries to kill me add to
that the fact that my mother tried to burn me at the stake.

After all that you would think I would be able to deal with all this, only now was I beginning to see what it was that Angel had spoken
of. I knew I had a resolve face, but apparently he had been correct when he said I was made of sterner stuff then one would have ever
believed.

Somehow we survive and we fight another day and I realize now that even if Buffy was gone tomorrow I would keep fighting.

I looked up at the sound of the door, and drew back instinctively from the large form in the shadows. I had been man handled hit and
bloody too many times to trust what my eyes were showing me.

"Willow," I knew that voice, would have known it anywhere, and before I could question the wiseness of my decision I flung myself into
Angel’s waiting arms. I didn’t even notice Buffy for a full five minuets.

"Could you to kindly take this little reunion outside?" She demanded moving back the way they had evidently come.

A vampire came out of no where in front of her, she shot out her fist connecting with its jaw and knocking it clear across the corridor
before pouncing on it and cleanly staking it.

"Come on we have to make tracks they are finally beginning to wake. Buffy yelled back at us. I ran to keep up with Angel’s hurried
pace. I wasn’t really aware of much about our flight till we had to go through the main corridor and the nasty eerie feeling I had
whenever the master of this lair entered a room walked up my spin.

I force where I was, realizing that it was a trap they had let them get in here. They had made sure they would find me. I squeezed
Angel’s hand he turned to look at me, I mouthed the words it’s a trap, and he and Buffy both stood into a ready fighting stance. I closed
my eyes hoping like hell that I wouldn’t cause them to lose.

I moved out of the way knowing that to the vampires now that they had Angel and Buffy that I was expendable. I moved on one of the
long tables that set along the walls I saw something I knew would come in handy for me. I wasn’t Buffy and I didn’t delude myself but if
I had a weapon in my hand I at least could defend myself.

I ran over to the long sword. It was huge and rather heavy and lifting it proved to be harder then I had expected but once I had it in
hand I felt a strange sense of sureness fill me. I moved the blade before me in the air. I gasped as the blade seemed to speak to me, I
stared at it as it began to glow in my hands, my first thought was to through it away. Only something made me keep a hold of it. I heaved
it upward till I grew more comfortable with the weight of it in hand, without even realizing really what I was doing being lead by some
unseen force. I arched the blade hard connected with a vampire that had been sneeking up on me, I hadn’t even seen it before I heard
its cry and saw its dust settle.

I watched Buffy and Angel as they fought the demons I was aware that eyes where on me I could feel it and for the life of me I
couldn’t fathom how I knew that I was being watched but I could sense it. Feel it with a certainty that would have unsettled me expect
that the blade in my hand seemed to whisper calm over me. I turned and realized that the Drake was fighting with Angel his eyes glued
more on the sword in my grasp then Angel. I watched as he caught Angel’s chin hard. I gasped seeing blood fly. I started toward them,
only to be caught in place by some power I could not comprehend and the strong knowledge that I had to wait. I didn’t know why only
knew it was so. I closed my eyes and allowed my mind to fill with the power I could feel washing over the sword in waves. I felt it
slowly spiral around me whispering into my pores and filling me with power beyond anything I had ever felt. Eyes still closed I started
to walk toward the two fighting figures I could see them in my minds eye. I opened my eyes, my gaze falling on Angel and Drake just as
Drake thrust a stake toward Angel’s chest. With a scream of rage I ran forward sword arched, with a single clean cut I took Drakes
head from his shoulders. He turned to dust before Angel’s eyes the stake sticking out of his chest at an odd angle insuring that it had
missed his heart. The sword clattered loudly on the floor distracting the vampire that was fighting with Buffy long enough for Buffy to
thrust a stake home. She spun toward us looking for any more danger her eyes falling on Angel and I.

I was on my knees before Angel, lifting his drooping head so that I could look in his eyes. I wrapped my arms gently around him not
wanting to cause him any undo pain. Buffy staggered over to us reaching out she helped Angel to his feet, allowing the vampire to lean
heavily on her. I draped his other arm around my shoulders and we headed from the shadows.

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

Buffy
When we reached the library I could see Xander pacing back and forth in front of one of the long tables while Giles set at the table
reading in a large book. Willow had insisted on bringing that strange blade with us, it shone strangely in the moonlight as though it held
an inner glow. She carried it with a familiarity that was completely foreign to her. I never thought of Willow as being the sword toting
type, but she insisted that Giles’ would want the blade. I couldn’t really see why. It was pretty and deadly if the vampires that bit it
where any indication. Though what we would do with another sword was beyond me. It wasn’t like I could go slaying with it.

I pushed open the doors still allowing the slightly more aware Angel to lean on me. His gaze was locked on Willow, he hadn’t even looked
at me, sense becoming more aware. I felt a slight twinge at that. I wasn’t used to being ignored.

Xander’s head came up as soon as the doors opened and Giles right after. He looked worried and I saw him literally soften as his eyes
fell on Willow. Giles was more of a father to us then our own parents where most of the time and it was true of all of us. Willow whose
mother was neurotic and Father ever absent, and my own absent father, Xander’s angry parents that tended to take it out on him. We
all had less then steller home lives and Giles was our guardian and mentor in the shadows. I truly appreciated that.

As I helped Angel into a chair, I watched as Willow hurried over to Giles who engulfed the hacker in a hug. He held her for a long
moment. " I am okay Giles I promise." Willow whispered as she drew back from the embarrassed Watcher.

She walked over to Xander who clutched her into a hug that looked as though it might had crushed her bones. She smiled warmly at him
and slowly pulled away. She walked back toward me. She smiled and nodded to me and looked at Angel.

As she kneeled worriedly at the vampire. "Are you gonna be able to make it home or do you want me to come with you?" she asked. His
head came up slowly and I wished I could see what his normally soft brown eyes looked like at that moment because whatever she saw
made her both blush and smile.

She reached up and touched his face gently wiping away a stain of blood from his flesh. She stood after a moment and I was sure that
they had communicated something that the rest of us had missed.

She pulled the sword out of the makeshift scabbard and walked toward Giles. She placed the blade before him on the table. " I know
this is sort of strange but do you recognize this?": She asked Giles who studied the blade for a moment. He stared at it for a long
moment and I thought I saw the light of recognition flash in his eyes. He looked up at Willow.

"Where did you find this?" he sounded like she had handed him the greatest treasure not an old silver sword. "At the vampire’s lair,
there was other stuff, but this it seemed to call to me." Willow said clearly not telling Giles everything that happened. He looked
interested, and glancing at Angel he looked to Willow. "You should most likely take him home." Giles stated. Willow nodded, she moved
back toward the weapon’s cage and retrieved a bag I hadn’t noticed had been laying there, and headed over to Angel, leaning down she
helped him stand and they started toward the door. As soon as they had headed sluggishly down the hall. I turned to Giles, "Should I
follow?" I asked.

He shook his head." No I need to know everything that happened, and then we need to go back to this place where all the demons
destroy?" He asked he sounded like a watcher then interested more in what he and his had to gain then about us. I shivered slightly.
Wondering what he was planing.

"They were, why?" I asked.

"Because, We need the items." Giles said, and when he didn’t elaborate I walked over picked up my black duffle and went about
refilling it.

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

Angel
The track back to my home was quite, Willow glanced at me worriedly as she held her book bag slung over her shoulder and attempted
to keep me upright as we tried to open my front door. Once inside she helped me to the couch and then headed to get the first aid kit.
She smiled when she re entered the room."You know this is becoming a bit of a habit." She stated a warm smile crossing her lips as she
opened my shirt with shaky fingers and went about cleaning the wound. She grinned seemingly pleased with her work, for my part I just
held my nonexistent breath to keep from grimacing in pain and pleasure all at once.

Worse however for me was the blood that sang in her veins and the desire to taste it once more. I couldn’t help but desire her now as
much if not more then I had then. It had been nothing more then a sip taken from a self inflicted wound on her wrist and yet the feel of
her flesh soft and warm beneath my lips sent desire for both blood and flesh flashing through me. She looked up and smiled at me.

"Oh I have something I want to try." She said excitedly, as she opened the bag she’d grabbed."I made this a while ago but it had to sit
for at least three or four weeks before it was ready. So well lets see."

She held in her hand small 2 dram amber bottle, She took a cotton ball from the kit and slowly opening the bottle she placed the cotton
puff on the top and turned it over. She flipped it back and drew it away. The liquid within was a deep blue color and she leaned
forward and placed the cotton against one of the scratches on my face. I felt a sharp burning that made me gasp and the feeling of fire
walking my skin and then nothing. Not the pain of the scratch. Lifting my hand I touched the area again and realized with no little shock
that the wound was completely gone, not healed but gone as though it had never been.

She started to do the same on all of the wounds. She seemed to hesitate at the largest of them, she spent more time on it, slowly erasing
it from existence. She looked up at me a smile on her lips one that told me how proud she was of herself.

Our gazes locked as they had the library, and I caught the rise of color once more and the slight parting of her lips. I told myself no
the moment the thought crossed my mind, the moment the desire spoke. Only to have it die as I leaned in closer, her breath caught and
she licked her lips nervously as I leaned even closer, my intent bluntly clear. Her eyes fell closed before my lips touched hers in clear
invitation.

I felt like fire, washed through my system at the first feel of those satin soft lips beneath mine. I brushed my lips ever so lightly over
hers before pressing a little closer and feeling her lips give and part slightly. I darted my tongue out to trace her supple soft flesh.
She gasped parting her lips further for me, I slipped my tongue past those lips and tenderly explored the reassesses of her mouth,
learning every nuance and depth. I half expect her to push me away as the kiss continued only to have those sweet arms slid around me,
completely this come to life fantasy that I was sure I would wake from at any moment.

Her lips pulled back from mine as she drew in droughts of much needed air before her eyes met mine again. "What was that for?" she
asked her voice husky and soft. I smiled and leaned down my mouth a breath from hers. "For all the times I’ve wanted to do that. For all
the moments when I looked into your eyes and wanted nothing more then to stay lost in their depths. " I whispered as I recaptured her
lips with my own.

 
Are you an ember; are you a flame? Do you stand strong or melt in the rain? Are you a weak link or part of the chain? Are you the solution Or part of the blame? For we are
the People and we are the change. Who should be watching, Protecting the earth? Is the land sacred Or just so much dirt? Your sisters and brothers, Who helps with their
pain? Are you part of the filling Or part of the drain? For we are the Power and we are the change. ...
okay that's all for a couple of days.....