Title: The Night Calls
Author: Kylia
Email: kylia_bug@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Nobody belongs to me, unfortunately. They belong to Joss & Mutant Enemy, and a few other people I don't know.
Rating: PG13 (for now)
Spoilers: general fourth season. And some rumors I heard about “Doomed”
Category: Willow/Spike – Who else would I write about?
Summary: Willow, still upset over Oz’s departure, attempts to ‘bounce back’ with some help from her friends.
Distribution: Fire & Ice. Anyone else, ask, and you shall receive.
Feedback: Yes, please!! I need to know if I should quit while I am ahead.
Author's Notes: This takes place after Something Blue & Hush. Oz has never returned, and The Scooby Gang is somewhat frustrated with the amount of time it is taking Willow to recover. Spike is still ‘neutered’ although he no longer lives at Giles. Mark is of my own creation.

Willow was frozen in place for what seemed like an eternity. Something was wrong with Spike. He was unnaturally warm. He was sweating blood, and he wouldn’t wake up. She was scared. Beyond anything she could even come close to expressing. Frantic was the closest thing to what she was feeling.

She bent over him on his bed with a cool washcloth and wiped his bloody brow. It had been over an hour since she had returned to his house and found him like this. She hadn’t hesitated in calling Giles. It had taken her almost fifteen minutes for her to calm down enough to tell Giles what had happened, in a language that would resemble English.

She ached. Her mind, her body, her soul. They all ached. It was then she realized that her feelings for Spike were much more than she had ever acknowledged. She felt a cold rage come over her with the knowledge that this wasn’t natural. Something, someone had done this to him. She wanted to find them, and hurt them. The feeling was new. Something that she never would have believed she was capable of. But here she was, entertaining thoughts of deadly violence against those who had hurt him. She smiled to herself as she thought of how proud he would be of her dark thoughts. The smile didn’t last. She feared she would never get the chance to share her violent thoughts with the vampire.

“Willow?” Gile’s soft voice came from the doorway. She turned to look at her mentor, and friend. He was smiling sadly at her. “I’m afraid. I’m afraid I haven’t been able to find anything out.” Giles walked towards the young girl. He felt her pain. He had grown to like the vampire. He had a way about him, which amused the watcher, though he would never admit it.

He had seen the friendship develop between the vampire and the witch, and unlike the rest of their little group, was not surprised, nor perturbed by their closeness. He realized that their feelings for one another ran deep, deeper than they even realized.

Giles took the cloth away from Willow, and was surprised by the heat that was radiating from the vampire's normally cold body. “I don’t know what’s causing this. I don’t… I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t know what to do.”

Willow nodded slightly and stood up from the bed. “I do.” She walked towards the doorway, and just before she reached it, she stopped and turned to her friend. “Giles? Can you… Can you stay here and keep an eye on him?” She asked, looking the man in the eye, pleading with him. Giles nodded.

“Of course. Where are you going?”

“To find the people who did this.” She turned back towards the doorway, not giving Gile’s a chance to protest.

Willow left Spike’s house with one thought on her mind. Help Spike. She didn’t know exactly how she was going to do it, but she had to. She couldn’t just sit back and watch him die. She wasn’t that strong. However, she was unsure of where exactly to begin. She knew that whatever was wrong with Spike was related to The Initiative and the implant they had embedded in Spike’s cranium. She knew that it would have to be removed, but she didn’t know enough about it, to do it safely.

She needed help, she knew. And there was only once person she could think of who could help her, would help her. That is if she could persuade them.

Willow had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts she did not notice the man following her. Mark had gone to the house he had followed her to the previous night. He wanted to know what was going on. Whose house was it? And how were they related to Willow? Was it her boyfriend? He realized that he was bordering on obsessive, but he needed to know. He told himself that she could be in danger, so that he was just protecting her.

He followed her to the older man’s house. He had been told he was a watcher. But he had been outside of the strange house long enough to see the Watcher come, and he had not left. So, if the watcher was at the mysterious house, why was Willow going to his? What was she doing there?

He hid behind a tree and waited for her to come out. He was going to confront her.

Willow entered Giles house, and sat on the couch, holding his phone. She was trying to decide whether or not she should make the phone call. She didn’t want to involve him. Spike wouldn’t be pleased, but she needed help. She couldn’t get the information she needed alone. And he did have a responsibility to Spike, didn’t he? He would want to know what had happened.

She took a deep breath and dialed the number. After five rings, Willow glanced at the clock. She noticed it was still afternoon, and wondered where he could be.

On the seventh ring, the telephone was answered by a very groggy voice.

“Hello?” He sounded irritated. * I probably woke him up! * Willow thought.

“Angel? I need your help.” She didn’t have time to play the polite conversation game. "I need you to come to Sunnydale. It’s urgent.” She realized she was on the verge of crying, but she didn’t care.

“Willow?” Angel’s voice rang through the line. “What is it? Is it Buffy?”

Willow groaned under her breath. “No. It’s not. She’s fine, but… But Spike isn’t.”

Willow paused waiting for Angel’s reaction to his childe’s name. She didn’t have to wait long.

“Spike? What’s he done?” Willow could hear the annoyance in the older vampire’s voice and fought down the urge to snap.

“He hasn’t done anything. He’s sick. Really sick. I think he may die… permanently.”

For a long moment Angel didn’t say anything and Willow feared he may have hung up.

“Angel? Are you there?” She asked timidly.

“Yes. I’m on my way.” He hung up the phone and Willow breathed a sigh of relief.

Angel drove as quickly as he could to Sunnydale. He didn't know what to expect when he arrived there. Willow's phone call had been brief. The panic he had heard in her voice had been enough to convince him. His childe was in trouble. No matter how much time had past, or what Spike had done, he still loved him. That would never change. He knew that Spike probably wouldn't be pleased to see him. He couldn't blame him for that. Despite the fact that it was Spike who had him tortured not too long ago, Angel knew that that was minor compared to the pain he had inflicted on his favorite childe during his reign as Angelus. Spike had still felt betrayed over him leaving all those years ago.

He hoped that Willow was over reacting to the danger his childe was in, although he knew that Willow wasn't one to over react. Angel sped the car up, anxious to get to Sunnydale and find out what was wrong.

Willow paced around the room nervously. She felt a little better knowing that Angel was coming, but not much. She still didn't know what was causing Spike's illness, or how they were going to fix it. He was a vampire. He wasn't supposed to get sick. He was supposed to live forever. He was supposed to feed off of humans, and relish in their pain and suffering, not lay weak and unconscious in a bed sweaty with his own blood.

As each minute ticked by, Willow grew more and more afraid. She watched his still form as beads of perspiration slid down his body. He face was contorted in a grimace. He had been shaking for the last hour. His body convulsing from unknown dreams. She lay her head down on the pillow next to his unnaturally warm body, and succumbed to sleep.

Giles watched Willow from the doorway. She had finally fallen asleep. The exhaustion had finally overtaken her body. He hoped that Angel would arrive soon. He wasn't completely comfortable around the vampire, but he had come to realize that what happened to Jenny wasn't his fault. Yes, he had killed her, but he had had no control over the actions of his demon. It was Willow who had helped him to realize that. The girl had an endless capacity for compassion. Her relationship with Spike was just a small example of that. Buffy and Xander taunted the blond vampire over his inability to bite, but Willow had shown him nothing but friendship.

Thinking about Buffy made Giles remember the lie he had told his slayer. He hoped she would understand, but he doubted that she would. She didn't understand Willow's relationship with Spike, and she would no doubt have the same difficulty understanding her concern over his illness.

And Angel coming back to Sunnydale only complicated matters. Buffy's involvement with the people who were most likely responsible for Spike's condition would make for a tense situation all the way around.

A knock at the front door brought the watcher out of his thoughts. He hurried downstairs and opened the door, and was relieved to see Angel on the other side.

"Rupert."

"Angel. Come in."

Angel walked into the house and took a look around. He smiled slightly as he recognized his childe's taste in the furniture selection, interspersed with flashes of color here and there, which he attributed to Willow's influence.

"Where's Willow?" Angel asked, angel to speak with her.

"Upstairs."

"Angel?" Giles called out, halting the vampire's ascent up the steps.

Angel turned around, and waited for the watcher to continue.

"He doesn't look good." Giles' words were softly spoken, surprising Angel with the emotion he heard.

Angel walked back down the steps towards the Giles. "Why do you care?"

Giles thought about the question before he answered. "Because she does."

Angel nodded his understanding and headed back up the stairs.

Cordelia sat in her apartment, drinking a cup of coffee and playing a game of cards with Dennis. Suddenly her head was bombarded with images. There were fragmented, and didn't make any sense. Almost as soon as they vision had started, it had stopped. She tried to remember everything that she had seen while her breathing slowed.

Once she had calmed down, she hurried to get dressed and ran out of the house, with one thought on her mind. Get to Sunnydale to help Angel before it wastoo late.

Willow opened her eyes to find herself in a room she didn't recognize. It was cold, and bright. She seemed to be in some kind of hospital or laboratory. As she looked around her, she realized that she was in some kind of dream. Guessing that this was probably the Initiative, she wondered if this was her dream or Spike's.

Spike tried to open his eyes, but the pain was too great. Every dead muscle in his body ached. He heard familiar sounds beyond him. The watcher, and his sire. He didn't know where they were, or why he couldn't move. He tried to open his eyes again, this time forcing the pain down.

Once his eyes adjusted to the brightness, Spike realized he was back in the lab, but something was different. It didn't quite feel right. There was something surreal about it. He realized he was dreaming. Just as he was about to close his eyes, and surrender tot he pain, he felt something. A presence. After a moment he realized it was the witch. Somehow she had been pulled into his dream.

Angel entered Spike's bedroom unprepared for what he saw. Willow was sleeping with one arm draped around Spike's abdomen. Her eyes fluttered slightly, indicating she was dreaming.

But that wasn't what surprised him. His dead heart felt heavy at the site of his childe. He was shaking with perspiration dripping off of his body, into the sheets. As he neared the bed, he could feel the heat radiating from Spike. He bent down cautiously and felt his childe's skin, pulling back abruptly as it scalded him.

"What's wrong with him?" Angel asked softly as he heard Giles enter the room.

"We're not sure. We think it may have something to do with the initiative and whatever they did to him."

Angel turned away from the bed, so that he was facing Giles. "The Initiative?"

Giles took a deep breath as he prepared to tell the vampire what he knew about the secret commando organization.

Cordelia broke every speed limit as she drove furiously from Los Angeles to Sunnydale. Her vision bothered her. The images didn't seem to follow any kind of pattern but she knew that Spike was in some kind of trouble.

While she didn't have any great love for the vampire, Angel did. And that was enough for her. In the months since she had started working for him, they had become very close. He had told her things. About his past, about his relationship with Spike. He was ashamed of a lot of the things he had done in his lifetime. His treatment of Spike was one of the deepest scars.

Cordelia was also concerned for Willow. She had kept in contact with her after her move to LA, and she knew about Willow's growing affection for the blonde vampire. If he was in trouble, she was certain Willow was a wreck. And as her vision came back to her, she realized that they would have a tough road ahead of them. Hard choices would need to be made. She hoped they were all strong enough to make them.

Buffy stormed into Giles house and looked around.

"Giles, Giles" She called when she realized he wasn't there, she sat down to wait.

The longer she sat there, the more irritated she became. Giles had lied to her. She couldn't figure out why he would do that.

Mark had told her that he followed Willow to her 'boyfriends' house, but since Willow didn't have a boyfriend, it made Buffy wonder where she had spent the night. The same night Giles' had said she spent on his couch.

Buffy sighed. She wasn't going to find anything sitting around there. She decided she'd patrol with Riley then she'd make Mark take her to the house he followed Willow to.

Willow looked around the room carefully, and noticing the door, she opened it. Relieved to find it wasn't locked, she walked through the door and into another room. But this one wasn't empty. Spike was lying, semi-conscious, on a gurney. She ran over to him. He didn't look much better in the dream than he did in the real world. But she was pleased to find out he wasn't in the same coma-like state.

"Spike?" She called softly, "Can you hear me?" She asked. His eyes opened and he tried to sit up.

"Willow? What are you doing here?" he asked as she helped him to a sitting position.

"It's a dream." She told him softly. "Goddess, Spike, I was so worried about you." She cried.

"Shh, pet. It's okay. I'm fine."

"You are not fine!" She snapped. "You won't wake up, and you have a fever! A fever! Is that even possible?" She was shaking with fear.

"Willow," He spoke softly, "Calm down. We'll figure something out. The Watcher?" He asked.

Willow shook her head, "No. We looked, but I think this has something to do with the implant."

Spike looked into her tear filled eyes and felt his undead heart break. He hated to see her so upset, especially over him.

"Spike?" She asked cautiously.

"Yes, pet?"

"Don't be mad. But, I…I didn't know what to do. I didn't know who to call, so I…"

"Out with it luv. I won't be mad. I could never be mad, not at you."

"Angel. I called him. I didn't know what else to do." She lowered her eyes.

Spike took her chin in his hands and tilted it up so that she was looking into his eyes. "It's okay." He brought his lips down and gently brushed them against hers.

The kiss was so soft, Willow wasn't sure if she had actually felt it. She looked up at him. "Are you sure? About Angel, I mean."

Spike chuckled. "Yeah. I am surprised the poof would actually come though."

Angel sat in silence and thought about everything Giles had told him. He was feeling a swirl of emotions. Anger, fear, hurt. Anger that this was done to his childe. Fear at what would happen if they didn't find a way to undo what had been done to Spike. And Hurt that Spike himself hadn't told him what had happened. That fact spoke volumes about the state their relationship was in.

He looked up at Giles, he face expressionless. "This, Riley person, does he know exactly what was done to Spike?" Angel asked, and took a mental note that he was more irritated with what had been done to Spike than he was upset by the fact that Riley seemed to be Buffy's new beau. He hadn't felt the same pang in his heart when Giles' had mentioned her. He filed that information away for dissection at a later date.

"I'm not sure, honestly. I don't know him that well."

"Well I suggest we find out," Angel said as Willow began to stir to wakefulness.

"Find out what?" Cordelia had arrived at the house, and after several unanswered knocks at the door, she let herself in. She had arrived upstairs just as Angel had spoken.

Angel turned around, surprised by the familiar voice. "'Delia?" What are you doing here?"

Cordelia smiled. "Vision." She told him simply as Willow opened her eyes.

Willow opened her eyes to find three familiar faces staring at her expectantly.

"Do you feel better?" Giles' asked.

Willow nodded. "Yeah, I do. I had the strangest dream." She climbed off of the bed and turned towards Angel and gave him a hug.

"I'm glad you're here. I don't know what to do." She looked up into his eyes. "How long can he go without… without feeding?" She asked quietly.

Angel smiled softly at her. "Normally, several days, if he had to, but in this condition…"

Willow nodded her understanding. "Come on, let's go downstairs."

Willow left the bedroom followed by Cordelia, Angel and Giles. After a few moments they found themselves seated in Spike's living room.

"Nice décor. Your touch, I see." Cordelia commented as she took in the Forrest green throw pillows, which accented the deep burgundy leather couch.

Willow smiled. "Thanks, Cor. I told him he was absolutely not buying a black couch" She laughed at the memory, and then frowned. "Where do we start?"

Just as Cordelia was about to suggest something, the front door burst opened, followed by Buffy, Riley and Mark. After taking one look at the four in the room Buffy snapped.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Buffy walked into the room followed by Riley and Mark. "Well? Are you going to tell me what's going on here?"

Willow sighed wearily and stood up. "Buffy, what are you doing here?"

"Me? Wills, what are *you* doing here? Where's Spike?" She turned to Angel, "And what are you doing here?"

"Nosey much?" Cordelia snorted.

"Perhaps it would be best if everyone took a seat." Giles tried to lessen the building tension.

Mark stepped forward and approached Willow. "Willow, who are these people? Is this your boyfriend?" He asked motioning towards Angel.

Willow couldn't help but laugh at the presumption. "Angel? No. He's just a friend." She turned to Angel. "Angel, this is Mark," She pointed towards Riley who was still standing behind Buffy. "And that's Riley. They are members of The Initiative."

Angel growled and was about to stand up when he felt Cordelia's hand on his arm, calming him down. He couldn't believe that Buffy had brought those soldiers into Spike's house.

Willow looked around the room and groaned. She smiled slightly at Angel. "Maybe you should go and check on him?" She asked softly, motioning towards the stairs.

Angel nodded, and stood up, "Delia?" He asked. Cordelia stood and followed him up the stairs leaving Willow alone with Giles and the new arrivals.

"Um, perhaps I'll go make some tea." Giles quickly walked into the kitchen.

"Well?" Buffy asked again, impatient.

"Well what, Buffy? Willow asked. She was tired. She felt like she hadn't slept in days and she wasn't ready to deal with an angry Slayer.

"Well, I want to know what you're doing at Spike's house. I want to know what Angel is doing here, and I want to know why you lied." Buffy told her.

"Spike's sick." Willow explained. When Buffy looked at her blankly, she elaborated. "That's why Angel's here."

"I don't understand." Riley was confused.

Willow took a deep breath and sat down on the couch. "Spike is sick, so I stayed here last night. When he didn't wake up this morning I called Angel." She looked at Buffy apologetically. "I asked Giles' to tell you I spent the night at his house because I didn't know how you'd react if you knew I spent the night with Spike. Well, not 'with' Spike, but here, in his house." She blushed at the way her words came out sounding.

"Why do you care?" Mark's words were harsh.

"Excuse me?" Willow asked, feeling her anger rise. She really didn't like him.

"I said, Why do you care? He's a vampire. An animal who should be put out of his misery." Mark told her snidely.

Willow stood up and walked to the front door and opened it. "Out. Now." When no one moved, she looked up at Mark. "Leave. You're not welcome here." Her voice was trembling with anger.

Riley was the first to move. He walked outside quietly, not wanted to upset Willow further. Mark followed him, leaving Buffy to stand in front of the door dumbstruck.

"Wills, I didn't mean to upset you. I just… I don't understand why you worry about him. He's a killer. If it wasn't for that implant…"

Willow cut her off, "If it wasn't for that implant, he wouldn't be sick." Willow snapped. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Buffy, you shouldn't have brought them here. I don't expect you to understand, but I do expect you to respect my decisions."

"I do, Will. But it's Spike" Buffy didn't know what to say. She didn't understand why Willow was so concerned.

"Buffy, I think you had better leave." Giles told her as he came back into the living room.

Buffy nodded sadly and turned and walked out the door.

As Angel stood at the top of the stairs and listened to Buffy's demand for answers, he was struck with the realization that things had changed. Buffy didn't seem to be affected by his presence in Sunnydale, and the only emotion he was feeling towards his former love was irritation at her apparent lack of concern for Willow's distress. He still cared for her deeply, he probably always would, but it wasn't the same gut wrenching pain as before.

Angel felt a hand on his shoulder and looked around to find Cordelia looking at him with concern in her brown eyes.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"Perfect." He told her. "You want to tell me what you saw in your vision?" Angel asked as he left the hallway and walked into Spike's bedroom.

Cordelia sat down in one of the two chairs set near the bed, where Spike lay unconscious.

"Well, As per the norm, it didn't make much sense," Cordelia started as Angel took a seat in the chair next to her, shifting his eyes between his childe and the brunette who was speaking to him.

Cordelia placed a hand on Angel's arm as she continued, "But, this won't be easy. For any of us." She told him softly.

"What do you mean?" He asked, confused.

Cordelia sighed and stood up, and began walking around the room slowly, trying to decide how to best explain the feeling she had gotten from the vision. "It was unlike an vision I've gotten before. It was powerful." She stopped and turned to her boss, and friend. "I could feel it. The emotions were almost incapacitating."

Angel stood up. "Are you alright?" Her voice had wavered and he was growing concerned.

Cordelia smiled reassuringly. "Yeah, I'm fine. But, Angel, this isn't like the usual creepy evil. These people, their human." She paused, unsure of how he would take what she was going to say next. "And Buffy, is helping them."

Angel looked down for a minute and then let eyes wander to his ill childe. "I know."

"She won't help us." Cordelia spoke softly. "We're on our own."

Willow sighed heavily as she flopped on to the couch. She wanted to cry. She knew that she shouldn't have lied to Buffy nor asked Giles to lie to Buffy, but she had thought that Buffy wouldn't understand, and she had been right. The way Buffy had reacted to finding out about Spike proved that.

"Willow? Are you all right?' Giles voice broke through Willow's muddled thoughts.

Willow looked up and smiled as Giles handed her a cup of tea.

"Thanks. I'm sorry to get you mixed up in this, Giles." Willow apologized.

Giles sat down next to her and clasped her hand. "Willow, you know you can always count on me." He told her. "I don't agree with what the Initiative has done and I want to help you get to the bottom of this."

"Thank you, Giles. That means a lot. I know you don't like Spike." Willow was relieved to still have Giles help. She needed all the help she could get. They still didn't know exactly what was causing Spike's illness, but she knew that they would have to find the answers on their own. Buffy wouldn't help them, and she didn't think The Initiative would tell them what they wanted to know willingly. However, she was fast approaching where violence was a definite option.

Willow stood up. "I'm gonna go see how he's doing. Then we can sit down and maybe figure something out." She smiled slightly as she headed towards the stairs.

As Giles watched her leave, he hoped that things weren't as grim as they suddenly appeared. He knew that Buffy wouldn't understand Willow's need to help Spike, but he had hoped that she might surprise him. But now it didn't look like that was going to happen. It looked whatever was going to happen next might drastically alter the relationships in his little group. He hoped their friendships were strong enough to endure the test they would undoubtably be put through.

Willow sat on the edge of the bed and watched Spike with a heavy heart. She didn't know what was wrong with him, or if they would be able to fix it. She was exhausted and her nerves had been worn down by Buffy's visit. She hadn't expected Buffy to understand her need to help Spike. She didn't really understand it herself. Part of her new that she didn't like to see anybody in this condition, whether they were a soulless killer or not. But another part, buried somewhere deep inside her, realized that what she felt for Spike went beyond compassion, beyond friendship. She had begun to realize that she was in love with the blond vampire.

That knowledge didn't scare her as much as she thought it would. It seemed right some how. Like it was something meant to be. She didn't know how he felt about her. She knew that there was definitely friendship, but she was unsure if it went further than that. But it didn't matter. She would help him. She would undo what those bastards did to him, no matter what the cost.

As her mind grasped the strength of the emotions she was feeling, she felt a peace come over her with the knowledge that she was willing to do whatever it took to save her love. She didn't care that he was a killer, and would no doubt continue to be, if the implant was removed. That fact was of no consequence. With the realization of her love for the vampire, came the acceptance that she loved all of him. The man, the vampire, the friend. They were all parts to the creature she would die, or kill for. If it was necessary.

Willow shuddered to herself as she realized what she was thinking. She was willing to do whatever was necessary to fix him. If that meant killing, she could do it. Would do it. Did that make her a bad person? Crazy? She didn't know. All she did know was that she had passed the point on no return long before she had even realized she was traveling such a road.

"Will? Are you alright?" Cordelia's voice broke the silence of the room, and brought Willow back to the moment at hand.

She turned to look at the woman standing in the doorway and marveled at all that had changed. It was not so long ago that she had hated the former cheerleader. Now she was one of her closest friends.

They had kept in touch after Cordelia had moved to Los Angeles, through Email. She had been saddened by her friends' loss, and shocked at hearing about her visions. But it all made some strange sort of sense. Angel was different now. Happier somehow. She had really only spoken to him a small handful of times since he had left Sunnydale, but each time she was struck with the change in him. He didn't seem so closed off, so alone.

After seeing them together, Willow realized the change in Angel was do to Cordelia. Her friendship had helped to ground him. It had helped him to accept his place in the world. She had helped him to understand why the Powers had seen fit to grant him a permanent soul, even though he still has so much to atone for.

She was amazed at the depth she now saw in Cordelia. Was it always there? She wasn't sure. She only knew she was thankful that Angel had had someone to help him through the difficult time. Friends had surrounded Buffy. Angel had been alone, save for Cordelia and their fallen friend.

Buffy had found happiness with Riley, she hoped that Angel could find some as well. The thought of Riley, brought Willow's mind back to the present. She looked up at Cordelia, who was still waiting for a response.

"Cor, I'm so glad you're here." Willow told her friend as she stood up and gave the brunette a hug. She turned back to Spike's lifeless body, "Look at him. This isn't right." Her whispered words were racked with pain.

Cordelia hugged Willow tightly before sitting down. "We'll fix this. Angel won't allow anything less." She told her confidently, knowing it was true.

Willow smiled, and latched on to a subject, which had filled her thoughts frequently when talking to Cordelia. "Tell me about Angel."

Cordelia's eyes narrowed slightly at Willow's question, feeling something she was unfamiliar and not quite comfortable with. Jealousy.

Willow laughed softly, recognizing the look in the brunette's eyes. "Tell me about you and Angel.

Cordelia looked surprised for a moment, and then shrugged. "We're friends. What's there to tell?"

Willow smiled, "What indeed." She stood up, realizing that it was time that they get to work on solving their current problem. They could share stories of unrequited love later.

"I'm going back tot he dorm, speak to Buffy, before this situation gets out of control."

Cordelia started to protest but realized the redhead was right. She remembered what she had felt in her vision and realized things had the potential to spin widely out of control. "Okay. I'll see what I can find out." She looked up at Willow thoughtfully for a moment. "We're gonna need to find some place to stay before dawn."

Willow turned towards the door, motioning for Cordelia to follow. She walked to the room down the hall. "Here, you can stay in here. The Windows are covered, so no chance of Peaches going poof."

"Peaches?" Cordelia questioned. "You have been spending way too much time with Spike."

Willow giggled. "Not nearly enough." She pointed down the hall; "There's the bathroom. Take a shower if you like. There's blood in the fridge, as well as some food that's actually edible."

Willow smiled softly at Cordelia's raised eyebrow. "What? I have been known to eat here, on occasion."

Willow headed back down the stairs with Cordelia in tow. When she reached the living room, she grabbed her jacket and headed towards the front door. "I won't be gone long."

Willow left the house, with a feeling of apprehension filling her at the conversation that would surely follow.




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