Love Immortal by David Knapton

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my perverted mind. The characters belong to the owners of BtVs and Highlander.

Others if you want it by all means take it but it's polite to let the author know you are doing so.

Feedback: If you wish but be warned only obscene amounts of money will stop me posting more parts of this story if you don't like it and want it stopped or you can do what I do don't read stories you don't like!!!!

Spoilers: Season 1 & 2, set sometime between Passion and Becoming II but Angelus killed Oz not Jenny who is still working on the spell to restore Angel’s soul.

Summary: One night Buffy comes across Willow fighting a man.

The door chimed, looking up Joyce saw a man in his mid thirties with short dark hair and wearing a dark suit, it made her instantly think of James Bond. "Hello how may I help you?" she asked.

The man extended his hand, "Wyndham-Pryce, Wesley Wyndham-Pryce, I'm Willow Rosenberg's watcher, Mr Dawson sent me."

Before Joyce could say anything the door chimed again, she looked to the door in time to see Buffy and Willow enter, "Hi honey, what are you doing here?" Wesley's eyes went a little wide at seeing Willow.

"Ah nothing it's just that I was thinking of staying over at Will's tonight and ah after last week... you know... the talk and all I figured I'd see if that would be okay with you," Buffy said.

Joyce looked at her daughter smiling before looking past her to Willow, "You made her come didn't you dear?"

Buffy throw a look at her blushing friend before looking at her mum, "Ah yeah, but honest mum I would've called you. So is it okay?" she saw the speculative look the stranger was giving them, "Who's your friend?"

Wesley stepped forward holding out his hand, "Mr Wyndham-Pryce, I'm your new English teacher, Buffy isn't it?" Buffy saw her mum look at him angrily.
Buffy frowned, <How did he know my name? God I hope mum's not dating him, I couldn't stand another Ted.> "Ah hi," she said taking his hand.

Wesley then held is hand out to Willow, Joyce's eyes almost bugged out of their sockets as she saw his watcher tattoo, <I'm going to kill Joe and him for this.> "Ah yes Buffy that's fine just don't stay up all night, remember you both have school tomorrow," she hurried to say as she tried getting Willow away from Wesley.

"Ah great mum," frowned Buffy wondering if her mum was on something, "I'll ah see you tomorrow after school. Ah nice to meet you Mr Pryce."

"Nice to meet you Mr Wyndham-Pryce," smiled Willow as she followed Buffy out the door.

As the door closed Joyce turn an angry look at Wesley, "Are you crazy? Weren't you told to get your wrist tattoo removed before coming here?"

"Yes, I ah did see something about that but I thought it was voluntary?" answered Wesley embarrassed that he had got off on the wrong foot with his immediate superior.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself for losing her temper with Wesley as well as the way she had gotten her daughter and her friend out of the shop, she looked at Wesley who she could see was embarrassed at the slip, "Okay go and see this doctor," she handed him a card, "Tell him I sent you and that you require your tattoo removed, if you still feel the need to have one I suggest you have it on your upper arm, but certainly nowhere it can be seen, Jenna knows about watchers but not that I am hers so please be careful around her and don't come here again, we'll set up a regular meeting place somewhere out of town but if you need to contact me urgently you have my contact numbers. Now you had better leave before anyone else turns up," she told him opening the door.

A large rectangular chunk of rock stood in the middle of the room. A technician was carefully cleaning off a section of the rock, she let a jet of compressed air blow away some dust, a moment later she let another jet go, and then reached up with a brush and ran it across the rock.

Dr. Doug Perren, one of the museum curators, came over to check her progress. "Careful, now," he pointed at a spot a little away from where is assistant had been working on, "Concentrate in this area."

He heard the door open behind him, and turned to see a man in his forties come in.

"I spoke with Lou Tabor at the Washington Institute, and he told me we had the best authority on obscure relics right here in Sunnydale," explained Doug.

Giles laughed, "Oh... He may have, uh, exaggerated a little," he said modestly. He saw the obelisk, "Ah, is this the..."

Doug turned to look behind him, "This is our baby." They walked over to it, "Construction workers dug it up outside of town. Don't have a clue what it is. Any ideas?" he asked as he watched Giles examine it.

Giles touched and looked at the rock, "A few. None I'd care to share until I can verify." He noticed the runes, "You have, uh, carbon dated it?" he asked looking more closely at the writing.

Doug nodded, "The results will be back in a couple of days. I'll go out on a limb and say old."

Giles gave a little chuckle, "Um, yes, it, it certainly..." he trailed off as he picked up a jar and a scraper, "Predates any, uh... settlements we've read about. Um, may I?" he asked pointing.

Giles leaned in and began to scrape at the corner of the obelisk, catching the debris in the jar. He dug into an apparent groove. A few scrapes later he stopped and tapped the scraper clean on the jar. "I assume you've, uh, you haven't tried to open it," he asked looking at the curator.

Doug frowned, "Open it?" He leaned over to see what Giles had discovered. "Ah, I'll be damned. I figured it was solid. What do you think is in there?"

Giles considered his options, "Yes, but could I ask, um... would you wait? I uh... I'd like to work on translating the text. It-it-it might give us an indication of... what we'll find inside." He said a little worried.

Buffy frowned as she walked away from the Gallery with Willow; she looked over her shoulder at the closed door, "That was weird," she said, "God I hope their not dating," she did a full body shudder.

"I donno Buffy he did seem nice and did you see his sexy eyes..." she trailed off as she saw the scowl on Buffy's face, "Ah if you like the hmm older types."

<Will thinks he's sexy! Not jealous, not jealous,> "So wanna grab a mocha before we go to the gym, I am so going to kick your ass today," Buffy smirked at the redhead.

"In your dreams, <And mine,> Buffy," laughed Willow as they headed for the Espresso Pump. In truth Buffy was learning fast, she had learned in a week what it had taken Willow all summer to learn.

Willow got up from her desk and popped the disc from the drive. Walking over to Jenny's desk she handed it to her, "I think I found the error in the code," she said taking a seat next to her mentor.

"Great, let's see if it works?" Jenny said putting the disc into the drive. She tapped a few keys then looked up at the screen. A percent complete window appeared over some Rumanian text, and the bar zipped across it. "Come on, come on..."

The bar disappeared, and a translation scrolled up next to the original text. Jenny turned to Willow and grinned, "That's it! It's gonna work!" She saved the result, "This... will work."

Jenny ejected the disc and set it aside by some books near the edge of her desk, while a hardcopy had started to print out. She wheeled her chair over to the printer and looked it over. "If this work's Angel will be back."

Xander and Cordelia were sitting at the table. Giles walked up to Jenny and Willow. "What are you saying?" he asked them.

"We managed to replicate the original curse. To restore Angel's soul again," Willow clarified.

"Well, I tried anyway. And it looks like it might work," said Jenny continuing to smile.

Xander didn't look pleased, "So he killed Oz... And now you're telling us we should do this ritual."

Cordelia gave everyone a little smile, "This is good, right? I mean, we can curse him again."

Giles frowned, "Um, well, this... certainly points the way, but... the ritual itself requires a greater knowledge of the craft than I-I-I can claim."

Willow smiled reassuringly at Giles, "Well, we've spoke to Cassandra, I maybe able to work this," she explained.

"The ritual must be performed by an 'untouched witch' if Willow doesn't do it no one can," Jenny clarified for the watcher.

Giles looked very concerned, "W-Willow... channelling... such potent magicks through yourself, it could open a door that you may not be able to close."

Willow could sense more than one immortal as she approached Jenny's door. Jenny had told her to come over if she was serious about learning the ways of the Craft and the God and Goddess, so with a little apprehension she used the key Jenny had pressed on her earlier that week.

"Hello, you must be Willow," said a dark haired woman who looked about 30 coming down the stairs. She held out her hand, "I'm Grace, I'm a friend of Jenna's," she said smiling warmly.

"Come on in and I'll introduce the others," Willow followed Grace into the living room which held three other women. Grace indicated an athletic looking brunette about 5' 8", with prominent cheek bones, "This is Katya, she just flew in from South America."

Katya nodded to Willow, "It is a pleasure to meet you Willow," she said formally.

"Ah yes p-pleased to meet y-you," said Willow eyeing the tall woman somewhat nervously.

The woman with short cropped dyed blond hair came forward holding out her hand, "Don't mind Kat she recently lost her adopted daughter, she's not as unfriendly as this normally. I'm Amanda by the way I just know we are going to be great friends."

"Just keep your eyes on your money," said the other brunette, she had shoulder length hair framing her round face, "Ceirdwyn the name," she said standing next to Amanda.

Amanda snorted at Ceirdwyn, "I don't steal from friends especially sisters or future sisters."

"Well seeing we are all agreed that Mac would forgive me, why worry him about it?" said Amanda with a perfectly straight face.

Willow was beginning to relax with these women as their good-natured banter reminded her of Xander and Buffy. "May I ask you all something?"

"Yes anything except where I have my money hidden, at least not in front of Amanda," smirked Ceirdwyn getting a slap on the arm from the woman in question.

Willow smiled at them, "Oh, nothing like that... just wondering really... why do all the female immortals only seem to have a first name? I mean Duncan has a surname."

"That's easy it only seems like that because of all the immortals you have met Duncan is the youngest," explained Grace, "The rest of us are much older, old enough that we were around before surnames were universally introduced. I was born in what is now Northern Italy in 510 AD, Amanda in Northern France around 830 AD while Ceirdwyn was a warrior in Britain four hundred years before the Romans invaded in 43 AD. Where as Duncan was born in 1592 so he is only a baby," she frowned, "Although you don't need to tell him I said that."

"Oh I see," nodded Willow, somewhat stunned at the ages of these women, it only beginning to sink in what it really meant to be immortal, "So where's Jenny?" she asked.

Grace smiled warmly at Willow misunderstanding what she saw for fear. "She has gone to pick up Cassandra from the train station. Willow you really have nothing to fear from any of us," she smiled at the other women, "The four of us as well as Cassandra and Jenna are bound by our vow to, and love of, the Goddess. If, as you indicated to Jenna, you wish to learn more about the Goddess and to be trained in the Craft you shall become our sister."

Willow looked around at the four female immortals and their warm smiles, she nodded, "Okay, but all this is so new, I don't just mean immortality but everything, a-a year ago I d-didn't even know vampires were real." She sat down on the settee with a sigh.

Grace sat one side and Amanda the other, Grace pulled the redhead into a gentle hug while Amanda placed a hand on her shoulder, "You are doing remarkably well, everyone here had the advantage of being around when demons where believed to be real by almost everyone, as the more 'enlightened' times began that changed, now as you know very few believe, and even fewer know for certain," Grace said gently. "I for one don't think I would be coping half as well as you are."

All five immortals sensed others approaching, turning to look towards the door they watched as Jenny led Cassandra into the house. Each immortal came forward to hug the world's oldest witch, leaving Willow to look on, unsure what she should do.

Willow looked up having not realised the immortal was stood in front of her blushed slightly, "Blessed be mother of my mother," she answered as Jenny had schooled her.

"Yes, mother of my mother it is my desire to follow the path that lies before me," replied Willow.

"Very well child of my child," smiled Cassandra, turning to the others, "Daughters, is everything prepared to welcome a new sister?"

"Yes all is in readiness to welcome a new sister," the other five immortals replied in unison.

Jenny came forward and taking Willow's hand led her towards a door she had never been through, opening it they descended stone steps and into the basement. In the centre of the room there was a sacred circle set into the earth and slate floor, "Sit inside the circle Willow, facing the altar," Jenny whispered.

Willow did as she was told sitting cross-legged, she craned her neck to see the others lead by Cassandra walking down the steps, the redhead could feel her heart pounding in her chest.

Cassandra stood in front of Willow while Jenny stood behind, both within the sacred circle the other four immortals taking up position at the quarters, "When you are initiated, you are initiated into your own strength which is not found in books of magick or ritual, but in here," explained Cassandra bending slightly and placing her hand over Willow's heart, "For that is where all love resides." She straightened back up.

Cassandra raised her hands, palms out at shoulder height, "God and goddess spin the web of life for all living things, with many paths for us to choose. Let us feel their love and ours for them in our hearts. Let us walk our parallel paths together, learning from one another in perfect love and perfect trust. Blessed be."

"Willow, you stand separate from us, do you wish to be accepted as our sister daughter," Cassandra said somewhat sternly.

Willow looked up, into the elder witches eyes, "Yes mother of my mother, I wish to be accepted as a sister daughter."

"Rise then sister daughter and be welcomed with love into our hearts," said Cassandra warmly.

Willow stood and as she turned to Jenny was immediately enfolded in her arms, "Welcome my sister," smiled the other immortal.

This was followed by the others lastly by Cassandra, "With the help of your sisters we will help you to unlock the love in your heart that you may use it to fulfil the lord and lady's will, blessed be Willow," she said kissing her on both cheeks. She turned to the others as they smiled at her, "Let us celebrate our new sister's awakening."

A couple of days later Willow was sat with Jenny and Cassandra in Jenny's kitchen, "Why is it that I seem so much more powerful than all the others?" she asked the eldest immortal. Before they had all left to get on with their own lives Amanda and her other three sisters had began the long hard road Willow needed to unlock her full potential. Much to Willow's surprised she had surpassed all four in magickal ability within the day.

Cassandra smiled at the redhead, "It has to do with being an untouched witch Willow."

Willow was confused for a moment before the realisation dawned on her, "Y-you mean because I-I'm a v-virgin," she stammered.

Jenny laughed lightly at her pupil's sudden embarrassment; "Willow I hate to be the one to tell you bad news again but because you became immortal when you were still a virgin you will be for as long as you live."

Cassandra sighed taking Willow's hand, "Willow when we first become immortal our quickening uses our bodies at the moment of death as a blueprint to restore it to normal. I'm sorry Willow but there is nothing anyone can do to change your situation."

"It is partly to do with a natural ability, as we have taught you all Wiccan magick is based on sexual energy, that doesn't mean you have to have sex to make magick but the ability to draw on the sexuality in nature, but being a virgin you are able to use pure sexual magickal energy that is tainted by our own experience, but as you cannot lose your virginity, so you will never be tainted."

Buffy made herself known to the two immortals, "I don't want you putting yourself in any danger, Will," she said walking toward her friend.

Willow turned, realising that although it wasn't the same as sensing an immortal she had known Buffy was close before she spoke. "And I don't want danger. Big 'no' to danger, but I'm the only person that can do this."

Xander was getting angry, "Hi! For those of you who have just tuned in," he got up, "Everyone here is a crazy person." walking to the end of the table, "So this spell might restore Angel's humanity? Well, here's an interesting angle." His eyes going hard, "Who cares?" he said harshly.

"Let's not lose our perspective here, Xander," pointed out Giles trying to defuse the tension building up in the room.

Xander looked around a disgusted look on his face, "What? All is forgiven? I can't believe you people!"

Xander turned on Cordelia, "You know, just for once, I wish you'd support me," he said in a raised voice then more quietly, "And I realize right now that you were, and I'm embarrassed, so I'm gonna get back to the point," he turned back to the others, "Which is that Angel needs to die."

Anger entered Willow's eyes as she approached Xander, "Don't you 'ever' speak of him in that tone again!"

They begin to argue heatedly Giles and Jenny joining in. Buffy rushed over and got between them, "Stop it! Stop it!" she cried.

They all shut up and glared at each other for a moment. Buffy turned and taking Willow's hand she led the redhead over to the desk, they could all see Buffy was very upset. Giles paced away, Jenny following, also upset.

Willow took Buffy's other hand in hers, "What do you wanna do?" she asked quietly.

Xander looked up, "Yeah, but what happened to Oz is." Buffy and Willow stared at him in disbelief. Xander continued in a very cold voice, "You can paint this any way you want, but the way I see it is that you wanna forget all about Oz's murder so you can get your boyfriend back."

Buffy refused to listen to anymore and huffed out of the library. Jenny, Willow and Giles were merely able to stare in slack jawed shock at Xander. Unrepentantly, Xander walked back to his chair at the table.

Xander was staring at Willow, "Am I wrong?" Willow didn't answer, she just looked away.

Buffy was just about to open the door to go on patrol when she was stopped by her mother, "Where are you going?"

Buffy looked jumping a little having been startled out of her thoughts of earlier in the day, she looked up at her mum smiling, "Oh. Uh, to Willow's. To study. Got two finals tomorrow."

Joyce returned the smile figuring that the worry she saw on her daughter's face was caused by her up coming exams, "All right. Make sure you two study. Don't talk about boys all night."

"Oh, we don't like boys... I mean, while we're studying. We like boys. Some boys..." Buffy quickly amended, blushing slightly.

"Okay. Get a ride back if you come home late," Joyce said as Buffy closed the door behind her.

Buffy was walking through Weatherly Park on patrol, trying to clear her head. She stopped and jerked her head aside when she heard something snap in the nearby bushes. Slowly she took a few more steps to investigate. She heard another sound behind her and spun around to look. Nothing. Cautiously she took a couple of steps. Suddenly Kendra came out of the bushes to stand right behind her. Buffy instantly pivoted around with her fist held up, ready to punch. She stayed herself when she recognized the other girl.

Buffy exhaled, "You know polite people call before they jump out of the bushes and attack you."

"Just wanted to test your reflexes," said Kendra, punctuating the statement with a raised eyebrow.

Buffy smirked at her, "How about testing my face-punching? 'Cause I think you'll find it's improved."

Kendra ignored the other girl's come back, "I was on my way to your house. Saw you walking. Couldn't help meself."

Buffy smiled, "Which begs the question, and don't think I'm not glad to see you, but, why are you here?" Kendra started to answer, but Buffy answered for her, "Oh, wait. No, let me guess. Your watcher informed you. Dat a very dark power is about to rise in Sunnydale," she finished doing quite a good imitation of Kendra's accent.

Kendra smiled "Dat's about it," she said with just the faintest glint of mischief in her eyes.

Giles came out of his office into the main room where Buffy and Kendra were waiting at the table. Willow was behind the counter with Jenny she was searching on the net while her teacher searched in a book. "I've been on the phone to the museum. The artefact in question is missing, and the curator has been murdered. Vampires," he said leaning on the table.

"Acathla. And yes, the information provided by Kendra's watcher seems conclusive," nodded Giles.

Giles straightened back up as Willow and Jenny walked out from behind the counter. "Okay, somebody explain the whole 'he will suck the world into Hell' thing, because that's the part I'm not loving," Willow asked Giles.

"Well, the, uh," Giles began to explain as he put on his glasses, "The Demon Universe exists in a dimension separate from our own." He said sitting on the table, "With one breath, Acathla will create a vortex, a-a kind of, um... whirlpool that will pull everything on Earth into that dimension, where any non-demon life will suffer horrible and... eternal torment."

"So that would be the literal kind of 'sucked into Hell'," Buffy smiled a little
nervously, "Neat."

"You think Angelus and the others are responsible for the theft of the tomb?" Kendra asked Buffy.

"I can't believe you dated him," Kendra mussed before seeing Buffy's eyes narrow, "I mean, he's got to be stopped."

"We don't know where they are. They moved after we rescued Jenny," Willow pointed out.

Kendra stepped to Buffy's side, "I tend to side with your friend Xander on this one. Angel should be eliminated."

Buffy nodded, "Oh, I'll fight him. I'll kill him if I have to. But if I don't get there in time, or if I lose, then Willow might be our only hope."

Willow was taken aback and more than a little worried about the possibility of losing Buffy, "I don't 'wanna' be our only hope! Uh, I crumble under pressure! Remember what happened when I thought something had happened to Jenny? Let's have another hope."

Kendra moved back to the table, "We have." she pulled a sword from her bag, showing it to everyone, "Blessed by the knight who first slew the demon." Giles looked at the sword, as did Jenny, intrigued, "If all else fails, this might stop it. I think."

Giles approached, "Ooh. May I?" Kendra handed it to him as Jenny stepped to Willow's side, "Thank you. Well, l-let's, hope all else doesn't fail." He looked at Jenny and Willow, "Um, how close are you to f-figuring out the ritual of the curse?"

Willow went to her pack, "I need about a day. And..." she picked up the printout looking it over before looking at the watcher, "An 'Orb of Thesulah'. Whatever that is."

Jenny turned to Willow, "Spirit vault for rituals of the undead. I got one from my tribe when I first came here just in case, I'll go and get it," she told them before turning to leave.

"Ah actually there is no need I have one in my office, uh I-I've been using it as a paperweight," Giles said somewhat embarrassed, he headed to his office to retrieve it.

Willow turned to Buffy, "This means I can't help you study for tomorrow's final."

Buffy shrugged, "Ah, I'll wing it. Of course, if we go to Hell by then, I won't have to take 'em." She pointed out before becoming worried, "Or maybe I'll be taking them forever."

Giles came out of his office holding a tennis ball sized globe, "Angel has a ritual of his own to perform before he can remove the sword and awaken Acathla. With any luck, it should take some time."

On the Dawn of no moon
The power of the immortal mother through the child
The blood will wash in you
The blood will wash over you
And will cleanse him that has walked in both light and shadow
He who is worthy

Angel slammed the paper onto the table, making all but Drusilla and Spike jump, he growled in anger, "Why didn't we know about this before we took the thing," he said looking at the stoned demon with a sword in its chest.

"Because peaches Dru had to be able to read the runes on the thing first. How could she do that until you got your hands on it," smirked Spike wrapping his arm around Drusilla. <I just love when his plans start to fall apart.>

"Okay," said Angelus getting up, "I can still get this done, we'll just collect the mother and child," he looked around the room as the dozen or so vamps looked to him for orders, "Right boys this is what we're going to do..."

Willow, Buffy, Xander, Cordelia and the rest of the class were sat in a classroom taking one of their final exams. Everyone was intent on it. Buffy looked up and glanced around briefly a little nervous, then turned her attention back to her paper.

As everyone starts to concentrate on the test, no one noticed the vampire come in and pull a shawl away from its face. She stood in front of the row Buffy was in, "Tonight... Sundown..." everyone looked up, "At the graveyard..."

The teacher quickly moved to try and retake control of the class, "Excuse me..." she said walking towards the woman that had disrupted the test.

Exposed now to the daylight, the vampire began to smoke. "You will come to him," she looked directly at Buffy, taking the shawl off, "You will come to him or more will die." She pointed at Buffy, who sat stony faced as the vampire ignited. "Tonight! His hour is at hand!" she finished as she turned to ash.

The students screamed, jumped out of their chairs and began to run from the room. Cordelia and Xander also jumped up, but didn't run. Buffy remained calmly in her seat just staring at the empty space before her while Willow looked worriedly at the slayer.

Xander, Cordelia and Jenny are researching at the table while Willow was sat quietly on her own preparing for the ritual. Kendra approached with her sword sheathed. Giles and Buffy, up on the mezzanine, were talking quietly.

Kendra looked up at the elder slayer and her watcher, "Den I should go wit you."

Buffy turned to face Kendra, "No. I need you here just in case," she said as she headed for the stairs, "I can take care of myself. And look, as long as Angel's fighting me, then he can't do this end-of-the-world ritual thingy, and that's of the good." She came down the stairs and over to where Willow sat, "Will, what do you think?"

Buffy interrupted her friend, "We don't have time. If this is gonna work, it has to work now."

Willow sighed heavily, "Okay. Then I need maybe half an hour once we're all set up."

Giles looked at the shelves with the books on the supernatural, "Which means you just have to hold Angel off. Don't let him close on you." He pulled out a book and handed it to Xander. "If the curse succeeds, you'll, you'll know."

Cordelia looked up from her book, "Why don't you just wait here to find out if it worked, see if he phones you?"

Kendra immediately jumped in; reciting from the slayer handbook, "A slayer never runs aw..." she saw the looks everyone was giving her, "Good plan."

Buffy stopped again and looked back. Kendra held up the twisted but very sharp stake. "In case de curse does not succeed, dis is my lucky stake. I have killed many vampires wit it. I call it Mr. Pointy," she said

Buffy smiled, "Remind me to get you a stuffed animal," she said accepting the stake from Kendra and looked it over. "Thanks."

Buffy walked through a cemetery, watching all around as she went. Angelus stepped out from behind a small mausoleum. "Hello, lover. I wasn't sure you'd come."

"After your immolation-o-gram? Come on, I had to show. Shouldn't you be out destroying the world right now, pulling the sword out of Al Franken or whatever his name is?" retorted Buffy.

Angelus smirked, "There's time enough. I wanted to say goodbye first. You are the one thing in this dimension I will miss."

Buffy sighed anxious to begin, "This is a beautiful moment we're having. Can we please fight?"

Angelus shook his head slightly, "Gosh, I was hoping we could get back together. What do you think? Do we have a shot?" Buffy gave him a look that said she wasn't buying it, "Alright. We'll fight." He lunged at her.

Willow and Jenny sat cross-legged on the table facing each other; at the last moment Jenny had pressed the others to allow her to lend Willow her strength. In between them sat the Orb of Thesulah within a sacred circle and surrounded by candles, bones and stones. Willow cast some stones. She looked at them and then gave Giles a nod.

He opened a book and began to read, "Quod perditum est, invenietur. (What is lost, return.)

Cordelia swirled incense into the air as she walked around the table, while Xander watched.

Willow continued the ritual, "Not dead nor not of the living. Spirits of the interregnum I call..."

Buffy ducked a punch from Angelus and came up behind him. He spun around to block her return swing. He blocked another jab from her, and punched her in the face. He followed up with a left hook, and Buffy lost her balance and nearly fell. Angelus grabbed her by the back of her coat and threw her over onto the ground. She rolled away and onto her back, and looked up at him. "Come on, Willow," she said under her breath.

Kendra was walking back and forth by the counter guarding the main doors, which she occasionally looked towards worried for the other slayer.

"Let him know the pain of humanity, gods. Reach your wizened hands to me. Give me the sword..." Willow suddenly stopped, eyes wide at the bolt sticking out of Jenny's neck. "No!" she screamed as she grabbed her friend as she slumped forward.

There was a moment of stunned silence before a vampire came out from the stacks and attacked Xander from behind. The main doors flew open, and Kendra spun around taking up a defensive stance as two more vampires walk in.

Giles pointed to the steps and yells at Willow and Cordelia, "Get out! Go!" as a fourth vampire appeared from the stacks.

Willow grabbed her sword and she and Cordelia made for the stairs. Kendra punched the first of the two vampires to reach her. A fourth jumped over the mezzanine railing and landed on Giles' back, knocking him into the table.

Cordelia and Willow run up the stairs and saw Xander elbow the vampire in the back, knocking the demon into a bookcase. Having punched down the first vampire, Kendra grabbed the other and shoved her into the wall. The first one got up and rushed at Kendra. Willow pushed Cordelia who was frozen in fright towards the stacks and the back entrance. Giles grabbed the ritual vase from the table and smashed it over his attacker's head. The vampire Xander was fighting rushed him again, but Xander sidestepped him. The vampire spun around, grabbed Xander and shoved him into a bookcase. A fifth vampire that had managed to get past Kendra hopped up onto the table, ran across it and leapt over the railing above, Willow saw him coming, she shoved Cordelia out of the way just as the vampire pushed the bookcase over onto Willow. Darkness.

The vampire Kendra is fighting ducked her swing. Xander's vampire grabbed his arm, looped his own around it tightly and pulled down with a sickening crunch. Xander yelled out in pain as he felt his arm break; he grabbed his tormenter's hair and smashed his head down on the railing. Xander picked the dazed vampire up and shoved him into the other one going after Cordelia, knocking both the demons to the floor.

"Go!" yelled Xander through clenched teeth at his girlfriend. He grabbed his broken arm and winced in pain. Cordelia screamed and ran out through the stacks to the rear exit.

Kendra ducked a roundhouse kick from the first vampire and blocked several punches. Giles ducked a swing and punched another vampire in the gut, he then pounded him on the back, but the vampire just roared and spun around with a punch to Giles' face, knocking him out and tipping the heavy table on top of him for good measure.

Kendra landed two punches in the face of her attacker. Xander watched her opponent punch at her face, but Kendra ducked and twisted into the vampire and came up holding back the vampire's head, she plunged her stake into the vampire's heart turning her to dust.

Xander winced again in pain. Willow lay prone under the fallen bookcase, he went to try and free his friend.

Kendra looked around for her next target. She saw a vampire going for Giles, and rushed over to pull him off. She grabbed him and spun the demon around onto the floor. The vampire tried to get up, but Kendra just punched him back down. He tried again, and she grabbed him and threw him through the window into Giles' office. Just then another vampire tackled her from the side.

Buffy punched Angelus, but he just took it in his stride. She swung again, but he grabbed her arm and held on tight. She swung with the other one, but he grabbed it, too, and then pushed her away. "Jeez, is it me, or is your heart not in this?" he smirked. Buffy pulled out Kendra's stake as she rose. Angelus sighed, "Maybe I'll just go home, destroy the world."

Buffy looked at him, pure hatred in her eyes as the realisation came to her that he had hurt her Willow, "Well, I think Mr. Pointy'll have something to say about that. Come on. Let's finish this. You and me."

Angelus chuckled, "Y-you never learn, do you? This wasn't about you. This was never about you," he told her the chuckles beginning to come louder.

Realization downed on Buffy's face; the trap was set for the others, <Willow!> she began to run.

A vampire punched Kendra, and she stumbled, but regained her footing. Up in the stacks the other one came at Xander, as he tried to push the bookcase off of his oldest friend. As the vampire reached Xander, he punched the battered boy in the face, knocking him out. Below Kendra was hit by a roundhouse kick, and fell. The library doors swung open, and Drusilla walked in.

The vampire tried to kick Kendra, but she blocked it her leg snapped out tripping him, and got back to her feet to face the other two, the one that came down from above, and the one coming back out of Giles' office where Kendra had thrown her. The one Kendra had tripped got up again, and they all closed in on her.

Kendra looked to Drusilla who beckoned the slayer come hither. The other three just backed off but positioning themselves so there was no escape.

Kendra faced Drusilla, ready to fight. Drusilla walked around her and goaded her on. Kendra kicked at her, but Drusilla blocked her easily, Drusilla also easily block the two follow-up punches before she punched Kendra and sent her spinning to the floor.

Kendra jumped back up and kicked at Drusilla who ducked it and grabbed her by the arms. She swung Kendra around and shoved her away. Kendra came back at her again with a kick to the gut, and Drusilla doubled over for an instant. Using that moment Kendra lunged at her, but Drusilla grabbed her by the throat and forced her back against the counter, gripping hard and choking her.

Drusilla waved two extended fingers before Kendra's eyes, "Look at me, Dearie," she said in a hypnotic voice, "Be... in my eyes. Be... in me." She let go, and Kendra now under her spell began to sway back and forth with Drusilla to stay in contact with the master vampire's eyes. Drusilla backed away slightly, lowering her arms never losing eye contact.

Kendra continued to sway with Drusilla. The vampire extended out the fingers of her right hand at her side. She smiled evilly as she swept her hand up and across Kendra's neck with her sharp nails. Kendra grabbed at her neck as it began to bleed heavily, and collapsed to the floor.

Drusilla watched her fall, turning to look down at her. "Night-night," she kissed the air above the dead slayer and turned to her accomplices. "Let's get what we came for, dears."

One of the vampires picked up Jenny's body and another collected the unconscious Willow, they followed Drusilla out the doors.

Buffy ran across the school grounds and threw open the door rushing towards the library. She barged into the battleground and stopped. She looked around at the damage, and then saw Kendra lying on the floor in a pool of blood. She ran to her and fell to her knees. She could see that her friend was gone but still gently took her hand.

A/N: A little bit of trivia here, the actress who played Ceirdwyn in the Highlander episode 'Take back the night' was played by Kim Johnstone Ulrich who plays the character Ivy Winthrop Crane in Passions. Spike would be pleased.

Buffy turned to face the police officer. "Put your hands up. Back away from the girl... slowly," she ordered.

"Do it! Now!" the second officer ordered, bringing his gun to bear(?), Buffy slowly backed away.

The first officer holstered her gun and crouched down to feel for Kendra's pulse, but couldn't find one. "This one's dead," she told her partner.

The second officer jerked his chin towards the mezzanine, "What about up there?" he asked.

Buffy and the female officer looked up at the stacks and saw Xander lying unconscious on the floor behind the railing. "Xander..." cried Buffy moving towards her friend.

The female officer grabbed her and pushed her back. "Get her out of here!" she said to her partner as she moved towards the stairs.

Buffy pleaded with them, "Wait! Just see if he's okay! Please!" She gave up for the moment when the officers continued to ignore her, offering no more resistance and let herself be led out. As the female officer went to check on Xander, she crouched down by him carefully checking for any sign of life.

As Buffy was led out the door she tried again, "Please. You don't understand..."

"You'd do well to keep your mouth shut, missy," the officer snapped, they turned down the hall and saw Snyder coming down followed by two more officers.

"But I didn't ‘do’ anything... uh, Officer... uh, Jackson," Buffy said as she strained to read his nametag.

With Buffy in tow, Officer Jackson turned to the new comers, "In there." He said nodding behind him, who returned his nod and entered the library, before looking at Snyder, "You know this girl?"

Snyder looked at Buffy as if she was some loathsome creature, "Buffy Summers. If there's trouble, she's behind it."

"Attitude problem. Serious attitude problem. She burned down the gym in her last school, you know," Snyder said dismissing Buffy’s anger.

Buffy faced Officer Jackson, "Look, I just wanna know if my friends are okay," she pleaded.

"All right, that's enough," snapped the officer. He spun Buffy back around and pushed her up against the wall; he got out his handcuffs and began to read her, her rights, "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and..."

Buffy glanced over her shoulder, and without warning elbowed the officer in the face. He grunted in pain and stumbled backward into the lockers. She grabbed him by the neck flipping him over onto his back.

Snyder took a step back worried that he would be next, "I’m just a civil servant..." He quaked. He was too relieved not to be attacked to move, and just let her run down the hall.

The female officer came out of the library having heard the commotion to see Jackson on the floor spouting blood from his nose, and Buffy running away. She raised her gun and took aim at Buffy. "Stop!" she commanded.

Buffy glanced back as she turned down an adjacent hall, a bullet from the officer’s gun shattering the window of the hall door. The other two officers came out of the library, guns drawn. She waved them in Buffy's direction. As the foot pursuit began, she grabbed her radio mic at her shoulder, "All units, Officer down. I repeat officer down. The suspect is on foot at the high school. Homicide suspect. Female, blond, approximately sixteen years old. Wearing beige slacks and a knee length blue coat. Suspect is ‘very’ dangerous," she said into it.

Buffy turned the corner, wearing a wool cap and a long, dark coat. She kept her eyes down, her hair a curtain blocking the view of her face. She searched the patient files hanging on the wall, letting out a small sigh when she didn’t find any of her friends’ names. She continued slowly down the hall, avoiding the eyes of another passing doctor. She checked another series of files, but still found nothing. Cautiously, she turned down the left passageway.

Xander walked up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Hey stealthy slayer."

Buffy gasped thinking she had been discovered, she spun around ready to attack, but relaxed when she realised who it was. "Xander!" she cried hugging him tightly, "Ohhh..." Xander hugged her back, they held each other for a long moment, before Buffy let go. "I was so worried, I didn't know if you were okay. The cops were..."

"Yeah," Xander said, "I-I heard them chase you out. I was just coming out of it." he held up his arm in a cast, "Souvenir," he said with a little smile.

"What about the others, a-a-about Willow?" Buffy asked in a worried tone of voice. At that moment Xander saw two police officers coming into the hall behind her. "Are they okay?" Buffy beseeched, misconstruing the look on his face.

She was momentarily taken aback when Xander pulled her into another tight hug, but she went along with it when she glimpsed the officers. Buffy hid her face in Xander's shoulder while they headed down the hall in the direction that she had come. When the police had turned the corner the two friends separated again. Buffy gave Xander a little smile, "Okay. That was about equal parts protecting me and copping a feel, right?"

Xander didn't smile back. He turned his face down looking sad and very worried. "What is it?" Buffy demanded beginning to get worried again.

Giles lay unconscious in a hospital bed. He had a bandaged forehead and a black eye, but otherwise seemed healthy. A worried looking Buffy and Xander stood next to the bed.

"The doctor said it was head trauma. He can wake up at anytime, but, um... the longer it lasts, the... less likely it is," Xander told Buffy quietly.

Buffy took her watcher’s hand, absently rubbing the back, "I never should've let Willow try to do that curse. Angel must've known."

"The doctors found a contact number in England, I guess it was the council, they told the doctors to do whatever it takes and they will pay the bill."

Buffy snorted, "Sounds like them, full medical cover for the watchers... slayers though... well there’s always another," she said somewhat bitterly thinking of Kendra. "Although I am glad they will do whatever it takes to fix him, I don’t want to lose another watcher."

"Merrick, the watcher that found me in LA was killed protecting me from a vamp. I don’t think I could stand losing Giles the same way." Buffy heard the door open and turned quickly to see who it was.

Xander looked over his shoulder too, and they saw Cordelia come in. Xander quickly moved over to her. "Hey," he said.

Cordelia whispered, "Hey," as they exchanged a kiss and held each other close. She sighed, "How is he?" they separated and looked at Giles; "The doctor told me that..." she trailed off.

"Yeah. We're, uh... still waiting," said Xander giving Cordelia’s hand a gentle squeeze.

Buffy pulled her eyes away from Giles to look at the cheerleader, "You okay?" she asked.

Cordelia snorted, "I ran. I think I made it through three counties before I realized nobody was chasing me. Not too brave, but great for the legs."

Buffy gave her an understanding smile, "It was the right thing to do. Did Willow keep up with you?" she asked.

Cordelia frowned, "Ms Calendar took a bolt through the neck, after Willow pushed me out the way of one of the bookcases I lost sight of her," she told them.

"Willow was trapped under the bookcase," Xander explained, "I was trying to get it off her when a vamp hit me, the next I knew was when I heard the cops chasing you," he said looking at Buffy in near panic that something could have happened to his best friend.

Buffy tried to reason it out, "Well they’re not likely to be in the hospital. Where are they?"

"Maybe they’re in the morgue," suggested the cheerleader, "I mean if the police thought they were dead they’d have put them there right?" Cordelia looked to Xander in confirmation.

Buffy looked quickly at Giles before turning to her two friends, "I gotta go find Willow, will you..."

Jenny began to come around, she could feel the manacles around her wrists, <This is getting old,> Angelus stood facing her waiting for the elder immortal to regain consciousness. "Ugh..." she moaned as she began to stir a bit and exhaled, "What..." she began to ask when she saw Angelus.

Jenny straightened up slowly, testing the manacles around her wrists, "What do you want with us?" she said when she saw Willow chained to the wall next to her.

Angelus grinned, "I wanna torture you again. I used to love it, and it's been a ‘long’ time. I mean, the last time I really tortured somebody, they didn't even ‘have’ chainsaws." He strolled past Jenny and Willow over to the statue of Acathla. Jenny’s gaze followed him, seeing the stone demon with the sword protruding from its chest for the first time.

Angelus noticed Jenny's stare. "Oh, yeah. Acathla. He's an even harder guy to wake up than you are. I mean, I get him from the museum, think I have all the right phrases... blood on my hands, you know the kind of thing. Nothing. I got nothing. Big doughnut hole for my troubles. It turns out I need an immortal mother and child." He stroked his chin thoughtfully, "Hey, you're pretty up on these things. You could probably... tell me what that means." He approached Jenny again, "But honestly, I sorta hope we can play for a bit..." he stopped in front of her, "'Cause I ‘really’ wanna torture you and your child." Turning an evil stare towards a rightfully frightened Willow.

A police officer came down the stairs to stand next to Detective Stein, he handed the detective a picture he found of Buffy.

"No, i-it's impossible. There... there's been some terrible mistake." <Buffy what have you done?> Joyce told the detective.

"Do you always let your daughter stay out this late?" he asked glancing at the picture.

Joyce shook her head, "No. She goes out: I can’t always keep track," she said somewhat embarrassed, <This has to stop, it will stop, Buffy you are so grounded your grandchildren will be in collage before it ends.> "She said she was going to her friend Xander's house. Maybe she slept over," she suddenly remembered Buffy and Willow had said something about being with the young man. She went pale, <My god what if it was another immortal? No Joyce you’re not thinking. Joe would have given you the heads up if another immortal was in town.>

Stein ignored Joyce’s question, "Your daughter has a history of violence, doesn't she, Ms. Summers?" He nodded for the officer to leave the house.

"You call us." Detective Stein said smugly, he pulled out his wallet, "Okay?" he dug out a card, handing it to Joyce, "If she decides to stop by. Be best if she just comes in." He told her before walking out, leaving a very worried and confused Joyce standing in the doorway.

Buffy, having found no sign of the immortals in the morgue, figured that if Willow and Jenny had got out, Jenny’s home would be the most likely destination. When she reached the house the door was ajar, Buffy just walked in hoping that the two immortals were there, "Willow! Jenny!" she called out looking around the silent home.

"'Cause I-I need a date to the prom. My mother says I may attend, but no fondling," Whistler said, smirking.

<I am so ‘not’ in the mood for this,> Buffy closed the space between them; she grabbed him by the throat and shoved him up against the wall. "I have had a ‘really’ bad day, okay? If you have information worth hearing, then I am grateful for it. If you're gonna crack jokes, then I'm gonna pull out your ribcage and wear it as a hat." She growled letting him go.

Whistler shrugged his shoulders as he straightened his clothes, "Hello to the imagery. Very nice," he said lightly before becoming serious, "It wasn't supposed to go down like this." He moved away from the wall, "Nobody saw you coming. I figured this for Angel's big day. I thought he was here to ‘stop’ Acathla, not to bring him forth. Then you two made with the smooches... now he's a creep again."

Whistler gave her a small smile, "Hey, not here to judge. Body like yours..." the smile changed to a smirk, "I’d pretty much give up my soul for a shot at that, too." He became serious again, "But it took Angel off the roster. Which puts you on the spot in a big way. What are you gonna do? W-what are you prepared to do?"

Buffy started to become agitated again, her arms flailing. "You don't have anything useful to tell me, do you? What are you, just some immortal demon sent down to even the score between good and evil?"

Buffy stepped into his personal space again, "Well, why don't you try getting off your immortal ass and fight evil once in a while? 'Cause I'm tired of doing this by myself."

"In the end, you're always by yourself. You're all you've got. That's the point," Whistler said somewhat sadly.

"The sword isn't enough. You gotta be ready." Whistler called after her, "You gotta know how to use it!" He told her as she slammed the door. "Man, this is gonna be close..." he said to himself.

Buffy cut through the park heading home, her head down. A car drove by. She stepped into the street and watched as the car carried on down the street. When she turned back she saw a police car coming, but didn't run, instead hoping that the officer wouldn't notice her.

He had seen her; he turned on his blues and twos letting the siren give a brief loud tone. He pulled the car into the curb and stopped. Buffy ignored him and kept walking right past the front of the vehicle.

The officer drew his gun as he got out, "Hold right there!" he called to her. Buffy spun around to see him aiming his gun at her. "Put your hands on your head! Do it!" he ordered.

She stared at his gun, frightened, and began to raise her hands. Suddenly the gun went flying out of the officer's hands. The next kick got him in the face and the third in the shin, before being grabbed and thrown onto the hood of his car, where he lay unconscious.

His attacker faced a surprised Buffy. "Hello, cutie," smiled Spike taking a step towards the slayer. She immediately punched him twice in the face. He grabbed her by the shoulders to restrain her, but she brought her knee up into his gut. "Now, you hold on for a second!" he growled giving her a good shove away. Buffy reached into her coat and pulled out a stake. Spike jumped back and held up his hands in surrender. "Hey! White flag here. I quit."

Buffy looked at him in disbelief, "Let me clear this up for you. We're mortal enemies. We don't get time-outs."

"You want to go around, pet; I'll have a gay old time of it. You want to stop Angel... we're gonna have to play this a bit differently," Spike told her.

Buffy narrowed her eyes, "What are you talking about?" she asked still holding the stake at the ready.

"I'm talking about your ex, pet. I'm talking about putting him in the bloody ground," Spike snapped.

Buffy chuckled a little manic, "This has gotta be the ‘lamest’ trick you guys have ever thought up." She said lowering her stake.

"He's got your girlfriend and the teacher. Right now, he's probably torturing them," Spike said.

Spike looked intensely at her, "I told you. I want to stop Angel." he snickered, "I want to save the world."

Buffy looked somewhat stunned, "Okay. You do remember that you're a vampire, right?" she said sarcastically.

"We like to talk big," explained Spike indicating himself, "Vampires do. 'I'm going to destroy the world.'" he looked at the officer, "That's just tough guy talk." He went over to the car and sat on the hood, "Strutting around with your friends over a pint of blood. The truth is I like this world." Spike said as he pulled the cigarette pack from the officer's shirt pocket, "You've got... dog racing, Manchester United," pulling one out and dropped the pack on the officer, "And you've got people. Billions of people walking around like Happy Meals with legs. It's all right here." He lit the cigarette and took a long drag, "But then someone comes along with a vision. With a real... passion for destruction." He gave Buffy a serious look, "Angel could pull it off. Goodbye, Piccadilly. Farewell, Leicester Bloody Square. You know what I'm saying?"

"‘Cause of the whole ‘not believing you’ issue. You might not be down with Angel but why would you come to me?"

Spike stood and took another drag, but didn't look at the slayer, "I want Dru back. I want it like it was before he came back. The way she acts around him..."

"You're pathetic," snapped Buffy. He punched her in the face. She punched him right back. "I lost a friend tonight!" she told him.

Buffy ignored him, "And I may lose more! The whole Earth may be sucked into Hell, and you want my help 'cause your girlfriend's a big ho? Well, let me take this opportunity to ‘not’ care."

Buffy punched him hard in the jaw, making him flinch. He straightened back up and felt his jaw, checking for blood.

Spike turned to the officer, "I'm just gonna kill this guy." Buffy cleared her throat loudly. Spike turned to her realising she wouldn’t approve. "Oh, right."

Buffy and Spike continued to eye each other as they headed up the path to her house. Just then Joyce pulled up in her Jeep and saw them. "Buffy?" she called out.

"Where have you been?" Joyce asked as she stopped the car and got out, "Are you okay?" she said coming over, "The police were here. Are you okay? I went looking for you."

"Mum, let's go inside, and I can explain," said Buffy, <Oh right Summers, what are you going to say?>

Joyce was becoming hysterical, "Who is this man?" she looked at Spike not giving her daughter time to answer, "Who are you?" then returned to Buffy, "Are you okay?"

Buffy hearing the panic in her mum’s voice; she tried to explain, "Mum! I'm okay. I was... busy... doing something. And this is Spike, and he was doing... it... too." <God Summer’s you sound pathetic.>

Joyce frowned, "Doing what? Buffy, terrible things have happened. What were you doing?" <Out screwing more vampires... Joyce that’s a terrible thing to think about your own daughter.>

Buffy glared at Spike. <I am so going to put a stake through your heart, bastard.>

Buffy began to panic slightly, "That I'm, uh... in a band. A-a rock band with Spike here." She shot Spike a look that said ‘If you mess this up you are so dead’.

Spike quickly corrected himself, "Drums, yeah. She's, uh, hell on the old skins, you know."

"You know what? Why don't we go inside, and, and we can talk about this," Buffy nodded. <Anything to give me time to come up with a better cover story.> She started toward the door, and Spike followed.

Joyce just stood looking at them, "Well I'm not sure how I feel about this...," she said with some apprehension.

Just as Buffy and Spike got to the porch she whispered to the vampire, "You think she’s buying it?"

Before Spike had a chance to reply, a vampire rushed across the porch, he pushed past Buffy and Spike and jumped down the steps bent on attacking Joyce. She screamed struggling to get away. Buffy grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him around to face Spike. Letting him go she pulled out a stake while Spike gave him a series of punches to the face. Spike's last blow sent the vampire spinning around and towards the slayer who thrust the stake into his chest instantly turning him to dust. Joyce just stared in shock.

Spike stepped down from the porch and looked at the pile of ash. "One of Angel's boys," he told the slayer.

Joyce was in shock; although she knew about vampires and how to destroy them she had never seen it, "Buffy... what... is going on? What are you?"

Buffy looked at her mother for a moment, exchanged a look with Spike, <Oh well so much for the band story.> She stepped up to her mother and looked up at her, hoping against hope for understanding. "Mum... I'm a Vampire Slayer."

Joyce just blinked her eyes, raised her eyebrows and shook her head in complete dismay. "B-but..." she tried to say, her thoughts and emotions in a whirl.

Buffy sighed heavily, "Let’s go inside and I’ll explain everything," she said gently as she took her mother’s arm and guided her towards the door.

Xander brought Giles a bowl of Jell-O who looked at it like it was something that had been scrapped off his shoe. He turned his attention away from it and back to the phone conversation with Buffy. "I'm fine, Buffy, really. I obviously don't feel 100%, but... I'm awake, and I know my name and who your President is and god help me, who the British Prime Minister is, so the doctors don't think there is going to be any permanent damage."

"Don't be. It just... it wasn't meant to be. I know I’m never gonna get Angel back the way he was and, you know, it just makes it easier," Buffy told him.

"Have you had any luck finding Willow or Jenny?" asked Giles changing the subject.

Buffy had a small smile on her face hearing the worry in his voice, "Yep. I got a lucky break."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," said Buffy giving a little laugh. "You remember that funky-looking mansion on Crawford Street? Angel is holed up there; I’m going in just before dawn tomorrow." She hesitated before broaching the worry she had for Willow, "Do you, um... do you think Willow is still alive?" she asked, a lump coming to her throat.

Giles was silent for a moment, sympathising with his slayer being worried for the redhead but also for Jenny, "Yes they are still alive. The ritual Angel has to perform calls for ‘The power of the immortal mother through the child’, I believe it refers to Jenny and Willow," he explained. "It is hard to tell, the translation on the cover stone had not been completely uncovered when I saw it at the museum."

As Buffy entered the living room the silence was deafening. She stood just inside the doorway with her arms crossed. Spike and Joyce both got up, Joyce was holding a glass of bourbon.

Buffy nodded absently at her mother, while staring intensively at Spike, "Yeah. He's fine. All right Spike, talk. What's the deal?"

Joyce looked shocked and confused as realisation dawned on her, <Spike’s a vampire.>

Spike smirked, "Dru bagged a Slayer?" he chuckled, "She didn't tell me!" he glanced to Joyce, smiling, "Hey, good for her! Though not from your perspective, I suppose." He added quickly on seeing the look from Buffy.

"Look," Spike growled pulling Buffy aside, "This deal works for me one way. Full stop. Me and Dru for Angel."

"I'll take her out of the country. You'll never hear from us again, I ‘bloody’ well hope," Spike told the slayer.

Buffy ignored her mother obvious confusion, "Fine. Get back to the mansion. Make sure Willow is all right," she told the vampire.

"I-I mean, have you tried ‘not’ being a Slayer?" asked Joyce, <What are you saying Joyce?>

They both looked at her. "Mum!" exclaimed Buffy, while Spike sighed in exasperation at Joyce. Buffy turned to Spike, "Be ready to back me up when I make my move." He nodded and walked around her toward the door. "If Willow dies..." Spike stopped and turned back to Buffy, "Dru dies," she told him. He gave her a final stare before heading out the door.

Joyce was trying to work around the facts, "It's because you didn't have a strong father figure, isn't it?" <What am I saying, why is this so hard all of a sudden, a week ago I had planned on telling her everything.>

Joyce stopped and faced her daughter, smiling, "Well, now that we know that you're innocent, it's..."

Buffy was momentarily thrown, "What? You thought I was guilty. Jeez, feelin' the love in ‘this’ room," she said sarcastically.

Joyce shook her head, "No, I didn't think that. It's just... now we have proof."

Joyce continued heading for the kitchen, "Look, I am sure that they will understand."

Buffy followed closely taking her mother’s arm, "Get them involved, you'll get them killed."

"I'm a Slayer, not a postal worker," Buffy pointed out. Her mother picked up the phone, and Buffy slapped her hand onto the switch hook. "The cops can't fight demons." She took the phone from her mother, "I have to do it," she said somewhat sadly putting the phone back in its cradle.

"Just have another drink, okay?" Buffy muttered not wanting to deal with her mother just at that moment starting to walk off.

Joyce threw her glass aside in anger, causing it to break on the wall making Buffy momentarily flinch. "Don't you talk to me like that." Buffy stopped in her tracks, "You don't get to just dump something like this on me and pretend it's nothing!"

Buffy looked somewhat sadly at her mother, "I'm sorry mum, but I don't have time for this," she started moving towards the door again.

"No! I am tired of 'I don't have time' or-or 'you wouldn't understand'." Buffy turned to face her again, "I am your mother, and you will ‘make’ time to explain what is happening."

Buffy looked annoyed at her mother, "I told you. I'm a Vampire Slayer," she snapped.

Buffy stepped a little closer, getting a little angry that her mum was keeping her from saving Willow. "Open your eyes mum. What do you think has been going on for the past two years? The fights, the weird occurrences. How many times have you washed blood out of my clothing, and you still haven't figured it out?"

Joyce raised her voice angrily, both at Buffy’s statement and her own guilt, "Well, it stops now!"

Buffy raised her own voice, "No, it doesn't stop! It ‘never’ stops! Do-do you think I chose to be like this. Do you have any idea how lonely it is, how dangerous?" she said, the despair coming across, "I would ‘love’ to be upstairs watching TV or gossiping about other girls or... God, even studying! But I have to save the world... again."

"No. It’s insane," Joyce said taking Buffy by the shoulders, "Buffy, you need help with this."

Buffy knocking away her mum's arms, "I'm ‘not’ crazy, mum! What I need is for you to chill. I’ll be back, I’ll explain, but I gotta go... now," misunderstanding what her mother was trying to say.

Joyce shook her head, "No. I am not letting you out of this house alone," she said making an attempt to grab her daughter’s shoulders again.

"You can't stop me," said Buffy shoving her back into the island and heading for the door, opened it and stepped out.

Joyce became very angry for a moment, and in despair that her daughter may very well be going to her death, said something that even years later she could not believe she said; "You walk out of this house, don't even ‘think’ about coming back!"

Buffy was momentarily torn as to what to do. Then one face appeared before her, a smiling redhead with an adorable face and the cutest babble. She gave her mother a long stare before turning her back on the house.

Joyce collapsed to the floor the tears streaming down her cheeks having failed once again at communicating with her daughter. "Oh Buffy, please come back. I-I’m sorry, don’t leave me."

The main area was cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape. Buffy walked in and pulled down the tape. As she headed toward the now upright table, she looked down at the chalk outline of Kendra on the floor, passing it slowly careful not to step on it. When she reached the table she looked around for a moment at the broken Orb, candles and other things that were obviously scattered when the vampires attacked. She reached under the table, pulling out Kendra's large duffel bag and set it on the table.

As she went through it Snyder came into the library. "You do know this is a crime scene, don't you?" Buffy looked up at him as he approached, "But then... you're a criminal, so that pretty much works out," he stopped near the counter.

Buffy narrowed her eyes slightly as realisation came to her, "You know I didn't do it. The police will figure it out."

"In case you haven't noticed, the police of Sunnydale are ‘deeply’ stupid," Snyder sneered taking a few steps closer, "It doesn't matter anyway. Whatever they find, you've proven too much of a liability for this school." He took a breath for effect, "These are the moments you want to savour. You wish time would stop so that you could live them over and over again... You're expelled," he smiled smugly.

Buffy pulled the sword out. She held it up and turned it in her hand. Snyder’s gaze shifted nervously between the sword and Buffy. He gulped.

Buffy gazed at the polished blade before looking at the principal, enjoying the look of fear on his face, "You never ever got a single date in high school, did you?"

Buffy walked towards the library doors and leaned the blade in towards his face as she passed him. He took a step back nervously and watched her go. This time she made no attempt to avoid the chalk markings on the floor.

Snyder waited until he was sure she was gone before pulling out his cell phone and dialling. When he heard someone pick up at the other end, "It's Snyder. Tell the Mayor I have good news..."

Neither Buffy nor Snyder noticed Wesley slip from behind the closest upright bookcase and rush out the rear exit.

Whistler walked into the kitchen and looked around. He spotted a bottle of sherry and took a sniff, but then saw that it was empty. He put it back down and kept looking around.

Buffy came in, watching the man case Jenny’s refrigerator. "Whistler. What did you mean, the sword isn't enough?" she asked.

Whistler found a bottle of beer, "You know, raiding an immortal’s fridge is like raiding an Englishman's. You're never gonna get the good stuff."

Whistler took a swig and looked back at Buffy, "Willow's the key. When Angel kills Jenny your little redhead will absorb her Quickening, he then drinks from her at that moment, the power of Jenny’s Quickening will infuse his body with the power to withdraw the sword. You see the knight that first slew Acathla was an immortal. He was killed by the first immortal Jenny fought and defeated, she is the only one at this moment that can pull the sword out then you girlfriend will get it from the Quickening, and through Willow your ex gets the power.

"In fact now I think about it? All this could have been avoided if anyone of the main players had never come to Sunnydale." Whistler saw the confusion on the slayer’s face, "Angel came here because he was supposed to help you stop Acathla coming forth, Jenny came here because her tribe asked her to keep an eye on Angel and the curse, and you and your mother came here because your mum is Jenny’s watcher... The Powers have really surpassed themselves this time."

"Each immortal has a watcher that they normally don’t know the identity of. These watchers don’t normally interfere with those they watch, but your mum has been known too on occasions."

"Yeah that was your mum, she’s quite sassy, probably where you get yours from," Whistler smiled gently at her.

"There not the same organization, not anymore anyway they are barely on speaking terms these days, some kind of power struggle 5000 years ago the slayer watchers broke from the immortal watchers."

Getting back to the subject at hand, "How do I stop it?" Buffy asked almost to low for the demon to hear.

"Once Angelus beheads Jenny and Willow begins to absorb the Quickening there is only two things that can stop Acathla opening his big mouth. Kill Angelus before he draws the sword," Whistler hesitated for a moment before telling her the rest, "Or Willow's blood and death will close it. One blow will send her and Acathla straight to Hell. But I strongly suggest that you get there before that happens, 'cause the faster you kill Angel, the easier it's gonna be on you."

"It's all on the line here, kid," Whistler said gently sensing what she was thinking. <You bastards, how can you put this kid through the ringer like this.>

<SILENCE DEMON.> Whistler’s mind recoiled in pain that somehow did not reach his face.

"I can deal," Buffy said sadly, "I got nothing left to lose." She walked out the door.

Drusilla stood at one end of the room near the large fireplace, Spike in his wheelchair at her side.

Angelus, sword in hand walked over to the two Immortals chained to the wall. He was ready to begin the ritual. "Well its time for someone to leave us," he smiled sweetly at Jenny, "Such a shame, you taste so sweet, but maybe Willow will survive the trip to hell and I can feed on her for eternity."

As Angelus raised the sword, Willow realised that it was Jenny’s own, "NO!" she screamed as the blade swept down and through her friend and mentor’s neck. She felt her legs go from under her, "Oh goddess, please no, I don’t want it please no," she cried as Jenny’s Quickening began to envelope her, she tried to get away from it but the manacles were too strong. It was almost like having your life flash before you but it was someone else’s, and she felt the tears streaming down her cheeks at the loss of her friend as well as at the intense pain ripping through her body. After almost a minute she felt the Quickening subsiding, her body now hanging by the manacles.

Willow felt Angelus take hold of her, she tried to pull away but she was still too weak. She felt his fangs enter her neck and began to feel light-headed as her life’s blood was drawn out of her.

After a moment, Angelus staggered back from the young immortal, he had never felt so strong, he had drunk immortal blood many times but this felt different! Somehow he had been able to take part of the Quickening; he had flashes of other people’s lives from over the centuries. "Wow what a rush," he said as he began to recover, he grinned at Drusilla before turning his attention to the stone demon.

Walking purposely towards it, he began to recite the ritual, "Acathla... Mundatus sum... pro te necavi. Sanguinem meum... pro te effundam... quo me dignum... esse demonstrem." (Acathla... I have been cleansed... I will bleed for you and prove myself worthy.) He used the blade to cut his right hand before dropping it and reaching out for the sword sticking out of the demon’s chest. "Now, Acathla... You will be free. And so will we all."

Before Angelus could grasp the sword, he heard his favourite plaything approach and dust one of his boys. He turned to look at Buffy, as did all the others, amusement covering his face.

Buffy met his gaze, "Hello, lover," she said all too sweetly as she moved near Willow who had not yet recovered from the blood loss.

"You don't have a lot of time ‘left’," Buffy said angrily at seeing the healing fang marks on her Willow’s neck.

"Coming on kind of strong, don't you think? You're playing some deep odds here. Do you really think you can take us all?" smirked Angelus.

While everyone’s attention was on Buffy, Spike took the opportunity to get up from his wheelchair and with a determined look on his face hit Angelus hard across the back with an iron bar. Angelus cried out in pain as he collapsed to the floor where Spike continued to lay into him.

Drusilla stared at Spike her insane mind finding it difficult to comprehend what her childe was doing!

Buffy used Kendra’s sword to sever the manacle chain holding Willow’s right wrist before using Drusilla’s confusion to begin to close the distance between herself and the insane vampire. Unfortunately, the remaining vampire guard recovered from the shock of Spike’s attack on Angelus and attacked Buffy from the side. Buffy spun around to face him, but he punched her, her sword dropping from her hand as she hit a chair, shattering it and falling to the floor. Recovering quickly she tripped him as he came at her again and scrambled to her feet, ready to fight. He came at her again with a series of punches, which she easily blocked.

Meanwhile Spike was continuing to pound Angelus. "Painful, isn't it?" he smirked.

Drusilla was beginning to freak now, seeing the plan falling apart she tackled Spike, taking him down to the floor, screaming insanely all the while.

Buffy's assailant backhand punched her in the face, and she found herself staggering into a chair by the wall but she quickly recovered to block another swing, bringing her knee up into his gut he doubled over and she kicked him in the face, knocking him to the floor. She spied a pile of wood fragments that had once been a chair and grabbed a piece. The vampire got to his feet moving back into the fray. He ducked a roundhouse kick and blocked the follow up as Buffy tried to position herself for the kill.

Spike and Drusilla got up from the floor and faced off against each other. "I don't want to hurt you, baby." She grabbed him by the throat and shoved him into the wall. He slapped her arm aside and punched her in the face, "Doesn't mean I won't."

The vampire Buffy was fighting was more competent than most, not giving her an opening to dust him.

Drusilla swiped at Spike with her hand and left four parallel scratches across his cheek. She followed up with a punch that knocked him to the floor.

Angelus began to come around groaning in pain. He rubbed his eyes and looked up at Acathla. Getting to his feet he staggered over to the demon.

Willow was just beginning to revive when she saw Angelus moving towards the demon, with Buffy in no position to stop him. "No," she cried out as she struggled with the left manacle. For some reason she felt weak she couldn’t seem to clear her head, it almost felt like something was missing.

Buffy was finally getting the upper hand against the vampire as she blocked a kick and punched him, spun around and punching him again he fell onto his back. Buffy quickly followed him down with her stake and jammed it into his chest.

Behind her Angelus took the last few steps to Acathla, grabbing the sword stuck in the demon’s chest with his bloody hand. A blindingly bright light burst into the room.

Buffy looked up from her kill in time to witness Angelus pulling the sword from the demon's heart. With a few telltale sparks the light suddenly vanished. Angelus whipped the sword around in his hand and held it up to look at it. Buffy scrambled to get her own sword that lay nearby.

Drusilla looked up from her fight and gazed at Acathla with a smile, "Oh... Here he comes."

Spike came up behind her and grabbed her around the throat with his arm, choking her.

Buffy held up her sword and faced off with Angelus. He held his own ready to fight. "You almost made it, Buff," he taunted.

"It's not over yet," Buffy shot back the anger at the things Angelus had put her through over the last few months.

"Save me a seat," Buffy growled as she thrust at him with her sword, but he parried and swung around with a thrust of his own, as she moved to block.

They clashed blades several times, moving almost to fast for Willow to follow in her weakened state, Buffy ducked a wide arcing swing from him. "I’ve had a couple of great teachers, I’m a quick study."

They faced off again, trading thrusts and parries with one another. Angelus tried another arcing swing from above, but she easily ducked and sidestepped out of the way. They faced off again in front of Acathla and traded a few more blows. Angelus tried a swing from above a third time, and again Buffy ducked it, escaping to the side. She jumped up on a low table and swung at his head. He parried, and swung at her legs. She jumped over his blade, landing on the floor. Angelus tried a wide swing again, and this time cut her superficially on the arm.

"You should have practiced more," he said trying to take advantage of her distraction and came at her with his sword held high, but she dropped to the floor and rolled out of the way, so he only managed to smash a bowl on a table behind her.

Buffy kicked his legs out from under him and scrambled back up, "Maybe but I can still take you." He turned to face her still on his knees and swung three times in rapid succession, all of which she parried. He swung a fourth time, and this time Buffy knocked his sword into the table with her parry and pinned it there. He backhanded her, and she spun away. He pulled the sword from the table and swung it hard at her. She blocked it, and kicked him in the stomach, making him double over. She jumped over him into the clear, he thrust, and she parried before he kicked her in her sword arm, and she stumbled back a step.

Angelus followed up pressing her hard; Buffy retreated out into the atrium trying to get time to recover. She lost her footing hitting the ground and scrambled back to her feet as Angelus slowly advanced. She spun around and swung at him, and he blocked her. Her sword bounced off of his and fell with the tip onto the low wall of a planting bed.

Angelus stamped on the blade before she could raise it again and knocked it from her grip, he spun around and elbowed her in the face, knocking her back into a stone table, which collapsed and fell with her.

Willow had finally managed to get free of the manacles; she had lost sight of Buffy and Angel when they moved outside, when she heard a deep thundering growl coming from Acathla as he began to wake.

Spike had finally strangled Drusilla into unconsciousness and she slumped over in his arms, "Sorry, baby. Wish there was another way." He lifted her into his arms and started for the door. On the way he passed the doorway to the atrium and glanced outside, when he saw Buffy and Angel he stopped to take a better look. Buffy was backing up against the wall without her sword while Angelus slowly and deliberately advanced on her holding his. "God, he's gonna kill her," he said to himself. He watched for another moment, then shrugged and headed for the garage with Drusilla.

Angelus played with his sword, idly pointing it at Buffy. She looked up at him, frightened. "Now that's everything, huh? No weapons... No friends... No hope."

"Take all that away... and what's left?" Angelus gloated; he drew the sword back ready to thrust it directly at her face.

"Me," came a voice from behind him. Unnoticed by Buffy and Angel, Willow had slipped into the atrium and retrieved Buffy’s sword. Before he could turn to look she swept the sword through his neck.

Willow fell to her knees as the dust that had been Angel settled between her and Buffy she felt a sudden rush similar to a Quickening but without the lightshow.

Buffy rose and stepped over to Willow who looked up into the slayer’s eyes, a sad look coming to her own face. "You okay Will?" she asked as she held out her hand.

Willow accepted the hand, rising she shook her head, "No. Buffy, Angel told us how you would be able to stop Acathla; in fact he taunted us with the fact you would have to kill me if he drew the sword before you could stop him."

"Buffy you have to," Willow pleaded with the slayer, "If you don’t, Acathla will destroy the world. Buffy it would be my fault."

Buffy turned and stormed back into the main hall, "I’m not listening to this," she almost screamed.

Willow ran after her grabbing her by the arm and forcing the slayer to face her, "Buffy I don’t want to die, but there’s no other way. You have to do it," she said tears beginning to run down her cheeks.

Willow did something then that she would have never thought she was capable of doing. She raised her hand and slapped Buffy, hard. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself, the world needs saving again, and you have to do it," she could see that Buffy was still resisting, "DO IT YOU BITCH," she screamed.

Buffy just looked at her best friend holding her hand to the place Willow had slapped, tears coming to her eyes. She knew Willow was right, which if it was possible, was making it even harder "I love you Will, please don’t make me do this."

Willow closed the distance between them taking Buffy’s face between her hands, "I love you to Buffy, I have from the day we met," she said as she gently kissed the slayer on the lips, pulling away and waiting a second for Buffy to open her eyes again she smiled gently, "You must do it, for me Buffy, do it for me."

Buffy raised her hand to brush her fingers over Willow’s lips, across her cheek. She laid her hand on Willow’s cheek and kissed her back softly. Behind Willow the vortex was growing. Buffy broke off the kiss and looked deeply into Willow's eyes. "I love you," she whispered.

Buffy touched Willow’s lips with her fingers. "Close your eyes baby," she said gently.

Willow closed her eyes. She tried hard to stop the tears escaping her eyelids. Buffy stepped back drew back her sword and thrust it into the redhead’s chest. Willow’s eyes whipped open in surprise at the pain. A bright light emanated from the sword. Buffy stepped away from her. Willow reached out to the slayer, "Buffy..."

Buffy didn’t realise she was doing it until she found herself holding onto her girlfriend. The power of the sword began to swirl into the vortex. It enveloped the two young women. When the light touched their joined hands it seemed to be repelled for a second. Then in a flash of brilliant white light the vortex imploded, and the stone demon exploded throwing Willow into Buffy and slamming them both into the wall where they slid to the floor unconscious.

Willow stirred, raising her head from Buffy’s breast looking around at the almost destroyed room. "Don’t you two make a cute couple!" came a male voice behind her.

Willow jumped up to face the strangely dressed man, "Who are you?" she asked as she looked around for any type of weapon. Spying her sword nearby she scrambled over and grabbed it to face the man again.

"The name’s Whistler," said the man holding his hands up, "No need for the use of sharp objects."

Willow, holding her sword at low guard positioned herself between the unconscious slayer and the strange man, "What do you want?" she asked warily.

"Just here to explain a few things, like why you are not at this moment residing in a hell dimension," Whistler smiled at the redhead.

"Alrighty then, I’ll bite. Why am I not in a hell dimension being forced to watch "Who’s the Boss" reruns?"

"Simple sweetheart, love. Your little declaration of love gave you a ‘get out of jail’, or should I say hell, Free card. So what are you going to do with your good luck?" Willow frowned trying to figure out what this strange man was telling her, without even thinking about it she looked at Buffy. "She’s planning on leaving Sunnydale, she had a big fight with her mum, things got out of hand and her mum threw her out, both are going to need time to rebuild their relationship, she could use a girlfriend right about now."

"I could never let her leave me," smiled Willow, she looked back at Whistler but he had vanished. She frowned before turning back to the slayer as Buffy started to come around. Kneeling beside her friend, she gave Buffy a smile that verged on a smirk, <Buffy loves me.> Willow held her hand.

Buffy groaned, spots dancing before her eyes, she blinked several times as her vision began to clear. She became aware of a hand in hers, she looked to her left to see Willow smiling down at her, Buffy returned the smile, "Hey, what happened?"

"Well according to a guy called Whistler ‘cause we declared our love for each other somehow it stopped me being sent to hell. Pretty neat, huh?"

"Yeah he seems to have a way of doing that, he’s a demon sent down to even up the odds for our side or something like that," said Buffy brushing off her cloths. She glanced at Willow out of the corner of her eye, "Ah about that! If you don’t want to take it any further I’ll understand," she said unable to look at the redhead.

Buffy felt Willow’s arms envelope her in a hug, "I said I love you Buffy, I’d like to see where it takes us," she released the slayer, a little worry coming to her voice, "Unless you... ah don’t want to..."

Buffy looked up at Willow, she saw the worry on her friend’s face, "No I do want it’s just..."

"I can’t stay here, I’m leaving, I need to get away somewhere I can think without the gang or school or slaying. Will you wait for me?"

"No," Willow said, she saw her friend’s face fall; she couldn’t keep the smile off her face, "Because, see, I’m coming too."

"I won't let you; you have too much to lose. You’re an A student, there is nothing out there for you."

"Yes there is. There’s you, and anyway of the two people here, which is the boss of me?" said Willow.

"But Will I don’t know what I’ll do out there or even where I’ll go!" Buffy said.

Buffy shook her head, "I don’t think that will be possible. Whistler told me that mum was Jenny’s watcher. I get the impression that they are very good at finding immortals."

Willow smiled, "Hmm, I didn’t know about that, but it does explain why Mr. Wyndham-Pryce was in the gallery the other day," Willow could see the confusion on Buffy’s face, "When we shook hands I saw a strange tattoo on his wrist, when I mentioned it to Jenny she thought that he may have been her watcher but I guess he is mine?"

"Which just makes my point, anyone we meet could be a watcher." pointed out Buffy.

"It won’t matter, they can’t enter where I’d take you, Cassandra’s home is in a sacred forest north of San Francisco, unless you are invited you could wander them for a hundred years and still not find her home."

"Yeah she’s a Wiccan high priestess, as a member of her coven I have a permanent invitation, we can stay there as long as you like."

"Ok, ok we’ll go together but we need to get some things. I’ll meet you at the bus station in an hour."

Joyce climbed the stairs and looked down the hall at Buffy's door she thought she heard someone, "Buffy?" she called out in hope. She walked over to Buffy's door and looked in. The window was open, and some of Buffy's things were strewn across the bed. She stepped in and looked around. She saw a note on the bed among the clothes, picking up the note she read it with some trepidation. The tears began to rundown her cheeks as she collapsed on her daughter’s bed, "Buffy."

Xander and Cordelia walked through the library doors to see the banged up Giles at the table. On seeing the couple Giles stood up, unable to stop a groan from escaping as a wave of dizziness swept over him, "What did you find out?" he asked with some trepidation.

"The cops were all over the place so we couldn’t get inside but did see one body bag being loaded into the coroner’s wagon," Cordelia said sadly.

"If you want maybe Cordy and me could get into the morgue tonight and find out who they took away," Xander said with very little enthusiasm.

"No that will not be necessary," Giles said removing his glasses beginning to clean them, Xander would have swore that the watcher’s eyes misted up, "The body will be Jenny’s," he explained replacing his glasses, "And as Buffy obviously stopped Angel activating Acathla both she and Willow must have survived."

"But where are they?" asked Xander worried that even with Giles explanation something could have still got his friends.

Giles nodded, "Yes you maybe right Cordelia. You two should get to class Principle Snyder is still watching us very closely. Meanwhile I’ll see if I can find out anything from the authorities."

"The bus for San Francisco is boarding from bay 12, will all passengers please ensure their luggage is securely locked before handing it to the driver, thank you," came a voice over the loud speakers.

"Well that’s us, I guess. Are you sure you want to do this Will?" asked Buffy for about the tenth time, as she stood holding her suitcase.

Willow smiled at the slayer, slinging her backpack on her shoulder and picking up her suitcase, "Buffy, I love you... you know that still sounds weird hearing it out loud... I mean not in a bad way, but in a good weird way. It makes me all tingly like when I’m going to cast a spell... Well I guess you wouldn’t know about that not being a witch... Maybe it’s like slaying... you know when you’ve had a really good slay!" she babbled before scrunching up her nose, "Is it like slaying?"

Buffy couldn’t help laughing, "I love you too Will, and yes it is like a good slay. Now come on we have a bus to catch," she said grabbing the redhead’s hand and pulling her towards the bus driver who was stowing the bags.

They sat about halfway down the bus, Buffy by the window looking out, deep in thought as the bus pulled onto the highway. Willow studied her friend, <You’re doing the right thing Rosenberg, Cassandra can help her.>

Neither girl noticed a car parked nearby pull away and start to follow the bus as it headed out of town.

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Love Immortal

By David Knapton

belgin_tei@yahoo.co.uk