Angel splashed cool water on his face. It had no effect, but he sensed the water running down his face, and it seemed to wash away the turmoil, if only for that sweet moment. The team, or the two people left on it, were still reeling from Wesley's death. Illyria, although she had never exhibited so much as a sorrowful moment in her "life", if you could call it that, she seemed most affected by her closest friend's death. And Gunn…Angel did not want to think about Gunn at all. As far as he was concerned, Gunn was dead. He had no value to the team in his present state, and he posed a threat. And Lorne. What had happened to Lorne? Did he just dance his way into the unknown? No. He must be somewhere…

Angel's thoughts turned to Illyria. She had become a powerful ally, but she still had more than a lot to learn about inhabiting a human body. Angel chuckled as he recalled Illyria tripping and falling over her own feet.

"Walk Much?" he had asked her.

"No. I'm much better at floating."

And now that he and Illyria had left L.A., she had become even more confused. Scotland is not exactly the most exciting place on this earth, and Angel knew that. Illyria, however, was expecting a bursting metropolis, and almost blew her own head off with disappointment when she saw the rural countryside and the Loch. But she was among people who understood her. Xander had taken very kindly to Illyria, as he had to Anya, and was beginning to act as her crutch through this confusing world. Buffy had commented once on her blue hair, resulting in an almost balding Buffy upon Illyria's reaction. Willow had only seen Illyria once, and the gods only know where she may be now.

Angel's final thought was cut in half by a rather loud knock on the door.

"Come on! Since when do vampires take 45 minutes in the bathroom!" cried an exasperated Andrew.

"Alright, alright, I'll be right out."

"You weren't…showering or anything, were you?" asked Andrew bemusedly.

"No, Andrew."

"Oh, well, cause, if you were, I could just pop in and out to wash my face and then come back-"

Angel opened the door. "Go on."

Andrew withdrew slightly and grimaced. He ran into the bathroom and Angel heard the door lock. Angel put on his jacket and walked out of the pleasantly furnished room into the grayish command center. "Status report?" he heard a voice ask him. Xander tapped Angel on the shoulder.

"Andrew wanted to know if I was showering."



Xander chuckled a bit. "He wanted me to go swimming in the loch with him. I told him only if we could bring Ria and he flipped."

"Ria?"

"Illyria."

"Oh, right. How's she doin'?"

"Exceptionally well for an evil demon princess that has turned to good and ohmygod what the hell is that?"

Angel looked up at the screen and saw a slimy green creature, with no distinct features, slithering across the camera lens. He recognized it. "It's called a Revena demon. The only real danger is its poison, so tell the slayers not to-" He saw one of the slayers stick her hand through it on the screen. "-touch it."

Xander took immediate action. "Slayer Frida!"

"Yes sir!?"

"Immediate sanitization maneuver!"

"Sir?"

"That thing you just touched is poisonous."

"Copy, sir."

Angel shook his head slightly and stepped back. He walked into his own bedroom, and lay down, staring at the ceiling. The turmoil retook him, and he drifted off into a swirl of black thorns, faces, buildings…He started awake with a knock on the door. Dawn walked in.

"Hey Angel, there's someone here to see you."

"Oh? Who is it?"

Dawn merely stepped aside and allowed the visitor to walk in. It happened in slo-mo. From the bronzed legs to the red blouse and skirt, the golden jacket, and the shoulder length hair…and finally the face. And Angel fell backwards. His ceased heart seemed to beat again. He squirmed inside at the sight. But how? He thought frantically. How? How?

"How?" he said the last part aloud.

Cordelia only smiled.