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x-x-x-x-x

"Hey there, Summer." He gave her his best smile, resisting the urge to snap at her when she only gave him a cold look in return.

"Stevens."

And that was it. No invitation in her body language, not even any curiosity about what he wanted.

If she wasn't so hot, he'd give up and leave; but he'd be damned if he was going to be beat out by that scrawny geek - Cohen.

"Any big plans for the holidays?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"My father is spending the season in D.C., so he's treating the family a couple weeks at this ski resort in Colorado. My mother said I could invite anyone I wanted."

"Well, I hope whoever you invite has fun."

"I was actually thinking you'd like to go."

"You were not."

"No, I was."

"You were not because all evidence to the contrary aside you are not stupid."

"Why thank you."

"Slimy and unable to take a hint, yes. Stupid, no. And you'd have to be stupid to think given my history of non-interest towards you that I would, barring major brain damage, want to go anywhere with you, ever."

"You're saying you'd rather stay here and, what? Read comics and watch cartoons with your little boy?"

"Let me explain something you. I have zero interest in you. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find any other girl in this entire school who has less interest in you. I want one thing from you. I want you to go away. I have a boyfriend. I'm taken. And if you don't leave me alone, my friend Taylor, the one with the black belt, and I are going to kick the shit out of you."

"Promise?"

"Ew. I'm talking bone-breakage resulting from rage blackouts, perv; not some sick fantasy."

He snorted. "Like I have to worry about you or your friend. She doesn't scare me."

"She should." She crossed her arms and added another level of ice to the glare she was giving him. "You should warn your redhead that she is THIS close to pissing Townsend off; and that's a dangerous place to be."

"Why is her family connected to the mob?"

"No. Here," Summer took her notebook and wrote something down. "That's Luke Ward's number in Portland. See what happened to the last person that messed with Taylor's boyfriend."

"What makes you think she's messing with the guy?"

"We both know you're not as stupid as you look; so don't act like it."

"So, what exactly did she do to this guy?"

"Your friend ever have any broken bones?"

"Not that I know of," Zach said.

"Tell her if she wants to keep it that way, she should stay away from Atwood."

"What makes you think that you can just threaten someone like that?"

"What makes her think she can poach someone else's guy? What's the matter; you not measuring up to her standards?"

"We're just friends."

"Want some advice? Become more than just friends 'cause neither of the people you're interested in are interested in you," Summer said before she turned on her heel and walked away.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"How's that feel," Taylor asked, rubbing clockwise circles on Ryan's temples.

"Better."

"But not pain free?"

"No."

"Seth......."

"Working on it." He flipped hurriedly through one of the books in front of him. He was so glad his father was finally in the know - the kitchen table had far more room to spread out when researching than his desk. "We know what spell she cast....."

"...love spell..."

"More like love-slave spell." He ignored the "skanky ho" comment from his girlfriend and frowned at his notes, pulling another book towards him. "Now we just have to figure out why it didn't work."

"Why? I'm kinda glad it didn't. I like Taylor more than any other girl I've ever met."

"We have to figure it out because, until we do; we won't know how to stop the pain."

Taylor leaned down and kissed Ryan's forehead and then looked at Seth, "Hey does your mom still have that ice pack thing in the freezer?"

"Year, I think so."

"I'll get it." Summer got up. "Too bad medicating might interfere with whatever's going on with your spell-resisting. I could swap some of the step-monster's pain meds for you."

"I don't like taking stuff anyway."

"I know what you mean. Sometimes when I'm in a lot of pain I take codeine. I get so looped on it I can't even walk straight," Taylor said.

"She still manages to take out the badies, though. I remember when she had her tonsils out - it was like watching the Three Stooges fight. Only it was one person, and a girl."

Taylor smiled a little as she put the ice pack to Ryan's forehead, "I know it's uncomfortable but it'll numb the pain."

"It's not so bad actually," he smiled at her.

"Bad enough for you to pass out on the way home from our after-school diner snack."

"I meant that the ice wasn't so bad. The pain is lessening and I'm just glad I wasn't driving."

"Damn it!"

"Indoor voice, Cohen."

"He hardly ever cusses, Summer." Taylor went around and peeked over his shoulder at the book he was scowling at. "What is it?" She'd try and figure it out herself, but it wasn't in a language she read.

"I can't figure this out. It's like he already has a spell on him or something. Which isn't possible, because I did a check when you moved in, and you were clean." He slammed the book shut. "I'd say this was similar to what happened with Gaby, but since Rosa's potion wiped your memory, we can't do a comparison."

"Is there any way to do a reversal," Summer asked.

"Not without causing major psychological trauma to Ryan," Taylor said as she sat back down with Ryan.

"And that'd be bad," Summer said.

"Very bad," Seth nodded.

"That, and I don't think that's the only thing causing this."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's not just like he has a block up. It's like he has a natural immunity or something."

"If that was the case, I wouldn't've gone near Gaby."

"Yeah, but you were able to resist Gaby's orders. Whatever it is has gotten stronger, I think."

"Orders," Summer looked confused.

"She tried to get him to kill me and Seth. When it was clear he wasn't going to kill me, she told him that he could have me as long as he killed Seth. Ryan said that Seth was his brother and that he couldn't do it."

"Aw Atwood, that's so sweet," Summer teased.

"Yeah, yeah," Ryan said waving the brunette off and then taking Taylor's hand in his. "I guess I was stronger than she thought."

"Uhm, no. No one can resist a succubus. It's what makes the things so dangerous."

"But Ryan did resist her."

"Just like he's resisting Lindsey."

"So, how'd he do it then," Summer asked with a frown.

"And how is he doing it now," Taylor prompted.

"That is what I'm trying to figure out," Seth said.

"You'll get it." Ryan commented, his voice muffled from where he was resting his head in his arms. "I trust you."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence man," Seth said, not looking up.

Taylor shot her best friend a look and then looked at the top of her boyfriend's head before sitting up and rolling her shoulders, "I think I'm gonna go take a run. Call me if you find anything okay?"

"Sure."

"You want backup?"

"I think you should rest."

"Be careful."

"Always."

Summer waited until the door shut behind Taylor before she looked at Seth, "Is she okay?"

Seth shrugged, "Yeah, I think so."

Summer frowned and looked at Ryan, "You want some more ice?"

"Yes and I want it in something cold."

"Soda? Juice? Tea?"

"Don't care. Water's good."

"Okay. Be right back," Summer headed for the kitchen.

x-x-x-x-x-x

Taylor winced as the water hit her back. Guess she'd hit that tree harder then she thought. She'd have to see if Summer felt up to bandaging her after she got out of the shower.

She quickly rinsed off her layer of crud and washed her hair. She wrapped a towel around her and peered into the mirror taking a good look at her eye. Great that was going to be a spectacular bruise to cover up in the morning.

"Summer? You awake," she called quietly.

"Summer?" She slipped into the other's room and poked the lump under the pink comforter.

"Ummff."

Oops. Brunette, but definitely not Summer.

"Hey, Seth."

"God, what time is it?"

"Uh, almost two," she said shooting a glance at the alarm clock. "Where's Summer?"

"That lump in your bed that you probably thought was Merlin? That'd be Summer."

"Why isn't she in her own bed?"

"Dr. Roberts is gonna freak enough at me staying over without us in bed together and I couldn't handle sleeping in your bed what with the whole best friend almost a sister thing."

Taylor shook her head and rolled her eyes, "Go back to sleep."

"What'd you want Summer for?"

"I need someone to put a bandage on my back."

"Why, what happened," Seth reached out and turned on the lamp. "You're still in a towel?"

"Because I need Summer to put a bandage on my back and it's easier if she puts it on before I get dressed for bed." She grinned at his blush, and how he looked everywhere in the room but at her.

"What'd you do that you need a bandage?"

"Got into a fight," Taylor said, getting off the bed.

"Taylor, where'd you go patrolling tonight?"

"The pier," she mumbled as she left the room.

"What? Taylor, you know you're not supposed to go down there alone," Seth got out of bed and followed her.

"I'm fine."

"Not if you need a bandage you're not."

"Go back to bed, Seth."

"Not until you tell me what happened."

"DO you really want to explain to Ryan why you were hanging around me when I'm not dressed? He's still touchy about our "dating" you know."

"It's not going to work," Seth said. "Summer, wake up. We need to go to my house so Taylor can explain to her boyfriend why she went patrolling on the pier by herself."

"What's the big deal? I got a little banged up," Taylor said as she turned the light in her room on. "Summer, where's the first aid stuff?"

"Under the sink in the bathroom." Summer yawned. "I can slap something on before we leave."

"You two are over-reacting."

"And you're not getting out of The Kirsten's lecture as she patches you up; so you might as well give in."

"I'm fine."

"Then you can just have a nice visit with Ryan."

"You can have a nice visit with him too right I tell him you saw me half naked," Taylor smiled.

"Which half," a voice from the door made them turn around.

"Ryan, what are you doing here?"

"Summer left me a note telling me where she and Seth would be and that Dr. Roberts was working tonight. What the hell happened to your back?"

"I hit a tree."

"What the hell were you fighting that was tough enough to toss you into a tree?"

"It's not so much what she was fighting as where."

"You didn't."

"I am allowed to go where ever I want when I patrol," Taylor said marching into her closet.

"You know the pier's bad news. Forget the vampires who hang there. Do you know how many PCP and meth heads walk that pier looking for trouble," Seth said.

"Not to mention you promised Kirsten that you wouldn't go there by yourself after the last time."

"I felt like a good fight okay?"

Ryan gave Seth a look and the dark-haired boy nodded, "C'mon Summer. Let's go get something to eat from the kitchen."

"She has to help bandage my back."

"You really want them here for this conversation?"

"Fine," Taylor ground out.

Summer and Seth left, shutting the door behind them.

Ryan leaned against the door frame and watched Taylor stare at the wall.

"I can take care of myself," she said.

"You're smarter than this, Taylor."

"I can handle it."

"When your head's in the game - absolutely." He went over and put a hand on her shoulder. "So, what happened?"

"Nothing. Guy caught me off guard. It happens."

"Taylor."

"I can't fight Lindsay, Ryan. I can't fight what she's doing to you. I can fight vampires."

"Yeah; but you gotta know that patrolling down by the pier is dangerous."

"I'm a Slayer, my whole life is dangerous."

"I'm not talking the usual dangers: demons, vampires. I'm talking meth-heads with guns, suspicious cops who'd call your mom, junkies who mistake you for a 'walker'."

"I can handle myself."

"Slayer-strength means squat against a nine-mil."

"Ryan, I need to do this."

"And I need you alive."

"I have to do something! If she keeps upping the power on that spell of hers she could......" She choked and twisted away from him. "I have to do something."

"Getting hurt isn't helping me." He let her have the space, not wanting to push when she was this stressed out. "If you've got to patrol, that's fine; just take someone with you."

"Why, so I can listen to you all telling me to calm down?"

"No, so you have someone watching your back."

"Someone who might get hurt."

"Dammit, Taylor." He grabbed her by the shoulders. "Is this what you learned at that Slayer camp? Not to let anyone help you? Cut yourself from anyone who cares?"

"Do you know what the worst feeling in the world is in my book?"

Ryan shook his head.

"Helplessness. I hate it. So, I do what I have to so I don't feel that way."

"It's not any better for me, especially with the guilt that you're getting hurt because of me."

"I didn't get hurt because of you," Taylor twisted around to look at her back in the mirror. "I got hurt because I got thrown into a tree."

Ryan frowned and went into the bathroom. He came back with the first aid kit, "Sit on the bed and lower the towel."

She complied and he opened the kit to get started.

"Why were you on the pier?"

"We've covered this."

"Humor me."

"I was patrolling."

"Why?"

"It's what I do."

"Taylor, you've always told me that the pier is dangerous by yourself. It was the first rule you gave me when I started patrolling with you and if I remember right, you told me it was the first rule Kirsten gave you."

"I just really needed a good fight tonight. Didn't you ever feel like that?"

"Yeah."

"There you go."

"And that's my point about the guilt."

"What?"

"Taylor, why did you need a good fight?"

"Oh."

Ryan taped the bandage in place and then put his hands on Taylor's shoulders. She leaned back against him.

"I don't want you hurt because of me," Ryan whispered in her ear.

"I don't want you hurt at all," Taylor said quietly. "I get frustrated because I can't do anything to make you better so I try and make Newport just a little safer."

"It's not gonna be safer if some moron cop arrest you for solicitation and your mom shows up. And it really won't be safe if some junkie shoots you."

Taylor reached back and took his hand with hers, lacing their fingers together, "I don't know what to say to make you feel better."

"How about: I won't go out without back up again?"

"That I can do," Taylor nodded. "I'm sorry Ryan. I never want you to worry about me."

"Only people who don't care don't worry."

"That's very wise."

"Kirsten told it to me."

"She's a very wise woman," Taylor nodded. "Do you want to stay for the night or what's left of it?"

"I think it'll be safer if Seth and I go home."

"Safer?"

"Keep Dr. Roberts blood pressure from rising."

Taylor smiled and turned her head. She gave him a kiss and smiled. "I'll see you in a few hours, okay?"

"Yeah," Ryan nodded. "Get some sleep."

Taylor nodded, "I will."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Seth fiddled with a pen as he sat in the library during his study hall. He wished his Latin was a little better. It might make it easier to read the text in front of him.

"Hey Cohen," Summer sat down across from him. "How'd you sleep last night?"

"Okay, I guess." He answered distractedly, making another question mark beside his translation. "Good thing the 'rents were already asleep. We skipped the lecture about spending the night elsewhere without permission."

"And it's a good thing you and Atwood left when you did. About ten seconds after the two of you split, my dad came home."

"How was Taylor this morning?"

"Moving slow but otherwise okay. I changed the bandage before we left for school. Her back should be fine by tomorrow with her accelerated healing powers."

"Fine, fine." He frowned down at the page, crossing out the words he'd transposed.

"How's Ryan?"

"The same. He's staying home with a 'migraine' so the Wicked Witch can't get any more material to cast any more spells."

"Am I bothering you Seth?"

Seth looked up, "What? No I'm sorry. I'm just trying to translate this."

"You're really worried about him, aren't you?"

"Do you know how many things can go wrong with a love spell? Some of the side-effects make the bubonic plague look like chicken pox."

Summer made a face and then she leaned over to look at what Seth was writing, "I think you've got the wrong tense there."

Seth looked at her questioningly.

"During my candy striper days I had to entertain a seminary student. Priests in training have to learn a lot of Latin. It rubbed off when he had me quiz him."

"Really?" He felt relief shooting through him. "Can you help me?"

"I can try."

"So, where's Taylor?"

"She heard Ryan wasn't feeling well and faked cramps to get sent home."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"Why not? She can help him feel better, or at least hold the ice-pack for him."

"It's a love-spell. Remember the last one? The nothing but get freaky spell? Not that I think that was good ole Oli's intent with that thing, but that's my point. This stuff is dangerous and wildly unpredictable."

"He gets too frisky and Taylor can knock him across the room. Relax, okay?"

"I stopped relaxing the first time I saw Taylor stake a vampire."

"Great," Summer rolled her eyes.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"You sure you don't want to?"

"I don't think it's the best of ideas. Remember what happened last time?"

"It had its good points."

"According to Seth, we're 'bad' enough without bringing magic into it."

"We're alone for the first time who knows how long and I feel relatively okay. We should be taking advantage of this."

"Ryan, I don't want to take any chances with anything until we find out what the spell she worked is and why it isn't affecting you."

"I hate it when you get logical."

"I wouldn't worry," she smiled. "It doesn't happen all that often."

"Oh, I think you're pretty logical. You just have to understand your particular brand of logic."

"You understand my logic?"

"No, but that doesn't mean it's not there."

Taylor bopped him with a pillow and then grabbed his remote and turned on the TV, "Oh good."

"Why do watch this stuff?"

"I like cop shows."

"Why?"

"Well, I got into this one 'cause I always thought Chris Noth was cute. But now I watch this and SVU."

"What about Criminal Intent?"

"Nah. D'Onofrio plays his character too much like Columbo."

"Columbo was more laid-back. Goren is too intense to be Columbo."

"Just be glad I'm not into The Valley," Taylor shot a look over her shoulder. "And I know you're ecstatic that I'm not into medical shows."

"Do not remind me," Ryan groaned as he lay on his side next to Taylor. "Seth got another season of St. Elsewhere on DVD."

"I know. I was with him when he bought it. I got Hill Street Blues."

Ryan groaned and buried his face in the blankets on his bed.

"Don't you like that show? It's a classic."

"With my background, it's a little hard to see cops as the good guys."

"Yeah, I guess I can see that," Taylor nodded and then turned off the TV. "What non-sexual activities can we do?"

"You didn't have to do that."

"It's okay. I'm not all that crazy about the Serena years."

Ryan smiled and gave her a kiss. "We could play cards."

"Oh no. The last time you and I played cards, I was about to take off my bra when Sandy walked in."

"Sorry, but most of the non-sexual activities I know are designed to lead to sex."

"Pervert," Taylor teased him.

Ryan smiled a little and was about to kiss her when the door flew open and Seth walked in.

"I found it. We found it," he said motioning to Summer.

"Do you know when he has a brainstorm he says 'Eureka'," Summer asked.

"He's about to say 'ow, that hurt'."

"Not after you hear what we found!"

"We won't have any peace until he tells us."

"True."

"I should make you two suffer and apologize and bake me cookies but I'm too excited and relieved that we finally figured out what's going on with Lindsay's spell and Ryan's headaches and it's all due to Summer! Did you know she reads Latin?"

"What?"

"What did you say?"

"Summer - she reads Latin, apparently, and......ow!"

"Not that, Cohen. As much as I appreciate the kudos, they meant the rest of it. The spell stuff."

"Oh right that."

"Yes, that."

"Well, we found out that the reason that the spell isn't working and possibly the reason that Gabby didn't succeed in having him kill us is because you two are soul mates."

"Soul mates?"

"That explains a lot."

"It does?"

"Yeah. You wouldn't kill me and you'd known me for less than a month. Any other guy would've whacked me and Seth and then jumped on Gaby."

"There's an image," Summer grimaced.

"Changing the subject - now that we know how you're resisting her spell we can fix your headaches."

"Yeah?"

"Simple potion every morning until she cancels the spell."

"What if she doesn't cancel it?"

"Well.....let's just deal with the positive right now."

"And the positive is that I can sleep with my girlfriend again," Ryan smiled at Taylor.

"Yeah, I guess," Seth said.

"Uh maybe we should wait until tomorrow," Taylor said. "Just to make sure we can cancel out the effects."

"You don't want to?"

"I want to make sure there aren't any unforeseen consequences."

Ryan sighed, "Point taken. Okay."

"Thank you," Taylor smiled. "I promise. Tomorrow you are going to get so lucky."

"I'm wishing I hadn't translated that for you, Cohen."

"What? Why? Don't you want Ryan to get better?"

"Of course, but now we're back with the -ew-worthy sex talk."

"And while we can't have sex, we can make out," Taylor smiled at Ryan.

"I'm outta here," Summer got up.

"Me too," Seth followed.

"Looks like they forgot we can't do anything until tomorrow."

"Are you sure......?"

"Side effects like tumors or epilepsy or permanent brain damage....."

"Point made. We don't do anything until Kirsten and Seth come up with that potion."

"You are going to get so lucky tomorrow," Taylor smiled.

"Promise?"

Taylor pushed Ryan onto his back and lay down on top of him, "I promise."