"Buffy. What did you do?" Angel asked a bit shocked.

"I got hungry," she said innocently.

Just then, the worst thing that either Spike or Angel could think of happened. Gunn came running into the room. "Whoa. What happened here?"

He was followed by Wesley. They both surveyed the damage. Wesley looked accusingly at Angel. "I knew some thing like this was bound to happen. I had hopped you'd be able to kept her under control, but this is..."

"Chaos," Gunn finished for him.

"precisely," Wesley nodded.

"We heard reports that the two of you were running all over the building like a bunch of wackos. Guess now we know why," Gunn said.

"Wesley. Gunn. My office," Angel commanded.

"We want answers, Angel," Wesley insisted.

"And you'll get them alright? In my office. I'll be there in a minute. I just need to clean up this mess first."

"This is Wolfram and Hart. We have people for that," Wesley said grimly.

Spike took Buffy back to Angel's suite. Wesley and Gunn reluctantly went back down stairs to wait for Angel who made the call for the mess to cleaned up and the bodies taken care of. He would have much prefered to have taken care of it himself but since both Gunn and Wes had already seen the mess and it wasn't like Buffy had bothered to kill the security cameras, so he decided he might as well take advantage of Wolfram and Hart's Sanitation and Disposal division. Which Angel came to find had nothing at all do with garbage and everything to do with the removal of "terminated" employees.

Angel left the guys from Sanatation and Disposal to take care of Buffy's mess. He found Gunn and Wesley waiting restlessly in his office. Neither of them had felt calm enough to sit down. Gunn stood with his arms crossed while Wesley paced.

Before either of them could speak Angel said, "I know how it looks. I'm working on how to deal with her. I guess now that the cat's out of the bag I may as well get some security to keep her locked down."

Both men looked a bit shocked. "Well..." began Wesley. "We're glad you're acting so rationally."

"Great. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well we were a bit worried you might be going dark side like you did when Darla turned up," Gunn explained.

"What? No! I'm just trying to take care of Buffy. It's my fault this happened to her and I owe it to her keep her safe." He sat on the end of his desk and the others followed suit. Gunn sat on the end of one chair and Wesley sat comfortably in the other.

"So why not reensoul her like Wes suggested before?" Gunn asked.

Angel sighed. "Her mind... she's nearly as bad as Drusilla."

Wesley nodded understanding. "And your afraid giving her a soul would only make it worse."

"Exactly. It was hard enough for me to handle my soul with my mind in tact. There were several times when I thought I'd completely lost it. It took me years to learn to deal with it and only then it was because I knew I needed to in order to help Buffy."

"Is there anything else we could try? Something just to keep her from killing," Gunn suggested.

Angel shook his head. "There's nothing that I know of," Wesley said. "I can look through a few books and see if I find anything useful."

"Thanks, Wes," Angel said.

"Yeah and if I can help at all just say the word. Especially of she runs off again," Gunn offered.

"Thanks. Really guys. I appreciate it." Gunn gave him a small nod and the pair left together.

Spike lead Buffy by the arm up to the suite. He wanted to ask her just what she was thinking doing something like that but he thought the answer was probably something like "I was hungry" and it just wasn't worth the frustration. So he stood in the living room and scowled at her while she skipped away to fetch Miss Anne.

He plopped down on the couch and tried to convince himself that Gunn and Wes weren't giving Angel a rousing "kill the evil thing" speech. Spike was ready to rip Angel's head from his shoulders if he even looked like he might be considering it. Spike would protect Buffy with his last breath if he needed to breathe. He liked Gunn, but he knew after seeing the mess she'd made upstairs that there was no way he wasn't all for getting rid of her before she could make real trouble. He couldn't imagine Angel would do much defending her. He didn't even like her. Not any more.

Buffy came back into the room, holding her doll. "Are you angry?" she asked.

"No, pet. I wish I was angry," he said. The truth was, Spike was scared. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to protect her if Angel should decide to toss her out of a window. "That was a bad thing you did. You should have told me you were hungry. You could have snacked on animal blood until later. Honestly, Buffy!" He felt himself finally getting angry for her poor behavior. "I shouldn't have to baby sit you every hour of the day!"

He climbed to his feet and paced. Buffy watched him walk back and forth before finally stopping in front or her. "If I had pulled a stunt like that Angelus would have beat me til I bled and then some."

Buffy looked at him wearily before she decided that he wasn't going to do that to her and she sat down. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

He looked at her surprised. "Bloody right to be." He sat down next to her and she cuddled into his side.

"Hungry," she whined looking toward the elevator.

"No you don't. You're stayin' right here 'til the sun sets. How can possibly hungry so soon any way?"

Buffy shrugged and held her stomach. "Many lambs before the lions and they keep poor kitty in a cage."

"That's the way it's gotta be, pet," Spike responded. His voice conveyed an air of regret as though he wished it didn't have to be.

Buffy slipped away from him and set Miss Anne on the end of Angel's bed. She noticed a figure resting on a table for decoration. The small statue was of a tall and muscular man clothed only in a loincloth. His face held an expression of triumph. The little man stood on a base of solid rounded marble. Without thinking she grasped the figure by its legs and went back to the other room where Spike stared thoughtfully out of the window.

When she reached him, she raised the statue quickly so he wouldn't have time to react and brought it down hard on the right side of his head. He fell unconscious onto his side.

"Jail break," Buffy said triumphantly. She dropped the figure and stepped into the elevator.

Angel sat at his desk thinking. He could set two guards at the floor entrance to his elevator and she wouldn't be able to get past. He'd have to get a pair of vampires to do it so they wouldn't get tired or need to leave their post to relieve themselves. He went up to security. They said they would have a schedule prepared and the guards would be posted first thing the next morning.

Back at his desk, Harmony had organized his paper work into stack according to importance. He looked down at the pages with annoyance. He picked up the first stack and sifted through it. He found information about upcoming meetings, contracts that needed to be renewed, and a list of calls he needed tp return. He sighed and got to it hoping Spike was doing fine with Buffy.

He set the stack of papers back in its place and decided he ought to call Andrew back. He picked up the phone and waited for Harmony to pick up on her end. She put him through with a cheery "no problem, boss". Her pep always seemed so out of place to him.

Andrew picked up on the second ring. "Angel! I was staring to worry you wouldn't call back. I was debating calling you, but you sounded busy and I didn't-"

Angel cut off his rambling. "Sorry I had to cut you off earlier. What happened? Don't leave anything out. And in English if at all possible."

Andrew took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts. "It was 4 am," he began dramatically. "I was heading to bed after a hot date with a lovely signora-"

"Andrew."

"Right. There was a blinding flash of brilliant white light in the sky. It was over so quickly that I thought I might have imagined it, but my keen senses told me that it was not so. Precisely 60 seconds later I received a distressed call from a young slayer named Sierra. She said her squad of four had been sparring when they found both their strength and endurance failing them. I told them to get some rest and that must have over worked themselves and not to worry, but then Mellie called. Her voice was shaking as to me how the two slayers she had been patroling with were slaughtered by a single pair or newborn vampires as though they had never trained a day in their lives. I received similar calls from Adelle, Caroline, and Claire. Each more panicked than the last."

Angel's face was overcome with worry. "All of the slayers lost their power."

"Bingo. We've gotten reports of over 30 casualties. The majority of the girls that remain had been off duty that night of were training with Mr. Giles."

"Are there none left?"

"Well we had some contacts spread out over the globe. They were told to contact us should they see any signs of unidentified slayers in their area. We got a call from a Jeremy Sharpe. He says his daughter is showing signs of slayer power and that it didn't happen until after dinner time yesterday which by east coast time is about when I saw that weirdo light."

"So all of the slayers go back to being potential and a new "chosen one" gets picked."

"That's what it looks like, but... she's gonna need a watcher. I offered, but Mr. Giles says I don't have enough experience," He sounded bitter. "With me being the top of the new Watchers that means the only ones worthy of the job are Mr. Giles and Mr. Wyndam-Pryce. Giles is pretty busy with the mess here and he says after Buffy he doesn't think he could ever treat a new slayer fairly. So that leaves it Mr. Wydam-Pryce to Yoda the noobie slayer."

They were both quiet for a moment. "I'll talk to Wesley. I'm sure if he'll take it well. He feels guilty about the mistakes he made with Faith. I'm not sure..."

"I understand. If he refuses, I suppose that leaves it to me. But while we're on the subject, where is Buffy? No one has any idea where she is. Not Dawn. Not Willow. Not Giles. She's not one to be on her own so after moving down the list that leaves you or Spike. One has seen her and don't try to tell me otherwise."

Angel dragged in a breath. If he told Andrew the truth he would tell Giles and that would only add to the problems. He, Dawn, Willow, and the others would all get involved and it was difficult enough without a mob of concerned family members swarming all over him. He decided it was best to tell him as little as possible so he wouldn't have to out right lie.

"She's here with me. She's been staying here," he took a moment forgetting how much time has passed since Italy. "about a week now."

"I knew it. Well it's about time she came home. We really need her here."

"I'll let her know she's needed."

"And put her on your fastest jet while you're at it."

Angel winced. He felt guilty about lying to him. He clearly needed help, but Buffy couldn't possibly come to their rescue. They would have to make due on their own. The girls might not have super powers any more, but they had been trained and they could still do good just in larger numbers.

"Let me know if I can help at all. I don't trust Wolfram & Hart but if you need anything..."

Andrew thought he'd trust Bad Horse a.k.a. The Thoroughbred of Sin before he trusted Wolfram & Hart, but he appreciated the gesture. "Thanks, Angel."

"If anything else comes up you'll let me know?"

"Sure thing."

Spike groaned as he regained conciousness. He rubbed the side of his head. "Buffy?" he called, but he knew she was gone again. He climbed to his feet and went after her. The elevator was obnoxiously slow. He had to get Buffy back before she caused any more trouble or at the very least, before Angel found out she'd slipped past him yet again.

He made his way out Angel's office and into the lobby where he looked around. Buffy had already made it across the lobby so Spike hurried over to Harmony's desk.

"Oh, hey, Spike," she said cheerily. "What's going on with your hair?"

"Have you seen Buffy?"he asked hurriedly.

"Uh, no. Why would I? Did she sneak off again? I heard about the-"

"Yeah, thanks," he said as he rushed off.

She rolled her eyes. "You're welcome," she replied to the empty air annoyed.

As Spike hurried down the nearest hall, he thought he caught Buffy's scent underneath the scent of expensive fabrics, a multitude of perfumes, and various demons, but he couldn't be sure. Around the first coner and past the Mythological Studies Department, he caught the scent of cold human blood. Given Angel's strict policies against human blood drinking, maiming, and sacrifice Spike knew it had to be Buffy.

He followed the scent into an office marked "Under Executive of Mythology:Hamish Addams". He threw the door open and stormed inside where he found something rather unexpected Buffy sat on classy red fabric sofa opposite two matching chairs. On her lap rested a tea cup that looked particularly fragile due to the way she held with her hand wrapped tightly around it as though she were nervous not to drop it. In one of the chairs opposite her sat a short, dark-haired man with particularly snooty air about him. When Spike stormed in, the pair had looked at him as though he had been expected.

"Ah, you must be Spike," said the snooty british man whose name Spike assumed to be Hamish Addams.

Buffy smiled proudly. "Like a sniffer dog. I told you so."

"You did indeed."

Spike decided the he didn't like the man who reminded him all too much of an uncle he disliked during his childhood. "I just came for the girl."

"I'm sure," Hamish sneered. "But incase it is unclear to you, Ms. Buffy and myself are having conversation. I would appreciate it if you would sit down and wait a moment." He made as if to continue his interrupted conversation.

"Yeah?" Spike said furious at having been spoken down to. "Well I would appreciate it if you would piss off. You no good poncy arsed-"

"Such language," the man tisked. He looked at Buffy. "You ought to explain the concept of respect to that boy."

Spike growled and grabbed the man by the front of his nicely tailored suit jacket. "Listen you prat! I'm not going to be spoken to like a child by some posh wanker who finds it amusing-" Spike sniffed. In Hamish had set his half empty glass on the table the contents of which were none other than human blood. He dropped the man back in his seat.

"Come on, Buffy. We're going."

"But I-"

He glared at her not willing to put up with anything short of compliance at that moment. She set her glass down and left without another word. Spike followed her out with a pleased expression on his face. Buffy eyed him curiously, but said nothing as he led her back to the lobby. It wasn't the way he would normally do things, but Buffy was watching. Tearing that bastards head off with his bare hands certainly wouldn't have reenforced the "killing is bad" rule. So, that left him to take care of it the Wolfram & Hart way. Or at least the new Wolfram & Hart way.

"Harmony. I need a quick favor," he said back at her desk.

She looked at him suspiciously and then at Buffy. "What?"

"I need you to watch Buffy. Just for a few minutes 'til me and Angel get back."

"I have to watch the desk and take Angel's calls."

"Angel's got voice mail doesn't he? This will only take a minute." He stared her down with puppy dog eyes.

She sighed. "Fine, but if Angel isn't happy about it then it's on you."

Buffy eyed Harmony curiously and walked around the desk to next to her. She looked pet the mane on one of Harmony's unicorns. "Don't let her run off." He hurried to Angel's office.

Angel was just setting the phone down when Spike hurried into his office. "Why aren't you watching Buffy?" he asked annoyed.

"I got tired of playing babysitter. I'm havin' Harmony watch her for a minute." He held up a hand before Angel could protest. "I've got a bit of news. I was wanderin' around the hall with all those mythology blokes and it looks like you've got an under executive breakin' your 'no human blood' rule."

Angel looked at him curiously. "You were just wandering around and happened across this guy?"

"That's what I said i'nt it? Hamish something or other."

"I'll call someone to look into it," Angel said a bit suspiciously.

"You do that."

"Why do you care anyway?"

"Well he's a trouble maker. We can't have under executives setting a bad example."

"No... I guess not." Angel caught the pleased expression Spike was trying to hide. "What did he do to you?"

"What? Nothing."

Not so easily fooled Angel said,"Oh really?"

"Really," Spike replied with a nod.

Angel sighed. "Okay." He wasn't convinced, but he made the call to have Hamish Addams's blood tested. They went down to his office in case the sample tested positive as Spike was certain it would.

When the screen on the hand held blood test flashed positive Spike smirked at the nervous vampire that stood in front of him. Angel chose to ignore Spike in favor of carrying out his own policy. He took the ax offered to him by the man holding the blood test and proceeded to lop off the head of the snooty British vampire.

"anticlimactic," Spike said. "But satisfying none the less." He swaggered out of the room and back the way he came. Angel caught up to him and slapped a stack of papers into his arms. "What the hell is this?"

"The paper work," Angel said as he smirked and went back to his office. Spike glared but didn't argue.

He went back to the front desk where he found Buffy standing beside Harmony's chair braiding her hair. "Hey, Spike. I tried to get her to let me braid hers, but she had a big fuss."

Spike looked at Buffy who was wholly focused on her task. "She does that. Ready to go, pet?"

Buffy finished the last few twists and nodded. She skipped around the desk and went off to Angel's elevator with Spike behind her. Back safely in Angel's suite, Spike was determined to get Buffy clean and tucked into bed.

She pouted at the very suggestion, but finally decided that maybe she did need a bath after all. Yanking her dress over head she hurried off to the bathroom. Spike rolled his eyes as she abandoned her dress on the floor. He called Angel who had the guy that does Angel's laundry come to collect it to be washed. He said it was top priority that the dress be cleaned and returned by morning. It took some coaxing, but Spike managed to get Buffy into one of Angel's t-shirts to sleep.

"Where's my dress," she pouted nearly drowned in black fabric. She lay in Angel's bad with Spike sitting next to her.

"It's getting washed. You'll have it back in the morning," he assured her.

"Okay." She snuggled down into Spike's side. He smiled and wrapped an arm around her. "Thank you, Spike."

"What for?" he asked down at her.

"You didn't tell Angel. About the tea party."

"Oh. Well that was... don't mention it love." He was surprised at her understanding. With the way she runs off so carelessly it's hard to remember that she even understands the situation.

She fell asleep curled up under his arm. For a while he watched her breathing. She didn't need to of course, but he remembered it took him a while to break the unnecessary habit as well. It was a comforting site anyway. He was glad to find a visible reminder that his Buffy wasn't broken entirely. He fell asleep with a small smile on his face