A/N: This story was inspired by a story request I received from BellaVision. I've incorporated some of her requests as well as a few twists and turns of my own. So to BellaVision and all the rest of you I hope you enjoy.

A/N 2: Hi everyone please send me your thoughts on this story. If you love it I'd love to hear why. If you hate it tell me what could make it better. Feedback is a very powerful tool, as my favorite writing instructor use to say "the pen is mightier than the sword". You're thoughts and opinions have power.

Betas: I want to send special thanks to the lovely, amazing ladies who read through this story for me please check out their work. Thank you WhisperingWolf , xoc13 , and DragonRoze so much!

Disclaimer: Nope unfortunately I don't own any of it, Buffy and Angel belong to Joss and the idea stems from a challenge by BellaVision. Sadly I don't own Charmed or anything connected with it either.

Getting Anya to come back to the flat without Xander wasn't easy. Thanks to a couple of headache tablets and a splash of scotch in her soda, Willow felt ready to deal with Hurricane Anya. Amazing how a little alcohol calms the nerves, Rupert would hate if he knew how much his bad habits are rubbing off on me. I wonder what he'd say if he knew I went commando every now and then in a skirt hoping he'll discover it. Sometimes being naughty is so much fun, especially when you have a sexy lover to put you in your place. Willow's mind trailed off in her own sexy librarian fantasy as she waited for Anya.

Before long the ex-demon had arrived. After the pleasantries were dispensed with and both women had drinks Willow settled into what she fear would be a long painful conversation, but one she hoped would help change the future for the better.

"Anya, you were a Vengeance Demon for over a thousand years … did you ever encounter mated couples where one mate was human and the other was a demon?"

"You all should ask me things more often. I know a great deal. I was a powerful demon before I became mortal. I'm still not sure I like that you made me mortal … it wasn't nice." Anya went off on one of her usual tangents having apparently only heard the first few words Willow uttered.

"Anya … mated couples … demon and human?" Willow tried to keep the irritation from her voice as she tried to redirect the other woman's attention.

"Mated pairs? Of course. Nasty habit of forcing a soul on their partner if one is soulless. It really isn't fair perfectly cruel demons forced to suffer with a soul just because they mated to a sweet soul happy human. Other cases though were much better one perfectly evil human woman actually brought out the true cruelty in her vampire mate … the human had actually killed her own children." Anya rattled on, but her tales were providing enough information to help Willow confirm some of the things she'd already read and researched about soul bonding/mating between humans and demons.

This just might work. Perhaps we can make Angel's soul permanent? I can protect Giles form Angelus forever. I can help Angel and Buffy and maybe she'll finally find peace being alive again. "So in your experience the demon if it's soulless gains a soul, but the factor that determines whether the soul or the demon is in control is the kind of person the human is?"

"Yes, that's usually the way it works good person means soul is in charge. Evil person means demon is in the driver's seat. Best cases are when the person has a darker side, but their soul is the dominant aspect of their personality. In those cases the soul and the demon bond and there is balance. Those matings last for centuries. I rarely got vengeance calls for those types of mates. I got loads of vengeance work from unbalanced mates those were so delicious."

"Anya. I need to ask you something very important and I need you to keep it to yourself, at least for now alright? Can I trust you to keep this conversation just between you and me?"

No one in the group had ever asked Anya to keep a secret for them or treated her with the kind of respect Willow seemed to be giving her. Anya turned her full attention to the witch. This conversation was obviously very important and Willow was coming to her for advice. That thought had Anya puffing out her chest and focusing on the other woman. If Willow was going to treat her with respect than she would treat her to the knowledge she's acquired during her many many years as a demon.

"Yes. Why me though? Why don't you want the others knowing about this?"

"I've been working for a long time to find a way to make Angel's soul permanent. Something that prevents him from ever losing his soul again, but also helps him come to terms with his demon so he isn't as tortured. A way that he and Buffy can be together without risking everything. They were so happy together in the beginning and they balanced each other, now they both seem to be missing that balance. They're my friends and I want to help them, but I don't want to put the rest of us in danger." Willow rushed out in one breathe hoping that she hadn't gone too far into Willow babble for Anya to keep up.

"You came discovered mating bonds. It could work. Why come to me?"

"You're the only person I know who might have actually encountered more than a few mated pairs. You know firsthand if the stories are true or not. You're the expert in this."

"So what's the plan?"

"If Buffy mated with Angel, from your perspective what do you think would happen?" Willow asked holding her breath and praying she'd get the answer she longed for.

"Well, the demon definitely wouldn't be in control. But thanks to her slayer side I don't think the soul would be either. She'd probably bond the soul and the demon together. Neither would be quite the same they'd kind of be like that swirl ice cream."

"Swirl ice cream?"

"Yes, you can't tell where the chocolate ends and the vanilla begin, but they're still chocolate and vanilla. I've spent too much time with Xander. We need to spend more time having orgasms and less time talking." Anya lost herself in her sexual thoughts.

"So you believe that Buffy and Angel would balance each other and create harmony in each other?"

"That's what I said."

"Thank you Anya. You've been a great help. Will you help me talk with Buffy, Giles, and Angel later if I need you, please?"

"Alright. But you don't want me to talk with Xander?"

"No, please don't. It won't matter what Xander thinks if this isn't something Buffy and Angel aren't willing to consider. I think we need to talk with them first, before we get the others involved."

"Alright. Now can I go have sex with Xander?"

With a smile and a nod Willow lead the ex-demon out and locked the door behind her.