Angel grabbed Gwen a chair. Once she was seated and received another bottle of water, Gunn and Anne came into the office. They both stopped, surprised; Gunn more than Anne. He hadn't seen Gwen since…well. Anyway. It was also a relief that Fred and Lorne were back safe and sound.

"What's going on?" Anne asked. "Who is she?"

"Gwen," Gwen answered without saying another word.

"The sarcophagus is back," Fred said, noticing it in the office. "Charles! So then-"

"Everything's okay," Angel answered. "If you need to you can-"

But Fred was already turning and walking away, presumably off to go find Wesley. The door swung shut behind her. Frankly, Lorne was a bit surprised and wondered if Fred would come back. Gwen clearly had quite a story to tell, and he thought Fred would definitely want to hear it. She had seemed interested when they came back to Wolfram & Hart.

"Hey Gunn," Gwen greeted.

Gunn gave a small wave. "How's it goin'? I mean, with the electric powers and all. Under control? Because of the-the military device, you know?"

"What?" Anne nearly shouted, unbelieving. Electric powers?

"Well, everything was going great until recently. The stupid prototype L.I.S.A.—I don't even know exactly what happened. One day—coincidentally the same day seemingly half the world seemed to die—it stopped working."

"What's with all the leather?" Spike questioned, seemingly out of nowhere. He was looking at Gwen strangely.

"Don't have enough money for actual clothes?" Lilah shot.

"I could ask you the same thing," Gwen eyed Spike's jacket, ignoring Lilah's comment. "And the blond hair? Are you trying some kind of lame Billy Idol thing?"

"Hey, he copied me!" Spike defended himself.

"Gwen," Angel spoke up, ending their stupid back and forth. "Go on. Why did it stop working?"

"Why the hell should I know? Do I look like a military devices specialist or something?"

"Wait—back up," Gunn broke in. "Why are you even in L.A.? I thought you were going to go off and do stuff away from here."

"I did. And then I came back when everything changed," she said shortly.

Off to the side, sitting on the ground with his hands locked behind his back, Connor/Illyria was sitting, listening. The fraction of Illyria that was inside of Connor used guesswork to figure what Gwen was saying. "You weren't in L.A. when it happened." Illyria spoke.

"Hey shut up!" Spike yelled.

"No, he's right," Gwen said, not paying too much attention to Connor. "When all those people suddenly just died, I was making my way through Colorado. All of a sudden I was knocked to the ground, I blacked out, and when I woke up facedown everyone was dead and I could feel that my powers were back."

Angel froze. She couldn't be telling the truth, could she? Everyone who wasn't in the small fraction of L.A. was gone. If she were past England, that'd be okay, but no—she wasn't. So how? It didn't make sense. Unless…

No. She couldn't be another case like Connor, could she?

No, that wasn't possible. She had complete control over her body and mind, obviously. Illyria had no control over her. But she had survived.

The Illyria inside of Connor was trying to remember Gwen, but couldn't. Full Illyria had been traveling into different people so fast though that it made sense that she wouldn't remember anyone (except for Connor, of course, but that was an extremely special case).

"Things got weird," Gwen continued on, adding a hint of sadness to her voice. "I got so weak and tired all the time. My body felt like shutting down. My powers were out of control, just random pieces of electricity shooting out everywhere and anywhere at times and at other times the powers seemed to just disappear." Most people in the room took a step back at those words. "Whatever happened, it didn't kill me. But it destroyed L.I.S.A. and somehow put some insanely profound effect on me. I can barely walk a long distance without feeling like I'm gonna pass out."

"You made it back here, though," Gunn observed.

"Determination. I remember passing these offices and going to that store. There were other people there, angry people. When they saw me trying to take some food that they wanted, they attacked me. I was too weak to fight them off, but luckily when they touched me my crazy electricity came back, like it always does when I touch people or they touch me. It sent them running away."

"Where was this prototype machine when you had it on you?" Connor/Illyria asked. As much as Illyria didn't care to help, there was something very off and mysterious about this story.

"My back."

"So what if Illyria went through that machine before jumping into Gwen's body?" Angel guessed. "It messed with the machine, causing Gwen to lose all energy and lose control. The machine plus Illyria's power must've caused something to go wrong inside your body system. And then when she finally got inside of you…what happened? Why didn't you die?" it was a rhetorical question.

"Angel, I have no idea what you're talking about. What's Illyria?"

"Oh, boy, don't tell me we have to explain everything to another person." Spike groaned.

Fred found Wes with Buffy and Willow. They were all just sort of standing around, talking. Out of the corner of his eye, Wes saw Fred headed their way. He immediately broke off the conversation and walked to Fred as she was walking to him.

They embraced in a hug and a kiss. Buffy and Willow stood off to the side, awkwardly, diving into a conversation with each other so they were just standing there watching Wes and Fred kiss and converse.

"Welcome back," Fred giggled as she pulled away from the kiss.

"Welcome back to you too. I was worried. You just left."

"I could say the same to you. But I guess everything went as planned. The sarcophagus is back and you and Charles are in one piece."

"Yes, and I assume everything you and Lorne did went okay?"

They pulled apart from their hug. "Well, we did run into something. Or someone, rather. It's actually really strange."

"What are you talking about?"

"Wesley, we ran into Gwen."

"Gwen?" Wesley's eyes widened. "Well, that is rather strange."

"We should go hear what she has to say," Fred suggested.

"In a few more seconds." Wesley kissed Fred again, passionately, glad she was back. If Fred had known he would be this excited to see her, she would've come back sooner.

"Everyone's back," Buffy said to Willow. "I guess that means it's time to move along with the plan. Do you think you're ready, Will?"

"Oh, yeah, I'll-I'll be fine," she stammered nervously. "Okay, so I'm a little nervous. It's understandable, though, right? I mean, what if it doesn't work? Then does that make it my fault? I don't want it to be my fault."

"Nothing will be your fault. Everything will work out."

Willow gulped. "The phones here work, right?"

"Yeah, I think so. Why?"

"I'm gonna call Rome, maybe talk to Kennedy. Then I'll be ready."

"I think it's the middle of the night there," Buffy said. She saw Willow's determined look, though. "Okay, well you better hurry."

Oz, being the only one still awake because he couldn't fall asleep, rushed to the phone to pick it up when he heard it ringing. He didn't want anyone else to wake up. He was on the couch, anyway, and the phone was near.

"Hello?" he answered in a whisper.

"Oh, Oz?" Willow's voice came through the phone in a shocked tone. "Hey, I-I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"No. Couldn't sleep anyway."

"Oh, well then good. Not good that you couldn't sleep, I mean good that I didn't…wake you."

Oz smiled at Willow being Willow. "How's it going?"

"It's alright. Things should be coming to an end soon, hopefully. If everything works out."

"Who's on the phone?" a voice—one that was much closer—spoke up. Oz looked up from the couch to see that Kennedy was standing in front of it, looking down on him. He hadn't seen her there before.

"Willow," Oz answered her.

Kennedy squinted. "Was she calling to talk to you?"

Willow heard this. "Oz, can I please talk to Kennedy? Thanks."

He handed her the phone.

"Hey Willow, baby. How are you? Is everything okay?" Kennedy spoke excitedly as she began walking away. Oz stayed behind on the couch.

"Everything's fine, I think we're almost done here, if everything works out. How are things with you?"

"Okay. I think I managed to calm some Slayers down today to the point where they don't want to come stake Angel."

"Good! But I was actually referring to you and Oz. You seemed kind of rude to him just now." Willow had pure concern in her voice.

Kennedy got to the room they were staying in and closed the door behind her. "Yeah, I'm sorry. It's just…weird. But yeah, we're fine, I guess."

"He's not a bad guy, Kennedy."

"I know. I know. Willow, I just miss you already."

Silence on the other end. "I'll be back soon. Just be nice to Oz, please. For me?"

Kennedy closed her eyes. It was so hard to try and play nice with him, even if he was a "nice guy." She knew she hadn't been too bad or rude or anything lately, though, so she thought she was okay. She would try harder. For Willow.

"In fact, isn't there a full moon coming up?" Willow questioned. Kennedy's eyelids shot open. "Has he said anything about it?"

"No."

"Maybe you should, uh…I don't know. Help him? If he needs help, you know? Like, find a cage if he needs one or some chains or something? Please?"

"Yeah. I'll ask," Kennedy agreed.

"Well, I should get going."

"Well, good luck with whatever's going on. I love you."

"I love you too."

They hung up.

At that point, everyone entered Angel's office. Space was starting to get tight considering Angel, Spike, Lilah (even if she was incorporeal), Connor/Illyria, Lorne, Drogyn, Gwen, Gunn, Anne, Fred, Wes, Buffy, Willow, and a sarcophagus were in the office. In fact, Angel even had to look over the office to make sure he wasn't forgetting anybody. It felt strange without Faith being there, but made sense. She was inside the office.

When Fred and Wes came in, they retreated to the back of the room with Lorne following behind them. Fred wanted to know what Gwen had said, and Lorne gave them a short summary. Both Fred and Wes were surprised as to how Gwen survived Illyria. They were also both thinking about what happened to the device thing Gwen used to be able to touch other people.

After Lorne told them, Fred still thought, though. There was something off about what Lorne had told them. She couldn't place what it was, exactly, but something was off. Or maybe it was just her paranoia.

Abruptly, it was as if the whole office grew quiet.

"Gwen, you've been through something kind of rough, it sounds like," Angel said. "Unfortunately, we do have this situation with Connor to deal with."

Gwen folded her arms and sat back in her seat. "Don't worry about it. I'm kinda tired anyway. Deal with what you need to, and then we'll come back to my problems."

Angel turned to Gunn and Anne, standing together. "So, um… What are we doing here?" he just came out and asked. Last time they had talked about this, Anne wasn't really "officially" decided on her decision.

Anne took a step forward, her thoughts racing. She was sure. Someone had to do it. She could save the world. "I'll do it."

It was so silent in the room you could hear a pin drop.

"Great, let's get on with it then," Lilah spoke up hurriedly.

"You'll have to come here, to the sarcophagus," Drogyn informed Anne. "Once something is done, a sort of dust will pop up. You'll be close and pretty much have no choice but breathe it in. At that point, Illyria is inside of you and should—should—leave Connor. As it's been declared, she'll be in your system, but for a little while—minutes? hours?—you won't fall ill to her quite yet. Apparently, that is the point of opportunity, as it's been decided. Then everything is in the witch's hands."

Willow hated the way he said it. In the witch's hands. It gave everyone the thought that if this failed, it was her fault.

Angel didn't know what to say. He was frightened. If it didn't work… He couldn't think that way. It would work. It would. It had to.

Anne took a step closer to Drogyn and the sarcophagus. Then she turned back, facing Gunn. Daringly, she took a step up to him and kissed him. They both closed their eyes, living in the moment, ignoring everyone and everything around them. Nothing seemed to matter at that moment because it was just them. They pulled apart slowly, unwillingly.

"Do me a favor?" Anne whispered.

"Anything."

"Start a shelter. There are still tons of orphans out there."

With that, she turned away and this time, more confidently it seemed, she walked towards the sarcophagus.

Angel shook his head. "Anne, you can't do this," he spoke up. It wasn't right, he decided. They didn't have to do this.

"Angel, please. We need to. Do you want to kill Connor?"

Angel was silent.

"Then we have no choice. Trust me, it'll work. I can feel it. I want to do this."

Drogyn pointed to Anne where the dust-like Illyria would come out to infect her.

Fred had to turn away, unable to watch. She remembered very clearly how it happened to her. She touched the purple crystal and then she was breathing something in. Then she got checked by some doctors and was declared perfectly fine. But she wasn't perfectly fine. Because then just a little later, she was coughing up blood and very, very weak.

Everyone was watching in exact silence.

It's going to work, Angel repeated over and over to himself to remain hopeful. It's going to work. When Anne does this, there's no going back.

She brought her face down to the sarcophagus.

Drogyn reached to touch the crystal for her.

Fred closed her eyes. And thought of what Lorne said Gwen said. Something wasn't right, something wasn't right, her instinct kept telling her. She was missing something, overlooking it. Gwen.

There was a sound.

And then coughing.

Anne backed up, covering her mouth from the stuff she just breathed in. It was done. She'd done it.

"Are you okay?" Gunn rushed to her, questioning.

"Yeah," she responded. "I don't feel any different or anything."

A loud gasp came from somewhere in the room. Everyone turned to Connor. A bright light had seemingly been turned on inside him, illuminating his insides. Shadows of his bones under his skin under his shirt were visible. Slowly, the light that appeared to be somewhere in his stomach began moving upwards. The blue in Connor's eyes began fading, fading, fading. The light made its way up, up, up…

A small blue blight of nothingness flew out of Connor's mouth and into Anne's. She took another step back, but Gunn caught her so she didn't fall. She closed her eyes tightly then opened them again.

Off to the side, Connor fell to the ground, his own eyes closed, like he passed out. Angel rushed to him, kneeled by him, and checked for a pulse just in case. It was faint, but it was there, and growing stronger. Angel felt like crying. Connor was asleep for now, but he was back. Back. And okay. Alive.

"We should do the spell now, just in case," Willow spoke up quietly. She wanted to have time.

And then Fred realized. Lorne said that Gwen said that now whenever Gwen touched someone or they touched her, electricity came out, obviously now that the L.I.S.A. was gone. In the store, Fred touched Gwen (Gunn had told them before about the device that allowed Gwen to touch); first when handing her some water her hand brushed against Gwen's, and then Gwen claimed to be weak so Fred instinctively tried helping her up. Neither times of contact led Gwen to shoot out electricity.

"She's lying," Fred suddenly spoke up, loudly, not being able to shake the feeling that it was imperative for them to know. They all turned to her. She pointed at Gwen. "What she told you guys was a lie."

A/N: Just a little warning typed thing, I'm planning on finishing this within the next few chapters. Not sure how many more chapters, but definitely within the next few. Thank you.