Willow walked into the kitchen, smiling at Angel as he leaned against the sink.

"Buffy says she'll be ready in just a minute."

Angel nodded.

Willow walked over to Angel, taking a seat at the barstool. "Angel, I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier, but I'm really glad you decided to make things work with Buffy."

"The truth is, Willow, I've been thinking about it for a while. It just took you saying it aloud for it to finally make sense."

"Well Buffy is positively floating right now. I'm happy you two are back together, no matter what Xander says. You just have to ignore him sometimes."

Angel let out a small laugh. "He's just looking out for Buffy. I can't blame the guy for that."

"So…big patrol night, huh?"

"Yeah."

"You don't think you'll run into any more of those warrior vampires, do you?"

Angel shrugged. "I don't know. We might."

"Hey, I'm ready!" Buffy said as she appeared in the doorway. "See, I've got all my little stakes and everything." Buffy showed off the stake hidden in her pocket.

"Well, I guess we should be heading on."

Willow followed the two as they made their way to the front door.

"And you've got your cell phone charged, right?" Willow asked Buffy.

"Yeah, it's…oh, I left it on the table!" Buffy walked over to the living room to retrieve her phone.

"Angel? I know Buffy is pretty good at taking care of herself. But just…keep her safe, will you?"

"I won't let anything happen to her," he promised.

"Quiet night," Angel remarked as he followed Buffy through the maze of tombstones. This was the second cemetery they had patrolled tonight and not one vampire had been in sight, other than him, of course.

Buffy stopped and turned around, giving Angel a smile. "You realize what you just did, don't you?"

Angel shook his head in confusion. "What did I do?"

"You just jinxed it. Now it's going to be anything but a quiet night."

Angel grinned sheepishly. "Sorry."

Buffy smiled at him again. "It's okay. I'm up for a challenge. Let's take the shortcut through here."

As they turned the corner, Angel felt a sense of déjà vu. He'd been here before.

He'd seen that gravestone before too.

He could still smell her blood on it.

"Let's patrol somewhere else," Angel said abruptly.

"Why? We haven't even made it to the crypt yet. That's a popular place for vampires to hide."

"Let's just patrol somewhere else, okay?" Angel insisted, turning around and going back the other way.

"Wait." Buffy stopped and looked around, feeling something familiar about this place. She wasn't sure what it was, but if Angel's sudden shift in mood was any indication, she had a pretty good idea. "This is where you found me, isn't it?"

He wasn't going to mention it, but since she asked, he supposed he should tell her. "Yeah. Did you remember something?"

"No, not really. I just had a feeling that something bad happened to me here. Let's check out around the Bronze."

Buffy took his arm, letting him lead her away from the area. She looked behind her shoulder for a brief moment, staring at the gravestones as they walked away. She tried to remember being here, but all her mind came up with was another missing piece of the puzzle.

"Are you okay?"

Buffy turned to face him, nodding. "Yeah, I'm okay. I was just thinking how you must have felt when you saw—a vampire standing behind you."

Angel reacted quickly and took the vampire off guard, throwing him against a headstone. Before the lone vampire could even get his bearings, Angel drove a stake through his heart.

"How rude of him," Buffy said. "He interrupted our conversation."

"You were saying?" he asked casually, as if the vampire was just a small nuisance.

Buffy took his arm again and walked with him out of the cemetery. "I was saying that I was thinking of what it must have been like for you. When you found me? Must have been pretty scary."

More terrifying then you'll ever know, he thought.

The Magic Box was quiet at this time of night. Anya had already closed up shop, and without customers coming in and out, they could read without any interruptions.

Cordelia looked around the room, noticing it was just the girls here. "Hey, where's Giles? Isn't he usually around here helping us research?"

"He said he was going home to research and have a cup of tea," Anya answered. "His exact words. He's always having tea."

"I think I've read this one already," Tara said, closing a book and exchanging it for another one.

"I know," Willow said, closing her book as well. "They all start to look alike after a while. Maybe we should take a break."

Cordelia closed her book and pushed it away. "I'm all for that."

"Good, then we should gossip!" Anya suggested. "Because that's what women our age do, right? We gossip? So, I'll start. What was the deal with Angel in the shower this morning?"

Cordelia's eyes grew wide. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh no, not this again," Tara said as she pushed her chair away from the table.

Willow tried to suppress her laughter. "Tara walked in on Angel coming out of the shower."

"And I don't want to talk about it anymore," Tara said, coming back to the table with more books.

"Neither of us realized Angel had spent the night."

"So Angel and Buffy are really back together, huh?" Cordelia asked.

Willow nodded. "Yeah, looks like it."

"Xander's still pouting about it," Anya said.

"Xander will get over it," Willow said.

"Well I can't say I was surprised this happened," Cordelia said. "I knew it was just a matter of time, and I hadn't seen Angel all day. I knew something had to be up. So, where are the lovebirds anyway?"

"They took a break from lip-locking long enough to go for a patrol," Willow said with a smile.

"So how's that going to work?" Anya asked. "Angel lives in L.A., and Buffy's here in Sunnydale. That's like a two hour drive just to see each other every day. Someone's going to have to move. I couldn't stand to be that far away from Xander, even if it is only two hours."

"Well, the Hellmouth needs a slayer," Willow said. "So I guess that leaves Angel. But Angel can be anywhere though."

"So wait, what will this mean for you and Wesley?" Tara asked, turning to Cordelia. "If Angel stays here, what will happen to Angel Investigations? Will you stay in Sunnydale too, or will you go back to L.A.?"

Cordelia shrugged. "I'm not really sure. We haven't really talked about it. I think I'll just wait and see how this whole Buffy/Angel thing plays out. I mean, who really knows? By the end of the summer, they could break up again."

Willow turned to Cordelia. "No, don't say that!"

"Well come on, Willow, it's kind of their thing. Get together, break up, get back together, break up again. I see a pattern."

"Technically they only broke up once," Willow said. "The rest of the time, circumstances just tore them apart."

Not to mention last Thanksgiving, Cordelia thought. "Truth be told, Angel moving back to Sunnydale may not even matter. If my visions continue to be MIA, it might be the end of Angel Investigations anyway. You know, it's weird, but in a strange sort of way, I kind of miss them. Wait, I take that back. I don't miss them. Not that I mind helping people but afterwards…"

"The Powers are probably just taking a vacation," Anya said. "I mean, everyone needs a vacation, right? Even higher beings I imagine."

"I don't think it would be the end of Angel Investigations," Willow said. "Maybe you wouldn't have your visions, but you'd just have to go about helping people in other ways. Like magic for instance. We could even teach you a few spells if you want. Some of them are really useful. Like sometimes when we're looking for—oh my god!" Willow abruptly stood up and raced over to the bookshelf. "I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner!"

"Think of what?" Tara asked.

"I know how to find Maleficus!"

Willow ran her finger along the spines of the books. "Just a minute. Let me find where that book...Ahh! Here it is!" Willow grabbed the book and headed back to her seat. "We can do a locator spell!"

"For vampires?" Anya asked.

Tara frowned. "I'm not sure how that would work, Willow. If you do a locator spell for every vampire in Sunnydale—"

"You're going to get a lot of hits," Cordelia finished.

Willow flipped through the book and found the page she was looking for. "Not if we do the modified version." She looked up from the book, grinning widely. "You girls want to help?"

Willow, Tara, Anya, and Cordelia sat crossed-legged on the floor in a circle; candles and a map of Sunnydale in the middle.

"Light those candles, Tara," Willow instructed as she handed her the lighter.

"So how does this work again?" Cordelia asked.

"When I do the incantation and Thespia is called, a light should appear over the map. If it works, it'll show us where Maleficus is located. For the moment anyway."

Willow went about sprinkling powder around the map until the paper was enclosed in a circle.

"Candles are lit," Tara said.

"Good. Let's join hands," Willow suggested, taking Tara's right hand and Anya's left. "If we combine our energies, the spell will be stronger, especially if we all concentrate on finding Maleficus."

Willow closed her eyes and began.

"Thespia, we walk in shadow, walk in blindness. You are the protector of the night. Thespia, goddess, ruler of all darkness, we implore you, open a window to the world of the undead. Seek the one who calls himself 'Maleficus'. With your knowledge may we go in safety. With your grace may we speak of your benevolence."

Willow opened her eyes, and before them appeared a small sphere of blue light.

Willow laughed. "Look at that! It worked!"

The girls watched as the blue light began making slow circles around the edges of the map.

"What's it doing?" Cordelia asked.

"It's locating," Willow said. "Once it finds where Maleficus is hiding, it'll float down to that location on the map."

The ball continued its revolution a few more times before drifting to the center of the map, too high to pinpoint any one location.

"Just give it a minute," Willow said, looking around. "I think it's getting closer."

The little bubble of light suddenly popped, showering beads of light down on the map before fizzling out.

"That's it?" Cordelia asked.

"I don't think it's supposed to do that," Anya said.

"Maybe you did the spell wrong," Cordelia said to Willow.

Tara looked at Willow. "No, I don't think you did it wrong, Willow."

Willow shook her head. "No, maybe I did. You're right, Anya, it's not supposed to do that. Maybe we should try it again."

After a quick sweep around the Bronze, Buffy and Angel headed to another cemetery. There, they found their second vampire for the night. Then a third and a fourth.

It hadn't occurred to Buffy until they saw the fifth vampire that she hadn't actually done any slaying at all.

The first vampire Angel took out without hesitating.

The second vampire started in on Buffy, and Angel finished him off.

The third and fourth vampire attacked the pair together, but it was Angel who delivered the final blow to each of them.

Maybe it had been coincidence, she thought as her fingers wrapped around her stake. But this vampire who was fighting her now? He was all hers.

"I've got it!" Angel said, pulling the vampire off Buffy and promptly turning him to dust.

Angel dusted his hands and turned to Buffy. "Are you okay?" he asked her, his eyes full of concern.

"I'm fine. He barely touched me."

"Good. Let's sweep this area one more time then patrol one of the other cemeteries."

Buffy reluctantly fell in line behind him. "What do you think you're doing back there?"

It was the tone in her voice that gave Angel pause. "Is something…wrong?"

"Yes, something's wrong!" she spat out, anger in her eyes. "I'm not making any progress!"

"What do you mean? We dusted five vampires in nearly two hours. I say that's doing pretty good."

"No, we haven't dusted any. You have! Look at me! I haven't even worked up a sweat. I've barely had time to practice any new moves. And more importantly, I haven't thought of any witty puns!" Buffy, finished with her rant, sat down on a nearby headstone and pouted.

"I guess I have sort of taken over this, huh?"

"Yeah, you sort of have. I don't understand, Angel. You're the one person who doesn't treat me like I'm some little girl who needs protecting, but all of a sudden, you're not letting me fight at all. What was all that training for anyway? I thought you said I was ready."

Angel sat down beside her on the gravestone. "Buffy, I'm sorry. You are ready, and I didn't intend for you to think I thought otherwise. I hadn't realized what I was doing tonight. I know you can hold your own out here, and I don't doubt you can protect yourself. It's just I keep picturing you on the ground unconscious, bleeding out by that headstone we passed earlier. I'd give anything to have that never happen to you again."

Despite the fact that Buffy was a little miffed at his behavior, she gave him a smile. "Angel, I love that you want to protect me and keep me safe, but I have to fight my own battles. I have to know that I can do this again. I'm the Slayer. I have to fight. If I can't be the slayer I was before…"

"You can, Buffy. You can do this again."

"So let me. Okay?"

"You can't ask me to never worry about you."

"I'm not asking you to never worry about me, Angel. I want someone to look out for me, but only when I need it. I just need to know you've got my back."

"I'll always have your back."

Buffy smiled. "Good. So we're on the same page?"

Angel nodded. "Yes, we are."

"You know it goes both ways, right?"

"What does?"

"The worrying. I have your back too. Always."

"Maybe we should get back to patrolling then?" Angel suggested.

Buffy nodded, standing up. "Yeah."

"I actually meant right now," Angel said, indicating somewhere over Buffy's shoulder.

"We have company, huh?"

A new vampire, fresh out of the grave, was making his way over to her.

Buffy turned around and staked the vamp, who put up very little resistance.

"That was too easy," Buffy said, frowning. "Guess he hadn't had his nightly cup of blood yet."

Angel smiled. "Then let's go find one that's a little more challenging," he said.

Buffy took his hand and walked with him. "Not too challenging though," she said softly.

"Don't worry. I've got your back, remember?"

Buffy leaned against his arm, smiling. It was so good to have Angel back.

A/N: I wanted to explain Angel for a moment. I hope I haven't portrayed Angel like he thinks Buffy is weak or that she can't protect herself, because he doesn't. Angel knows that Buffy can take care of herself. And he also knows that she's quite capable of kicking some serious vampire butt. It's just that when he walked past that spot where he found her, he was reminded again of how close he came to losing her, hence the overwhelming need to suddenly protect her. So that's what that was all about. But Buffy set him straight, and next time, he won't be as controlling.

Now, regarding Willow and her magic: This is season four Willow, and I feel that she's still in her early stages of magic learning. She's more advanced than she was before, but she hasn't quite reached the level of de-ratting Amy yet. Tara's sort of in the same place. She knows probably about as much magic as Willow does, but as she's stated before, Willow seems to advance a lot quicker. As for the locator spell, I haven't really paid much attention to how they're done on the show, but I wanted to put my own spin on things anyway, so if it seems different, that's why. Also, I borrowed some dialogue from "Goodbye Iowa" from a spell Willow and Tara were doing, because I, unlike Willow and Tara, don't know anything about magic, lol.

As for Cordelia…there's really no particular reason why she hasn't had any visions lately. She's had breaks in visions before on the show. It's certainly not the end of them.

Until 26…thanks for reading everyone! :)