Buffy stalked through the graveyard quickly. The tingle at her neck and the pricking of her skin weren't something to ignore. She felt him and knew he was close.
"What do you want, Angel?" She planted a hand on her hip. "The lurking has really gotten old."
"I heard you'd taken up with Spike, but he isn't around. Every scent trail is at least a week old." Angel stepped out of the shadows and examined her. "Where is he?"
"You're not going to find him here." Buffy smirked. "His last letter put him in Barcelona. He seems rather taken with a Cathedral there. Says the architect was a bloody genius."
"What's he doing in Spain?" Angel cocked his head.
"He's spending his days going through old occult shops and the like and his evenings making sure Dawn actually sees some of the sights." Buffy chuckled. "According to her last letter, he's a wanker that insists on taking her to see things and never lets her have any fun. I think she doth protest too much."
"What do you mean?" Angel furrowed his brow.
"I imagine she gets to do a fair amount of dancing and being carefree." Buffy took a deep breath and glanced to her left. She pounced and dusted the vampire trying to sneak up on them. "Spike sends pictures. He wants me to know she's getting to do things. He gets that it's important."
"He gets what?" Angel rolled his eyes. "Spike gets something? He's a fool, Buffy. The only thing he was ever any good at was keeping Drusilla happy."
"You would know." Buffy waved her hand dismissively. "Why are you here, Angel? Last I checked, your territory is Los Angeles."
"I heard that Spike was taking advantage of you." Angel crossed his arms over his chest. "I couldn't let that happen."
"What exactly couldn't you let happen?" Buffy leaned against a headstone and tossed her stake from hand to hand. "Consensual sex?"
"I know you wouldn't, not with Spike." Angel shook his head.
"Then why are you here?" Buffy caught the stake in her left hand and spun it on her palm. "Why drive all the way here for something you know couldn't be true?"
"I don't want him taking advantage of you." Angel huffed. "Willow said you made her move out and let him move in."
"Willow said?" Buffy plucked her cell from her pocket. "I guess we need a meeting with the whole gang. Anya is so not going to be happy. They just got back from their honeymoon."
"What are you talking about?" Angel stepped closer to her, but Buffy held up her finger at him. "Tara, can you call everyone to The Magic Box in an hour? I know. Anya won't be happy, but Angel is here. She can take it out on him."
Wes sat down at the table. Last week, they had nearly lost Buffy to a fantasy world that had been more appealing than this one. This week Angel had arrived as predicted by Spike. Tara, Anya, and Xander all seemed disturbed by this latest news, but Willow did not.
The young witch was supposedly resisting the call of magic, but he didn't believe it. His own magic was unsettled around her, and Buffy was agitated in her presence.
"I need to increase the protection spells on the herb storage." Anya frowned. "The lemon balm is almost gone, but we don't have any large sales on record."
"Maybe someone rang it up under the wrong name." Willow smiled. "That new girl doesn't seem very focused."
"I'll go through the books tomorrow." Anya huffed. "I don't see why we all have to be here to deal with Angel."
"I think Buffy is trying to include us." Xander plopped into his usual seat. "I'm taking it as a good sign. She isn't getting groiny with the undead again."
"How has she been since Dawn left? I mean outside of last week's mess." Tara sighed and turned toward Wes with a smile. "She isn't around much."
"She's been taking longer patrols." Wes sighed. "This time of year usually brings trouble."
"See!" Xander chortled. "She's out doing her thing, keeping the world safe."
Wes met Tara's eyes and ignored the urge to harangue the fools that still refused to see the damage they had done. Willow and Xander hadn't truly grasped the significance of their act. Wes recognized the pain and sorrow in Tara. Anya's discomfort was harder to see, but he was so familiar with guilt that she wasn't able to conceal it from him.
The bell over the front door rang and Wes looked towards the door to see Buffy and Angel enter. His own guilt rose, nearly choking him.
"What is he doing here?" Angel snarled and Buffy slammed her palm against his chest to keep the vampire from attacking.
"He's part of my team, now." Buffy stepped in front of Angel and poked him in the chest with one finger. "My city, my rules. You spared Faith. I'm keeping Wesley. If you can't deal, you can leave."
"Do you know what he did?" Angel stepped back from the slayer.
"He made a mistake. He was played." Buffy never looked away from Angel. "We all have been a time or two. Even you."
"My son is in some hell dimension with a mad man because of him." Angel glared at him over Buffy's head.
"So, Wesley drove this man crazy? Wes somehow moved through time and brought all this down on you?" Buffy poked Angel in the chest with every word. "Is it easier to blame him than yourself?"
"Wes didn't keep Connor safe." Angel shoved a hand through his hair. "He didn't believe in me."
"It is easier." Buffy shook her head. "You are responsible for that madman. You are responsible for Acathla. You are responsible for Jenny. You need to see it. You need to accept your weakness. Help the helpless all you want, but own up to the fact that you are the author of your own problems."
"How can you say that?" Angel looked at Buffy with wide eyes. "My soul..."
"Doesn't change a thing. Spike did more for us without one than you ever did with one." Buffy rolled her eyes as Angel scoffed. "He didn't break when a hell god tortured him. He loves Dawn. He loved my mother."
"And you?" Angel grabbed her shoulder. "Willow was right to call me. Something is wrong with you."
"Spike loves me. Maybe we got things wrong for a bit, but we've set it right. He's family. He'd dust before he let harm come to me or to Dawnie. That's why he's in Spain with her." Buffy shrugged off Angel's hand. "I trust him a damn sight more than I do you. When Willow called you, you didn't call me. You came down here and stalked me. You're not even very good at it. Wesley is living with me, too, so why didn't you scent him? Was it because you were only looking for a reason to hurt Spike or to control me?"
"I don't want to control you." Angel stepped back and held his hands up. "I want to help."
"If you wanted to help me, you would offer help to me, not come running at Willow's beck and call. You want me to behave the way you deem I should, and that's not okay." Buffy looked from Angel to Willow. "You both seem to want me to behave the way you think I should. Dragging Angel into this mess is not cool, Wil. You called him. I told you I needed you out of the house because I need to have a safe place for Dawn and for me. I need that. It makes living a little bit easier."
"Willow should call me if she thinks you're off the rails, Buffy." Angel tried to grab her shoulder again, but she blocked his hand with a sweep of her arm.
"Shut up, Angel." Buffy stepped toward Willow. "You called him here, but he didn't get here fast enough. Spike isn't around for him to kill. It sucks when your little chess pieces don't move quite the way you want them to, doesn't it."
"Buffy, it's not like that." Willow blinked and pressed a hand to her chest. "Angel cares about you. I just wanted to be sure you're safe."
"I'm not buying the act." Buffy rolled her eyes. "I started keeping a journal after the Lethe's Bramble. Anya helped me pick it out. It can't be altered by magic. I noticed minor discrepancies a couple of days ago. So, I went through the whole thing. You've been messing with my mind again, and I'm willing to bet that you've done the same to the others."
"You switched herbs on us. Lemon balm won't wipe a memory. It will soften it. It will allow it to be altered." Anya slapped the counter. "You lied about one of my employees, and you stole from the shop"
"What have you been doing to us, Willow?" Tara looked at the red headed witch with a look of panic on her face.
"What has Willow done?" Xander looked between Buffy and Anya.
"I wanted to make things easier for Buffy. She misses Heaven. I get it." Willow held her hands up. "So, I muted her memories of it. I didn't do anything bad. I made things easier for her."
"You promised us no more magic." Tara stood up and pushed her chair back. "I can't believe you did this again."
"I'm not her pawn." Angel snarled and grabbed at Buffy again, but she ducked and slipped to the side.
"I told you." Willow looked directly at Angel. "She isn't herself. Letting Spike move into her house, letting Wesley live there. It isn't like her. She needs your help."
Angel lunged for Buffy, but she evaded him again. Wes felt a tingle along his spine as Tara started chanting in Welsh. He noticed things beginning to glow all around them.
"What are you doing, Baby?" Willow looked at Tara with alarm.
"After you tried to control us all, I started studying defensive and protective spells. I didn't feel safe." Tara closed her eyes and swallowed. "No knowledge gained from these books will aid you. No substance bought or borrowed from these stores will work for you. So mote it be."
Chaos erupted all around them. Xander screeched and sprang between Anya and Willow. Wes shaded his eyes as lights flared around the shop and buffeted Willow about on winds that only she could feel. He slid a stake out of his pocket and focused on Angel. If Willow was working with dark magics, Angel could not be considered reliable.
Angel and Buffy were putting on a nice display of their supernatural speed. She was easily blocking or evading his attacks while limiting his space to move. Buffy grabbed Angel's arm and swung him over her head to land flat on his back.
"Stop!" She pressed a stake to his chest. "Don't make me send you to hell again. I don't want that."
Angel stared up into her face and his demonic visage melted away. He blinked and glanced down at her hands. Buffy pressed the point against his skin with a bit more force.
"Go back to Los Angeles." Buffy took a deep breath and sprang up with her stake at the ready. "This is my hell mouth. Go home. Deal with your own problems. I do not want your help."
"Willow thinks you need help." Angel remained still on the floor.
"I think Willow is the one that needs help." Buffy sighed. "You might want to make sure your soul is good and stuck. Being Willow's plaything isn't much fun."
"You're keeping Wes." Angel looked away from Buffy and glared at him. "He can't be trusted."
"That's your opinion." Buffy planted her hands on her hips. "You've shared it. I don't agree. Go back to Los Angeles. Find your son. Take care of your own business and stay the hell out of mine."
"I'll go." Angel pushed up to his feet and stood with his shoulders slumped. "It's obvious you don't want me here."
Wes glared at Xander to keep him from taunting the vampire. Angel didn't need the added aggravation. Tara and Anya looked exhausted. Willow was gone.
"We need to put up some protective spells." Anya looked around the store. "Willow can't use things she bought here against us, but there are other stores in Sunnydale. Angel really should make sure his soul is safe. No one wants him running free without it."
Wes looked over at Angel to gauge his reaction.
"Willow wouldn't do that." Angel shook his head. "She always been a sweet girl."
"Willow is going through a rough patch." Wes sighed. "She worked some powerful magic to pull Buffy back. Now, she's being seduced. You could very well be in danger."
"Well, what am I supposed to do?" Angel looked at them each in turn.
"If we knew how to fix your problems, we would." Buffy rolled her eyes. "The best thing is for you to go. If you aren't around, she'll be less likely to try anything with you."
Angel nodded curtly and stalked out of the store. Wes watched him disappear into the night while Buffy helped clean up. Anya and Tara began a new set of chants strengthening the stores protections. He took a deep breath as one chapter of his life was definitely closed.
"It will be okay." Buffy passed him a broom. "Angel never stays gone for long, so enjoy the space he's giving you. He'll turn up with a problem only we can solve someday. He will act like there's never been an issue and then, poof, he disappears into the ether. I think that's why Spike calls him the great poof."
Wes turned to Buffy and saw the spark of mischief in her eyes.
"I may have to tell William about this theory." Wes smirked.
"We need to get it on video." Buffy nodded and chuckled as she lifted a display stand back into place. "I could put it with all the family movies Mom kept. We could pull it out at the holidays for fun."