"Don't call me Deadboy," Angel growled, keeping his voice low.

"You didn't answer my question, Overbite," Xander glared at the vampire. "Where are we? And why are you whispering?"

Angel tilted his head to the side and raised a finger to his lips, motioning for Xander to remain silent. The boy raised his eyebrows, anger and curiosity etched on his features. The vampire listened a moment before turning back to his companion.

"Bronze's basement."

Xander shook his head. "Here we go with the cryptic guy routine," he muttered.

Angel glared at the boy. "I heard that."

"Whoop-de-do!"

"I should have just let them drag you away," Angel glowered, glancing around the open space.

Xander flopped down on a ratty old couch and sighed. "What are you talking about? Who are 'they?'"

"What is this, Twenty Questions?"

Xander held his hand to his chest and pretended to be shocked. "Was that a joke?"

"I don't make jokes. This is serious," Angel stared at Xander.

"That's a shocker," the boy replied. "Look, I just want to know what is going on here."

"I was patrolling when I saw three vampires dragging you away from the cemetery. I dusted them and pulled you down here. Now we're waiting until the coast is clear."

"That explains why my head hurts," Xander mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. He could feel a lump beginning to form. "Why?"

"Why what?" Angel turned back, confused.

"Why'd you save me?"

"Let's see, how can I say this clearly?" Angel commented in a way that was vaguely familiar to the boy. "I don't like you. At the end of the day, I pretty much think you're an idiot. But Buffy's got this big ole yen for you. And for the life of me…"

"Don't you mean unlife?" Xander interrupted. He narrowed his eyes at the room's co-occupant. "And come up with your own lines."

"I obviously made the wrong choice by saving you," Angel glared back at the dark-haired boy. He didn't understand how Buffy could choose this…this child…over him. Things had been going so well. Sure, he was well over two hundred years older than her. But he loved her and he thought that she had loved him, too. But then Buffy had died and everything had changed. Xander brought her back to life when Angel couldn't. And how did Buffy repay him? She kissed him, leaving Angel to witness it all. From that moment on, all of Buffy's soft looks and tender touches belonged to Xander and Xander alone. The Slayer had tried to explain what had happened to the vampire, but her reasons had fallen on deaf ears. Angel just didn't get it.

Xander sighed and stood up, "Well, if we're done with the glaring here…" he said as he made his way to the door.

"Wait," Angel commanded. Xander stopped and turned around. "There's something out there."

Xander glanced around the room. Straining his ears, he listened for any sound. "I don't hear anything."

"It's not making any noise," Angel explained.

"Then how…"

"I just feel it. Something is out there and it's beckoning to me. Calling something deep inside."

Xander backed away slightly. "You're not gonna get all ugly on me, are you?"

The vampire glared at him. "Just sit and stay for a while," he ordered.

"Whatever," the boy dropped back down on the couch. "Hey Angel?"

"And be quiet," Angel snapped.

Xander smirked, knowing he had scored a small victory. "Ain't gonna happen, Deadboy!"



*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~



Giles shut the door behind him, the click echoing in his mind. Willow sat on the couch, her eyes red and puffy from her tears. Together, they had searched the entire town, finding nothing. No vampires, no demons, and no Xander either.

Willow stared straight ahead, her body numb with exhaustion. She didn't want to think about what could have happened to her best friend. The redhead turned to the Watcher. "Giles?"

"Hmmm?" The man turned to the young girl, startled from his own thoughts.

"Is Xander okay?"

Giles inwardly winced at the quiet pleading in her voice. He saw no reason to dash her hopes, at least not yet. "I'm sure he's fine."

Willow could tell Giles was just trying to make her feel better, but it still helped to hear him say that out loud. She felt like she was barely holding onto her sanity. At the moment, she didn't know if Xander was dead or alive. And to make matters worse, her other best friend was being stalked by an unknown entity. The Slayer was currently on her own. Willow inhaled sharply. "What are we going to tell Buffy?"

Giles stopped and pondered her question. "We can't let Buffy know anything just yet," he announced. "We must wait until we know more."

The redhead nodded. There was no sense in worrying Buffy when she couldn't do anything to help anyway. Not unless there was something to worry about. Willow jumped as the phone rang. She cast a nervous glance at Giles. This late, er, early in the morning, it could only by one person.

"H-hello," Giles spoke into the receiver. "Uh, Buffy, how was patrol?"

"Patrol was fine, Giles. Is Xander there?" the Slayer asked.

"Xander? No, he went home to, uh, p-pack some things for tonight."

Willow offered Giles a weak smile for his quick thinking.

"Oh, he did? I just wanted to talk to him."

"Well, I could always relay a message to him. Or you could always just…" Giles voice trailed off when he noticed Willow shaking her head vigorously. He remembered that the girl could not lie to her best friend.

"I could just what?…Giles?" Buffy was growing annoyed with her Watcher's behavior.

"What?" Buffy voice brought Giles back to the present. "Oh, you could a-always talk to him w-when we get there."

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, I…"

Giles stopped paying attention when movement on the other side of the room caught his eye. The doorknob turned and the door quickly opened to reveal the missing boy.

Willow jumped up when she saw Xander standing in the doorway. She vaulted herself forward into his arms. "Xander! Oh my god! We thought you were dead!"

Xander laughed and pulled back slightly. "Easy, Wills. I'm fine." He looked at the Watcher who was staring at him in shock. "Really," he assured the older man.

"What happened to you?" Willow looked at her friend with a curious stare. Xander looked fine, not a scratch on him. The young girl didn't know whether to hug him and never let him go or be angry that he made her worry for no reason.

"I'll explain later," Xander promised. Before Willow could argue Xander motioned at the phone. "I'm gonna assume that's my girlfriend you have hanging there."

Giles looked at Xander and then at the phone. "What. Oh, by all means." The Watcher handed the phone over to the boy.

"Buffy?" Xander spoke into the phone. "Buff?" Getting no response, he turned to Giles. "How long did you have her waiting?"

"Only a few moments," Giles answered, confused. "Why?"

Xander was already dialing the now familiar number to Buffy's father. "She hung up."

Willow watched as Xander turned away from her, waiting for Buffy to answer the phone. A faint pain shot through her chest, reminding her that Xander was not hers and never would be. She wasn't the first person he thought of anymore. Xander had someone else in his life and she had to learn to deal with it. But nights like this only served as a reminder that they led dangerous lives. Just knowing Buffy was enough to get them killed. Willow feared that Xander's newfound intimacy with the Slayer was the cause of his disappearance earlier.

"Buffy?" Xander spoke into the receiver. "Come on, Buff. It's me, you're lovable cuddle puppy. Buffy? Look, Giles didn't mean to leave you on hold there. I scared him." Xander paused for a few moments. Then he smiled. "Hey baby! You forgive me?"

"I forgive you, of course. But Giles made me mad," Buffy pouted.

Xander turned to the older man. "Lucy, you have some 'splaining to do."

Giles shared an annoyed look with Willow and walked over to his books. Pulling one out, he sat down to do some more research. He knew the phone call could go on for a while.

Willow followed Giles' lead and sat down in one of the armchairs. She tried her best not to listen to Xander's voice spouting all of the words she longed to hear. It was getting easier to do every day, but she still had a ways to go.

"I love you, too. I'll see you tonight," Xander smiled as he began to hang up the phone. With a laugh, he yelled, "I promise, now get some sleep!"

Willow turned when she heard the phone slam into its cradle. She raised her eyebrows and faced her oldest friend. "Well?"

"Well what?" Xander was momentarily confused.

The redhead winced slightly at seeing Xander's excited grin. He was always so happy now. She sighed and turned her focus back to her question. "What happened?"

"Oh yeah, that," Xander hopped over the back of the couch, landing on the cushions with a thump. Giles shot him a look of disapproval, which Xander swiftly disregarded. "Deadboy said he saved me from a bunch of vampires. Guess they were dragging me away."

"Angel was there?" Giles asked, surprised. "And where is he now?"

"Too close to daybreak. Had to jet through the lovely sewer systems. Man that guy travels first class, let me tell you."

Willow interrupted. "That's it? He saved you? Where were you?"

Xander sighed. "He saved me, but I was unconscious. When I came to, we were in the Bronze's basement. I don't know why we stayed there so long. I didn't hear anything, but Angel was acting all weird."

"How so?" Giles inquired.

"Well, he's back to being cryptic guy," Xander mentioned. "Not that he ever stopped." He continued. "He mentioned something trying to summon him. Well, not him exactly, but something deep inside. Possibly Angelus."

Willow paled as Xander thought. "Angelus?" she squeaked. "But that can't happen, can it Giles?"

Giles thought carefully before answering. "Well, I don't believe so. Angel is cursed and as far as I know, there is no escape clause from it. I'll have to do some research."

"Well, you research. I'm gonna go get some sleep," Xander announced. He glanced at his friend. "You coming, Wills?"

"No, I'm just going to…"

Giles interrupted. "Willow. You should go get some sleep. And pack some clothes. You're going to LA with us. We'll leave at dusk."

"But," Willow argued. She needed some time away from Buffy and Xander to help her heart heal. Then she noticed Xander. He stood in front of her with wide, puppy-dog eyes and a pouting lower lip. She smiled. "Why so early? I thought you weren't leaving until after patrol."

"We must wait so I can inform Angel of our plans and he can leave his apartment. But I feel it would be best for us to get to Buffy as soon as possible." Giles explained.

"And I couldn't agree with you more, G-man!" Xander smiled. He turned to Willow. "Can I sleep at your place?"

She returned his smile as they headed toward the door. "Where else would you sleep?" She turned to wave at the Watcher, but he was buried in his book. With a small sigh, Willow pulled the front door closed behind her and followed Xander into the early morning air.