Chapter 24
Angel, Conner, Willow, Xander, and Anya stood in the dining room looking at Buffy and a crying Dawn. Angel was still hurt, but he knew it wasn't Buffy's fault. There was something making her do this.
"It's a spell." Angel said. "I smelled it when we walked in the room."
"You can smell spells?" Willow asked.
"It's like burnt atmosphere. You know, like after lightning."
"And you smelled it when you were in there?" Xander asked.
"Yeah. It was coming off of that kid, R.J."
"But Mom's going to be fine, right? I mean, she's not going to be going after R.J. like some sad puppy?" Conner asked.
"Once we figure out what spell's been used on her." Xander said. "Which, hopefully, will be soon."
"Are you ok?" Willow asked, pulling Angel into the kitchen.
"I'm fine. The spell only works on women obviously."
"No, I meant.. You walked in on Buffy, the love of your life, about to do some other guy."
"I don't know exactly what I feel Willow. I love her so much it hurts sometimes. A part of me wants to be so angry with her that I'll never forgive her. But a bigger part of me says that it was just a spell that's making her crazy. And a small part of me says I deserve this."
"Why? Why would you deserve Buffy cheating on you?" Angel looked Willow in the eyes, trying to get the point that he was caught kissing another woman. "Oh. You mean that Gwen girl."
"Yeah. Buffy walked in on her kissing me. It's only fair that she should go for some other guy."
"Angel, no it's not. Don't ever, EVER think that way about Buffy. She would never do that to you. You're the one person she would never.. COULD never do that to. If it weren't for you, who knows how depressed she would be right now. Hell, she might even be dead. Before you came back into her life, she was a train wreck. Sleeping with Spike, not talking to us.. She had shut down completely. When you left her after graduation and those years afterwards, she had shut down enough to lock out anyone who was willing to love her. The one thing that made her smile truly was when she saw you. She talked to me after you came to visit when her mother died and she was in the best mood I'd ever seen her in. She told me all about your kiss and the way she had missed your arms around her. Then when she found out she was pregnant with YOUR baby, she was beaming. Even though Giles had just left us, she still glowed with more joy than I'd ever seem on anyone. And she's been the old Buffy, the Buffy we all love, ever since. Sure, she has relapses. It's gonna happen. Repercussions of being ripped from heaven back into Sunnydale by her friends. But when she's with you, she's Buffy. We'll figure out how to break this spell. I promise."
Angel stared at Willow for a long moment and then pulled her into a hug. The red headed witch stiffened a little then melted into his embrace and hugged him back. "Thank you Willow. You're the best thing to happen to both Buffy and me."
"Anytime Angel. Not let's get in there and figure out what's gonna get Buffy back."
They walked into the living room where Dawn was still crying. Conner was sitting on the chair while Xander and Anya stood beside Buffy.
"Dawn, please stop crying. Please? Crying isn't going to make his love for me go away, you know." Buffy said.
"Listen, you're under a love spell." Xander said.
"You're right." Buffy turned back to Dawn. "He's right. You're under a spell. Oh, poor little Dawnie."
"But we're working on it. It'll be better soon." Willow said.
"Yes. Soon neither one of you will be in love with this boy." Anya added.
"He's not a boy." Buffy said.
"What do you know about our love? It's true and real. This isn't magic. This is my heart." Dawn said.
"Fine." Anya said.
"We'll be working." Xander said.
"Look, I know this feels terrible, but it isn't real. Try to hold onto that." Willow said.
"Did you hear that? It isn't real. You're just crazy." Buffy said to Dawn.
"It is so real! I love him. You knew how I felt.. like I finally found something, and you betrayed me." Dawn said.
"I betrayed you? You're the one that constructed this elaborate fantasy about you and my lover."
"Your lover? You're lover! You're married!"
"Guys.. Guys.." Willow said.
"I tried to get you to back away." Buffy said.
"That's right! You lied to me!" Dawn said.
"Did you want me to tell you that he's in love with me? That your little crush is hopeless?"
"It's not a crush! Stop. You're not supposed to do this."
"Why? Because he's younger than me? You know, I'm extremely youthful. And peppy."
"No, because you were the one I trusted." Dawn ran upstairs and slammed her door.
"Dawn, wait!" Buffy ran up after her.
Xander, Angel, Willow, and Anya walked into the dining room and started to page through old tomes. Willow booted up her laptop and started researching on the net. Conner came in and started to help after a little bit. Buffy and Dawn yelled at each other upstairs for a little while before stopping.
"Crazy little lust puppies, aren't they?" Anya said.
"Well, at least the yelling went away. It was starting to sound like Christmas morning with my family." Xander said.
"Love spells. People forget how dangerous they can be." Angel said, without looking up from the book he was reading.
"Hey, been there." Xander went off into some little dream world. He came dreamily back with, "Good times."
"Here. Something." Willow said, turning her laptop around. Angel looked up just as Buffy came in.
"She's locked her door. That spell has her good and loopy." Buffy said.
"Info on one R.J. Brooks."
"Oh, lemme see. Is there a picture?"
"Family stuff. Hey, I knew his brother. He was a big jock at Sunnydale High too. Couple years ahead of us. He used to stick chewing gum in my hair. Huh." Xander said.
"What're you thinking?" Willow asked.
"Well, I think my relationship with R.J.'s brother was complex at best, but.. maybe he's a way in."
"Now, look for a picture." Buffy said to Willow.
"Ok, that's it!" Angel stood up. Buffy squealed as Angel lifted her over his shoulder. "Xander, go check out this guys brother."
"Angel, put me down!"
"Buffy, shut up. Willow, keep looking up spells. I'm taking Buffy upstairs."
"What are you gonna do to her?" Willow asked.
"Try and break this spell myself."
"Oh."
"I'm going with uncle Xander! I don't want to be around for that. I have to put up with that video in Sex Ed. You know, the one where they show the baby being born. And how it was made." Conner said, putting his coat on and heading out after Xander.
"I guess Anya and I are stuck here researching and watching out for the lust puppies. All three of them." Willow said, eyeing Angel.
"But you don't even know him!" Willow yelled.
"Yes, I do. I looked into him and saw his soul." Anya yelled back.
"He was walking away, so unless his soul was in his ass.."
"A.J. is my best friend and my dearest darling.."
"It's R.J. And what you were picking up on was his deep caring and devotion to me."
Buffy came downstairs with Dawn in tow. "What's going on?"
"Willow thinks she's in love with my boyfriend, R.J." Anya said.
"What? No! You two can't do this." Dawn yelled.
"Willow, you're a gay woman." Buffy said. Willow shrugged. "And he isn't."
"This isn't about his physical presence. It's about his heart." Willow retorted.
"His physical presence has a penis!" Anya yelled.
"I can work around it!"
"This isn't fair! How can you all be doing this to me?" Dawn whined.
"Ok, wait. Everyone wait. Just calm down, ok? I-I think I know what this is. Clearly, you've both been affected by the same love spell that got Dawn." Buffy said.
"Uh! This isn't a spell. He owns my heart. He can't own yours! You're heart's already owned. What happened to Angel?"
"He's.. asleep."
Upstairs:
Angel yanked on the handcuffs, but Buffy had locked his arms in a weird position and he couldn't get enough leverage to break the cuffs. He had had Buffy locked to the bed with the handcuffs and was talking to her about how much he loved her when she tempted him to come over to her. He had gotten on top of her and grasped one of her hands as he started to kiss her. That was when Buffy had locked his wrist in one cuff. She flipped him so he was on bottom and she overpowered him, pulling his other wrist into the other cuff.
"Buffy?! Anyone!?" Angel called, yanking again on the cuffs.
Back Downstairs:
"Now Dawn, be quiet. We're trying to work this out. We don't need you interfering." Buffy said.
"There's a simple answer to this. Just think about who loves him the most. Clearly I do, since I'm willing to look past the whole orientation thing." Willow said.
"I need him." Dawn said.
"Well, you're gonna have to do better than that." Anya said. "I'd kill for him."
"You'd kill for a chocolate bar." Willow scoffed at Anya.
"No. Yes! Kill for him." Buffy said. "I'm the slayer. Slayer means kill. Oh, I'll kill the principal."
"Ooh, that is hard to top." Anya said.
"Yeah, well I have skills. I can prove my love with magic." Willow said.
"Yeah, right. What're you gonna do.. use magic to make him into a girl?" Willow's eyes widened. "Damn."
Willow went upstairs, Anya went out the front door, Buffy went to the living room, and Dawn stood still, leaning against the wall. Buffy came back, turned around to get her jacket from the foyer, and stopped to talk to Dawn.
"Sorry, Dawnie. You're never gonna get him." Buffy said.
"No. Never." Dawn said.
"Guys?!" Xander called, coming in with Conner behind him. Spike had stayed at the apartment while Faith had been out on patrol and nowhere to be found. "Anyone here?" Xander heard the sounds of banging against the wall upstairs. "I guess mommy and daddy ain't done."
"No, they are. Cause mom's not here." Conner took off up the stairs and into Buffy and Angel's room. "Dad!"
Angel laid on the bad rattling the cuffs against the bars on the bed. "Hey Conner."
"Is this your way of saying I love you?" Xander asked.
"No. Buffy was originally the one chained to the bed, but she managed to escape and chain ME to the bed. Can you get me out? The keys are on the dresser over there."
Xander went and got the keys and undid Angel. "I don't even want to know where you got these things."
"Not mine."
"Don't tell me."
"Willow's doing a spell. I can smell the incense."
They walked into Willow's room. Willow sat on the floor doing some spell. "Oh, Hecate, I call on you. I humbly ask your will be done. Hear my request, a simple change, create a daughter from a s.." Her words were cut off by Xander's hand clamping over her mouth. The crystal's stopped glowing and dropped out of the air. "Oh, man! Now I've gotta start all over. Hecate hates that."
"What the hell are you doing?" Xander asked, taking the cowl of crystals away.
"Proving I love R.J. the most!"
"Will, honey.. R.J.'s a guy."
"I did notice that, yeah. That's why I'm doing my spell, cause, you know, he doesn't have to be. Now, hand me back my crystals. I don't have much time."
"Much time before what?" Angel asked.
"Before Buffy and Anya and Dawn have a chance to prove that they love R.J. the most."
"And how are they gonna do that?"
"Well, Buffy's gonna kill Principal Wood, Anya.."
"Fine, ok, let's start there." Xander said, grabbing Willow and heading out to the convertible. Buffy had taken the van. Anya had taken her car and Dawn had probably walked. Their first stop was the High School. They all got out.
"Willow, do a locater spell and find Dawn." Angel said. "I'm going after Buffy."
Angel walked around to where the Principal's office was. Buffy was there lining up a shot at the window with her rocket launcher. She aimed it, but Angel tackled her before she could shoot, and they fell to the ground. Angel tried to walk away with the rocket launcher, but Buffy tackled him, and again they fell to the ground. Angel ran away with the rocket launcher, and Buffy ran after him. Angel stopped when he got to Xander, Conner, and Willow. Buffy stared at Willow, who was sitting on the ground doing magic.
"Hey! What are you guys doing?" Buffy asked.
"Locator spell. Human variety. Almost done." Willow said.
"Well, I've got a principal to kill. What's going on? Who are we looking for?"
"Dawn." Angel said, disarming the rocket launcher. "I didn't know you still had this thing. Where've you been hiding it?"
"Somewhere. Can I please have that back? It'll just take a sec."
"Buffy, you are not killing the principal."
"Why not?"
"Because it's wrong! You can't tell me your that so stupidly love struck with this spell that you've lost your judgment."
"I have not lost it. I know perfectly well what I'm doing."
"Got her." Willow said. "She's at the Sunnydale Train Yard."
"What's she doing there?" Angel asked.
"Heck if I know." Willow stood up and climbed back into one of the van's second seats. Buffy and Angel climbed in back and Conner and Xander took the front seats. They sped off towards the train yard. The van stopped and they all piled out of the van.
"You realize that Anya's probably seducing R.J. even as we speak." Buffy said.
"My God. You think so?" Willow asked.
"Well, I wouldn't put it past her. She's recently evil, you know."
"Well, so am I. Why should I miss out?"
"Hey, crazy chicks.. look." Xander said.
"Dawn? Dawn!" Buffy ran towards Dawn who was lying on the train tracks awaiting the oncoming train.
A train was in the train yard now. Buffy ran alongside of it, in the same direction towards Dawn. Another train was coming into the yard from the opposite direction. It was on the track Dawn was on. Buffy jumped onto the train beside her and climbed up to the top of the train car. Dawn could tell the train was close to running her over, so she turned her head away, clinched her eyes shut, and waited. Buffy jumped off the train, landing near Dawn. She stood up and grabbed Dawn, pulling her off the tracks just in time, as the train rolled down the tracks where she was only moments before. Buffy and Dawn stood up as Angel got to them.
"What were you doing? I mean, what is this?" Buffy asked.
"It doesn't matter." Dawn said.
"This is the plan? You're gonna steal R.J. by being trisected?!" Angel asked.
"What am I.. gonna compete with you? You're older and hotter and have sex that's rough enough to kill people. I don't have any of that stuff. But if I did this then his whole life he'd know there was someone that loved him so much they'd give up their life."
"Dawn.." Buffy said.
"And it would be true forever."
"No guy is worth your life. Not ever."
"R.J. is. And don't say he isn't. Look what you were willing to do."
"Dawn, I would give him to you in a second if I could. That's how much you're scaring me."
"But I-I thought you wanted him for you."
"Nah. I got Angel. Well, yeah. My God, that boy is hot. Sorry. I think I might be under a spell here." Buffy smiled apologetically at Angel.
"I hear ya." Dawn said.
"That, my friends, is the smell of sweet, sweet, victory." Xander said, watching the letterman's jacket burn in the fireplace.
"Also, burning cotton-poly blend." Anya said.
"Xander, be honest. You didn't, you know, think about slipping that jacket on just a little bit?" Buffy asked.
"I refuse to answer that on the grounds that it didn't fit." Xander said.
"Man, this tool gets his jacket from his brother, who got it from their father, and we'll never know where he got it. That bites." Anya said.
"Yeah, welcome to the Hellmouth, where even outerwear isn't safe."
"I can't believe I almost.." Willow said.
"I can't believe I almost.." Buffy said.
"It was a spell. You were helpless. We're not responsible for anything we did morally or, you know, legally.." Anya said.
"True. You fell for a mystical, ancient curse. Who hasn't made that mistake seven, eight times?" Xander asked.
"You hear that? Not your fault." Buffy said to Dawn.
"I'm just so.. the way I acted, the way I talked to you. I feel so stupid. All over a spell." Dawn said.
"Get ready to feel even stupider when it's not."
"Hey, Anya, you never told us what you can't believe you almost." Willow said.
"Almost who, now?" Anya asked.
"No, you can't be the only not embarrassed one. What did you do?"
"I, uh, wrote a poem. An epic poem.. comparing him to a daisy and a tower and a lake.."
The radio announcer cut Anya off. "And now the latest on Sunnydale's late- night bandit who is still at large. A masked thief held up a number of large businesses.."
Anya cut the radio off. "Ok, great, ice cream. My treat. Who's coming?" Everyone but Buffy and Angel raised their hands. Anya looked at them questioningly.
"You guys go right one ahead. Just make sure Dawn and Conner are home before eleven." Buffy said. "I have some making up to do."
"Ooohhh." Everyone said, heading out the door.
As soon as they were gone, Buffy walked over and sat on Angel's lap. "I am soo sorry about everything."
"Buffy, it's ok. It was just a spell. Anya's right: You can't be held accountable for your actions under a love spell."
"You're not the leastest bit mad?"
"Nope."
"So I don't need to make it up to you?"
"I wouldn't go that far." Angel grabbed Buffy's ass and hauled her up to his waist. She wrapped her legs around him and he carried her upstairs as they kissed passionately.
Angel, Conner, Willow, Xander, and Anya stood in the dining room looking at Buffy and a crying Dawn. Angel was still hurt, but he knew it wasn't Buffy's fault. There was something making her do this.
"It's a spell." Angel said. "I smelled it when we walked in the room."
"You can smell spells?" Willow asked.
"It's like burnt atmosphere. You know, like after lightning."
"And you smelled it when you were in there?" Xander asked.
"Yeah. It was coming off of that kid, R.J."
"But Mom's going to be fine, right? I mean, she's not going to be going after R.J. like some sad puppy?" Conner asked.
"Once we figure out what spell's been used on her." Xander said. "Which, hopefully, will be soon."
"Are you ok?" Willow asked, pulling Angel into the kitchen.
"I'm fine. The spell only works on women obviously."
"No, I meant.. You walked in on Buffy, the love of your life, about to do some other guy."
"I don't know exactly what I feel Willow. I love her so much it hurts sometimes. A part of me wants to be so angry with her that I'll never forgive her. But a bigger part of me says that it was just a spell that's making her crazy. And a small part of me says I deserve this."
"Why? Why would you deserve Buffy cheating on you?" Angel looked Willow in the eyes, trying to get the point that he was caught kissing another woman. "Oh. You mean that Gwen girl."
"Yeah. Buffy walked in on her kissing me. It's only fair that she should go for some other guy."
"Angel, no it's not. Don't ever, EVER think that way about Buffy. She would never do that to you. You're the one person she would never.. COULD never do that to. If it weren't for you, who knows how depressed she would be right now. Hell, she might even be dead. Before you came back into her life, she was a train wreck. Sleeping with Spike, not talking to us.. She had shut down completely. When you left her after graduation and those years afterwards, she had shut down enough to lock out anyone who was willing to love her. The one thing that made her smile truly was when she saw you. She talked to me after you came to visit when her mother died and she was in the best mood I'd ever seen her in. She told me all about your kiss and the way she had missed your arms around her. Then when she found out she was pregnant with YOUR baby, she was beaming. Even though Giles had just left us, she still glowed with more joy than I'd ever seem on anyone. And she's been the old Buffy, the Buffy we all love, ever since. Sure, she has relapses. It's gonna happen. Repercussions of being ripped from heaven back into Sunnydale by her friends. But when she's with you, she's Buffy. We'll figure out how to break this spell. I promise."
Angel stared at Willow for a long moment and then pulled her into a hug. The red headed witch stiffened a little then melted into his embrace and hugged him back. "Thank you Willow. You're the best thing to happen to both Buffy and me."
"Anytime Angel. Not let's get in there and figure out what's gonna get Buffy back."
They walked into the living room where Dawn was still crying. Conner was sitting on the chair while Xander and Anya stood beside Buffy.
"Dawn, please stop crying. Please? Crying isn't going to make his love for me go away, you know." Buffy said.
"Listen, you're under a love spell." Xander said.
"You're right." Buffy turned back to Dawn. "He's right. You're under a spell. Oh, poor little Dawnie."
"But we're working on it. It'll be better soon." Willow said.
"Yes. Soon neither one of you will be in love with this boy." Anya added.
"He's not a boy." Buffy said.
"What do you know about our love? It's true and real. This isn't magic. This is my heart." Dawn said.
"Fine." Anya said.
"We'll be working." Xander said.
"Look, I know this feels terrible, but it isn't real. Try to hold onto that." Willow said.
"Did you hear that? It isn't real. You're just crazy." Buffy said to Dawn.
"It is so real! I love him. You knew how I felt.. like I finally found something, and you betrayed me." Dawn said.
"I betrayed you? You're the one that constructed this elaborate fantasy about you and my lover."
"Your lover? You're lover! You're married!"
"Guys.. Guys.." Willow said.
"I tried to get you to back away." Buffy said.
"That's right! You lied to me!" Dawn said.
"Did you want me to tell you that he's in love with me? That your little crush is hopeless?"
"It's not a crush! Stop. You're not supposed to do this."
"Why? Because he's younger than me? You know, I'm extremely youthful. And peppy."
"No, because you were the one I trusted." Dawn ran upstairs and slammed her door.
"Dawn, wait!" Buffy ran up after her.
Xander, Angel, Willow, and Anya walked into the dining room and started to page through old tomes. Willow booted up her laptop and started researching on the net. Conner came in and started to help after a little bit. Buffy and Dawn yelled at each other upstairs for a little while before stopping.
"Crazy little lust puppies, aren't they?" Anya said.
"Well, at least the yelling went away. It was starting to sound like Christmas morning with my family." Xander said.
"Love spells. People forget how dangerous they can be." Angel said, without looking up from the book he was reading.
"Hey, been there." Xander went off into some little dream world. He came dreamily back with, "Good times."
"Here. Something." Willow said, turning her laptop around. Angel looked up just as Buffy came in.
"She's locked her door. That spell has her good and loopy." Buffy said.
"Info on one R.J. Brooks."
"Oh, lemme see. Is there a picture?"
"Family stuff. Hey, I knew his brother. He was a big jock at Sunnydale High too. Couple years ahead of us. He used to stick chewing gum in my hair. Huh." Xander said.
"What're you thinking?" Willow asked.
"Well, I think my relationship with R.J.'s brother was complex at best, but.. maybe he's a way in."
"Now, look for a picture." Buffy said to Willow.
"Ok, that's it!" Angel stood up. Buffy squealed as Angel lifted her over his shoulder. "Xander, go check out this guys brother."
"Angel, put me down!"
"Buffy, shut up. Willow, keep looking up spells. I'm taking Buffy upstairs."
"What are you gonna do to her?" Willow asked.
"Try and break this spell myself."
"Oh."
"I'm going with uncle Xander! I don't want to be around for that. I have to put up with that video in Sex Ed. You know, the one where they show the baby being born. And how it was made." Conner said, putting his coat on and heading out after Xander.
"I guess Anya and I are stuck here researching and watching out for the lust puppies. All three of them." Willow said, eyeing Angel.
"But you don't even know him!" Willow yelled.
"Yes, I do. I looked into him and saw his soul." Anya yelled back.
"He was walking away, so unless his soul was in his ass.."
"A.J. is my best friend and my dearest darling.."
"It's R.J. And what you were picking up on was his deep caring and devotion to me."
Buffy came downstairs with Dawn in tow. "What's going on?"
"Willow thinks she's in love with my boyfriend, R.J." Anya said.
"What? No! You two can't do this." Dawn yelled.
"Willow, you're a gay woman." Buffy said. Willow shrugged. "And he isn't."
"This isn't about his physical presence. It's about his heart." Willow retorted.
"His physical presence has a penis!" Anya yelled.
"I can work around it!"
"This isn't fair! How can you all be doing this to me?" Dawn whined.
"Ok, wait. Everyone wait. Just calm down, ok? I-I think I know what this is. Clearly, you've both been affected by the same love spell that got Dawn." Buffy said.
"Uh! This isn't a spell. He owns my heart. He can't own yours! You're heart's already owned. What happened to Angel?"
"He's.. asleep."
Upstairs:
Angel yanked on the handcuffs, but Buffy had locked his arms in a weird position and he couldn't get enough leverage to break the cuffs. He had had Buffy locked to the bed with the handcuffs and was talking to her about how much he loved her when she tempted him to come over to her. He had gotten on top of her and grasped one of her hands as he started to kiss her. That was when Buffy had locked his wrist in one cuff. She flipped him so he was on bottom and she overpowered him, pulling his other wrist into the other cuff.
"Buffy?! Anyone!?" Angel called, yanking again on the cuffs.
Back Downstairs:
"Now Dawn, be quiet. We're trying to work this out. We don't need you interfering." Buffy said.
"There's a simple answer to this. Just think about who loves him the most. Clearly I do, since I'm willing to look past the whole orientation thing." Willow said.
"I need him." Dawn said.
"Well, you're gonna have to do better than that." Anya said. "I'd kill for him."
"You'd kill for a chocolate bar." Willow scoffed at Anya.
"No. Yes! Kill for him." Buffy said. "I'm the slayer. Slayer means kill. Oh, I'll kill the principal."
"Ooh, that is hard to top." Anya said.
"Yeah, well I have skills. I can prove my love with magic." Willow said.
"Yeah, right. What're you gonna do.. use magic to make him into a girl?" Willow's eyes widened. "Damn."
Willow went upstairs, Anya went out the front door, Buffy went to the living room, and Dawn stood still, leaning against the wall. Buffy came back, turned around to get her jacket from the foyer, and stopped to talk to Dawn.
"Sorry, Dawnie. You're never gonna get him." Buffy said.
"No. Never." Dawn said.
"Guys?!" Xander called, coming in with Conner behind him. Spike had stayed at the apartment while Faith had been out on patrol and nowhere to be found. "Anyone here?" Xander heard the sounds of banging against the wall upstairs. "I guess mommy and daddy ain't done."
"No, they are. Cause mom's not here." Conner took off up the stairs and into Buffy and Angel's room. "Dad!"
Angel laid on the bad rattling the cuffs against the bars on the bed. "Hey Conner."
"Is this your way of saying I love you?" Xander asked.
"No. Buffy was originally the one chained to the bed, but she managed to escape and chain ME to the bed. Can you get me out? The keys are on the dresser over there."
Xander went and got the keys and undid Angel. "I don't even want to know where you got these things."
"Not mine."
"Don't tell me."
"Willow's doing a spell. I can smell the incense."
They walked into Willow's room. Willow sat on the floor doing some spell. "Oh, Hecate, I call on you. I humbly ask your will be done. Hear my request, a simple change, create a daughter from a s.." Her words were cut off by Xander's hand clamping over her mouth. The crystal's stopped glowing and dropped out of the air. "Oh, man! Now I've gotta start all over. Hecate hates that."
"What the hell are you doing?" Xander asked, taking the cowl of crystals away.
"Proving I love R.J. the most!"
"Will, honey.. R.J.'s a guy."
"I did notice that, yeah. That's why I'm doing my spell, cause, you know, he doesn't have to be. Now, hand me back my crystals. I don't have much time."
"Much time before what?" Angel asked.
"Before Buffy and Anya and Dawn have a chance to prove that they love R.J. the most."
"And how are they gonna do that?"
"Well, Buffy's gonna kill Principal Wood, Anya.."
"Fine, ok, let's start there." Xander said, grabbing Willow and heading out to the convertible. Buffy had taken the van. Anya had taken her car and Dawn had probably walked. Their first stop was the High School. They all got out.
"Willow, do a locater spell and find Dawn." Angel said. "I'm going after Buffy."
Angel walked around to where the Principal's office was. Buffy was there lining up a shot at the window with her rocket launcher. She aimed it, but Angel tackled her before she could shoot, and they fell to the ground. Angel tried to walk away with the rocket launcher, but Buffy tackled him, and again they fell to the ground. Angel ran away with the rocket launcher, and Buffy ran after him. Angel stopped when he got to Xander, Conner, and Willow. Buffy stared at Willow, who was sitting on the ground doing magic.
"Hey! What are you guys doing?" Buffy asked.
"Locator spell. Human variety. Almost done." Willow said.
"Well, I've got a principal to kill. What's going on? Who are we looking for?"
"Dawn." Angel said, disarming the rocket launcher. "I didn't know you still had this thing. Where've you been hiding it?"
"Somewhere. Can I please have that back? It'll just take a sec."
"Buffy, you are not killing the principal."
"Why not?"
"Because it's wrong! You can't tell me your that so stupidly love struck with this spell that you've lost your judgment."
"I have not lost it. I know perfectly well what I'm doing."
"Got her." Willow said. "She's at the Sunnydale Train Yard."
"What's she doing there?" Angel asked.
"Heck if I know." Willow stood up and climbed back into one of the van's second seats. Buffy and Angel climbed in back and Conner and Xander took the front seats. They sped off towards the train yard. The van stopped and they all piled out of the van.
"You realize that Anya's probably seducing R.J. even as we speak." Buffy said.
"My God. You think so?" Willow asked.
"Well, I wouldn't put it past her. She's recently evil, you know."
"Well, so am I. Why should I miss out?"
"Hey, crazy chicks.. look." Xander said.
"Dawn? Dawn!" Buffy ran towards Dawn who was lying on the train tracks awaiting the oncoming train.
A train was in the train yard now. Buffy ran alongside of it, in the same direction towards Dawn. Another train was coming into the yard from the opposite direction. It was on the track Dawn was on. Buffy jumped onto the train beside her and climbed up to the top of the train car. Dawn could tell the train was close to running her over, so she turned her head away, clinched her eyes shut, and waited. Buffy jumped off the train, landing near Dawn. She stood up and grabbed Dawn, pulling her off the tracks just in time, as the train rolled down the tracks where she was only moments before. Buffy and Dawn stood up as Angel got to them.
"What were you doing? I mean, what is this?" Buffy asked.
"It doesn't matter." Dawn said.
"This is the plan? You're gonna steal R.J. by being trisected?!" Angel asked.
"What am I.. gonna compete with you? You're older and hotter and have sex that's rough enough to kill people. I don't have any of that stuff. But if I did this then his whole life he'd know there was someone that loved him so much they'd give up their life."
"Dawn.." Buffy said.
"And it would be true forever."
"No guy is worth your life. Not ever."
"R.J. is. And don't say he isn't. Look what you were willing to do."
"Dawn, I would give him to you in a second if I could. That's how much you're scaring me."
"But I-I thought you wanted him for you."
"Nah. I got Angel. Well, yeah. My God, that boy is hot. Sorry. I think I might be under a spell here." Buffy smiled apologetically at Angel.
"I hear ya." Dawn said.
"That, my friends, is the smell of sweet, sweet, victory." Xander said, watching the letterman's jacket burn in the fireplace.
"Also, burning cotton-poly blend." Anya said.
"Xander, be honest. You didn't, you know, think about slipping that jacket on just a little bit?" Buffy asked.
"I refuse to answer that on the grounds that it didn't fit." Xander said.
"Man, this tool gets his jacket from his brother, who got it from their father, and we'll never know where he got it. That bites." Anya said.
"Yeah, welcome to the Hellmouth, where even outerwear isn't safe."
"I can't believe I almost.." Willow said.
"I can't believe I almost.." Buffy said.
"It was a spell. You were helpless. We're not responsible for anything we did morally or, you know, legally.." Anya said.
"True. You fell for a mystical, ancient curse. Who hasn't made that mistake seven, eight times?" Xander asked.
"You hear that? Not your fault." Buffy said to Dawn.
"I'm just so.. the way I acted, the way I talked to you. I feel so stupid. All over a spell." Dawn said.
"Get ready to feel even stupider when it's not."
"Hey, Anya, you never told us what you can't believe you almost." Willow said.
"Almost who, now?" Anya asked.
"No, you can't be the only not embarrassed one. What did you do?"
"I, uh, wrote a poem. An epic poem.. comparing him to a daisy and a tower and a lake.."
The radio announcer cut Anya off. "And now the latest on Sunnydale's late- night bandit who is still at large. A masked thief held up a number of large businesses.."
Anya cut the radio off. "Ok, great, ice cream. My treat. Who's coming?" Everyone but Buffy and Angel raised their hands. Anya looked at them questioningly.
"You guys go right one ahead. Just make sure Dawn and Conner are home before eleven." Buffy said. "I have some making up to do."
"Ooohhh." Everyone said, heading out the door.
As soon as they were gone, Buffy walked over and sat on Angel's lap. "I am soo sorry about everything."
"Buffy, it's ok. It was just a spell. Anya's right: You can't be held accountable for your actions under a love spell."
"You're not the leastest bit mad?"
"Nope."
"So I don't need to make it up to you?"
"I wouldn't go that far." Angel grabbed Buffy's ass and hauled her up to his waist. She wrapped her legs around him and he carried her upstairs as they kissed passionately.
