"Willow, we can't just take the magic away from you. It's in every cell of your body now. All we can do is teach you certain controls. Things that will help you set your own limits. Tell you when to back off." Piper was trying very hard to remember that the young woman in front of her was, despite all that she had done and seen, very much a novice in magic. She turned to her younger sister. "We may need help from all of our ancestors for this."

Suddenly, Leo, Paige and Dawn orbed into the room. "That was way cool!" exclaimed Dawn. "Where were we?"

"Good question, Dawn. Where were you? You were gone for almost 4 hours!" Willow had jumped up and run over to Dawn.

"No way! We were only gone about ten minutes or so!"

Leo stepped in at this point. "Time moves differently there than it does here. It's hard to explain." He looked at Dawn then looked at Willow. "The Elders want to have her come up there for a few days. They want to talk to her and teach her about who and what she is as well as her destiny."

"That would be about a month." Piper's helpful translation did nothing to ease the look of fear and loneliness that crossed Willow's face.

Leo spoke up. "You would still have contact with her. All you would have to do is call her and she could come to you. Of course, Xander is still going to be here. We would never try to isolate you from the people you depend on, Willow. The girls will teach you how to know when you've gone too far. I will help Dawn to learn where her true strengths lie and yours as well. You see, with what has recently happened to you, you have become a truly magical creature. You aren't just a person anymore. The magic has changed you, made you a part of it."

"I don't want to be a part of the magic anymore. I just want to be plain old Willow. The bookworm. Just the girl I was back . . ."

"Before everything with the Slayer and the vampires and all of that." Leo nodded. "I understand. So do the Elders. But that's not who you are anymore. Everything in your life has led to this point. You have to accept it. This is you now."

Willow fell to her knees, crying. "But I killed people. I hurt Giles and Anya and Buffy. I almost killed Dawn. And Xander. What I did to him was beyond everything else put together."

"Wills, you know I don't blame you for all that." Xander had been standing in the doorway for a few minutes and had heard everything. He now walked over to where Willow was crying and knelt beside her. "No one does. You were grieving. You had never had to deal with that much grief before. And how could I turn my back on the crayon-breaky Willow that has always been my bestest friend?"

No one else knew what to say as Xander pulled Willow into his lap and held her.


"Angel!" Buffy breathed. She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside the house, shutting the door behind him. He pulled her roughly into his arms and held her for a minute.

She pulled back and pulled the hair from her neck, baring his mark to him and offering herself. At first, he pulled away. She laced her fingers through his hair and pulled his head to her throat. "Drink, Angel. Drink and live."

She felt his game face come out and a flash of fear went through her, remembering the last time he had drank from her. He had nearly killed her that time. That was the last thought that went through her mind as his fangs pierced her skin and he began to drink.

Angel felt the Slayer go limp in his arms as he drank. Her blood was so intoxicating. He knew that she was unconscious. He pulled away from her neck and her head lolled backward like a rag doll's. He picked her up and laid her on the couch.

"Buffy? Buffy?" He pushed the hair away from her face. "Buffy, not again." He was almost in tears. They were still sitting like that when Oz and Anya came back from their date.

"Angel? What did you do to her?" Oz asked as he stood staring at Buffy's still form on the couch.


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A/N: I know it's been a while but here's the new chapter. Hope everyone likes it.