Wesley sat up sharply, holding his breath in suspense. "Fred?" he called, and the Texan appeared shortly.

"What is it?"

"Look," Wesley said, pointing at the text. "I think I've figured it out…"

"Spike?"

He spun round at the sound of Angel's voice. "Where did you go?" he asked accusingly. "You were gone for ages."

"Only an hour, Spike," Angel said, sitting down next to the other vampire.

"Well, it didn't seem like that," came the childish reply, and Angel sighed.

Suddenly a bang went off, and Spike jumped like a startled cat, grabbing Angel's arm with his deathly tight grip. "Whatwasthat?!?" Spike half whispered.

"Fireworks, Spike, they're fireworks."

"Why?"

Angel frowned. "Maybe it's someone's party." Another loud bang went off and Spike burrowed into Angel's shoulder. Angel was surprised. It wasn't like Spike to be scared of fireworks. After all, he'd loved them in China that one time. "Spike? Are you ok?"

Spike's reply was muffled, but Angel heard it. "Can't see where they are. Sounds like they're in my head."

"In your head?" Another bang, this time followed by a succession of three.

Spike nodded, clasping his hand to his head and pressing his head into Angel's upper arm. Angel remembered something Cordy'd told him about how you shouldn't comfort a dog that was scared of fireworks, because it reinforced the need for comfort. He tried pushing Spike away gently, but Spike clung to him like a limpet, and Angel gave up. Spike wasn't a dog.

Fred's voice carried up the stairs to him. "Angel? Wes reckons he's found something? You gonna take a look?"

Angel glanced at the terrified Spike curled in his lap and then at the door. "Spike? I'm going to go downstairs ok? I'll leave you here in my bed, I'll only be downstairs."

"Promise?"

"I promise, ok?"

Spike didn't answer, so Angel tucked him into the bed covers and went downstairs quietly.

"Ok, what've we got?" he asked business like to Wesley, who picked up a couple of books and pointed out references while he spoke.

"Right, well, I think the spell is very very closely linked to you, Angel. See here, where it says about shutting down the body like Fred mentioned? Well I researched that further and it turns out that it doesn't have to be depression that causes it, it can be insecurity, or a lot of things really." He paused and flicked through a couple of pages. "And I think that because of the bond you two have, and the changes that both of you have been through, it's affecting Spike."

"How do you mean," asked Angel, who wasn't quite following it.

"I mean, that the last time Spike was living with you, it was as Angelus and William, Sire and Childe. Now you're living together again, but as Angel and Spike, two perfectly strong, powerful, master vampires in your own rights. It's messing up Spike's brain because once a Fledgling grows up, and becomes a master vampire, there is no chance of it living with the Sire, you see? Spike can't quite figure out if he should be playing power games with you, like two master vampires usually would, or being the Fledgling he once was."

Fred listened Wesley thoughtfully then turned to Angel who was still a little confused. "He's tried both, but he's not strong enough to be the one in charge, and you're too soulful to be his Sire – at least, not the way he remembers it."

Angel nodded slowly. "I think I understand. So what do we do?"

Wesley glanced at Fred. "This is the difficult bit. Nowhere in any of my books is there any mention of how to reverse this condition. There are spells to reverse it when the cause is depression, but this is more of a… confusion, possibly insecurity. I need someone to help me write a spell to reverse it. I have some ideas, but I'm no magick worker."

"What about Giles?" Angel suggested, but Wesley shook his head.

"I was thinking maybe Willow. I hear she's becoming quite a good little witch. She has power, and the intelligence to weave all the bits of information together to create a new version of the spell."

"Who's Willow?" Fred asked suddenly. As Angel explained to her who Willow was, Wesley made a phone call and came back a few minutes later to say that Willow would arrive in a couple of days; she had some thing she had to do and then she would set off.

Once Angel was satisfied it was sorted, he left them and went back upstairs to see Spike.

Ok guys, really short chappy here - sorry, I just thought it made more sense for Willow to arrive in a seperate chapter. Sorry my updates are taking so long - I was ill for a while and I have to catch up with all my school work. Ciao guys, remember to leave a review, luv me.