A/N: Great to hear from so many people so early in the story. It's not gona be as long as some other's but i'm glad you all seem to be enjoying it. So as requested here's another chapter and as i'm feeling generous and because i love the way chapter four ends i might just post that as well... on with the strangeness.

Chapter 3

Buffy stopped outside The Bronze. Looking around her everything seemed normal but something was watching her from the shadows. Carefully, she stepped towards the alley that ran down the side of the club. A few kids were laughing on the fire escape oblivious to what was happening around them. Maybe it's Angel she reasoned. He always made her senses tingle.

She moved closer to the shadows, something rustled and then the feeling was gone.

"Great, stalking me now? That's real neighbourly." Buffy huffed as she headed inside, hoping to forget the day at school in a frenzy of fun.

XxXxX

Xander and Willow had arrived at the Bronze an hour before. Willow had gone through school in a daze of worry as she pondered Oz's whereabouts and Xander had spent the whole day fielding insults and mockery from Cordy's gang. All in all it had been a fairly bad day all round.

He left Willow at the bar to answer a call of nature while they waited for Buffy to arrive. As he emerged a hand grabbed his shirt and dragged him out the fire escape. Looking up, the look in the owner's eyes made him extremely uneasy.

"Hey! You always grab guys coming from the john or am I a special case?"

"You're always a special case, just not in a good way" the vampire growled. "And I wouldn't be bothering if I had another choice."

"Well let me go"

"I can't you're the only one here I can talk to."

"Hey, look, Angel. I know girls think that guys are only mean to them because they really like them but trust me, with you; it's just that I really don't like you. I'm just not built that...that ….. way….you know?"

Angel just stared at the boy for a moment. "I mean I know you must be having a hard time not seeing Buffy but I'm not the answer." The nervous tone in his voice would've amused the vampire if he'd been in the mood for games.

"You're quite disturbed. Tell Willow I found him. The wild dogs aren't wild dogs, they are a pack of wolves and he's with them. But you better work fast. He's in a bad way."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oz. She was right, something got to him. He's changing and changing fast. Get Giles and Buffy and get out there." Angel shoved the boy away from him and turned to leave.

"Hey, wait. Why did she go to you?"

"Because I listened." The vampire hissed as he headed off into the dark.

Stunned Xander headed back inside.

"Hey Will, wana dance?" He grabbed the red-head's arm and led her to the dance floor before she had a chance to answer. "So, dead boy just accosted me as I came out of the bathroom."

"Angel? What did he say?" Willow searched the boys face eagerly.

"Why did you go to him? Why didn't you come to me?"

"What did he say?" Willow repeated, anger bubbling inside. She realised Xander wasn't going to tell her what she wanted to know without getting his answer first.

"This is why." She pointed at him. "This. You. Making it all about you. You're so wrapped up in your own problems that when there's even the hint that something bigger might be going on you won't listen because it takes attention away from your dilemma, from the fact that Cordy won't return your calls; that you've lost your girlfriend. Well at least you know where she is, Oz has disappeared and if you don't tell me exactly what Angel said I might never find him and one more friend could be lost to the Hellmouth!"

Xander had never seen his friend like this. "He said he was in the woods with a pack of wolves. Listen Will…." He didn't get to finish his sentence. Willow turned and ran out the door.

"Where's Will going?" Buffy asked appearing beside him.

"Looks like the witch was right. Oz is in the woods with a pack of wolves and he's in a bad way." He said grimly turning to look at the slayer.

"How'd you find that out?"

"An….. a friend told me. Apparently she'd gone to this friend with her worries about him and….. this friend went to find him."

"Why didn't she come to us?" Buffy asked heading for the door.

"She did. We just weren't listening." Xander said following her out into the night.

"We need to find her. You go to her house, I'll check Oz's house and Giles'"

"Right." Xander decided to make a stop by Angel's mansion just in case the red-head had gone looking for help. "Sorry Will." He whispered to himself, feeling a complete failure as a friend.

XxXxX

Giles heard a shuffling outside his door.

"Hello?" he called steeling himself for what might be on the other side. A yellowed envelope slipped through his letterbox.

"Who's there?" Peering round the door he saw a shadow disappear from the top of the stairs. He looked down at the envelope lying at his feet. Picking it up he recognised the old script writing and it made his blood run cold.

"What do you want?" Giles hesitated then ripped the letter open a little more forcefully than he'd intended.

Rupert,

Willow may have been right. I have been given a lead that indicates a cave in the woods on sector 16 and am going to investigate. If I have not made contact by midnight tomorrow then the lead was right and you can guess the rest.

A.

Giles removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

"Oh dear." What did he tell Buffy? Should he tell Buffy about Angel's involvement at all? Why was Angel even involved? And could they trust him?

Giles sighed, sat down on his sofa and sipped his tea.

XxXxX

Xander hardly spotted the mansion through the undergrowth. He'd got so turned around in the dark he thought he'd never find it. But there it was, menacing even in its crumbling state.

"Willow? Are you here? Angel? Yo, Dead Boy!" There was nothing, it was too quiet for Xander. Not a living thing made a sound. No owls, no rats, no creatures of the night. The whole place was dead; the ivy that once covered the glorious building was now brown and decaying along with all the trees.

"I always knew he was death." Xander muttered stepping over fallen stone and wood. There was a fire simmering in the hearth, but no other signs that anyone lived there. He didn't know how anyone could live like that even a vampire. "This place would be torture. Cold and damp and uncomfortable. This place is pure misery."

No wonder he's crazy, the one good thing left him! A voice in his head said; a nasty creepy voice.

Suddenly a breeze picked up and the trees creaked. He heard a growl coming from the undergrowth. Searching the darkness a pair of golden eyes pierced the gloom and foliage.

"How do I get into these things?" Xander started to run.

XxXxX

A/N: So who or what is stalking the gang? And what's with Angel? did he mearly just get up on the wrong side of the crypt this morning? hehehehe...

"Catch ya on the flip flop"