AUTHOR'S NOTE Sorry I haven't been around for a while! I'm just bad at posting. I admit it. Anyway, Willow's protection spell translates into something like protecting the body or protecting the person or something to that effect. It is real Latin…a language which I have ZERO experience with. Oh well.

DISCLAIMER Don't own them…never did. Never will.

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Chapter Twenty-Two: In Which Willow Works Some Magic

Terminal City

"You really think this is going to work?" Max asked as she paced around the room nervously.

Willow nodded hesitantly. "I do. From what you told me about the protein block, I think I know how to contain the virus permanently." She sat at a long industrial table with a microscope and small bowl of fine yellow powder in front of her.

"What exactly are you going to do?" Logan asked.

"This is binding powder," Willow said, indicating the bowl. "It's used to bind bad spirits mostly. I have to liquefy it, then inject it into Max's bloodstream. Hopefully, with the right incantation, it will seek out the virus strains and bind them like the protein was supposed to before."

Spike cast a doubtful eye at Buffy. The Slayer just shook her head slightly. When the process involved injections and such, she felt it better not to raise Max's panic level by bringing up Willow's past failures.

Willow took a deep breath and waved a hand slowly over the powder. It glowed softly before melting before their eyes. She retrieved a new syringe that Logan had found for her and filled it with the iridescent solution. "Max, come on over."

With one last look toward Logan, Max hesitantly walked over to sit at the table. "Roll up your sleeve," Willow commanded. The X5 did as she was told. Putting on rubber gloves, Willow picked up the syringe and disinfected a small area inside Max's elbow.

"You were lucky to find these medical supplies," Angel commented quietly to Logan. "How did you get them?"

Logan grinned. "I have my sources."

Eyes half closed, Willow placed the tip of the needle against Max's skin. Max winced just slightly at the needle slid into her arm. Willow began murmuring, "I beseech you – find your goal. Make a barrier that cannot be broken or breached. Stop the invader."

Max cried out as the liquid powder coursed through her blood. It felt like sand was pushing its way through her entire body. Willow watched as a small gold light flickered briefly in Max's eyes and retreated back into her body. "It's done!" the witch proclaimed happily.

Max glared at her. "Oh gee, that wasn't too bad!" she said sarcastically. "It felt like I was being sandblasted from the inside!"

"But think of the reward," Willow said, winking.

"How do we know if it worked?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, no offense to your talent, but my life is at stake," Logan pointed out.

"That's easy." Willow promptly picked up a small knife and microscope slide, walked over to Logan and pricked his finger.

"Hey!" he said as Willow caught a few drops of his blood on the slide.

"I'll do it myself, thanks," Max said when Willow approached her with the slide and knife.

"Now, we watch." Willow placed the slide under the microscope. "Voila! Look for yourself."

Max and Logan approached the microscope slowly, not wanting to get their hopes up. When Max looked through the lens, her heart skipped a beat and a huge weight lifted from her shoulders. "It worked!" she whispered. "Willow, you did it!" She threw herself at Willow and nearly knocked the witch to the ground with her hug.

Logan couldn't believe his eyes. He was looking at his blood and Max's blood mixing together. The virus was clearly visible, but had a ring of golden light completely containing it. Willow's magic really had stopped it. "Willow," he said softly. "How can I ever thank you?"

Waving a hand, Willow answered, "It's no big. I'm happy to help." She grinned as Logan and Max touched their palms together in wonder. "Oh, wait!" she suddenly said. They turned around. "There's another spell I've been working on. I figured since Terminal City is a Biohazard Zone, we should be protected somehow."

"Well, the transgenics don't need it," Max pointed out. "We're genetically immune to biohazards."

"Neither does Buffy, Angel, Spike, or Illyria. But I figured a little protection spell wouldn't hurt us mortal ones." Willow grinned. She beckoned for Logan and Original Cindy to come nearer. "Beatus somes tutela," she said and conjured three red sparks. The sparks flew swiftly into the mouths of Willow, Logan, and OC, making each one choke. "There," Willow croaked. "We're safe."

"Lovely," Logan replied.

"Thanks, sugar," OC said with a wink. Willow blushed.

The witch's reaction seemed to jog Max and Logan's memories. "Uh, I just remembered that I told someone that I'd help them with something," Max rambled. "I'll hook up with you guys later, ok?" Before anyone responded, she sent Logan a meaningful look and left.

The group sat in expectant silence, all eyes on Logan. He too stood up suddenly, muttering something about having things to do. Alec smirked as the blonde man left, then turned to Willow. "Those two aren't ever coming back, you know."

Willow shrugged. "I wanted to see them happy."

"They will be soon," Buffy commented.

"Perfectly happy," Angel muttered. Buffy glanced sharply at him and abruptly left the room. The vampire watched her go before leaving in the opposite direction.

Spike scoffed. "Good one, Red."

Willow blushed with shame, but Original Cindy put her arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry, sugar. Whatever Buffy and Angel have going on is their business and none of it's your fault."

"I shouldn't have brought it up," Willow replied. "And I can't help them like I helped Max and Logan."

"Why, what's up with them?" OC asked.

Spike laughed ruefully, but left the explaining to Willow. "Vampires don't usually have souls. Angel got his through an ancient gypsy curse that was meant to torment him for the rest of his life. But if he feels a second of perfect happiness, he'll lose his soul and go evil again."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"That's a very bad thing."

"Well how does he feel perfect happiness?"

"Uh…" Willow struggled to find the right words.

"Perfect happiness for that ponce is when he's with Buffy, and I mean in the Biblical sense," Spike answered bitterly.

Original Cindy raised her eyebrows. "Oh. So I'm guessing they tried this once and never again?"

Willow shuddered. "Lots of dead bodies and waking demons and trying to suck the world into Hell. No, never again."

"Damn."

"Yeah." Willow looked sadly after her friend. "I wish there was something I could do for them."

Original Cindy lifted Willow's chin so that she looked into her eyes. "Just be there for them. You can do that."

Willow sighed. "Yeah. Come on, let's round up the other X5's. We need to see what Lorne can tell us."

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The Answer to the Last Trivia Question

Willow first mentions that she decrypted the city council's security system in the series' second episode "The Harvest." LittleDrusilla, you got it right!

Today's Trivia Questions Are:

1. We say yellow binding powder once in Angel. What were they trying to bind?

2. Willow choked once before on a little yellow spark that she'd conjured. What Buffy episode was that in?

3. Who were the two demons that Angelus worked with after waking them up?

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Review Responses

Samantha You were close. I can never remember where the break is between "Welcome to the Hellmouth" and "The Harvest," but that conversation is actually in "The Harvest."

LittleDrusilla You should post that story! There aren't too many Buffy/DA crossovers…you'd think there would be more, but I haven't found too many. But definitely post it! I can't stand the virus, as seen in this chapter. Max and Logan are just too cute together!