"Are you ok Willow?" Giles knew that they had all be working hard recently seeing if they could find a ritual that would prevent the Master from opening the Hellmouth, but the girl looked absolutely exhausted.

"Yeah Willow, you're looking a little peaky. I think that its time to invest in a good concealer, cos the bags are really starting to show." Cordelia was always full of useful information and helpful comments.

Willow was aware that everyone was staring at her. She had been off all day. She had never realised the energy that it took to do a spell and even then Angel had done most of the work. She had fallen asleep in classes and practically collapsed in gym. What she wanted to do was go home and crawl into bed, but they needed her here to do this research and so she smiled and nodded when ever they asked a question. It took to much energy to speak.

Spike and Buffy were sparring. He could feel that she wanted to talk about something but his mind was elsewhere. He had to admit that when she was pissed her fighting had edge, but she relied on that emotion too much. She wasn't as disciplined as she should have been and it frustrated him no end. He knew that he had to clear the air, just wasn't sure that he had the courage.

"Take a breather pet, don't want you to collapse on me." He watched as she grabbed her water bottle and towel and sat on the floor. Sitting beside her he decided to brave it. "What's up pet?"

"What's up? Why do you think that something is up?" Her voice was too perky and she didn't look at him. She was a crap liar.

"Because you ain't talking to me. Thought we were friends luv." He turned on the puppy eyes and a little pout but he meant what he said.

"I am talking to you. See, me here, talking to you. So we are friends." She flashed an overly bright grin. She really didn't want to talk about it.

"Sorry pet but we gotta have a little chat. Ya see you're my best friend and I can't bloody hack it when you're down sweets. Tell me what's wrong."

"What's wrong? What's wrong is that I think, I… I don't know Spike. I thought that we were… I thought that we were more than friends. I want to be more than friends Spike." She was looking at him with a mix of tears and hope in her hazel eyes. He watched as she moved closer to him. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to kiss her or not. He knew that he was leading her on, but he couldn't help it. He wanted the warmth. He wanted a touch, even if it wasn't the touch that he was craving. He allowed their lips to meet in a soft innocent kiss.

Buffy was in heaven. Spike was kissing her in the way she had always dreamed of. He was gentle and firm and sweet. He tasted of chocolate and cigarettes. She never wanted the kiss to end…

Willow almost jumped out of her skin when she realised that there was a vampire sat next to her, watching her with an amused smile. She threw a furtive glance around the library and realised that everyone was researching so hard that they had failed to notice his entry. His smile grew along with her realisation.

"How are you feeling?" He mouthed the words slowly. Her energy levels rose as she realised that he was playing a game and she was on his team. Last night had proved to her that he was on the level. When they had finished he had put her to bed after making her drink three glasses of orange juice and eaten four double chocolate cookies. He said that she needed the sugar. As if to prove that point he handed her a small box of chocolates.

"I'm fine."

"You're lying. You're exhausted. You should sleep." He appeared genuinely concerned and it amazed her that he could tell all of that after only speaking to her once and seeing her a few times.

"What are you looking for?" He started to read the book that she was reading. They were looking for a way to secure the Hellmouth

"Nothing…"

"Don't tell lies Little Girl, not to me. I can smell them. Smart children… Looking for a way to stop this? But the catch is… you have to let it happen."

"Why? Why would we want to let it happen?" She inhaled sharply as he leaned towards her. His eyes flickered gold. Like a big cat, beautiful but deadly. She felt like a mouse, but she knew he wouldn't kill her.

"Because it's the only way to end all of this. The Hellmouth has to open for it to be closed." He watched as she tried to understand. She was intelligent, frighteningly so. She would make a dangerous enemy, a fantastic vampire. She didn't understand what he was saying though. He smiled and nodded for her to call her friends.

"Guys!"

She turned back to him… he was gone. In his place, was an old collection of parchments bound in old goat skin and tied with leather straps. On the table in front of the chair was a small rose quartz attached to a note that, in a flowing script, read "For healing."

"Willow, have you found something?" Giles appeared from the office, glasses in his hand, hair all mussed. The red head was just staring at the book on the vacant chair next to her. Everyone exchanged glances, worried about the shy girl who seemed more quiet than usual. "Willow?"

"What's a rose quartz for Giles?"

Totally thrown by her question he moved to sit at the table opposite her and saw the small stone that was on the table next to her. Willow noticed him looking and moved her hand to take it and protect it. No one ever bought her really thoughtful gifts; it was nice to be noticed. She also thought that he might want to take it away if he knew who had left it. Giles was still adamant that they shouldn't trust Angel no matter what Spike said. He continually quoted chapters from Watcher's Dairies listing the atrocious deeds that Angelus had committed; nailing puppies to walls, mutilating nuns in ways that made the scene in 'The Exorcist' seem tame really. Willow however, was convinced that he was on the level and that something was very different with him now.

She didn't deny that he had most assuredly done those things in the past; even Spike admitted that he was the worst of the worst but when they had done that spell, she had felt something go through her. She knew that it was him and although it felt demonic it didn't feel evil, he didn't feel evil. She had been practically unconscious and he didn't so anything. He looked after her, he was the perfect gentleman. She doubted that Xander would have looked after her so well or even have known what to do. In her mind he was going to far out of his way to just deceive them. The way in which he had killed Luke and defied his order, it was too risky for him personally to be a set up.

Everyone took a seat at the table, their concern growing when faced with her random question.

"A rose quartz is supposed to promote healing. Why Willow? Is that what you called us for?" He leaned across the table to touch her hand and noticed the small box of chocolates and the book as well.

"No. He said that we can't stop this. We have to let it happen; apparently the Hellmouth has to open for it to close. But Giles I thought that it was closed?" Willow was using a soft child like voice to ask her questions. She was so tired and confused. She wanted to go home.

"Who said Will? Where did that stone come from?"

"Angel… He was worried about me… I used too much magic." She started to finger the stone, rolling it back and forth between her fingers, hoping that the healing would start soon. The room was getting fuzzy and she felt nauseous.

"Giles, what is she talking about? What's wrong with her?" Buffy was worried about her best friend who seemed to be acting like some sort of spaced out junky. She didn't look well.

"I don't know Buffy she isn't making that much sense. Perhaps if she has a lie down…"

"What she needs is a boost. She has used magic and it's drained her. I thought that you of all people would notice that Rupert. Either she did a big spell way too soon or she's an addict." Spike grabbed the chocolates and started to feed them to Willow. As he opened the box he caught the scent of Angelus and knew that he had been with the witch at some point. His gut clenched at the thought of his Angelus visiting the shy red head, even if it was in a 'professional' capacity. He knew that he hadn't hurt her; there was no smell of blood and she looked fine, if a little peaky. Her heartbeat was strong and regular. He fed her another chocolate and got an even stronger whiff of the delicious chocolate and red wine scent that was his Sire, he guessed that the new cinnamon aroma must be Willow. He wondered whether Angelus was still around, he had been here… He let his senses expand…

"What type of magic Peaches?" He whispered, pitching it at just the right level for vampire hearing only.

"Blood magic… Did you know that she has Rom blood in her veins?"

"No, how did you?"

"Doesn't matter. Keep your eye on her; it's only a matter of time before Drusilla senses her. Keep her safe. I mean it Will, I need her safe." Spike felt white hot jealousy course through his veins as he realised that Angelus actually was concerned for the witch. It burned and hissed and was directed straight at the little girl who could come between him and his lover. The kiss with Buffy was forgotten. Erased. The only thing on his mind was Angelus.

"Hey, what's this?"

Drusilla and her dolls did come in useful.

She had a secret… Her sister was here, in this town and Daddy would bring her home. Daddy just didn't know it yet…

Penn knew his sister well enough to guess when the stars had been speaking. She tended to become much mellower and dance and sing more. She acted like a content child rather than a psychopathic killer. Currently she was treating Miss Edith to tea and cakes. Miss Edith must have shown her something very good. He wanted to know what…

Buffy was confused. Again. Throughout there patrol, Spike had kept to the shadows and hadn't even mentioned the kiss. He had even pulled away when she had tried to kiss him when they met. If they had been in the library she could have understood it… it would have been weird making out in front of their friends this early in their relationship but they had been alone… She had spent the past few days looking for a way to get him alone so that she could tell him that she didn't mind if everyone else knew but they had been too busy. She thought that they would have had the chance on this patrol – and perhaps find a secluded spot to continue with what Willow had interrupted – but Spike seemed more interested in actually patrolling.

Spike wasn't confused anymore. As soon as he had kissed her, he knew that he couldn't love her, not like that. He was meant to be her friend, her confidant but not her lover. That role was meant for another. He was made to love just one individual. He had known that when he was William but now, with a soul, he was utterly convinced. The love he had for Angelus was eternal… He wasn't going to let anything get in the way of that. He'd done that once before and he wasn't going to do it again. He wouldn't survive it this time. He had thought that he would go insane when Penn said that he wanted them to go away. When Darla had thrown him out of the house though… he had wanted to face the sun. The only thing that had stopped him was the idea that one day they would meet again, and he would be older, stronger and Darla wouldn't be able to control him this time. If he had to he'd leave Sunnydale, he'd leave all of this behind. He'd even be able to put up with Angelus killing people. He just wanted Angelus. Now all he had to do was tell the Slayer and stop her dusting the pair of them. Easy… right?

Their patrol had been fruitless. Only two vampires in the whole three hours they had been out there and now they had hours of research before them. Spike was getting worried at the lack of vampires; it had to mean that whatever was coming was close at hand. He just hoped that Angelus would be able to warn them all in time. Giles hadn't believed Willow two days before when she had told them that the only way this could work was for the Hellmouth to be opened. It didn't seem to matter that the Odinium Codex, one of the rarest of magical texts said so, and that Angelus had left them a copy. Giles needed to find a new plan. So he and the others were on research detail… or they were meant to be.

The library lights were out. Switched off lights in this school was never a good thing. The scene that greeted them when Spike switched the lights on chilled them both. Cordelia, Oz, Xander and Giles were all unconscious, scattered around the library floor, books were everywhere, the table was upended and Willow was nowhere to be seen. They hurried to their fallen friends, relieved to find them still alive and starting to come round. Spike went and grabbed ice packs as Buffy helped them off the floor.

"I'll kill him for this! I'll hunt him down and kill him!" Buffy was out for blood. Her friends had been hurt and there was only one possible culprit. He was going to pay dearly for hurting her friends. A groan from Giles pulled her from her murderous thoughts. "Giles? Giles! Where is Willow? Where did he take her?"

Spike handed the ice pack to the battered Watcher. He then turned to deal with the other injured people. Luckily no one was badly hurt, just cuts and bruises, and all were now conscious and listening to Giles.

"He… he took her… He was… strong…"

"I kill Angelus for this!" Buffy couldn't believe that they had let their guard down to a vampire like that. At least now Spike would realise that he was totally evil and stop defending him every few minutes. They didn't need him to defend the Hellmouth.

"It wasn't him Buff, much as I hate to defend a vamp, he wasn't here." Xander hissed as the ice made contact with the bruise on his cheek. He needed to learn to fight; he was tired of being the punching bag for the local demon population.

"Then who was it? And how fast can I kill them?"

Spike inhaled. "Bloody Hell!"