"We need to talk."

Willow and Buffy stared at each other. Then Willow spotted Angel standing in the shade and dashed over to hug him.

"Angel! I knew you were alive." She punched his shoulder.

"Er, ow," he said, squinting.

"Oh, don't pretend that hurt." Willow stuck a hand on her hip. "Now see here, mister. What do you mean not calling us for help. You call that being a friend?"

Angel's forehead creased. "So I should've put more people I cared about in danger?"

"Yes! That's what friends do."

He coughed and bowed his head. "I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to try to keep you out of harm's way. I see that now."

Willow saw his mouth twitch and bristled. "Angel, I'm serious."

"So I see," he said, smiling down at her. "But like I told Buffy, this wasn't your battle to fight." His gaze slid over her shoulder and all trace of humour vanished from his face.

"Maybe that should've been my call," Willow said.

His eyes shifted back to her. "Not in this town, Willow."

She was the first to look away.

After a moment he touched her shoulder. "I'm glad you came, though."

Willow raised her eyes. "I couldn't not come. Friends, remember?"

A sheepish expression lit his face. "Yeah."

Xander and Buffy strolled over. "...so then we stopped to let the engine cool down," Xander said, adjusting a backpack over his shoulder.

"You outsmarted a dragon," Buffy said. "That must've been a sight to see."

"Hey, man," Xander said, eyeing Angel's torn grimy clothes. "Looking good."

Angel grimaced, but said only, "Xander. Thanks for coming." His eyes lingered on Xander's eye patch. He seemed transfixed, only looking away when Xander tugged at the black plastic to reposition it. Realising everyone was watching him, Angel blurted, "Nice truck."

Willow snorted. "Wait till you see what's in the back." Xander glared at her. She flashed him a toothy grin; it was time for a little payback.

Buffy's face lit up. "Ooh, did you bring me a rocket launcher?" She took in the size of the truck. "Or a hundred?"

"Not exactly," Xander said, sidling away from her, "but it is a weapon."

"Uh huh," Buffy said. She frowned when he didn't elaborate. "Well, what is it?"

"Why don't you show her?" Willow chirped. "You should see it in person to get the full bloodcurdling impact."

Buffy slanted a sharp look her way but shrugged. "Okay." She strode to the back of the truck, keeping to the shady side, Angel in tow. Willow and Xander trailed them.

"Are you trying to get me killed?" hissed Xander.

"Course not. I just wanna see if slayers can die from a heart attack...like I nearly did."

"Now you're just being petty."

"Your point being?"

When they got to the back Xander unlocked the padlock at each side of the rear gate and lowered it, letting it dangle to the ground. Buffy crowded in close, resting her hands on the metal platform. Willow moved up beside her, eager to get a gander herself.

A blunt missile-shaped object rested on the bed of the truck, its metal casing gleaming through charred holes in its tarpaulin cover. It was huge, roughly four metres long, and over a metre high. To Willow's magical senses it felt completely innocuous, as inert as plastic, but she shuddered at the thought of how much destruction this thing could unleash.

"Well, it's shiny," Buffy said.

Angel's jaw dropped. "Is that what I think it is?"

"If you're thinking big mushroom cloud, skin melting off, and a really bad hair day, then yes," Willow said.

"What?" Buffy looked at each of them in turn. "What is it?"

Willow glanced at Xander, but he was busy sniffing the air, doing his I'm-just-an-innocent-bystander routine. Sighing, she said, "It's a thermonuclear bomb."

Buffy's eyes glazed over. "Huh. Just when I thought my day was improving." She scrubbed her face. "Xander, when did you turn evil?"

"Hey, this isn't my so-insane-it-might-actually-work idea. It's all part of the government's demon disaster plan. Giles tried to talk them out of it, but they wouldn't budge."

"So they're destroying the entire city to get rid of the demons," Angel said. "Good to know they're not overreacting."

"They're crazy is what they are." Buffy slammed her fist against the side of the truck, denting the olive metal. "What about the poor suckers trapped in here like, oh, say...us?"

Xander shrugged. "Collateral damage is the technical term. Or in other words, we're screwed."

"Maybe not," Willow said.

"Will, you do know what the definition of screwed is, right?"

She grinned at him. "I think I can neutralise the energy from the bomb, but we're gonna need to evacuate the people first, in case I...miscalculate. And we need to do it before midnight tomorrow."

"Midnight?" Buffy glanced at Xander.

He swallowed. "That's when everything goes boom."

Buffy flailed her arms about like an Italian traffic cop. "Xander!"

A bleached blond head poked around the corner, making Willow jump.

"Keep it down, you lot," Spike said. "We don't wanna attract the riff raff." He nodded at Xander and Willow. "Chubs. Red."

Smiling, Willow waved. "Hey."

"Spike," said Xander, looking him up and down.

"He's got a point. We should take this inside," Angel said. He cast a glance at the copper-burnished trees and Willow realised the sun had set. The western sky was still washed with pale yellows and pinks but a rich cerulean blue was rapidly overtaking it. Night was falling.

"Inside?" Xander said. "Aren't we wagon-training it downtown?"

"With that thing?" Buffy said, glancing at the missile. "I'd sooner take a dive into the hellmouth than risk losing a nuke to a bunch of demons looking to party. We'll wait until dawn." She looked at Angel and Spike. "Or just before."

Spike craned his neck to peer inside the truck. "What's that, then?"

"Xander brought us a weapon of mass destruction," Buffy said offhandedly.

Spike went rigid for a second, then gave Xander a withering look. "Couldn't just say no, huh?"

"Sure I could. But they'd only have 'volunteered' some other chump to do it," Xander said. He paused to consider and raised a finger. "That didn't come out right."

The corner of Spike's mouth curved up. "You took the words right out of my mouth, chump."

Xander's face tightened and Willow slipped her hand in his. "They would've sent it with or without Xander," she said. "At least this way we're not completely clueless."

"Yeah, instead of dying in blissful ignorance, we can sit here pissing our pants. Thanks, mate." Pivoting on his heel, Spike stalked off.

"He hasn't had a cigarette in a few days," Angel said with an apologetic shrug.

"And here I thought he was just being Spike," Xander said.

"Well, that too." Angel exchanged a rueful look with Xander.

Willow suppressed a giggle; aww, they were bonding. They backed off so Xander could lock up the truck. After a minute's discussion it was agreed that vampire and slayer senses should detect any demons who got too close.

Angel and Xander headed to the terrace and Willow started to follow when Buffy latched on to her wrist.

"Will, you wanna help me get some stuff out of the car?" she said in a loud voice.

"Uh sure."

As Angel and Xander disappeared into the pavilion, Buffy retrieved a pile of snacks and sodas from the back seat of the sedan and handed them to Willow, who stuffed them into her satchel. She couldn't help noticing that the once spotless car was looking a bit worse for wear. Glancing up, she was startled to find Buffy staring at her.

"I know," Buffy said. In the fading light it was hard to tell, but she looked...unhinged. Willow recalled Buffy's urgent desire to talk when she and Xander had arrived. Uh oh.

"That's nice," Willow offered, wearing her most innocent face.

"Willow!" Buffy said, stamping her foot. "How could you not tell me about the dark magic?"

"Buffy, I was gonna tell you, honest. I just needed to figure things out without you or Faith breathing down my neck. No offence, but sometimes you get a little overexcited...as, for example, right now."

"You should've told me. This isn't the time to go Lone Wolf McQuade on us."

"That's not what I'm..." Willow stopped and took a calming breath. "I'm just trying to do what's best for everyone."

"By keeping secrets? By trying to handle something this big on your own?"

"It's not like I had a choice! Buffy, the only other witches we've seen here are in a coma and we're cut off from the rest of the world." Willow inhaled a shaky breath. "Whether I like it or not, I am on my own."

Buffy's gaze was steady, yet sympathetic. "Maybe you're the only one who can work the mojo, but that doesn't mean you're alone."

Under Buffy's scrutiny, Willow managed a tremulous smile. She didn't doubt Buffy's sincerity, but as strong as she was, Buffy couldn't fight magic. Willow knew that in the end she'd have to go it alone, but she couldn't bring herself to tell Buffy that.

She nodded. "Okay, Buffy."

Buffy's tense face relaxed. "We're gonna get through this, Will. Oh sure, we'll look back in our golden years and wonder how we ever survived. But we will survive."

"How come you're so chipper all of a sudden?"

"I have no idea," Buffy said, grinning. "Maybe it's cause my best buds are with me. When have I ever gone wrong with you two on my side?"

Willow squinted at her. "Okay, where are you hiding the happy pills?"

"Can't I be naturally happy?"

"Sure. So how'd things go with you and Angel?" Willow said pointedly, peeved by Buffy's over inflated optimism.

Buffy glanced at the terrace and her grin turned into a grimace. "I basically accused him of starting the apocalypse."

Willow winced. "I think I would've just gone with 'Hi'."

"Yeah." Buffy blew out an audible breath. "Hindsight: annoyingly unhelpful."

"But you two are okay, right?"

"I guess. We're still at that awkward 'Hey, thought you might've gone to the dark side' phase."

Willow nodded, feeling a jolt of sympathy for Angel; she'd had some experience being on the receiving end of that phase. "And Spike?"

"We're stuck at the 'Hey, didn't expect you to come back from the dead' phase."

"Oh yeah, that's a fun one," Willow said, with a pinch too much enthusiasm. At Buffy's incredulous look, she added, "Well, it is if you like the person. Do you...like Spike?"

"Sure." Buffy nibbled her lower lip. "It's just that things kinda got simple when he died, you know? Now they're all complicated and soapie-like again."

"Our lives haven't been simple for a while now, Buffy."

"I guess not. But it was fun pretending for a while." Buffy linked her arm with Willow's and strolled towards the pavilion. "We should get in there before Xander eats all those tasty army rations."

"He has Hershey bars."

"He does?"

Buffy's pace sped up and Willow was almost yanked off her feet. By now it was pitch dark, with the moon yet to rise. Willow hastily dug out her flashlight so as not to fall flat on her face. The beam was weak and she realised the batteries were running low.

As they reached the terrace a figure loomed out of the shadows -- a woman dressed in form-fitting leather. Willow yelped and shone the flashlight up to the woman's face; her pupils shrank in the light. It took Willow a moment to recognise her.

"Fred? You've...changed."

Fred tilted her head. "You reek of--"

"I don't reek!" Self-conscious, Willow took a sniff of her armpit. Not exactly lavender fresh, but she didn't smell that bad. She swished an indignant finger at Fred's hair and face. "At least I didn't go crazy with the body paint. What's up with that?"

Fred's eyes narrowed. "You reek of power."

Out of thin air it seemed, Angel appeared at her side. "Willow, this isn't Fred."

"Oh." Willow studied the woman anew. The resemblance was uncanny; it couldn't be a coincidence. "Is it her evil twin?"

"You could say that," said Spike, his deep voice startling her from the murky interior. Angel glared into the dark.

"No," Angel said. "Fred died when...Illyria possessed her body."

"Fred died." Willow stared at Angel in shock. "Why didn't you..." A stray memory surfaced. She narrowed her eyes. "This is why you tried to contact me a couple months ago," she said with certainty.

He hesitated. "Yeah."

"But when I called you back, you said everything was okay."

Angel's gaze didn't waver. "It was too late."

"You said everything was okay." Willow's voice trembled with accusation. She sensed Buffy make a move towards her and warned her off with a look.

"Fred was gone, Willow," Angel said. "And I didn't want you feeling guilty about something you had no control over. You didn't deserve it." His eyes flashed yellow.

Willow remembered quizzing Giles about Angel's SOS, but he'd had no details to give her. Couldn't or wouldn't, she wondered.

"God...Fred."

Ice blue eyes stared back at her without a hint of the warm, bubbly woman Willow had known.

Wounds had been dressed, snacks had been shared, and the demon carcass catapulted into the bushes, though somehow its foul odour still lingered. Impossibly, it seemed as if the demon was sitting right next to her. Willow leaned over and took a surreptitious sniff at Buffy. Eww. As casually as possible, she shuffled her chair away from the slayer.

They'd taken the liberty of setting up four of the cafe-style tables, sticking candles on their wooden tops. Willow shared one with Buffy, only half listening as the others confabbed, or in Xander and Spike's case, bickered. Her attention had drifted soon after learning of Wesley and Gunn's fate. She couldn't help but wonder if they'd suffered, if Fred had suffered, and her fertile imagination supplied plenty of technicolour images to go with those thoughts.

Sudden silence dragged her out of her reverie. Willow realised everyone was staring at her and she wiped her mouth, wondering whether she'd been a bit too enthusiastic with the candy bars. They continued to stare. She swallowed.

"What's up, guys?"

"You were going to tell us how you're gonna save our butts," Connor said with a confident grin. His faith in her boosted her spirits and she smiled at him. She doubted the others would be so trusting. Of course, aside from Illyria, they all knew her better.

"Right," Willow said, her tone as casual as if she was talking about taking out the trash. "Soooo...I'm going to open a portal to another dimension, a safe dimension. Everyone leaves 'cept me, then I wait for the bomb to detonate and transmute the energy."

All that could be heard was muted cricket song.

Spike stirred. "Is there a plan B?"

"Guys, I can do this."

Xander scooched his chair over from the next table. "Will, you need to hop back on the reality train," he said, his tone soothing.

She smacked him away when he tried to put his arm around her. "Stop treating me like a mental patient."

"Stop talking like you are one," Spike drawled from the other side of Xander. "You're a powerful witch, luv, no doubt about it, but you're not fast enough to beat a nuclear blast. It'll be over before you have time to draw breath."

"I've already thought of that," Willow said, glad someone had raised an objection she could shoot down. "I'm going to cast a time dilation spell on the nuke." When no one else spoke, she brightened. Looked like she'd won the battle. "So--"

"I'm hearing an awful lot of magic talk here," Xander said. "Are you sure you can pull it off?"

Buffy jerked upright, nose twitching like a bloodhound. "What do you mean?"

"Xander--" Willow tried to head him off, but he talked right over her.

"Well, look at her -- the pasty face, the raccoon eyes, the uncanny resemblance to Marilyn Manson -- she's been using up her own power, and the energiser bunny she ain't."

"Tattletale," Willow grumped, annoyed as much by his unflattering portrait as by his loose mouth.

"And proud of it," he said, tossing a handful of roasted peanuts into his mouth.

She sneaked a glance at Buffy.

"Willow..." Buffy said, shaking her head like a disappointed parent.

"It's not an issue, Buffy. A few hour's sleep plus a boatload of sugary snacks and I'll have enough juice to do this. Transmutation is mostly a matter of will power anyway."

"What about the portal?" Angel said. "Creating a doorway to another world would drain most witches."

"I'm not most witches," Willow said, sharper than she'd intended. "Look, I'm not saying it'll be easy, but I know I can do it."

After a moment's thought Buffy shook her head. "It's too risky. Opening the portal gets a yay vote, but we're not leaving you behind."

A rush of blood heated Willow's face. "Buffy, this isn't your choice to make."

"Look, if the idiots in charge want to destroy L.A., I say we get out of the way and let them."

Willow looked round, hoping for some support from the others. Xander wouldn't meet her gaze, while Spike offered a noncommittal shrug. Connor was frowning at Buffy and Angel looked torn. Illyria seemed to be waiting for something.

"Have you forgotten about the dark magic?" Willow said.

"What about it?" Buffy said, wearing a blank look that made Willow grit her teeth.

"I have to stop it."

"Later, when we--"

"No. It has to be now, while it's still contained."

"It'll still be contained later."

Willow gave Xander a pointed look. He obliged with a grudging, "No it won't. Once the shield absorbs the radiation from the blast, it's coming down so the earth-movers can get in."

Buffy sighed. "Demon disaster plan?"

"Yep," he said. "As half-baked ideas go, they really thought this one through."

At the table where she sat alone, Illyria stood. Her chair scraped across the floor, drawing all eyes to her. "The witch speaks the truth. The gate must be shut, unless you wish the earth to return to what it was."

Willow's mouth fell open. Illyria was the last person she'd expected to come to her aid, and it was obvious from her words that she understood the danger, more so than the others.

"What're you babbling about?" Spike said.

Illyria favoured him with a disdainful stare. "Before the balance shifted to the light, before the demons were forced to leave this world."

"You mean..." Angel said, with a dawning look of horror.

"Yes. Demons banished eons ago will return to walk the earth, humans will be reduced to slaves, and..." her eyes gleamed, "the old ones will awaken."

The others turned back to Willow, who nodded. "It's true. It won't happen overnight, but the balance will be overturned, and once it gathers enough momentum there'll be no stopping it. The bud needs to be nipped, people."

No one spoke for a minute. Instead the room zinged with silent communication; questioning looks, nods, head shakes and shrugs were exchanged. Finally Buffy said, "Okay, then we'll stay with you. Back you up."

"No!" Willow said. "I mean, there could be radiation leakage and I can't protect you."

"Some of us can't get any deader," Spike pointed out.

"I said no, Spike." She squared her shoulders. "I have to focus all my energy on the nuke and I can't do that if I'm worrying about you guys."

"Will, are you sure this is the only way?" Xander said.

She saw the worry in his eye and her heart clenched. She reached out and squeezed his hand. "It'll be okay," she said. "I promise."

"My dear Buffy and Willow,

Forgive me for not being there in person. If you're reading this letter, then I have failed, and for that I am truly sorry. No doubt Xander has informed you of the government's foolhardy plan to deal with this crisis.

I am assembling as many slayers as possible in the hope that the Pentagon will see reason and cancel the nuclear detonation. To that end I will continue to badger the few who will listen. I must admit, however, that I have my doubts. Just between you and me, this country is run by pillocks!

I believe your best hope is to use a portal to escape the city. You won't be able to cross the barrier to the outside world, but you should be able to travel to another dimension. Willow, during your travels through the astral planes I'm hoping you found a world safe enough for a brief visit.

You are two of the most capable young women I know and I have the greatest faith in your judgement and abilities.

Till we meet again,

Giles

Buffy flicked her eyes at the rear view mirror every few seconds, checking that the truck was still behind them. Though they saw only the occasional lone demon, having a nuclear bomb in the mix had raised her anxiety to a whole new level of paranoia. The streets were dark and quiet, without a hint that dawn was less than an hour away. They travelled without headlights, allowing the setting moon to light their way.

As she drove Buffy mulled over Giles's letter. She wished she could talk to him. She didn't know if she was doing the right thing in letting Willow go ahead with this harebrained scheme.

In the passenger seat Willow turned to the vampires in the back. "Are you sure you can't think of anyone else?"

"No one else closely connected to Wolfram & Hart and powerful enough to perform this kind of ritual." Angel's tone bristled with impatience. Buffy suppressed a smile; Willow had been interrogating him for the last hour.

Spike growled. "How about you lay off Peaches here before he spontaneously combusts and takes me with him?"

"Okay, okay." Pouting, Willow twisted back to the front and crossed her arms. "I just wanna be sure. If I'm gonna close down the conduit it would help to know where it is. I'm just saying."

"Can't you use your mojo and follow the breadcrumbs?" Spike said.

Willow shook her head. "The conduit's been open too long. The whole city's chock full of dark magicky badness." She peeked over her shoulder. "Which is why I--"

"Willow," Angel said through gritted teeth. "Trust me, it's Vail."

After a pause, Willow said brightly, "Okay, then." She settled back in her seat and stared out the window.

Wow, Angel was certainly Mr Grouchy Pants this morning. Buffy wondered if he'd slept as badly as she had. What with the hard wooden floor, the nightmares of Willow melting like cheap plastic, and Xander's snoring, she'd gotten maybe three hours of shuteye.

An uncomfortable silence filled the car, broken only by Angel's terse directions as they headed to Hollywood.

Ten minutes later Buffy turned right onto Santa Monica Boulevard. Angel poked his head between the front seats.

"Keep going...a little further...okay, make a left here." A little further on, Angel pointed out a mansion at the end of a gravel driveway. "That's it."

Buffy pulled over in front of the iron gates. For a second no one moved, then everyone piled out of the sedan at the same time. Behind the car, Xander, Connor and Illyria hopped out of the truck, but stayed close by; their job was to guard the nuke.

Spike was already swinging open the side gate. Buffy noticed he'd brought the blankets with him and thought it strange until she saw him glance to the east where the sky was beginning to grow lighter.

She slipped through the gate, her breath misting in the crisp and -- unusually for L.A. -- clean air. As she led the others up the driveway Buffy became aware of an odd fluttering sensation in her belly. It felt similar to her usual pre-battle jitters, but there was a difference she couldn't quite pinpoint. The crunch of their footsteps grated on her nerves. She watched the stone mansion grow larger as they drew closer. According to Angel, this was the most likely site of the dark magic leak.

It wasn't until they reached the front door that it hit her; this wasn't something she could fight. She was raring to go, her muscles and nerves humming despite the lack of sleep, but magic wasn't something she could actually lay her hands on. A strong sense of dread washed over her.

With more effort than was required, Buffy slammed her foot into the door. The lock splintered and the door flew open, revealing a gaping black interior.

Spike brushed past her, flicking open his lighter. She entered after him and stood just inside the door with Willow and Angel, waiting for her eyes to adjust. Her night vision was better than most, but even she had trouble in the dark. All she could see was Spike's lighter bobbing about the room.

The light multiplied and she realised he was lighting candelabras in each corner. As the shadows receded Buffy realised they were in the foyer. An open archway lay straight ahead, with doors to the left and right. She felt Willow tense and remembered that this was where Wesley had died. Though Illyria said she'd taken care of his body, Buffy automatically scanned every inch of the foyer, only relaxing when it was clear there were no human bodies. A short wizened corpse with (eww!) a whole chunk of its face missing lay in the centre of the room near a rusty stain on the floor. Buffy guessed that the corpse used to be Cyvus Vail.

Angel crossed the marble floor, stopping to gaze down at the corpse. After exchanging a glance with Willow, who urged her forward with a shooing motion, Buffy went over to Angel. She was careful to avoid the rusty patch; she thought it might be dried blood -- human blood.

Angel's eyes were hooded, his face contorted with raw hatred. She hesitated, then curled her fingers around his arm.

"You okay?" she said.

For a second she thought he hadn't heard her, then his gaze shifted. "Yeah, I just...I wish I'd been the one to put the crater in his face."

She said nothing, merely squeezed his arm in sympathy. He covered her hand with his.

"The day's not getting any younger, people," Spike said.

Buffy looked over; he was holding a candelabra, staring anywhere but at her and Angel. She reclaimed her hand and glanced at Willow. The redhead was frowning, her eyes closed.

"Will?"

Willow's eyes popped open. "Basement," she muttered. "Why does the bad stuff always have to be in the basement?"

"I think it's a union thing," Buffy said. "Spike, you wanna take point?"

"Right. I guess I'm the expendable one," he said, stalking to the open archway.

Buffy marched right up to him and snatched the candelabra out of his hand. "All right, ya big baby, I'll do it." He grabbed the silver base and tried to take it back. She glared. He glared back. And pretty soon they had their feet braced and were engaged in an all out tug of war, spattering the floor and themselves with liquid candle wax.

"Er, guys?" Willow said. They ignored her.

"Guys!"

Buffy and Spike froze. Together they turned their heads to find Willow and Angel watching with raised eyebrows.

"Do you guys need a time out?" Willow said.

Warmth bathed Buffy's cheeks. "Sorry," she said.

"Yeah," Spike mumbled.

Angel cleared his throat and extended the candelabra he was holding. "You can have this one," he said gingerly, as if talking to someone who might bite his hand.

Buffy's face burned. "Uh, that's okay. Why don't you hang onto it?"

After an awkward moment Spike spun on his heel and headed deeper into the mansion. Buffy tailed him down the hall, Willow's hand clutching the back of her shirt, and Angel at the rear. They passed by a dining room, poking their heads in just long enough to glimpse the opulent burgundy and gold furnishings. Further on they found themselves in a huge modern kitchen, which surprised Buffy. She'd always assumed most demons didn't cook their food.

Windows above the sink looked out onto the grounds, revealing a pale pre-dawn sky. They checked all the doors and found one which opened onto stairs going down. Buffy drew her sword and nodded at Spike. One by one, they tramped down the steps into the chilly cellar. Buffy felt goosebumps ripple across her bare arms. It smelled like a cemetery on a rainy night.

The area nearest the bottom step was piled high with old furniture and garbage bags. Spike took a few paces, lifting the candelabra and throwing the light farther. Yet it didn't reach the far end of the basement, which seemed to stretch the entire length of the house.

Staying close, they moved down to the other end where they found a row of empty cells lining the brick wall. Willow roamed in and out of the cells, looking lost.

"It's not here...but it is here," she said as if talking to herself.

Buffy exchanged looks with Angel and Spike, the latter tapping his temple in a suggestive manner. Though she'd wondered the same thing, she scowled at him. It didn't help that Willow continued to wander about as if she was sleepwalking. Buffy planted herself in Willow's path.

"Will, what's not here?"

Willow frowned. "The spell. But it is here. I can feel it."

Buffy glanced round. "I don't see anything."

Spike made a rude noise. "Just a thought, but maybe a ritual as powerful as this one wouldn't be lying out in the open where any wandering do-gooder could trip over it." The other three stared at him. "What? I used to be an evil mastermind, you know."

"Yeah, but you sucked at it," Angel said.

"Hey, I'll have you know--"

"No, Spike's right," Willow said, cutting him off in mid-rant. She rotated in place, then made a beeline for the middle cell -- coincidentally the only one with a closed door. Willow rattled the bars but it was locked. "Uh, a little help here?"

Sheathing her sword, Buffy joined Willow at the cell. She ushered Willow aside before gripping the bar closest to the lock and bracing her other hand against the thick dividing wall. Buffy jiggled the door first, testing its strength. With one explosive exhalation she pulled and the door came loose amidst the screech of tearing steel.

Willow grinned. "Handier than a locksmith." She tried to dart inside the cell, but Buffy held her back.

"Uh uh, Will. It could be booby trapped." Buffy reached for her sword.

Willow grabbed her wrist. "If it is, it'll be a magic booby."

Buffy hesitated, but she had to concede Willow was better equipped to deal with a magical threat. She nodded and allowed Willow to pass.

Willow went directly to the back of the cell. She stood immobile for several seconds before doing something that sent a shockwave through Buffy; she plunged her head into the wall. From Buffy's perspective it looked like Willow's headless body was propped against the bricks.

"Will!" Buffy rushed forward, ready to yank Willow back.

"I'm fine," said Willow, her voice alarmingly disembodied. "It's just an illusion. There's another room here." Her shoulders twisted as though she was looking over her shoulder. "Angel, can you bring the light closer?"

"Yeah, sure." Angel came into the cell and stopped next to Buffy. They exchanged bemused looks.

"Thanks." Willow's body disappeared into the wall.

Buffy didn't wait for an invitation; she charged after Willow. As she passed through the wall she felt her skin tingle, and then she was in a room much like the cellar she'd just left, only a quarter the size. Angel and Spike emerged beside her.

Willow stood at the edge of a black circle painted on the ground. It was about three metres across, filled with red and black symbols and containing two smaller circles which overlapped. Candle stubs dotted the circumference of the outer circle.

"This is it," Willow said.

"That's it?" Buffy scanned the room. She'd had vague visions of an erupting volcano of roiling energy. "I don't see any magic."

"Well, no, you wouldn't," Willow said. "The ritual was just the trigger. The magic itself is sort of in the netherworld."

"Right, I knew that," Buffy said, nodding. Spike snorted and she glared at him.

Oblivious, Willow walked around the circle, all her brain power focused downward.

"So if the magic's not here, what're we doing?" Spike said in a bored tone.

Willow looked up, eyes wide. "This is where it's linked to our world. This is its weak spot."

"Smashing." Spike dropped the blankets. "You lot stay here and play save the world, I'm gonna go ransack the place." He strode off.

"Spike, I don't think it's a good idea to split--" Buffy broke off as she realised he was already back in the other cellar. Torn, she glanced at Willow, who was staring after Spike, and Angel, who nodded. She gave him a brief smile and chased after Spike, pursuing him up the stairs and back into the kitchen.

Buffy paused, surprised by how much lighter it was outside. One of the doors thumped against the jamb, a door they hadn't gone through. She ran to it and flung it open. Spike was retreating down the corridor, candelabra held aloft.

"Spike, wait!" She sprinted through the hall and up another flight of stairs. By the time she caught up to him in one of the bedrooms her dander was well and truly up. He plonked the candelabra down on the dressing table and faced her with his arms crossed.

"What's wrong with you?" she snapped. "Not enough excitement so you decided to play hide and seek?"

Spike glared at her. "Who'd you come here for, him or me?"

Buffy stared. "You can't be serious. You wanna do this now?"

"It's as good a time as any. For all we know, Red could end up sending us to Pluto. You'd freeze to death in about ten seconds." His mouth twisted. "And you'll probably want to spend those ten seconds with Angel."

"Stop it."

"Just tell me." Spike's eyes blazed with reflected flame.

Buffy looked at him. His face was all hard angles, but she sensed an underlying desperation. She kept her expression from betraying her feelings; he wouldn't thank her for her pity.

"Spike, you're asking for an answer I don't have," she said, her voice soft but emphatic.

"Bollocks. You just don't want to tell me."

She groaned. "I care about Angel. I care about you. Why can't we just leave it at that?"

Spike took a step closer and opened his mouth, gazing at her. He hesitated, then shut his mouth and whirled away. "Women," he muttered.

Perching on the dressing table, Buffy watched him stalk to the closet opposite the bed and start rummaging through it. He tossed various bits of clothing on the rug: dresses, robes, caftans, all in bright jewel tones.

"The blue one would match your eyes," she said.

He glared at her. After another half minute of searching he pulled out a long blood red cloak. "Now that's more like it."

"Is that the only one?" she said, perking up.

"What am I, his nanny? He can get his own damn cloak."

"Spike."

He glanced at her and rolled his eyes. "Oh, all right." He went back to rifling through the closet, eventually unearthing a charcoal grey cloak which he tossed at her.

She caught it one-handed and bundled it under her arm. "Thanks."

Spike gazed at her for a long moment, and nodded. He moved to the door.

"I did miss you," Buffy said, stopping him in his tracks.

He pivoted slowly. "Yeah, me too."

A chill travelled down her spine. "You mean, you were...conscious where you were?"

"No, I meant...when I came back."

"Oh." She remembered the pain and disorientation of her own resurrection. "That must have been weird."

A sardonic smile. "You oughta know."

A minute passed in silence. Neither made a move to leave. Buffy felt the tension build and wanted to say something, but she felt muzzled by her indecision. She didn't want to give him false hope, but neither did she want to crush him.

"Would it have made a difference?" he said out of the blue. "If I'd come for you?"

Buffy smiled in spite of herself. "Like if you'd boarded a private plane, flown to Rome, and spent the night blundering around the city looking for me -- that kind of thing?"

"Er, yeah. Something like that," Spike said, averting his gaze.

She sobered. "No."

He looked at her and nodded, once. She saw resignation creep into his expression. Buffy knew he wanted more, but right now all she could think about was making sure everyone got out of L.A. alive. The rest would have to wait. Without another word, Spike left the room.

She closed her eyes for a moment. Then she picked up the candelabra and followed him.

Willow knelt outside the circle, studying the symbols. They were a mishmash of ancient languages, everything from Sumerian to Sanskrit, many of which she couldn't even identify. She was amazed the ritual had worked.

"See anything you recognise?" Angel said.

"Oh yeah. See these," she pointed to the intricate runes inscribed at the very heart of the circle, where the two smaller circles overlapped, "Vail used them to tie his life to the ritual. Diabolical, but smart."

"So when Illyria killed him..."

"Open sesame."

"Damn."

Angel's shadow bobbed as he crouched beside her, resting the candelabra on the concrete floor. "You know, you were kinda fuzzy with the details last night."

"I was?" Hunching her shoulders, Willow pretended to examine the runes.

"Yes. One might say deliberately so."

"Well, one would be wrong."

Angel was silent for half a minute. "Willow, I don't like this."

Willow pursed her mouth. She was going to have to get a new face; her innocent look wasn't fooling anyone any more. "Okay, so I'm a little fuzzy on the details myself," she said. "It's not like there are any standard spells for sealing a magical interdimensional breach brought about by an evil warlock."

Angel scratched his chin. "Not to nitpick, but it sounds like you don't know what the hell you're doing."

Willow glared. "You know, for a stealthy guy you've got an awfully loud voice. Pipe down, will ya?" She peered into the main cellar, making sure Buffy wasn't lurking anywhere. "I already told you, I'm going to use the nuke to seal the breach."

Angel thought for a minute. "You're going to transmute the nuclear energy into white magic."

"That's the plan."

He stared at her. "You have no idea if this is gonna work, do you?"

"Not a one." Her legs began to cramp and she stood. Angel rose with her.

"So maybe it's not worth risking your life?"

"I thought we already decided that it was." She laid a hand on his sleeve to forestall his protest. "Angel, if there's even the tiniest chance that it'll work then I have to give it a shot. You know, the needs of the many, yada, yada."

"What?"

She sighed. "Never mind."

"It's not just the spell I'm worried about," he said. "Performing it here, at midnight? That's like demon rush hour and you're not exactly going to blend into the woodwork."

"I know." She tried not to let her uneasiness show. "I thought maybe a glamour..."

"More magic," he said, eyeing her with scepticism.

"It's what I do," she said, starting to get annoyed at his persistence.

Angel blinked, and gazed into the distance as though experiencing a revelation. From below, the candlelight bathed his face in a golden glow. "Right, it's what you do," he said slowly. An enigmatic smile spread across his face.

"Angel? You okay?" Willow said, flapping her hand in front of his eyes.

He blinked again. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You're not...hungry, are you?"

"No, we managed to catch several--" he caught her moue of distaste, "rodents and marsupials at the zoo."

"Rodents...you mean like rats?" She was okay with the rat eating; not that she wanted to try it herself.

"Rats, mice, squirrels."

"And the marsupials?"

"Possums, mostly."

"Oh." Willow grimaced.

"They were ugly possums," he offered.

She squinted at him.

"Okay, they were cute as hell," Angel said. "But it was either that or the porcupines. And we couldn't afford to be picky -- most of the animals were already dead by the time we got there."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be all Judge Willow. I like possums...but I like you guys more."

Angel smiled. "It's okay. Just don't say anything to Spike. He's still complaining about having to eat a rat."

When they arrived at the school Xander positioned the truck a few metres in front of the auditorium, leaving a gap so Buffy could park the car in its shade. That way, Angel and Spike would only be exposed to the sun for the few seconds it took to run up the steps.

Willow got out of the car, watching people gather at the back of the truck. Xander and Connor hurriedly insinuated their way between the civilians and the truck, Connor fending off shouted questions. They had strict instructions to keep the nuclear bomb on the QT, to avoid possible stoning by an insane mob. After a couple minutes Willow relaxed; the boys seemed to be holding their own against the curious crowd.

"Angel!"

Willow swivelled her head. Faith was loping down the steps, a huge grin on her face. She greeted both vampires with warm handslaps and affectionate shoves before slapping Buffy on the back.

"You did it, B. You found 'em."

"I had help," Buffy muttered, looking uncomfortable with Faith's unequivocal praise.

"Oh, sure." Faith's eyes found Willow. "Nice--"

"Faith, we need to talk," Buffy said, using what Willow called her Chief Slayer voice.

Faith cocked an eyebrow. "Okaaay. My office?"

Buffy replied with a curt nod and Faith led the way back into the auditorium, followed by Buffy and the cloaked vampires.

Left alone between car and truck, Willow felt bereft. She was debating what to do first when the spot between her shoulder blades began to prickle. Whirling, she found Illyria just a few paces away looking like Fred -- human Fred, alive and well Fred. All the better to blend in with the lowly humans, Willow thought. Her throat swelled.

"What?" she said.

"You will require my assistance with the portal," Illyria said.

Said, not asked, Willow noted. She responded accordingly. "Nuh uh!"

Illyria advanced on her. "How many portals have you birthed?"

Willow bit her lip. "This'll be my first. But I've studied the spell, I understand the theory."

"It takes more than learning words and rituals. Forcing a doorway where it doesn't belong requires strength of mind and purity of purpose."

"I'll manage, thanks."

"And if I were Winifred Burkle, would you still refuse me?" Her brown eyes were hypnotic. For a split second it seemed as if Fred were peering out through those eyes.

Willow shook her head, not in answer but in denial. She had been counting on Fred's help. But Fred was gone. Anger swept over her, hot and demanding. "Why do you care? Why so eager to help?"

"To help you is to help myself." Illyria's eyes flickered. "And it is what he would have wanted."

"He?"

"Wesley."

She offered no further explanation, leaving Willow staring at her in confusion. This was the first indication she'd had that Illyria possessed even a smidgen of human feeling. Illyria began to turn away.

"Wait," Willow said. "I...guess I could use your advice." Feeling as if she was betraying Fred's memory, she felt compelled to add, "But I still don't like you."

"Your emotions are irrelevant. If you do not control them, they will be your downfall."

"Thanks for the safety tip," Willow said with a grimace. "Okay, there's something I need to do first so why don't you wait for me over there." She waggled a finger at the shady spot under the trees beside the auditorium. "It's nice and quiet and if we're real lucky no one will bother you."

Not waiting for an answer, Willow circled the car and trotted up the steps. She trawled the auditorium, noting with mild surprise that Angel and Spike were in the main hall instead of closeted with the slayers. After ten minutes she found her quarry in a corner of the foyer, amidst a forest of cardboard boxes, squabbling with her sister over a battered Dr Seuss book.

"Melissa, hey."

"Hi Willow," the girls chorused, all of a sudden looking like angels, albeit dirt-smudged angels.

"Where've you been?" Abby said, wrapping skinny arms around Willow's leg.

Willow gently disentangled herself and hunkered down. "I had to go help a friend." She took Melissa's small hand in hers. "Now I need to ask for your help."

"What kind of help?" said Melissa, chewing her fingernail.

"Come with me." Willow led the girls to the window and knelt down again. "You see that man with the dark hair and the eye patch?"

"The pirate man?" Abby said.

Willow chuckled. "That's right, the pirate man. Now in a little while, you and your mom and all the other people will be going to a fairytale land. It's a beautiful place with no monsters and lots of grass and trees where you can play."

"And fairies?" Melissa's face lit up.

"Sort of," Willow said, not sure how to describe the magical beings who inhabited that particular world. "When you get there, and not before, I want you to give this to the pirate man." She presented an envelope containing several letters she'd scribbled last night. "Can you do that for me?"

Melissa frowned. "Can't you give it to him?"

Damn. She hadn't expected logic from a six-year-old. "I could," Willow said, thinking quickly. "But I want it to be a surprise, and it won't be a surprise if I give it to him. See?" She held her breath.

"Oh-kay," Melissa said, still looking confused. But she took the envelope, folded it twice, and tucked it into the back pocket of her jeans.

"Thanks, sweetie."

Willow hugged both the girls, breathing in their sweet warmth. She watched them run off before moving to the door. But just as she set foot outside the foyer, a cry came from the main chamber.

"Vampires! They're vampires!"

Oh, poop.

Buffy wasted no time giving Faith the short version of the previous day's events. Faith listened without interrupting, not turning a hair until Buffy dropped the bombshell, so to speak. Faith's mouth fell open and stayed open until Buffy stopped talking.

After a moment's silence Faith whistled. "Holy... You really think Will can pull off this Hail Mary?"

Buffy shrugged. "So she says. I trust her, but..."

"What?"

"I'm pretty sure no one's ever gone up against a nuke and won."

The door to the utility closet flew open and Rocky burst in. "You guys need to get out here!" Buffy heard panicked voices echoing in the auditorium. Glancing at Faith, she rushed past Rocky.

At first all she saw was chaos. Everyone seemed to be either converging on a spot at the far end or scrambling to get away from there. Buffy vaulted onto the stage and surveyed the auditorium. She sucked in a sharp breath when she glimpsed Angel and Spike back to back at the centre of the melee. They were surrounded by people waving crosses, but so far the mob was keeping its distance.

She dropped down next to Faith. "Cat's out of the bag," Buffy said before taking off down the hall. Faith was right beside her. They dodged fleeing bodies, but were forced to slow down as they reached the knot of people.

"Let me handle this," Faith yelled.

"Be my guest," Buffy yelled back. She didn't think Faith was going to be able to fast talk her way out of this one, but maybe she could distract folks long enough for Buffy to get the trouble twins out of there.

Deflecting stray blows, Buffy squeezed through the crowd, shoving people out of the way whenever necessary. When she reached Angel and Spike, they gave her such identical looks of relief she nearly snickered. Faith popped out of the crowd and starting yelling, but it was like shouting into a thunderstorm. No one was listening; everyone was focused on the vampires. Buffy's stomach somersaulted as she spotted crossbows and stakes being passed through the crowd.

In the end, Buffy and Faith were forced to shield Angel and Spike with their own bodies. The slayers circled the vampires, thrusting away the crosses and groping hands, and constantly shifting to make sure no one had a clear shot. Buffy felt as if she were performing a rain dance. They tried to edge towards the exit, but were blocked by the unmoving wall of people. Her anxiety rose. It was only a matter of time before someone decided to go through her and Faith. As if the thought had triggered it, the mob surged closer...

A brilliant white flash lit up the auditorium. Soundless, it lasted a split second, just long enough to temporarily blind everyone. Buffy blinked furiously, extending her arms to prevent anyone from getting past her. When her vision returned she saw familiar red hair at the fringe of the crowd. Bouncing on her toes, Willow gave Buffy the thumbs up.

Faith took advantage of the momentary lull, yelling, "There's a nuclear bomb parked in front of the building." In an instant she had everyone's attention. "Hands up whoever wants to be here when it goes off."

Muttering resumed, rippling through the hall like the tide, but no one spoke up.

"Okay. The person you do not want to piss off, the only person with a handy dandy exit strategy out of L.A., is the perky redhead over there." Faith indicated Willow, who gave a cheery wave. "Who just happens to be a close personal friend of these two," she said, jerking her thumb at Angel and Spike.

"But they're demons," a woman shouted.

"Yeah, I saw that one's fangs," yelled a hippie dude with a ponytail, gesturing at Spike.

Buffy looked at the blond vampire, who shrugged.

"Bloke wouldn't give me a smoke."

Buffy glanced at the hippie, who seemed taken aback.

"Well, I've only got a few left," he said. "I'm rationing myself as it is."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Before the mumbles and protests could regain ascendancy, a male voice spoke.

"What's going on?"

The crowd parted like the red sea to reveal Connor. His gaze skipped around, taking in Angel and Spike, Buffy and Faith, and the ring of people surrounding them. His eyes landed on Rocky, who was standing nearby.

"Uh, seems you brought a couple vamps back with you," Rocky said with an air of apology, as if Connor had made a minor faux pas like using the wrong fork at dinner.

Connor nodded, cool as a frozen cucumber. "Yeah, the tall one's my dad."

"Oy--" Spike began. Buffy elbowed him in the gut.

"The dad you've been scouring the city for? He's a vamp?" Rocky said.

Connor shrugged. "Never said he was perfect. But he's still my dad." A feral light gleamed in his eyes and though he hadn't so much as moved a muscle, Buffy felt the hair on the back of her neck spring to attention. His eyes flicked from person to person. "Anyone have a problem with that?"

The chamber fell silent.

Buffy glanced at Angel, saw his eyes glisten with pride, and smiled. Sensing the change in mood, she raised her voice. "Pack up your stuff: food, clothing, knick-knacks...but no weapons," she added on the spur of the moment. "Anyone carrying a weapon stays here."

"How're we supposed to defend ourselves?" said a quiet-spoken man with greying hair.

"You won't need to." Willow's face glowed bright red as heads turned towards her. "You won't be running into any demons...except for them, of course," she said with a sheepish nod at Angel and Spike.

Faith clapped her hands and everyone jumped. "You heard the lady."

After a tense moment the crowd began to disperse, breaking off into small groups and chattering amongst themselves as they wandered off. Buffy looked round at her friends, her heart still beating a little fast. As her gaze fell on Faith she felt a new respect for her sister slayer. Buffy had spent barely a day with these people before she was ready to knock some sense into them; she didn't know how Faith had managed to restrain herself.

Willow stood in the driveway looking north, the auditorium behind her to her left. She felt the people waiting behind her, milling on the steps and around the car. No one spoke, but the rustling and the coughs and the tangible scent of fear conveyed the nervousness of the crowd. Glancing down, she checked that the glass dish of dried hawthorn berries was in place.

As she looked up she saw Illyria standing to one side, watching her. The former god had been scornful of Willow's intention to invoke a goddess rather than initiate the portal herself. It had taken some convincing before Illyria accepted that Willow knew what she was doing.

She closed her eyes and, as Illyria had coached her, conjured a mental image of the destination world. She took her time, forgetting all else, letting the sights, sounds, smells and textures take shape until she could almost believe she was there. When she was ready she drew on her power and opened her eyes.

"I beseech thee, Cardea, Goddess of doorways,
Accept this sacrifice and hear my plea."

Willow knelt and used a lighter to set the tiny pile of berries on fire. It looked pitiful but she'd only had a small packet of the herb in her bag. She hoped Cardea was in a generous mood. Yellow flame slowly licked the wrinkly red fruit, releasing black smoke and a tangy aroma. Out of nowhere, green fire flared and consumed every last berry. She breathed a sigh of relief and rose.

"Grant me the knowledge and the will
To open what is shut and shut what is open."

Using a hastily improvised wand of oak, Willow sketched a circle in the air. So quickly it caught her off guard, power was siphoned from her, leaving her sweating and panting. Cries rang out as a golden circle punched into existence. Within the circle lay a pristine meadow bordered by a forest. Willow reached out. The acrid scent of ozone stung her nostrils, but her trembling hand passed unhindered through the doorway. She turned and nodded at Faith.

"Okay, we're moving out," Faith said. She marched up to the portal and, hesitating for just a second, stepped through the circle.

With little fuss, the procession travelled from one world to another. Willow watched from the sidelines, getting more jittery by the minute. But she managed a wave when Jean drove past in the rental car, wide-eyed daughters crammed into the front seat and unwalking wounded in the back. And another wave when Angel and Spike dashed across, trailed by a more leisurely Connor and Illyria. She even smiled when she saw the vampires throw off their cloaks and bask in the other world's sun.

Burdened by supplies and the injured, the transfer took nearly half an hour, by which time Willow was fighting the urge to shove the remaining people willy nilly across the threshold. Finally, after what seemed like a week, Buffy and Xander were the only ones still to cross.

Willow hugged Xander, hiding her face in his shoulder.

"You sure about this, Will," Xander said. "I could stay with you, give you moral support while you fight the evil nuke."

"You don't have to be with me to do that, Xan." She forced herself to let go, smiling up at him. "I'll be okay."

"You'd better," Buffy said, squeezing the breath out of Willow. "Or I'll come after you just so I can kick your ass."

Willow grinned, but stopped when she noticed Xander's right wrist was bare. "Xander, where's your bracelet?"

"I took it off," he said. "It clashed with my manliness."

"Put it back on."

"But Will--"

"Xander, it's linked to mine, remember?" Willow said, shaking her own bangle in his face. "It'll help Gi...I mean, it'll help me find you guys."

Buffy narrowed her eyes. "Why would you need help? Aren't you just gonna open up the same portal?"

"Sure, but it's a big world. You could move around or get lost. The bracelet gives me the edge."

Buffy and Xander appeared dubious, but Willow didn't give them time to think. "Guys, you need to go now," she said. Xander looked as if he wanted to argue, but she pushed them towards the portal. "Go."

Waving, she watched her best friends walk through the circle. She had a note in her pocket addressed to Giles, explaining what had happened to the others. She hoped that it and her bangle would find their way to him, but failing that she'd instructed Buffy and Xander in the letters she'd given Melissa to seek out the magical creatures in the other world. Willow was satisfied she'd done everything she could to help them return home, yet she still had the nagging feeling that she was betraying them. She shook herself and set her jaw.

It was time to close the portal.

From another world, Buffy looked back at Willow. Something in the redhead's sad smile gnawed at her. This felt all wrong. Deep down her slayer instincts screamed at her, but she didn't know what to do.

Spike came up beside her. He, too, was staring at Willow, eyes narrowed.

The portal began to shrink, and something inside Buffy crystallised. She was a slayer; she belonged at the frontlines. She couldn't let Willow do this alone, no matter what it cost her.

"Oh, sod it," Spike said, and he hurtled through the portal.

"No!" Willow shouted.

Buffy needed no more encouragement. She followed him across the threshold.