Spike followed Illyria downstairs to the lobby. Willow stepped forward, a strained look on her face as she eyed the bizarre creature in front of her, staring back at her with a dead woman's eyes.

"You're Illyria, right?"

"You knew Winifred Burkle. You look at me like I am her."

Willow opened her mouth to say something but no words would come. She liked Fred, she'd felt a bond with the kindly Texan, so to see the strange thing that now stood in front of her left her feeling hurt. Willow sighed heavily and turned away. Illyria continued to stare at her.

The door to the garden area opened as Buffy and Angel walked in holding hands. Seeing Spike, Buffy immediately let go and moved away. Angel turned to look at her, his gaze questioning, but before he could ask what was wrong, Illyria was in his face.

"You must make it happen."

Angel blinked and shook his head.

"Make what happen?"

"The apocalypse. I wish to fight now."

Giles moved towards them, Connor and Xander watching from the sofa.

"I'm afraid we can not just will an apocalypse in to existence. Which is just as well when you think about it."

Illyria turned on the Englishman.

"Angel forced the Senior Partners to fight and he must do it again. When I was a god, I would have torn them from all existence and now I am forced to wait inside the confines of this frail mortal shell and the rules of these lower forms and I can not wait. I will not let his death go without vengeance."

Angel laid a gentle hand on her shoulder but she batted it away.

"They will come after us, Illyria. They won't let us get away with what we've done. And only then, only when they start the battle, will we fight. We can't go charging in again. Wesley's gone and you're grieving. It gets easier, Illyira, we just have to wait."

She turned away, battling tears as she caught Willow's eye. The young witch saw the pain and confusion there and moved to her side, throwing a tentative arm around her shoulders. She still could not stand to look her in the eye though.

Giles moved forward, offering a book to Angel.

"I don't think we're going to have to wait all that long."

Angel took the book and read the passage out loud.

"And lo, it shall begin."

Buffy rolled her eyes.

"And lo? Why is it always and lo? Get a damn dictionary."

Angel cleared his throat and continued.

"The gates of Hell shall open,

The demon hordes shall rise.

The Champions will battle,

Two will lose their lives.

The Higher Powers cometh

To turn the horde ablaze,

To half the final numbers

That will see the End of Days.

The ground below shall tremble,

Both moon and sun will glow,

God's cry been silenced,

Rivers of blood will flow.

Trusted friends assembled,

To answer to the call.

The curséd one shall stand there

But so shall he fall."

Angel thrust the book back at Giles, his eyes full of rage.

"This was always planned? How could the Senior Partners have not known about it? Why would they hire us, why would they let me destroy the Circle of the Black Thorn, why would so many people have to die if they already knew?"

Confused, angry and grieving, he put his fist through the wall. Buffy took a step toward Angel, wanting to comfort him, but feeling Spike's eyes on her back she could only offer up an awkward pat on the back. Giles flicked through the pages of the book.

"They didn't know, Angel. This volume isn't exactly available in their usual sources of research."

He turned to the title page of the book and passed it back to Angel who stared at it in disbelief.

"This is Wes's diary? But that's not his handwriting. Plus, it's a prophecy, how would he know all about what was going to happen?"

Giles cleared his throat and cleaned his glasses as Angel flicked through the pages.

"To be honest, I don't know. As I understand it, Cordelia has become something of a higher being so there is a possibility that she was involved. Astral possession means the host would take the aspects of the possessor, so the handwriting would change. However, I doubt it was Wesley that she possessed as the writing wouldn't change that much. Plus, would he really have this happen and tell no one about it? The important thing, however, is that we have been given portents to when this End of Days will come. I think it's time we assemble an army of our own."

Buffy nodded as she stepped forward, avoiding looking at either Angel or Spike.

"I think you're right. We've got to get the Slayers here. I'd better call Faith too."

Willow joined the group, slightly relieved to be able to move away from Illyria.

"I'm gonna call Oz. He'd want to know about all this. Plus, a werewolf might come in handy."

Angel's head snapped up.

"Nina…"

He practically ran upstairs, pulling a cell phone from inside his jacket as he went. Buffy watched him go with a frown as Willow looked at Spike, confused.

"What'd I say?"

The other vampire shook his head.

"His girlfriend's a werewolf."

He felt Buffy's gaze snap on to him and it took all his strength not to look at her as he carried on talking to Willow.

"Her name's Nina. The big brooding lump sent her away before all this kicked off. Guess it's time to call her home and have another big sloppy reunion."

Spike couldn't hide the bitterness in his voice but still did not look at Buffy. Willow took a step toward her best friend, her hand outstretched.

"Buffy?"

She yanked a cell phone from the back pocket of her jeans, avoiding her friend's eyes as she mumbled something about Faith and marched off towards the office. Spike watched her go, cursing himself for upsetting her. He grabbed the book out of Giles' hands who, as usual, was oblivious to what had just happened.

"Let me see that…"

Spike scanned the pages without really reading anything. Suddenly, he realised there was something familiar about the diary.

"Wait a minute, I know this writing."

He marched away, Giles following close behind. They stopped in front of Illyria and Spike thrust the book at her.

"Where did you get Wesley's diary from?"

Giles arched an eyebrow as Illyria took the volume, tears welling up in her eyes again as she traced his name with her fingers.

"It was one of the personal objects he carried with him to the mansion where he died."

The former Watcher stepped forward, drawing her gaze.

"So why did you write what you did?"

Her voice was flat as she answered.

"I did not."

Spike jabbed a finger at the text in her hands, his anger at everything that happened now being directed at the woman in front of him.

"Are you trying to tell me that's not your handwriting?"

She looked back down at the book.

"That is the form my hand takes but I have no memory of creating those words."

Spike rolled his eyes and threw his hands into the air in frustration so Giles took over.

"Illyria, tell me what happened right before you found the diary."

She stared off in to the distance as she remembered seeing Wesley's broken body again. She blinked back tears as she explained.

"I returned to the mansion as the higher being instructed. I was to bring his shell back here. The room was cold and I did not like the feelings it created within my own shell. Wesley's bag was by the table he had sat at. He was still there. I felt him. I took the bag with his belongings and I took him, bringing them all back here. I do not recall creating words."

Giles's brow was furrowed as he thought.

"You say you felt that he was still there? That he was still in the room with you, his spirit?"

Illyria stiffened.

"You are a lower being. I do not expect your feeble mind to comprehend what it is I speak of."

Giles turned to Spike, attempting to ignore the insult about his intellect, which he personally considered to be nowhere near feeble.

"It was Wesley who appeared in Buffy's dream that told us to come here. He showed her the fight that was happening in the alleyway, the impossible odds that you four were up against. And it was Wesley that told me how to conduct the magic to actually bring us here. Perhaps it was indeed Wesley that helped Illyria to reveal this prophecy."

Spike snorted with derision.

"I'm sorry mate but are you seriously trying to tell me that the ghost of your old Watcher buddy is attempting to tell us what's going to happen?"

Giles folded his arms, almost glaring at him through his glasses.

"Cordelia is a higher power who helped to save your life just an hour or so ago. Stranger things than Wesley helping us have indeed happened."

Spike shook his head and slunk away, dropping himself on to the sofa beside Connor. The young man handed him a book without looking up from his own.

"Might as well make yourself useful instead of just sulking."

Spike snatched the book away with a glare and attempted to read. It was useless as his gaze was constantly drawn back to Buffy pacing up and down in the office. He had died for her and here she was again without a single word to say to him.

Buffy collapsed in to a chair and Spike stood, prepared to face the Slayer but Willow beat him to it, entering the office and shutting the door behind her. Spike sunk back down to his seat to be greeted by an amused look from Connor.

"You've got it bad for the blonde, huh?"

Spike glared at him as he re-opened the old book, getting a face full of dust for his troubles.

"And are you trying to tell me you ain't been throwing sneaky peeks at Red?"

Connor blushed heavily and looked away. Spike grinned.

"Bad luck, mate. You're really not her type."

Connor returned the grin, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Doesn't seem like you're Buffy's type either."

Both men threw each other glares and returned to their books.