Sorry, I just realized that I've gotten so caught up in all the ships that I kind of let Eve and Gunn in the dust! Anywho, this is just a short chapter, I promise the next one will be longer!

Eve sat in the chair by the window, staring out into the bright sunshine. She'd been here for a little over a week, and she had only left the room to eat. Everyone pretty much left her alone. Buffy had stopped by once, along with Angel, but she had refused to talk to them, and after a few minutes, they had left. That was just fine with Eve.

Life seemed to be moving on with everyone else, but here, inside this room, time seemed to stand still. It was funny. She had been a pawn of Wolfram and Hart for so long, she didn't know how to be anything else. The brief time she had spent with Lindsey had been a reprieve, but now that he was gone...

She had begged him not to go, not to help Angel, but he hadn't listened. He had always been a fighter, it really didn't matter what side. So he had gone, and now he was never coming back. Angel had told her to get over it, to move on. Easy for him to say. The love of his life was here, with him.

She had no clue what to do now. All she did know was that she wasn't joining Angel Investigations, or whatever they were calling themselves these days. Let him rot. Let them all rot. She didn't care anymore.

A knock came on the door, but she ignored it. It didn't matter how many times they knocked, how long they stayed. She wasn't going to answer. Eventually they'd go away.

BBBBBBBBBB

Buffy sat in Willow's room on the floor. Willow sat across from her, 3 candles on the floor between them. "So, you're gonna open a portal, to wherever the Powers That Be are, and I'm going to go through?"

Willow shook her head. "Not exactly. It's a little more complicated than that. You see, I need to..."

"Okay, Will, you know I'm not gonna follow all your wicca mumbo jumbo." Buffy smiled. "Just light a few candles, say the magic words, and get me there."

Willow smiled back. "Okay." She placed a bowl of herbs on the floor in between the candles. "Now, take my hands, and..."

Before she could finish, the door to her room opened, and Xander came walking in. "Hey, Buffy, Willow! I..." He stopped as he took in the situation. "Will, you're not doing any of that black magic again, are you?"

Buffy sighed impatiently. "Xander, what do you want?! We're really busy here, and..."

Xander sensed Buffy's annoyance, and knew that whatever they were doing, it had something to do with Angel. He walked over to them. "What's going on, Buffy?"

Willow quickly filled him in, much to Buffy's dismay. "Willow! You know Xander!"

"Hey!" Xander looked hurt. "I'm behind you, okay? 100 percent! I told you yesterday, I'm over it, and I really want to help Angel."

Buffy shook her head. "That's not what I meant! Angel can't know what I'm doing, and you can't keep a secret!"

"Ouch! That hurts, Buffy!"

Willow looked at him. "She does have a point, Xander. You're the one that told Buffy about Angel coming to Sunnydale to help out that Thanksgiving."

"Well, yeah, but.."

"Actually, Will, that kinda worked out okay." Buffy smiled, thinking of her subsequent visit to LA to confront him, leading to their perfect, if forgotten, day.

Willow nodded. "I know, but the point is.."

"I promise I won't screw up this time! Now, tell me how I can help."

BBBBBBBBBB

Xander walked down the stairs a few minutes later, grumbling to himself. Buffy and Willow had basically kicked him out. Oh, they'd been nice enough about it, telling him that everything was under control, that they could handle it themselves, but he knew the truth was they didn't trust him. They seemed to think he was still that geeky high school kid who had no use except for research and snack runs.

He was still muttering to himself when he walked into the lobby, almost running into Angel and Gunn, who Angel had just picked up from the hospital.

"Slow down, Xander!" Angel growled.

"Sorry Angel."

Angel looked up, a confused look in his eyes. "What, no sarcasm? No calling me 'dead boy'?"

Xander shook his head. "Buffy and I talked, and she told me what I jerk I've been. So, I'm going to try to be nice to you. And besides, I figure since she's gonna go see the Powers That Be, and get them to make you human, 'dead boy' really won't..." His voice trailed off as he realized what he'd said.

Angel stared at him. "What did you say?!"

"Oops!" Xander dropped his head in his hands. 'Buffy's gonna kill me!' he thought.