Jacob radiated anger as he, Lilah, Lindsay, and the henchman Wolfram & Hart sent stealthy entered Angel's mansion. This was supposed to be his finally getting the upper hand on Anna and showing her he's in charge opportunity. The plan was simple. Wait until the evening when his daughter was most likely asleep. Then quietly get into the house and incapacitate Anna with chloroform. Once she was no threat to Jacob and safely locked up, then Jacob would return and kill all her allies. After that was accomplished, he would tell Anna what he'd done and how it was her fault for defying him. All this he could do on his own and did not need Wolfram and Hart interfering.

The idea that the Senior Partners would send underlings to deal with him was infuriating. It also terrified him. Although the law firm had made Jacob basically invincible, they still believed they were in charge. He was worried there was a way to strip him of his power that the Senior Partners had kept from him. That fear was the only thing preventing him from just killing the lawyers and grunts the law firm sent to keep him in line.

The henchman spread out to look all over the house. Lilah and Lindsay stood quietly next to the front door waiting for them to finish the search. Jacob pretended they weren't there as he began his own search. As he passed from room to room, from the basement to the top floor he wanted to howl with rage. This house he had spied on earlier that had been full of people was empty. He began tossing the furniture in various rooms and screaming. Hearing the noise Lindsay and Lilah exchanged a concerned look. After exhausting himself, Jacob headed down the stairs and noticed Lilah and Lindsay waiting for him.

"You finished having your temper tantrum?" Lilah asked.

He wanted to break the woman's neck and strode across the room the accomplish that desire when Lindsay's phone rang.

"Hello," Lindsay answered and then stared at the approaching Jacob hard. "Yes, he's here."

That stopped Jacob in his tracks. He knew without asking that Lindsay must be speaking to one of the Senior Partners. Jacob shook with frustration. He needed to be out looking for his troublesome daughter not being hindered by some law firm.

"It's for you," Lindsay said walking towards him holding out the phone.

"I've got better things to do than report in," Jacob said passing around Lindsay and walking towards the front door.

"The Partners have a job for you," Lindsay said. "I will take charge..."

"You take charge?" Lilah scoffed.

"I..." Lindsay emphasized. "...will take charge of the search for Anna. Jacob, you need to do your job. There's a client who needs a witness to disappear before trial."

"I don't have time for that," Jacob said thinking about his options.

Lilah raised an eyebrow and asked, "You don't have time for the Senior Partners?"

"Anna's the priority," Jacob said pacing like a caged animal.

"And you've done wonders on that score," Lindsay taunted. "You lost her. You should be grateful the Partners are willing to overlook your incompetence to allow you to continue as their assassin."

Jacob stood still as he reached as decision and took the phone from Lindsay.

"I quit," he said into the phone and then hung up.

"You don't quit Wolfram and Hart," Lilah said.

"I just did," he said smiling smugly. "I'm invincible. I better not see you or anyone else attached to the Senior Partners anywhere near my daughter. I'll rip your throats out."

With those ominous threats, Jacob considered his association with the law firm done and walked out the door. His thoughts focused on one thing. Where was Anna?"

*********************

Anna woke up from her nap shaking. She'd been dreaming she was back in her father's house. She was back in that awful closet. There was no escape. Anna sat up quickly sweating and gasping for air. It was a relief to realize she was in Cordelia's bedroom. Her initial relief at her realization faded when saw the clock. It was 12:32 am. She remembered that today her body was supposed to be found at Sunnydale High. This could be her last night alive. She shouldn't be sleeping. There were things Anna had to do. Anna believed she should spend the rest of the night preparing for the battle to come. Plus, she still had to find a way to make what the wrong she committed with Angel and Cordy right. She went downstairs to find that Wesley, Willow, Xander, and Giles were busy looking over texts in the dining room.

"Hey," Anna said hesitantly. "I shouldn't be sleeping while you guys do all the work."

"It's perfectly understandable," Giles said.

"We've got the research down," Xander agreed. "You should got back to bed."

"You look like you could use the rest," Willow said with concern.

"I can't seem to stay asleep," Anna said. "Dreams..."

"Where are the others?" she said needing to change the subject.

"Angel and Faith went on patrol with Cordelia," Wesley said. "I'm not sure where Gus is."

"He was here before but just took off," Buffy said sounding irritated.

Willow came towards Anna and said, "I could make you something to help you sleep."

"I don't really want to sleep just yet," Anna said sounding uncertain.

"What about some training time?" Buffy suggested coming forward.

"Sure," Anna said, and they made their way to Cordelia's basement which was where Angel and Gus had been trying to teach Anna how to fight.

"I know you're nervous about everything," Buffy said. "You can still leave town you know."

Anna shook her head an replied, "I need it to be over. Besides if I'm gone he'll take out his anger on someone else."

They got to the bottom of the basement and found Gus sitting on the bottom step. Buffy noticed he was holding the pictures from Angel's wallet. He jumped up when he noticed they were behind him.

"Angel left his jacket down here," he said awkwardly.

The fact that his vampire senses hadn't alerted him to Buffy and Anna's approach made it clear how distracted he was.

"Hiding from Cordelia?" Buffy teased. She noticed that Gus and Cordelia had been bickering on and off since they arrived at her house.

"More like she's hiding from me," Gus replied. Cordelia was being incredibly stubborn about not accepting a loan from him. In fact, she was barely speaking to him now. It was strange to miss someone who he had only just been beginning to get to know; strange to feel jealous of his future self. Those pictures of his future tempted him like nothing else.

He was refusing to look Buffy in the eye when she said, "You can have a family here too, if you want."

She regretted her words when he looked her in the eye, and she saw the anguish there.

"You don't think it'll happen if you stay," she accused.

"Buffy, I'm tolerated here not...," Gus struggled to find the words.

"...not loved," Anna concluded for him.

"I love you," Buffy said her eyes pleading with him.

"I know that in spite of everything I am you love me. But them..." he said holding up the picture of his future family. "I think they love me because of who I am."

Buffy was startled by his words. She opened her mouth as if to reply but no words came. Angel didn't say anymore. He just walked up the stairs leaving Anna and Buffy alone.

In the hall he nearly collided with Cordelia who would've made some snippy comment if she hadn't seen the look in his eyes. When she saw the hurt look that quickly passed over his face before he replaced it with an unreadable expression, Cordelia felt this pain in her chest for him. It had only been days but a bond had been formed. She tried not to think about it too much because after all the people who'd hurt her she didn't want to let anyone else get close, but somehow Gus had found a way to matter to her. Cordelia was torn between letting them get closer and finding that future she'd seen a glimpse of between Cordy and Angel or distrusting that she could love someone again and it not be a disaster. She wanted to hold on to him and run away at the same time.

"You're back," he said, sounding so relieved that she wanted to forget she was supposed to be angry at him for trying to run her life.

"Want to talk about it?" she said.

"Not really," Gus replied.

Cordelia took his hand pulling him with her and said, "Alright but you're going to have to keep me company while I talk then."

She led him into the kitchen so that they could be alone as she talked about anything and everything that came into her head. As Cordelia heated up blood for him while he made her a snack, Gus felt the tension begin to leave his body.

In the basement, Buffy sat down on the steps hugging herself. She raked her brain for something to fix it. Losing him was something that couldn't happen. Despite the pain they caused each other and the obstacles, she and Angel were supposed to be forever. They were the ones who would find a way not matter what because they were supposed to be fate. She barely felt it when Anna sat beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Please don't mess with the future," Anna said gently.

Buffy shrugged Anna's hand off her shoulder and angrily replied, "This isn't your business."

"My actions made it my business," Anna said wanting to run away from Buffy's fierce stare but holding her ground. "I owe it to Angel to protect his happiness. I'm probably going to be dead soon so I get a last request. Let Angel go."

"That's cruel," Buffy said before she stood up and stamped up the stairs to leave Anna alone in the basement. When she entered the dining room, they all looked up from the research.

"Buffy," Giles said concerned that she was on the verge of tears.

Willow got up and went to hold her. Xander stood up and placed his hand on Buffy's back.

"Just say a name, and we'll kick their ass," Xander promised.

Buffy smiled for a moment, but the tears came anyway.

"Let's go upstairs," Willow said taking her to the guest room Cordelia assigned for Buffy. Xander followed behind.

Giles stood up as if to follow as well, but Anna charged into the dining room.

She demanded, "When my father is no longer a threat and Angel and Wesley get to go home, I want you to wipe everyone's memories of the last few days. It's the only way to make sure the future doesn't change."

Giles and Wesley exchanged a look, and Giles replied, "We've discussed that possibility."

"Good," Anna said because she wasn't going to allow to her mistakes to ruin Angel and Cordy's lives.

*********************

2002

The house was quiet and Buffy wished she could fall asleep like the others were able to. All she could do was pace back in forth in her room. Buffy never liked feeling helpless. Angel and Wesley were in the past where she could do nothing to aid them. All she could do was hope they were safe. She couldn't help the restlessness and decided to climb out her window in order to go on patrol rather than sleep. She ignored the building feeling anticipation she felt when she wondered if she'd run into Spike. Buffy told herself she wasn't going to Spike. She was going to blow off some steam. If Buffy found a demon to fight at least she'd feel like she was doing something.

Little did Buffy know that she wasn't the only one unable to sleep. Lorne was doing his own share of pacing in the backyard, and Cordelia sat in the living room pretending to watch tv. She was desperate to find any distraction but her thoughts went back to Angel, Wes, and Anna with worry for them. She wanted them safe. There were other worries in her mind too.

When she had been trapped in Anna's body and had to face the idea that she might have to die to fight Jacob, it made Cordy realize things she had been trying to ignore. She remembered that moment when Angel and Wes had walked through the library doors and she ran into Angel's arms. The rush of relief to know that they had gone to the past to save her paled to the overwhelming beating of her heart when he held her in his arms. She thought of those other moments when Angel told her he thought of her as Connor's mother or when they slept side by side and she'd felt safer and more alive than ever. There was no hiding from the truth for Cordy anymore. She loved Angel. It was going to change everything. Cordy had no idea if that was terrible or wonderful. She had no clue if it could go anywhere but when he got back Cordy was going to do something about it.