Spike finds himself back in the cell in the Hell dimension. He feels strange, almost sick. He shivers violently, his body contracting. If he has a fever, he supposes, that might explain the hallucinations he's been experiencing.
Buffy felt so real to him, but now, he's not so sure it wasn't just a trick of his mind. His throat aches and he reaches up to touch it wincing as he does. He sits up, still shaking from the chills.
The cell door opens and Illyria comes through it. Spike looks up at her, and can't help cringing away ever so slightly. "My pet. Look at me." Spike does, glaring up at the Old One. Illyria doesn't seem fazed by his expression. She moves to him. "I am sorry for injuring you." There actually sounds like a hint of regret in her voice. It makes Spike even more wary.
The cell door opens again. Both Illyria and Spike look up as Gunn comes in. Something strange crosses Illyria's face as Gunn enters the cell. "What is he still doing here? I thought you were going to get rid of him?" Gunn demands of Illyria, glaring at Spike. During the fight in LA, Gunn was turned into a vampire. This, however, is the first time Spike has seen him since the battle. The look Gunn shoots him is full of hatred.
Spike stands up, slightly wobbly. Illyria reaches out to grab him, her hand tightening painfully over his arm. Spike glares at her. "Let me go, Blue."
"No. I will not. There are things you do not know. Things I have neither the time nor the inclination to tell you. But what matters is you're not safe." Spike fights the urge to roll his eyes at her. "I am attempting to help you. You need to get out of here." Illyria pulled Spike towards the door.
Spike allows himself to be pulled out of the cell, curious to see what is going on. He is led out of the castle-type building. Illyria leads him to a tunnel. "Go, my pet. The sooner you get away from here, the better. They're coming."
"Who are coming? What's going on Blue?" She shakes her head instead of answering. With a sigh, Spike heads down into the tunnel.
Unbeknownst to Buffy, Willow had been tracking Angel's movements for awhile. So she knew the moment Angel left Earth. She had a suspicion that he hadn't just simply died, though.
So, as they fly to the US, Willow does another spell. Just a minor one, but it allows her to know that they are going to be facing huge hordes of demons. She sighs, knowing Buffy is in no shape to fight demons in her current state of mind.
When they land, Buffy and Willow head for a local hotel. Destruction and chaos surround them. "And here I thought it was impossible to get a cab in LA before." Willow looks up at Buffy, who seems...different. Almost better. Is it possible that she's moving on, finally. They get to the hotel, which is almost completely abandoned, except for a tired woman sitting behind the desk. She looks up as they come in.
"What are you two, insane? No one should be in LA. Don't tell me you're here on vacation." Willow shakes her head.
"Afraid we're here on business. Do you have a room?" The woman sighs.
"We have a bunch of them, actually. Take your pick." She hands Willow a master key. "We are completely empty. No one wants to stay in LA." The woman turns her attention back to the book she's reading.
Buffy and Willow head up to find a room. After dropping off their stuff, they head out to explore a bit. They come across the ruins of Wolfram and Hart. Willow senses something horribly dark in the area, but she can't put her finger on the exact source. They find their way to what remains of the Hyperion. Willow explains to Buffy that this was the headquarters of Angel Investigations before they teamed up with Wolfram and Hart.
They head inside to check it out. Buffy has a strange look on her face as they move around the ruins. But Willow can't quite put her finger on it. She watches her friend without being too obvious about it.