Greater London was in the middle of what could be best described as hell on earth.  Well, not literally of course.  The heat wave hit in the end of July and had been relentless ever since.  At this hour of the day, people were just starting to come out of their homes and businesses because it was the only time the sun wasn’t beating down on them.  It was an Indian summer.

Willow Rosenberg had spent most of the summer in quiet introspection.  Working on new spells and studying with the Council filled most of her time.  She could hardly wait to see Buffy again.  It would be another day until she came for a much needed visit.  Inwardly, she had to admit that she missed Buffy most of all.  Only three short years ago was when they all parted after college graduation.  She kept in touch with Xander, and Angel and Cordy who were still in LA.

When she thought of Buffy, she felt a longing there and something inside of her ached.  It wasn’t a bad ache really, more of a comfort if anything else.  Comfort because she knew she loved the slayer, after all they were best friends, and she knew Buffy loved her.

She sat down in the cool grass and leaned back against the tree.  The sun had already begun to sink down and she was always grateful for this quiet time.  She promised herself that she would do this every night no matter how much studying she had ahead of her.  For some reason, watching the sunset made her feel like she wasn’t so far away from home.   In those moments she thought about nothing and it was like she was a normal person with a normal life – not a witch residing in the a mansion full of stuffy tweed wearing Watchers.  But who was she kidding?  She’d be one of those stuffy Watchers soon enough.

The sun sank down and Willow sighed deeply.  “It’s so beautiful tonight.”

“I’d have to agree.”

Willow was startled by the voice from behind her.  Slowly she reached in her pocket for a stake and turned around.

“Buffy!”  She dropped the stake and ran over to her friend.  “When did you get in?  Why didn’t you call?  How are you?”

“Uh, just now, I wanted to surprise you, and fine . . .I think that about covers it.”  She smiled into the mane of red hair. “Giles told me I could find you here.  I missed you, Will.”

Willow pulled away to look at her friend.  “You look great. . .you got a tan.”

“Yes, which I’ve decided is an upside to fighting the powers of darkness.  I kinda blend in.”  She noticed the stake on the ground and leaned over to pick it up.  “Hey, you were gonna stake me?”  She managed a mock pout.

“You can never be too careful.”  Willow shrugged and smiled back.

A strange expression began to play on Buffy’s face.  “No, I guess you can’t.”

All of a sudden, Willow found herself on the ground.  Buffy knocked her down and was on top of her.  They struggled, but the slayer was more than a match for her.  “Buffy . . .what are you doing?”

Buffy smiled down at the red head.  “Taking what I want.”  She vamped out and was at Willow’s neck in an instant.

Willow began to swoon.  She couldn’t believe this was happening.  <Buffy . . .they got Buffy.>  Just as she was beginning to loose feeling in her limbs, Buffy pulled back and looked down at her.

“Mmm, you taste as good as I always thought you would . . .maybe even better.”  She licked her lips.

Willow tried to keep focused.  “Who . . .who did this to you?  What happened?”  She blinked a few times.  She tried to lift her head but the pain in her neck was too intense.

“Lets just say I ran into a little trouble in the sewers a few nights ago.”  She leaned in so they were nose to nose.  “I had a choice.  Die and never complete my destiny or live forever and stop you from completing yours.”  She leaned over and licked the side of her face and dropped her voice to a whisper.  “Good choice, don’t you think?”

Willow tried to remain calm.  “My . . .my destiny?”

Buffy pulled up so she could see Willow. She shifted out of vamp face and  began to chant.  “'One be the champion, one the eternal.  One be the savior with struggle internal.  One be the witch with powers for teaching.  A prophesy fulfilled, effects far reaching.  Each one in turn will save this earth, beginning with the slayer’s re-birth.”

Willow struggled to hear the words, but she could feel the darkness creeping up on her.  “Buffy, I don’t understand. . . I . .”

She was silenced by a cold finger against her lips.  “Shh, Will . . .my sweet, sweet Willow.  Don’t you see?”  She began to nuzzle against Willow’s face.  “It’s our destiny to be re-born, to live together forever in the night. . .”

Willow could hear purring coming from Buffy’s throat.  Her breathing had become erratic and if she wasn’t in so much pain, she could swear she was turned on by this display.  The purring stopped and Willow held her breath, afraid of what was coming next.

“Time is short my love.”  She leaned in a little closer.  “Want, take, have.”  She vamped out and clamped down on Willow’s neck.

Willow felt the darkness closing in all too quickly.  <This can’t be happening!  No . . .no . . .NO!>

“NO!”

She was breathing heavily.  <Breathing . . .I’m breathing.>  Her hand shot up in the darkness to where Buffy had bitten her neck.  She found no marks there, only beads of sweat.  Slowly she focused her eyes and realized that she was in her room.  Calming herself a little more, she tried to focus on everything she’d seen.  <It was a dream . . .only a dream.>

There was a knock on the door.  “Willow, it’s Giles . . are you alright?”

She took a deep breath.  “Come in Giles.”

“Are you alright?  I thought I heard you screaming?”  He stood in the doorway with a stake in one hand and a cross in the other.

“I had a dream.  A very BAD dream.”

He stood there in quiet contemplation for a moment.  “Was it, um, anything like the others?”

Since Willow had begun her training as a watcher, she began to have prophetic dreams.  Many of them were warnings about things to come and by working with the Council, they were able to avert catastrophe on many occasions.

“Yes . . but this one was worse.”  She looked up at him.  “Buffy was. . .Buffy was a vampire, Giles, and she came here to turn me.  She said something about stopping me from fulfilling my destiny.  Only, she used words that rhymed.”

“Oh, dear.”  He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.  “Try to get some sleep and we’ll notify the council in the morning.”  He turned to go but stopped short.  “What time do you pick her up tomorrow?”

“Noon.”

“Good, good.  Very well then.  Try to get some sleep.”  He walked out and closed the door.

“Flight 6984 arriving from Los Angeles, United States, gate 42, gate 4 - 2”

Willow broke into a full sprint down the corridor.  She’d overslept and Giles was out so he was unable to wake her up.  She arrived at the gate just as the passengers were pouring out.  She leaned against a pole to catch her breath and kept one eye out for Buffy.  She tried to get back to sleep after the dream, but every time she closed her eyes Buffy’s words came back to haunt her.  But the other part, the sexy, purring, licking part. . . .Willow’s pulse quickened just thinking about it.

“Mmm, heavy breathing.  Anyone I know, Will?”

She spun around and came face to face with the slayer.

“Huh?  Buffy. . .No, I was late and, my alarm didn’t go off and . . .I ran.”  She smiled and brushed the hair away from her forehead.

“I can see that.  So are you just gonna stand there and pant at me or do I get a hug?”  She looked up at her through her eyelashes.

“Of course, come over here.”  She enveloped the slayer in a hug.  Slowly she reached up and put two fingers on her neck.  <Good, she has a pulse.  That’s always a good sign.>

Buffy noticed the odd gesture and pulled away.  “Will?  What’s going on?”

“Nothing, really.  Come on, I’ll explain on the way to the mansion.”

“Okay, but . . .It’s not every day your best friend checks your pulse.”

Willow gave her a disbelieving look.

“Then again . . .Hellmouth being our home town and all . . .”

Smiling back at her, the two girls made their way to the baggage carousel and then to customs.
 

Willow was fussing around the kitchen, trying to find something to eat.

“Willow, you’re back.”

She turned around.  “Yeah, just got in about a half hour ago.”  She smiled.

“. . .and Buffy, she’s, ah . . .”

“Sleeping Giles.  And totally with a pulse.  I was going to take her on a tour of the mansion, but the next thing I knew she was getting cozy with my pillows.”

“Jet lag . . .I see.”  He smiled and put on a pot of tea.  “Willow, we must talk about your, um, episode last night.  The Council wants to launch an investigation and. . .”

She came around and sat down at the table.  “I know, Giles, I know.”

He smiled at her at the opposite end of the table. “Now, the dream . . “

”It was strange.  I was watching the sun set and suddenly Buffy was behind me.  We hugged, and at first I thought there was a vamp behind me, so  I had a stake and . . .”

They delved into the meaning of her dream for the next three hours.  Giles tried to draw every detail out of her and with each new discovery, he jotted down notes.  They came to the conclusion that it may be a prophetic telling, and decided to notify the council at once of what they’d discovered.

“. . .it was just so real, Giles.  It really weirded me out.  I haven’t felt like that since we left Sunnydale.  I mean, she was on top of me, and I was swooning from the loss of blood, her teeth were clamped down on my neck and . . .”

“What!?”  Buffy rushed to Willow’s side and began to examine her. “Where?  Who bit you?  Are you alright…..I’ll kill them, Will, I swear. . .”

She reached out and stopped her friend’s musings.  “No, Buffy, it’s okay.  It was a just a dream I had last night, that’s all.”  She smiled.

It took a moment for it to register.  “Are you sure?”

Willow was touched by her concern.  “I’m sure. . .look . . .no fang marks.”  She tilted her head to demonstrate the point.

“It’s nice to see you too, Buffy.”  Giles broke in.

“Giles!”  She went to the other side of the table to give him a hug.  “It’s so great to see you.  How have you been?”

“Very busy with Council affairs as usual.”  He was glad to see her again after all these years.  “How is your mother?”

“Fine, fine . . .everyone is good.  Mom is in charge of the Gallery now.  They actually let her invest some of her own money, so now she has more of a say in what goes on there. Xander is working at the Bronze collecting at the door and still living in his parents basement.  I haven’t heard from Angel and Cordelia in a few months, I guess no news is good news.”

“I spoke with Cordelia recently.  Seems the business is going well and our favorite vampire with a soul has his hands full.”  Willow chimed in.

“Swell.”  Buffy rolled her eyes.  Angel was apparently still a sore spot with her.

Willow picked up on the gaffe and decided to change the subject.  “Why don’t I give you that tour I promised earlier?”

Buffy agreed and they left Giles with his tea and notes.

They made their way through the entire mansion.  Each floor was equipped with a training room, a library, a den with a fireplace and a kitchen.  From what Buffy surmised, Willow had one of the best rooms in the entire place and it was in the center of the house with windows looking out to a beautiful garden.

“And here we are back at our room.”  They had come full circle through out the entire house.  Willow noted Buffy’s confused expression and began to explain.  “You’ll have to stay with me because there’s a convention in town.  The Watcher’s council get together every three months to go over business in person.  They come from all over the world . . and they have to sleep someplace.”

“It’s not a problem, Will.  It’ll be just like old times.”  Buffy offered as they entered the room.  She turned around to face her friend.  “There’s one thing I don’t get though.  You’ve been here for three years, and I know that the Council has a lot of old retired Watchers laying around, so why’d you get the primo room?  I mean, it’s not that I don’t think you deserve it, but it struck me as strange.”

Willow listened and was unsure of how to answer her question, or if she even wanted to right this minute.  It would bring up so many other questions . . .questions she just didn’t feel like going into right then.  “It’s a long story, Buffy.  Let’s just say that I’m a favored pupil of the Council and they’re going to great lengths to make me comfortable while I study.”

“Comfort isn’t the word I’d use, Will . . .this is luxurious!”  She flopped down on the bed with her arms spread out.

There was a knock at the door and a disembodied voice came from behind it.  “Miss Rosenberg, you’re evening meal is prepared.  Will you and your guest be taking it in your private study?”

She looked up and gave Buffy a guilty grin.  ”Yes, James.  We’ll be up in a moment.”

“Very well, Miss.”  They heard his footsteps retreating down the hall.

Willow got up and tried her best to avoid her friend’s gaze.

“Private study?”

“Buffy . . .”

“Miss Rosenberg?”  Buffy walked around the bed to her side.

“Come on, Buffy.  Cut it out.”

“Evening meal?  Is the soon-to-be-watcher too good to eat with her kind?”  Buffy jabbed at her for good measure.

“Cut it out.”  She gave a defeated sigh.  “It’s just some of life’s guilty pleasures.  Let’s go eat.”

They approached an elevator.  Willow punched in a sequence of numbers, it opened up, and they stepped inside.  Moments later the door opened to what was the most interesting collection of things Buffy had ever seen in one room before, yet, it was all very Willowy.   “Will, this is . . .this is amazing!”  She stepped out and began to inspect everything.

Upon closer inspection, Buffy realized that the room was a half circle and they were on the topmost floor of the mansion.  “You have a computer center and over here are all kinds of books. . .some of them I can’t even pronounce!  Then there’s this part where all of your witchy stuff is . . .hey, is that a cauldron!?  Do you actually do spells here?  You’ve got a wide screen TV and a state of the art entertainment center. . . .and those couches look comfy enough to drift to sleep on.  You’ve got everything here . . .it’s like . . .it’s like a wet dream!”  She flopped down on the sofa and decided to test her theory.  “Mmm, even better than I imagined.”

Willow stood at the elevator amused by the excited display Buffy just put on.  “It’s not that big a deal, Buffy.  I guess I’m used to it.”  She crossed the room and joined her on the couch.

“Well, I could definitely get used to this.  Too bad the Hellmouth has to be across the sea, this slayer could use some pampering.”

They finished dinner and Buffy suggested they watch a movie.  Willow led her over to a cabinet recessed in the wall and told her to pick what ever she wanted.

“You’ve got to be kidding me, Will.  Some of these aren’t even out of the theaters yet back home.”  One particular title caught her eye.  “How about this one?”  Buffy held up the box.

“Uh uh, no way Buffy.  Do you know how many times I’ve seen that already?”  Willow hoped she wasn’t serious.

“Come on, pretty please . . .with a cherry on top?” She resorted to the eyes.

“No, not the slayer eyes again?  Really, Buffy . . .exactly how many times can you watch him drown?”

“At last count?  Seventeen.”

“Aw, man. . . how many times can you hear my heart will go on, and on, and on and on . . .”  She pouted some more and Willow caved.  “Fine.  Pop it in, but I get the control and you make the popcorn.”

“Deal.”  Buffy headed for the elevators.  “Um, Will . . .that whole keypad thingy.  How do I get back up here?”

“Oh, sorry.  The code is 0-3-1-0-9-7.  Then press the OK key twice.”

Buffy repeated the sequence to herself a few times then was off to make popcorn.

Back in the US

“Angel investigations. . .we help the hopeless.”

Angel was lurking around the office when the phone rang.  He caught clips of the conversation but nothing he could figure out.  He’d been in LA for over three years now.  It was tough at first, but with Doyle and Cordelia’s help, he finally found his nitch in the world.  Doyle.  The vampire couldn’t help but think of the demon from time to time.  He’d given his life to save the world from The Scourge and Angel couldn’t help but think sometimes it was too heavy a price to pay.

“Angel?”

He was shaken out of his reverie by the brunette in front of him.  “Yeah.”

“What planet were you on?”  She scoffed at him.  “That was Giles on the phone, looks like the council might need your help.”

“The council, huh?”

“Yes, and before you go and get all broody, I already told him that there’d be a fee involved.  You’re not a free agent anymore.”

He smiled.  Good old Cordelia . . .she never changes.  “And what did he say?”

“He said the council would pay what ever we asked them to.  Do you know what that means, Angel?  I can finally get a decent manicure and we can get a decorator in here to liven up the office.  I mean, the boss may be dead, but, that so doesn’t mean the décor has to be.”  She flashed him a smile and took a step towards him.

“Anything we ask them?  This has to be pretty big Cordy.”  He looked thoughtful for a moment.  “Don’t think you’re gonna blow this like the last time.  Bills first, fun later.  Got it?”  He tried to give her a reprimanding look and almost pulled it off.  Except, she was looking at him in THAT way.  “Don’t give me that look Cordelia.”

“What look?”  She asked innocently.

“The look that you get right before I cave in and give you anything you want.”  He looked down at her and furrowed his brow.

She stood on her toes and brushed her lips against his.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Giles emerged from the elevator.  “Good, you’re both here.  I have some news.”  He approached the couch where the two girls were sitting.  “Good, God . . .has something happened?  What’s wrong?”

Buffy was wiping her nose and sniffling.  Willow on the other hand seemed unaffected.  She looked up and him and shrugged.  “Um, Titanic.”

He looked appalled. “I see.  Well, no time for that now.  The council has come to a decision about your vision, Willow, and. . .”

”Vision?  What Vision?  What’s going on, Will?”

Willow sank lower into the couch.

“Apparently you haven’t told her yet.”  Giles asked in her direction.  She shook her head no.  “Well, I’m going to let this wait until tomorrow then.  You should explain everything to Buffy.  We have work to do.”  He rose to go and stopped short at the elevator.  “Willow, please try to not leave anything out, will you?”  She gave him a horrified look but he smiled and left.

They sat there in silence for a few moments.  Willow was trying to figure out where to begin.

“So?”  Buffy gave her a look.

“So. . .”  She sighed. “I don’t know where to begin.  So much has happened to me in the past three years Buffy. . .I’m different now. . .everything is so different.”

“Well, that’s as good a  place to start as any.”  She sat up and faced the red head.  “How are you different?”

“I was coming back to the house from the library one night.  It had almost been a year and I hadn’t seen any kind of activity, so I let my guard down.  I was almost to the gate when I was attacked by a cadre of vampires and an icky green slimy demon.”  She closed her eyes reliving the moment.  “I was mortally wounded, Buffy, and the council was beside themselves.  The summoned Giles from Sunnydale, hoping that he’d get there before it was too late.”

Buffy sat in a state of shock.  “I remember when he left. . .he said it was council business . . .”

“Yes, they told him not to tell you.  You had your duties and couldn’t be distracted.  He arrived and met with the Council.  They decided that the best way to deal with this was to plead with a higher court.  Giles went off to contact The Powers That Be.”

Buffy looked thoughtful for a moment.  “I thought that was only a saying?”

“No, they’re real, believe me.  I owe my life to them, and Giles.  So he make his plea to them for my life.  He was gone for two days, the Council had almost given up on him.  He pulled through.  He came back with a liquid of some kind and had me drink it.  Almost immediately I felt better, but different.”

Buffy sighed.  “Let me guess, there was a  price.”

“You could say that.  In order for the Powers That Be to spare my life, they needed something in return.  The elixir contained healing elements, but it also included some elements you find in a slayer.”  Willow paused to gauge her reaction.  “I’m nowhere near a slayer, but close.  I have the ability to predict future situations through dreams, slayer healing powers and slayer sense.  That mixed in with my witchy ways . . .well, lets just say that I think it worked more in their favor than mine.”

Buffy sat quiet for a moment trying to absorb everything she was saying.  “So you’re working for the Powers That Be?”

“Not exactly.  I work for the Council and the Council works to achieve the goals of the PTB.  That’s what all the fuss and muss over me is about.  I don’t owe the Council anything, I owe Giles.  I made them very aware of that.  So in order to get me to stay, they hired him back to work with me.”

“I see.  That’s why he never came back.”

“That and. . . “  She hesitated a little.  “There’s something big coming up, Buffy.  Really big.  I had a dream the night before you got here.  Giles and I went over it and, well . . .”

”Let me guess.  I’m involved.”  She sat back and closed her eyes.  This was going to be some ‘vacation’.  A million thoughts ran through her mind.  Giles . . Willow . . working for the Council . . .the Powers That Be.  It was all too much to digest right now.

Willow reached over and touched her arm.  Buffy startled a little and looked over at her.

“I know Buffy.  It’s hard to understand.”

She got up and began to pace.  “No, you don’t know, Will.  How . . .why didn’t you and Giles tell me any of this?  I’m a big slayer now, I could have handled it.”  She ran her hands through her hair in frustration.  “You almost died!  I almost lost my best friend and I learn about it now, three years after the fact?”

Willow rose and inched over to her.  “Buffy, it was my decision not to tell you.  I thought you had your plate full and didn’t want to worry you.  There wasn’t anything you could have done but worry.  We both know you couldn’t have left Sunnydale.”  She reached up and put her hand on her shoulder.  “Besides, look at me . . .”  She lifted Buffy’s chin up and noted the tears.  “This is me, standing in front of you . . not dead.”

“Not funny, Will.”  It was all to much for her.  She let out a sigh and leaned into Willow for a hug.

She gathered the sobbing slayer in her arms.  She reflected on everything she’d said and couldn’t believe herself when she thought of the things she’d gone through.  It was for a higher purpose though.  Wasn’t it?  There had to be some sort of gold ring to latch on to after all of this.

Buffy straightened up and looked into her friend’s eyes.  “I’m sorry, Will.  I shouldn’t have lost it like that.”

Willow reached up and touched her cheek.  “It’s okay, Buffy, really.  I’ve been known as your crying pillow on more than one occasion you know.  I kind of missed it.”  She smiled hoping to lighten the mood.

“But Will, you’re so . . .detached.  It’s like you’re reading a script or something.  Come on, am I the only one allowed to shed a few tears here?  What’s with you?”   She looked at her, but her facial expression never changed.  “Will?”

Willow sighed in defeat.  <Giles did tell me to tell her everything.>  “Buffy, the work I do, it’s . . .it’s really hard.  The council has been a great resource for me, and I’m improving my spells and gaining more control over them every day.”  She tried to sound enthusiastic, but from Buffy’s expression she could tell she wasn’t buying it.

“Come on, Will.  You’re avoiding the question. . .”

”Okay, well. . .The council gave me a mentor to study with.  They thought that honing my Wiccan skills would just be an added bonus.  In order to remain focused, my mentor gave me a gemstone to help me be unbiased about the prophesies and visions and all the work I’m to be involved in. It’s called the Gem of NoiTome, pronounced no – to – may.  It keeps my emotions in check.”  Willow lifted her hand and showed Buffy the small ring on her left middle finger.  It had a thin silver band with a petite setting.  The gem glowed with a dark gray hue.  It almost looked like it was made for Willow’s slender finger.

“So this ring thingy keeps you from feeling extreme emotion?”  Buffy shook her head in disapproval.  “I don’t like it, Will. . .it’s not natural.”  She reached out to try and touch it and was met with a little electrical shock.  “Ow! That didn’t tickle.”

“Only the person who wears it can take it off.  It’s not that bad, really.  I can take it off. . .and it’s not like I’m numb or anything. . .the ring stores up all of my unfelt emotions and when I remove it, I can feel them naturally as if they were happening right then.  The good thing is I don’t have to feel them all at once.  I can do it slowly and kind of de-charge the ring until they’re all gone.  It’s just a precaution.”

“I still don’t like it.  I knew there was something up with you . . you just weren’t acting like yourself.”  Again, Buffy shook her head.

“Myself?  What?  You miss the angsty, unsure heap of no-self-confidence that was once me?”

Buffy thought long and hard about it.  “Yes, yes I do.  I miss the real Willow.  That’s who you are, Will.  And no ring is going to change it.  You lead with your heart and take other people’s feelings into consideration.  You weigh the consequences, both emotional and physical. . . that’s what’s always been so great about you.  That’s the Willow that’s my best friend.”  Buffy was becoming agitated.  “Not this, this uncaring calculating walking watcher-thing you’ve turned into!  What the hell have they don’t to you here?”

Willow walked away from her.  “I’ve changed, Buffy.  You didn’t expect me to change at all in three years?  I can’t even begin to think of how much I owe to the Council.  I have a life here now, and I have a job for as long as they need me . . maybe even longer.  Retired Watchers have it really good you know.”  She was calm, cool and collected. . .and it chilled Buffy right to the core.

“I’m not going to get anywhere with you while your wearing that thing.  Take it off so I can talk to the real Willow.”  Buffy came up behind her and crossed her arms across her chest.

Willow turned around and sighed.  “This is the real Willow, Buffy.  I told you, I’ve changed.”  She reached up and unfolded Buffy’s arms and took her hand into her own.  “I need to make one thing clear to you.  I can’t ever let you see me without the ring.  It’s just too difficult for you to handle.”  Willow detected a protest form on her lips and shook her head, needing to go on.  “No, it’s not going to happen.  I made the mistake of letting Giles be there once.   He stayed with me for two days and it took me a week to convince him to not kidnap me and take me back to Sunnydale.  We’re working for a greater good here, and there are certain sacrifices that need to be made.  This is one of them.”

Buffy saw her resolve face and knew she didn’t stand a chance.  For now, anyway.  “Can you at least take it off sometime after you’ve de-charged it or whatever?  When there isn’t a threat of danger?”

Willow knew her friend was only trying to look out for her.  “I’ll consider it.  I’m not making any promises though.”

Buffy pulled her into a hug.  “If I had known, Will.  I could have been there for you. . .but all your letters said you were okay and I believed you.  I should have known something was up when you wouldn’t return my calls.  I should have come sooner.”

”I didn’t want you to know, Buffy.  I had to do this, start my future, alone.  Please understand.”

“I know, and I do understand in a way.  You have a job, you have obligations.  Believe me, I know about sacrifices.”  She inhaled deeply and exhaled.  She realized she almost forgot how good it was to be in her best friends arms again, to have her senses invaded by all that was Willow.  “You feel good, Will.  I missed this.”

Willow nuzzled in closer to the slayer.  “I missed it too.”  She closed her eyes and smiled.  “More than you’ll ever know.”  She smiled under the blonde mane that curtained her face.  After a few minutes she broke away.  “Come on, I think we both need some sleep.  Giles will want us up bright and early tomorrow.”

Buffy moaned a little but knew she was right.  They headed for the elevator arm in arm.

“I don’t like it, Giles.  You have to at least give her some warning . . .” They had been on the phone for over an hour.  Angel was still trying to convince him to tell Buffy they were coming to London, but Giles wouldn’t even consider it.

“No, Angel.  I cannot.  We can’t give her time to process this.  She’ll know how dire the situation is as soon as you walk through the door.  There are things you can do, people you know, that no one else has the resources for.”  He removed his glasses and sighed.  “She’ll get over it.  We’ll all be much too busy to think about high school crushes and love lost.  Don’t you agree?”

“I just hope you’re right.”  He hesitated, not knowing how to approach the subject.  “Giles, there’s something you need to know.  Cordelia and I, well . . .we have a different relationship now.  It’s more . . .”

“Intimate.  I see.  I trust you’re both careful?”  This was just another wrench to throw into the works.

“Willow’s curse . . .when she cursed me with my soul again, she must have done it wrong, or right.  I suppose it’s how you look at it.”  He was struggling.

“Your soul is permanent then?”  He sighed on the other end of the receiver.  “And you chose now to make me aware of this little fact?”

“I didn’t know until recently.  The Powers That Be told me about it.  That’s when Cordy and I . . .”

“I really don’t need a play by play, Angel.”  He just couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  “I suppose Xander would say in this situation that you’re sending me to a scary visual place.”

The vampire chuckled.  “Yeah, I guess so.”  He cleared his throat and changed the subject.  “So, we’ll be there in three days.  I received the tickets by messenger from the Council. . .on their tab I’ll assume.”

“Yes, indeed.  We’ll see you then.  Have a safe trip.”  Giles hung up the phone.

He was sipping tea in his private study.  After he came back into favor with the Council, he was given back all of his old privileges.  But what price had he paid?  What price had Willow paid for it all?  He looked back on the past three years with some regret, and some fond memories.  He always knew she was headed for much bigger things than any of them could imagine.  He just never imagined it would all happen so soon.

<She’s had to grow up so fast in these three short years.  The life she’s committed herself to . . .I don’t think I’d wish it on even Ethan.  I still don’t fully trust the Council either.>

He sighed and absentmindedly sipped his tea.  In the short time the three of them had been reunited in the kitchen and then in Willow’s study, he knew Buffy’s mind was turning everything she’d seen over in her mind.  It was only a matter of time until she found out about the gem, and all the things Willow had to sacrifice.

<That damn gem!  I should have smashed it into oblivion when I had the chance.>

He looked back on those two days he’d spent with Willow with much regret.

<The things she’s gone through, the things she’s seen. . . I can’t even imagine how she must have felt when . . >

He let his mind move on to more pleasant thoughts.  There was no use in dwelling on things he didn’t have the power to change.

He smiled thinking about how close they’d become.  It was much like a father and daughter relationship.  She respected him immensely and the feeling was returned.  He thought Buffy being here would do her some good, maybe even give her a few hours without that blasted ring.  Now, with the dream she’d had it was as he feared.  They were all headed on a collision course with destiny.  He shivered and knew . . things would never be the same for any of them.

As soon as she heard the soft rhythm of Buffy’s breathing, Willow slipped out the door and made her way to Giles’ study.  She knocked on the door.  “Giles?  Are you up?”  She opened the door a little and spotted him in his recliner by the fireplace.

“Yes, come in, Willow.”  He sat up and gave her his attention. “Is something troubling you?”

“No, just reporting to duty.”  She gave him a mock salute.  “I told her.  Everything more or less.  I haven’t told her about the dream yet, though.  I thought it could wait until we were all together.”  She moved over and sat opposite him.

“More or less?”  He arched his eyebrows, urging her to continue.

“Everything important.  I didn’t tell her about, that time.”  She shrugged her shoulders.  “I didn’t think it was important right now. It’ll keep.”

Giles shook his head in disapproval.  “Absolutely not.  I thought we agreed that you would tell her about it.  It’s the only way you are going to heal, Willow.”  He sat forward and looked imploringly into her face and took her hand.  “Not with this blasted gem!”  He gave her hand a squeeze for good measure.  “The Council never would have let her come otherwise.  They realize how important she is to you and she’s the one who can help you heal.”

“Giles don’t do this now. . .”

He stood, angered by her offish ness.  “That damn gem.  I have no choice, Willow, you must realize that.  If you do not start the healing process WITHOUT it. . .the Council will see it fit to take it away from you and force you to deal with all that has happened.”  He turned to her and knelt down in front of where she was sitting.  “They’ve informed me of as much. . . .you have no choice.  You’re no good to anyone, or yourself, if you continue on in this manner.”

Willow knew what he was saying was true.  “Giles, I told her that she can’t see me without it.  That it would be too hard for her to handle.  She’s never seen me like that . . .you know how she gets and if it’s anything like what you went through then. . .”  As she spoke, she inched the ring higher and higher up her finger and brought his attention to it.  “I can control it Giles.  The more it comes off, the more I feel.”  She closed her eyes, feeling the all too familiar ocean of emotions begin to sweep her away.  “You have to try and understand how hard this is for me.  Can you?”  She looked at him and a lone tear fell from her eye.

He was moved at her plea.  “I do understand.  But you must understand also.  There are precautions we can take.  She can be put under protection.  And if you choose, the council will see to it that she forgets.”  He felt a bit more reassured now. He felt a glimmer of hope that he was actually getting through to her.  “They want to arrange for you to take a trip to Callaway.  It’s a small fishing village down south.  They have a retreat house there and it’s as good a spot as any for a small vacation of sorts.  I assure you, you won’t be bothered.”  He looked down and noticed that the ring was back secured on her finger.

“. . .But we have so much work to do, dreams to interpret. . .”  She was self assured again.

“I will keep . . .at least for the next few weeks.  I’ve called in some back up and . . .”

Willow nodded her head in acknowledgement.  “Angel and Cordelia , I figured as much.”

“You must understand, he has the ability to contact others, and his resources alone. . .”

”You don’t have to justify yourself to me Giles.  I’ve never questioned you before.”  She gave him a little smile.  “I just wonder how Buffy’s gonna take seeing them together.  She’ll know something is going on.”

He looked at her puzzled.  “Am I always the last one to find out?”

“I called Angel at his apartment about a month ago.  I forgot about the time difference and must have woken them up.  Cordy answered the phone and, well . . .I caught them red handed so to speak.”

“I see.  Well . . .”  He stood up and paced around a little. “Should I tell the Council you’ve agreed to go?”

“I don’t see what choice I have.  I hope you know what you’re doing.  All of you.”

“Don’t worry about Buffy.  She’ll be able to handle this far better than either one of us will give her credit for.  I’ll explain to her in the morning and you two should be packed and ready to go by supper time.  Agreed?”

Willow rose and headed for the door.  Before slipping out she nodded her head and whispered.  “Agreed.”