Angel entered Spike's bedroom unprepared for what he saw. Willow was sleeping with one arm draped around Spike's abdomen. Her eyes fluttered slightly, indicating she was dreaming.

But that wasn't what surprised him. His dead heart felt heavy at the site of his childe. He was shaking with perspiration dripping off of his body, into the sheets. As he neared the bed, he could feel the heat radiating from Spike. He bent down cautiously and felt his childe's skin, pulling back abruptly as it scalded him.

"What's wrong with him?" Angel asked softly as he heard Giles enter the room.

"We're not sure. We think it may have something to do with the initiative and whatever they did to him."

Angel turned away from the bed, so that he was facing Giles. "The Initiative?"

Giles took a deep breath as he prepared to tell the vampire what he knew about the secret commando organization.

Cordelia broke every speed limit as she drove furiously from Los Angeles to Sunnydale. Her vision bothered her. The images didn't seem to follow any kind of pattern but she knew that Spike was in some kind of trouble.
While she didn't have any great love for the vampire, Angel did. And that was enough for her. In the months since she had started working for him, they had become very close. He had told her things. About his past, about his relationship with Spike. He was ashamed of a lot of the things he had done in his lifetime. His treatment of Spike was one of the deepest scars.

Cordelia was also concerned for Willow. She had kept in contact with her after her move to LA, and she knew about Willow's growing affection for the blonde vampire. If he was in trouble, she was certain Willow was a wreck. And as her vision came back to her, she realized that they would have a tough road ahead of them. Hard choices would need to be made. She hoped they were all strong enough to make them.

Buffy stormed into Giles house and looked around.
"Giles, Giles" She called when she realized he wasn't there, she sat down to wait.
The longer she sat there, the more irritated she became. Giles had lied to her. She couldn't figure out why he would do that.

Mark had told her that he followed Willow to her 'boyfriends' house, but since Willow didn't have a boyfriend, it made Buffy wonder where she had spent the night. The same night Giles' had said she spent on his couch.

Buffy sighed. She wasn't going to find anything sitting around there. She decided she'd patrol with Riley then she'd make Mark take her to the house he followed Willow to.

Willow looked around the room carefully, and noticing the door, she opened it. Relieved to find it wasn't locked, she walked through the door and into another room. But this one wasn't empty. Spike was lying, semi-conscious, on a gurney. She ran over to him. He didn't look much better in the dream than he did in the real world. But she was pleased to find out he wasn't in the same coma-like state.

"Spike?" She called softly, "Can you hear me?" She asked. His eyes opened and he tried to sit up.

"Willow? What are you doing here?" he asked as she helped him to a sitting position.

"It's a dream." She told him softly. "Goddess, Spike, I was so worried about you." She cried.

"Shh, pet. It's okay. I'm fine."

"You are not fine!" She snapped. "You won't wake up, and you have a fever! A fever! Is that even possible?" She was shaking with fear.

"Willow," He spoke softly, "Calm down. We'll figure something out. The Watcher?" He asked.

Willow shook her head, "No. We looked, but I think this has something to do with the implant."

Spike looked into her tear filled eyes and felt his undead heart break. He hated to see her so upset, especially over him.

"Spike?" She asked cautiously.

"Yes, pet?"

"Don't be mad. But, I…I didn't know what to do. I didn't know who to call, so I…"

"Out with it luv. I won't be mad. I could never be mad, not at you."

"Angel. I called him. I didn't know what else to do." She lowered her eyes.

Spike took her chin in his hands and tilted it up so that she was looking into his eyes.
"It's okay." He brought his lips down and gently brushed them against hers.

The kiss was so soft, Willow wasn't sure if she had actually felt it. She looked up at him.
"Are you sure? About Angel, I mean."

Spike chuckled. "Yeah. I am surprised the poof would actually come though."

Angel sat in silence and thought about everything Giles had told him. He was feeling a swirl of emotions. Anger, fear, hurt. Anger that this was done to his childe. Fear at what would happen if they didn't find a way to undo what had been done to Spike. And Hurt that Spike himself hadn't told him what had happened. That fact spoke volumes about the state their relationship was in.

He looked up at Giles, he face expressionless. "This, Riley person, does he know exactly what was done to Spike?" Angel asked, and took a mental note that he was more irritated with what had been done to Spike than he was upset by the fact that Riley seemed to be Buffy's new beau. He hadn't felt the same pang in his heart when Giles' had mentioned her. He filed that information away for dissection at a later date.

"I'm not sure, honestly. I don't know him that well."

"Well I suggest we find out," Angel said as Willow began to stir to wakefulness.

"Find out what?" Cordelia had arrived at the house, and after several unanswered knocks at the door, she let herself in. She had arrived upstairs just as Angel had spoken.

Angel turned around, surprised by the familiar voice. "'Delia?" What are you doing here?"

Cordelia smiled. "Vision." She told him simply as Willow opened her eyes.

Willow opened her eyes to find three familiar faces staring at her expectantly.

"Do you feel better?" Giles' asked.

Willow nodded. "Yeah, I do. I had the strangest dream." She climbed off of the bed and turned towards Angel and gave him a hug.

"I'm glad you're here. I don't know what to do." She looked up into his eyes. "How long can he go without… without feeding?" She asked quietly.

Angel smiled softly at her. "Normally, several days, if he had to, but in this condition…"

Willow nodded her understanding. "Come on, let's go downstairs."

Willow left the bedroom followed by Cordelia, Angel and Giles. After a few moments they found themselves seated in Spike's living room.

"Nice décor. Your touch, I see." Cordelia commented as she took in the Forrest green throw pillows, which accented the deep burgundy leather couch.

Willow smiled. "Thanks, Cor. I told him he was absolutely not buying a black couch" She laughed at the memory, and then frowned. "Where do we start?"

Just as Cordelia was about to suggest something, the front door burst opened, followed by Buffy, Riley and Mark. After taking one look at the four in the room Buffy snapped.
"What the hell is going on here?"