Willow sat on the edge of the bed and watched Spike with a heavy heart. She didn't know what was wrong with him, or if they would be able to fix it. She was exhausted and her nerves had been worn down by Buffy's visit. She hadn't expected Buffy to understand her need to help Spike. She didn't really understand it herself. Part of her new that she didn't like to see anybody in this condition, whether they were a soulless killer or not. But another part, buried somewhere deep inside her, realized that what she felt for Spike went beyond compassion, beyond friendship. She had begun to realize that she was in love with the blond vampire.

That knowledge didn't scare her as much as she thought it would. It seemed right some how. Like it was something meant to be. She didn't know how he felt about her. She knew that there was definitely friendship, but she was unsure if it went further than that. But it didn't matter. She would help him. She would undo what those bastards did to him, no matter what the cost.

As her mind grasped the strength of the emotions she was feeling, she felt a peace come over her with the knowledge that she was willing to do whatever it took to save her love. She didn't care that he was a killer, and would no doubt continue to be, if the implant was removed. That fact was of no consequence. With the realization of her love for the vampire, came the acceptance that she loved all of him. The man, the vampire, the friend. They were all parts to the creature she would die, or kill for. If it was necessary.
Willow shuddered to herself as she realized what she was thinking. She was willing to do whatever was necessary to fix him. If that meant killing, she could do it. Would do it. Did that make her a bad person? Crazy? She didn't know. All she did know was that she had passed the point on no return long before she had even realized she was traveling such a road.

"Will? Are you alright?" Cordelia's voice broke the silence of the room, and brought Willow back to the moment at hand.

She turned to look at the woman standing in the doorway and marveled at all that had changed. It was not so long ago that she had hated the former cheerleader. Now she was one of her closest friends.

They had kept in touch after Cordelia had moved to Los Angeles, through Email. She had been saddened by her friends' loss, and shocked at hearing about her visions. But it all made some strange sort of sense. Angel was different now. Happier somehow. She had really only spoken to him a small handful of times since he had left Sunnydale, but each time she was struck with the change in him. He didn't seem so closed off, so alone.
After seeing them together, Willow realized the change in Angel was do to Cordelia. Her friendship had helped to ground him. It had helped him to accept his place in the world. She had helped him to understand why the Powers had seen fit to grant him a permanent soul, even though he still has so much to atone for.

She was amazed at the depth she now saw in Cordelia. Was it always there? She wasn't sure. She only knew she was thankful that Angel had had someone to help him through the difficult time. Friends had surrounded Buffy. Angel had been alone, save for Cordelia and their fallen friend.

Buffy had found happiness with Riley, she hoped that Angel could find some as well. The thought of Riley, brought Willow's mind back to the present. She looked up at Cordelia, who was still waiting for a response.

"Cor, I'm so glad you're here." Willow told her friend as she stood up and gave the brunette a hug. She turned back to Spike's lifeless body, "Look at him. This isn't right." Her whispered words were racked with pain.

Cordelia hugged Willow tightly before sitting down. "We'll fix this. Angel won't allow anything less." She told her confidently, knowing it was true.

Willow smiled, and latched on to a subject, which had filled her thoughts frequently when talking to Cordelia. "Tell me about Angel."

Cordelia's eyes narrowed slightly at Willow's question, feeling something she was unfamiliar and not quite comfortable with. Jealousy.

Willow laughed softly, recognizing the look in the brunette's eyes. "Tell me about you and Angel.

Cordelia looked surprised for a moment, and then shrugged. "We're friends. What's there to tell?"

Willow smiled, "What indeed." She stood up, realizing that it was time that they get to work on solving their current problem. They could share stories of unrequited love later.

"I'm going back tot he dorm, speak to Buffy, before this situation gets out of control."

Cordelia started to protest but realized the redhead was right. She remembered what she had felt in her vision and realized things had the potential to spin widely out of control. "Okay. I'll see what I can find out." She looked up at Willow thoughtfully for a moment. "We're gonna need to find some place to stay before dawn."

Willow turned towards the door, motioning for Cordelia to follow. She walked to the room down the hall. "Here, you can stay in here. The Windows are covered, so no chance of Peaches going poof."

"Peaches?" Cordelia questioned. "You have been spending way too much time with Spike."

Willow giggled. "Not nearly enough." She pointed down the hall; "There's the bathroom. Take a shower if you like. There's blood in the fridge, as well as some food that's actually edible."

Willow smiled softly at Cordelia's raised eyebrow. "What? I have been known to eat here, on occasion."

Willow headed back down the stairs with Cordelia in tow. When she reached the living room, she grabbed her jacket and headed towards the front door. "I won't be gone long."

Willow left the house, with a feeling of apprehension filling her at the conversation that would surely follow.

Once Willow had left, Giles turned to Cordelia and Angel. "I had better be going. I'll see if I can find anything more out for you." He stepped towards the door.

"Thank you, Rupert. I know that helping him can't be easy for you." Angel looked seriously at the watcher.

Giles sighed. "I don't agree with what they're doing." He told them honestly before leaving the house.

Once Giles had left, Cordelia flopped onto the couch, opposite Angel. "So, What exactly are we up against here?"

*****

Willow walked down the dorm hall with a purpose. The entire walk over she had been thinking about what she would tell Buffy. Would she tell her how she felt about Spike? Would she tell her how bad Spike really was? Would she try and explain things to her best friend? Would she ask for her help? She realized with only a small amount of trepidation that it didn't matter. It didn't matter if Buffy didn't understand. It didn't matter if she wouldn't help. She wasn't going to be bullied into doing what the Slayer wanted, even if it was for her own good.

She walked into the room and stiffened slightly as she saw Buffy's angry gaze. She was sitting on her bed, sharpening her stake at a furious pace. When Willow entered the room, Buffy looked and scowled at the witch.

"Willow." Her voice was eerily calm.

"Buffy." Willow sat down on her bed and looked at Buffy. "I'm sorry."

Buffy started to say something but Willow stopped her with a raise of her hand. "I'm sorry, I was rude to you earlier. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you the truth about where I spent the other night. But," She paused, taking a deep breath. "But you shouldn't have brought them there, and I won't apologize for how I feel about Spike."

"And how is that?" Buffy asked, trying to remain calm. She didn't understand what was going on. Why were both Giles and Willow at Spike's? Why were Angel and Cordelia in town? Why did Willow cared what happened to Spike?

Willow thought about the question before responding. She didn't know what to tell her. She eventually decided on the truth. She wasn't ashamed, and she wasn't going hide.

"I love him." The words were so quietly spoken, it took a moment for Buffy to register their meaning. When she did, a look of pure disbelief crossed the Slayer's features.

"You can't be serious." She exclaimed. "Tell me you're not serious. Please, Will, tell me this all some elaborate plan to get back at me for bring Riley and Mark to Spikes?"

Willow couldn't help but laugh at the question. It was so completely ridiculous a notion that she found herself wondering why she would bother. Was the idea of her being in love with the vampire such a shock? Giles had seen it. Cordelia had seen it, and she had been all the way in Loa Angeles. Why hadn't Buffy seen it? The answer was as startling as the question. She had been too busy to notice. Too consumed with her life to bother with Willows.
She giggled to herself with amusement. That's the way it should have been. She didn't want Buffy to be overly concerned with Willow's love life. Since Oz, there had been none to speak of. She wanted her friend to be too busy with her own love life. She wanted Buffy to be happy, something she hadn't been with Angel since before her seventeenth birthday.

Willow looked at Buffy, realizing she was still waiting for an answer. "No, Buffy, it's not a joke. It's the truth." Willow stood up and started to pack a small bag.

"Willow. He's a killer. He's… He's Spike!" Buffy protested as her eyes followed Willow's actions. "What are you doing?"

Willow sighed as she zipped her bag closed. "I'm packing some things. I will be staying at Spikes for awhile." She turned around and peered into Buffy's blue eyes.

"Whatever they did to him is killing him, Buffy."

"And? He's a vampire. In case you forgot, they're the bad guys." Buffy told her snidely.

Willow felt the last remnants of her calm flee her. "Okay. I'm going to pretend you didn't say that." She grabbed her bag and headed towards the door. She walked out the door without looking back.

Mark was confused. He didn't understand what was going on. Who were those people with Willow? Was she really at Hostile 17's house? He had heard that Willow knew him, and that the creature helped the Slayer, but he had never dreamed that Willow was friends with him. Or was it something more? He blocked that thought out, refusing to believe that someone as sweet as Willow would willingly spend her time with a creature as evil as a hostile. He must be forcing her somehow. It didn't matter. If the hostile was ill, that could only mean one thing. The implant had malfunctioned. And if that had happened, it was only a matter of time before the poison worked its way through his already dead corpse.

"I can't believe her!" Buffy fumed. She paced around Xander's basement for a minute and then stopped turning her attention to Xander. "You weren't there, Xan. You should have seen her. Sitting in Spike's living room, like she belonged there. And with Angel and Cordelia no less!" Buffy waited for Xander to comment, knowing he would side with her. When he remained silent, Buffy continued. "She through us out. Us! Can you believe that?" Buffy turned to the couple sitting on the couch in silence. "Well? Say something!" She demanded.

Anya spoke first. "What's wrong with him?"

Riley looked up sharply at the question. He exchanged a look with Mark. A look, which had not gone, unnoticed by the ex-demon and her boyfriend.

"Huh?" Buffy asked confused by the question.

"She asked you what was wrong with him." Xander asked quietly.

"Who?" Buffy looked perplexed.

"Spike. What. Is. Wrong. With. Him?" Anya spoke slowly, and deliberately, trying to control her mounting temper.

Buffy shrugged. "Who cares?"

Xander put a calming hand on Anya's shoulder, knowing that she was quickly losing her temper. He couldn't blame her. While he couldn't count Spike among his best friends, the blonde vampire was rating higher than Buffy at that moment. It was no secret, at least to him, how Willow felt about Spike, and as far as he could tell, the feelings were mutual.
Xander could believe Buffy was being so callous towards Willow's feelings. It baffled the mind, and for Xander to think that was saying a lot.

Xander stood up and headed towards where Mark and Riley were standing near the staircase. "What's wrong with him?"

Riley and Mark exchanged a glance, but remained silent.

"You know." Anya stated from her seat on the couch. "What's wrong with him?"

Buffy turned around and faced her boyfriend and his colleague. He noted for the first time that they seemed to know something. "Well? Do you know what's wrong with him?"

"Buffy." Riley started, "I can't just…"

"Just what?" Buffy asked. She looked at Riley's nervous expression and sighed. "What will it hurt to tell them?"

Riley ran a hand through his hair as he sat on the bottom step. "The implant has a fail safe."

"Fail safe?" Buffy asked.

Xander return to his place on the couch. "Why don't I like the sound of that?" He whispered to Anya.

"Should the implant malfunction in any way…" Riley paused, not wanting to upset anyone.

"A poison is released into the hostile's system. It's only a matter of time before he dies." Mark sneered at the couple on the couch.

Xander looked incredulously at the commandos and then back to Buffy, whose face still wore a passive expression. "You're okay with this? With what they're doing?"

Buffy shrugged. "It makes no difference to me. They're doing me a favor."

"Get out!" Anya's voice was calm, but Xander could feel her rage radiating off of her.

"Excuse me?" Buffy asked.

Xander stood. "We're leaving." He grabbed Anya's hand and pulled her towards the door. He stopped before reaching the exit. "You can come back," He told Buffy softly.

"But don't bring them with you." Anya threatened as she pointed accusingly at the commandos.

Buffy watched in stunned silence as her Xander and Anya left.