TITLE: 4:46, September 6 – Again?

AUTHOR: Jesmin

E-MAIL: Notsil314@juno.com

RATING: R

CONTENT: Language

SPOILERS: Through Season 4

DISCLAIMER: Joss Wheadon and those at FOX and the WB own Willow, Graham, Spike and the others. I just wanted to borrow them for a while and have a bit of fun. As soon as I am finished, I will put them back!

DISTRIBUTION: Just ask. I have just started posting, so I haven’t started to distribute alot.

AUTHOR’S NOTES: Because this is a Willow/Graham fic, I got rid of Tara. The truth is that I think it is great that Joss is approaching the story line of Willow questioning her sexual standing. Since I have gone through the college experience, I know that it is something that happens a lot. However, after reading a few other Willow/Graham fics, I decided that it would be fun to approach this relationship. So, Tara has been discarded for this story line. I hope you enjoy.

FEEDBACK: Yes! Just remember though, sometimes, I write back!

Ex-Initiative member, Graham Miller stepped out of his car on to the pavement of one of UC-Sunnydale’s many parking lots. Sighing, he pulled a book bag out of the car and flung it over his shoulder. Slamming the car door shut, he started across the lot, taking in the sight of the school. When he had enrolled to return, he had been a member of a secret organization that went by the name of the Initiative. How was he to know that the organization was going to fall, that he was going to lose many of his best friends, and he would be returning to Sunnydale a lost soul? Now he was back, finishing his masters, wondering how he could stand attending the campus he once thought of as home.

Stopping at a small vending cart, he bought a small drink and headed over to a tree. Hiding under the shade, he threw his bag down and sat against the tree, carefully holding his drink. The images of his past year raced through his mind. He had been surrounded by carnage. Buffy had been right about Adam. Part of him kicked himself constantly for not listening to her or Riley. Then again, they weren’t the only parties involved. Forrest was not only a good friend, but vocal enough that he could easily sway you to his thinking. Graham had tried to stay neutral, but when it came down to it, he had stayed in with Forrest. Why hadn’t he left when Riley did, and why didn’t he force Forrest out too? It could have prevented his death.

"Hey soldier, you better drink that before the ice melts."

Graham looked up and saw Riley Finn standing in front of him. The ex-commando had a smile on his face as usual, a smile that normally would lighten up anyone’s day. Graham took a drink and then commented, "I’m not a soldier, and neither are you. Honorable discharge, remember?"

Riley nodded. "How can I forget?" He looked at his old friend and apologized. "I am so sorry for what I put you through last semester. What I did greatly compromised our friendship and put you in a bad spot."

Graham just stared ahead for a minute before commenting, "You didn’t compromise our friendship too much, you just put me in a bad spot. Attempting to look like I am trying my best to hunt you down, when I’m not, is really hard. Luckily Adam and the demons took up the Initiative’s time, so not many noticed. Only Forrest knew something was up, but he didn’t bring it up much, because he knew I hated being in the middle."

Changing the subject, Riley asked, "So, what is the schedule like this year?"

"Mostly history classes. I fixed it where my mornings are free and I only have one evening class."

Riley shook his head. He just didn’t understand how his friend could stand sitting all afternoon in history classes. He found the subject boring, but then, Graham yawned every time Riley and Dr. Walsh used to get into their psychology discussions. "So, what is this night course?"

"Demonology Mythology. It is a new class that will be offered only once a year. It is cross listed under the history department as a graduate and undergraduate coarse, so I thought I would use it as one of my extra history classes."

"Sounds fun." Riley looked down at his watch and then commented, "Sorry, but I got to run. We should get together."

"Sure, I’d love to hang out with Buffy and the gang," remarked Graham sarcastically. Riley just gave him a sour look and then took off across campus. Maybe, if he was lucky, thought Graham, he wouldn’t run into Riley for a while. It was a little taxing running into his former friend.

"Willow, are you around?" called out Anya.

Willow walked out of her study room in the library and looked over at the ex-demon. For the millionth time, she mentally slapped herself for agreeing to take this class with Anya. She had never really gotten along with the girl. There was something that grated her nerves when it came to Anya. Most specifically being, that since Anya had been a demon for three thousand years, she was a little out of touch on how to handle things.

Anya smiled at her and started to chat away, something that had started to happen over the last few months. Willow decided that it had to do with both of them actually hanging out with Spike. They were the only ones in the gang that he even pretended to like, so he always flocked over to them. She looked over as Anya was going on, "Willow, it is a new school year, a new time for new things. Forget the old and move on."

Willow sighed and stopped. Looking over at Anya with a scowl on her face, she asked, "And would you like it if Xander and you broke up? Would you just get over it?"

"But that is different.""

One of Willow’s eyebrows lifted up. "And how is that?"

Anya smiled, "We’ve been together longer." Taking in a deep breath, thinking she was out of the water, she went on, "I know Tara meant a lot to you, but it wasn’t meant to be. If she had really been serious about you, she wouldn’t have done what she did." Anya stopped for a second to think before adding, "I wonder if it was the same Chaos demon Druscilla left Spike for."

Willow looked at her and shook her head in disbelief. "Anya, you’re really not helping me here."

Anya frowned. After deciding to just dismiss their prior conversation, she remarked, "I think this is going to be such a fun class! Don’t you?"

Willow nodded slowly, "Sure, but there is something that has been bothering me about this class?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you enrolled? I mean, you’re not exactly a student here."

Anya smiled brightly. "Actually, after Xander started going through his ‘I’m not going anywhere’ stage, I decided that he wasn’t the only one, so enrolled in a few classes."

"Really, what is your major?"

"I haven’t quite figured that out. I thought I would take a differing array of classes and go from there."

"And is this taking to much time away from Xander?"

Anya skipped, a sight that was a little different. "Nope. I scheduled my classes, while he is at work. This is the only one that interferes, but that is okay, because it is now is my Willow time."

"Great," commented Willow sarcastically under her breath.

"Not only that," added Anya. "But the extra time away from me will make him want to have sex with me more."

Willow was about to disagree with Anya’s thinking, but then stopped. Knowing Xander and the way he was about sex, she was probably right. They stopped in front of the door and Anya cheered slightly, "Yay, we’re here."

As they walked in and chose two seats in the back row, Willow commented, "I don’t remember you being this happy about class in high school."

"People change."

Willow settled down and pulled out a pen as she opened her notebook. "Yea, I’ve been hearing that a lot lately."

"From who?" asked Anya as she stuck a piece of gum in her mouth.

"Buffy, Spike, Riley - same old, same old."

A man beside her turned and cleared his throat, "Excuse me, but did you just say Riley?"

Anya, not paying attention to the guy’s question, went on. "Spike, he has years on him, and Riley has done the undergraduate thing already, but Buffy...What does she know?"

Willow turned to Anya and stared at her hard. In a harsh but controlled voice, she asked, "Anya, can we just stop talking about this? I’m not in the mood for any more speeches."

Anya turned in her seat and sighed, "Just a girl, trying to help a friend. Sorry."

Willow looked over at the person on the other side of her. He looked familiar, as if she had seen him. Staring at him for a while, she concentrated till it hit her. Pointing at him, she commented, "I remember you. Graham, right?"

He nodded. "Yes, do I know you?"

Willow shook her head. "I met you at the Bronze once, but that lasted only a second. I was also with Buffy when, uhm..., when we beat Adam."

Graham stared at her with his cold calculating eyes. After a few seconds, he nodded, "Oh yes, I seem to remember you now."

She smiled at him, a sight that was becoming very rare except when she was with Spike. "I’m Willow Rosenberg. I am, uh, sorry for what you have been through. I know how Riley reacted to things, and, uh..."

Graham shook his head. "Can’t change the past, can we?" He stared at her as he had before and saw the hurt settle in her eyes. It was like a dark cloud passed over her. She sat and pondered his statement for a minute, a far off look covering her features. After a few moments, she turned away from him and looked over at Anya. The ex-vengence demon smiled at her, making Willow want to sink in her chair. She had a black hole of despair sucking her in on one side and, well, Anya on the other. Could it get any worse?

It was now the beginning of the third week of school as Willow sat in her demonology class. She spent most of the time drawing on her notebook as the teacher had gone through the introduction chapter. As she sat there, twiddling her pencil around her thumb, she heard the professor, Professor Kyle comment, "Now, all that we have discussed over the last week, I want you to stick in the bullshit chapter of your notebooks." Willow grunted as she heard Graham take in a sharp breath beside her.

The teacher laughed and then walked over to one of the students, "Now, what can you tell me about vampires?"

The student looked up and shrugged, "They sleep in coffins during the day, only come out at night, drink only blood..."

Willow shut the student out as she started to laugh. Anya looked over at her friend with a slight smile on her own face. "Shh, Willow. You’re going to get us in trouble."

The Professor Kyle walked over to Willow’s desk and placed her hand on it. "Ms. Rosenberg, what is so funny?"

Willow really looked at the professor for the first time. She had long, dark black hair and pale skin. Her make up was done in shades of black, except for her dark red lipstick. In a way, she was almost gothic. The only difference was the denim blouse worn with a pair of cargo pants. The teacher, one of the youngest professors in the history department, smiled as she noticed the light come on inside Willow’s head for the first time. "It isn’t right," answered Willow as a blush crept up, into her face.

Anya looked over, surprised at the way Willow was acting. Willow had been known for academic prowess, and now she seemed not to care, or just shy of showing off her knowledge. ‘Strange change,’ thought Anya.

"What part?" asked the teacher.

"Vampires don’t all sleep in coffins, they can be up during the day – as long as the sun’s rays don’t directly touch them, and even though only blood gives them the nutrients they need, they can eat other things."

The teacher smiled down on her and then turned to the class. "Ms. Rosenberg is correct. Most of what we believe of demons, we get from movies and books. Time to throw away your copies of Dracula and Interview with a Vampire. If I hear the name of Anne Rice mentioned in this class, I will tear apart the person bearing her name. Is that understood?" As heads nodded around her, she then commented, "In the next few weeks, we will discuss the demons of our culture, that we seem to immortalize in film, and learn their true nature. It is time to throw out the misconceptions." She noticed some of the students checking their watches and looked down at her own. "Five minutes past. I’ll see you in a few days."

As Willow started to get up, the Professor commented, "Ms. Rosenberg, Mr. Miller, would you two please stay for a second?"

Willow nodded and looked over at Anya. "Wait for me outside." Anya nodded and grabbed up her books, walking out of the class.

As soon as the room was clear, the professor shut the door and looked at Willow and Graham. She smiled at the two and sat in front of them. "Most professors wouldn’t ask, but I was wondering if there was anytime you guys would like to stop by and talk to me about what is going on. I can tell that you aren’t into the class that much. And, from what I have seen reaction wise to what some of the students have said, you both know a little bit about what we have discussed."

Graham looked at Willow and then back at the teacher. "Willow is the expert here. You should be focusing on her, not me."

Willow rolled her eyes at him. "You know, I don’t know what your problem is when it comes to me, mister bag ’em and tag ‘em man, without asking questions."

"It wasn’t about bagging and tagging."

"Oh no, it was about doing your little experiments on them, tormenting them."

"I don’t see why it bothers you so much. Demons are evil, no matter what!"

Professor Kyle shook her head as Willow slammed her palm down on the table. "Oz wasn’t evil, and yet you tortured him! Why couldn’t you have found a Chaos demon to experiment on instead?"

Graham just stared at her till it hit him what she was talking about. "I had nothing to do with that!"

"Oh yah, I forgot, Riley said you were incapacitated at the time. However, that still does not condone the way you treat others."

"I wasn’t the one treating them. If I had truly known what was going on..."

"But you did know something was going on. Riley told you."

Graham’s eyes narrowed as he yelled out, "Yes, and if I had listened to him, then Forrest wouldn’t be dead!"

Willow gasped as one of the desks in front of them fell over, even though no one was near it. Professor Kyle just looked at it, as if it was nothing and then looked to see how they were taking it. Graham hadn’t even noticed. His focus was still bearing on Willow. Looking back at him, willow shook her head. "I didn’t send Forrest to that cave, and neither did Riley or Buffy."

Graham just looked at her, his eyes all of a sudden holding a lot of hurt. "No you didn’t." He got up and walked out the door, with Professor Kyle and Willow watching on.

Professor Kyle’s hand shot out and she grabbed Willow’s wrist. Willow looked over as the professor commented, "The both of you hurt so much, and when you are near, it combines."

Willow shook her head. "How do you know?"

Professor Kyle smiled. "Why do you think I teach this class? It is because I have an interest, just as you. There are many with gifts, and we are among them. Part of my gift if empathy, and when it comes to you two, it is near overwhelming. I can feel the fire burning in both of you, and it needs to be put out before it consumes both of your souls." Professor Kyle got up and motioned for Willow to leave as she commented, "It wasn’t your fault, Willow. I know it is hard to understand, but it just wasn’t meant to be. The future holds more for you."

Picking up her books, Willow walked out and closed the door behind her. Anya stood across the hallway with Xander at her side. "What was that about? Soldier boy looked a little upset."

Willow shrugged and started to walk away, not answering. Anya and Xander took the hint, walking her place on the edge of campus in silence. As they reached it, Anya walked over and gave Willow a hug. The unsuspecting Willow opened her eyes wide, but accepted the hug. Even though it was strange, it seemed nice getting attention from Anya. It let her know that someone actually did care, even if it was Anya.

****

Graham looked down as his receiver started to speak on his hip. Grabbing it, he brought it up where he could hear a little better as he heard the voice on the other side say, "Beta Team, proceed to cave number 2 from earlier scouting, a fourth of a mile west from your position. There has been demon activity reported near that area."

Graham looked over at his companion and spoke into the device. "Find another team. We are en-route for another assignment."

"Negative, Beta Team. Break up."

"Understand." Graham looked at Forrest and commented, "You go ahead and meet the group and I’ll check out the cave."

Forrest shook his head. "That is a negative, soldier. You go on ahead and I’ll check out the cave."

Graham narrowed his eyes. "I’m in charge for this assignment."

Forrest shrugged. "You’ve been out for a while. It isn’t right for you to go in blind when you’re not physically fit."

Graham stood for a second, thinking. Forrest knew what he was talking about, and he was right. If anything was at the cave, Graham probably wasn’t in the best of shape to fight. He nodded his head. "Fine, go on ahead, but if there is anything you can’t handle, I want you to abort."

"Sure, no problem." Forrest turned and started to run towards the cave.

***

Graham sat up in bed, sweat pouring down his face. He looked over at the clock sitting on the night stand beside the bed. 2:03. Every night, over and over, the dream came to him. Fine, go ahead, but if there is anything you can’t handle, I want you to abort. The order kept echoing through his ears, even when he was awake.

Laying back down, he stared at the ceiling. Why hadn’t he have gone on to the cave? He knew from what Riley said that Buffy had been there. Buffy. Forrest hated her. If Forrest hadn’t of been there, then he wouldn’t have followed Buffy into the cave. Forrest would still be alive and Buffy would have faced Adam by herself, or maybe Graham would have been there with her, helping. What ever the circumstance, Forrest wouldn’t have been there, fighting her. He had to face it that Forrest was dead. The only problem was he could have stopped it. If it wasn’t for him, Forrest would be alive. His friend’s death was his fault.

Sitting back up and jumping off the bed, he started to pace the room. Why wouldn’t the pain go away? He was army, he wasn’t suppose to lose control like this. Graham tore across the room and dug into the closet, pulling out clothes. No need for him to stay inside and feel sorry for himself. Maybe a brisk walk would help. He could see if Riley was up. They had talked a little more in the last few weeks. Then again, he would probably end up at his normal haunting grounds.

***

Willow sat up in bed as she heard Forrest comment, "Sure, no problem."

She looked over at the clock, 2:01. Taking in a deep breath, she ran her hand through her hair. That was strange. It was the first night in a long time that she hadn’t dreamed of Tara stroking the horn of that Chaos demon, slime and all. There was something about this dream though. Even as it started, she knew that it wasn’t hers. Or was it? Maybe talking to Graham after class had got her thinking unconsciously. What ever it was, she felt a little unnerved.

Willow leaned over and reached for the phone, calling the only person she knew that would be up and not doing anything she would be embarrassed for interrupting. Drumming her fingers, she listened as the phone rang on the other side. Right as she was about to hangup, the phone was answered, "If this is the slayer, I’m not in a bloody good mood, so stop calling me."

Chuckling, Willow commented, "Sorry, you’re in a bad mood, I can call back later."

The voice on the other side said cheerily, "Not in a bad mood, just tired of Buffy calling. There was something going on tonight and she needed my help, but I had other things to do."

"You had other things to do?"

"Believe it or not, Red, I sometimes have a life outside of your little group."

"Oh, well, then I’ll let you get to your other stuff..."

"Actually, I stopped at ten and used the extra time as an excuse. So, what do you need?"

"Can’t sleep."

"Dreams keeping ya up?"

"Yes."

The line was quiet for a second and then Spike commented, "Get dressed and I’ll be there in fifteen."

"Thanks Spike. See ya."

"Bye, pet."

*****

When Spike picked Willow up at the dorm, they just walked for a while without talking. Spike knew that she was thinking things through and Willow welcomed the silent atmosphere. After a while though, Spike decided to ask what was going on. "So, pet, what has been going on lately with these dreams?" Before she could answer, he started to think about the dreams he had when Dru left him. "You know, when Dru left me, all I could do was dream about her leaving me. For some reason, all I could see was her with that bloody Chaos demon, making out on that park bench."

"And what did you do about it?" asked Willow, her eyes straight ahead.

Spike kicked at the ground as they came to a stop in the graveyard by his old crypt. "I started to date Harmony."

Willow smiled at him, stating, "I don’t think I’ll follow that path."

"I wouldn’t advise it myself."

They stood for a while and then walked over to a bench for tired mourners. "So, what is the story about tonight?"

Willow brought her legs up and hugged her knees. "Something strange. My demonology mythology professor noticed that Graham and I haven’t been participating in class. She was worried, so she had us stay after class to find out what was going on. The next thing I know, we are all griping at each other, and then WHAM, a desk just falls over, but none of us were near it."

"And it wasn’t you?"

Willow’s eyes were wide as she shook her head. "No, and that isn’t where it ended. Our last parting words were me telling him that I didn’t send Forrest to that cave. I didn’t think anything about it, until the dreams tonight."

"Yes?" asked Spike as she paused.

"The dreams, they were of him and Forrest. They had been ordered to proceed to the cave, and he ended up ordering Forrest to go. Spike, I think he feels responsible for Forrest’s death."

"And this disturbed you because?"

"Spike, you know me. I have to take time out to worry about others too."

Spike shook his head, a look of disgust on his face. "Yah, but isn’t this guy one of Riley’s Initiative friends. I am sure that I have heard Riley say his name before."

"Yep."

Spike snorted. "Then I feel no remorse. The bloody wanker deserves all that he gets for what that group did to me."

Willow looked ahead, staring unwavering at the head stones. "And Oz."

Spike turned his gaze towards the witch as she stared forward. "You haven’t talked about him in a while."

Not turning, she asked, "What, no ‘Dog Boy’ comments?"

"Don’t feel like being mean, unfeeling, sarcastic Spike right now."

Willow laughed a little. "You mean, there is a different Spike?"

He looked over at her, his face showing hurt. "Come now, pet, that isn’t nice. Of course there is more to me."

"I guess I’m learning that, which reminds me, what were you doing earlier?" She finally turned to him and asked with a grin on her face, "Did you have a date?"

Spike shook his head. "Nope, my television broke down last week, so a friend of mine taped Passions for me. I set tonight aside to watch them all, now that the tube is up and all."

Willow shook her head and jumped up. As they started to walk away, she asked him, "Why is it that you can cheer me up now?"

Looking at her with a big grin on his face, he answered, "Because I am a funny vampire that is no longer attached to your neck? Or maybe it is my devilishly good looks?"

"Nope," Willow commented with a skip, "I don’t think it is any of those."

They went ahead, once again not talking when all of a sudden, Spike placed a hand on Willow’s shoulder. "Wait, there is someone near."

Both looking around, Spike listened as the heartbeat got near. Then, out of the darkness, a lone figure emerged from the trees. He was dressed in sweats and seemed to just be walking among the head stones, thinking. Stopping, he stood in front of a new prominent one and just looked ahead. Spike felt Willow step from his side. He reached out to stop her, but she shook her head and walked over to the lone figure.

Graham’s thought’s were interrupted when he heard a voice behind him. "I am sorry about all I said tonight."

He turned around and saw Willow with a figure stepping up behind her. His stance stiffening, he eyed other individual. Cold calculating blue eyes stared into equally cold intense blue eyes. As Graham sneered, "Hostile-17," they both took a step forward, Spike growling but still in human form.

Willow stepped between the two and they both halted. "Graham, he can’t hurt anyone."

Turning around, she looked up at Spike and pointed, "And don’t you get all protective on me, Mr. I Can’t Bite."

Spike sneered at her as he commented in a disgusted voice, "Bloody Hell, Willow, can’t I at least try to scare the wanker?"

She shook her head, "No Spike." As his face fell, she asked, "Do you think I could talk to Graham for a second?"

Spike looked back up at Graham, who hadn’t moved a muscle and then back at the small red head who was adorning her ‘resolve face.’ "Sure, I’ll go over there, but if I see one sign of trouble..."

"Then I trust you will be here to save me." Spike looked down at her for a few seconds and then backed off, retreating into the shadows where he could keep watch over someone who had been one of his enemies, but now seemed to be one of his best friends.

Willow turned back towards Graham, who was just staring at her. His face was stoic, not belying any emotion, not telling her what he was thinking. She peered around him at the headstone, seeing that it was actually a small monument dedicated to the some missing srudents of UC-Sunnydale. Forrest’s name fell towards the end. That was why Graham was here. After reading the name, she looked back up at Graham. "I may have never truly met you, but I know what happened. After Riley left, there was no controlling him. No matter what you would have told Forrest, there was no stopping him from going to that cave. It was his pride that caused his death, not you."

Graham’s eyes dropped. "No, you don’t understand. No one understands because they weren’t there."

She recalled the dream and said quietly, "He would have taken no other order from you."

Looking up at her, his piercing eyes actually softened a little. "Willow, how?" When she didn’t answer, he continued, "I feel so empty, so terrible. Part of me knows you’re right, but my heart tells me that it is my fault. It hurts so much, and I just wish that I could get rid of this feeling."

Willow smiled sadly at the man she had thought of as someone of little words. Part of what he said was echoed in her own heart. "We all hurt sometimes. Trust me, I know because I hurt too." Staring as tears started to come to her eyes, she commented, "Let’s wish that together we get pass these feelings."

Spike watched on as he saw Willow and Graham reach for each other. At first, he felt a little protective, but as he was starting to calm down, he saw the glow. As soon as they touched, it seemed that a small glow was surrounding them. All of a sudden it disappeared and then reappeared between them. Spike ran to them as whatever power it was came between them and exploded with such power, both Graham and Willow flew into the air. Spike was able to reach Willow and somewhat blocked her decline into a headstone.

Willow felt herself being flung backwards. With a hard thud, she rammed into Spike. After falling to the ground, she looked up into his worried blue eyes. "Willow, pet, are you okay?"

Willow smiled and groaned. Her body hurt all over, and all of a sudden, she felt tired. As a haze started to fill her mind, she remembered Graham. Pushing Spike away, she asked, "Graham?"

Spike looked to the side where he saw Graham starting to sit up. Turning his attention back to Willow, he commented, "He looks fine, luv. Let’s say our goodbyes and then head home. I think you may need some rest."

****

Graham turned in his bed as he was waking up. Opening his eyes, he smiled to himself as he saw the woman that he loved. She looked so lovely to him. His heart swelled as he thought to himself that he had to be luckiest man alive to have found her. He was so happy that he had given her a chance, and discovered who she was. If he hadn’t, there would have been no way that he would have ended up here, staring at her after their first night of marriage. She was his totally, and the truth was the same for him. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her, and he knew without a doubt that she was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Willow Rosenberg, now Willow Miller, opened her eyes to find his beautiful blues staring back at her. Every time she found herself looking into them, she felt as if she could lose herself. How was it that one individual could make her feel so? With Oz and Tara, she had felt both times that there was nothing that could be more than what she had with them, but Graham showed her much more. He had taken a tired, unhappy person, and showed her that she was worth more than she comprehended, especially to him. Him, somebody that she would have thought out of her league, but yet was now laying beside her.

Graham placed some of her red hair behind her ear and asked, "What do you want to do today?"

Willow closed her eyes and smiled. "Hmmm. I think I want to stay here."

"We can’t sleep in all day."

Willow opened her eyes, still smiling. "Who said anything about sleeping?"

Graham laughed at her and reached out, placing his palm on her cheek. "I have no problem with that."

Willow leaned in and kissed him softly. She backed away and looked at him for a split second as Graham’s hand shot out and grabbed the back of her head. He pulled her too him and she fell onto him as she opened her mouth to him. As their tongues dueled, their bodies started to tangle together. Their legs and arms intertwined, causing them to get closer as they both longed to be much closer.

Buffy stood outside Willow’s door, listening to the sounds coming from Willow’s room. If she had known better, she would have thought that Willow had someone with her. However, her and Riley had decided to stay there last night, and had got in around 4:30, just a few minutes before Spike brought the red head home. They had both watched him help the red head to her room and then saw that she had passed out immediately. Riley and Buffy had also stayed up, watching a movie, so they knew no one else had come by.

Knocking on the door, Buffy listened to the sounds die away, but yet there was still no answer. Finally, after several knocks, Buffy decided to go on in. She slowly opened the door and looked in. Willow was still in her bed, her eyes closed tight. Her back arched some and Buffy heard her gasp a name. "Graham."

Without waiting a second, Buffy ran down the hall to her room where Riley was sleeping. Breaking through the door, she rushed to him and started shaking him. "Riley, Riley. Wake up. I think you need to see something."

Riley crawled out of bed without saying a word, still in sleep. He followed her to Willow’s room and to the bed. By now Willow had turned onto her side and was snuggling her pillow. A large smile appeared on her face as she said barely over a whisper, "I love you Graham."

Riley opened his eyes wide, all at once awake. Looking at Buffy, he asked, "Did she just say what I thought she said?" As Buffy nodded yes, he leaned down and started to shake Willow. No matter how much he shook her or called out to her, she didn’t wake up. He looked over at Buffy. "I’m going to Graham’s. She mentioned his name. Maybe he knows something." Buffy nodded and sat down on her friend’s bed as Riley walked out of the room, stopping by his room to pick up a shirt on the way.

Ten minutes later, Riley walked into Graham’s small one bedroom rent house. His old friend had left a key under the mat, which made Riley a little happy since he didn’t have to physically break into the house. As he started to walk in, he called out loudly but got no answer. Going straight to Graham’s bedroom, he heard Graham speak. "Guess what Rye. We are talking about having a baby. Can you believe it? Willow and I, parents?"

Realizing that his friend was dreaming, he tried to wake him. After several tries, he gave up and went in search of a phone to call Buffy. He had a feeling that what ever was going on with Willow was also affecting Graham. It might be best if they somehow got both of them together. That way both of them would be near if something happened.

Willow looked over at Graham standing tall behind Spike, watching the vampire’s every move. The vampire wasn’t paying attention though, he was eyeing the small bundle in his arms. Smiling at the sight of her child - no, her and Graham’s child - reaching up to the vampire as if it had not a care in the world made her smile. She would have never thought that Spike would be enjoying this so much. The vampire looked up at Willow and commented, "Look, pet, she has my eyes!"

Shaking her head and laughing, she remarked, "No, she has the eyes of the man standing behind you, glaring."

Spike looked up, behind him, and remarked, ""Didn’t she tell ya, mate? About our rendevous?"

Before Graham could answer, Buffy and Riley broke through the door. Buffy noticed the feeling in the air right off and asked, "What is going on?"

Willow chuckled. "Oh, Spike is being himself, trying to start something."

Buffy grabbed the bundle out of Spike’s arms and cooed as she commented, "Bad Uncle Spike. Don’t listen to him. He will only teach you bad things."

Riley stood beside Graham and asked, "So, have you decided what to name her?"

"Skyla Victoria Miller," answered Graham as he smiled. He was a father, and even though it scared him more than anything else in his life, just saying her name made him fill with pride.

Buffy, from Willow’s side, looked over at the proud father. "Graham, she looks just like you."

Spike growled in a joking way. "I still stand by my belief that her eyes look more like mine than his."

Willow shook her head at the vampire, knowing that he was trying to get a rise out of people. "Fine, Spike, she has eyes just like yours...and Graham’s." Smirking, she added, "No matter how much you try to convince us, we all know that it is hard for you to have children since you are dead."

"Ah, so you’re not denying out little meetings?"

Buffy interrupted by asking, "Spike, why would Willow want you when she has that big hunk of man standing behind you?"

Riley lifted an eyebrow. "Why, Buffy, I didn’t know you had any idea."

Both Riley and Graham grabbed their sides as they laughed at Buffy’s face, which was glaring at them in mock horror. Looking back down at the baby girl in her arms, she commented in a small voice, "Now don’t you listen to Uncle Riley or Daddy either. They can be very bad, bad men." The baby started to move in Buffy’s arms.

Willow held out her arms and Buffy handed her the child. Rubbing the child’s cheek, only to have a small hand come up and grab her finger. Cooing at the small child, she commented to her baby, "You don’t like her saying that about your daddy, do you? No, no my precious little Skyla."

Graham smiled at his wife. She looked so beautiful holding Skyla. It was like she was always meant for this, no matter how much the two of them had fretted about being parents. Willow and Skyla took to each other naturally, as if there had never been any fear. Graham just hoped that he would have the same type of relationship with their child.

Graham’s attention was broken once again when he heard the hospital room door open again. Xander Harris walked in with his wife following. He watched as Anya stood against the wall watching her husband. Willow looked up as her old friend ran to her bedside and looked down at the small child. "Willow, she is just as beautiful as her mother!" He then gave her a big kiss on the cheek and started to place a bouquet of flowers on her night stand. "So, when was she born?"

Willow looked down at the child in her arms. In a quiet voice, she answered, "4:46 AM."

****

Buffy walked into the living room of the house her and Willow had decided to rent at the end of the school year. At the time, they were both dating people, so they had found a place on the edge of campus with at least two nice sized bedrooms. There was also a small third bedroom for a guest. They had decided on a three bedroom because there always seemed to be a time when the Scooby Gang needed to spend the night, working on things. The house also had two and a half bathrooms, a living room and a kitchen. In all, it wasn’t an inexpensive place to live, but they both found a way to pay for it. Because of Buffy’s SAT scores, the school given her a large enough scholarship that she could use it to pay for housing, even off campus. Willow had taken a few hours of work study to pay for other expenses, while her parents blindly gave her the money for the place. Willow didn’t mind the money, because if her parents didn’t care to give her the attention she needed, then why should she care if she was taking advantage of them. It wasn’t like they had given her anything else.

Falling down on the couch dramatically, Buffy looked over at Riley and commented, "That is so freaking weird!"

"What is, slayer?" asked a British voice behind her.

Buffy turned around, surprised to see the blond vampire behind her. "Spike! What are you doing here?"

Spike looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "I hadn’t got much bloody sleep yesterday, so when I dropped Willow off, I was feeling a little tired. She told me I could put up the heavy curtains in the guest room and spend the night. Didn’t she tell you?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, she didn’t."

Riley sat with a contemplative look on his face. "How come you didn’t wake up earlier? We were making quite a bit of racket." He was thinking of all the noise they had made trying to carry Graham’s body into the house. If there was one thing Graham wasn’t, that was light.

Spike sat down on the couch and placed his feet on the coffee table. "Nope, ya didn’t wake me up. I have a habit of sleeping like the dead." Turning back to Buffy as he placed his hands behind his head, he asked, "So, now what was so weird?"

Buffy took a deep breath while wringing her hands. "This morning Willow wouldn’t wake up, but we heard her mention Graham’s name. Riley had talked to Graham a few times this year, and from those conversations, knew where he was living. When he got there, Graham was in the same condition, so he brought him here. They are now both in Willow’s room."

Spike raised an eyebrow at the weird explanation. "That isn’t all of it, though, is it?"

Buffy shook her head. "No. It is so strange. They are both asleep, but yet they are having full conversations, talking back and forth. Then the conversation will stop and a new one will take its place. It is like their dreams are connected."

"And you can’t wake them at all?"

"No," answered Riley.

"Then why are you two sitting here on your asses. Go alert the bloody calvary. Get the gang together. What are you waiting for?!" asked Spike as he got up and started for the bedroom to see the weird condition himself.

He stopped in the doorway as Buffy answered, "No one can get here till six in the evening. Anya and Xander are busy with classes and work, and Giles has been in Los Angeles helping Angel out with a case."

Spike never heard her though, because he was listening to the conversation Willow and Graham were having in their sleep. "There is no way that I am going to let him babysit for us tonight," remarked Graham.

"We have to go out and finish picking things up, and the kids love him. I don’t see what the problem is."

"He is a vampire, Willow."

"Yes, a vampire who happens to be one of my best friends. I trust Spike, why can’t you? It isn’t like he is going to suck them dry."

"Of, course, a vampire wouldn’t attack children. It goes against their morals."

Willow grunted. "Spike loves the kids, they love him, and he is the only person available. And if you ask me, your morals are just as good as his, Mr. Judgmental."

Spike turned and looked at Buffy as the conversation went on. "Well, at least I know what he thinks of me."

Buffy placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. "If it makes you feel better, Spike, most of us hate you."

****

Willow looked up from where she was brushing Skyla’s long brown hair as a squeal of laughter erupted from her youngest daughter, Katie. Graham was entering the living room with the twins hanging onto him. Katie was hanging from his neck, laughing as she tried to keep a hold, even though she knew that her father would never let her fall. Kyp, on the other hand, was sitting on his father’s foot, his arms and legs locked around the large leg of his father. Graham too another step, swinging his leg out. Kyp joined his sister’s squeals of laughter. His head tilted back, he could hardly hang on as he cheeks got redder the more he laughed. Taking one more step, Graham made it to the chair and sat down, making sure not to lean back on Katie.

Wrapping her arms around Graham’s neck even tighter than they were, Katie jumped up and down, begging, "Again Daddy! Again!"

Graham turned around and grabbed her. Swinging the three year old into the air, Graham brought her to his lap. The girl’s red curls bounced as she jumped up and down. Smiling at his one daughter that faired her mother, except for her complexion, he answered, "No, Katie Bear. We need to take a break so your mother can fix your hair for tonight."

"Why?" asked his inquisitive three year old daughter.

"Because daddy can’t fix your hair," answered his older daughter.

"Why?" asked Katie again.

"Because boys don’t fix hair."

"Yeah," echoed Kyp with Graham.

Willow finished braiding Skyla’s hair and then looked over at Graham. "Don’t teach them that. Boys and girls should be able to do the same things."

"Yeah," repeated Kyp, his arms crossed in front of him with a serious look on his face.

Graham eyed his son as Katie slid off his lap to sit in front of Willow. Kyp, just like Skyla, had Graham’s brown hair, but he had Willow’s complexion and eye color. He looked so cute, standing there with a stern look on his face, a look that Graham knew he had to have learned from his mother, being Graham was hardly ever stern with the kids. Leaning forward, he looked at his three year old son and said seriously, "If you go upstairs to the guest bedroom Uncle Spike isn’t in, I think you may find some presents under the bed. Why don’t you bring your’s down."

Graham smiled at Willow’s frown as the boy ran for the stairs. Skyla sat on his lap and asked, "Is there one for me too?"

Graham laughed. "Of course, why don’t you go get it and bring one down for your sister." Skyla jumped up and followed her brother up the stairs. Graham looked over at Willow and asked, "You did put the pictures on the gifts, didn’t you?"

Willow almost growled. The year before, she had placed Polaroids of each child on their gift as a name tag. It was an excellent idea, especially since only one of them knew how to read in any capacity what so ever. "You spoiled their birthday already."

Graham winked at her. "Come on. You know they are going to get more, especially since we have a lot more hidden all over the house."

Katie started to clap her hands as she sang out,. "Hide-n-seek!"

Willow finished tying a bow in the small red head’s hair when the other two kids hopped down the stairs. In no time, wrapping paper was littering the floor. The kids were running around the room with their toys. Shaking her head at the sight, Willow watched as Graham picked up the mess. Smiling at her kids, she looked at the clock and dropped the brush she was holding. Graham stopped what he was doing as he heard the brush hit the hard wood floor. The kids also stopped and looked at their mother. "Children, I have an idea. Why don’t you go wake up Uncle Spike?" suggested Graham.

Graham crossed the floor and took his wife in his arms. "Willow, are you okay?"

She shook her head. "What time do you see on the clock?"

Graham turned and looked at it. "4:46."

Willow nodded. "Don’t you see, it is always 4:46."

He laughed and drew her closer. "That clock is broken. It has always said 4:46." She nodded and laid her head on his chest. Placing his chin on her head, he did start to think that it was weird that almost everything important happened at 4:46 on or near September 6, but what did it matter when he was happy.

****

Giles looked up from where he was sitting, looking through one of his books for an answer on what was going on with Willow, as he heard a growl coming from the corner. Pushing up his glasses, he asked, "What is it now, Spike?"

Buffy knew right away. It had already happened twice after Spike had emerged from the guest bedroom in the early afternoon. His vampire hearing made it easier for him to hear the noise, but as she strained her ears with a few of the others, she knew immediately what was going on. Looking over at Giles, she answered for Spike. "They’re, uhm, sharing a, um, personal dream."

Spike rolled his eyes at her. "Why can’t you just say they are shagging?"

Anya looked up from the couch. "Willow’s having sex dreams with that hunk of meat in there? Yummy."

Xander shook his head. "And that is yummy because?"

Anya laughed. "Have you seen soldier boy?"

"Anya, I don’t have a habit of checking out men."

"Well, that one is delectable," she stated as she licked at a lollipop. "Right now, I am thinking of..."

At the same time, Xander and Riley interrupted her. "Hey!" Without Xander, Riley added, "You’re talking about two of my friends in there, and this is just not one thing I want to talk about."

Pointing at Riley, Xander nodded, "Yeah, what he said!"

"I’m just saying that Willow is lucky."

Spike remarked, "You do realize that it isn’t like they are really having sex. It is just a dream." At this point of time, a passionate scream came from down the hall, followed by Graham’s name. Shaking his head, Spike brought his book up to his face to cover his expression as he growled.

From the couch, Anya stated, "If Spike wasn’t dead, I would say that he is blushing."

As Spike’s growl got louder, Xander commented, "Anya, dear, let’s not make the vampire mad."

"Why? It isn’t like he can bite me."

Buffy shook her head. "Anya, would you just leave Spike alone and help us with this research?"

Anya shrugged, "Sure, but if we can’t find anything by tomorrow night, I say we ask Professor Kyle about it."

"Fine, now would you just look through that book?" asked Buffy, exasperated.

Anya sneered at Buffy and then turned back to her book, laying down on the couch and resting her head on Xander’s lap. After a few minutes, Buffy jumped up and started to pace the room. Noticing his slayer’s anxiety, Giles asked, "Buffy, are you okay?"

Buffy laughed. "Giles, how can you ask that? What if they never wake up? What if Willow or Graham are in greater danger than it seems they are in? What if?" Stopping in front of Riley, who brought his hands to her shoulders and started to knead them, she commented, "What if I lose Willow?"

Spike dropped the book he had been reading. With a conviction that surprised everyone, Spike commented, "We will not let that happen. I will not let that happen."

Riley looked into the eyes of the man that he thought he would only think of as his enemy. This was the man who had betrayed Buffy and the gang by helping Adam. He was a hostile, a vampire, and that alone made Riley wary of him. However, for some reason, Spike started to change around the summer time. He started helping the gang more, and even though Riley still didn’t care for him much, he did know that when it came to Anya or Willow, the vampire was really protective. They were his friends, accepting him even though he had never given them reason to, and because of that, they had his loyalty. Riley wondered if either one of them knew this, especially the red head in the bedroom.

That being stated, Buffy seemed to echo Riley’s own thoughts and calmed down. She relaxed into him and sighed as he whispered in her ear, "We will find a way, Buffy, for Willow and Graham.

****

Willow jumped up from where she was sitting, reading a few lines from a letter she had received from Giles. Even after all these years of a computer centered world, the old watcher still never neared one, relying on pen and paper to communicate. She dropped the paper onto the table by the door and opened it wide. On the other side Spike smiled broadly at her, mischief in his eyes, and Angel looked at her with a small smile, not breaking his tradition of being stoic. Willow knew that it was an act though. She had seen him happy, and the longer she knew him, the more he had opened up. Smiling up at her two guests, she stepped back. "Please, Come in."

Graham, who had entered the living room when he heard the doorbell, walked up to the newcomers. Spike had picked Willow up in a large hug and swung her around. Willow laughed, and as soon as Spike sat her down, she gave him a kiss on the cheek. The still peroxide blond then turned to Graham and held out his hand. After all these years, Graham had finally gave in and started to give Spike a chance. He knew that Willow and the vampire had become close somehow, and had finally given into Willow’s pleas to give the vampire a chance. Now that he had, he found him to be very enjoyable, and actually much changed from the first time he had met him. He took Spike’s hand and Spike drew him to him, giving him a quick embrace as he exclaimed, "Nice to see ya, commando number two." Graham laughed at the nick name Spike had decided to give him, of course after deeming Riley commando number one.

Graham let go of Spike’s hand and turned to Angel. He had met the vampire just before Riley and Buffy had decided to get married. At first, he found Angel a little too dreary, just as Riley did. However, after having to spend sometime with the vampire when Willow and him had visited Los Angeles, Graham had decided there was a lot more to Angel than most people expected. Graham took Angel’s hand and shook it, only muttering each other’s names as a greeting.

Spike bounced up and down, looking very much like a child with Attention Deficit Disorder. "So, where is my little princess?"

"Up stairs, fixing her hair," remarked a small voice from the dining room door.

Willow watched as Spike took in the sight of her youngest daughter. Katie had become the rebel of the family, even though she still respected her parent’s wishes. She had naturally curly hair, a trait Willow often wondered the origin of. The color, however, came from Willow’s side of the family. It was dark red. The strangest thing about Katie, though, was she didn’t have the normal complexion of a red head. Instead, she had skin that seemed to always be tan. In all, these features gave her a stunning look, but the clothes she wore accented her in a different way. She had on black pants, that fit her like a glove. Her shirt was a strappy tank, the color of blood red.

Spike’s mouth dropped for a second. It had been three years since he had seen her. Recovering, he walked up and took her in his arms. Pulling back, he looked her over. "Damn, Katie, you look all grown up. What happened to my little princess jr.?"

The now nineteen year old girl shrugged, "Grew up?"

Laughter came from the dining room, and Kyp walked out, slapping Spike on the shoulder. "She decided some one in the family had to be a freak."

Katie narrowed her eyes at her twin. "Well, at least I’m not a stuck up tight ass."

Willow stepped into the conversation, grabbing onto Graham’s hand to keep him from speaking. Ever since the children had gotten older, he had become more stern, and Willow didn’t want him saying anything in front of the guests. "See Spike, the twins are so different, when you combine them, you get normal. Even though, I have no problem with different, so it works out great."

The twins picked up on Willow’s voice and comments, and decided to drop it for now. Even though their mother was small and aging, she still had a way about her that seemed to dominate the room. Graham noticed this too. Gone was the young, sweet woman he had married. What was left now was a wise woman, who had aged but still looked great. She had a presence to be reckoned with, and it was.

Both children nodded and then greeted Angel as Spike stepped back. "Little red sure has some spunk."

Willow nodded. "Yes, I wonder where she got that from?"

Graham laughed, and when Willow looked at him with narrowed eyes, he shook his head. "I would have no idea."

It was at this time that they were interrupted by the entrance of their eldest. The just turned twenty year old skipped down the stairs and jumped into the arms of Spike, just like Willow had. Spike spun her through the air in the same position and then placed her on the ground. "And how is my little princess?"

Without saying anything, she held out her hand and waited as Spike gaped at the large ring on her finger. "Your parents agreed with this?"

Angel walked over and asked, "What?"

Graham sighed and rolled his eyes, something he had been doing a lot lately. "Skyla is engaged."

Spike acted as if he was wiping a tear from his eye. "My little girl has grown all up."

"Do the others know?" inquired Angel.

Skyla nodded. "Xander and Anya know, but Buffy and Riley don’t. I am going to announce it when they get here for the birthday party."

Angel looked at Willow as he commented, "Well, I guess congratulations are in order."

Willow nodded slightly as she grabbed Graham’s hand. He reluctantly nodded, but Willow felt the pressure he was adding to her hand. He hadn’t been taking the whole affair to well, and the only thing keeping him from going on a rampage about his little baby making the biggest mistake in her life was Willow. She was his anchor, as he was also hers.

****

Professor Kyle looked up as she heard a knock on her office door. It was early evening, just a bit after six, and the sun had already started to set. Dropping the pen that she had been scribbling with, she called out, "Come in." At first she smiled when the first guest entered the room, but when she saw the second guest, she stiffened. Her hand wandered to the lower part of her desk, and pulled open a drawer, rescuing a hidden stake from within its depths. She glared at the blond vampire. "William the Bloody. I never thought I would see you here."

Spike’s eyes widened as he saw the woman before him. He knew her! When he had been hanging out with Angelus, they had happened on a woman in a deserted alley. The thing that drew Angelus to her was that she wasn’t afraid of him. Angelus and Spike tried to rile her by taunting, but she stood her ground, and then, when they went for her, she vanished into thin air. He had never thought much about it until now, as he was looking into the same eyes. Who would have known that a minute in time would come back to haunt him? "I’m not here to hurt you."

Beside him, Anya commented, "We need your help! There is something wrong with Willow and Graham."

The professor’s expression was one that the two had not thought to see. She smiled slyly and asked, "And may I ask what is going on?"

Spike answered. "Their dreams have been connected, and we can’t wake them up from them.

Professor Kyle nodded. "I knew that their souls called for each other, but I didn’t realize that it would go to this extent."

"What do you mean, ‘call for each other?’" asked Spike.

"It is the power that flows through their blood. See, there are sometimes soul mates among those of the magic world. In this case, they were both having so many personal problems, that the bond was having a hard time solidifying. What probably happened, was that the energy between them, that they were ignoring, kept on building, and then somehow was released by a spell that they unintentionally set."

"But Graham doesn’t have any powers," remarked Anya.

Professor Kyle shook her head. "No, he does. He just has yet to discover them. I could feel it coursing through him the first day of class. Trust me, he will be a powerful warlock, as Willow will grow into a powerful witch." The professor turned around and picked up a loose leather bound book off a shelf on her back wall. Handing it to Spike, she remarked, "Read the last entry on page 58."

Spike turned to the page that bore the handwritten number 58. "Above the Hellmouth, at the turn of the century, they shall meet after torment and soon become one. Together, the sad witch and honored warlock will become one in soul. Their powers combined will also become one as they. Together, they will help fight the oncoming darkness that shall plague the earth."

"Oncoming darkness?" asked Anya.

Before Spike could say anything, Professor Kyle took the book from him and commented, "The sire is here. She will bring with her destruction, that will follow even after her own."

"There is more? That was what you were quoting," stated Spike.

"Yes, but there will be a time for that to be discussed, right now we need to see to Willow and Graham. Do you have any idea what the spell could be?"

Anya looked at Spike and pointed. "He was the last to see her conscious."

Spike rolled her eyes. "We were at the graveyard and ran into Graham. Willow wanted to talk to him alone, so I let them be. As I was watching, a glow started between them and before I could do anything, it blew up between them as they touched."

Anya crossed her arms. "I didn’t know that."

"Well, I said something last night, but you and loser boy were sucking face at the time."

Professor Kyle cleared her throat, getting their attention. "I tell you what. Why don’t you let me come over and see what I can do? Class isn’t until 8:30, so we have time."

Spike nodded, "Fine, but before we go, who are you?"

Professor Kyle laughed. "I am a wayward fate who sometimes acts as a messenger for the Powers That Be while working on witchcraft in my spare time, but you may call me Dora." Smiling, she asked, "And what happened to William the Bloody?"

Anya answered as Spike ignored her and started out the room.. "He got a chip placed in his head to keep him from harming humans, so all he does is sit around complaining and whining."

Spike ignored the two as they followed him out to the car, Anya chattering behind him. They all climbed into Anya’s car, Spike still not talking as he got in the back.

Professor Kyle looked to the back seat and asked, "So, what is this about a chip, William?"

Growling, he answered, "The name is Spike, and as for this chip, as soon as I get it out, I’m eating both of you."

Anya shook her head as she pulled out of the parking lot, only to drive a few blocks. "Don’t worry, he uses that threat all the time, but I know he won’t act on it."

Spike groaned and shut his eyes. She was right. He always used that threat, but the truth was, he would never hurt Willow or Anya. Xander and Buffy on the other hand, now it would be fun to kill them.

****

Willow felt gentle fingers pulling at the pins in her hair. Looking up from where she was curled up on the couch, reading a book in front of an elaborate fireplace, she saw him. They had been together for thirty years now. White and gray hair had crept up in both of their features, and their faces were both aged from the years. Still, after all these years, Graham had somehow kept the strong, caring look that his face had first held when they had discovered what they had between them. His eyes still held the same sparkle, proving there was a lot more behind those serious blues. In all, he was as great looking as he was then.

Graham smiled down at her as he started to take out her bun. She was so beautiful. Her red hair had lightened just a little over the years, blending in well with the bits of white that had come in. He laughed quietly, thinking of all the times that she had told him that her hair was turning blond, not white. Her green eyes shined up at him, and she smiled lopsidedly, something that had become a trademark of hers among their circle. How had he become so lucky to meet this woman before him and fall in love so deeply?

Graham stopped what he was doing and sat down beside her. For the first time in a while, it seemed that the house was quiet. Their grandchildren were gone and Katie had yet to return from her meeting. He shook his head as he thought about their youngest daughter. Things had been so peaceful after she left, and now that her apartment had burned down, she was back. Wondering how much longer their quiet would continue, he asked, "What time do you have?"

Willow looked down at her watch. "4:46" As Graham stiffened beside her, she asked, "What’s wrong?"

"I remember it like it was just the other day. You said something about it always being 4:46." As Willow nodded, he then continued, "Why is it that every time I look to see what time it is, it is 4:46. Not only that, but why don’t I have any really bad memories. I mean, I know bad things have happened, but for some reason they seem all blurry."

Willow nodded, as she stared ahead. "I know. I can remember all the bad things before we met clearly, but for some reason, when it comes to bad things with us, I can’t remember anything hardly, except a few fleeting images."

Before they continued, A familiar red head entered the room, dressed all in black. She threw her bag on the floor by the couch and sat in one of living rooms many chairs. Looking at both of her parents, Katie smiled and announced, "Mom, Dad, I have found somewhere to live." Graham raised an eyebrow as Willow just stared at her, waiting for her to continue. "I met this woman today, at the occult store by the office..."

Graham interrupted her as he sat forward and asked, "Wait! Since when have you been taking part in the occult?"

Willow placed a hand on his wrist and shook her head, wanting her daughter to go on. Taking her mother’s cue, Katie started to continue as she eyed her dad, waiting for him to blow up, "Anyway, this woman I met, she belongs this coven of witches, and they are looking into taking more members. She said I had potential in my blood and that I could move in with a mentor until I found my own place to work from."

Graham shook his head. "Witches? Potential in your blood? There aren’t any witches in this family. They are just leading you on. This is ridiculous!"

Willow placed a hand on his and shook her head. "No, Graham, there are witches in our family, they just aren’t active anymore."

Looking over at his wife with confused gaze, he asked, "Excuse me?"

Willow wrung her hands. "After we got together, you were having such a hard time with Spike, Buffy, and my past with Oz and Tara, I didn’t want to make it anymore difficult for you to understand, so I dropped witchcraft."

"You were a witch?" asked Graham.

From her chair, Katie added, "Cool."

Willow gave Graham her "I’m innocent, please forgive me face." Biting her lip, she confessed, "I wasn’t that great at it. Most of my spells went bad, my potions were soup and the only thing I could float was a pencil."

While her dad was busy taking in what her mom was saying, Katie added, "So, well, I guess that is it. I’m going upstairs to pack."

Willow nodded as her daughter bounded up the stairs while Graham jumped up and yelled, "Wait a minute little lady!"

Pulling him down, Willow shook her head. "Graham, she’s all grown up, and there is nothing we can do about it. You are just going to have to live with it and let her make her own decisions, however right or wrong they are."

Graham stared at her for a second, thoughts whirling around his head. He had accepted Spike - yes somewhat reluctantly. And the whole Buffy thing wasn’t that big of a deal. So then, why was it that she had been too scared to tell him she was a witch? Did she think that he wouldn’t have accepted her? "Why didn’t you tell me?" he asked.

Leaning into him, she answered, "Well, after I gave it up and we got to know each other, I just didn’t think of it that much. Anya took over doing magic for Giles, and I wasn’t needed, so it was no longer a part of my life. I just didn’t think to tell you. Please forgive me?"

Graham took her in his arms and whispered into her hair, "Of course. Don’t I always." After they sat there, Graham added, "I must admit, this is a September 6th that I won’t forget. It wasn’t exactly happy."

Willow looked at him and turned in his arms. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she whispered in his ear, "Hey, why don’t we go upstairs and we can perform a few spells together."

Chuckling, he grabbed onto her and hefted her up into his arms. She was so light, just like she was when they had first met. Taking off towards the stairs, he remarked, "I think I could get used to this witch thing."

****

Spike groaned as he walked into Buffy and Willow’s house. Riley was laying on the couch, his hand on his head. Slightly moving his head to glance at Spike, Anya, and Professor Kyle, he remarked, "I feel your pain."

Sitting down by the ex-commando, Spike shook his head. "How long have they been going on like that?" In the back ground, he heard a passionate scream.

Professor Kyle looked down at Spike, horror in her eyes. "How much has that been going on?"

Buffy came out of the kitchen with a glass of ice water and some medicine for Riley to take for his headache. "Several times a day," answered Buffy as she handed Riley his glass.

"How lucky," muttered Anya.

Looking over at Professor Kyle, she introduced herself as she ignored Anya’s comment. "By the way, I’m Buffy. I take it you are here for Willow and Graham."

Dora Kyle nodded. "Yes, I am."

"Well, you may want to wait till they wind down."

From the couch, Riley added, "Yeah, they’ve been at it a while, so it shouldn’t be too much longer."

Spike looked up from his seat and cringed as he heard groaning and screaming once again. Their quick heart beats rang through his ears. He could smell the arousal that the dreams were producing to the sleeping couple. All in all, it was very hard for him to ignore, but he just tried to shut it away as he asked, "So, where is Dopey and the watcher?"

Buffy answered as she sat down and placed Riley’s head in her lap. "Giles went to check out more books and Xander hasn’t gotten back from work yet." Looking at Dora, she asked, "So, what can you tell us?"

Dora Kyle sat down as she started, "I have been involved with magic a lot of my life, and because of that, I can feel magic in others..."

Anya interrupted, "She is a fate."

Dora ignored her and continued, "Anyway, when Willow and Graham showed up in class, I could feel a great potential in both of them.."

This time it was Riley that interrupted, "Wait, Graham does not have any magical abilities!"

Professor Kyle shook her head. "Actually, he does. He just has not realized that the potential lies within." She paused, just waiting for an interruption. "Well, in class, I could feel that both of their powers called to each other, but I could also tell that they were both dealing with difficult situations that caused them pain. This pain was helping push them away."

Spike nodded as he started to understand some more. "That is why you kept them after class."

"Yes. I wanted to break down the tension that was between them so the power could take a stronger hold."

"Why," asked Buffy, "do you want them to get together so much?"

"As a fate, I am also a messenger at time for the Powers That Be. Part of that job description entails prophecies."

"Why don’t I like the sound of this?" echoed Buffy and Riley.

Dora explained, "There is a prophecy that talks of a great darkness that releases plagues of destruction upon the earth. The leader of these plagues is already here, which means that the chosen ones must be found. There are many around the earth," Pausing she added quietly, " You yourself, as a slayer, are one. However, you have already been called."

"So, what does this have to do with Willow and Graham?" asked Riley.

"Two of the chosen will be the crying witch and the honorable warlock. They shall become one, in a sense, as shall their powers."

Buffy nodded, "Crying, as in a weeping Willow."

Riley then tagged on. "Honorable, as in an honorable discharge."

Anya sat down on the floor by Spike’s feet, joining the group. "So now, the question is what has happened between them."

Dora agreed. "Actually, I am pretty sure that it is a spell, we just need to figure out what kind of spell." Looking over at Spike, she remarked, "What you said to me at the office, about the explosion of light, that had to be the spell being set in motion."

"So, you’re saying someone put the spell on them?" asked Anya.

Before she could answer, Buffy asked Spike, "Was there anyone else around?"

Dora interrupted before Spike could say anything, shaking her head, "But I have a feeling that they set it themselves."

"What do you mean?" asked Riley, gripping his head as he stared past Buffy towards the ceiling.

"I mean, because of the strength of their power, especially combined, they could have set a spell unintentionally, and I have a feeling that I know how that happened."

"How?" Spike simply asked, his blue cold eyes boring into her.

"They were both in pain. If Willow approached him, they may have talked about that pain. I’m guessing that they made a pact to get through it, getting on with their life together; the key word being together. They probably didn’t mean in the couple sense, but that of friends."

"Then why are they having so much fun if they are just friends?" asked Anya.

"The spell knew the true power behind both of them, so it read together as more. I am guessing that it is causing them to live out a possible life, where they are together. They are both dreaming the same thing, so you could say they are connected to each other, which is why they are both in there, uhm..."

"Moaning and groaning?" asked Anya.

Professor Dora Kyle rolled her eyes. "Yes, basically."

"So, how do we get them out?" asked Spike and Buffy, both at the same time but with different wording.

"Essentially, I don’t think you can."

"What does ‘essentially’ mean?" asked Riley, as he squeezed his eyes shut. He had gotten no sleep last night, and the noise from the room had gotten worse through they day. By the time evening had arrived, he had a pounding headache and he was wondering if he should just have Buffy knock him out.

"Essentially means that we can not go in and physically make them leave the dream world. They are there to get away, and as long as they want to escape, or as long as they want to take getting over things, they are not going to wake up."

"Then how do we get them to want to come out?" asked Buffy.

Dora smiled wickedly, "From what I can tell, they are having good dreams, probably living out all the good things in their dream life. What I can do is try to insert a bad dream into their life."

"How do you do that?" asked Spike.

"By inserting negative energies into their subconscious."

The group looked around at each other and finally everyone’s gaze fell upon Buffy. Looking over at Spike, their eyes locked. Both of them wanted Willow back, and for some reason, she felt that she needed his backing in her decision. Her old enemy nodded once, so Buffy nodded yes. "I think it is at least worth a try, but we should probably wait till Giles arrives, to make sure he thinks it is a good idea. He should be here anytime.

****

Willow paced back and forth in the room while her husband stood at the fireplace, looking down at his son, Kyp. Graham’s cold eyes searched the green eyes of his son, looking for some explanation. The tension in the room was rising, and Willow felt that a great darkness was about to fall upon their world. Kyp could evidently feel the tension as he looked to the floor, not wanting to meeting the burning gaze of his father. "What the Hell were you thinking? You are almost thirty years old, so grow up for once!"

Kyp jumped up, rage building as his cheeks started to turn red on his pale face. Running his hand through his brown hair, he yelled back, "Stop telling me to grow up! I’m not the one in trouble here, Katie is." Balling his fist, he spat out, "I am not her keeper!"

"No, you’re family! Do you have any idea what that means?" Graham started for his son, but Willow stepped in between her son and husband.

Looking at the defiant look in her son’s eyes, she asked, "We’re just concerned about Katie. Your father did not mean to be so short with you." Placing her hand on her son’s cheek, she asked, "Now, can you tell me what you last heard from her?"

Kyp sighed, "She said that her coven was working on some serious magics to destroy something. She didn’t want me to tell you and dad, because she said you would worry about it."

Graham, from behind, spoke harshly, "And now she has been taken from her aprtment, and no one can find her. If you had said something, we could have stopped this!"

Willow turned and glared at her husband. Shaking her index finger at him, she ordered, "Graham, you just need to sit down and calm down. There is nothing we can do but wait this out."

His wife had never been so harsh with him. Graham looked at her with hurt in his eyes. "But, Willow, if he had..."

"If he had told us and we approached her, she would have done exactly what she did. Katie has always been the rebellious one, and there was nothing we could do about it, other than support her." Graham and Kyp both sat down as there was a ring at the doorbell.

Willow looked at both of them, giving a warning look, and went to answer the door. She swung it open to see Spike standing on the other side of it. He looked at her and took her in his arms in a quick motion. Trying not to cry, she said to his chest, "Thank you Spike. Buffy and Riley won’t be here till tomorrow and I need someone to talk to other than Graham."

Spike pulled her away and looked down at her, concern in his eyes. "Pet, why can’t you talk to your own husband?"

"Katie was always his little girl, so he is taking this very hard." She rubbed her eyes and then looked back up at him. "He isn’t thinking straight, and it is hard running interference between him and Kyp when both of them are at each other’s throats."

"What about Skyla? Is she coming down?"

Willow shook her head, "No, her youngest, Gretta, is in a play this weekend, but we are to get a hold of her if they find Katie anywhere."

Willow covered her mouth as she finished the sentence. Looking up at him, she said almost sobbing now. "What if they do find her in an alley somewhere, all alone?"

Spike took a hold of her and looked over her head at the lone figure in the doorway. Graham had heard the whole conversation, and his eyes held not only the pain Willow had mentioned, but Willow’s pain also. Keeping eye contact, he answered, "Willow, she probably went on a shopping spree or something. I am sure that she is fine and this is all nothing."

"What about her apartment? Someone had broken into it and destroyed it. Plus, they found traces of her blood in it."

Running his hand through her hair, he said to her but towards Graham, "Just keep hope, that is all you can do."

Willow backed out of his arms and nodded her head as she wiped her tears away. "I’m sorry. I’m suppose to be strong, the ever resilient Willow."

Brushing a tear off with his thumb, he commented, "I remember a Willow that was all but. If I recall, she could be quite vulnerable while being strong."

She laughed. "That Willow is gone. I have to hold up a family now."

From behind her, a voice said, "I fell in love with that Willow."

Willow turned and looked at her husband. Graham smiled as she asked, "How long have you been there?"

He took her in his arms and whispered in her ear. "Long enough."

Their conversation was cut short by a scream coming from the parlor. The three ran into the room to see Kyp sprawled out on the couch, screaming as he held his head. "Make it stop!" he cried out.

Willow knelt down beside him, soothing him. "Kyp, what is it?"

He curled up into a ball as he answered. "I can feel her mom. Katie is in pain. She is scared." Grabbing onto Willow, he stated, "She is dying." Looking into her eyes, he added, "I feel like my other half is being ripped away from me, Mom."

As soon as the words left Kyp’s mouth, they shot straight into Graham’s heart. Stepping backwards, in a haze, he felt rage fill his soul, his very being, at the thought of losing his daughter. Throwing his head back, he let out a scream that sounded like an enraged beast. As he balled his fist, still screaming, the walls started to shake. Spike ran to Willow and Kyp, covering their bodies with his as pictures started to fly off the walls. The fire from the old fireplace started to flare out, causing the temperature to rise in the room. Over it all, she heard Spike yell, "What the bloody Hell is happening?"

Willow turned her face to where she could see him, realizing that somehow a wind was starting to pick up in the room. As the breeze wisped around her aged face, she yelled back at him. "It isn’t me or Kyp. It’s Graham!"

"What the fuck?" replied Spike.

"He has no control. You have to stop him!"

"How?"

"Hit him. Hell, I don’t know. Just get his mind elsewhere."

Spike nodded and started towards Graham, trying to dart the objects flying through the room. He noticed right off that Graham was looking into no where, his eyes taking on a strange hue. In one swift motion, he went for the only move that he could think of, the one Willow had suggested. Though pain started to shoot through his own head, he worked through it as his fist collided with Graham’s face. Then, everything fell.

Exhausted, Graham dropped to the floor. He looked over at the mess before him and then eyed Spike, who was still holding his head in pain, which had been caused by the implant. Trying to catch his breath, he asked, "What happened?"

Willow crawled over to him as she answered, "You happened."

"What?"

"Graham, it appears I am not the only parent with powers in this family." As he still looked at her with a confused expression, she added, "And boy do you like to discover things with a bang."

Still looking around the room, he asked, "I did this?"

"Yes. You just lost control."

Looking at her, he started to tear up. "Willow, it is just that everything has been so great since Forrest."

From the couch, she heard Kyp mutter to no one in particular, "I can’t feel her anymore."

Willow looked back at Graham, waiting to see him lose control again, but all she got was a confused gaze. Then, he said emptily, "On her birthday, September 6."

Willow looked at the clock. "4:46."

Then, for some reason it clicked. He said quietly, "It is always 4:46 on or near September 6. The only thing that changes is AM or PM."

Willow nodded, "This isn’t real."

"Do you want to stay?" he asked.

She looked at the room around her, thought about all the false memories she had, and then recalled the freshest memories, that of college. Part of her heart wanted to stay there with Graham, but the other wanted to start all over with him in the Sunnydale she knew, with the good and bad. Slowly, she took his hand and shook her head.

****

Willow quickly sat up in bed, looking at all the people surrounding her. With a somewhat confused look on her face, she scrunched up her nose as her eyes narrowed. "What is going on here?" Then, snapping her fingers, she answered her own question. "Oh, dream...It wasn’t real..." Looking at Spike, she answered, "All the clocks said 4:46...and uh...Graham. We need to help Graham. He may be confused."

It was at this time she heard a moan of pain beside her. Looking down at the man she was sharing her bed with, her eyes opened up in a look mixed with panic and worry. He was covering his eyes, turning onto his side and curling up. Riley rushed to his side of the bed while Willow leaned over and asked quietly in his ear. "Graham, dear, are you okay?"

Rolling back towards her, turning his back away from Riley, he said in a pain etched voice as he dug his face into her side, "Head hurts, eyes burn, ow."

Professor Kyle sat beside where Riley was standing and placed her hand on Graham. Looking at Willow, she asked, "Did you guys perform any spells in your dreams?"

Not wasting any time to think, Willow nodded, "Yes. Right before we decided to wake up, our daughter died..."

Graham pressed his face against her more as he whimpered out, "My little Katie."

"...Anyway, Graham kind of freaked, and all of a sudden, all of this magical power just went haywire. The fire was flaming out the fireplace, pictures were flying off the walls, things were blowing all over the place, and then when Spike hit him, it all went away."

"Magic sensory overload," answered Giles, as Professor Kyle nodded in agreement.

Buffy looked up. "Huh?"

Professor Kyle answered, "Since they were linked so closely with the dreams, when he used his powers for the first time in what sounds like a little much, it overloaded his senses. Basically, it is like a really powerful head rush. Plus, it can be like looking at a light too long for the eyes."

Graham turned away from Willow, but once again covered his eyes with his hand. "Just a lot worse than a spoon full of ice cream."

Willow smiled and pointed down at him, "Look, he’s joking."

For the first time, Spike spoke up. "Dora, how do we help him?"

"He just needs rest for a while. He should be fine in an hour or so."

Looking down at the man curled up in pain on the bed, he remarked, "Fine, then I say we get out of here and let the poor guy get some rest."

As everyone started to leave, Spike stood by the light switch. Willow looked up at the peroxide blond, who seemed to be studying her with scrutinizing eyes. In a husk voice, he said, "Willow," turned off the light, and then walked out of the room, leaving her alone with Graham.

Willow stared at the door as it shut behind Spike. She sat there, concentrating on the door as she tried to think of what was going on in Spike’s mind. Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt a hand resting on her leg. "Willow," Graham’s voice called out as his other hand started to rub his eyes, "Go talk to him. I’m not going anywhere."

Leaning over and kissing him on the cheek as if she had been doing it for a while, she remarked, "Thank you, dear."

Willow exited the room and started looking for Spike. After sneaking about, she finally found him standing out side smoking. Quietly exiting the house, she walked into the back yard and stood beside him, silent for a few minutes. Finally, she shrugged and looked at him, "Well?"

Spike looked down at her. "What?"

Willow could tell that he was upset, and looking into his eyes, she saw the reason why. "Do you love me, Spike?"

He dropped the cigarette and smashed it with his heal. "Yes, pet," he said quietly, staring ahead, trying not to make eye contact with her.

"Like you loved Dru?"

He stood there, thinking a while. Spike hadn’t really thought about it like that. Did he love her like he loved Dru? The answer screamed out at him. No. Druscilla had been his dark goddess. She had brought forth desires that he didn’t know could exist, even during his mortal life. With Willow, it was different. It wasn’t desires that she brought forth, but a protectiveness. The answer was in front of him, and for the first time he understood. Willow had decided to accept him, each time that he messed up, showing him a type of unconditional friendship that he hadn’t experienced. Even with Dru, he didn’t have that. She wouldn’t accept him when he went soft. Willow on the other hand accepted him no matter what, like a mother would her child. That was the kind of love he had for her, one of family.

Finally, he looked down at her again. "No, Willow, I don’t think I do." He smiled and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "I never really knew what I felt for you, till this moment." Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair. "You taught me unconditional friendship. It is something I have never experienced, and when you provided me with it, I did start to love you. But now that I think about it, I know it is only the type of love that I would feel for family."

Willow laughed and then smiled broadly at him. "Spike, I think that is one of the most poetic things you have said to me, even though Buffy told me you once gave her a passionate speech." She reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. "So it doesn’t bother you that I just dreamed half a lifetime with Graham?"

"Do you love him? Does he make you happy?"

Willow nodded. "Very much so."

"Then no, it doesn’t bother me, but, if he hurts you, I will rip this bloody chip out of my own head and then suck him dry, after a few rounds of torture, of course."

Willow looked in his eyes and saw that he was telling the truth. Knowing him, she didn’t doubt that he would do just that if Graham hurt her. Standing up on her tiptoes, she kissed him on the cheek and then gave him a big hug. "Thanks Spike."

He pulled away. "You better get back to commando boy in there. The dark can be scary here in Sunnnyhell."

Willow laughed and ran back inside, rushing her way back into the bedroom. When she got there, she found Riley in the room. He looked over at her and commented, "I thought I would share some advil with him."

"Share? Are you not feeling well?"

Riley shook his head. "Nope. While everyone else took a break and went out today, I spent the whole time here, listening to you two go at it." The noise was a little loud and gave me a headache."

Willow was thankful that the lights were out when she turned beet red. She was remembering all the erotic parts of her dream. "Oh, sorry about that. I guess going out later tonight will be out of the question then. I don’t know how Graham will feel in a few hours, but I am as awake as can be. Sleeping two whole days does that to you."

Riley nodded. "Why don’t we talk about it later?" As he was leaving, he turned and commented, "Oh, Professor Kyle had to leave, but she wanted you to know that your absence would not account against you tonight in class and that she wishes to see both of you as soon as possible."

Willow nodded as she sat down on her side of the bed. "Thanks, Riley."

After he left, she felt Graham tugging on her. Looking down at him, she asked, "Yes?"

"What did Spike say?"

Willow laid down and worked her way next to him, finding his arms around her in no time. "He said that if you hurt me, he will rip out his chip, torture you, and then suck you dry." As Graham snorted, she also remarked, "He also said that if I am happy, then that it doesn’t bother him."

"And are you happy? I know that only last night we were miserable."

Willow snuggled closer, "But today makes yesterday seem like years ago. It seems like a lifetime ago that I saw Tara with that demon."

Graham snuggled into her hair. "I don’t remember you talking that much about it in the dreams."

Sighing, Willow commented, "Someday I will talk to you about it, just not now." Turning around, she looked at him and smiled as she saw his still closed eyes. "How about you? Do you want to talk about Forrest?"

He shook his head. "You were right, that night in the cemetery. He would have accepted no other order. Believe it or not, I did think about that during the dreams." Laughing, he remarked almost to the side, "He always was pig headed."

Thinking she had already figured that out from what Riley had told her, she just commented, "Then you are fine too?"

Nodding, he pulled her closer even more and asked, "Yes. So what do you want to do now?"

Smiling as she traced his jaw line with finger, she answered, "Let’s start this new relationship by just lying here, in each others arms for a while."

He smiled and opened his eyes slightly, trying to hide his own pain as he looked at her, taking her in for the first time in what seemed ages as his girlfriend, not his wife. Graham thought she looked stunning laying in the darkness with the moonlight shining in on her, making her hair and eyes sparkle. "You’ll get no argument from me."

****

The next day, Willow and Graham sat across from Professor Kyle. She had explained to them that she was a fate for the Powers That Be, and that she had gotten a job at the University so that she could hunt them down. Willow shook her head at the information that she was hearing. "But why us? Not that I’m complaining, but why did the Powers That Be want us to be together. I mean, I was with Tara, and she has magic powers."

Professor Kyle shook her head. "Sometimes, there are magic beings born with soul mates. Graham is yours. However, there are those who are born without soul mates, such as Tara. The reason you didn’t work out was simply two things - witches and warlocks who do not have soul mates can be attracted by chaos, hence the Chaos demon, and in the end, it was a way for the Powers to make sure she was out of the picture so that you could concentrate more on Graham. You two are destined for each other, for you have been prophesied about."

For the first time, Graham spoke up. "What is this about a prophecy?"

Professor Kyle pulled the book she had shown Spike the day before off her shelf and handed it to him. "Page 58 and the few after that."

Handing the book to Willow for her to look at, he commented, "But I have no idea what I am doing."

Dora laughed, "Yes, but you will learn, and when you are ready, you and Willow will become one, answering the prophecy."

"One?" He asked.

Professor Dora Kyle raised an eyebrow. "I’m not going to give you all the answers. When it happens, you will understand."

Graham nodded, starting to accept in the smallest degree what she was saying when Willow asked, "And what is this about becoming immortal?"

"What?" asked Graham to the amusement of the fate in front of him.

"In time," was her cryptic answer.

THE END

NOTE: I have so much going on, it may be a while before a sequal appears, but my magic eight ball says "Outlook Good." 