"Okay, we need a plan. My mom is in New York, looking for new paintings so I have no problem moving in with Willow and protecting her," Buffy suggested, taking charge of the group.
"My mom's at a conference and my dad's still on a business trip, so I'm on my own," Willow spoke up.
"That's good luck," Buffy said.
"Yes, it is, but we have to get you out right away. After school, I want both of you, go together, to go home, pack a bag and meet back here. Go quickly, I want everything done before sunset," Giles instructed. Buffy and Willow nodded in agreement. Giles smiled in return and sipped his tea.
Jenny Calendar had been searching the web, e-mailing her friends and trying whatever she could think of to figure out what to do to give Angel back his soul. Now, she leaned back in her chair and sipped her coffee. She looked around the classroom, realizing that she didn't know what had happened in any of her classes. She decided she should see what was going on. She walked around and asked her students what they were doing and if they had any problems. As she was talking with a student, suddenly she figured out who could help her. `They must know something` she realized. Jenny continued discussing things with her students until the bell finally rang. She dismissed her class and hurried to the phone in her office. She punched in the number they had given her "for emergencies only." She waited and it rang once, twice, then:
"Hello?"
"Hi, it's Janna."
The final bell rang and Buffy and Willow headed for their lockers. They dropped off their stuff and headed out. They walked along together toward Willow's house. Willow looked over at Buffy, who looked a little upset. "Buffy, are you okay?" Willow asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just . . .well, . . ." Buffy trailed off, trying to smile. Willow waited for Buffy to continue. "It's just, a few weeks ago, Angel was my refuge, my safe haven. I trusted him completely. I felt completely safe with him. Now, my best friend and I have to pack ourselves some bags and get out of our homes because Angel is such a threat to us."
"Oh, Buffy," Willow said and gave her best friend a hug. Buffy started crying and Willow put her arm around Buffy. When Buffy regained her composure, the two carried on.
After class, Xander tried to find Buffy and Willow before they left. After looking for ten minutes, her decided that he'd missed them and went to the library.
"Buffy?" Giles called out when he heard the door close behind Xander.
"Nope Giles, it's me."
"Oh, hello Xander."
"What's up, G-man?"
"I've been researching Angel's patterns from before he was cursed with his soul. It's rather disturbing actually."
"Why?"
"Well, when most vampires pick a special victim, they attack them, sometimes torture them, then feed on them and often make them vampires. Angel, on the other hand. . . well, when he picks a special victim, it's usually a young, beautiful woman, he drives them insane. He kills off everyone they care about one by one, often spacing them a week or two apart. He plays mind games with them. He'll torture someone his victim loves right in front of them, and then feed off them. Once Angel's killed off everyone close to his victim he *finally* feeds off them."
"Oh no. Oh no. Okay, he's big on the mean nasty, hurtful part, but Buffy's the Slayer. She has some built in protection system, right?"
"Ordinarily, yes, but Angel's something of a unique circumstance."
"A Slayer's never been in love with a vampire before."
"There's never been a vampire with a soul before. And I'm sure that Buffy will eventually be able to do what needs to be done. At any rate, I want to keep Willow where Angel can't get to her."
"Good, I want to keep Willow out of harm's way."
The Cure (4/14) Buffy locked the door of her house behind her and she and Willow started walking back to school. They both had their arms crossed over their chests, as if trying to protect themselves. They walked together in silence. A cold breeze brushed them.
"I'm so glad the sun's still out," Willow said.
"Yeah, we know when the sun goes down, the scaries come out," Buffy replied, quickly checking to make sure the stake she always carried with her was there. Willow saw the motion and knowing that Buffy had a stake comforted Willow.
Buffy was worried about Angel. `I hate putting my friends in danger!` she thought. `How can I protect them?` she wondered. Buffy knew she couldn't always be with them. `I need to figure out a way for them to protect themselves.` Buffy thought over her options, she could try to teach them some self-defense, but it would take a while to teach them enough to really be able to protect themselves and until they were good any vampire would still be stronger. Crosses were good, but any vampire would just knock it out of their hands. `If only we had something like pepper spray,` Buffy thought. "That's it!" Buffy exclaimed. Willow turned to her.
"What's it?" Willow asked.
"Nothing Will. Ummm. . . are you okay to go the rest of the way to school by yourself? There's something I've got to do," Buffy explained.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. There's still a few hours of sunlight," Willow replied, looking at Buffy. Willow hesitated, then added, "Buffy? Just promise you'll be quick."
"I promise, I'll be quick," Buffy smiled. She leaned over and gave Willow a hug.
"And Buffy? Be careful."
Willow felt a wave of relief as she reached the school. She walked toward the library. She started to jog, she wanted to get there as quickly as possible. Willow opened the door to the library and felt comfort in seeing Xander and Giles. Willow," Giles said with relief, then added, "Where's Buffy?"
"I'm not sure. She said she had to do something, but she promised she'd be here soon," Willow said. Oz came out from Giles' office. He saw Willow and he gave her a hug.
"How are you doing?" Oz asked Willow.
"I'm okay," Willow replied. "Umm, Giles, can Angel come into the library?"
"Yes, I suppose he can come in here. Why?" Giles replied, looking a little puzzled at the question.
"Well, when we're doing research here at night, lots of times Buffy's out slaying. Angel could attack us then," Willow elaborated.
"Oh dear, I'd never thought of that. We need to find another base of operation," Giles said.
"Okay, we need to find another HQ. My question is where?" Xander asked.
"We can work at my place," Oz volunteered.
"What about your parents?" Giles asked.
"Oh, no sweat. I'm in the basement, they won't even know." Suddenly, the door opened. Everyone whipped around to face the door.
Buffy smiled at everyone and said: "Look what I've got."
Jenny was cruising along the highway with a song in her heart. She was almost at the place her tribe was camped. She saw the sign for her turn and got off the highway. She took the turns to where they were camped. She saw the camp right ahead of here. She turned of the ignition and got out. `Here goes nothing.`
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