"Angel, answer the goddamned phone," Wil muttered softly. In response to the blonde's request, Angel reached for the offending item, which was ringing incessantly-and had been for the better part of five minutes. He wondered who it was, since it was only noon and most people would call the office and leave a message. Very few people had his private number, so that narrowed the list down considerably.

"Hello?" Angel said quietly into the telephone.

Wil, who had drifted off to sleep once Angel silenced the phone, woke up again when the dark vampire left the bed. He sat up, confused, watching Angel walk out of the bedroom and into his living room. Curious, Wil rolled out of bed and pulled on his pyjama bottoms, which he'd left lying across one of Angel's armchairs.

When he got into the living room, he found Angel listening intently to whatever was being said, a severe frown on his face. He could have easily gotten closer to Angel and listened to the other side of the conversation, but he didn't. After all, Angel did occasionally have private conversations that didn't warrant his involvement. Wil did note that Angel's side of the conversation was limited to encouraging noises.

A few short minutes later, Angel hung up the phone. He looked rather grim. "What is it?" Wil asked, concerned.

Angel set the phone on a side table and rested his hands on his knees, staring at the floor. "Tara's dead."

���...�...�...�...���

"Do you have any idea what's going on?" Cordelia asked Fred as she swept into the hotel. She'd gotten a phone message on her cell saying that Angel wanted to see her right away. That meant cutting short a shopping trip to find Gunn something for his birthday.

Fred shrugged. "I don't know, really. He just said he wanted to see me here, at this time."

The two young women watched as, one by one, every member of Angel Investigations filed in. The last two were Wil and Angel. Both vampires looked distinctly unhappy.

"What's this all about, Angel?" Gunn asked impatiently.

Angel looked over at Xander, the longtime Slayerette turned demon seer. "I got a call from a contact in Sunnydale today," He said. "Before you start asking, I'll tell you. Tara was killed two days ago."

Xander didn't even feel Oz's hands helping him into a nearby chair. He couldn't believe that she was gone, just like that.

"You mean Willow's Tara?" Cordelia asked. Angel nodded. Recognition lit the faces of the other investigators. None of them really knew Tara, or Willow for that matter, but they'd heard stories from Xander. He had regarded the young witch very highly, and her death was obviously a shock to him.

"The reason I asked you here is because we need your help," Angel continued.

"Why?" Gunn asked.

Angel sat down. "Because Wil, Xander and I need to go back to the funeral-it's going to be in Sunnydale, and that's not a place the three of us need to go without backup here."

"Four."

"What?" Angel said, looking at Oz.

"I'm going," Oz said. His decision to go was based mostly on Xander; his mate didn't handle this kind of loss very well at all.

"What about this place?" Gunn asked, looking pointedly at the office. "Who's going to take care of visions and things?"

"Whoever doesn't go," Angel replied. "I figured it would be you, Cordelia, Wes and Fred."

The foursome nodded their agreement. Xander could call in any visions he had and between the four remaining investigators, they could handle most of the stuff that might occur.

"When to we leave?" Xander asked, having found his voice again.

"When the sun sets," Wil answered. "Funeral's tomorrow."

���...�...�...�...���

Wil curled up in the front seat of Angel's car, watching in the rear view mirror as Xander huddled next to Oz. None of them were looking forward to this trip, each for their own reason.

Angel didn't want to see Buffy. While it was true that he had recovered from their relationship, that didn't mean he actually liked to see her. She dragged up too many memories to ever be a welcome presence in his life; reliving every moment of some of his worst mistakes wasn't conducive to being a good warrior for The Powers. Now that he had had, and lost, Connor, Buffy was an even more painful topic. She had always stood for what he couldn't have, and now that she had miraculously gained a sister while similar such miracles gave and took a son, Angel would rather stake himself than talk to her again.

Oz was only going to support Xander. Nothing waited for the werewolf in Sunnydale but bad memories. After all, he was going to the funeral of his ex-girlfriend's lover. The last time he'd seen Willow, when he'd hooked up with Xander, she had made it clear that there was no room in her life for him. Oz had taken that to heart, giving up on his sometimes-hometown for good.or so he'd thought.

Xander, of course, had almost as little reason to return. His relationship with Anya was nonexistent before his departure with Oz, and Willow had distanced herself from him some time ago. Seeing Buffy with Riley had been the last straw for the young man. Now he was going back, but that didn't bring him any peace. He was a demon now, something that Buffy hunted. He also worked with her ex, Angel. The only reason Xander had to return was that he had genuinely liked Tara. She never treated him like an idiot, something that Buffy, Willow, Anya and Giles could never claim. Tara had in a very short amount of time endeared her self greatly to Xander.

Finished studying up on his companions, Wil turned to himself. He was going because he, like Xander, had really felt affection for the little blonde witch. She never failed to make Wil feel welcome, even when others were determined to run him off. They'd even shared a laugh or two, when nobody was looking. But Tara's funeral wasn't what Wil was dreading. It was Buffy. She had made her feelings really clear when he'd left last time, and she wasn't one to mellow. Absence definitely didn't make the heart grow fonder in Buffy's case. While Wil didn't feel quite as strongly for her now as he did then, it would still be painful to have her treat him poorly. And if Riley was there, things could get extremely ugly indeed.

Wil also worried about Buffy's reaction to Angel showing up with her one of her former best friend, her current best friend's ex boyfriend, and her ex archenemy. The images Wil came up with were uniformly ugly. He couldn't see a way for Buffy to be understanding. The many changes that had occurred to all of them were remarkable, but difficult to swallow.

"Penny for your thoughts," Angel said, breaking the silence Wil hadn't realized had fallen.

"Not liking this trip," Wil whispered. "Bad idea all around. We should have stayed in L. A. and sent the others instead."

Angel grinned weakly. It would have been funny to send the 'home' team to Sunnydale. The only problems were that Cordelia wouldn't be caught dead in Sunnydale now, and Wesley was vehement about his not being welcome there. He was also quite paranoid about being attacked for his new status.

���...�...�...�...���

The situation in Sunnydale was so bad that the arrival of the four exiles didn't even register for almost ten minutes. Angel stood in the doorway of the Magic Box, waiting for Buffy to acknowledge his presence. It wasn't the Slayer, though, that noticed them, but Giles. He must have flown back from England for the funeral. The Watcher looked truly old for the first time in Angel's memory; he hadn't looked quite that bad even when Angelus had killed Jenny. Perhaps it was the way Giles was when Buffy had died; Angel hadn't been there.

"Angel," Giles said. "And."

Angel stepped aside, revealing the others.

"Xander," Buffy said dully. "Spike?"

Wil winced reflexively. "Buffy."

"Where's Willow?" Xander asked, looking around. Buffy pointed to the training room. "Why?" Buffy just shook her head.

"She needs.time," Giles replied. The L.A. gang nodded slowly. Time they understood all too well.

"You're different," Buffy said to Wil. "You.look weird."

"Thank you," Wil replied softly.

Giles peered more closely at the vampire. "Why did you leave?"

Wil looked over at Buffy. "I wasn't wanted here, and Angel needed me."

Buffy swiveled to look at Angel. "Needed you? We *needed* you, damn it!"

Wil winced. Perhaps she was right. Had he been there, perhaps Tara wouldn't have died. Xander was the next to speak, however. "What about me? I left too."

Buffy grimaced. "You we needed too, Xander."

"Where's Riley?" Xander asked, wondering suddenly where the ex-commando was. That question really made Buffy twitch.

"Somewhere in Vietnam," Buffy replied weakly.

"Gone again?" Wil asked. It figured that Riley would leave. After all, hadn't everyone else left Buffy? She had no one that hadn't left at some point or another.

Before Buffy could say anything, the door swung open as Dawn ran into the shop. "Hey, Buffy. Sorry I'm late. The movie just got out." Dawn's voice faded as she saw Xander, Oz, Wil and Angel. "Spike?" She whispered. "Xander?"

Wil grinned lopsidedly as Dawn launched herself at him. "Spike!" Wil caught her easily, noting that she'd grown.

"It's Wil now, luv," Wil whispered in her ear. She jerked a little but nodded.

"Cool," She whispered back.

Giles took off his glasses to polish them. "I assume you're here for the funeral?"

"Yes," Angel replied for all of them.

"Ah, then it would be inappropriate for me to ask why you've been accompanied by three of Buffy's former colleagues?" Giles remarked.

"Perhaps a bit awkward right now," Angel answered.

Giles nodded sagely. "Very well. We shall broach the topic a bit later. As it happens, you've arrived just in time. As per Tara's wishes, her service, such as it is, will be held tonight. She wanted Spike to be able to attend," Giles said.

"Wil," Wil said reflexively. Buffy didn't notice it, but Giles did. His only response was a single raised eyebrow.

���...�...�...�...���

Angel watched as Wil stared at his old crypt. It had been the site of so many pivotal events in his childe's life. Now it would stand a solemn watch as they witnessed the conclusion of one of Wil's friends' lives. He knew Wil was hurting, but now was not the time to say something, or offer a comforting embrace. Mostly he didn't want to mar the service with his dust when Buffy staked him for doing so.

Buffy and Dawn had managed to get Willow cleaned up enough to attend, although the witch still looked like she was falling apart at the seams. Wil winced when he saw the bruises, scratches, and dark circles under her eyes. Xander had taken one step in her direction and then practically ran away behind Oz. Now the Raphe was meditating almost continuously. The witch was radiating anguish. Wil was desperately glad he wasn't an empath.

According to Dawn, the ceremony was to be pagan in nature. She knew parts of it, but was worried about the rest. Willow was in no condition to say anything and Buffy couldn't seem to get more than a couple of sentences out at a time. She didn't know what to say, and Giles was completely overwhelmed with keeping his witch and his Slayer from falling to pieces.

All the attendees stepped, or were carried, into the circle as Dawn cast it. Willow shrieked as she felt the magic shimmer through the air. Buffy began to cry. Giles reached for Buffy, who began to weep on his shoulder. Dawn cradled Willow, who had fallen down. She looked up desperately at Wil. The ceremony had to be finished. Something had to be said.

Angel looked at Wil, who was staring up at the night sky, his eyes glistening with tears. Xander shuffled nervously, wondering what was going to happen and hoping that whatever it was occurred quickly so he could get away. Oz just watched Willow, wishing he could do something to ease her pain, and thus Xander's.

'I am a little church, no great cathedral,
far from the splendor and squalor of hurrying cities.
I do not worry if briefer days grow briefest,
I am not sorry when the sun and rain make April.

Wil paused as Willow's plaintive wail echoed through the trees.

'My life is the life of the reaper and the sower;
my prayers are prayers of earth's own clumsily striving
finding and losing and laughing and crying children,
whose any sadness or joy is my grief or my gladness.

Again, he stopped, this time because Buffy had sunk to the ground next to
Willow, who was by now tearing at her hair, having escaped Dawn's hold. He
pushed on, though, since it had to be finished.

'Around me surges a miracle of unceasing
birth and death and glory and resurrection:
over my sleeping self float flaming symbols
of hope, and I wake to a perfect patience of mountains.

I am a little church, far from the frantic
world with its rapture and anguish, at peace with nature
I do not worry if longer nights grow longest;
I am not sorry when silence becomes singing.

By now Willow's keening was continuous and Wil had to raise his voice, his
deep baritone resonating well beyond the confines of the cemetery. Dawn
sensed that the ceremony was near its end and stood up, holding the urn
containing Tara's ashes.

'Winter by spring I lift my diminutive spire to
merciful Her Whose only now is forever:
standing erect in the deathless truth of Her presence,
welcoming humbly Her light and proudly Her darkness.'3

As the last word faded, Dawn raised the urn and threw it high in the air. At its apex, a bright flash of light emanated from it, spreading down to the circle below. When the light faded, the urn, and with it Tara, had disappeared.

���...�...�...�...���

3 i am a little church(no great cathedral) e. e. cummings

A/N: The pronouns referring to deity in the poem have been changed to reflect Tara's Pagan path. The exact format of the poem has also been changed to reflect its spoken nature. Many apologies to any that these alterations might offend.

*****
Part 31:

Angel stood nervously in Buffy's living room, not knowing exactly what to do. He, Wil, Xander and Oz had followed Buffy, Willow, Dawn and Giles back to her house. Angel would have recommended that they just leave, but Xander was obviously concerned about Willow's condition, even though being near her was hurting him.

"How is she now?" Angel asked Wil when the blonde passed him by. The younger vampire was pacing around the main room, occasionally glancing into the kitchen where Buffy had Willow sitting at the table.

"Not good," Wil replied, looking grim. "Even beyond Tara's death, I think she's burned out from magic. She certainly shows the signs."

Angel glanced over at him, shocked. "What? How? Willow was never."

Wil shook his head. "I guess I never mentioned it, and neither did Xander. She was starting to use a lot more, even when I left. I didn't think much of it, though, because it was to protect Sunnydale."

Angel didn't know what to say, although it certainly went far in explaining why Willow was in such poor condition. "But how did she get that way?"

"I have no idea," Wil responded, although he looked grim.

"She almost destroyed the world," Giles said as he stepped into the room. "Losing Tara drove her mad. She drew on the darkest magic and nearly succeeded in killing everyone and everything."

The vampires stared in shock at the Watcher. "But.how did you stop her?" Wil asked in a whisper.

Giles shrugged. "A combination of things, although I believe Dawn was the key in the end, no pun intended. Even at her most annoying, she had a strong enough heart to bring Willow back to us."

Wil nodded. "Yes, she has a lot of potential. Will she be a Slayer?"

"It is rather difficult to tell. Normally the siblings of Slayers do not become Slayers themselves, but Dawn is unique. She was made from Buffy, instead of from Joyce. We do know that much, from how Buffy managed to stop Glory, and a bit of research I managed to complete in England. Because of that, she may show Slayer tendencies. However, no Slayer should be called right now; there are already two of them," Giles explained.

Xander and Oz walked into the house a few minutes later. They had been camped out under a tree in Buffy's front yard, putting some distance between Xander and Willow. He was worried about her, but he also needed some recovery time. Oz's constantly placid disposition helped tremendously. As soon as Xander got inside, he frowned. "She's not getting any better," He muttered.

Wil grimaced and leaned back on Angel. He was getting a very bad feeling about the situation in Sunnydale. What was going to happen to Willow? The vampire was also concerned about Buffy and Dawn. No matter how he looked at it, he didn't see the inevitable confrontation with Buffy ending well.

Angel thought nothing of Wil's behavior until he saw the expression on Giles' face. Uh oh.well, maybe he could understand why the Watcher looked like he wanted to kill Angel. Under other circumstances, the only reason Angel and Spike would be this close to each other was if Angelus was back. "Maybe we should explain things to Giles, hmm?" Angel whispered to Wil.

"You might have a point there," Wil replied softly. He stepped away and turned to face the Watcher. "Did you ever figure out how Buffy got back here?"

Giles shook his head, his face lined with confusion. That certainly wasn't what he was expecting to hear. He wanted to know why Angel and Spike were so buddy-buddy, as well as why Xander and Oz were with them-and rather close themselves.

Wil leaned against the doorway. "I made a deal with The Powers That Be. They gave me a soul and got me on the 'road to redemption' warrior path, and in return Buffy was brought back."

Giles just stared at him. What Spike had just told him didn't fit what he knew of the vampire. "Why?"

Wil shrugged. "I loved her."

Giles snorted. "And that was enough? That you loved her? Angel, did you believe him?"

Angel looked at the Watcher. Giles recoiled at the intensity of that gaze. "Yes, but then again I know what it feels like to have your soul returned to you after spending a century being a monster. Besides, I had a friend check him out."

"Ah," Giles murmured. "Spike, forgive me if I find all this a bit hard to believe."

"Wil," Wil murmured. "And why don't you ask Xander about it?"

Giles turned to the boy. "Well, Xander? I suppose you fell for this too?" He asked harshly.

Xander shrugged. "Considering that I'm his seer and connection to The Powers, yeah, I'd say I fell for it lock, stock and barrel."

"You're what?!?" Giles shrieked. "How?"

Xander grinned. "Long story. Shortened version, though, is that Cordy decided to share the wealth, and The Powers assigned me to Wil. Now we do the dynamic.well, actually it's more of an octet. But it's kind of fun, you know? I mean, most of us aren't even human anymore."

"Not even human.Angel, who do you work with?" Giles demanded, upset that one of his former charges was mired in such a mess, even if it was one he didn't care as much for as Buffy.

Angel stared at the ceiling. "Well there are two humans, two werewolves, two vampires, a faun and a Raphe."

Giles frowned. "You and 'Wil' are the vampires. Oz is one of the werewolves and Xander and Cordelia are the humans. Who are these others?"

All of Angel's crew shook their heads in amusement. "You got the vampires right, and Oz is still a werewolf, but you're way off base on the others, G-man," Xander said.

Giles took a moment to register what Xander had said. Then he turned on Angel. "How could you let him.what is he, anyway?"

Xander scowled. He hated being treated like that. "I'm a Raphe, and I chose it, ok? The Powers That Be changed me so I could handle the visions better. I had no idea you disliked me that much, Giles. If you'd said something, I would have stayed away more back then."

Giles recoiled. A Raphe? By choice? What did he.The group watched as realization dawned on Giles' face. He was a well-read Watcher and would know about Raphe demons. "It's not like that, Xander."

"Uh huh," Xander murmured. "So then I guess it won't bother you to learn that I and Oz are together?"

Giles sputtered for a moment but kept his mouth shut. What could he say? The boy would be able to sense the automatic disapproval he felt, not because they were both male but because of their collective history.

"Oh, yeah, Cordy's the other werewolf. Fred and Gunn are still human, but they won't be forever, since Gunn made Cordy promise to change him and I'm pretty sure that Fred wants Wesley to think up a way to make her a faun too," Xander continued, sort of liking the shock and discomfort he was getting from Giles, even if it made his skin crawl.

"Wesley?" Giles whispered. Surely that wasn't the same Wesley.

"You know it is, G-man," Xander replied. "After all, you keep up with where all the other exiled Watchers are, don't ya?"

Giles stared down at the floor. Yes, he'd known that Wesley was working with Angel, but he hadn't known that he'd become a faun. "How could that even happen?" He asked. To the best of his knowledge, fauns were born, not made.

Angel grimaced. Discussing Wesley's side trip to the Qorgoth might well lead to other.topics that he'd rather not think about right now. "Long story. He's fine, though."

Giles peered at Angel. He knew the vampire was leaving everything out regarding Wesley's change, but perhaps that was for the best. He might not want to know the details of that particular event. "So."

The room fell silent, since no one knew what to talk about. Giles had the basic information he wanted, even though there was much more he'd like to find out at some point. They all realized that the pressing issue was the three young women in the kitchen. Willow needed help rather desperately, but that wasn't all. What was to be done about Buffy? She was used to having more support than she had right now. After all, Giles was still in England for all intents and purposes, and Dawn was just a child-Buffy had barely begun to slay at her age.

"So, how's the uncomfortable conversation going?" Buffy asked from the doorway. Everyone in the living room spun around, surprised at her presence.

"Fine," Giles said absently. "How is Willow?"

Buffy frowned. "Not too good, but I think that most of it is emotional now, the grieving thing, you know." She looked from person to person. "She's asleep right now, at the table, since she didn't want to be moved. Maybe now would be a good time for you all to tell me what the hell's going on?"

That suggestion was met by silence as the five men stared at the ceiling, floor, and walls-anything and anywhere but the Slayer. Giles wasn't comfortable with the arrangements in Los Angeles, but he understood them far better than Buffy would. "Well?" She demanded when no one spoke. "Will someone tell me why Spike is calling himself Wil and hanging all over Angel and Xander is attached to Oz's hip and smells like a demon?"

Of course, they could also let Slayer sense and a lot of experience in close observation give away most of what they might have tried to hide. Xander fidgeting, not knowing how to break anything to Buffy, but Wil took the lead and spoke up first.

"Buffy, there are a few things you need to know," He said quietly.

"Like why you and Angel are so buddy-buddy and why you look like a librarian? A classy librarian, but a librarian nevertheless?" Buffy retorted.

Wil just looked at her seriously until she quieted. "The reason that you're alive is because I agreed to accept the return of my soul and work for The Powers That Be. That is also why I call myself Wil now, as well as why I'm with Angel."

To her credit, Buffy didn't faint, not at all. She did, however, sit down on the floor rather rapidly. When Giles moved toward her, she waved him off. "Gimme a minute, ok?" Everyone stood around, pointedly not looking at her, for several moments.

Buffy looked at Spike, no 'Wil', trying to find any proof or disproof of the soul thing. Yeah, he looked different, but what did that mean, besides Cordelia getting a hold of him? Well, there was the way he talked-he sounded a lot like Giles or Wesley now, all adult and educated, instead of like a Johnny Rotten impersonator. He also stood differently. Gone was the aggressive, world-hating stance and the indifferent, disdainful expression. Angel seemed to believe him and Xander was willing to be civil around him. If he was telling the truth, then she owed him a lot, she guessed. But why had he done it in the first place? Yeah, he'd been into the whole 'love the Slayer' thing before, but she uniformly treated him like shit, even after she. "You left because of me," She whispered. Wil nodded slowly but said nothing. He was impressed that she'd figured it out so quickly.

It took Buffy a few more minutes before she spoke again. This time she needed to clarify something that was just bugging her. "When you said you were with Angel.you're just with him, not *with* him, right?" Buffy asked Wil, desperation in her voice. The look on both Angel's and Wil's faces gave her the answer she was so not wanting. "Damn it! That's just wrong!" No one replied, leaving the room in tense silence.

Buffy looked at the vampires again. She didn't like that at all. They weren't supposed to be doing that.ugh. Not thinking about it. Oh, the two guys thing wasn't the issue.well, maybe it was, since she'd slept with one of them and been chased by the other. Ugh.not thinking about it. Need a safe topic. Yup, something safe. Buffy looked up at Wil, then over at Angel. "You're training him?" She asked the older vampire.

"I am. He's doing rather well," Angel said with a smirk. "Particularly since he got his own seer. It's giving him direction."

Buffy frowned. "Yeah, you've got Cordelia now, don't you? So who's Wil's seer?"

Xander grinned and stepped forward. "One seer at your service, madam."

"No fucking way," Buffy whispered. "You're a seer?"

"Hey! I'll have you know I'm a damned good one," Xander said with false indignation.

"What's with Oz?" Buffy asked Xander. "You smell weird too."

Xander looked over at Oz. "Funny you can smell it. I mean, the vamps can, but that's different. I'm a Raphe demon now." When he saw the expression on her face, he continued quickly. "It's not a bad thing! It's mostly to help with the visions. They're pretty brutal for humans. Plus, it gives me a bit of an edge in my 'running away now' routine."

Buffy just stared. Xander was a demon? He hated pretty much everything nonhuman, although Anya had softened him up a little bit in that regard. "Oz?'

Oz looked over at Xander. This was his decision; the werewolf could live forever without telling the Slayer about their relationship.

"It works for us, ok?" Xander said firmly, not wanting to get into the details. Buffy sort of frowned but said nothing about it.

"Is there anything else I should know? Like any other people I know that aren't human anymore?" Buffy inquired.

"Well, Cordelia's a werewolf and Wesley's a faun," Xander offered up. "They don't seem to mind too much."

Buffy stared at the ceiling for a moment. "Does anybody besides me find it odd that your group, which is supposed to be protecting a world of humans from evil, is pretty much all demons?"

After a moment of consideration, they all nodded. "Yeah, we laugh about it now and then. It's some sort of big cosmic joke, you know? Like the wounded healer thing. Creatures of the night saving all the scared little humans," Xander said for them all.

"I think it's really cool," Dawn said from the stairs.

"Dawn?" Buffy called out. "You shouldn't listen in on other people's conversations. We've talked about that, you know."

Dawn stepped into the room, rolling her eyes. "Then other people shouldn't talk so loud. But I do, you know, think it's cool. Kind of like the X-Men, or Batman. Do you all have costumes?"

Wil reached over and bopped her on the head. "No, although I wouldn't mind seeing Angel in spandex sometime." The comment elicited a chorus of moans and complaints, particularly from Buffy.

"So, what are we going to do about this?" Wil asked once everyone had calmed down.

"What 'this?'" Buffy asked from the floor.

Wil looked at her. "You, alone, in Sunnydale."

*****
Part 32:

"I-I'm not alone," Buffy said quietly, standing up.

"No? Who do you have to help you?" Wil asked the Slayer.

Buffy looked around. "Willow, when she gets better; Dawn; and Giles."

Giles looked up from the carpet he'd been studying. "I wasn't."

"Planning to stay?" Wil finished for him. "And Willow isn't going to be any good for months-if she's ever able to help you again."

Buffy scowled at him. "What, you think I can't handle my job without an army behind me?"

Wil sighed softly. "No, that isn't what I think at all. Buffy, you're the oldest Slayer in known history, and a lot of that is because unlike other Slayers, you do accept help. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that I'd like to see you continue to stretch the life expectancy of a Slayer for many more years."

"But we can't just leave you here by yourself when we've got resources to spare," Xander said. "There are eight of us in L.A., and I think we can manage a person or two short," He paused when Buffy snorted, but pressed on, "Until everybody here is at full strength."

"It would just be a temporary arrangement," Angel reminded her. It would have to be; no matter who stayed in Sunnydale, they wouldn't want to forever, since their lovers would almost certainly be in Los Angeles.

Buffy grimaced. She really didn't like this at all. Actually, she couldn't think of anyone that could stay. "Who would it be?" She asked Wil. "You know it can't be you or Angel. I'm having a hard time with the whole 'you two together' thing and the 'Spike with a soul' thing, not to mention 'owing Spike my life' thing. Seeing the two of you together all the time won't do good things for my slaying."

"I can't stay," Oz said. Everyone nodded, knowing that the reason why was sleeping in the kitchen.

"Xander has the vision thingy going on, and I be they're not going to switch to Sunnydale visions just because he's here," Dawn added.

"So that knocks out all of you," Buffy said with satisfaction.

"But there's still Cordelia, Wesley, Fred and Gunn," Wil reminded her. "Cordelia must stay in L.A. for the same reason as Xander, and Wesley should stay away from the Hellmouth-we aren't sure what or who might find a faun useful yet. But Fred and Gunn could, if they were willing to do so. They're also still human."

Buffy frowned again. Those were the two that she knew nothing about. They were also the only two humans-at least for the moment. That 'still' bothered her a little bit. Considering what had happened to Cordelia, Wesley and Xander, the likelihood of these other two humans staying that way was rather slim. "I don't know."

"I would recommend you think about this rather carefully, Buffy," Giles said to his former charge. "I can stay here for a few weeks, but after that I must return to England. I have responsibilities there now. These people may be able to provide the assistance you will rather desperately need while Willow is regaining her health and Dawn learns the basics of slaying."

Buffy winced at the mention of Dawn. She'd tried to protect dawn from the slaying thing, but now it didn't seem like such a great idea. Her kid sister had a decent knowledge of fighting, as evinced during the last few days, but she had a lot to learn before she could just strike out on patrol. "What if they don't want to come here?"

Wil shrugged. "Then we'll think of something else. I can call them now, though." He pulled out a cell phone and stepped into a corner. The conversation was brief and a bit strained. "They're talking about it now," Wil said when he hung up.

"We should go," Oz said quietly. The sun would be up in less than half an hour and being somewhere else would be best.

As they left, Wil turned back to Buffy. "We'll meet you here tonight."

"When you will, of course, tell us all the other stuff you left out before," Dawn reminded him with a yawn.

"Of course, Niblet," Wil murmured.

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Wesley shifted uncomfortably in his chair. The phone call from Wil had ended just a few minutes before, but no one had said a word since. "Well?"

"Well what?" Gunn asked shortly. "The damned vampire wants us to run over to Sunnydale to baby-sit his old crush and clean up her mess. Why should we?"

Wesley sighed. "Because it isn't just Buffy. In fact, I'd wager that most of Wil's motives for asking us focus on Dawn, although wouldn't dare tell Buffy that."

"Why and why not?" Fred asked, confused. Wesley smiled at her garbled question.

"Why would he be concerned for Dawn? He's always cared about the girl because she was one of the only people who liked him and expected nothing from him. Why wouldn't he tell Buffy? The Slayer has a bit of a jealous streak in her. What she remembers most about Wil would be how he mooned over her before she died. She probably still thinks he's pining for her, the same way she thinks that Angel is longing to be with her. What do you think she would say if she found out that not only does Wil want to help because of Dawn and not her, but that both of them are more than capable of being with her now-that Angel's soul could easily withstand the sex-but that neither of them are choosing her?" Wesley asked.

Cordelia scowled. "She'd throw them out on their asses and dust them on sight after that."

Wesley nodded. "That is precisely why Wil is handling this the way he is. He can't just take Dawn away from Buffy; but if he tells her the truth, he won't be able to help the girl at all. Neither his nor Angel's connections in Sunnydale are strong enough to protect Dawn, much less Buffy. Until the Slayer either gets her act together or realizes that she needs to move beyond her ties to Angel, it is probably for the best that we help out."

"You're taking this really well, considering that Fred's going to be one of the people leaving," Gunn said to Wesley. "I don't like the idea of leaving Delia here."

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine, you know. There's gonna be five other people here to protect my weak, defenseless self from all the things that go bump in the night."

"That's not what I meant," Gunn said with a smirk.

"I know, I'm choosing to misunderstand you," Cordelia replied.

"I don't like it either," Fred added, "but I see why we should do it. Like Wil said, it won't be but for a few weeks, until Dawn's got the hang of slaying and Willow is on her feet again. Of course, it would be better if Buffy just moved on. Aren't there other places that could use a Slayer?

Wesley shook his head. "Sunnydale will require most of her attentions for the rest of her life. Unlike most of the world, Sunnydale doesn't exist in a balance between humanity and its demonic counterparts. The Hellmouth changes the community, leaving it vulnerable again and again to attacks."

"Why doesn't someone just close the Hellmouth?" Fred inquired.

"It is closed," Wesley said. "But it can always be reopened by someone with the right knowledge. That is where much of the danger comes from."

Gunn snorted. "So there's nothing to do but leave a Slayer chained to the town?"

"For the moment, yes," Wesley answered.

"Then I guess we have to go to Sunnydale, at least for a little while," Gunn said. Fred nodded her agreement. "But I'm not going to like it."

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The next evening found Wil, Angel, Oz and Xander standing at Buffy's door. When they knocked, Dawn answered. "Thank gods you're here!"

Wil and the others stepped inside. "What is it?"

Dawn pointed at the kitchen. "Willow's having *another* breakdown. She hasn't left the kitchen all day."

"Where's Buffy?" Angel asked the girl.

Dawn swore softly before answering. "Where she always is when stuff gets all emotional-slaying. Giles went after her, since she shouldn't be out right now. I mean, she's the only one that can keep Willow calm for any length of time, and besides that, this just isn't the right time to go chasing a slaying high! We need her here."

Angel looked at Wil. "We can try to help Willow while Giles looks for Buffy."

"Um.can I stay out here and wait for Gunn to call for directions?" Xander asked. It would be more than an hour before Gunn and Fred showed up in Sunnydale, but he really didn't want to be near Willow. If they needed his empathic skills, he could help them from out here-even at this distance he could feel her quite vividly.

"Sure," Wil said, understanding. Oz and Xander settled on the couch while the vampires went in to look after Willow.

The redhead looked like death warmed over. She was a shadow of her usual self, all sunken, flat eyes; dull, greasy hair and defeated body language. Angel crouched down next to her. The witch didn't even look up. "Willow?" Angel whispered. She sniffled a little but otherwise showed no signs of life.

Wil was about to go over to her when he heard Oz in the living room. "Wil?" He turned around and went back to the others.

"What is it?" He asked.

Xander looked at him over the cell phone he was dialing. "Vision. It was in daylight, so I think we have time to get back. But it was a bunch of demons, so we're going to need to go-it's more than Wes and Cordy can handle."

"I'll tell Angel," Wil said. This wasn't what he'd planned on, but then again they never could plan well with the visions coming whenever they wanted. "Angel?" He said quietly.

"What now?" Angel replied.

"Vision. We have to go," Wil replied. Angel nodded and looked up at Dawn, who was standing nearby. "Tell Buffy what happened. Gunn and Fred will be here soon. Gunn's a tall black man, and Fred's a short brunette woman."

Just a few minutes later, the foursome was piled in Angel's car, barreling down the highway. Xander was on the phone with Gunn and Fred, giving them directions to Buffy's house and last minute pointers on how to avoid Slayer-wrath. After that phone call was over, he rang Cordelia and Wesley, who were understandably worried about the situation. He gave them all the details he had from the vision, so that they could collect information while the rest of the team was in transit.

Angel honked and waved as they passed Fred and Gunn a few miles outside of Sunnydale. After that, the atmosphere in the car quieted noticeably as Xander snuggled up to Oz and fell asleep. Wil watched cars go by the other direction and thought about Buffy. He was quite relieved that seeing her hadn't dredged up any unexpected memories. It hadn't even hurt very much. He wasn't sure what that meant.

"It means you've moved on," Angel said. Wil looked over at him. Had he said that out loud?

Angel grinned. "You didn't have to say a word, Wil. I know what you're thinking-the same thing I do every time I see her."

"Hmm. Still, it's not an experience I care to repeat in the near future," Wil replied.

"Why do you think I make so many trips to Sunnydale?" Angel said. Wil grinned. "Get some rest, Wil. I know you didn't sleep well last night."

Wil nodded and rested his head on the window. He had slept rather poorly the night before so a bit more sleep wouldn't hurt. Besides, even though Xander's vision had indicated sunlight, there would still be work for him to do in L.A.even if it was just research.

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Cordelia and Wesley were quite happy to see the crew when they returned. "How was Buffy?" Cordelia asked as they piled out of the car.

"She's fine. Willow's the one we're worried about," Wil answered. Cordelia nodded sagely.

"What about our demon thing?" Xander asked as Oz helped him out of the car. His leg was asleep, so he hopped around a little to wake it up.

Wesley growled. It was still sort of odd for the others to hear the Watcher actually growl-he didn't sound like the vampires or the werewolves when he did it, but it was still strange. "I've located the nest of Fyarl demons you saw. According to one of Lorne's sources, they've been hired by Wolfram & Hart to destroy a homeless shelter downtown-those were the people you saw."

"What's the plan?" Xander asked.

"Those of us who can will fight above ground, while Wil and Angel work in the sewers. We'll use one of Fred's tricks and pull the fire alarm to evacuate the shelter," Wesley responded. "At least Gunn won't complain about missing a great fight this time." They all laughed, knowing that Gunn wouldn't mind sitting this one out. His reaction to Fyarl demon blood was rather extreme.

"So we've got, what, at least five hours before this big plan starts?" Xander asked.

"Thereabouts, yes," Wesley replied.

"Then I vote for naps all around. Sunnydale wore me out," the Raphe decided. "Any objections?" Seeing none, he made for the stairs, Oz close behind him.

"We should do the same," Wil told Angel. The dark vampire nodded and followed Wil up the stairs. After a few moments, Cordelia and Wesley went up as well. They hadn't slept while waiting for the others, so they too were tired.

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Wil found himself engulfed by Angel's arms as soon as he got into bed. Angel held him close, burying his face in Wil's neck. The blonde lay there silently, waiting for Angel to compose himself. He knew that despite all of Angel's bravado, he was deeply affected by his brief return to the Hellmouth. "I love you," Angel whispered a few minutes later.

"I know," Wil replied just as softly. "And I love you. That won't change, no matter how many times I see her." Angel nodded, and then pulled away slightly.

"But I'd still rather not go back very often," He said. "That place is in the past."

"Yes, it is," Wil agreed. "What do you think will happen?"

Angel thought for a few minutes. "I really don't know. It's just too soon. I want to see what Gunn and Fred think about the whole situation."

Wil nodded but said nothing in response. Instead, he ducked his head down and placed a soft kiss at the base of Angel's throat. The older vampire purred and began to rub the small of Wil's back. It was not the time for sex-they had too much to do too quickly-but that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy each other in the meantime. Being around Buffy was traumatic for both of them, and they needed to reconnect. That, of course, would have to wait until after they dealt with the Fyarl demons. This was nice, though.

*****
Part 33:

"Why are Fyarl demons always so messy?" Xander asked as they got back to the hotel. Not one of them had managed to avoid getting liberally splattered with thick blood during their successful attempt to preserve the lives of several of Los Angeles' most stubborn homeless. The fight would have been easier had all the residents of the shelter left when the fire alarm went off. As it was, they got in the way, so the battle was difficult, confusing, and messy to boot. At least they had Oz's van to replace Gunn's truck as yucky-person transport. The vampires were also nasty, but they had opted to return home through the sewers.

"So, are you and Oz planning on doing the nasty tonight?" Cordelia asked Xander. The van lurched a little as Oz started at the question.

"What?" Xander yelped. "I thought you said you weren't going to bring that up!" No matter how hard he tried, he was still very loud during sex, to the point that Wil had earnestly offered to install acoustical board in his apartment to dull the sound. Cordelia had ragged him unmercifully about it.

"No, I said that I would endeavor to refrain from commenting on your personal life," Wesley said primly. "However, it would be most considerate of you to answer the question so that Miss Chase and I are able to determine where we should go to spend the evening and how long we should stay away."

Xander was tempted to tell them to just get a hotel room, that his and Oz's stamina was such that tonight might just end up being a record-breaking marathon. He didn't, though. "If it bothers you that much, we can always go out instead." It was no hardship for he and Oz to go out to the rocks; the place held a lot of memories for the pair. Besides, nothing out there complained if he howled his pleasure to the moon.

"Ah, it doesn't really bother us, Xander, you're just so easy to mess with," Cordelia replied. Actually, she thought it was kind of hot. Gunn didn't mind it when she got turned on by the demon's howling, and from what she could smell, Wesley and Fred suffered the same effects. What got sort of weird was when Xander picked up on Wil and Angel. Vampire stamina being what it was meant that they could go all night. That meant that Xander went just as long-which meant that the others either had to do so as well or go somewhere else to escape the noise. There were days when Cordelia wanted to advertise the hotel as a brothel or something. Lorne had said more than once that the pheromones Angel Investigations put out more than doubled the number of customers he had in a given night. Apparently the demon population didn't mind hearing Xander scream.

When they got back to the hotel, the grimy troops marched into the lobby, heading for their quarters. As they reached the stairs, a high-pitched scream stopped them. "Wil?" Wesley whispered. Was there something wrong with the vampire?

Cordelia frowned as the scream became hoarse and died out. "What the hell?"

Xander cocked his head, and then backed up a few steps. "Um.anybody else get the sudden urge to try out a nice hotel across town?"

"Huh?" Cordelia muttered. "What are you talking about?"

"Um.Wil's not in any trouble, if that's what you're thinking," Xander replied. "Believe me, I know. I mean, I'm not going to mind staying here, but you two, well, you're gonna get real cozy with your hands if you do."

Realization struck the other three. "Miss Chase, if you would do the honors of fetching a few damp cloths from the kitchen on our way out, we should be able to clean one of us up to the point that a hotel will rent us a room or two. Xander, I believe each of us has a set of spare clothes in the hall closet" Wesley was cut off by another low howl coming from upstairs. He idly wondered if they would still be doing that when Lorne opened for the evening. It would make for an interesting night. "And if you would retrieve them, we shall be on our way," He finished.

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"I know I'm supposed to like blood, being a vampire an' all, but this stuff is disgusting," Wil said, wiping his hand on the sewer wall as he and Angel briskly walked home.

Angel grimaced. "I know what you mean. How did you ever live with them, even as minions?"

"Damned if I know, looking back on it," Wil responded. "Did you leave the trap door unlatched?" If Angel hadn't, they would have to wait for the others to arrive-or break the latch themselves.

"Of course I did, Wil. I knew we'd be coming back. Besides, how would I have latched it from down here?" Angel replied.

Wil flicked a speck of blood in Angel's eye. "Jackass," He hissed, trotting ahead.

"Get back here, Wil!" Angel said, chasing after his childe. Wil ignored him, other than to laugh over his shoulder. Angel kept up easily, but Wil had gotten enough of a head start that he wouldn't be able to catch him.

Opening the trap door slowed Wil down a little. Once he was inside the hotel, he momentarily pondered locking Angel down there. Nah, that was cruel.and it was sure to ruin any chance for lovemaking later.something Wil was counting on happening. Instead of locking his Sire out, Wil ran upstairs to Angel's apartment. The dark vampire would be looking for him in his own suite, which would buy the blonde more time.

When Angel got to the trap door, he was surprised to find it unlatched. He had thought that Wil would have locked him out. Shrugging at his good fortune, Angel climbed up and locked the door behind him. Once upright, he too ran upstairs, heading for Wil's apartment. If Wil wanted to play, so be it.

Angel looked around Wil's place, wondering why his childe wasn't there-hadn't even been there. Where was he? After a moment, Angel stopped to listen.he heard water running-in his own place? They hadn't been there much for the past months, other than to clean and dust occasionally.

The door to his apartment was standing wide open, so Angel closed it behind him, locking it securely. He heard Wil moving around in the bathroom, showering off the sticky demon blood. The bathroom door was standing wide open, letting steam billow out. When Angel stepped inside the bathroom, he saw Wil, stripped naked, just getting into the shower. Wil looked up at him and held out a hand. "Join me?"

Angel removed his clothes in record time and got into the hot shower with Wil. Once the door closed behind them, he stepped down the steps into the deep tub that made up the base of the shower. Wil was already lathering up, trying desperately to get rid of the noxious goo. Angel realized that the cleanup job had to come before any play, so he copied Wil's movements, using the strongest soap in the shower to strip the blood off his skin and out of his hair.

He was so immersed in washing, trying to get done, that Angel didn't notice that the shower drain had been closed until the water was nearly up to his knees. At some point Wil had put in the stopper and turned on one of the other faucets that served the tub. It was big enough that Angel thought of it as a small pool-he'd taunted Wil about its size and opulence when he'd first seen it. Actually, he was surprised that they hadn't played in it more, considering how frequently they made love.

Wil reached over to wipe at the last traces of blood on Angel's back, where it had soaked through his shirt but that the dark vampire couldn't reach. Angel shuddered under his touch, moving back to encourage him. They both hissed when skin met skin as Wil pulled Angel to him, plastering himself along Angel's back. "Wil." Angel murmured, wondering what the younger vampire had planned.

Wil pushed Angel down, until they were both immersed in the water. He moved over to shut off the overhead shower and the faucet, since the tub was full enough for them. He then straddled Angel and began to trace his lover's face with his hands and lips, teasing at Angel's mouth occasionally. After a moment, Angel growled and reached up with both hands to grasp Wil's face, holding him still while he ravaged his mouth.

Wil cried out as Angel took complete control of the kiss, drawing deeply of his mouth, sucking hard on his lips and tongue. He arched against the dark vampire, trying to fuse them together as one being. Angel moved his hands down to Wil's hips, grinding them together briefly before moving on.

Wil moaned as Angel broke the kiss to look around him. After a moment, he found what he was looking for. "You know, I've always wanted to know what you were thinking, having this installed," Angel said, picking up the shower massager lying on one side of the tub. Wil's eyes widened. He'd gotten it because the damned things felt good on his back after a long day in the library, but the gleam in Angel's eyes told him that the dark vampire had other ideas. That should have frightened him.and it did, just a little.

Angel turned on the massager, fiddling with the settings until he found one he liked. He then pulled Wil back to him and resumed their kiss, using the massager very innocently on the tense muscles of Wil's shoulders. Wil soon returned the kiss with relish, lulled into relaxing by the innocuous nature of Angel's use of the massager.

Slowly but surely, Angel worked the massager down Wil's back, never straying too far too fast, until he had the thing pounding at Wil's lower back. He'd worked very carefully so that Wil wouldn't catch on to what he was doing, and so far it had worked nicely. The blonde didn't even realize that Angel had also worked his legs apart and around Angel's waist, opening him to Angel's perusal. Angel braced his feet against the side of the tub and pushed his back against one wall before dropping the massager down a few inches to pulse against Wil's hole.

The resulting shriek was rather gratifying for Angel. The look on Wil's face wasn't too bad either. The blonde's eyes widened and a moan fell unnoticed from his lips as warm water rippled against his sensitive flesh. "Angel, what are you do" Another scream interrupted his question as Angel switched the setting on the massager to something with a bit more force. He also pressed it more tightly against Wil, so that no matter how the blonde squirmed, the water was always pushing at him, opening him up.

Wil draped himself over Angel, clawing at him as he tried to find some sort of relief. The water was maddening, like ten thousand little fingers stroking his hole, pushing just a little. He tightened his legs around Angel's waist, rubbing their cocks together. Water sloshed around Angel's neck, the water level still rising slowly. Angel wasn't worried, though; there was still a long way to go before the tub filled to capacity.

"Angel!" Wil cried, trembling, as the dark vampire changed the massager yet again, to a single jet that pushed further inside him. Wil arched and scrabbled against him, but Angel just wrapped a free arm around him and pushed back against the wall, trapping Wil's legs should he try to move away. Wil bent his head down to Angel's throat and began to suckle, not breaking the skin. The suction grew as Angel turned the water knobs on the wall higher, making the water stream not only harder but hotter as well.

Wil was burning up from the inside out. A hot jet of water was pulsing inside him, making lightening flash behind hid eyelids. He kept nursing Angel's skin and clawing at his arms, knowing that he would have to endure the exquisite agony until Angel decided to end it.

When he was pretty sure Wil was beyond conscious thought, Angel turned off the water and laid aside the massager. Wil immediately stilled, although he didn't release Angel's flesh. The dark vampire gave him a moment to recover, then pulled him away from his body, turned him, and pushed him hard against the far wall of the shower. While Wil was groaning and trying to turn around, Angel grabbed a bottle of baby oil from the collection of toiletries on the edge of the tub and flipped it open. He then submerged the bottle and pressed it against Wil's hole, filling the blonde with the liquid lubricant. Wil squealed at the sensation, squirming to get free. Angel put the bottle back on the edge of the tub, then pushed himself flush against Wil, placing the hard head of his cock against the blonde's gaping, quivering hole. "Wil?"

After a moment, Angel heard a gasped 'please' so he pushed forward, sinking into amazingly hot, soft flesh. Wil shuddered and jerked as his over sensitized flesh was stretched once again. Once he was fully inside, Angel stopped for a moment to let Wil gain a bit of control, even though he wanted to just start pounding into the blonde.

Wil sighed in relief as Angel pulled him away from the wall and let them float back toward the steps. The hot water in the tub enticed him to relax, despite the tension that Angel had built in him over the last half-hour. He was so pliant that he didn't even comment when Angel maneuvered him to lie against the stairs so that they would have some form of resistance.

Angel slid smoothly in and out of Wil. The baby oil dropped the friction between them to almost nothing, so Angel had to hold on tightly to stay inside him. Wil grasped either side of the low steps that led into the tub, bracing his feet on the sides so that he was immobile. The tub was wide enough that the action spread him as far open as he could be. Angel thrust deeper, loving the soft moans that the action drew from Wil.

Wil moved down as much as he could, trying to change the angle of Angel's thrusts so that he was rubbing against his prostate. Frustrated, Wil reached for a lower step, tilting his ass at the expense of keeping his head above water. After all, he didn't need to breathe, and he couldn't remember ever being completely submerged.

Angel watched as Wil went completely underwater, eyes widening at the sensations the movement sent though his cock. The visual effect was just as startling, looking down at Wil, who looked wavy and out of focus though the moving water. His pale skin stood out in stark contrast to the solid black tiles. Angel thrust harder, aroused by what Wil was doing.

Being underwater was a fascinating sensation for Wil. He felt water swirling around his cock, soothing it even as Angel drove him closer to climax. He moved down another step, shifting his feet further back and drawing Angel down into the water. If he moved one more step down, Angel would be completely submerged as well. He wasn't sure if he could do it, though-the pull of both their bodies toward the surface would be a lot for his arms and legs to withstand.

Angel started a bit as Wil shifted a third time. If he wanted to stay inside the blonde, he would have to join him underwater. Since stopping what he was doing was out of the question, Angel relaxed and fell forward to lay along Wil's back, picking up his thrusts a bit. Wil jerked in response, and then fell motionless again.

Wil bit his lip to keep from moaning. He didn't want to accidentally breathe in water; coughing it up later would be messy. He pushed back a little as Angel thrust harder, trying to encourage the dark vampire on. Angel's weight along his back was incredibly erotic; he could feel his lover's tongue tracing a path along one shoulder. Tensing a muscle there, Wil pushed up a fraction of an inch so that Angel would bite him. He needed the bite, the connection.

Angel brushed his blunt human teeth along Wil's neck for a moment before shifting and biting down hard. At the same time, he pulled up on Wil's body with both hands, wresting both of them above the surface. He fell back onto the low seat on the far wall, letting Wil lay along his chest. The blonde immediately began to pant-a sign that he was very close to coming.

Angel dropped a hand down to Wil's cock, fisting it gently. He raised the other arm up to press his forearm to Wil's mouth. Wil nuzzled the skin briefly before latching on, morphing into gameface, and sinking his fangs in, completing the connection. They could never be closer than this, fangs and cock holding them to each other. Wil used his legs as leverage to sink back down on Angel's cock as Angel thrust up to meet him. The sound of water splashing and lapping was a soft counterpoint to their frantic movements as they leapt off an unseen cliff and tumbled into ecstasy.

*****