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Chapter Thirteen

"Is Willow there?" A soft voice asked over the phone.

Douglass wiped her groggy eyes and tried to focus on the clock next to her bed. It was well after two in the morning. "Angel, do you know how late it is?"

Douglass tried to sound irritated, but instead was actually relieved he had finally called her friend. Every time the phone would ring Willow would jump, her cheeks would get flushed, and then the dejected puppy dog look would come when it wasn't him.

Angel winced when he checked the time. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I guess I should call her tomorrow."

"Oh! Don't you dare hang up Angel. Let me get her." Douglass sprung out of bed, dashing to Willow's room. Leaving Angel waiting at the other end of the line.

Lightly shaking Willow, Douglass tried to wake the redhead from dark vampire filled dreams. "Willow, wake up. W-i-l-l-o-w, tall dark and handsome is on the phone." Willow's eyes slit open, giving signs that she was waking up. "Willow wake up or I'll tell Angel you don't want to talk to him." Douglass said a little louder.

Willows eyes popped open, and she sat up straight in bed. "Ang... Angel is on the phone?"

"Dear God Willow, answer the phone already!" Cordelia stood in her blue pajama bottoms and white tank. "I'm dying to know what he says to you."

Willow reached for the phone, as Douglass and Cordelia decided to raid the freezer for any yummy ice cream treats.

"What do you think they'll talk about?" Douglass jumped up on the counter, dipping her spoon into the chocolate and peanut butter ice cream. Thankful for the extra exercises Wesley made her do that day.

"Oh, Angel will be all, `I'm so sorry, can you ever forgive me. I don't deserve your friendship, blah, blah, blah.' Willow will say, `You've done so much for all of us. You need to stop beating yourself up, blah, blah, blah.'" Cordelia dug a big chuck off peanut butter out. "I've never met two people who could talk circles around nothing, better than those two."

"Do you think he's over Buffy?"

Cordelia snorted, digging around for another large chunk of peanut butter from the melting chocolate ice cream. "If you would've asked me that question a few months ago, I would've said not a chance in hell. Then Darla shows back up, from said hell, and his obsession changes course. I haven't seen him since the scene at my old apartment, so I couldn't really say. But I'm putting money that it's going to take him a few hundred years of brooding to figure it out. Too bad Willow doesn't have that long."

The two girls started dueling with their spoons for the last peanut butter chunk, when they heard a loud crash, followed by Willow screaming. Dropping the ice-cream container, the girls ran to the redhead's bedroom. Willow was standing in the center of her bed, glaring down at Spike who was huddled on the ground, laughing.

"Oh Kitten you should've seen your face. Dennis ruined my attack, but the look on your face made up for it." Spike picked himself up off he ground, attempting to straighten his clothes.

"Spike you are truly evil." Douglass grinned at the sexy blonde vamp. They had bonded while she was at the hospital. His dry sense of humor kept her laughing during the monotonous days. Having him around, she knew she'd always have a partner in crime. He was defiantly the older, much older, brother she never had.

"Brat!" Spike smirked. "Glad you're back. No one else in this bloody place has a sense of humor."

"Spike why are you in our apartment this late?" Crossing her arms over her chest, Cordelia nailed Spike with one of her famous Queen C glares.

"Just bored. I've been in Sunnyhell for five days. Stuck with Slutty and her GI Hoes. Not to mention that Harmony redecorated the crypt, stupid bint. Purple with unicorns all over." Each girl shivered at the thought. "Who you talking to Red?"

Willow was still standing in the middle of her bed, with the phone cradled to her stomach. A deep blush crept up from her throat to her cheeks. Placing the phone back to her ear, "Angel?...Angel are you there?" Her face fell. "He hung up."

"After hearing you scream like a little girl, bet Peaches comes a running, to save the scared little witch." Spike mocked Willow. She grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.

Gunn and Wesley came charging from the stairwell, weapons in hand, ready to defend their friends. "We heard someone scream, what happened?" Wesley peered around the apartment, looking for the source of fear.

"Willow was just happy to see me." Spike rocked back and forth on his heels, an innocent smile plastered to his face.

Gunn and Wesley grunted in unison, dropping their weapons from the attack position. "I don't know about anyone else, but I'm going back to sleep." Gunn left, followed by the ex watcher.

Sighing, Willow got off her bed. "I better go downstairs and wait for Angel. I'd hate for him to break down the door." Picking up a discarded sweatshirt she pulled it over her black pajama top.

Faking a yawn Cordelia stretched and headed toward her room. "I'm going back to bed, night all."

"I need my beauty sleep. Still not used to vamp hours." Douglass hugged the witch and vampire goodnight, and retired to her rooms.

"Come on Pet; let's go wait for Peaches. While we wait you can tell me everything that's been going on."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angel came to a screeching halt outside the old bank. Willow's scream echoed through his head, and made his flesh crawl. If something happened to the redhead he'd never forgive himself. How many times did the people he cared about have to suffer because he was too busy brooding over the past? He should be here, with his friends and Willow. `Well maybe not here living here. But here helping here.' Angel pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind and hurried to the front door. Only to have it opened by Spike. Who's amusement at his Grand sireďż˝s distress was obvious.

"Spike." Angel growled.

"Ello Peaches, why don't you come on in." Angel sailed past Spike, scanning the dim lobby for Willow. She was curled up asleep, in an overstuffed chair. Her head was at an awkward angle, a lock of red hair falling across her cheek.

"No big bad happening here. Just surprised the little witch, when that bloody ghost of theirs tossed me like a rag doll, up against the wall."

"Remind me to thank him." Angel scooped Willow up and turned toward the blonde vamp. "What floor is she living on?"

"Follow me. Got some news I need to fill you in on anyhow." Spike walked to the elevator, letting Angel enter first. Both vampires stood in silence, lost in their own thoughts.

Stepping out onto the girlďż˝s floor Angel looked around. A sense of belonging stole over him. This is where his friends lived, and he was never going to shove them away again. Looking down at the tiny witch in his arms, he couldn't help but smile. Who would have thought this innocent looking witch had so much fire inside her. During their argument the other day, she shocked him when she hadn't backed down.

"Take it Red gave you an invitation here."

"Which room is hers?" He whispered over to Spike. Who would only acknowledge him with a nod in the roomďż˝s direction.

Trying not to wake her, Angel silently crossed the living area to Willow's room. Inhaling her unique vanilla scent. Placing her gently in the middle of her bed, her pulled the covers up, and tucked her in.

Spike was waiting for him on the couch. "Found yourself a new obsession I see." Spike grated out.

"It was a momentary loss of sanity. I'm not obsessed with Darla."Angel ducked his head, uncomfortable talking to Spike about his sire.

"I'm not talking about the old bint. I could care less what you do with her. My concern is the redhead, who's all cozy in her bed right now. I hate sounding all soulful, so I'll say this once. You don't do obsession well. I don't want to see Red turn out to be another Dru, all broken into pieces that are barley put back together again. Or worse yet, another angst like what you had with Slutty. It may have started out as love mate, but you two were addicted to each other. Like a junkie to his fix. Making not only yourselves miserable, but the people around you as well. If you want something with the witch I say try friendship first. "

"I'm not obsessed, or anything with Willow. She's a friend, nothing more." Angel glared. "Now did you say something about needing to tell me something?"

"Just got back from dear old Sunnyhell. Seems that I'm gone a few days and all bloody hell breaks loose here."Spike went to grab a cigarette out of his pack, remembering Douglass's warning about his precious family jewels, and his smoking made him put the pack away. "Your lawyer friend has come a calling. Let me tell you his request is intriguing."

"Let me guess he wants them to turn on me." Angel sneered.

"Nothing to do with you Peaches. After the ice princess at his firm. Wants our friends to do surveillance, and report to him."

Angel sank down onto the side chair, "Sounds to simple."

"That's what I thought to when Red was filling me in while we waited for you. So I forced the rest of the information out of her." Spike's smile was mischievous.

"Forced how?"

"Tickled the poor little chit, until was almost wet herself. Worst kind of torture for the girl. Anyway, seems that lawyer boy thinks Darla and Dru are working with Lilah. Doing something or other to the boy's projects. So the group spies on them, then reports to the wanker."

"He's constantly being followed. How are they supposed to get this information to him?"

"This is the clincher. Douglass. He's making her play his girlfriend, stupid sod. Having her be seen with him at social events. So when she comes to visit him at home or work, it just seems that she's just seeing the love of her life." Spike watched the older vampire digest the information.

"It seems simple enough plan. But it puts Douglass in constant danger. The kinds of people that show up at these events aren't the nicest people in the neighborhood. We'll need to keep an eye her. Not to mention the rest of the group." His eyes skirted toward Willow's room. Hating that she might be involved going up against his sire. She had been right; Darla should've been dust a long time ago.

Spike nodded. "Already thought of that. I'm going to keep an eye on Douglass. With you back you can keep the rest out of trouble. There's too much bad blood, no pun intended, between you and Lindsey already."

Angel narrowed his eyes at the blonde, "Why are you so willing to help?"

"Kill a few thousand people and no one trusts you." Spike sighed. "You know I'm getting sick of this treatment. I don't have the years on this do the right thing crap like you do. But I have been doing it, the right thing, for the last few months. Where does that get me? No where. You kill their friends, stalk them, and try to end the world. What do you get? You get big bear hugs." Standing up to leave, Angel stopped him.

"Are you helping because you're bored and have nothing else to do? Or are you helping because it's the right thing?"

"Neither really. I'm doing it because my new little human family needs to be kept safe. Dru and Darla can kill the entire LA population for all I care. Just long as my family on this floor stay safe. I'm even starting to tolerate Gunn and Wesley."

"Your family? I take it the ordeal with Douglass has made all of you close."

Spike snorted. "Yeah. Lucky me." Spike sat down; satisfied that this wasn't going to turn into another, Spike bashing party. "If you're sticking around, I think we need to figure out a way to get Lindsey's bloody request taken care of in record time. I don't relish the thought of my girls having to spying on Darla and Dru." Angel nodded and the two vampires put there heads together to form a plan to keep everyone safe.