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Disclaimer: The usual, I own nothing, ME & WB everything..

Thanks to Oracleholly and Alwaysjbj for their amazing job at betaing!

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Nearly two weeks have passed since Willow called Cordelia requesting Angel's presence in Sunnydale. When the former cheerleader finally calls the Magic-Box, she explains that a new situation has developed, and she and the others will arrive in Sunnydale the next day.

Giles questions Cordy about Angel; however, he only receives vague answers. No, Angel didn't loose his soul again as far as they know; yes, he'll be there - in a way; and yes, they will explain everything else once they arrive.

The two weeks since Drusilla's resouling have been quite eventful for the Scoobies, even if though the Glory-front has been suspiciously quiet.

After Buffy informed her mother about the recent events concerning Drusilla, Joyce had insisted on inviting the vampiress over at the house in order to meet her. Having realized that the 'new' Drusilla is pretty enjoyable company, the Slayer had readily agreed.

However, none of them had expected the dark-haired vampiress' reaction to Joyce. She had walked up to Joyce, looking hard into the older woman's eyes and preceded to practically drag her across town to the hospital. She had ignored all Buffy's attempts to stop them. Instinct told her that Dru was not threatening her mother. Relying on that instinct, Buffy was reluctant to use violence on someone she had begun to think of as a friend. She felt that the most she could do was to follow along while attempting to calm her mother down. They should simply wait to see what the vampiress had in mind.

At the hospital, an unusually forceful Drusilla demanded that someone with experience immediately examine Joyce for after-affects of her recent surgery.

Shocked at Dru's demand, the two Summers' women had looked at each other and remembered at the same time, that Drusilla had the gift of foresight. Upon remembering Dru's seer ability, a very frantic Slayer all but bullied a doctor into performing every possible test on her panicked mother.

Afterwards, Buffy nearly fainted with relief upon learning there had been signs of an aneurism building. However, the doctors told her that they were able to catch it in time and that her mother would be fine now.

After searching for her mother's savior, Buffy found a smiling Drusilla calmly sitting in one of the waiting-room chairs. The Slayer had rushed over and given the vampiress a hug that would have crushed a human. Forever grateful that this vampiress had saved not only her mother but also herself, Buffy knew that losing her mother would have been so great a loss from which she would have never fully recovered.

Returning home from the hospital, they had calmed down a worried Dawn. Joyce had decided that Drusilla would remain as their guest as long as she was in Sunnydale. No one - not even Giles nor Xander - attempted to make her change her mind.

Later the same week, the gang organized a party for Joyce celebrating her full recovery, naming Drusilla as the guest of honor. It turned out to be a lot of fun for everyone, at least after Joyce, having caught Xander making some of his insulting comments about the two vampires told him in no uncertain terms that she wouldn't tolerate this kind of behavior in her house, thus effectively shutting him up. The rest of the party went off without any further glitches.

Furthermore there had been an accident with a robot-girl. This robot girl was searching for her 'boyfriend', Warren, who had abandoned her. Luckily the Scoobies discovered April, as she called herself, shortly after her arrival in Sunnydale. April had shown up at the Bronze searching for Warren at the same time the girls, had accompanied Spike and Drusilla, to show her a night out in town.

Thanks to their early discovery of this new threat, Buffy arrived just in time to save Warren's new human girlfriend from being suffocated by April. In the end, Buffy didn't even need to destroy the robot-girl as her batteries where running low anyway. She took the no longer active 'April' to the Magic-Box. After Willow announced that destroying such a complex electronic creation without first learning more about how it operates would be a shame, the Scoobies decided to store the robot girl in the basement.

So now, with Joyce completely recovered and the bot safely stored away in the basement, the Scoobies are preparing for the arrival of their friends from LA.

The whole gang is anxiously awaiting the LA's groups' arrival at the Magic-Box the next day. Confusion and tension plague each Scooby due Cordelia's reluctance to tell them what is happening with Angel. Cordelia arrives with Wesley and Gunn in tow. Gunn is introduced to all the Scoobies, since they had only heard about him from Cordy's conversations with Willow. With all the niceties and introductions out of the way, the Slayer's patience has worn thin, so she cuts to the chase and asks the former cheerleader why all the mystery and where is Angel.

The LA gang's answer shocks everyone - Angel is on his way to Sunnydale, but not because of the Drusilla-situation which he didn't show the slightest interest in, but because he is following Darla.

The news of the Darla being on her way to Sunnydale doesn't sit well with any of the Scoobies. They immediately begin to make plans on how they can return her too her former dusty state. And what can be done to make Angel see reason. Tired from their recent worries and the long drive from LA, Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn retire to their hotel to catch up on some much needed rest.

Later that night Buffy takes Spike with her on patrol, just as she has every night for the last two weeks.

This pattern began after Buffy accompanied Spike and Giles back to the watcher's apartment the first night the vampire spent there. Both the Slayer and vampire found themselves leaving, in search of a fight in the cemeteries, at the same time. Seeing as they both had the same goal in mind, they joined each other on patrol.

After that it just seemed logical that if they were going to do the same thing at the same time and place anyway, they should just do it together.

The vampire is of course elated by this turn of events, and even Buffy has found herself to be quite happy with this new arrangement. She realizes that Spike can be
enjoyable company once they had ceased shooting barbs at each other and instead partook in some friendly banter. Patrol had been quite enjoyable at times - a definite change from doing it all by herself, not that she couldn't do it alone, but she much rather have a pal along to break up the boredom.

As Angel suddenly emerges from the bushes completely ignoring her presence and proceeds to viciously attack Spike, she is once again relieved that they are patrolling together because otherwise the blonde vampire would have been caught alone, with no back up.

She yells at Angel to stop as Spike tries to defend himself against the furious older vampire. Normally the two vampires would be well matched, but with Angel going in for the kill and Spike trying to avoid just that, the younger vamp is at a distinct disadvantage.

Finally grasping that all her attempts to get Angel's attention are having no effect, she grabs the dark-haired vampire by his shoulder and propels him off of Spike. Spike, by now is lying on the ground trying to roll away from his attacker.

She once again tries to talk sense into her former lover. However Angel continues to ignore her, instead attempts to avoid her and return too attacking Spike. His behavior causes her to lose her temper, so she knocks him out with a spinning kick to the head that nearly splits his skull.

Afterwards she pauses, standing above his prone form, hands on hips, glaring at the dark haired vampire in disbelief that, despite all her efforts, he had continued to ignore her presence; all the while swearing under her breath about stupid vampires, who should know better than to piss of a Slayer. She only stops glaring at her former lover once she remembers his intended victim. Hastily turning to Spike, in order to make sure he's alright, she finds him staring at her with a look of absolute awe and disbelief on his face.

Confused she asks him what is wrong, but he can only stutter his amazement at her hurting her former love to save him.

"What's the big? He was atta… …pissing me off!" she stammers.

At the last moment she remembers what Dawn told her about Spike's feelings for her and decides not to tell him she knocked Angel out because he was attacking him.

The two of them had been getting along so well that she recognizes that she does not want anything to mess that up. The Slayer worries that if she tells him why she defended him from Angel that it would only encourage him. If she rejects him later, the fragile friendship might shatter. How things have changed since the last time she thought about this.

Although the tiny voice in the back of her mind, asking whether rejecting him would really be necessary, is something she decides it would be best to ignore for now. Bad voice, bad, wrong thoughts! So not going there!

Yet, seeing the disappointment on his face, she can't contain herself and blurts out a bit more of the truth.

"What? He thought he could attack my friends, and I'd do nothing?"

"And are we, Slayer? Friends, I mean." Spike asks in his soft voice.

"Maybe not yet, but I'd say we are on our way there, don't you think?"

Elated by her answer, Spike nods his agreement. Even though he may still dream of being more to her than just a friend, he now understands how completely she values her friendships. From spending so much time around her and her friends these last weeks, he is sure that becoming her friend first might be his best opportunity for ever becoming anything more.

Besides, he knows that just being a part of her life gives him more contentment than he has felt in a long time, and should they never be more than friends; he'd have at least that.

"Great, I'd like that! So what do you think Spike? Help me get this stupid, Slayer-ignoring idiot to the Magic-Box? I'd do it on my own, but people might get suspicious, if they see me carrying him across town."

Once again Spike agrees. Together they carry the still unconscious Angel to the shop, where they call the others, including the gang from LA, to meet them.

The rest of the gang arrives just as Angel starts to wake up. Everyone watches expectantly to see what he's going to do. Much to Buffy's disappointment, his first action is to once again try to attack Spike; but fortunately Giles steps in his way stopping him short.

Confused the older vampire takes in his surroundings, and the angry faces of the Scoobies and his former colleagues, for the first time. However, it is Drusilla's face amongst them that stuns him into silence.

Seeing Angel staring unbelievingly at the vampiress, Cordelia can't hold back anymore.

"Why are you looking so surprised Angel? I told you she was here, soul and all. Not like you seemed interested at the time!"

"I, I thought it was just another plot to get me to listen to you. What happened?" Angel questions the group.

Turning to Buffy, he growls at her. "Was this your idea? Didn't you understand anything while I was here, you stupid little girl? The soul hurts like hell! How could you do that to her? Thought it'd be an easy way to avoid having to slay us? God…."

During his tirade, he seems to be completely unaware that the happy smile Drusilla was wearing upon his arrival is fading, only to be replaced by an angry frown. She opens her mouth to speak, but Spike cuts her off before she can utter a single word.

"Shut your stupid gob Peaches. Just who do you think you are to talk to the Slayer like this? You're worried about Dru? Right, the hell you are! You didn't even say a single bloody word to her yet. Shows just how fucking concerned you really are! Just so you know, you tosser, Dru showed up telling me all about your latest stunt in LA, and I had to turn her over to the Slayer if we wanted a chance of being prepared in case you went and lost your bloody soul again. Pratt that you are, you'd have been here faster than one can say fucking moron!"

When Spike confesses that Drusilla's souling had been his fault, Angel once again tries to attack him. Although he suddenly finds he is unable to move. Scanning the room with his eyes, he finally realizes what has happened when he notices the grim faces of Willow and the girl next to her. Right, the little redhead was a witch, maybe her friend too. They must have done this to him.

Buffy manages to shake off her shock from Angel insulting her and steps in front of the vampire, who is currently trying to glare at Willow and Tara, while frozen in place.

"That's enough Angel! Dru doesn't have any problems with having a soul so neither should you. If you'd just shut up for a second we'd be able to explain. But since you seem to be unable to do so, you'll have to stay this way till we're finished! Giles, Tara, could you, please?"

After Giles finishes explaining everything that had been happening since Drusilla's arrival, and Tara adds the information about the influence the vampiress' psychological condition has had. Ironically her insanity protected her from the torment that her soul would otherwise have visited upon her. At the end of their tales, the Slayer signals the two witches to release Angel from their spell.

To everyone's astonishment, he doesn't seem to care about anything they just told him. Instead he just growls that he has to go and find someone - obviously unaware they know about Darla's presence in Sunnydale - and hurries out the door before they can stop him.

"Wow, what the hell is wrong with him?" Anya pipes up.

The group is relieved when Anya's question breaks the uncomfortable silence, but no one is able to give her a satisfying answer. Neither are they able to think of a way to get through to the usually broody vampire, who seems to have entirely lost it.

Frustrated at their inability to do more, the LA-gang finally decides to return to their hotel, while the Scoobies decide not to trust that Angel is preoccupied enough not to try and attack their vampire again. Just to be on the safe side, they agree to accompany Spike and Giles back to the watcher's apartment. Spike, of course deems this to be completely unnecessary, but by now he has learned that to try talking the female Scoobies out of something, once they set their mind to it, is nearly impossible, so he decides to spare his energy and let them have their way.

To Anya's immense disappointment, Xander is the only one who refuses to 'waste his time by protecting the evil dead'. Her anger with her boyfriend's behavior has been rising steadily over the last two weeks, as her easy friendship with Drusilla has seen them bonding due to their common past as evil demons. So instead of agreeing to follow him home she calmly explains she will be checking on him, on his bed on the couch, once she returns from walking Spike and Giles home with her friends.

Nobody is surprised when Xander is suddenly all for walking the two men back. However, once his furious girlfriend tells him that his coming with them won't change her mind about on the sleeping arrangements, he changes his mind again and without another word leaves the magic-box.

It is a subdued group that finally makes its way to the watcher's home. All of them have bonded with the ex-demoness in some way, over the last two weeks, and seeing how easily Xander could dismiss not only his friends' wishes and opinions, but his girlfriend's too, left them all with a sour taste in their mouths.

With the girls spending more time with Anya, each has learned to read her moods even when she covers them with inappropriate comments and an overly cheerful facade, so none of them are fooled that Xander's comments don't hurt her more deeply than just because of her friendship with Drusilla. Every time he mouths off against demons and vampires being disgusting, evil and un-redeemable, he is unwittingly insulting his own girlfriend.

More than anyone else, Willow is surprised to find herself sympathizing with Anya and cursing Xander for his refusal to see what he is doing. Her animosity towards the former demon is almost completely gone. While walking next to the hurting girl, who is trying so hard to keep her feelings to herself by making lewd comments about the effectiveness of banning men from the bedroom, she decides to have words with her oldest friend about his need to change his attitude, soon.





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