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Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry I've taken so long to update. But life has away to cutting down screen time.

I'd like to thank DreamsofSpike for her excellent work done on this chapter.

And to all those how are still reading and reviewing, thank you.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter
Family matters


Not the same....



Her blond head lay resting on his chest as she carelessly drew non- descript shapes on his stomach.

"We'll have to get dressed and out of bed before they come home, William," she said, her voice filled with regret.

"I know, luv...can't rightly move just now." His voice was quiet, barely a whisper, almost as if he feared that should he speak any louder, the spell that they had woven around them would come crashing down around them, thrusting them back into the real world.

"Mmm," was the only indication that she had heard what he said, and that she agreed both with his spoken and unspoken thoughts.

Her hand moved further down, resting on his hip. She didn't understand it; in all the years she had had sex it had never felt like this, nor had she ever truly enjoyed it. It had always been a tool to get what she wanted.

But this was new and different and she loved it; she loved the way his hand absently would run up and down her arm; she loved the way he would play with the ends of her hair as he drew her closer to him. But most importantly, she loved *him*.

Yeah...this whole afterglow thing is pretty nice. She let out a contented sigh.

"What's goin' on in that pretty head of yours?" he said as he dropped a kiss on the crown of her head.

She lifted her head, her blue eyes locking with his, and she gave him a small smile before leaning down and kissing his bottom lip. She took her time planting small kisses on his lips, nose, and eyelids.

She then ran her hand up from his hip to his head, gently cupped his cheek, and brought his head down to hers. The kissing started out slowly with light kisses; William moved until he was nearly on top of the petite blond, one hand in her hair, the other at her waist, and she let out a low moan at the feel of his weight on top of her. Tentatively she let out her tongue to run across his bottom lip, asking for entry, and he opened his mouth, his own tongue coming into play.

God, what is it about this man that makes me feel like a fucking virgin? I wonder what it would be like to be with him forever, was her only thought as she let out a breathless moan, when he cupped one breast and slightly pinched her nipple. That thought was like a bucket of cold water on her clouded mind; she knew that they didn't have forever. They barely had an hour to get back home and bathe; getting caught would seal their death warrant, and she couldn't let that happen. With all the strength of will that she possessed, she pushed at his shoulder, moving him away.

"We have to stop, William...we need to get back before they do...they can't know...we'll need to take a bath," she said, panting.

"I know...I just...I just wish you were mine...I hate to hide the fact that I love you."

"I know...I love you too, William."



Spike lurched up suddenly, trying to remember what he had been dreaming about. Judging by the way the metal of his zipper was now biting into his cock, he had a fairly good idea what kind of dream it had been.

Yeah, you git, we know what kind of dream -- but who was she?

All he could remember was blond hair and blue eyes.

It couldn't be...could it? She did wipe your memories one time, who's to say she wouldn't do it a second time?

Spike cleared his head of the thought that the woman starring in his wet dream had been Cara; they had been friends for many years before he was turned, but that didn't mean they had been lovers.

Especially not when I was with Dru; she would have torn her to bits-whoever it was, it was after Dru, that's for bloody sure--well at least it wasn't another dream about the slayer.

Spike shook his head to clear his thoughts of a certain blond slayer. Lately she had been plaguing his every waking moment, and when he tried to be rid of those thoughts in the few hours in his sleep, she would end up being the special guest star, or more like female lead, but he wasn't about to quibble about semantics at that moment.


He laid back down on the couch Cara had said he could sleep off his hangover on. He had argued against it at first, saying that he could take care of himself, but she reminded him that if he was drunk, there was little or no chance of his defending himself against any demon; whereas the place she was staying at had a nice protection spell that barred all unwanted guests from entering.

I might look into that for the crypt.

Closing his eyes, Spike tried to sort out all the new memories that had been unlocked. But one thing that kept coming back was a deep feeling of betrayal; with his memories came a life that seemed foreign to him. Cara was one of the many new yet old things back in his life; she had been his best friend and confidant, and yet she had felt the need to go into his mind and alter the memories of his life. He now remembered brothers and a sister, people she had stolen away from him.

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

A few hours earlier:

"Why did you do it, Cara?" Spike asked, his speech slightly slurred due to the amount of alcohol he had consumed before she got there, and the many he had had afterwards.

Cara didn't even try to pretend she didn't understand what he was talking about, knocking her drink back and letting out a sigh filled with both pain and acceptance.

"What would have happened to them if I hadn't? What would you have done with all the information you had locked in that head of yours? More importantly what would have Dru and Angelus done? They would have killed every bloody last watcher until there wasn't anyone left, then what? You know what, forget about the council of blithering idiots--what about your brothers and sister? What would you have done?" Cara ended with a glare which dared him to contradict her.

Spike looked at her with pained eyes; he couldn't believe that the one person he trusted the most could trust him so little.

"Don't you bloody well look at me like that -- you weren't the same, William, you just weren't."

He looked at the woman with an expression that said clearly that he wasn't the only one that wasn't the same.

"Just a little black, there, aren't you, pot?"

Cara let out a mirthless laugh.

"Understatement of the bloody year...a hundred plus years will do that to you. Will...you see more than you bloody well need to, that's for sure. I'm sorry I couldn't trust you, William-I couldn't take that risk-if I knew....lets just say if I knew then what I now, things wouldn't have played out the same," Cara said, giving him a smile that could only be described as broken.

~~`~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lying on the couch Spike played over the conversation with Cara and wondered what she had meant by her last statement. Come to think of it, he didn't even know how it was possible for her to be alive one hundred years later, and looking the same as the last time he had seen her, or how she had broken the spell to begin with; or how she could cast something that strong.

It was all very confusing.

Deciding to ignore the issue until the next day, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep.



He was in an alley.

He could hear the sounds of people talking as they walked down the street, but he paid them no mind. All that mattered was the woman in front of him, her creamy white thighs wrapped around his waist, layers upon layers of fabric bunched around her waist as he thrust into her, his rhythm punishing both him and her. Every thrust into her caused her back to rub against the rough wall behind her. If any of the people passing by had dared to look they would have easily seen them -- or rather, seen her, to be more exact.

She was bare for the entire world to see, the top of her once fine dress torn open in his haste to claim her. He had ripped it down to her waist, her breasts exposed for him to see; her rosy pink nipples had turned into hard points, both from the cold air and the attentions of her violent lover.

William watched as they bounced with every thrust he took, teasing him. Dipping down he flicked one nipple with his tongue, and she let out a breathless moan which in turn caused him to growl, sending shivers to her very core.

"Please...oh...god...William...so long...missed you...oh...oh."

She gasped between pants as she held his head to her breast, encouraging him to keep doing what he was doing; but he had no intention of stopping now. He too had missed her, as each day passed and he had to watch her with *him*; it felt as if a little piece of his heart got shattered day by day. Today they had been in luck, and they were alone for the first time in a long time. Suddenly it happened, and he let out a roar that signaled his release.

Only when he come back down to earth did he realize that his lover had been left behind. He felt her push him away.

"I knew it! You never loved me, did you, William? You were just using me to get back at him! Are you happy now that you've made a fool of me? Well now you've used me, let me go." She was hysterical by now both due to sexual frustration and her own insecurities.

"No."

"What did you say?"

"I said no, love...I love you...I'm sorry I didn't plan for that to happen I just...I've missed you so much," William pleaded, his voice and eyes showing pain at being separated for so long. She looked at him carefully.

"NO! You don't, you can't, none of you can-you're lying to me-just let me go." She ended with a sob, the once strong woman replaced by a scared, lonely girl.

"Shh," William muttered as he kissed her forehead, and pulled her into his arms and held her close as he rubbed small circles into her back.

"I love you. God, do you know what I'd like to do to the sods that did this to you? I love you so much-and nothing he said or did... changes how I feel about you," William said, his voice mixed with earnest desire for the woman in his arms to believe him, and loathing for the men that had damaged her.

"I love you too," she mumbled, her voice filled with love and fear. Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed away the tear stains, pulling apart. Love-filled blue eyes looked up at him; leaning down he placed a chaste kiss on her lips and moved back just enough to speak.

"I love you."

Their breath mingled as they spoke of their feelings for each other. Love-filled blue eyes looked up at him, leaning down he kissed her slowly, moving his tongue against hers. His desire for this woman soon began its upward climb, and before they knew it they were rocking together, once again losing themselves in their passion.



"Oh bugger."

Once again waking up from his dream, sitting up, Spike felt a sticky mess and looked down at his crouch, noticing a wet spot.

"Double bugger. First blue eyes I can't seem to bloody well remember, and now I'm goin' to embarrass myself in front of my oldest friend."

"You know, talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity, Teddington," Cara stated, speaking up from behind him.

"Bugger off...Morgan." Spike's retort was paired with a scowl marring his handsome face.

"Charming," Cara replied, raising an eyebrow at her friend. Having seen this side of him many times in the years they had been friends, she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling at his antics.

"You might want these," she said as she handed him a pair of black jeans. He looked up at her and saw for the first time that she wasn't wearing pajamas; in fact she was wearing a mint green silk wrap dress with short sleeves and a v-neck that showed enough cleavage without being trashy. Her slightly flared skirt ended just above her knees; she was also wearing a pair of ridiculously high strappy heels, and her hair was the way he always remembered it soft and wavy.

"Were are you off to, dressed like that this time of night?"

"More like time of day. Will, it's eight thirty and I told Rupert I'd be at the Magic Box at nine to work on the prophesy...you can swing by later if you want...just so you know, Wes is going to come and bring his boss with him around six...a boss who happens to be a family member of yours."

Spike frowned, not knowing anyone that worked with a Wes, let alone was his boss.

Cara seeing his confusion rolled her eyes and said, "Angelus...listen if I'm going to be there on time I've got to go. Now there's blood in the fridge if your hungry, and tea in the pot." Cara pointed to the kitchenette and began to gather pieces of paper and put them in her purse.

"When did you have time to go to the butchers and get me blood, luv?"

"One of the perks of immortality, you don't need to sleep--I got it at dawn, best to avoid the more unsavory crowd." She gave him a pointed look and pointed to his forehead.

"You never did explain that, luv."

Cara bit her lip and in a quiet tone said, "Maybe someday but not anytime soon."

Spike looked up at her and caught her blue eyes, and the question he had asked himself earlier that night came back to him.

"Cara...luv...the spell you did about my memories -- you didn't...?" Spike asked ,clearing his voice, clearly embarrassed by what he was about to say.

"I didn't what?" Cara prompted, her voice encouraging him to ask her his question, curious as to what had him so tongue-tied. One thing that William had never been around her was shy.

"Were... were we ever lovers?" His voice sounded weak even to himself, almost as if he was unsure whether he wanted the answer.

Cara frowned at him, finding the question rather strange.

"Mate -- we've been a lot of things to each other but lovers is not one of them...why?" The look she was giving him made him cringe and wish just for once he would ignore his own impulse to speak before he had all the facts.

"Never mind...just a few strange dreams," Spike said in attempt to change the subject.

"Right...well...if you want to talk..." Cara's sentence stopped and started at many points making it obviously clear, he wasn't the only trying to readjust to the change in their relationship.

Spike nodded his head at the statement and knew a change of subject was needed, and needed desperately. No matter how close they had been at one time, that was now a long time ago, and it seemed that things weren't the same anymore.

Of course they aren't the same you bloody idiot, you're a vampire and she is immortal.

"You want me at the Magic Box at six. Right?"

"Yeah...I'm off." Cara decided now wasn't the best time to ask him questions he obviously didn't want to answer. Grabbing her purse, Cara was out the door.


Meanwhile at the Magic Box:


"Giles, she was all, ‘you don't know your own power.' And then she was all on how souls don't make people good or bad! And then was all caped hero-y and was out the door without an explanation!" Buffy ended with a huffy, whiny quality to her voice that was very annoying.

Giles let out an exasperated sigh. Since seven o'clock he had had to hear his slayer whine and moan, and he was at his wit's end. He loved Buffy like a daughter -- and like a daughter, he wanted to throttle her sometimes.

"Buffy, have you stopped to think about what Cara was trying to tell you?" Giles tried to not sound judgmental, having had this conversation with Cara earlier that day or later the night before, however you wanted to look at it. They had both thought it would be in the best interest of the slayer not to be pushed into changing her opinions of the world too quickly or aggressively .

"No," Buffy replied, crossing her arms across her chest and pouting. It upset her to think that the Giles was choosing Cara over her.

He was my watcher first, and she comes and is all ‘I have a prophesy', and it's bye bye Buffy...and hello, Cara Morgan.

"I don't get it, Giles, what's so special about Cara Morgan? Why is everyone acting as if she's some sort of guru or something? I mean, take last night -- both Wills and Xand were all with the ‘oh I can't believe I never thought of that' and the ‘I mean really if you think about it makes sense' blah ...blah...bloody... blah."

Giles raised his eyebrows at the obvious choice of words.

"Even Spike was all over her *Spike! Giles!* He was nice and making with the jokes and everything." Buffy's voice had risen several octaves, making her voice end in a high pitched shrill sound, which Giles believed could possibly only be heard by dogs and unfortunate parental figures.

"Really...they met."

Buffy rolled her eyes at the way Giles voice changed; it had taken on a high pitched quality.

"Yes, they did...so you shouldn't ask her out, she was a total ho bag with him."

Giles flushed at Buffy's implications.

If only she knew.

The bell above the door rang, signaling that they were no longer alone.

"Hello and welcome...oh Cara, it's you...how are you? You look lovely."

"Thanks Anya, so do you...how's the money?" Cara said, smiling warmly at the outspoken young woman. In the short amount of time she had spent with her she was quite sure that she was going to become close friends with the young woman.

"Very well, thank you for asking." Anya beamed at the watcher, pleased to have met someone who appreciated capitalism as much as she did.

"I've got something for you." Cara handed Anya a paper bag. Eagerly Anya opened it to pull out a pink top.

"Thank you! Do you expect a financial transaction in exchange for the top?"

"If I did...there would be a price tag," Cara stated with a causal shrug and a small smile. She then turned to Giles and saw that a very put out Buffy was standing in front of him.

"Rupert...Buffy," Cara said, acknowledging them both with a nod of her head.

"Would you like some tea before we start?" Giles asked, gesturing to the tea pot.

"Yes thank you, that would be lovely...a spot of tea might help clear the mind for the mind boggling text we're about to go through," Cara answered as she moved over to the research table and put down her purse.

"You're quite curtain it isn't in any known dialect?" Giles inquired as he busied himself with making the tea.

"Sorry, Rupert ...but yeah, I am...it's roughly ten different languages all thrown together to create a code...and the prophesy itself is the code of the code. Did you get a look at it? I left it with you for a purpose," Cara said, finishing with an impish smile taking the sting out of her last remark, which allowed Giles the room to gracefully bow out without losing face.


"No I didn't, but then I suppose that's why no one had even come as close as you have to understanding it in the past two thousand years." Giles smiled at the young woman who smiled back at him, accepting his compliment.

Cara noted the rigid stance Buffy had taken and rolled her eyes.

Honestly the girl is starting to bloody well piss me off...maybe she should look into getting the stake surgically removed from her arse.

"Buffy...how are you? Did you think about what we talked about?" Cara asked, trying to keep her tone pleasant and her own personal feelings hidden.

"Yes I did...and Riley is right," Buffy answered, her lips pressed together and her head held high.

"I'm sure you think so...and that is the answer to your question," Cara said; her tone did nothing to mask her irritation.

"What question?" Buffy asked, confused.

"You asked what I meant by ‘doesn't even begin to understand her powers'. And you just answered it for yourself," Cara replied, glaring at Buffy, and making no effort to mask her irritation, her anger, or her disappointment in the young blonde in front of her.

The two blondes were now locked together in a battle of the wills; that was how Xander and Willow found them.

"It seems the Magic Box moved to the Arctic...what's up with that, G-man?" Xander said in attempt to break the silence.

"You think I'm a dumb blonde that lets her boyfriend make all the decisions for her," Buffy said, accusation heavy in her words and voice.

"You said it, not me -- and not just your boyfriend, you let people lead you, it's easy to see--bloody hell, you interrupted a friendly game of pool because your friends had you convinced Spike had put me under thrall!" Cara retorted, her voice slightly raised, both her hands fisted on the table in front of her.

"So that makes me a bad slayer?" Buffy's reply did not lack in venom or anger.

"No, it makes you a slayer that is nowhere near her true potential. I've met you twice and I can see that." By now Cara was yelling; too many years of waiting for this particular slayer, only to find out she was a stubborn, narrow minded little girl did nothing to curb her resentment for the situation at hand or the turns her life had taken.

"I've stopped more apocalypses than you ever could and I plan on stopping the next one too," Buffy yelled back, livid that she was being told what to do by a watcher barely older than she was.

"Oh...I know what you've done, *we* all bloody well know what you've done! I don't think you can stop this one -- *you wouldn't make it*." The harsh tones used by both women was now replaced by the soft saddened voice. Cara was no longer glaring at Buffy, but looking at her with such sympathy and compassion that Buffy had to turn away.

"Wh-what do you mean wouldn't make it?" Willow cringed at the stutter in her voice; gone was the confidence that had been instilled in her due to college and her knowledge of magic, and in her place stood the scared little girl from Sunnydale High.

"The battle to come isn't anything like what any of you have faced before--The Beast as it is called is believed to be a god--we don't know which one as to the second it is evil itself--the First--to win against it, to come out alive, requires that you all learn more about your powers--not that you just have them...believe me when this is over your all going to be praying for the days when your biggest fear was Angelus," Cara answered in a deadly calm voice. The Scoobies paled at the conviction in the young watcher's voice.

Angelus had been their worst nightmare come to life -- that had stretched into the emotionally, mentally, and physically painful months of their young lives. The knowledge that what was to come paled in comparison to that had them fearing that maybe Cara's prediction was true.

Cara, seeing the distress on the young faces, couldn't help the overwhelming need to protect this foolishly brave group of friends.

They really are quite special.

Walking closer to Buffy, Cara placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Buffy...I don't mean to make you feel that you can't or won't kick the arse of whatever evil is coming your way...I know you can...I want to help. You just have to learn to trust me...believe me when I say I can help you."

Buffy turned to look Cara in the eyes. She wasn't sure if the others had caught the little catch in Cara's voice; it indicated to Buffy that Cara didn't want to help Buffy the Slayer, but Buffy the girl.

The tone of voice mixed with the gentle hand on her shoulder and kind, sympathetic blue eyes let Buffy know that this woman would help her. Hesitantly nodding her head, Buffy accepted the help freely given.

Cara gave her a warm smile and a reassuring squeeze to her shoulder.

"Good-well do you have a class to attend or are you gracing us with your presence?" Cara asked, giving Buffy one of her warmer smiles

"Nah...I'm skipping today."

"So why aren't you following in the steps of one Ferris Bueller?" Cara couldn't help but wonder.

Xander's eyes popped.

"Did a watcher make with a pop culture reference?" he asked with a goofy smile on his face.

"Oi! I'm a watcher not bloody dead," Cara said, glaring at him -- though it would have been more effective if she hadn't been smiling.

"Please...we've met watchers, it's all tweed and doom and gloom," Buffy stated, channeling her valley girl persona.

"Hey now! I've never worn tweed. Do I look like a woman who would wear tweed, of all the bleeding fabrics in the world?"

"I know get why you and Spike were so cozy; you're the same. When someone says he isn't evil he get all grr...like." Willow spoke up as she noted the pout that had formed on Cara's lips was similar to the one Spike had worn on many occasions. Cara frowned at the comment but said nothing.

"Listen why don't you lot go out and do as Ferris did...Rupert and I need to work on the prophesy before Wes comes...he and his friends will be here around six," Cara suggested, wanting the teens gone so that she could talk more privately with the older man.

"Nah...we'll hang here...plus, I want you to answer a few questions, oh all knowledgeable Yoda," Xander said with a wiggle of his eyebrows

"Would that be about the box Pandora?" Cara asked in a bored tone raising her eyebrow at Xander.

"Maybe...what you said last night about souls...and stuff ...I wanted to know why vampires are so different without one. I mean Angel...and..." Xander let his sentence hang, not able to mention the name of his long lost friend.

Cara looked at the young man before her and knew without a doubt that there was a person he wasn't mentioning.

Probably the first vamp he ever came face to face with.

"Right, well...Angel is very strange. He wasn't known to be a good person before he was turned...a person who is turned says that being turned is the best thing that happened to them...there's freedom...you answer to a different set of rules...the conscience has to go as well as the soul to be replaced by that of the demon...can't have the body starvin' away because they won't eat...the demon is always a mix of who the person was before they were turned and the demon...creating a balance...the demon craves three things" Cara stopped to notice she had the attention of the room holding up her hand she began to count off, "One...blood...two...violence...three...sex...Angel before he was turned already had a taste for all three...whereas your friend..."

Xander was shocked to realize that Cara knew the truth.

"Was probably on a high of finding out he was stronger and faster than all the people that used to mock him and put him down...it was payback and he was the bitch...I'm sorry."

Xander nodded his head. Many people had told him that they were sorry for his loss, but Xander got the feeling that Cara knew what it was like to lose a friend; there was something in the way she had said it and was looking at him, that told him that this wasn't an empty sorry.

"Do you think he meant what he said?" Xander asked in a small voice.

"No I don't," Cara answered in a sure yet quiet voice; the silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable, but it was contemplative, each lost in their own thoughts and memories.

"What did you mean by saying that Angel had a taste for blood, violence, and sex long before he was turned?" Buffy asked, outrage clear in her voice as she thought about what the watcher was saying about the love of her life.

Just when you think you've gotten it through her overly blond head she pulls the rug from under your feet...irritating chit.

"The life your boyfriend had before he was turned is very detailed...you might want to look it up...before you start using that tone with me. And it means what it means...he was a womanizing brawler long before he was turned...ask Spike." Cara let out a sigh knowing any headway she had made was lost due to Angel and the matter of his slippery soul, and the lies he had fed the girl before her.

Feels like the World War I. Gain an inch and lose a bloody mile. Fuck him, he couldn't have stayed in hell like a good little vamp?

"Perhaps we should save this discussion for a later date. Cara and I would like to work on the prophesy right now," Giles cut in before a second shouting match could begin.

"You don't know anything about Angel," Buffy said, jaw clenched through gritted teeth as she turned away, heading to the training room.

"It seems you're the one that doesn't know soul boy ...PRINCESS!" Cara shouted at Buffy's retreating back. When the door of the training room slammed, Cara couldn't suppress the irritated growl she let out.

"I swear Rupert someone needs to belt the bloody chit," Cara said with a shake of her head.

Giles looked amused. "I'm sure it was common practice back in the day, Cara, however people frown on corporal law nowadays," he replied with an amused smile. Cara laughed; with that said both watcher and former watcher turned their attention to the books on the table.

It was nearly six o' clock when Spike came into the Magic Box, using the door that opened into the training room. The sight that greeted him was that of a furious slayer pummeling the punching bag.

God she's bloody gorgeous...oh will you stop it...for fuck's sake just cause you have one soddin' dream does not mean you're in love with her. Plus we've got bigger issues, one being the other volatile blonde you know.

"I think you killed it, Slayer," Spike said, smirk firmly in place.

"What do you want, Spike?" Buffy asked, still furiously hitting the punching bag.

"Lots of thing...world peace...an end to world hunger...mostly to get this chip out of my head and to beat GI Joe over the head with his own arm."

Buffy gritted her teeth in irritation.

"More importantly what are you doing here in my training room?"

Spike just smirked. Buffy, not liking the smirk on his face, decided she would take care of it for him. Leaving the "dead" punching bag, she moved swiftly toward him and punched him in the nose. When her fist connected with his nose it let out a satisfying popping sound.

"Bloody hell, woman, why must you always go for the nose?" Spike shouted at the slip of a girl in front of him

Yeah, she's the love of my bloody unlife...not bloody likely if I have a say about it.

"I asked you a question. You didn't answer...why are you here?"

"Was invited."

"What?" Buffy asked, clearly shocked by his answer.

"Cara told me to come around...that my opinion might matter...said I should see the Grand-Poof seein' since he's family and all that rot." He couldn't help the satisfied smirk that spread across his lips; he may not be able to hurt her, but he still could get his kicks in, and seeing the little lost girl look on her face made up for it. Too bad, it didn't sit with him as well as he would have liked. Ignoring the slight twinge of guilt he felt, Spike put on as much swagger as he could as he walked into the store.

He saw Cara and Giles reading over many different books, and he felt a small smile tug at the corners of his lips when he took in the messy bun Cara had tied her hair into, and the crooked reading glasses that were on the tip of her nose. It was strange, but looking at her this way remind him of better times when his world had had a sense of order.

As if she could feel his gaze on her, she looked up, and when she caught his eyes she gave him a warm smile.

Don't know why I thought she was the bleedin' woman in my dreams, her eyes are the wrong blue.

"Spike...thank you for coming, I really appreciate it," Cara said, giving him a warm smile, which he returned with a nod of his head.

"Oh...Spike didn't hear you come in...would you like a cup of tea?" Giles addressed the vampire as a long term friend.

All the Scoobies looked at Giles, shocked by his offer to the hated vampire. Spike himself raised an eyebrow at the question; he looked at Cara who nodded her head.

Ahhh...so the watcher knows the long and the short of it.

"Nah, thanks, mate...ask me again when Peaches gets here."

Once again the Scoobies were shocked, but this time it was because of Spike's civil reply.

"Wait a minute -- I thought Wesley and Dead Boy were coming...who the hell is Peaches?"
Spike gave Xander the most sinister of smirks.

"Peaches is the king of foreheads...whelp."

Xander frowned a little at that; then when he figured it out his mouth formed an ‘o' and he let out a cackle. "Oh man, the damage I could do with that." There was a manic sort of glee in his eyes as he rubbed his hands together and imagined all the taunts he could direct towards the souled vampire.

"If you two really want to rub him the wrong way, act like you're chums," Cara said in a sing-song voice, giving both Spike and Xander an impish smile. She watched as the light bulb went off and knew she had hit the nail on the head.

One obstacle easily removed...that's one team Cara and nil for evil incorporated.

"I'd like to be in on that... never liked the git before he lost the soul, liked him even less after." Giles addressed the two.

The women watched as the men all shared a smile, their minds plotting the most effective way to annoy Angel.

Anya had just finished closing the store and had heard Xander and his fellow conspirators and smiled a small smile, as she came and sat down next to Cara.

"It's very nice that you have given Xander a friend...I like Spike...I mean not like as in future orgasm partner like...I know he's yours." Anya was babbling; she liked the young woman next to her and the last thing she wanted to do was offend her.

"Anya he isn't mine and bloody well won't be...he's got his eye on another blonde," Cara said, cutting off any more of Anya's attempts to mend unbroken fences.

"Oh...I just thought with the flirting...oh well...thank you...I like knowing Xander has demon friends...it will keep him safe...so he can come home and be a good boyfriend to me," Anya explained with a relieved smile, glad she hadn't alienated the watcher.

"Pleasure is all mine ...but between you and me...that lot won't know they're friends until one of them nearly dies," Cara replied with a small wink and a gesture to the three men.

Anya nodded her head knowing that the watcher was right, but happy in the knowledge that Xander's reluctant truce with Spike would soon lead to better friendship, one that did not include Riley Finn.

When Tara came in through the doors of the Magic Box she couldn't believe her eyes. There was Xander, Spike, and Giles all sitting together discussing by the looks on their faces a very entertaining subject.

She walked over to Willow and gave her a quick peck and held her hand. "Wh...what's going on? I come in and I see that?" She asked gesturing to the group of men.

"It seems they all realized they don't like Angel, so instead of one of them torturing the guy they all are going to -- by pretending to be friends." Willow explained, giving her girlfriend a warm smile.

"T-that will work?" Tara asked, a frown marring her usually peaceful features.

"Maybe--I mean Angel never liked Spike and he always tried to be nice with Xander and Giles and they never were... so... yeah it might." Willow said with a shrug, not really caring either way.

Tara watched them for a little while, and then saw Cara talking with Anya and thought this would be the best time to ask Cara to meet her sometime so she could ask her the question that pressed heavily on her mind as her birthday drew closer and closer.

Letting go of Willow's hand and giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek Tara took a seat on the opposite side of Cara.

"Umm...h-h-hi!" Tara stuttered heavier than she had ever done since meeting Willow.

"Hey petal, didn't see you there...sorry I never got your name. I'm Cara Morgan?" Cara said, extending her hand to Tara with a warm smile.

"T-Tara Maclay."

The women shook hands. Just as Tara was going to ask Cara if they could meet later to talk about her problem, there was a loud tapping on the glass of the door.


"I'll get it!" Anya yelled as she went to open the door, with the closed sign firmly in place. Opening the door she saw standing in front of her a tall thin man in his mid twenties with brown hair and blue eyes. She easily recognized him as Wesley, though he looked different, more relaxed -- and Anya had no problem telling him so.

"You look different...better... less constipated."

Wesley looked at the young woman and with a smile said, "Why thank you, you look slightly less demonic and as lovely as ever."

Anya smiled brightly at the compliment and moved so that Wesley and the people with him could come in. She recognized Cordelia and Angel when she saw them, and the only person she didn't recognize was the tall, bald black man.

Is it black or African-American? I really don't know humans are so funny...why can't they pick one thing and stick with it? Oh well, he's good looking at least...I wonder if he's Cordelia's boyfriend?

When Wesley came into the Magic Box he easily spotted Cara, and in a strong voice the Scoobies never heard him use,

"Goddess, nymph, perfect, divine! To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne?
Crystal is muddy. O, how ripe in show thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow! That pure congealed white, high Taurus' snow, Fann'd with the eastern wind, turns to a crow When thou hold'st up thy hand. O, let me kiss this princess of pure white, this seal of bliss!"

Cara turned to the former watcher and added with a smile,

"O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent to set against me for your merriment.
If you were civil and knew courtesy, you would not do me thus much injury.
Can you not hate me, as I know you do, but you must join in souls to mock me too? If you were men, as men you are in show, you would not use a gentle lady so: To vow, and swear, and superpraise my parts, When I am sure you hate me with your hearts. You both are rivals, and love Hermia; And now both rivals, to mock Helena. A trim exploit, a manly enterprise, to conjure tears up in a poor maid's eyes with your derision! None of noble sort would so offend a virgin, and extort a poor soul's patience, all to make you sport."

The two exchanged smiles as then Cara walked over to Wesley, pulling him into a deep hug, which he gladly returned. Spike, who had heard the interaction, couldn't help but smile. It reminded him of the times when he and Cara had done the same thing, but like all things time changes everything and nothing was the same.

Angel looked at Wesley as if he had lost his mind. For the life of him he couldn't remember who they were quoting, not that he would say anything of the sort. It was then he picked up on a scent he had hoped he would never have to smell again.

"You what are you doing here?" Angel said, glaring at Spike. Spike and Xander shared conspiring glances; Spike looked up at Angel from the place he had been sitting and smirked and said,

"Was invited."

"Unlike some people who just show up." Xander glared at Angel distastefully, turning to Spike and said, "Spike, man, you want something to drink, maybe some O neg? I know I got some fresh from Willy today."

The fact was true due to Cara having asked the young carpenter to go and get a pint or two, having expected the arrival of the two vampires.

"Yeah...I'm feelin' a mite puckish, thanks, mate."

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Angel bellowed, anger clearly in his voice.

To which Giles answered in his usual monotone, "A prophesy."


TBC....





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