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"Did you know that Chankanaab means small sea?" Ally asked the group sitting around her at the breakfast table, as she read the parks brochure.

"Isn't that the place we're going this morning to swim with the dolphins?" Sara asked, fighting back a yawn.

"Yes, it is," Giles answered fighting back a yawn of his own, since he and his oldest daughter were really not very good morning people.

"Chankanaab Parque Natural is a saltwater lagoon that is a wildlife sanctuary, botanical garden, and archaeological park. There's underwater caves, off shore reefs, a protected bay, and a sunken ship. I wished I knew how to dive?" Ally sighed.

"It sounds fascinating," Wesley said, wishing he too knew how to dive. "But, it still sounds like a great place to snorkel."

"Yeah, I want to see a shark," Sara's voice was excited. "From like far away and not of the man-eating kind, or all full of fishy goodness and not looking for dessert."

"Don't they also have some Maya ruin reproductions there too?" Willow asked.

Ally looked further at the brochure and read, "Uh-huh, also some Toltec, Mexican, and Maya statues and some stone carvings."

"How about the dolphin exhibit?" Buffy asked feeling excited about swimming with them.

"We offer a one hour program, as long as you can swim. You're given 30 minutes of education and instructions concerning swimming with them. After your instructional tour, you have 30 minutes in the water interacting with these magnificent creatures. You even can have a videotape professionally done to take your memories home. That is so cool." Ally was practically jumping in her seat as she read more, "Oh, no tanning lotions of any kind allowed, it's harmful to the marine life."

Spike was sorry he wouldn't be able to share this experience with them, but knew a way he could compensate. "All of you can swim and I will provide the amateur video."

"Aren't you going to swim with us?" Sara asked, disappointed.

"Sorry, sweets…no tanning lotion allowed, I'd burn to a crisp." He shrugged, "Don't worry, I will live through all of you vicariously."

"How about you and me go exploring in the garden instead?" Buffy suggested, not wanting to leave him alone for that hour.

"After I watch you romp with flipper and his gang of mammals," Spike reassured her. "Come on, Pet, I want you to have fun. Watching you and the girls will be a treat, honest."

"Are you sure?" Buffy needed to make sure he was truly okay with them leaving him alone on shore.

Spike smiled as he leaned in to give her a quick kiss. "Yeah, Kitten, perfect. I’ll get to watch my favorite girls have the time of their lives. We can always come back and do it again one day, when I don't have to play an undead guy."

Giles was the one to get things moving, "Well, let’s get going, then. The park opens at eight and closes at five. We have to be back on the ship by six."

"Then off we go," Wesley agreed as they assembled their things together to leave.

"What do you and Buffy plan on doing while we snorkel after the dolphins?" Wesley asked, as they left the dinning room.

"I'm thinking about checking out the botanical garden and then head back over to that one museum, 'Museo de la Isla de Cozumel'. I wonder if Jacques-Ives Cousteau had not done his documentary here, who would've put Cozumel on the tourist maps? I would love to be able to dive and see the Jesus statue he placed underwater," Spike answered, with a few wishes of his own.

"Like you said, we can come back again," Wesley reminded him.

"I wouldn't mind it," Willow agreed watching Buffy nodding her head yes, as well.

*******

Lorne stretched as he rolled out of bed, smiling. Thinking of what he had accomplished last night he felt like a new man. Soon he'd have Angel right where he wanted the bastard. No one played him for a fool, and get away with it.

He smiled as he thought about whom he was having breakfast with this morning. Cordy and a young woman by the name of Anya introduced him to one Andrew Wells last night. They'd talked for awhile, and made plans to have breakfast and spend the day together.

*******

Rack admired the pictures as they developed. He knew the ones with Spike and his little honey would bring him some honest money from a few rag tags. Already two of them had e-mailed saying they were interested in the pictures.

The other set of pictures were a bit more personal and the money from them would be illegal. The man had told him to make things happen, so he did. He made things happen in a big way that was, without a doubt, going to bring him some money of the best kind.

"Oh, man! These are going to make you cry, Mr. O'Conner. And I can't wait." Rack chuckled as he placed the pictures out where they would dry. "I hope you are ready for this."

*******

Spike stood out of the direct sunlight over by the men taking the videos watching everyone play in the water. Both he and Wes had already purchased one for each of them and for Buffy and Willow, as well.

Fred told him that morning that everything was ready for tonight. He planned to wine and dessert his girl, since he very well couldn't dine her. Both Buffy's ring and his gift for her sat secure in the ships safe, compliments of the captain. He didn't want to take any chances, since someone had dropped the video tape in his room with ease.

For the first time he really hated his job. He wanted so much to be there enjoying this moment with Buffy. He put up with the constant dying of his hair, and considered it a small sacrifice for the part he was playing. This, however, was pure torture.

Buffy enjoyed herself, feeling the power exuding from this magnificent creature as he pulled her through the water, leaving her in awe. She fell in love with the dolphins from the beginning of the program. They seemed to like it when you petted them, and when they talked it sounded just like they were laughing.

The only thing that darkened her experience was the fact William was not here to enjoy it with her. At times she noticed he seemed happy to be on the outside watching, where other times he seemed lonely and angry. She would make sure to make it up to him while they went sightseeing after this.

She turned toward him and threw him a kiss and waved at him, her heart lurched when she watched his smile grow larger. She had a surprise for him tonight as well, one that scared the hell out of her and excited her at the same time. Tonight she would show him how much she does love him, not only in words but also in deed.

*******

Angel rolled over in his bed to look at the clock. He couldn't believe it was almost noon. His mouth was extremely dry and his head felt like he was suffering from a bad hangover. He didn't drink a lot the night before. In fact- he hardly drank at all.

Throwing back the bedcovers, he realized he was nude, and couldn't remember even going to bed last night. He looked over and noticed his clothes scattered around the room and became worried. When he first stood up, he felt dizzy and had to sit back down, becoming anxious and worried he could not remember how he got back to his room.

"What the fuck happened last night?" he asked as he looked to see if anything was out of place. "Last thing I remember was talking with Colin and then grabbing a drink at the bar after the man left," he mumbled to himself.

Inspecting his body, he didn't notice anything unusual or any signs of abuse. He tried to remember if there had been anyone, he knew standing around the bar. Just the bartender and a young man at the end of the bar were the only ones he remembered seeing.

He tried again to stand, sighing in relief when no bout of dizziness hit him this time. Quickly he walked over to gather his clothes to see if everything was there. Pulling out his wallet, he let out the breath he didn't realize at first he was holding, as he found everything to be in order. His money was still in his back pocket.

Looking around he noticed his room key on the bedside table. This struck him as being odd, raising his suspicions that something just wasn't right about all of this. A feeling of dread came over him realizing someone was playing with his head. The first person who came to mind was Spike, and thoughts of it being anyone else fled his thoughts.

"The bastard is going to pay for this. I bet he's been playing me all this time. Him and that bitch girlfriend of his. Well, I’ll show them a thing or two. No one gets the best of Angel O'Conner."

Angel made his way over and gathered his things before heading to take a shower. He was going to enjoy the day in Cozumel, and then he would begin to plan his revenge. All promises he made to his agent and Robert flew out the window. As far as he was concerned, Spike just declared war.

*******

Wesley watched as Willow put her mouthpiece in her mouth, preparing to snorkel. The morning they spent with the others, swimming with the Dolphins had been wonderful. Her laugher had been infectious, making him laugh right along with her.

The only downfall had been the couple of glimpses of Spike standing there in the shadows at times, out of the sun's rays. The way Buffy would take time to wave and throw kisses at his friend, endeared her to him.

For the first time in a very long time, he was enjoying the company of the woman he was spending time with, since before things started to go bad with Lilah. No obligation, not together for show, and not just to make the public happy that he was seeing someone. He was spending time with someone he wanted to know everything about, and to share things about himself, as well.

"Wes, come look at this!" Willow yelled, breaking his concentration. "It looks like something from prehistoric times."

Wesley swam over and joined her, placing his mouthpiece in taking a deep breath before submerging his head underwater to see the odd looking eel-like creature sticking his head out of the reef. It looked like something from the caveman days with its beady eyes and protruding jaw with the jagged teeth.

He fell in love, once his eyes adjusted and he was able to see the colored pieces of the reef and the variety of life forms present. He followed Willow as they swam, seeing different things as they moved along. The coral was amazing and he was sure if they dived, it would be even more beautiful.

Willow couldn't believe what an awesome day she was having. The more time she spent with Wesley, the more she felt like she'd known him all her life. It was as if she knew what he was thinking, without having to ask. She knew when he was worried about Spike, even without having to ask.

Even now, she knew he was thinking about her and their relationship, and feeling good about it. She waved for him to join her up top as she brought her head above water, removing her mask just when he emerged.

Swimming over to tread before him she smiled. "Wesley, I have to tell you something."

Wes quickly removed his mask and replied, "I have something I need to tell you, as well."

"I think I'm falling in love with you," she said, hoping she wasn't rushing or embarrassing him.

Wesley's grin lit up his face as he replied, "I feel the same way."

Willow giggled. "I know, weird place to say it."

"No, perfect place, I think. It's quiet, serene, beautiful, and we're alone," he replied, wanting nothing more than to kiss her.

She knew he wanted to kiss her. Deciding she'd kiss him as she moved closer and gently wrapped her arms around his neck saying, “I'm going to kiss you, so just relax."

Wesley met her lips as they briefly explored the newness of being a couple. As far as either was concerned, it didn't last long enough, but was enough to satisfy them until they could get back to land.

"Let's see what more we can find here," Willow sighed, as she moved back slightly, not wanting to push his stamina too far along.

"Lead the way, my lady," he said, with a smile that reached his eyes, telling her he really did think of her as his lady.

*******

Buffy breathed in the mixture of all the different flowers around them. The trees all had a colorful bloom about the in pinks and yellows. It was so serene, the only sounds she could hear was the natural call of the wildlife that belonged here. No cars engine running in the background, no horns blowing, no people yelling, and no dogs barking.

"It's so peaceful here," she whispered, afraid to disturb the magic of this place.

Spike leaned down and said quietly, "You're afraid even the sound of your voice will break the spell."

Buffy nodded her head as she snuggled closer to his side, feeling the connection between them strengthen. Words between them, they no longer needed, as they continued to enjoy the atmosphere of the garden and their time together. The more time she spent with William, the more she realized she had nothing to be afraid of any more.

Spike felt the poet he once was coming back to life. The beauty of both her and the garden had his head ringing with verse. Her eyes were like the greenery around them and her hair the color of the tree blossoms. He wanted to keep her here surrounded by the splendor this place had to offer.

Neither noticed the petite figure following them at a safe distance, watching as they interacted with each other. She felt jealous of the way they seemed to be with each other. Never had she seen him so connected with anyone, like he appeared to be right now.

*******

"So did you find any scary little monsters on your ocean adventure?" Spike teased the other couple as he ate his meal of crab cakes and shrimp stir-fry.

Willow giggled as she told them, "There was this eel- I'm sure it was a girl, she chased Wesley for a few seconds. But I took care of it and told her who he belonged to."

"Here I thought those slippery types only went for Peaches," Spike snorted.

"Well, what can I say, I have charisma." Wesley said with a silly grin on his face.

"Wesley, the eel charmer," Buffy teased, causing everyone present to laugh.

They'd meet up at Carlos and Charlie’s for a late lunch, a very wild restaurant bar close to their port. The music was loud and everyone dancing like crazy. Some of the faces Wesley and Spike recognized from the convention as they waved hello.

People were dancing on the tabletops, with beer bongs and other drinking games in progress. Spike felt the need to hold his girl in his arms and move to the music, as he stood up and pulled her into his arms.

"Dance with me."

Buffy felt the heat of his gaze as she allowed him to lead her toward the crowd of dancing maniacs. She knew he would use this to his advantage to hold her close and move seductively against her. Realizing this, she planned to use it right back at him as she molded her body to his.

Willow turned to Wesley and smiled. "Care to do the crazy dance with me?"

"Crazy dance?" he asked, wondering what she had in mind.

"You know…just let the music move ya. Like the others out there are doing," Willow explained. "No rhyme, reason, or rhythm needed."

"Well, I would say that is right up my alley," he said with a truthful ring to his voice.

"Then, let's party," Willow said as she used his hands to pull him up.

"Let’s," he said as he followed her lead and accompanied her on the dance floor.

Neither couple noticed tall, dark, brooding Angel glowering at Spike and Buffy as they danced as if they were making love. It made his blood boil to see his co-worker so happy and having fun. It was a guarantee his plans would not fail, so why had they so far? That was the million-dollar question that he was still trying to find an answer to.

"You won't win, Casper," Angel mumbled, as he took another swig of his beer. "I will win the war, I promise you that."

He turned to leave, running into someone, not paying attention to what he was doing. All he wanted to do was get out so he could clear his head, so he could plan his next move against Crawford.

The woman kept her head down, hoping he wouldn't try to look at her. The last thing she wanted was for him to recognize her. If he knew she was present, her plan wouldn't work. No one could know she was on the same ship of the man who ruined her life. The last thing she needed was to have her name added to the list of suspects for the murder of one Angel O'Conner.

She noticed Spike dancing with the blonde woman and smiled. Knowing he'd finally found what he'd been looking for, warmed her heart for a few seconds. She always loved him, for as long as she could remember, Spike was special. Just not special enough for her to forget the monster who made her what she was today.

"But you will pay for that, my sweet Angel."

*******

Everyone managed to meet at the pier and catch the same ride back to the ship. Everyone sat back taking turns telling about their adventure. The girl's talked about the colorful fish they saw, showing off the coral they'd purchased at one of the shops.

Spike smiled as he listened to them talk sitting sideways on the bench and Buffy between his legs leaning back against him. Leaning down he whispered, "I have a special treat for you after dinner- a surprise."

Buffy smiled as she turned to look up and reply, "I guess tonight will be full of surprises then."

Spike's eyes sparkled as he asked, "Really?"

"Yep, you're not the only one with a surprise, Mister," she answered, before turning her attention back the group.

Spike leaned down and kissed her hair, wishing they didn't have to part. Having spent the day with her, he didn't want to let her go. But duty called and he only had to work for two hours. Then he'd be with her again, and if all goes as planned, he'd have the rest of the night as well.

*******

Rack smiled as he closed the door to Angel's room, having borrowed one of the master keys. Mr. Tall dark and tiresome would have a rude encounter of the devious kind when he returned to the ship. He wished he could be a fly on the wall when Angel opened his surprise.

"Oh, man! I don't want to be you, dickhead. But you deserve everything and more that's coming your way." Rack's chuckle was evil and cocky.

*******

Robert looked at his three main writers for the show and asked, "Do you think we can write Angel off without him being there?"

Warren laughed. "Oh, I can write him off in my sleep."

"Yeah, we've been doing it for years now," Jonathon agreed.

"We have secret meetings just for that occasion," Andrew confessed.

"I'm not sure if you're kidding with me or not," Robert's voice sounded unsure.

"Started the 'how to kill Angel swiftly' was formed two days after meeting him," Warren decided to tell his boss. "The man is an ass."

"I know, but he's not the only one out there," Robert reminded them.

"We know, believe me," Jonathon said. "We've put it down as job experience."

Andrew snickered. "Plus, we figured if we can survive Angel, we can survive anything."

Robert looked at the three men he'd come to depend on, since he became involved in a few different projects. All three shared his vision for the show, and ran everything thing past him and never complained of any changes he made to the scripts. He had to hand it to the three men- they really hid their deep animosity toward O'Conner very well.

"So, when can I expect a rough draft of a script without Angel being involved? We don't have to explain his reason for being absent right away. Maybe use it to our advantage if need be," Robert said.

"You really think he's going to balk at being killed off, that he won't show at all?" Andrew asked.

"I'm making sure to have all our bases covered. I don't want to be running around for a script at the last minute when we can be prepared for either moment," Robert explained. "I know we just have to be careful. This show still has a few years of storyline to be developed and I don't want Angel to botch it up. I think we have so much more potential with Spike, Wes, and Giles, and it won't hurt the budget to have Angel's salary to play with."

"Vampires are plural, remember?" Jonathon added.

"Darla's character is a vampire, and I think we can easily incorporate her more in the storylines," Warren suggested, having been thinking about this for a very long time.

"I agree," Robert agreed.

"So Obi Wan, any suggestions for us young Jedi knights?" Andrew asked.

Robert snorted as he handed each of them a folder of his ideas, and his plans of where he wanted the show to go for this season. "Yes, young ones. Read and let the force be your guide."

Andrew sighed, recognizing the look the others had. It was a good thing he spent the day with Lorne. His free time tonight was going to be limited. When Warren, especially, had that look of excitement it usually led to an all night session of plotting and writing. He would make a special trip to find his new friend and explain he might have to work late tonight.

*******





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