~This is the third time I've seen him this week. I wonder if he knows I watch him. I wonder if he can feel my eyes on him as I search for my people's curse. There has been no word from the elder woman, yet I know his soul must be lost. He would not leave her. He would not let his true love alone were he whole. He has strayed from the path.

I know what I must do. I know my duty. Perhaps this is *my* destiny.~

The newspaper hit the desk with a resounding thud. Giles looked up at Xander's concerned face. "What is it this time?"

"There's been another one." Xander's voice was tense.

"Does it fit the same pattern?" Buffy asked, her voice betraying her unwillingness to think about what it might mean.

"Well," Xander said sarcastically. "There was another puppy nailed to the wall. Does that answer your question?"

Giles' voice was tight. "Xander," he warned.

Willow walked into the thick tension of the room waving a videocassette. "We got Cordelia's latest audition tape. Why can't she call like everyone else?"

Xander grabbed it from her hand, glancing at the label. "What do you guys think it is this time? Cheesy Aaron Spelling show? Oh no. She's going classical. Romeo and Juliet."

Giles raised his eyebrows. "Romeo and Juliet? Cordelia? Chase?" Taking the tape, he popped it into the VCR. The screen went black and suddenly Angel's voice filled the room, immediately drawing Buffy's attention from the newspaper.

"Hello lover."

Her face fell as she realized the voice didn't belong to the man she loved, but instead to the demon who had already taken him twice.

Xander smirked, "Well, I guess we know who's been adopting all the puppies in LA."

Buffy ignored his pointed glare as Angelus' voice continued to fill the small room. Willow sank into the chair next to the Slayer and took her hand. "Maybe it's just a joke. Of…of the sick kind?"

"I picked Romeo and Juliet just for you, Buff. I know how you love doomed romances. You're probably all wondering where the cover girl is. Allow me to introduce the new fall look." The screen lightened and they all gasped as Cordelia's naked and bruised body came into focus.

"Is…" Xander's voice trembled. "Is she dead?"

Cordelia looked up, her eyes glazed. "Kill him Buffy." Her voice, normally proud and strong, was tired but laced with conviction. Then in a moment of rare understanding, she added. "Please? For him? For all of us."

Angelus came out of nowhere, backhanded her. Then, walking casually around her, he wrapped her hair around his hand and yanked her head to the side. "Do you think she'll taste as good as you? I mean, she's no Slayer," he licked Cordelia's neck slowly. "But she's got the taste of fear."

"Shut it off." Xander demanded. "I think we've seen enough."

Giles shook his head, refusing the request. "He must want something. We…"

Buffy nodded. "I know what he wants. Let's hear him say it."

Willow bit her lower lip and wiped away her tears, her worried eyes traveling from Buffy to Xander. "She's right, Xander," she whispered. "We have to know."

Xander's reply was cut off by Angelus' laugh. "You know," he stated, striding closer to the camera. "LA is a long way from Sunnydale. I was getting a little lonely, so I started taking a stroll down memory lane. And it came back to one thing. You." He sneered. "I want you back, Slayer. And I know you still want me because I can do things to you that no other man can."

Xander's gaze was bitter as it landed on his friend. "Like send you a puppy. In pieces."

Willow shook her head. "Xander…"

"I'm sorry Will, but I hate how I'm always right about this. And yet you still never listen to me."

Giles held up his hand. "Stop it. All of you."

"And don't think I've forgotten you, Giles," Angel said, interrupting the argument brewing. "As a matter of fact, I thought of you just the other day. One thing I have to say about the gypsies. They don't get any smarter, but they never lose their flavor." He held up the drained, bluish corpse of a dark haired man. "He thought he was doing me a favor, trying to give me back my soul. Little did he know that all he was doing is setting me free."

Grabbing the book from Giles' hands, Xander flung it angrily across the room. He whirled to face Buffy. "All you had to do was kill him," he whispered brokenly. "And then Cordelia would have been safe."

Willow dropped her eyes to the floor, her heart hardening. She'd just begun to hope that Xander was truly over Cordelia since she knew she was finally over Oz. "So what do we do?"

"I…I can't." Buffy sank into her chair, her body lifeless and limp. "I can't do this anymore. I can't fight him. He always wins. He always will."

Giles moved to Buffy's side. "We can win."

"I tried to kill him once and I failed. What makes you think I can do again? It nearly destroyed me last time." Her eyes, glistening with tears, met his. "Need I remind you of that summer when I simply wasn't here?" She looked at Xander. "Nighthawk."

He was about to respond when Angel's voice filled the room again. "It's Friday. It's noon. You have 48 hours, Buffy. Remember the place where it all began? You looked so beautiful in the moonlight, dust in your tears. How did feel, Buff, when the first stake slid home? Don't you wish you could do that to me right now? 48 hours, then the prom queen dies. If you're not here by then, I'm coming to you." He paced as he faced the camera, finally leaning in close to the lens and smirking wickedly. "What sort of noise do you think your mother will make when I snap her spine?"

"Bastard," she whispered. A tear trailed down her cheek and landed on Willow's hand unnoticed. "How do I fight him when he has nothing to lose? I can't."

"So he wins? Cordy dies? That's it? That's our plan?" Xander asked incredulously.

"No." Willow's voice was quiet, but filled the room. "I have a different one. One that will get you Cordelia back." Determination filled her eyes as she from one best friend to the other. Stroking Buffy's hair back she tried to smile. "And Angel too."

Struggling to keep her emotions in check, Willow stood and moved to the door. She knew what she needed to do…what they needed. And she was the only who could give it to them, no matter what it cost her. Again.

Xander watched her leave the room, somehow knowing what she intended to do. He glanced worriedly at Buffy and Giles, his anger fueled by their seemed defeat. "So now you're going to let Willow run out there and get herself killed as well?"

Buffy stood in a burst of anger. "I can't save everyone."

Xander laughed bitterly as he followed Willow out the door. "Can you save anyone?"

Buffy sank back down. "No Xander, I can't even save myself."

Willow calmly looked up from her keyboard. "Need I drag out my resolve face?"

"You're just going to get yourself killed. I don't want to lose both you and Cordelia"

"I've done this before Xander. *I'm* there for Buffy when she needs me."

"And so he gets his soul until next time. What if he comes after you? Who's going to save the world when you're not around?"

She didn't allow herself to hear the pain in his voice. She had a job to do. "This is something I have to do, Xander and I'm going to do it with or without you. I'd rather do it with you. I'm not just trying to save the world. I'm trying to save your Cordelia. How about putting aside some of your bitterness and helping me?"

"I can't do it, Wills. I can't run the risk of this happening again. This isn't just about Cordelia. It's about everyone who has died in the last week while he's been loose. I don't want him to have a soul, Willow. I don't want him to be sorry. Being sorry hasn't made it better. It hasn't made it safe. I just want him dead."

Willow shook her head sadly. "Well I can't allow that. I can't accept it. He's helped us too many times. Buffy loves him too much. You kill him, you kill her."

"I kill him, I set her free." Xander strode over to her and knelt beside her chair. "I don't want to lose any more friends. We've all lost too many." He lay a hand on her thigh and raised the other to brush her cheek. "There's going to come a day when no one can fix this. I'm just trying to head it off at the pass."

She moved away from his touch. "You're just trying to eliminate the competition."

Stunned, he stood and stepped away. "Is that what you think?"

"I don't know what to think." She shook her head. "When Oz left, all I heard was that I was *your* Willow again. I belong to you as long as it's convenient for you. But the minute you get the chance to play the hero, I'm forgotten. I'm not your best friend. I'm not anything. You haven't changed Xander. I don't think you can."

"What does this have to do with Angel?"

"Nothing," She laughed bitterly. Grabbing the printout, she brushed past him, headed for her room.

Catching her arm, he whirled her around. "You've known me so long and you always believe you know what I'm thinking."

"I do know what you're thinking Xander, whether or not you admit it. But you've never managed to figure me out, so I'll give you a clue. I'm leaving. And I'm going to do this. You don't have any say in the matter. Not that you ever did."

His hands tightened on her arms. "I just want to protect you."

"I don't need your protection, Xander. I need your support. I need you to let me do the things that need to be done. And I have to save Cordelia and I have to save Angel."

"But who's going to save you?"

"Well, that used to be your job. But apparently, you aren't up for the task anymore." She stared at him, searching his eyes for a sign of understanding. What had happened to the friend she'd grown up with? The man she'd grown to love? Willow sighed, resigning herself to hiding her feelings once more, so he could have who he really wanted. "Now, I've got a lot to do, Xander. I would think that saving Cordelia would be your first priority. So you can help me save her or you can leave, but I don't have time to argue. Cordelia's life is hanging in the balance."

"Damn it." Willow kicked the side of the car in a fit of anger then grabbed her bag out of the back seat. "I swear to God, Harris, if you did anything to my car, I'm going to find Spike and feed you to him."

She started walking, hefting her bag over her shoulder. Sticking her thumb out, she looked up in surprise as a car pulled over immediately. "Need a lift?"

"Depends." She looked at him warily. "Where are you going?"

Smiling apologetically, Xander leaned over and opened her door. "Wherever you need me to take you."

She got in the car hesitantly, wondering if he was serious or if he was just going to turn around and head back to Sunnydale. "I'm not joking, you know. I'm headed for LA."

"Then so am I." He pulled back onto the freeway, refusing to look at her. "We're best friends, Wills. We're a team. Whether you believe it or not."

"I do believe it Xander. I just sometimes wonder if you do."

"Right. Because everything is always my fault. I'm always the one who does everything wrong. I'm always the one who doesn't see."

"Right."

He glanced at her quickly, trying to decide if she was joking or not. She flashed him a quick smile, impulsively reaching over and squeezing his hand. He grinned back. "You're supposed to stick up for me a little bit, you know."

Xander's sigh filled the silence as they passed a mileage marker. "Only ten more miles to the city limits." He glanced over at her, his face tense. "Only 28 hours to save Cordelia and we have no idea where she is. Where do we start? Do we have a plan?"

She looked sheepish. "Well, actually, I was going with the act first, think later kind of plan. Sort of adopting your philosophy."

"No," he said with a glare. "I have a plan. I want to kill him."

"Do you think you can kill him before he kills Cordelia?" She looked away angrily. "All I want is to save her for you. Why does that bother you so much?"

"This has nothing to do with Cordelia."

"It has everything to do with Cordelia! It's obvious how you feel about her. I'm surprised that you're willing to risk her life just to get some sort of vengeance."

"How I…I don't want vengeance Willow. I want justice."

"You want Cordelia back. And I'm going to get her for you. Isn't that what I always do?" She opened her laptop and looked down at it, in an effort to keep him from seeing her tears. "Angel lives. Cordelia lives. Everyone's happy. You're happy Xander. And isn't making you happy the sole purpose for my existence?"

He flinched from the pain in her voice. "I never asked you to make me happy, Willow."

"You don't have to remind me of that." She closed the computer and turned to him. "Go to Doyle's. We'll need his help."

"Fine." He sped up as the city limits sign came into view. "So we're just ending this conversation? Writing this whole thing off?"

"This whole thing? You mean our friendship?"

He pursed his lips together. "We need to stop this. If we don't, we're not going to have a friendship left."

"Fine."

"Fine."

After a few minutes, Xander turned down a dark road. "I still want him dead Wills, but I'll make you a deal. I'll let him live, as long as Cordy does."

The bell tinkled above the door as Willow pushed it open. "Go away. I'm busy. We're closed."

"It's us, Doyle." Xander shut the door behind them and flopped into the chair across the desk from the demon. "And we need your help. I don't care what you're busy with."

"I'll tell you what I'm busy with," he snarled. "My boss has suddenly started snacking on the local populace and our secretary is set to be his next appetizer. So you'd better have really good news or get the hell out."

"Why don't you tell us what the newspapers haven't been?" Xander said.

"You mean before or after he lost his soul right in front of us?" Doyle sneered at them. "One minute we're having our weekly argument and the next he's striding out the door sucking some poor gypsy's blood."

"What did the gypsy say?"

"Well, gee, Red, if I spoke Romanian I wouldn't have spent the last four days searching for some sort of cure."

"Don't you have some sort of demon power that lets you repeat stuff?" Xander asked. "I mean, what good is being a demon if you don't have some sort of super power?"

"Well, I could snap your twiggy little neck. How's that for a power?"

"Tell me what he did," Willow insisted. "Everything."

"Well, I didn't really notice him. All I got was Angelus grabbing him, sinking his teeth into his neck and the crystal ball shattering."

"Crystal ball?" Xander and Willow asked simultaneously.

"Yeah. Looked like a paperweight."

"Shit."

Both Doyle and Xander turned and looked at Willow, shocked.

She turned away, her mind working quickly. "The Orb of Thessulah," she explained. "He was trying to restore Angel's soul."

"News flash. Blood boy already had a soul."

"Blood boy," Xander smiled. "I like that."

"Can we focus?" Willow slammed her hand down onto the desk. "Why would he think he didn't have a soul? What was Angel doing?"

"What the hell do you think he was doing? He was brooding. That's what he does. And in between brooding fits, he'd go and kick some demon ass." Doyle shrugged. "Find this all helpful and interesting, do ya?"

Willow rubbed her aching temples. "So what you're saying is that, in trying to restore a soul that he already had, he lost it again. Shouldn't there be some sort of ban on gypsies coming into this country?"

Doyle glanced at Xander. "Isn't she supposed to be the smart one?"

"Get off her case, the Slayer's a basket case and now she's got to work with you. I think she's doing pretty well. After all, it took you four days to come up with absolutely nothing."

"Yeah, well, figuring it out is one thing. Fixing it is another. As far as I can tell, there's no cure."

"I can fix it," Willow's voice rang clear, ending their argument. Then she sighed heavily. "I always fix it."

"She's got some issues, doesn't she?" Doyle asked Xander. "I always heard she was the stable one. So what do you need to fix this? I'm expecting a paycheck next week. And since he signs the checks, it would be nice to have him back."

Xander glanced at his watch and immediately sobered. "Well, I hate to put a damper on your mercenary spirit, but we've only got a day left to save Cordelia."

"What do you mean?"

"Angel's decided that we're playing beat the clock." Xander looked at Willow. "We've got about 27 hours left before he makes Cordy his afternoon snack then heads to Sunnydale for some Hellmouth action."

Doyle looked over at Willow. "All right, Red. So what do we do?"

"I need to get some things together."

"Great." Xander stood. "We'll go do some snooping and see if we can find Dead boy. Anything you need, Wills? Stinky herbs? Sharp stakes?"

"I need an orb of Thessulah." She glanced at Doyle. "It holds Angel's soul before I can transfer it back to him. Can you get me one?"

A knowing smile suddenly transformed Doyle's face. "Yeah. I think I can help you there. I know some people."

"All right," Xander punched his fist into his other hand. "So we're off."

Willow waited until Xander had left the room then grabbed Doyle's arm. "Doyle?"

"What is it Red?"

"Watch him. I think where Cordelia's involved he doesn't always think clearly. He's liable to do something stupid."

"You mean stupider?" Doyle nodded. "That seems to happen to a lot of guys where she's concerned."

Willow's smile was knowing this time. "Guys like you?"

Doyle walked to the door and opened it. "I've got to go keep your boyfriend in line, Red. I'll get you what you need."

Willow waited for the door to close behind him, staring after them with sad eyes. "You're taking what I need with you."

Doyle ran an appreciative hand along the side of the car. "Nice wheels."

"Yeah, it's a big hit with the demon crowd." Xander climbed in. "So, where are we going? Any idea where he might be holding her?"

"Gee, I plumb forgot to ask him where he'd take people if he went on a murderous rampage. What was I thinking?" Doyle glared at the younger boy. "It's not typical office conversation. Gee, Angel, if you were to kidnap Cordelia, where would you lock her up? Not that gagging her didn't enter into our talks sometimes."

"You're a real asshole, aren't you?"

"You bring it out in me. I hear you do that to a lot of people." Doyle slipped on his sunglasses. "Well, why don't you tell me what exactly he said when he called."

"He didn't call. He sent us a video. Cordelia's weekly video, only more of a director's cut. Rated NC-17 for violence and nudity."

Rolling his eyes, Doyle gritted his teeth. "Why didn't you mention the video before?"

"Slipped my mind?"

"Shit. Just…just tell me what the room she was in looked like."

"I was a little too busy staring at what the bastard had done to her."

With lighting reflexes, Doyle reached over and turned the ignition off, bringing the car to a stuttering halt. "All right, you little prick, you want to play around with her life, then fine. We can just sit here all fucking day and pass idle conversation. You want to save her, then start remembering."

"She was chained to a chair. It was dark and there was stonework in the background."

"Well that narrows it down. We'll just go around looking for stones."

"Well, gee. He didn't exactly provide a map of the area."

"Was there anything he said? He has a tendency to talk too much when he's feeling cocky."

Xander thought for a moment. "He threatened Cordelia, he taunted Buffy, he talked about her first kill, he gave her a deadline and then threatened to snap her mother's spine. All in all, quite the plan."

Doyle shook his head. "You're really an idiot, aren't you?" Reaching in his pocket, he whipped out his cell phone. Punching a button, he waited impatiently, tapping his foot. "Yeah. Ex-watcher?" He paused. "Ask the Slayer where her first kill was. What? Yeah, they're here. And I just love havin' company. Red's company, anyway."

"Tell him we're fine."

"Idiot boy says things are fine. Yeah, fancies he's takin' care of things. What? Right, Pacific Crest Cemetery." He hung up the phone, raising an eyebrow at Xander's look. "You got something to say?"

"Not a word." He turned the key, starting the car again. "So, we're off to the cemetery?"

"I've got to make one more stop. We've got to do some shopping for Red."

"Right," Xander said sarcastically. "We've got to save Angel's soul. Again."

Willow waited impatiently while the phone rang. Finally, the resigned voice of her friend answered. "Hello?"

"Buffy?"

"Willow. What are you doing? Doyle just called and told us you and Xander were down in LA."

"This isn't something you should have to go through again, Buffy. I can cure him. I can give him back his soul."

"It doesn't matter. I'm not sure he can live with it this time, Will. I'm almost positive I can't. If I let him do what he wants, it'll all be over."

"So Xander was right? You're just giving up?"

"I'm not giving up." A bit of determination came back into Buffy's voice. "I'm just expecting to lose."

"I'm not going to let anyone lose." Feeling tears threatening at the lie, Willow caught her breath. "Don't worry, Buffy." She hung up the phone carefully, trying to hide the trembling in her hands.

Sinking into the chair, she blindly grabbed something off the desk and hurled it against the wall. The sound of shattering glass and cracking wood echoed through the room.

Moving to the wall, she sank down onto her knees and picked up the pieces of what she'd thrown. Her breath caught as she turned the destroyed frame over and saw Xander's face. Her eyes blurred with tears that dripped onto his smile.

"She loves him too," she reminded herself. "That's why you're doing this. You're doing it for them. It's just so hard…so hard to be friends, and do the right thing, when all I want is to come between them."

Doyle looked over at Xander. "You coming in?"

"I'll wait for you in the car." Xander leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes. "Just don't take too long."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Well, I guess demons just aren't the trusting sort."

"Red doesn't trust you either."

"She has reason not to." Xander replied. "The clock is ticking."

"Right." Doyle disappeared into the darkened doorway. Waiting until he was completely out of sight, Xander started the car once again and pulled away from the curb, tires squealing.

Xander looked into his rearview mirror as Doyle appeared in the doorway again, cursing loudly. Smiling sadly, he sighed. "And now she's got one more reason not to believe in me."

"You know, they say you should never play chess with Death." Angelus leaned forward and moved one of his pieces. "Especially when you're tied down and bound to lose. Although, ever since high school, you've been losing, haven't you, Queen Chase?"

"Screw you."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. What kind of thing is that for a lady to say?" He reached over and took her knight from the table. "Oh look, I'm taking your knight. Pity. What will you do without one of those to rescue you, your Majesty?"

"I can't wait until Buffy kills you. I've decided that." She glared at him.

"You wound me, Cordelia. Aren't you going to spend some time appealing to my humanity? Aren't you going to beg me to look deep inside and find the man you shared an office with for the past two years?"

Cordelia managed a laugh. "Unlike some people, I've never confused Angel and Angelus. You're Angelus. And you're the one I want dead."

"Too bad you won't be around to see that." Standing, he walked behind her and grabbed her wrist. Twisting it viciously, he looked at her watch. "Let's see how much time you have left to live, shall we?"

Gritting her teeth against the pain, she hissed at him.

"How animalistic. I love it when humans get down to their most basic form. Sort of turns me on."

"I'd rather be dead."

"How convenient."

Continues