The words hung in the thick air as Spike and Angelus turned to look at Willow.

She was sitting lazily on the floor, one shapely leg sprawled out in front of her. Tracing circles on the floor sensuously with one finger, she gave the boys a coy look, then yawned.

"Hungry now. Can we eat?"

Dru ran over to Willow, obviously excited. "My daddy gave me a sister...we're going to have lots of fun together, with parties and dolls and moonlight and blood..." Drusilla looked up and the ceiling as she drifted off.

"Crazy bitch," Spike growled, "the only blood we're gonna see is our own, as soon as the Slayer gets to us."

"Shit! The Slayer!" Angelus bit out as he turned towards the chains on the wall.

Buffy was gone.

***

"Run run run run run" Buffy panted as she ran to the library. When Dru had made her move on Spike, she had finally snapped the chains and escaped.

She still had the haunting image of Willow in her mind, the still body lying motionless on the floor. Willow had been her best friend, and she had let her down. She was a failure.

Silently, she plodded on.

***

Willow idly slid one finger down the arm that encircled her neck. She knew Dru was only playing with her, she was just happy to have a sister. Willow knew that the two of them would have lots of fun together...

But right now, she was hungry. "Can we eat? We can hunt for the Slayer later," she said innocently.

Angelus looked at her with his head cocked. "Sure, luv. Let me take you out. Spike here can take care of-er, I mean, keep Dru company, isn't that right, Spike?"

Spike just grumbled, but stopped when Dru left Willow to pay attention to him. Angelus knew he wouldn't complain much.

"Come on, Willow," he said to her, using her name instead of 'hacker' or 'red'.

Willow slowly lifted herself off the floor, making sure to stretch. "Can we eat at the mall? I need some new clothes...I really don't like nightgowns that much..." she drifted off, taking Angelus' now-offered hand. She crept towards him, hanging off his shoulder. "Or maybe no clothes at all would be better..."

Angelus smiled as he left the mansion with Willow on his arm. Behind him, he could hear Spike's moans as Dru tended to the vampire's needs. He was in the clear.

***

Buffy reached the library and threw the doors open. Standing inside were three of the Slayerettes. She ran up to Giles worriedly.

"Giles, I went there, and bad things happened. Really bad things," she said, not sure how much she wanted to tell her Watcher.

"Did he awaken Acathla?" Giles asked her quickly, needing to know immediately.

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think so, he was too busy draining Will-" she stopped herself dead short, because then she realized that Xander and Oz were also in the room.

"Draining Willow?" Oz said, after an audible silence. Another one followed, and he sat down, staring into space.

"Willow?" Xander whispered, and sat down on the floor, missing a chair completely. He brought his hands up to hold his head, and a single tear dropped to the floor.

Buffy immediately regretted her slip-up. "Guys, I'm sorry, but...but..." But what? She realized that instead of killing the bad guys while they were distracted, she had run in fear. "I'm a failure." Tears began to form in her own eyes.

Oz was still staring off into space. "Who?" he said quietly, not turning his gaze onto anyone. "Who did it?"

The Slayer nearly choked on her sob. "An-" she started, "Angelus." She broke out into tears.

"Angelus," Xander repeated, slowly lifting his head from his hands. "Your demonic ex-boyfriend just killed my best friend." Glaring at her, he began to stand up.

"Now, Xander, I'm sure, Buffy did everything she could to-" Giles started, realizing what was going to happen.

"THEN WHY DIDN'T SHE FUCKING KILL HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE!?!?!?!?!?" Xander screamed, slapping Buffy hard across the face. Buffy was already crying so hard, she didn't feel it, but Giles had to move quickly to keep Xander from attacking her full force.

Xander was sobbing as well. "Willow...she's dead...she's gone...no thanks to YOU," he spat out, then ran from the room.

Oz continued to sit there. "Angelus," he said quietly.

Buffy just cried.

"Shit," Giles said.