Xander thrashed violently on the bed, his head filled with images, and the sounds and smells to go with them.

He sat straight up, gasping for breath.

The pictures inside his head were becoming clear, rearranging themselves into a more cognizant image.

He didn't know what this new dream was about, if it even was a dream. He only knew that it was telling him something that he needed to know. If he could only figure out what.

Climbing off of the bed, Xander made his way towards the door but stopped when he heard voices.

Giles.

He was talking to Angel. Xander couldn't quite make out the words, but he could tell by the tone that whatever they were discussing was serious. Not that that was surprising. Angel and Giles had history, and not a good one.

He sat back on the bed, deciding to wait until the watcher was gone. He didn't know if Giles knew that he was there, and wasn't really in the right frame of mind to explain it, if he even could.

Before he even realized it, he was asleep again.

*~*~*~*

Night had fallen as Angel tried to make sense of the watcher's visit. He felt more than heard Xander wake up. A few minutes later, he heard Xander move down the hall.

"Giles was here." Angel said from in front of the glass door leading to the garden.

"I know. Xander stepped further into the room. "Did you tell him I was here?"

"He already knew."

"How?" Xander asked, confused. "Did Willow tell him? I left her place last night in a hurry."

Angel turned and looked across the room at Xander. "He said.. Jenny came to see him."

Xander blinked, as if that statement actually made sense. "Did you tell him we were leaving?"

Angel stared oddly at the boy. "You don't find that in the least bit.. disturbing that Jenny.. a woman *I* killed came to him."

Xander cut him off. "Does it matter?" He asked tiredly. "It happened a long time ago. I don't know what you want me to say."

"What's wrong?" Angel asked, walking across the room, looking closely at Xander for the first time.

"I had a dream.sort of." Xander sighed heavily and moved past Angel to step into the garden.

"Another one?" Angel followed him outside. "Was it like the others?"

"No. Xander turned away, looking up into the star-filled sky. "I think it was trying to tell me something, but I'm not sure what."

"What was it?"

"There were people.lots of people. Dying and hurt. They needed help." He turned to face Angel again, his eyes locking onto the vampire's. "I think we're supposed to help them."

"How?"

"I don't know!"

"Okay." Angel reached out and pulled Xander to him.

"I think we're supposed to go to L.A."

"Los Angeles?" Angel asked.

"Yeah."

"What makes you think so?"

"Just something I saw." Xander mumbled into Angel's chest, not wanting to get into the details of the dream, or vision, or whatever it was.

"All right. Los Angeles it is." Angel rubbed a hand over Xander's back, feeling the mortal's muscles relax. "When?"

"Soon. I want to say goodbye to Willow and Faith.. and Giles. Then we can go."

"Okay."

*~*~*~*

Willow and Faith were just finishing up their patrol route when they turned down Crawford Street.

"You think they're here?"

"Fang is." Faith answered.

Willow nodded and stepped forward to knock on the door. She hesitated a second and Faith grabbed her other hand. Willow smiled and knocked.

After a few minutes, the heavy door swung open.

"Faith? Willow? What are you doing here? Is something wrong?"

Willow smiled. "No. We just wanted to say goodbye. Can we come in?"

Xander blinked. "What, does everybody know we're leaving?" He stepped aside to let the girls in.

Faith looked around the large, mostly empty room.

"Nice digs, Fang."

Xander smiled and shrugged in Angel's direction. "Angel, this is Faith. Faith, Angel."

The vampire and Slayer eyed each other warily for a second before Faith stepped forward with a grin and held out a hand. "Anyone good enough for Xan is cool with me."

Angel smiled slightly at the Slayer. He'd watched her from a distance for a while before Xander had found him, and he found her entertaining, at the very least. He turned to Willow. "How are you?"

"Good." She smiled at him, coming closer to give him a hug.

"You gonna be okay?" He asked seriously, suddenly feeling bad about leaving her behind.

"Five by five." Faith answered for them both, reaching out for Willow's hand.

Angel raised an eyebrow as the girls held hands. Xander grinned. "Good."

Willow released Faith's hand and walked over to Xander. "You sure you're going to be okay?"

Xander nodded. "Yeah. Come on." He took her hand and brought out to the garden, leaving Faith and Angel alone.

*~*~*~*

"So, you're him." Faith said watching Angel. The vampire's eyes had followed Xander outside. When Faith spoke he turned to look at her.

"I'm him." He acknowledged.

"I have to say you're not quite what I expected."

"What did you expect?" He asked, curiously.

Faith shrugged. "A brooding, Slayer obsessed vamp." She shook her head. "And here you are, not brooding, and apparently not Slayer obsessed. Seems I heard wrong."

"Maybe. Depends on who you heard it from."

"Fair enough." Faith nodded. "So what about my predecessor?"

Angel arched a brow. "What about her?"

Faith stepped closer to the vampire, unapologetically invading his personal space.

"What happens when Buffy blows back into your life? Where does that leave Xan?"

*~*~*~*

"You think they'll be all right.. alone?" Willow asked nervously, looking through the glass door into the house.

Xander chuckled. "They'll be fine. He doesn't bite.. much."

Willow turned back to her best friend. "Are you sure about this? Going off to wherever with Angel? I know that your relationship was never what it seemed like, but this."

"I know, Wills." Xander squeezed her hand. "I can't explain it, I just *know* that this is what I'm supposed to be doing." He frowned, realizing something. "How'd you know. about us leaving, I mean?"

Willow grinned. "Giles. He came back to the library before patrol and said he'd seen Angel. He, uh.. seemed okay. He told us that you would be leaving soon. Both of you. Don't take this the wrong way, but I think he's kind of relieved."

"Glad to be rid of me, huh?" Xander grinned slightly, knowing that wasn't what she meant, but saying it anyway.

"Xander, you know that isn't it. It's just. well, Angel."

"I know." Xander shrugged. "Things are pretty weird, but, I think we're doing the right thing, for all of us."

Willow nodded. She did understand. "Okay. But you promise to call me." Willow turned to face him, her _expression serious.

"I promise." He hugged her. "Now, tell me about you and Faith."

*~*~*~*

Angel wanted to tell this girl where she could take her questions, but he knew that she was only concerned for Xander, and considering the history, he couldn't blame her.

"It doesn't *leave* him anywhere." He looked out the window again, and seeing that Xander and Willow were still talking, he turned back to face Faith. "I won't hurt him."

"Do you love him?"

"Do you love Willow?" Angel countered.

"Yes." Faith answered unhesitatingly and arched an eyebrow.

"Yes." Angel admitted, "But."

"You haven't said anything." She nodded. "Be careful." She turned to look out the window, watching Willow and Xander, their heads close together as they spoke. "He doesn't trust people easily. I'm surprised that he's taking this risk, even considering."

"Considering what?"

"Red told me that you and Xan have history. That there was always something more going on that it seemed. But Xan, he's got wounds, huge gaping ones, and scars, deep ones. Both the kind you can see, and the kind you can't" She turned back to the vampire, her dark eyes staring into Angel's. "If he believes you, trusts you, that's good enough for me, but if you hurt him. you'll be dust. I don't miss, and I don't care who you are, who you were, or who you'll be. Do we understand each other?"

Angel stared steadily at the Slayer. "Yes, I believe we do."

Faith grinned. "Good."

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