“Me?” Angel said incredulously. “Why me?” He looked around at the group gathered before him in the library. Once again, he had just arrived there by chance…one minute he was at Willy’s getting a drink, the next he was there at the library. His impulsive actions were starting to wear on him, and he had no idea why he was acting this way.

 Giles skimmed the prophecy again, taking Angel’s words seriously. “It doesn’t say, Angel..I-I’m afraid that none of us know the reasoning behind this, this…prediction. All that we know is that you and Willow are the ones mentioned, and that we may have quite a situation on our hands.”

 “QUITE A SITUATION!?!?!?!?!?” Buffy nearly yelled, leaping up from the table she had been seated at. “My boyfriend is supposed to love and hate my best friend, and you call it a SITUATION?” She was seething now, and Angel seemed quite annoyed.

 “Buffy-“ he started, at the same time as Willow.

 “Buffy-“ Willow started, the same time as Angel.

 The two exchanged a questioning look, and Angel motioned Willow to go first.

 “Buffy, I didn’t have a choice in this. All I know is that I’ve been in a prophecy, and it’s telling me what’s gonna happen. I don’t have any control over it, and neither do you.” Willow tried to calmly explain this to her best friend, while working with her hands awkwardly.

 The Slayer flipped the chair she was sitting in over as she backed away from the table. “No,” she said defiantly, shaking her head. “He’s mine. We belong together. And some crock prophet is saying that’s not true? I’ll see about that.” With that, she stormed out of the library.

 Giles glances over at Angel and Willow as they watched the doors swing shut. Willow seemed close to tears, and Angel seemed angry. Rupert just wished that Buffy could get her ideas of true love and predestination out of her head. Slayers didn’t live long lives. It just didn’t happen.

 Vampires, however, did. Or, rather, they lived long deaths. Something like that. Giles took a deep breath and approached the soon-to-be couple.

 “I’m sorry about that…I’m afraid that she can be rather infuriating at times…I’m sure that she will…get over it soon. I hope,” he said to them, trying to provide some comfort.

 Angel seemed lost in his own little world, and suddenly snapped out of it. “Tell me about it.”

 Willow’s mind was the only one still on the prophecy. “So Giles…exactly what is going to happen with me and Angel?” she questioned meekly. Just looking at a cute guy made her squirm, and the idea of being in a prophecy with one nearly floored her. That and the fact Oz was still a part of her life, and she was already beginning to have feelings for Angel. She hoped that Giles could explain the thing to Oz…and just when things were getting back to pseudo-normal. She took a shy glance at Angel, then went back to listening to Giles.

“Yes, well…” Giles said, knocked back onto track. “I imagine that on the full moon, the two of you will be strongly…attracted to each other, while the new moon would most likely breed…more unromantic things.” He wiped his glasses nervously.

 “’Unromantic’?” Angel inquired, pressing.

Giles squirmed. “Well…I would assume some rather violent things would occur. I would not be surprised if it were to involve weapons and, and, m-most likely…blood.” He scratched his head and turned from the two.

 “And…well…’attracted’? Is that the correct word, Rupert, or are you being proper again? We need to know exactly what’s going to hit us full force.” Angel put his hand on Giles’ shoulder firmly, and the younger man turned around.

 “Once again, I can only assume. But I’m afraid this prophecy will probably include…the two of you…um…well…” Giles stumbled along, trying to find the politest way to word ‘fuck’.

 “We’re gonna sleep together?” Willow asked, half-worried.

 “Yes, I believe that’s what I was trying to say…” Giles trailed off, looking at the two in front of him.

 Angel bit his lip awkwardly. “Oh.”

***

 A glass paperweight shattered against the wall, breaking into tiny rainbow shards that scattered across the carpet. Soon, Mr. Gordo followed, pursued by a can of pencils and eventually, a pillow.

 Buffy continued her rampage around her room, throwing trinkets and other items against her wall. She picked up a photo frame, and was about to throw it, when the picture caught the corner of her eye.

 It was the picture of Willow, Xander, and her all playing football. They had taken a break, and piled up for a picture. But now as she stared at the nostalgic picture, all she could picture was Willow and Angel in each other’s arms.

 Angel was HERS. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it. She and him had come so far. And now some stupid prophecy said that it was never meant to be. It couldn’t be true. It *couldn’t*…

 Buffy sat down on her bed and cried.

***

 The door closed quietly behind Rupert as he entered his office. Willow and Angel had requested to be alone to talk for a moment, and he had respected that request and retired to his office. He wanted to do further research on the prophecy, anyway, to make sure that he knew exactly what they were getting into.

 He knew Buffy would not get over this easily. Rupert suspected that she would now view Willow as a threat to her and Angel, and he feared her response to that point of view. It could be disastrous to the entire group, and he was worried about what could come from this whole ordeal.

***

 “…Angel?” Willow said meekly, still in shock. “Do you think Buffy will be mad?” She fidgeted in her seat. They’d been over this topic almost ten times in the past hour, and she was afraid that she would lose her best friend.

 “Yes, I would imagine so,” Angel replied bluntly and dully, and then looked at Willow. She seemed so hurt about this whole thing…if only she knew how he felt right then. He felt hurt that Buffy would do such a thing to hurt Willow’s feelings. He felt confused about the feelings between them, ever since that night on the hill, Christmas eve. Yes, there had been strong feelings, but…but now, things felt different. He felt cheated because he couldn’t choose the one he’d be attracted to under a full moon, but he also felt a growing feeling in his heart, a feeling he hadn’t felt in a while. A feeling of…

 *Love* Willow identified the feelings that were coursing through her veins at that moment. She suspected it was the prophecy doing this, but she didn’t care. She liked this new feeling, and didn’t want it to go away. Willow couldn’t remember feeling this way for a long time, not even when she had had her huge crush on Xander. This was something stronger, powerful, concentrated…something magical.

 Angel’s eyes met Willow’s, and the electricity coursed between the two cursed lovers.

***

 Giles checked his clock. It was nearly midnight…probably time to put the books down for the night and head on home. Willow and Angel were most likely done with their talk and safe in bed by now, he hoped. Angel was a strong guardian, and he trusted him with Willow. But not on a new moon. No longer.

 He stood, yawned, stretched, and crossed his office towards the door. Cracking his knuckles, he turned the handle and looked into the library, closed the door, and decided to sleep in the office, with the image of Willow and Angel passionately kissing stuck in his mind.