"RUPERT!" the voice came booming into the library, and the three occupants inside jumped from their positions at different tables. The intruder stormed his way into Giles' office and slammed the door.

 "Angel!" Giles cried out, catching his breath and scurrying across the room. "What the hell is the matter with you?" He moved to remove his glasses when he realized they wren't there, so he merely scratched the bridge of his nose instead, trying to cover up his blunder.

 Angel, with his eyes at the floor, paced back and forth while telling Giles why he was there. "I knew she was there, Rupert. I could smell her. You know I can smell her. She was there, and she was spying on me and Willow, and I don't appreciate it!" He raised his hand to hit the wall, and stopped himself just before he put a rather large hole into it. "Why did you send her, Rupert? Don't you trust us? Don't you trust me? Don't you trust Willow?"

 Those last four words struck Giles hard. He struggled to come up with an explanation. Of course I trust Willow. But I didn't send Buffy, Angel. She went on her own. I didn't even know until she came back here..."

 "Oh, so that's what she did, huh? Went peeping Buffy on me and Willow, then goes squealing back to her Watcher that the two are really living up to the curse." Angel shook his head, staring straight at Giles. "I don't know if it's the curse or not, Giles, but all I know righ tnow is that I love her. I don't want to hurt her. I can't. If she knew that Buffy had been watching us...that would hurt her so badly. I can't do that ot her. Please don't do that to her," Angel begged Giles with pleading eyes, that trademark soulful look more prominent than ever.

 Giles seemed taken aback. He hadn't expected these words from Angel. He understood anger, yes, but was expecting on something more bitter, as if he knew what was happening but couldn't stop it. But to hear him admit it, to say it like he really meant it from the heart...Giles wasn't so sure. "I won't, Angel. But the two of you still have over a week before the full moon arrives. I expect that the full moon will be the peak of your relationship, before the hatred sets in. I'm not going to deny you any happiness you can receive now...because I can't guarantee that either of you will survive this later." With that, he pushed his way past a stunned Angel and left the room. ***

 Buffy hardly noticed Giles exit the office afterwards, she was too busy thinking about what she had just heard. She and Xander had both heard the screaming, but only she could hear the talking. Finally, something had hit her. She could have hurt Willow. None of it was the witch's fault, it was truly fate and prophesy. Willow, inside, was scared of what was happening, and didn't want to be with Angel anyway.

 Or so she could tell herself. Buffy realized that no matter how jealous she may be, no matter how much she wanted to believe a story she made up, she still had to think of Willow. Her best friend, who had stood by her when others hadn't, who had risked her life for her, was going through some troubling times. And Buffy wasn't there to help her. Instead, she was too buys spying on them and trying to find ways to break the two of them up. Buffy put her hatred aside, put her head on the desk, and slept.

***

 Willow came home to a note on the table. "Be back in two weeks," it said. "Come home early at night," it said. "Your laptop's in the closet," it said. "Screw you too," Willow said.

 She glanced at her watch. It was only five o'clock. She could walk to Angel's before it got too dark. Stuffing a spare change of clothes, a stake, and her rediscovered laptop into her bookbag, she began her journey to the mansion.

***

 Angel walked home in silence. After leaving Giles' office, he found that Xander was yet again giving him dirty looks, Buffy was sleeping, and the librarian was nowhere to be found. Idly, he thought of going to Willow's, but realized that she would be waiting for him at his place. Somehow, he realized that she would have gone home, made an excuse, and come right back.

 In the middle of his thoughts, he nearly missed Willow's scream of terror cutting through the air.

***

 "HELP!" Willow screamed as the vampire behind her finally knocked her atop her head. As she slumped to the ground, the vamp was glad that she was finally shutting up. The little whiner had been too much to handle.

 "Isn't it a little early to be picking on girls out here?" came a voice from outside the alley. The vamp looked out cautiously. He'd heard stories about the Slayer, but the Slayer was female, right? And that was definitely a male voice.

 "Who's there?" he replied gruffly, picking Willow up harshly. "I won't hesitate to kill her," he growled as he wrapped his arm around her neck.

 "I know," said Angel as he melted out of the shadows behind him. "That's why I won't hesitate to kill you." With a roar, he plunged the stake into the vamp's back, and the street rat vamp burst into ashes. Willow's body, now unsupported, slumped into the corner, lying on tope of some rather old trash bags.

 "Willow..." he whispered softly, picking her body up gently. It was then that he realized that someone was underneath her. Moving her to a more comfortable location, he looked down on who was there.

 "Oh no..." Angel whispered again, "Faith."