The Warriors

Chapter 4

The drive back to Sunnydale was made in icy silence.

Xander drove back with Wesley in the passenger seat beside him; while Faith sat between Angel and Willow. Dawn’s instructions to Wesley were very clear: until they got to the mansion, there was to be no touching between Xander, Angel and Willow.

Which of course, totally pissed Xander off.

“What?! You don’t you think I can control myself?! I’ve been controlling myself for eons missy! I am the King of friggin’ Control. Hell, I INVENTED control,” Xander had snarled at her, his back stiff with outrage.

“And I don’t care WHAT you *think* saw me doing, but I'm still gay!” Willow had shouted to Dawn.

“Oh, shut up, Willow,” Xander had said absently, glaring at a smirking Dawn, “You’re no more gay than I am.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Let’s Play Tongue Hockey With Angel?” Willow had whirled on him, her eyes aflame.

And they began to fight, snipping and snarling at each other. Willow trying to deny the desire she felt for Xander and he, in turn, trying to deny the stirring of his body for Angel.

“Angel would you please do something about your mates,” Dawn had snarled over Willow and Xander’s bickering voices.

“Please!” Wesley had exclaimed stepping away as it looked as if Willow was going to punch Xander, “Or I will give into the impulse to smack them myself!”

“Why do I have to control them, they obviously don’t want me,” Angel had said quietly, hurt plain in his eyes.

“Because they belong to you,” Dawn had said with a shrug of her shoulders.

Angel eyed her narrowly, then began to purr.

His eyes widen slightly at the effect. Both Xander and Willow turned to him, silenced, as their eyes began glazing over.

“Consciously, they are both fighting for their independence. Willow, because she doesn't want to be hurt again by Xander or another male and Xander because he's never contemplated hlf wlf with a *male* demon mate. Had you been female, he probably wouldn't be having such a hard time accepting you, but you're not. You need to convince them both, that male or female, the three of you belong together,” Dawn had said sympathetically to Angel.

“And how do you suppose I do that,” Angel had had to stop purring to ask the question.

“Personally, I would go with sex,” Dawn had said with a mischievous smile before she vanished.

Faith had looked at where Dawn had been standing, “I gotta say, I like the way that girl thinks.”

Xander had stalked to his car, wrenching open the door and got in, slamming the door angrily shut.

Willow, growling had stormed into the backseat of the car, her face set.

Angel had looked at his two furious mates and sighed, it was going to be an extremely long ride to Sunnydale.

They had been on the road for almost 45 minutes, with the windows up and the air conditioning going on the hot night. Wesley kept glancing over at Xander with surreptitious looks as Xander kept shifting around in his seat. He had almost caused an accident three times already.

Finally, Wesley twisted in his seat and looked back to see Angel staring at Xander and Xander staring in the mirror...again as if he could see Angel. Wesley frowned, vampires didn't have reflections so how was Xander seeing him?

“Xander! Concentrate of your driving, do you want to get us killed?!” he snapped, as they narrowly avoided a semi-truck barreling down the down.

“Sorry,” Xander muttered, “You tell him to stop looking at me then!” he added angrily.

Wesley sighed, “Angel, please stop looking at Xander.”

“Fine,” he heard Angel say, then mutter, “He started it though.”

“I did not,” Xander immediately snapped back, fingers clenching on the steering wheel in frustration.

“Ya did so,” Angel shot back, his eyes flaming gold.

“ENOUGH!” Wesley shouted. He clutched at his head and took a deep breath, “I will NOT sit in this car with the two of you bickering like little kids. Why can’t you be like Miss Rosenburg?”

“Uh, Wes hate to break it to you, but Willow is just a big a problem as Xander and Angel,” Faith said quietly, laughter in her voice.

Wesley looked around, focusing on Faith who had a steely grip on Willow’s straining hands.

“Yeah, she's been trying to get to Angel for the past 15 minutes,” Faith snickered. “Hey, I'm doing my part, you just concentrate of my boy up there.”


Xander drove for another 15 minutes before pulling over, jumping out of the car and storming across the interstate. Angel in turned jumped out from his side and crossed behind the car to side of the road while Willow remained in the car, shuddering and breathing raggedly.

Finally, both men returned to the car.

Xander motioned for Wesley to drive the car, ignoring Wes' puzzled look

Xander got into the passenger seat, turned off the air conditioner and ordered everyone to roll down their windows. Immediately.

Angel slammed the back door harshly as he climbed back in.

“What wrong now,” Wesley said as he began driving.

“Pheromones,” Angel said tersely from the back seat.

Wesley blinked, “My apologies, Mr. Harris, I should have thought of that before. Perhaps with the wind rushing through the car, the situation will get better?” he said with little hope.

Xander just sneered at him.


Wesley drove tensely into Sunnydale in the pheromone charged car, speeding for the mansion and breathing a sigh of relief at the sight of it.

The car was still rolling to a stop as Xander, Willow and Angel open their doors, racing out of the car and rushing towards the mansion, frantically removing clothing as they ran.

Wesley and Faith sat in the car for a few seconds with their mouths dropped open.

Faith shook her head, “It's gonna be a long night, that's for damn sure,” she muttered sotto voice as she pushed open her car door and stepped out.

“I think it would be for the best if we choose rooms as far away from them as humanly possible,” Wesley said dryly.

“Dude, you don't have to tell me that twice,” Faith snickered, “Who would have thought shy Willow could be such a horny little devil?”

“I suspect that it is part of their bond that makes her act that way,” Wesley said calmly as he unlocked the trunk and started removing his bags.

# # #
Upstairs in the bedroom, Willow ghosted her fingers over Xander's copper-colored nipples. Under her fingertips she could feel the rapid beating of his heart and meeting his gaze, she knew he was not as calm as he was pretending. And a slight smile crossed her face as she marveled at his control.

That beautiful mouth was relaxed, the tender lips parted slightly and, she felt a rush of heat as she imagined that mouth stretched opened and wrapped around Angel's cock. Bending her head, she began to lap at his nipples, feeling the betraying shiver as his drooling cock grazed her belly.

Xander twisted, this time it was she that shivered, that cried out as the two men began to stroke her with long wet sweeps of their tongues, licking her all the way down to her toes. Then Angel turned her over and they began again, caressing her with liquid sweeps of their tongues, her thighs, her ass, the length of her back, brushing aside her hair to finish with a slight nip from Angel at the nape of her neck. She gasped feeling Angel's blunt human teeth worry at the flesh there.

Keening softly in pleasure, she was turned over again and her legs spread. Whimpering in need, as the fire of their Bonding began flaring hotter...the heat becoming unbearable.

She uttered a shameless moan that made Xander smile darkly against her breast as Angel buried his heatweetween her spread thighs and a cool tongue began to exploring her soft inner folds with bold stabs and long liquid caresses that set her on fire. Angel began lapping at her, tasting her, sipping at the essence of her, burrowing out her clit and worrying at the small fleshy nodule with his tongue. She spread her legs wider, grasping his head with a shaky hand, pressing him closer.

"Oh Goddess!" she screamed, clutching at the sheet, her back arching as his tongue plunged into her. This was ecstasy---Angel's tongue just plowing into her, licking and sucking on her clit. She undulated her hips, seeking his tongue, she wanted, no needed it tighter; she couldn't get him within her far enough to satisfy her craving, her longing to complete the ritual.

"You love this, don't you," she heard Xander whispered huskily as he suckled avidly at her breast, nipping softly at her pouting nipple.

She cried out as Xander filled his mouth with her breast, nibbling, sucking, swirling his tongue around a stiff point. Pulling greedily on her pouting nipple, she jolted upward and never lost contact with Angel's fat liquid tongue caressing, plunging into her. She gasped, her hips arching as Angel slid two fingers deep into her wet core.

She parted her legs further needing as much of Angel's voracious attention as possible to relieve the growing ache within. It was torture to feel the two mouths, the two set of greedy hands on her at the same time. Like starving men, they feasted on her with voracious abandon, their wet sucking mouths driving her insane with pleasure.

Xander shuddered slightly as he felt cool fingers stroke across his ass, knowing who the hands belong to, still he cast a brief look downward to see Angel watching him with hot golden eyes. His face wet and rising from between Willow's legs.

Harder....faster....more...more...and more...She pushed down on Angel's tongue and fingers, arching higher into Xander's mouth. Eat me. Suck me...give me more---And with a long keening scream she came, rocketing higher and harder into a long heart-pounding slide to completion.

Xander shivered, his eyes held by Angel as the other slowly licked between Willow's eagerly spread thighs, the golden eyes closing in an expression of pure bliss and then his eyes were hidden by Willow's thighs rising and tightening around Angel's head in her climax.

And he almost came right then and there against her rippling body as she came, her hands clenched in Angel's hair, keeping him firmly between her thighs.

As her ragged breathing came under control, Xander felt cool hands on his hips, shifting him, pulling him back away from Willow and his engorged sucking of her nipples, those sweet, plump, juicy nipples.

Pulling back, he raised his head and met Angel's knowing eyes, arousal singing, burning sweetly in his veins. Meeting the hungry approach of Angel's mouth with his own hesitant lips, he gasped at feeling the cool interior within. He felt a warm hand caressing his aching shaft as he lost himself in the dual sensation of Angel's cool tongue plunging into his mouth and a warm palm stroking him.

Angel at last drew back from the tempting succulent mouth, aching with the need to be enclosed in hot tight flesh, moaning as he felt two hands wrap around his cock and began to purposely stroke him, spreadins prs pre-cum over his hard flesh. Greedily, he dived back into Xander's mouth, enjoying the whimper of pleasure from Xander and the moans of encouragement from Willow. MINE, was his fierce possessive thought.

He reached around and parted Xander's asscheeks, trailing his wet finger over the sensitive pucker. Circling around the tight, seductive little hole, Angel drank down the boy's gasp as he breech the beguiling, tender opening slowly, allowing the boy to become used to his finger encased in that hot tempting heat before slowly plunging his finger back and forth. He felt those supple hips bucking, rolling with his finger easy motion within the hot tightness of Xander's ass.

Releasing the sweet, luscious lips, he attacked Xander's neck, mouthing at the soft flesh. He actually had to grit his teeth to stop himself from coming from the two hands stroking him with lusty abandon and he wanted to howl with pleasure. With ruthless iron control he reined himself in, when he came, he planned to be rammed deeply within Xander's hot seductive little ass.

Reluctantly releasing Xander's lush tender mouth he maneuvered the long, supple body around and over Willow, his eyes meeting Xander's, silently indicating what was going to happen next.

Willow looked up into Xander eyes, seeing the desire, the fear and above all, the love in his eyes as he maintained his crouching position, lowering his lips to hers, kissing her with greedy need.

He knew what Angel intended to do and he couldn't help but stiffen slightly as he felt his asscheeks spread and gasped into Willow's mouth, as he felt pleasure surging through him at the cool wet licking across his clenching hole. Feeling the pliant muscle gliding in his pucker, he mewled softly and rocked against Willow at the gripping sensation.

Willow gasped at the first tiny thrust Xander made, pressing against her belly. Her hands trailed down to his clenching asscheeks and felt Angel's cold hands there, spreading Xander's cheeks for his gluttonous pleasure. Willow took a firm grip on the firm flesh and held Xander's cheeks apart for Angel's greedy delectation, as Xander's lips crushed hers with enthralling passion, their tongues dueling, caressing each other. Moaning deeply in her mouth, he began a slow shimmying movement against her writhing body.

Each time Angel moved his head, she could feel the flexing of his cheeks lightly brushing against her fingers and she just wished she could see him taking Xander with his tongue, making their lover moan and shiver in her arms.

Xander shivered as he then felt Angel's fingers drive slowly into him, gasping at the incredible fullness he felt. Whimpering in pleasure as his desire soared, his drooling cock providing a slick path and a measure of friction between him and Willow. He arched his increasingly writhing ass into Angel's fingers and began pumping his hips in short erotic movements against Willow's wet stomach, following the viscous glide path his leaking cock had created.

Whimpering in distress, his hips pumping slowly between her legs, his aching cock caressed between them as Angel pulled his fingers out. He sighed with something akin to pleasure as he guided into Willow's welcoming flesh, groaning softly as he felt something else, something much bigger than Angel's finger began to fill him...

Xander moaned softly as Angel slowly thrust his cock deep in his ass. And for half a second his incredulous thought was 'And guys think this feels...' when Angel slow inthrust brush against something that sent jagged arc of ecstasy straight to his already hard cock.

"God!" he screamed, caught between the sweet, gripping tightness his cock was sinking in and the ramrod hard shaft in his ass, burrowing deeper into his spasming hole, touching, brushing against....

Willow screamed, then a low keening cry came from her throat as Xander sank almost impossibly deeper into her, his eyes turning a solid glowing white. She looked past Xander's tight, edged smile to meet Angel's luminous glowing solid gold eyes, unaware that hers had become a soft black, glittering with pinpricks of light as the Bonding Ritual became to surge through them. For Willow the thought of the two men locked in passion caused her to tighten deliciously around the hard shaft, ruthlessly spearing her to the bed.

Xander whined as Willow tightened around him, hissing from the twin sensation of making love to Willow, being tightly encased in her rippling tight flesh and the feeling of Angel's thick hard shaft buried deep inside him, caressing him with every stroke. And he slowly sank deep, even deeper within her tight wet heat as Angel sank deeper into him.

All three gasping at the sensation of sheer bliss.

Angel moaned at the incredible feeling tightly gripping his cock, and holding Willow's eyes, he began to move, achingly slow within the silky hot interior.

Xander eyes widened abruptly at the surge of raw pleasure that went through him as Angel touched something deep within him, and he couldn't help but cry out in bliss, as he began driving his hips relentlessly into Willow's wetness, backing into that hard driving shaft with each movement of his body. Groaning slightly as he felt a burning sweet ache as Angel slid even deeper into him.

Willow gasped, her head thrown back, an undulating wail of ripped from her throat as heat, pleasure…her need began spiraling out of control, "Yes...yes...harder! Damn you Xander, faster...oh....oh ...yes...more...give to me harder...." her words trailing off in a babble of nonsense as she rode the intense sensation spiraling upwards from between her legs, becoming more stimulated by the half-closed look in Xander's eyes, sensual gratification etched on his face. She raised her gaze and was locked into the bottomless pools of Angel's eyes, her body rocking under the twin thrusts of the two males.

Xander's head was thrown back, almost sobbing in pleasure at the incredible fullness as Angel's thrusts became more urgent, harder....faster. Pounding deeply into his clenching ass, riding him....taking him with an almost bruising passion, urging him to keep pressing his shimmying ass back---back onto that thick cock ramming deep inside him. He offered himself up to whatever Angel wanted him to do, writhing and moaning between the twin sensations of erotic pleasure. Circling his hips, he encouraged Angel to fuck him even deeper...harder...forever just as long as he kept making him feel like this. He could feel his release so close...so fuckin' close....closer….there! He came with a shout as he dove into into a hot sea of pure ecstasy.

Gasping out the Bonding Ritual, his eyes flaring with luminous intensity, "I...am...
Xander, Warrior...Protector of Humanity...," he began, "I take thee, Willow Rosenburg and Angel, Vampire and Witch as Companions, as Mates....to guard, to hold, to protect. We are one...thy battles are mine, thy wars are mine!" he howled his release, feeling his cock, his cum being milked from him in Willow's hot rippling flesh.

Willow looked up with, her eyes a starry black, I...am...Willow Rosenburg, Witch, Keeper of the Magic...," she began, "I take thee, Xander and Angel, Vampire and Warrior as Companions, as Mates....to guard, to hold, to protect. Thy wars are mine, thy battles are mine, we are one!" She screamed as she toppled over into a sea of glory, her eyes blind to everything else but the fire racing through her.

Angel felt his balls beginning to tighten, the pleasure he took in Xander's body while staring into Willow's eyes was almost indescribable. It felt like Xander's body had been made for him, as if both Willow and Xander's bodies had been created just for his pleasure, dormant....waiting for him to awaken them to life with his voracious kisses and caresses.

Gritting his teeth at the incredible tightness gripping him so warmly, he could barely restrain himself for coming, feeling his body throbbing with a sense of urgency...with a primeval urge rising swiftly within him. He rammed deeper into Xander's tight fluttering hole, feeling the boy clenching desperately around him, groaning at how good it felt...and never releasing Willow from his eyes, his movements becoming increasingly urgent as he saw her climax take her.

MINE, was his possessive thought, "I...am...Angel, Vampire, Demon...," he began, "I take thee, Willow Rosenburg and Xander, Warrior and Witch as Companions, as Mates....to guard, to hold, to protect. Thy battles are mine, thy wars are mine, we are as one!" With a roar he came, spewing his cum deep within Xander's ass.

And the room glowed with a spiraling light and they cried out, their bodies still twisting, thrusting into one another as the light circled them once, twice....and on the third passage around it slammed into...

....Angel's back... slammed into Xander...slammed into Willow....

...connecting to them to each other...

....and now the bonding was complete.

Xander collapsed against Willow, surprising an Oof! from her as Angel sank bonelessly down on Xander's back.

"Off," Willow gasped out, weakly hitting both Xander and Angel. "Can't breath....get off!" My God, I just had the most incredible sex of my life with Xander and Angel and I don't even feel remotely guilty, she thought in astonishment, all I can think is WOW!

"Make Angel get off me first," Xander whined tiredly, his ass was still twitching in the afteraffects of the most intense orgasm he had ever experienced in his life...and that was saying a LOT considering just how friggin' old he was!

Angel groaned and reared back, both he and Xander hissing at the pleasure. Xander shifted with a pleasurable groan as he pulled out of Willow and collapsed face down into the bed. Both Willow and Xander breathing raggedly.

He look at the two with clear amusement, "Hey Willow, Xander, so what were you two saying about being gay?" he snickered at the looks on both their faces.

Xander said with great dignity, "I prefer the term Bi-sexual, thank you!" He would have put his nose in the air were it not for the fact that he was still lying face down.

"Yeah, what he said," Willow sighed, her body was still trembling and twitching. "I wanna tell you guys, that if every time we make love and it's always this...this mindblowing," she paused, a slow wicked smile curving her lips, "Then bring it on!"

Angel looked startled, Xander propped himself up on his elbows, both of them looking at her in bemused wonder before laughing at the leer on her face.

"Willow Rosenburg!" Angel laughed, reaching over Xander's prone body to give her a poke, "You shameless hussy!"

"Guys, I just engaged in a menage-a-trois with two very good friends and two of the sexist men I know and you expect decorum from me," Willow rolled her eyes, "Give me a break."

Her eyes turned serious, "You know, I never expected to find love again so soon after Tara's death, then to meet Kennedy...," she broke off with a frown, staring into the distance as she sat up slowly, then she snapped her eyes to Xander.

"But you never liked Kennedy did you," she breathe in shock, "You always thought she was a phony and conniving bitch, didn't you?"

Xander pushed himself to his knees, his hands resting on his thighs with an look of shock on his face.

"You never trusted her, did you? In fact, you almost hated her," Angel said softly, his eyes distant. "But you loved Tara didn't you? She was like sister to you, you loved and respected her almost as much as you love Dawn and Willow...and how the hell do I know these things," Angel said in frustration, growling as a particularly vivid scene of Xander's father beating him for not taking out the garbage, his eyes turning to liquid gold as a memory of being left by herself for a week flashed in his mind.

Willow hissed, her eyes darkening with fury as an memory of being teased by Xander's mother for wetting the bed surged through her mind....we/he was only 5 years old. Memories of Angel's father yelling at him coming home drunk, he wasn't drunk he had been attacked by couple of bullyboys.

Xander shivered and wrapped his arms around himself as memories of Angel/Angelus surged through his mind, killing his father and taking such a dark delight in showing the overbearing fool who was stronger now...Willow parents forgetting her 13 birthday and flying to Hawii leaving her alone for two weeks.

"It's the Bond," he gasped out, "I was told that it could be intense but nobody warned me that...," he shook his head roughly,ing ing to hold back a whimper of fear, remembering how scared he was when he was cursed by the gypsies. No, it wasn't me, it was Angel!

Angel and Willow cried out as they/he were thrown facedown on the ground, by Angelus. Fighting desperately, freezing as PAIN ripped through them/him...shame as they/he felt Angelus thrusting into their/his unprepared body.

They crawled together and held each other as memories surged thorough their minds, faster and faster....

*Flick* Buffy lifeless in a pool of water in the Master's cave, watching as Xander breathed desperately to life...

*Flick* A small dark hair little boy swaggering into class but she could see fear lurking behind the laughing brown eyes...

*Flick* The look of joy in Tara's eyes the first time they made love...

Flick...Flick....Flick

Images coming faster and faster as they held on to each other desperately, emotions surging through them..

Laughter, hatred...

Fear slammed into them as they/he felt Angelus return after making love to Buffy...

Terror, joy...

Shame hit them and they moaned as they/she looked in Xander's eyes after trying to kill him in her madness...

Love, concern...

Loneliness almost stilled their breath as they/he felt again pushed to the side by Buffy and Willow...

Emotions raged through them, one after another. Up to joy, happiness, laughter, love...their souls singing before abruptly plunging into hatred, fear, rage, sorrow. Surging almost ceaselessly, from one extreme to another, winding tighter, faster, spiraling until...until they screamed with one voice before collapsing in a tangle of arms and legs, cr.
.

"Xander, I never meant to make you feel like that," Willow sobbed against Angel, clinging desperately to Xander's hand, "I just felt so guilty and ashamed of myself after what I had did that summer to you, to the world. I tried to hurt everyone, I tried to kill you. God, I'm so sorry," she wailed, twisting in Angel's loose embrace to press herself against Xander.

"Willow, I never meant to hurt you with Cordy," Xander whispered brokenly. "I loved you then and I always have. I just didn't think you, I didn't think we were ready for that step. And then when we were ready, we screwed everything up, I screwed everything up...my fault, all my fault."

"Angel, I'm sorry for every mean thing I've ever said about you," Xander looked at Angel earnestly, seeing the bloody tears trailing down Angel's face, the look of bottomless pain in those beautiful golden eyes. He reached up a hand to caress Angel's beautiful face, "You've been fighting for over two hundred years on the side of Lig Light, but I just didn't want to believe that a demon could ever be one of the good guys. I'm so sorry that I wasted years hating you, mocking you and trying to make your life hell," he whispered pulling Angel's face to his and kissing the drooping lips gently, tenderly offering comfort.

Willow raised her head from between their bodies, regarding Angel solemnly and began kissing his cheek softly, offering him solace from his dark memories. She hadn't understood at the time Xander's strong dislike of him but he had always been good to her.

Angel sighed into their mouths, letting their love surround him as they sank back down on the bed, one on either side on him. And cradled in their love he sleep, untroubled for the first time in over a hundred years of dark whisperings from Angelus.

Wesley and Faith had moved three different times trying to find rooms far enough away from Xander, Angel and Willow’s screams and moan. Finally winding up in the basement and gratefully falling asleep in the blessed quietness.

Late morning of the next day, Xander finally stumbled from the room to the bathroom, pale, shaky and limping.

A few seconds after, Willow dragged herself out of the room, face white as the sheet she had wrapped around herself, eyes glazed in extreme fatigue as she hobbled into the bathroom as well.

They emerged from the bathroom some time later looking a little less weary and disappeared back into the bedroom.

Xander poked at Angel’s thigh as Willow shook Angel’s shoulder.

“Angel, wake up,” Willow urged the almost comatose vampire.

Angel merely groaned and rolled over in the bed, ignoring them in his desperate desire for more sleep.

“Buffy’s here and she's got a stake in her hand,” Xander announced calmly, watching Angel.

Angel jerked upright in the bed, looking wildly around with a panicky expression.

His eyes narrowed on the giggling Willow and smirking Xander. “That was not even in the remotest funny,” he grumbled to his snickering mates.

“But you should have seen the expression on your face,” Xander smiled and gasped as Angel pulled him down in the bed for a thorough good morning kiss.

“Guys, while that may be intensely hot as hell, and I dearly want to join you too, we need to call Buffy,” Willow said her eyes glazing slightly as she looked at her two mates.

She gasped as Xander reached up and yanked her down in the bed, both he and Angel attacked her with long burning kisses.

With a satisfied sigh, Angel released them, “We need some clothes,” he said reluctantly, gently nuzzling into Willow’s neck.

“Willow can conjure us some clothes and furniture until we can go shopping for more later today,” Xander whispered, dipping his head for a kiss on Willow’s neck, sighing with pleasure as Angel, kissed his back.

“Umm, no can do, remember Evil Willow,” she said with a sigh, arching her neck.

“Don’t worry about that, you’re mated now.” Xander kissed Willow, really getting into it when Willow abruptly pulled back and yanked on his hair.

"What do you mean by that," she demanded.

"Let go of the hair and I'll tell you," Xander said with a wince of pain.

Willow flushed while Angel began snickering, "And you guys make fun of me about my hair," he snorted.

"Look man, she was hurtin' me," Xander whined with a mock glare.

"Excuse me, back to my question," Willow glared at Xander, her look serious.

"Willow, the reason why you went out of control was because you didn't have a balance at the time. Now, either Angel or I can act as your balance until you learn to balance yourself...by yourself. What they taught you in England was fine because that was all they knew. But with us Bonded, you don't crave the magic anymore...you can go further and do so much more with it now," Xander looked at her seriously, smiling as he felt her joy rising.

"I can do magic again," she whispered beside herself with joy. Dear Lord, she had missed it so much! It was almost like a physical ache or a missing limb.

She looked around wildly before settling on Xander and her eyes flashed...clothing him in black, tight leather pants, a blue almost halter-top shirt.

Turning to Angel, her eyes flashed again ...clothing him in distressed brown leather pants and a thin white shirt.

She screamed with joy! She didn't feel any of the dark craving to do more magic, just a sense of well-being. She jumped enthusiastically on Angel and Xander, peppering their laughing, smiling faces with kisses.


Downstair, Wesley and Faith heard Willow screaming.

“My God, again?!,” Wesley groaned, covering his ears, “Where do they get the strength?”

“Hell, if I knew the boytoy was that enthusiastic, I probably would have given him another go myself,” Faith muttered to herself as she covered her ears.

Surprised, they looked up as Angel, Willow and Xander strolled into the kitchen, actually Angel and Xander strolled, Willow was lilly lly bouncing.
tak take that back," Faith muttered, "That was waaay faster than I like 'em."

Both Faith and Wesley's eyes widen at the sight of Angel, had he always been that...that beautiful was all their dazed minds could focus on.

Xander smirked, isn't it's amazing what a little Bonding could do for a fellow.

"Faith! Wesley! I can do magic," Willow cried, her eyes glowing with happiness.

Wesley and Faith started, reluctantly pulling their admiring gaze from Angel, who glanced curiously at Xander.

Xander shrugged as if he had no idea what their problem was.

Wesley raised a brow, "And what were you doing before," he asked, wondering if she had gone around the bend.

"Magic, silly...but every time I did it, it kept getting harder and harder to control it, to stop," Willow had stopped smiling, "But look," and she gestured transforming the empty kitchen into a fully functioning kitchen, complete with a hearty breakfast that had Xander eagerly diving forward.

"Willow, if I didn't love you before...this would definitely win my heart," Xander sighed as he greedily dug into hot pancakes, moaning at the fluffy goodness.

Wesley looked cautiously at a sausage link before picking one up and taking a small bite, "Ooooh, these are quite good," he said in surprise. Shrugging he grabbed a plate and started filling it, "Thank you Ms. Rosenburg."

Faith just shrugged, and said, "Girl, you got the hookup," before grabbing a plate and loading it up.

Willow just smiled as she felt Angel's arms steal around her, "What about me," he murmured.

"Look in the fridge," she kissed him quickly before grabbing a plate also and waffles.

Soon the only sound in the kitchen was contented eating.

Groaning, they all rested back in their chairs.

Xander patted his full belly, "Willow, if you can keep producing food like that, I think me and Angel may just keep you," he said genially, looking offended as everyone laughed at him.

"So, Mr. Harris, I presume there was a reason why you needed us here," Wesley said, sipping at his tea as he eyed Xander over the steaming refreshing liquid.

"Yeah," Xander sighed as Willow and Angel gave him sympathetic looks. They knew what his plan was and they all felt trepitious about the success of it.

"With the First unleashing the Bringers and a couple of ubervamps onto us, I propose that we make the mansion Slayer central. That is move all the Potentials here to the mansion for safety," Xander said reluctantly.

"And this is a problem because...," Faith said impatiently, blinking at the look Angel gave her. "Oh yeah, I forgot about you guys....," her eyes went comically wide as she remembered the moaning and screaming from last night, "Ooooh, Bugonngonna go upside somebody's head," she breathe, laughter sparkling in her eyes.

"She can try," Willow said levelly, her eyes cool. No one was going to touch her Mates.

Faith sobered as she looked at Willow and the way she was dressed, "Uh oh, somebody's been eating her Wheaties," she snickered, then waving a hand, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Look I'm not making fun of you guys...it's just that...," she shrugged her shoulders uncomfortably.

"Yeah, but you don't know how much Buffy's changed in last couple of months. I honestly think the pressure of the First is starting to get to her. She's pushing people away right and left, acting like she's the only one that can voice an opinion, that her opinion is always right even when she knows it's wrong," Xander said in weary frustration.

"So you plan on keeping them here and safe, to protect them," Wesley looked around at the three glum faces. "Do you also plan on telling Ms. Summers the truth?"

"Yeah, and of course she's not gonna believe me since she is apparently of the belief that she's the greatest thing since sliced bread," Xander said bitterly.

"Xander Harris!" Willow snapped at him, "That is so not true and you know it!"

"Fine! Then you tell me why she's been treating me like I have nothing better to do with MY money than to pay for the upkeep of *her* friggin' house! She treats Dawn like a red-headed stepchild for crying out loud, 'n you know it!" Xander charged hotly.

Willow faltered under the memories flickering in her mind and sighed, realizing Xander had some justification in his belief.

"Xander, I still believe that the pressure is just getting to her," she said quietly, "I think that once she knows that the mansion is a safe haven, that she'll relax. After all, she won't be fighting the First, only the Bringers."

Under her soothing voice, Xander felt himself calming, cleansing the angry bitterness from him.

Angel had remained still as they spoke, seeing Xander as well as Willow's memories, he sighed, "I have a feeling that both of you may be right about Buffy. I think we're gonna just have to play it by ear."

"But in the meantime, we need to get this place outfitted for the Potentials. We'll need beds, lots of furniture, exercise equipment and food," Xander ticked off each item on his fingers.

Then a wicked gleam came in his eyes.

He got up and perched in Angel's lap, "Have I told you what a wonderful man you are," he purred, kissing Angel softly on the lips.

Willow blinked, a light dawning in her eyes and she sashayed over to Angel, rolling her hips seductively, "And such a fantastic lover," she whispered, nibbling at his ear.

"Oh for God's sake, just take my credit cards," Angel moaned under the dual caresses.

Xander hopped up, "Thanks honey," a bright smile on his face.

Angel rolled his eyes, "Men!" in tones of deep disgust.

Wesley regarded Angel thoughtfully, "Angel, while it may not be any of my business but since when have you been able to sit directly in sunlight?"