•••

Austin looked around the Magic Box, searching for someone who wasn't utterly engrossed in what they were doing. He thought that maybe, just maybe, he'd found something useful in the big, dusty book Mr. Giles had given him. Of course, he was probably wrong, but it was worth a shot. Unfortunately, Buffy was actually focused on her own reading, as were the others. He wasn't confident enough in what he'd found to bother interrupting someone. After a couple of minutes, though, he noticed that the tall guy from Los Angeles, Angel, was preparing to change books. Austin wasn't really sure about approaching Buffy's vampire ex-boyfriend, but it was worth a shot.

"Angel?"

Angel glanced at Austin. The young man was leaned over the table, book in hand. The vampire thought the boy looked a bit lost, like he'd been dropped in the middle of wonderland without a map. "Yeah?"

"Um..." Austin began nervously. "Could you look at this? I'm probably wrong but it sounds like what Mr. Giles has been talking about." Actually, it sounded more like what Mr. Giles had *not* been talking about. That is, to Austin the information seemed to rule out a number of demons.

Angel took the text and turned it around. "Let's see..."

Buffy heard murmuring voices and turned to see Angel and Austin talking quietly at the other end of the table. Giles had separated all the lovers, save Spike and Xander of course, so that more research would get done. The Slayer hadn't been thrilled with the idea of letting Angel and Austin sit that close to each other, but since Gunn was nearby, she figured nothing would happen. But the two men seemed to be interacting in a civil manner, no grrr or hiss to be heard. Buffy was happy that Angel hadn't made a big deal about Austin; the vampire would always have a place in her heart, but she needed to move on.

However, at the moment they were not the most pressing thing on Buffy's mind. She really needed to talk to Willow, something she hadn't been able to do since before the witch's meltdown. Any blind fool could see that the redhead was more than a little interested in Doyle. The speed with which Willow's affections switched from Tara to Doyle troubled Buffy and she wanted a little confirmation from Willow that all was...well, improving on the recovery front.

"Wills?" Buffy whispered, drawing the witch's attention. "I need a break. Wanna get coffee?"

Willow glanced around the room, looking for Xander. He was normally doughnut boy, so Buffy's offer was a bit of a surprise. Xander and Spike were otherwise occupied, however, necking on the stairs as they didn't really get any research done. "Sure," She murmured, pushing back her chair.

"Giles," Buffy said, loudly enough to catch the Watcher's attention. "We're gonna go get coffee for everybody. Back in a few."

Giles frowned but nodded, knowing that Buffy would keep Willow in line. "Very well. Do not linger." Doyle watched the two women leave, a worried grimace marring his face. Giles' stern scowl got the Irishman back to work, however.

Buffy waited until they were clear of the shop before starting to talk. "What gives, Willow? One day you're crying over Tara and now you and Doyle are bestest buddies."

Willow blanched. "I'm still crying over Tara, Buffy," The witch murmured. "It hurts that she's gone."

"But..." The Slayer started.

The redhead sighed. "But it wasn't going to work, you have to know that. She's too in tune with the power. I'd end up hurting both of us--even if I didn't ever try to use her like I did the demons. We'd never be comfortable with each other again. She's too tempting," Willow continued. "Like asking an alcoholic to serve drinks."

"And Doyle?" Buffy whispered. "What's he?"

"He gets it," Willow replied. "He knows how hard it is, how much I crave what I can't have. And he doesn't look down on me, doubt me, or pity me," She added, glancing at Buffy.

Buffy grimaced. "We don't do that either," She argued.

"Right," Willow muttered. "I can see why you do, Buffy. Just don't bother denying it. There are times now when you wonder if I'm gonna snap, if I'm really the best person to have behind you in a fight, 'cause maybe this time I'll fail you."

Buffy said nothing. What could she say when Willow had just said it all for her? The redhead had to earn back the trust she'd broken, and it wasn't going to be easy. If Doyle made things better for her, Buffy was happy for them both. She just didn't want Willow doing anything she'd regret later, and told the witch that.

Willow smiled sadly. "Kinda hard for me to top nearly killing my best friends, Buffy. And Doyle's not a mistake."

"If you say so," Buffy murmured. She was worried about her friend, and no weak assurance was going to change that.

•••

"It's nothing, isn't it?" Austin asked wearily.

Angel shook his head. "No, it's not. This definitely rules out several demons," He added. "Why don't you show it to Giles?"

Austin shrugged. "Fine." He accepted the book from Angel and sat back. "Where were they going to get coffee?" He asked, looking at his watch.

Angel smiled slightly. "They weren't going for coffee," He replied.

"I know," Austin almost-snapped. "But it's dark."

"And Buffy's the Slayer," Angel reminded the football player. He found it funny that the men Buffy attracted seemed to continuously underestimate her strength--himself included.

"But Willow's not," Austin retorted. "And she made a lot of enemies with her genocidal approach to demonic crime control."

Angel blinked. Austin had a good point. That in and of itself was a bit surprising, considering everyone's uniformly low opinion of his mental abilities. Then again, he had been the one to find their first bit of useful information in hours. "Why don't we go look for them?"

Austin nodded and stood up. The truth was, he didn't like being out on the streets alone anymore. After having come face-to-face with the things Buffy fought, he no longer felt comfortable in the big, evil world. Not that he'd admit it to anyone, of course. He was Austin, star quarterback--although that was about to change--and general, all-around man's man.

"And where are you going?" Giles snapped as the duo approached the door.

"Out," Angel muttered, not bothering to stop. Austin followed his lead and exited the shop without a word.

"They wanna check on the Slayer," Spike murmured, burying his face in Xander's neck. "Make sure the doughnut demons don't come after her an' Red."

"Avoiding research," Giles said under his breath. Spike smirked.

"Boy toy found something, though," The vampire continued. "In that useless book you gave him."

Doyle, Gunn and Cordelia all reached for the book. Wesley extricated himself from the corner Giles had pinned him into and joined the others. "What did he find?" Wesley asked as he and Giles reached the table.

Doyle frowned as he read. "Oh."

"Oh?" Giles echoed. "What, precisely, does 'oh' mean?"

"Read for yerself," Doyle said, thrusting the book at Giles.

"Did he find out what demon it is?" Wesley asked excitedly.

"No," Doyle replied. "More like what it's not."

"Indeed," Giles murmured as he handed the book to Wesley. "That will prove useful."

Meanwhile, Angel and Austin stalked through the streets towards Buffy's favorite coffee spot. "So, what's L.A. like?" Austin asked tentatively.

"Big. Evil," Angel replied. "Good restaurants, though, if Cordelia is to be believed."

"Sounds lovely," Austin muttered.

"It has its charms," Angel admitted.

"So does hell," Austin commented.

"I know."

An uncomfortable silence fell between the two men. Austin wasn't sure what to say; Angel's tone of voice indicated that he had a rather intimate knowledge of the place. Before hooking up with Buffy, Austin would've scoffed at the idea. But now... Austin would've asked about it, but he didn't. There was something...odd between him and Angel. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, though. Just a tense, slightly charged offness. He'd never really felt it before. Maybe it was because of Buffy.

"Football?" Angel murmured as they approached the coffee shop.

"For the moment," Austin confirmed. He didn't talk football with Buffy, or with any of her friends. It wasn't a subject he was comfortable with; football was an integral part of his life that he didn't like sharing. He hadn't made the decision to play football, his father had. And now, well, now football had gotten him into college and attracted any number of companions for him. Granted, they weren't always the people he'd have preferred, but they were company. Not that Buffy was less than wonderful, but sometimes Austin got tired of being the idiot--the big hulking fool.

Both men were so consumed by the disturbing energy between them that they never saw the shadowy figure trailing behind them. It drew closer and closer, until at last one inhuman arm reached out, fingers ghosting over the back of Austin's head. The young man twitched slightly, then stilled. Angel looked around, noticing Austin's movement, but saw nothing.

"Let's find Buffy," Angel said, urging Austin to cross the street.

They found Buffy and Willow in the coffee shop, juggling several carrying trays of coffee and a large paper bag full of baked goods. "Austin! Angel!" Buffy exclaimed when she saw the pair enter the shop. "Just in time. Here," She continued, thrusting a tray of hot coffee at her boyfriend. Willow gave Angel a similar tray and grabbed the last one, along with the doughnuts.

"So that's what was taking so long?" Angel asked, staring down at the coffee. He smelled mocha.

"Coffee's serious business," Buffy said seriously. "But thanks for the help."

Angel just nodded and led the group back out onto the streets. Austin tagged along in back, grinning maniacally.

•••

"Ah, you found them," Giles said dryly as the foursome re-entered the shop. "Dare I ask why a simple sojourn to the coffee shop took more than half an hour?"

"You may not," Buffy snapped back, smiling to gentle the rebuke. "Girl talk, Giles," She admitted a moment later. "Not the kind of stuff you're into."

Willow played the role of hostess and dutifully passed out hot coffee and doughnuts to the masses. Austin followed closely behind her, holding up trays of beverages. "'S not French roast this time, eh, Red?" Spike murmured as he reached for a cup.

"Er, nope," Willow replied. "Plain, black, Kenya AA for the discerning vampire and something with way too much sugar for Xander." She handed over Xander's coffee and turned to Austin to retrieve Spike's.

"Black as the pits of hell, and darker than your soulless heart," Austin said brightly to Spike as he handed Willow the coffee. "Would you like some damnation and suffering with that coffee, demon spawn?"

Every head in the room snapped over to stare at Austin. "Oh boy," Cordelia whispered. "This is not good."

"Did Austin just say what I think he said?" Buffy asked Giles. "That whole 'demon hellspawn' thing?"

Austin stalked closer to Spike, throwing the remaining coffee to one side. He grabbed a stake as he reached the stairs. "Die! Die! Die!" He screamed, launching himself at Spike. The blonde easily evaded the human, jumping up and to the side. Xander followed him, trying to get out of the way. "Come back here, you insalubrious piece of offal!"

Spike glanced at Xander, both men thinking the same thing. The young man had to be possessed. That kind of language was beyond his comprehension. "Spike," Buffy murmured. "Maybe you should, uh, get away?" She, Angel and Giles began to surround the obviously-insane Austin, trying to find a way to get him under control. Gunn, Doyle and Wesley went into the training room for some rope, while Cordelia wisely chose to stay out of the way.

"You!" Austin shouted at Xander. "You prefer that demon to the Slayer?" Xander's eyes narrowed. This demon really needed a lesson in creativity. All the jabs about people's sex lives and the evilness of vampires and whatnot was beginning to grate on Xander's nerves in a big way. The football player took a step toward Spike, then swiveled on his heel and barreled into Xander. The Bhavca demon fell backwards momentarily before shifting enough to slide partly through Austin. Xander then jumped up, clearing the other man's body. Austin fell hard, but managed to roll to one side, kicking out to catch Xander's leg and bring him down.

Spike snarled and leapt on Austin, furious that *anyone* would lift a hand against Xander. He reached for Austin's head, slamming it down hard against the floor. The football player struggled, but Spike had him pinned down and for once the vampire could use all his strength against a human. Austin didn't have a chance.

Xander saw Spike attack and immediately reached for the blonde. He knew that if he didn't stop Spike, Austin would die. "Spike," Xander whispered, instantly getting the vampire's attention. "He's out."

Spike glanced down at Austin, who was in fact unconscious. Then the blonde realized that they weren't alone. Buffy, Angel, Giles, Wesley, Doyle, Gunn, Willow and Cordelia were staring at him. Realizing that he'd just hurt a human. "Right." He rolled off Austin to stand next to Xander, still protective of the boy.

"We should secure Austin," Wesley murmured, reaching for the rope Gunn held. The two men, with Doyle, made quick work of tying up the large man, noting that Spike's assault had done little besides knock the guy out. He'd be awake soon enough, so they stored him in the training room with the accountant.

"Spike," Angel murmured.

"Something you want to tell us?" Buffy asked pointedly.

Xander stepped around Spike, putting the vampire behind him. He kept a hand on Spike's arm, so that he could get both of them out of the shop at a moment's notice. Spike wasn't happy with the arrangement, but he let Xander take the lead. "I took his chip out," Xander told the group.

His friends' and acquaintances' faces showed shock, horror, anger, fear and discomfort. Giles recovered first. "After the last attack?" He asked, watching Xander carefully.

Xander nodded. "I couldn't...I couldn't leave him like that, Giles. It wasn't fair. He couldn't defend himself." Much to Xander's surprise, Giles nodded.

"It is troubling to find out about this in such a...manner," Giles began. "But I agree." He grinned at Spike, reaching for a cigarette. Spike nodded, understanding the silent message he'd just received. So long as Spike continued to make Xander happy and played the good guy, Giles would allow him to live. Should Spike ever revert to his old ways, however, nothing on earth or any other dimension would save him from Giles' wrath.

Buffy stared at Giles. "You're just going to let him go?" She asked, incredulous. Spike could hunt now, could hurt people. Humans. She couldn't take much more excitement tonight. Her boyfriend was in the training room, bound up in ropes, probably trading 'I'm demonically possessed' stories with Xander's next door neighbor.

Giles cocked one eyebrow. "Spike could have done a great many things to hurt us before now, Buffy. He has much to lose should he try anything." A pointed glance at Xander told Buffy all she needed to know. She knew Xander, regardless of whether or not he was some sort of demon, and Xander wouldn't stand by and let Spike hurt anyone who didn't deserve it. He was one of the good guys, first and foremost.

"You gonna have a problem?" Spike asked Angel. The dark vampire studied Xander and Spike for a long moment.

"Are you staying here, with Xander?" Angel asked the blonde.

"As long as he wants to stay," Spike confirmed.

Angel just nodded.

"Er, Angel?" Cordelia chirped. "You're not actually *condoning* this, are you? This is Spike, guy who tortured your for a piece of jewelry. Evil ex-boyfriend of Drusilla." That comment elicited growls from both Spike and Xander.

"Yes," Angel said stoically. Cordelia scowled. She looked around for support, but found none. Gunn was obviously unhappy, but seemed to side with Angel. Doyle and Willow, too, weren't looking up to a fight. She didn't really expect it out of either of them; Willow was friend to both Xander and Spike, and Doyle was wrapped around the redhead's finger. Then there was Wesley, who was now on a very short leash, the other end of which was held by Giles.

"But I'm thinking we have a bigger problem now," Xander said after a minute.

"Which is what?" Cordelia snapped.

"The demon just possessed Buffy's boyfriend?" Xander offered. "Not a good thing in my book."

Buffy nodded slowly, thinking about the situation. They'd been playing nursemaid/jailor to the accountant for several days now. But Austin too? This was getting to be ridiculous. They had to find the demon, right now. "Giles," Buffy began, "I think maybe we've been letting this demon off easy. Doyle had a vision, one with lots of blood and bad things in it. We should be doing more, don't you think?"

"Yes," Giles agreed. "Perhaps a more proactive approach is called for."

•••

"I don't believe this," Spike growled as he pulled a chain mail shirt over his head. "We could be at home, shagging ourselves senseless. But no, we've got to ferret out some blood demon."

"Oh, you'd rather this thing catch you on your back?" Xander asked his lover. "'Cause I'm not thinking it's going to just wait around until you've gotten yours."

Spike did not deign to comment as he shrugged on his duster and followed Xander out of the shop's office. Austin could be heard muttering and cursing in the training room, having regained consciousness a few minutes earlier. They studiously ignored him until he started lighting into Angel, giving explicit commentary as to the quality of the vampire's physical attributes. Apparently Austin had been paying very close attention. They couldn't help but laugh at the vampire's discomfort.

"Sounds like you've got a fan club, Peaches," Spike remarked as he slid into a chair next to Angel. "I think the Slayer's boy toy likes you. Too bad you can't do anything about it. He sounds desperate."

Angel glared at the blonde. "Spike, shut up."

Gunn smirked. "He does have a point, Angel. Austin is really taken with your assets."

"With any luck, the boy will come to his senses when we've defeated the demon," Giles said dryly. "And shall quickly continue his overdone courtship of Buffy."

"Overdone?" Buffy said. "What do you mean, overdone?"

Xander sniggered, wanting nothing more than for Buffy to tangle with Ripper over Austin's behavior.

"Buffy, open your eyes. Men do not fawn and stumble over women in the manner Austin does unless there is an ulterior motive involved," Giles snapped. "In this case, it probably has something to do with Austin's less than...restrictive predilections."

Buffy frowned, obviously working her way though Giles' oblique references. "Predilections?"

"The boy's a pillow-biter," Spike stated, rolling his eyes. "Red had a term for it, back last semester. What was it, Witch, sublimation? Boy's been staring at Xander's arse for weeks now. Ripper too, come to think of it."

Willow choked but nodded. "That works, Spike."

"Shut up!" Angel growled at Spike. "Stop trying to irritate Buffy. There's a demon to catch out there, and we need to get started."

Doyle and Wesley nodded vehemently. They didn't want to get involved in the rather animated discussion going on around them, even if the alternative was fighting an unsavory demon-type.

"What is it we're looking for?" Xander asked, turning serious.

"The demon knows that Spike is no longer vulnerable, so it will probably attack soon," Giles replied. "We still do not know which demon it is, but we've narrowed the possibilities down to these." He handed over a sheet of paper to every pair, even to Willow. It was the first time she'd actually seen most of the names they'd been working on. Giles had forbidden her from reading so many books that she'd been stuck going through mundane histories and the like. "From the way the demon is working, I suspect that it is not physically strong; otherwise it wouldn't be using humans as intermediaries."

Willow glanced down the sheet. She recognized a few names, but most were unfamiliar... "It's this one," She announced, interrupting Angel as he was about to ask a question.

"What?" Wesley murmured. "Which one? How do you know?"

Willow held the piece of paper out like it was a snake. "That one," She said, pointing.

"Why that one?" Giles asked, reading the name. It wasn't one he'd thought of as a serious choice.

"I called it," Willow replied, her voice shaky. "That's *the* one I called. And drained."

"Oh," Wesley said absently. "I suppose that's a good enough reason." He studied the demon in question. "It possesses by touch only, so it must have come into contact with Austin."

"You called one of these things?" Gunn muttered. "Why?"

"How do you think she got the energy to decimate the town?" Giles replied harshly. "She called and drained a demon."

"Right, somebody did mention that," Cordelia said.

Xander stared at the ceiling while he thought. "So you're thinking that this demon is after us because Willow called it? Why? Couldn't it just leave town like any other demon? I mean, why us?"

Giles smiled slightly. "Interesting question, Xander. Perhaps it wants vengeance."

"What, for Willow draining it? I mean, it got a pass to our dimension in trade," Xander argued. "Unless it *wants* to set up house on the Hellmouth. Then it would need to clean us out. Makes things easier for it to move in."

"Which still doesn't tell us how to find it," Angel interjected. "But maybe Willow can show us how she called the demon in the first place."

Giles nodded and Willow moved to the 'restricted' area upstairs. "It took a weird spell, that much I remember," She said as she pulled down a heavy text. "And lots of strange stuff, like mink blood and starling urine."

"Mink blood?" Xander mouthed to Spike. The vampire shrugged.

"A bit strong for my tastes, but the Poof likes it well enough," Spike replied.

"Did not need to know that," Xander muttered. "And I so do not want to know your opinion of starling urine."

Giles studied the spell Willow provided for him. "Ah, a binding spell. You performed its reversal, I see."

The young witch nodded.

"What's that mean?" Cordelia inquired. "I thought it was just jumping into our dimension."

Giles shook his head. "It means that the demon is strong enough that a binding spell was easier to cast than trying to actually kill it."

"I take it killing this thing is hard?" Gunn asked.

"Considering how difficult this kind of binding spell is, I'd say yeah," Doyle murmured, reading over the text. "Bad any way you look at it."

"Can you do the binding again?" Buffy asked Giles. "With Wesley's help?"

Giles nodded. "Yes, but... we will have to plan very carefully. Even with both of us working, we will only be able to cast the spell once; it will take most of our energies together to do it."

"So we just need to lure the demon somewhere where you can cast the spell," Xander said. "Demon bait is something I can do."

"Cordelia, Gunn and Buffy should stay here, with us," Wesley commented. "They're less likely to encounter the demon here than outside."

"And gods know, we don't want to hear what'll come out of Cordy's mouth if the demon gets a hold of her," Xander muttered under his breath.

"From what you tell me, it wouldn't be much different from what she says now," Spike shot back.

Xander blinked. "True," He admitted. "But I agree, they should stay here."

"Excuse me? Who's planning this thing?" Buffy asked heatedly.

"We are," Giles and Wesley said together. Buffy's face fell; she was the--well, Giles usually *did* do the planning, along with the others' input. Giles watched dispassionately as Buffy silently decided what to do. Like Wesley, Buffy responded best to a short, firm leash.

"Fine," She huffed. "But I'm not just sticking around this place," She insisted.

Giles glared at his Slayer. "You will," He said starkly. "No one without a drop of demonic blood in them is stepping foot outside this shop," He continued, his voice stony. "That means that Spike, Xander, Doyle and Angel will go forth and find the demon. You, Willow, Cordelia and Gunn will help Wesley and I prepare for its arrival. You will not argue with me, little girl. Do. You. Understand?"

Buffy nodded slowly. This was not a Giles to argue with.

"Do you think being half-demon is enough?" Willow inquired worriedly. She didn't want Doyle to get possessed by the thing out there.

Giles nodded. "According to the texts, this demon can only possess humans."

"Right," Spike muttered. "Me an Xander will take the north end of town; Poof an' his sidekick get the south."

"Yes," Giles agreed. "Take a phone and call us if you spot it."

"What is it we're looking for again?" Xander asked as Spike shoved him out the door.

"Crazy people," Spike replied. "Well, crazier than usual people."

"Ah," Xander said. "That's so very helpful."

"Seriously," Angel said, stopping Spike on the sidewalk. "You two have been around more of these victims than the rest of us, particularly ones on the loose."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Look, Peaches, they like to make catty commentary about your sex life, offer to join in, and/or tell you just where you're going when you get staked."

Angel looked at Xander questioningly.

"Pretty much what he said," Xander replied, shrugging. Spike grabbed the boy's arm and headed up the street.

"Not that he'll have to worry about the first one," Spike muttered. "He couldn't get laid if he stapled hundred dollar bills to his pecker."

Angel pounded his head against a lamppost. Doyle shook his head and pointed them down the street. "Your fault, you know," The Irishman said as Angel stalked off.

"How is Spike's crudeness my fault?" Angel grated out.

"Oh, not that," Doyle corrected. "But you could've told them that the curse isn't in effect anymore."

Angel glanced down at Doyle. "That would've been a very bad idea."

Doyle frowned. "Buffy?"

"Yup."

"Oh."

"Yup."

•••

"I know you don't approve of lots of fancy magic stuff," Cordelia said to Giles, who was finishing the last bits of the binding spell. "But could you *please* shut them up?" The two men in the training room were now cursing in tandem, making lurid comments about Cordelia's tastes in men, Willow's choice of bedmate, everything anyone ever wanted to know about Buffy, and whether or not the Angels would win the World Series. "I'll pay you," She added desperately as Austin began to sing.

"She left without leavin' a number. She said she needed to clear her mind..."1

"Giles?" Willow said tremulously. "It's country."

"The man is singing an eponymous song," Wesley commented. "If you are unwilling to cast a silencing spell, I will do it instead."

Giles merely grabbed a couple of jars and started mixing. Youth these days had no endurance whatsoever. "Wesley," He murmured as he took the mortar to the training room. Willow, Cordelia and Gunn waited with bated breath. All of a sudden, the horrible singing stopped.

"I can't believe you asked them to do that," Buffy spat, curling up into a ball on the stairs. "That's my boyfriend!"

"Who just got done recounting the best way to go down on Sunnydale's current Slayer," Cordelia shot back. "Which I really didn't need to know."

"Not that it wasn't fascinating," Willow murmured. "But completely unnecessary."

"What else is there to do for this spell?" Buffy asked Giles when he returned. She wasn't going to get into it with Willow and Cordelia about Austin. If they wanted to shut the poor man up, fine. See if she had any sympathy for them when Gunn and Doyle next got into trouble. Hmm.

I believe the next part involves waiting," Giles replied flatly. "Poker, anyone?"

•••

"Here, demon demon demon," Xander cooed. "Demon, where are you? I know you're out there, demon demon demon."

"It's not a bloody cat," Spike snarled.

"Yeah, well I'm bored," Xander replied. "And we can't do anything fun because that might attract the demon."

Spike paused, as did Xander. "Isn't that the bloody point of this whole wandering about looking for trouble thing?" Spike asked.

"Kiss me, sailor," Xander said coquettishly, jutting one hip out.

"Not if you're going to keep doing that," Spike swore. "You look like you've got something in your eyes, and a bum hip as well."

Xander laughed and straightened. "Fine. Why don't we get drunk and screw?"

"Better," Spike admitted, pulling the boy close. They were well into a serious kiss when the sounds of rather blatant disapproval interrupted them.

"Couldn't you take that...somewhere else?" And older man said as he strolled past. "Disgraceful."

"Jackass," Xander commented. "But not possessed."

Spike studied his lover. "Why not possessed?"

"He didn't ask to join in," Xander replied.

"Point."

"We should keep going," Xander commented. "This demon isn't just appearing out of nowhere."

They wandered past the hospital and a few restaurants, scanning everyone they saw for signs of dementia. Other than the usual insanity of being out after dark in Sunnydale, they saw nothing special. Well, nothing special until Angel and Doyle appeared down the street, running towards them. A wave of humans followed behind, reminding Xander rather distinctly of the time he'd managed to make every female in Sunnydale fall in love with him.

"Er, Spike?" Xander murmured.

"I see it," Spike muttered.

"Is it just me, or is running away now a good tactic in this situation?" Xander asked frantically.

"Yeah," Spike agreed. "Wanna wait for Peaches an' the mick?"

Xander frowned. "I *could* phase shift us out of here, but if the demon is among those humans..."

"So we're running with the bulls, eh?" Spike muttered. "Fine, but watch it." It didn't matter that he was chipless; that many humans was like a flood tide; nothing would stop them. He wanted the boy to get himself out of trouble if anything happened.

"Run!" Angel shouted as they caught up to Spike and Xander. The two men obeyed, falling into place on either side of Doyle and Angel.

"What did you say to them?" Xander asked the dark vampire. "There must be a hundred of them back there!"

"Nothing!" Doyle replied for Angel. "We were just checking out the Wal Mart and *bang* the entire place started coming after us."

Xander pulled out his cell phone and dialed the Magic Box. "Giles? I'm not sure if we've got the demon, but we certainly have a lot of people chasing us!"

Giles sighed audibly. "Lead them here; the spell can be done outside the shop."

"What did he say?" Doyle asked as they turned down a side street.

"Take 'em to the shop," Spike answered, having overheard the very brief conversation. "But I'm thinking the demon's not going to be there."

"Another distraction?" Angel guessed.

Xander thought quickly. "But it'd have to be close by, right? To have possessed that many people. I mean, this is a big crowd, and it's getting bigger."

"Like it's adding to it, pulling everyone it can find," Doyle commented.

"You two take the maddening crowd to the shop," Xander ordered. "Me and Spike are gonna take a look at the back of the pack." He reached for Spike's hand and they disappeared into thin air.

Angel gaped momentarily, until Doyle slapped him and they took off again, crazy humans right on their heels. "I really wish he'd warned me about that," Angel muttered.

"Gotta admit it's a neat trick," Doyle said.

Angel sighed and ran on.

•••

"Here they come!" Willow announced. Gunn, Cordelia and Buffy took up the parts of the spell they were supposed to cast. Wesley and Giles were also hidden around the shop, ready to bind the demon when the mass of humans passed through. The spell was specific enough that it wouldn't hurt anyone but the demon itself, but it had to stay within the circle that the five of them made until the binding was complete. Willow was perched on a rooftop not far away, acting as lookout. She was also positioned so that she wouldn't interfere with the spell.

Buffy watched, awed, as the throng of humans chased Doyle and Angel down the street. They passed her by without a glance; that is, until she sneezed from the dust they kicked up. "Slayer!" One shouted. The entire group stopped and turned. "Slayer!" They all repeated.

Giles swore and started the spell, hoping the demon was amongst them. Buffy managed to do her part, even though several humans were trying their best to stop her. Magick swirled in the air, drawing out great strands of thready white light that curled around everyone. Wind screamed, cold and harsh, knocking most of the crowd down onto the pavement.

Cordelia held onto a doorframe, hoping not to be thrown to the ground, which was really nasty. She saw Gunn struggling to do the same and hoped that this plan worked. This was *not* what she'd signed up for when she'd joined Angel's little detective firm.

Wesley looked through the crowd of people, trying to spot the demon. If it was present, the binding spell--all those white lights--would focus on it. But there wasn't anything getting inundated by those lights, which worried the ex Watcher. No focus meant no demon, and no demon meant that when the spell petered out, which was when he and Giles ran out of energy, they would be left with almost two hundred angry, demon possessed humans at their feet.

Giles swore silently. This wasn't working; the demon wasn't there and they were in trouble. He signaled to Wes, Cordelia, Buffy, Willow and Gunn. They dropped their spell components and binoculars, turning to run away. As the spell died, the humans got up and split off to chase their demon's attackers, screaming madly into the night.

•••

Spike kept a death-grip on Xander's hand as they slid through dimensions, falling backward through space. It felt odd, seeing the world glide past him, without even the benefit of a breath of air to mimic actual movement. Xander stopped them, and then began to move forward again. Spike saw that he was scanning the streets, looking for anything that might be following the crowd. "There!" Xander hissed, pointing. An obscure, crouching figure was trailing behind the crowd, drifting from shadow to shadow.

"What--" Spike was cut off as Xander dragged him down the street, phase-shifting quickly. The vampire's stomach lurched as they hurtled through space. When Xander was in a hurry, travel was...rough.

Xander brought them right up to the demon, who was watching in glee as his possessed humans ran after the now-scattered Scoobies and Angel crew. The spell had been cast, but the demon wasn’t close enough for it to work. Spike felt an odd lurch as Xander dropped him onto the ground, reaching for the demon at the same time. Then his lover and the demon disappeared into thin air.

"Thought you'd just take us out, did you?" Xander growled as he shifted himself and the demon out of his home dimension. The demon snarled and struggled to get away from Xander, not yet realizing where they were. "Probably thought we'd be easy enough to get rid of, huh?" Xander continued, voice reverberating oddly in the atmosphereless expanse of the void. The only reason he could speak at all was because of his rather unique demonic status.

The demon hissed evilly, cloak falling back to reveal a wretched, mottled face covered in scars and gore. It spat at the boy, twisting in his grasp to get away. Then it realized where they were--or more specifically, where they weren't. They weren't anywhere, really, just sort of floating in the middle of nothingness.

"Yeah, remember this? It's where I brought the happy housewife," Xander sneered. "Bet ya didn't think I'd do something like that, eh?" The Bhavca demon loosened his hold on the demon, who in turn grabbed onto Xander with long claws. Xander could feel the demon try to enter his mind, but it couldn't--the demonic aspect of Xander's existence prevented that from happening.

"But I gotta run; see, there's this hot blonde waiting for me, and he's the impatient type," Xander said lightly as he shifted out of phase. The demon scrabbled madly, but Xander simply wasn't there anymore. The demon was sucked into the oblivion of transdimensional space, screaming soundlessly.

Spike was still standing in the middle of the street, staring at the spot that used to contain Xander, when the boy reappeared. "Miss me?" Xander asked as he solidified next to Spike.

"Where the bloody hell did you go?" Spike demanded. "Where's the demon?"

"He's gone," Xander replied. "For good, I figure."

Spike growled, upset by the boy's lightheartedness. He'd just watched his lover tackle a rather dangerous demon, disappear with it, and then return out of nowhere, acting like it had all been a walk in the park. "Bloody bugger," He swore, stomping off. Xander frowned at his lover's retreating back, following behind.

"What's the problem, Spike?" Xander called out. "The demon's gone, I bet the people are all back to normal--or whatever they were before--and nobody's hurt."

Spike gritted his teeth and kept on walking. The Magic Box was abandoned, but disoriented people wandered about, obviously unsure of why they were where they were; the demon's possession had worn off suddenly, leaving them greatly confused. Spike tried the door to the shop and found it unlocked, so he went inside to the training room. The accountant and Austin were staring at each other and the ropes that bound them. A few quick tugs had them both free; Spike glared at the accountant until he ran off and then helped Austin get to his feet.

"Spike," Xander said loudly, not liking his lover to ignore him. "What's going on?"

"Go home, get some sleep, and call the Slayer tomorrow," Spike told Austin, pointing to the door. "She an' Rupert will explain everything." When Austin paused, Spike shifted into gameface. That managed to spur Austin into motion and he ran out of the shop.

Xander stepped in front of Spike, blocking his path. "Spike, what's with you?"

Spike stared at Xander. "Do you have any idea what you just did?"

"Er, got rid of the demon?" Xander tried.

Spike grabbed Xander's shirt, shaking the boy. "You took up some thing that could probably kill you and went off to some other bloody dimension and left me here where I couldn't do a blasted thing! What if it had gotten to you? Hurt you? Killed You?" Spike roared, fangs dropping as he shifted into gameface.

Xander's eyes flashed green, but he tamped down his reactive anger. "I'm ok, Spike. Nothing happened."

Spike drew Xander to him, pressing their foreheads together. "This time."

"Hey, you run off and do crazy things all the time," Xander commented dryly.

"And you yell at me," Spike reminded him.

"You said you'd work on the whole 'overprotective' gig," Xander reminded the vampire.

"You're still standing, aren't you?" Spike retorted.

"As opposed to what?" Xander asked.

Spike quirked one scarred eyebrow.

"Oh."