"Lindsey?" The name was called out tentatively as Willow entered the apartment and quietly closed the door behind her. It was Thursday night, and nearly two weeks had passed since their day in the park. The witch and the lawyer had gone out four times since then, and they'd had another date planned for tonight. But Lindsey had never showed up. The redhead had given him the benefit of the doubt for awhile, checking her hair and makeup and even changing dresses while she waited for him, wondering if he'd gotten stuck at the office or lost track of time. And there was always the possibility that he'd gotten stuck in traffic. Their apartments might not be far apart, but she knew the law firm he worked for was a good twenty minutes away, so traffic actually was a viable option. After awhile of giving the benefit of the doubt, she began to get annoyed at him for not at least calling to tell her he'd be late, especially since she'd taken off from work an hour early so she'd have time to get dressed and ready before Lindsey picked her up for the play they were going to see. After about fifteen minutes of being annoyed, she'd slipped slightly into worried, and had then done something she'd never thought she'd do. She'd called the office phone number on the card he'd given her the second time they'd met, and she'd become more worried when the secretary she'd talked to had told her that Mr. McDonald had left more than an hour earlier. In fact, she'd informed Willow, it was actually closer to two hours by now. So Willow had thanked the woman for the information, hung up, and immediately called Lindsey's cell phone number followed by his home phone number. He didn't answer either one. And it was at this point when the redhead, pacing back and forth in a mixture of annoyance and worry, had spotted the key to Lindsey's apartment. She'd had it for nearly a month now, ever since she'd passed out from overusing her magic on their first day and ended up spending the night at his place. He'd left it for her so she could lock up the next day, and she'd kept forgetting to give it back. Plus, Lindsey had never asked for it, which made it all the easier to forget. So that was how she ended up walking into Lindsey's apartment with visions of him lying on the kitchen floor unconscious - or something equally as unlikely - dancing in her head. As she heard the sounds of the television, Willow's frown deepened, and she cautiously made her way to the living room of the apartment, wondering what she would find. The sight that greeted her made her stop short. Lindsey sat on the couch, a beer bottle in his hand, and several other bottles - most of which appeared to be empty, and not all of which were beer bottles - scattered around him. He was still wearing the suit he had probably worn to work, which was now rumpled, and his tie had been loosened.     The television was tuned in to professional wrestling, and it took Willow a moment to register the fact that yes, indeed, Lindsey really was watching WWF Smackdown. Or, at least, that was what was on. Given the faraway look on his face, she couldn't be sure he was actually watching it. Now more alarmed than anything else, the redhead stepped farther into the room, stopping when she stood just a few feet away from him. "Lindsey? Lindsey, are you okay? Damn it, why won't you speak to me?" Cheers erupted from the crowd on television, and Willow glared at the offending screen before picking up the remote and turning the show off just as The Rock threw Triple H out of the ring. Sighing, she turned back to Lindsey, who was still staring at the TV, thus confirming her belief that he hadn't really been watching the show anyway. Deciding that she needed to switch back to anger and forego her alarm for now, she leaned in close to the man before her, taking in his slightly bloodshot eyes. "You're drunk," she said after a moment of studying him, then stepped away. "Great. This is just great. Fantastic, really. I'm worried about you because you don't show up for a date, and you're just at home getting drunk off your ass." Taking a moment to glare at him, she began pacing the small area between the large coffee table and the television. "Goddess. What the hell is the matter with you? You wanted to break our date? Fine. But you could have at least called to tell me!" "A murderer went free today." The words were said so softly that they almost didn't register with the angry redhead. When they did, however, she stopped short and turned to look at him. "What did you say?" "A murderer went free today." "But that isn't your fault." "Yes, it is. You see, I'm the one who got him off. Acquitted of all charges, he's free to go. But those girls he killed, those girls are still dead. Gone. Always will be. Here's to the American legal system," he slurred, lifting his beer in a mock toast before taking a long gulp. "If he was acquitted there had to have been a reason for it," the redhead reasoned as she sat down beside the lawyer. "There was. It was me. I made everyone look like an idiot, and I got him free. He deserved to die, Willow. California has the death penalty, you know. And this guy... he deserved it. Damn it, he should have gotten worse than the death penalty. Gas chamber, lethal injection, that's so simple, so much less than what he did to those girls. He should have gotten worse. Hanging, Chinese water torture, locked in a room with Celine Dion playing full blast. Now those... those would be much more fitting punishments," he informed her drunkenly as he lifted his beer for another drink. He frowned when he realized the bottle was empty. Shifting in his seat, he began searching for a new drink, but Willow grabbed his hands, stopping him. She had no clue what case he was talking about - he'd never discussed it with her, and she tended to avoid the news - but she did know one thing. Lindsey was hurting, and she had no idea what to do. "You've had enough. In fact, you've had more than enough." "I want another beer!" he told her, pulling away. "No, damn it!" she cried, standing along with him when he made a move to head towards the refrigerator. "You're drunk!" "Maybe I want to be drunk," he informed her, swaying slightly. "Maybe I need it!" With that, he started moving around her. "Get out of my way." "No! Please, Lindsey, you're scaring me!" And that was enough to stop him. Taking a moment to steady himself, he turned to gaze into her face, taking in the distress on her features and tears in her eyes. The sight sobered him a great deal. "I'm sorry," he said softly, lifting his hand to her face. "I didn't mean to scare you. I would never, ever want to scare you." Still shaking inside, Willow stepped back a step, trying to get control of herself. She'd seen the awareness return to his eyes, and she somehow knew that, at least for now, things were okay again. "It's all right. It's... everything's fine." "You're shaking," Lindsey said then, trailing his hand over her arm. Carefully, he urged her closer, drawing her into his arms. "I'm sorry, Willow. I'm so sorry I scared you. I never meant to bring you into this. I never meant for you to see me like this." Willow allowed him to pull her close, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. "What's going on, Lindsey? I... I don't understand." "I made a mistake, and a murderer went free today. I knew he was guilty. The judge knew he was guilty. He knew he was guilty. But the jury said he wasn't, so now he's free to go about his business." "Doesn't that make it the jury's fault?" "Partly, I guess. But someone had to convince them." "And that someone was you?" "Yeah." "Why'd you do it?" "It was my job. And I'm damn good at my job. And right now I hate that about myself." Willow nodded against his chest, torn. She wasn't naive enough to think that the justice system always worked; she knew it was flawed. She knew criminals had gone free before, and she knew they would again. This certainly wasn't the only time something like this had happened. But, she wondered silently, how many lawyers reacted to it in this way? How many lawyers who got criminals free were so torn up inside about it? She somehow doubted that they had Lindsey's reaction. And, even though she couldn't change the events of the day, she was going to do whatever she could to help Lindsey through it. She just didn't know what that was. Sighing softly, Willow tightened her grip on Lindsey slightly before lifting her head and looking into his face. It was then that she realized just what it was Lindsey needed. The hunger and need in his eyes was almost palpable, his eyes darkened when Willow lifted her hand to her face and traced first his cheek, then his lips. "Willow?" Lindsey questioned, knowing he was aching to have her but knowing that it had to be her choice. And it wasn't a choice that she made lightly. Willow had fallen for the man before her, and she could now honestly say that she was in love with him. She wanted him, of that there was no question. And he needed her. As she needed him. So, although the choice wasn't made lightly or rashly, because she had thought of it long and hard before, the decision was an easy one. "Yes," she whispered as she drew his lips down to hers.

Something cool was being rubbed on her skin. The unexpected sensation was the first thing Willow noticed when she began to make her way from sleeping to consciousness the next morning, and she groaned slightly as she opened her eyes. She immediately realized that she was in Lindsey's bedroom - his bed to be exact - and his face was mere inches from hers. Not a bad way to wake up. In fact, she was pretty sure she really liked it. Of course, there was still the matter of something cold being rubbed over the skin of her throat and upper chest. "What are you doing?" she asked sleepily, raising up on one elbow so that she could look down at herself and see exactly what it was that Lindsey was concentrating on. She was surprised by what she saw. The pale skin of her upper chest was red and slightly abraded, something she knew hadn't been there before last night. Confused, she raised her gaze to Lindsey's face, and he looked away guiltily. "I'm sorry. I...I should have shaved first. I didn't even think," he told her softly, and Willow's eyes widened when she realized that it the marks had been caused by his unshaved cheeks. A slight blush rose to her cheeks when she found herself wondering just what other... interesting places on her body carried the mark of Lindsey McDonald's five o'clock shadow. "Willow?" Lindsey asked, a bit disturbed by her silence. "Are you okay?" The redhead snapped out of her daze, once more raising her eyes to look at Lindsey. "What?" she asked a split second before his question registered. When it did, she quickly answered him. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Better than fine, actually," Willow told him with a small smile. "It's just... I didn't even feel them," she informed him, gesturing to the marks that marred her skin. "But that doesn't change the fact that I put them there," Lindsey argued, angry with himself for putting marks on her flawless skin. "Lindsey," Willow said, stopping his movements by grasping his wrist. She waited for him to look at her face before continuing. "You're acting like you hit me or something. All you did was... well, you didn't shave. It's not a big deal. It's like... what if my fingernails had scratched your back last night?" she asked. Her eyes widened when a reluctant smile tugged at the corners of the lawyer's lips. "I didn't... did I?" Quickly, she sat up in bed, allowing the sheet to fall unheeded to her waste in her hurry to look at his back. His smooth, unmarred back. "I didn't... You jerk, you let me think I did! You lied to me!" she chastised him, playfully shoving at his chest. "I never actually said anything," he reminded her, still smiling. "But it was worth it to see the look on your face." His smile faded as he looked at the red marks - which were admittedly already quite faded - that had been left by the beginnings of his beard. "I am sorry, though," he told her, gesturing to the marks. "It was an accident. I mean, it's like if you dropped something heavy, and it landed on my foot. I certainly wouldn't blame you for it, okay? I'd probably milk it for all it was worth, but I wouldn't blame you for it. So stop being all broody; you're beginning to remind me of my boss. I'm not hurt or anything, okay? I've had a lot worse things than this happen to me." "You have, haven't you?" Lindsey asked, the mood suddenly turning very serious. "You could say that." "I just did. And so, as a matter of fact, did you. Someone hurt you before. Did the person hit you?" "There are other ways to hurt someone," Willow replied, leaning against the headboard and drawing the covers up around her like a buffer against the things she didn't want to face. "Why did you come here to LA? Why did you leave your home?" he asked before he could stop himself. He'd always wondered, but he'd never asked out of fear that he would drive her away. But now... now he just needed to know. He waited for a moment, wondering if Willow would refuse him, but then she sighed, and he knew she had given in. "I wasn't going to tell you. Partly because it's hard to talk about, and partly because I didn't want you to think less of me." "I could never-" "Don't. I haven't even told you yet," she said, cutting off his statement. "There... there was someone. Or, if you want to start at the beginning of my parade of pain, there were two someones. The first was my first boyfriend. I loved him, and well, if he was my first boyfriend, I'm sure you can also guess that he was my first lover." "You loved him." "Yes, I did... And are you sure you want to hear this?" "Can't really say that I am. But you need to tell it, of that much I'm sure." Willow nodded slowly, then gazed steadily into Lindsey's eyes. "I love you. I... just need you to know that. And I don't want anything I'm about to say to make you think any differently. So... just know that I really do love you." In response, Lindsey reached out and took Willow's hand, lifting it to his lips and pressing a kiss to her palm before meeting her eyes again. "I love you, too," he told her. Little did she know that it was the first time he'd ever said those words to a woman who wasn't his mother or his sister. And it had been a long time since he had said it to them. Smiling slightly at his statement, Willow nodded, then continued her story. "Things... things were good for awhile. But then... one day I walked in on him and another girl. So, that relationship was over. I mean, he didn't even try to work things out with me. He just left. The next person... it's complicated." "How so?" "The person was a witch. Also a she. Her name was Tara, and she nearly destroyed me." "Your powers," Lindsey whispered, thinking back to the night she had collapsed right after performing a spell. The night he had discovered that Willow was a witch. "I was lonely. My friends all had people they were with, and Oz had left not long before. And there was Tara. She was someone I could do spells with. I guess... I guess it never occurred to me that she saw me as someone she could do spells on... not just with. She cast a spell that would draw me to her, and it worked. I lied to my friends, and she became way too important to me. The spell was so strong... I thought I was falling for her. She intended it to be that way. She made it so that I would choose her over everything... Even when Oz came back, he couldn't break through it.     I even chose her over him. But then... things started being weird. Or weirder, anyway. There were times that I just couldn't account for. I had no idea what I was doing or who I was with during those times, and it scared me. Plus, I noticed that I was beginning to get weaker. Simple spells that I used to be able to do with one hand tied behind my back were starting to make me shaky. I didn't know what to do. Oddly, enough, my friends were happy that I had found Tara. Sometimes I think it was just because it got me to stop whining about Oz. But the point is... well..." "You didn't know who to turn to," Lindsey supplied, trying to keep the horror out of his voice over what had apparently been done to the woman in front of him. Some witch had controlled her, caused her to have feelings for her, all so she could betray her in some awful way. "I wasn't sure who to go to is more like it. I thought Giles might help, but I wasn't sure how to approach him. I mean, he's a friend, but he's old enough to be my dad or something, and I wasn't sure how he would take what was going on. I mean, he was okay with the me and Tara thing. But discussing it with him? I just couldn't picture it. So I went to Graham instead. He listened to me, and he took care of me, and he helped me find out what Tara was up to." "And what was she up to?" "She was... well, first you need to know that she found me in a Wicca group at school. Tara is powerful enough to sense power in others, even the slightest bit, and apparently that's why she chose me. I had a lot of power, and she wanted it. So she cast a spell over me, and, once I was vulnerable to her, she began siphoning off my power. It's why my spells were getting weaker." "Couldn't that-" Lindsey cut off his statement as abruptly as he had begun it, not wanting to say the words. Of course, that didn't stop Willow from saying them. "Kill me? Yeah, it could. But Graham and I figured out what was going on and stopped her before she did any permanent damage. My powers are recharging, actually, although it's a slow process. Anyway, after everything that happened, I decided I needed to leave, and that's when I came here." "Is Tara still there?" "No. She left. I don't know where she is now, but I'm pretty sure she'll never be coming back. Graham... well, let's just he can be very convincing when he needs to be. Not even witches can fight a bullet, and Graham's a pretty damn good shot." "I think I like this guy." "So do I," Willow concurred, a ghost of a smile coming to her lips. "Willow...," Lindsey began, suddenly feeling the need to reassure her about his intentions. "I just want you to know that I would never... I promise that-" "Don't." "Don't what?" "Make promises about not hurting me or anything like that. Promises like that are hard to keep, and it hurts when people break them." "But I-" "Please, Lindsey. I would rather have no promises at all than more broken ones."

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Wolfram and Hart's current favorite. Brilliant job in the courtroom, Lindsey. Congratulations on your victory," Lilah said, gazing at her slightly haggard-looking colleague. "What did you do, spend the weekend celebrating?" "Is that your way of telling me I look like hell?" Lindsey asked, barely looking at the woman as she fell into step beside him. "Well..." "What do you want, Lilah?" "Aren't we chipper this morning? Does this charming attitude have anything to do with a certain little redhead?" she asked, causing Lindsey to pause in his attempt to get away from her. "And just what is that supposed to mean?" Lilah smiled then, and Lindsey was reminded of the phrase 'the cat that ate the canary.' It definitely fit as a description of Lilah's predatory grin. "Well, I came by your place yesterday to offer my, well, personal congratulations. Imagine my surprise when I saw a redhead - the same redhead I saw you at the movies with awhile back - leaving your apartment. It's been what, a month? That's got to be a record for you." Lindsey grimaced, not wanting to broach the subject of Willow with Lilah. Lilah was, after all, a total piranha, and Willow... well, she was just so sweet. And she was still hurting over the events of the past year, that much was obvious. Lindsey had originally been hurt by Willow's unwillingness to accept any promises he could give, but he'd since decided that she just wasn't ready for it. He knew she loved him - she wouldn't have told him she did if she didn't - and he loved her as well. She was just leery about trusting someone completely again, especially someone she had only for a short time. He knew she already trusted him to some extent, though, whether she realized it or not. She wouldn't have been with him, or told her she loved him, or told him about Oz and Tara if she didn't. She just wasn't ready to hear his promises; she couldn't stand it if they were broken once more. And she'd had enough broken promises to last her for a lifetime. And that was something Lindsey knew about. He'd suffered through the broken promises of his father and old friends, and he knew how much it hurt. He could understand Willow's desire not to have promises made, especially promises that were spoken in haste. He didn't care for promises himself, and he rarely made them. But those he did make, he took seriously. Lindsey McDonald may have been a lawyer with all kinds of dirty tricks up his sleeve, but he kept his promises. "Well, Lindsey?" Lilah's annoyed voice broke into his thoughts, and he looked over at her. "What?" "Oh, my. This is very interesting. She's certainly got your undivided attention, doesn't she? I don't think I've ever seen you this hung up on a woman. She must be quite... talented. I wonder... whatever is it that she does to keep you so attentive?" "Why do you ask, Lilah?" Lindsey queried as he stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for his floor. He waited until the doors were in the process of closing leaving Lilah in the lobby, before he made his parting remark. "You looking for some pointers?" ~~*~~*~~*~~*~~ "Hey, Beautiful," Gunn said as he entered the room, employing one of the vast array of nicknames and endearments he used when referring to Willow or Cordelia. He tended to only use their given names when things were serious, so the redhead had no problem with the endless string of names he used for her. "Hey yourself." "You're looking lovely today." "And you're being flattery guy again. That usually means you want something," Willow replied, giving the young man a look. "You wound me with your suspicious words." "What does he want now?" Cordelia asked as she entered the office. She'd heard much of the conversation, and she knew Gunn was after a favor of some type. "Well you two are no fun," Gunn said with a grin, dropping the act and pulling out a file. "Angel just wants Red here to go online and check some stuff out for him. I was just trying to be nice before I tossed it on her." "That bad, huh?" Willow asked, reaching out to receive the folder the young man held out to her. "Not really. It's just on the worst of the constant pains in our collective asses." "Wolfram and Hart?" Cordelia asked, not noticing the way Willow seemed to jerk in surprise at the name. "And the Duchess gets it on the first guess," Gunn replied, confirming that it was indeed a file on the law firm. "I... I don't think anyone's told me about Wolfram and Hart before," Willow said slowly, biting her lip. "Um... what exactly is it that Angel wants me to do with this?" "It's no big deal, really. Angel just wants you to run a check on a few of their current clients. Check out the demon-to-human ratio." "Excuse me?" Willow asked, trying to cover the shock on her face. Demon-to-human ratio? Wolfram and Hart? Lindsey worked for Wolfram and Hart. Maybe... maybe it was a different Wolfram and Hart. Oh, who was she kidding? Law firms didn't exactly go around naming themselves after each other. It had to be the same firm. "Oh, man, you've really been left in the dark, haven't you, Beautiful?" Gunn asked, smiling when Willow glared at him. "Look, why don't I leave you and Princess here alone so she can fill you in on things. I've got some errands to run for our fearless leader. Later, ladies," he said as he left the room. Willow stared after him for a moment, then turned to Cordelia. "Wolfram and Hart?" "Oh, yes, the evil law firm. Very much of the bad. Stay as far away from them as you can." "Is... is everyone in the firm bad?" "Well, I haven't met them all... but yes," Cordelia replied. "I mean, come on. My first encounter with one of their clients? He turned out to be a vampire named Russell Winters that wanted to eat me for dinner. He even shot Angel. Of course, Angel shoved him out a window, and into the oh-so-unhealthy sunlight, so that ended in a win for the good guys." "What else?" "What do you mean?" "I mean... what else has Wolfram and Hart done? If they're our big enemy, shouldn't I know everything?" Willow asked while chanting over and over again in her mind *Please not Lindsey, please not Lindsey, please not Lindsey.* "You're right, you should," Cordy replied as she sat on the edge of the redhead's desk. The brunette was so caught up in her thoughts of the law firm that she didn't even notice how tense her friend was. "Um, well, where do I begin?" Cordelia asked rhetorically, getting into the role of storyteller. "I've done, the beginning... so I guess I'll try and keep it fairly chronological. After Winters, we didn't hear to much from Wolfram and Hart for awhile. Then... I think I told you how I was kidnapped and auctioned off because of my visions, didn't I?" "Uh, yeah, you did," Willow answered, wishing Cordelia wasn't going to say what she thought she was. The redhead didn't get her wish. "Well, they're the ones who bought me. Not only that, but they were going to have my eyes removed, too. I mean, eww. After that, well, there was the Faith thing." "Faith thing?" Willow repeated, somewhat woodenly, her mind whirling with a mixture of what she was being told and denials that Lindsey was involved. Sure, Wolfram and Hart was bad. She bought that now. But maybe Lindsey didn't know. "Yeah. They were the ones who paid Faith to kill Angel. Then, when she screwed then over and didn't do it, well... we're pretty sure Wolfram and Hart were the ones that told the cops where Faith was. Then there's Lindsey." "Lindsey," Willow repeated, her throat doing that thing where it felt like it was closing. "Lindsey McDonald. Very much a hottie, but quite the bad guy." "How so?" Willow asked, still hoping this was all a big mistake and it wasn't him, but knowing it was irrational to do so. "You name it, he's probably done it," Cordelia replied with a smirk, completely oblivious to the redhead's distress. "You remember last spring when I called you for some help on some encrypted disks? Well, Lindsey was actually the one who helped us get them. See, he'd gotten this blind assassin acquitted for murder. And she was definitely a murderer. Angel saw her kill a person, but he couldn't testify. It really screwed him up," she said, thinking of the vampire's reaction to the news that Vanessa Brewer had been found not guilty. She'd never seen him so upset. "Anyway, it turned out that the chick's next assignment was a bunch of kids. Lindsey suddenly grew a conscious - momentarily, at least - and he helped us save the kids. But then, he went right back to Wolfram and Hart, even got promoted to junior partner. Got nastier than ever after that, too. You know how I got those continuous visions and Angel's place was blown up and everything?" she asked, then continued without waiting for Willow to answer.     "Well, the big shots of the firm called forth that guy that did it, and the only way to stop what was happening was this scroll, so Angel went after it. Lindsey tried to burn it, which would have made me have continuous visions forever. So, in order to get the scroll back, Angel kind of cut off his hand. Haven't really seen him since then. Anyway, that's the story of Wolfram and Hart," the brunette finished, finally turning to look at her friend. "Are you okay?" "Yeah, fine. I just want to get this done. Thanks for the info, though," Willow replied as she began methodically looking up the list of names Angel had asked her to check out, not even noticing when Cordelia got up and left the office. She was moving on automatic pilot, her mind nowhere near the task at hand. Every last futile denial that Willow had been clinging to had rushed out of her head as she finally allowed all the details to pile up. Lindsey McDonald worked for Wolfram and Hart as a junior partner. He was, as Cordy had put it, a hottie. He had lost his hand. Too many details were the same; not even the most deluded person in the world could deny the truth. There were no mistakes or coincidences here. The Lindsey McDonald that Cordelia had just told her about was the same Lindsey McDonald that Willow had fallen in love with, and that meant he was an enemy of Angel Investigations, and that led to only one line of logic. Angel Investigations fought against evil. Angel Investigations fought Wolfram and Hart. Lindsey McDonald worked for Wolfram and Hart. Therefore, Lindsey McDonald had to be evil. And now, she was going to be sick.

Lindsey made his way to his apartment, muttering a few not-so-nice things about the less-than-sunny weather Los Angeles was currently enduring. Sighing, he ran a hand through his soaked hair, mad that he hadn't had an umbrella with him, but knowing that it was useless to berate himself, especially since it was so rare to actually need an umbrella in southern California. As he reached his building, he quickly stepped inside and headed for the elevator, eager to get home. Once the elevator doors opened, releasing him to his floor, he stepped out and made a beeline for his door. He unlocked it quickly, then headed inside, dropping his briefcase by the front door. He was smiling slightly, relishing the thought of taking a hot shower, then sitting down to watch the Lakers game. He'd call Willow, too, maybe make some plans for the next day... Lindsey stopped short as he entered his living room, his heartbeat seeming to triple as he realized that someone was in the room, sitting quietly in the dark. He watched with wide eyes for a moment, trying to make out the person's shape in the incredibly dim light, then breathed a sigh of relief when he saw figured out who it was. "Willow?" he said questioningly, his brow furrowing in confusion when she didn't immediately reply. Worried, he stepped closer to her, turning on the floor lamp as he went. What he saw stunned him. It was Willow; he had been right about that. But it wasn't the Willow he was used to seeing. The Willow sitting in his leather chair was not sunny and smiling and happy to see him. No, this Willow soaking wet and shivering, and he could see by her red-rimmed eyes that she had been crying. "Willow, honey, what is it?" he asked as he knelt beside her. "What's wrong?" Unsure of what to do, he reached out to her, then flinched when she jerked away, actually climbing over the arm of the chair and standing up in order to avoid him. "Don't. Touch. Me." The words were said in a voice filled with anger and pain and hatred, and Lindsey winced at both the meaning of the words and the message in the tone. "Willow, what's going on? I can't help you if you don't tell me." "I didn't come here for your help." "Then what did you come here for?" he asked in what he hoped was a reasonable voice. He'd spent much of his life avoiding being around upset women, and he now found himself completely out of his element and hating himself for it. How was he supposed to make things better if he didn't even know where to start? "I came to tell you that it's over," Willow replied, her voice now emotionless. Lindsey wasn't sure which he liked less, the hatred or the complete lack of... anything. "What's over?" he asked as dread filled his heart. "This game, all the lies... Us. We're over, Lindsey." "No, Willow, you don't mean that." "Don't tell me what I mean. I know what I mean. It's over, Lindsey. I can't be with you anymore. You see, I found some things out today. I know who you are." "I know who I am, too," Lindsey replied in an offhand voice that belied the fact that his stomach was clenched and he was mentally chanting 'she doesn't know the truth, she doesn't know the truth, she doesn't know the truth.' "I'm Lindsey McDonald-" "Lawyer for Wolfram and Hart," Willow finished. "One of their best, actually. Junior partner and everything." "I told you all of that weeks ago," Lindsey said, irritated. What was she getting at? "That's true, but at the time, I didn't know what that meant. But I know now. You see, you work for Wolfram and Hart," Willow explained, her voice shaking, whether in anger or sadness neither of them knew for sure. "And I work for Angel Investigations." "So... what did you say?" "I work for Angel Investigations," she repeated, enunciating each word carefully. "I believe you've heard of them. They've certainly heard of you." "Look, Willow, I don't know what they told you, but you shouldn't be working for them. It's just not safe. I mean, you don't know these people. Angel, well, he's-" "A vampire. I'm very much aware of that fact. I have been for nearly four years. And Cordelia? I went to high school with her. So don't tell me I don't know these people, because I do. Apparently, I know them far better than I ever knew you." "And that's it? Because of what they told you, it's over? How do you know they didn't lie to you just to get you away from me?" "Because they don't know I'm with you. They knew I was seeing someone, but I never told them your name. So, when Cordy told me about the bad guys, well, she just told me about the bad guys. You just happened to be part of that group. What a role you played, too. I was quite impressed. Or I would have been, if it hadn't made me throw up." "Willow, please-" he nearly begged, stepping towards her. She started to back away, then realized she was headed for a wall and simply stepped around him, brushing him off when he tried to grab her. When she was what she considered to be a safe distance away, she turned to face him once more. "I don't want you near me anymore," Willow told him, and he could see she was near tears. The sight, coupled with the knowledge that he was losing her, nearly sent him to his knees, but he didn't want to show it. He didn't want her to see him break down. "So that's it? You think I fit your personal description of a bad guy, so it's over? Well, guess what, little girl. Angel's not so nice, either. Remember my hand? He's the one who cut it off." "Then I imagine that you probably deserved it. Cordelia told me about the scroll, and how it was the only way to help her. So Angel got it back the only way he knew how. Your hand may have been a casualty in that, but you have it back now." "How can you say that? How can you say that I deserved to have my hand cut off? I mean, maybe he's the bad guy in all of this." "I know Angel." "You know me, too," Lindsey retorted. Willow inclined her head slightly, and Lindsey was appalled to see a tear begin to make its way down her cheek. "I thought I did," she conceded. "I thought you were good, and I was wrong. But Angel... I know that Angel is good. I know because I've seen him fight evil. And it's not just the evil that's out there, it's the evil inside himself. He fights it every damn day. I've seen him struggle with it, and I've seen him win. And I'm proud to call him my friend." "How touching." "It is to me. I know you helped them once, Lindsey. You went to Angel and Cordy and Wesley, and you offered them your help in order to stop an assassin - a woman you had managed to get acquitted - from killing children.     But after it was over, you went back to Wolfram and Hart. Why was that, Lindsey? Was it for the money? Or was it for the power?" "It's a very powerful firm," the lawyer acknowledged, wondering where she was going with this. "Extremely so, from what I've been able to pull up on the Internet. The most powerful firm in all of LA. You people just about have absolute power." "That's true." "Yes, well, 'absolute power corrupts absolutely'," she quoted, then shrugged. "I don't know who said it first. All I know is it's been said. And there's a reason for that, and it's not just because it sounds clever. It's true. I've seen it happen before, and I don't want to stand here and watch it happen in you. Of course, from what I've heard, I'd say it already applies to you," she said as she reached for her purse. "I have to go now. I have things to do... So, this is goodbye. Next time we see each other, we'll be on opposite sides." "Willow, don't go like this," he said as he reached for her, but she just flinched back again. And suddenly, it hit him like a kick to the gut. She was standing in front of him, no more than five feet away, but they might as well have been separated by a chasm the size of the Grand Canyon for all the emotional distance there was between them. Willow was completely closed off to him, entirely out of reach. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to give it one last try. "Willow, you don't want to end it like this. Neither of us do. I love you. And you love me. You told me you love me, and you wouldn't say that unless you mean it. I know that, and you know it, too. Do you really want to give that up? Do you really want to just walk away like this?" he asked her, his voice finally reflecting just how desperate he was. "No, I don't-" "Then why-" "But I am," Willow said, finishing the statement he had cut off. "Why? Just tell me that. Why are you doing this?" "Because it's the only thing I can do. It's the only way I can live with myself." "But you love me!" "You're right, I do. Even after everything I found out today, I love you," she conceded. "But I hate what you stand for more." And with that, she turned and left. And as he heard the sound of the door being closed behind, Lindsey sank to the floor, buried his head in his hands, and began to cry.

"You asked to see me, sir?" Lilah said as she entered Holland's office. "Ahh, yes, Lilah, I did. However, I also asked to see Lindsey. Is he not here yet?" "I believe he's here," Lilah replied, her brow furrowed in thought. "I'm certain I saw him earlier. Perhaps he's holed up in his office, working on his latest case. You know how he gets sometimes when he's working..." She trailed off there, knowing that she needed to go no further in her explanation. Lindsey was known around the office for putting in more time on his cases than any other lawyer in the firm. "You're right," Holland agreed, nodding his head slightly. It had been less than a week since his victory in the Clemens case, and Lindsey had spent much of it in his office. However, he was beginning to grow more and more haggard-looking, and that was starting to worry Holland. He couldn't have his best lawyer up and get sick on him, now could he? He needed him in the courtroom. "We'll give him a few more minutes, then we'll go find him." "And while we're waiting for him will you give me an idea as to why you called me in?" Lilah asked cautiously. She was undeniably curious about why she was summoned, but the fact that Holland had her career - and her life, in all actuality, in his hands - made her ask rather than demand. "Yes. Yes, of course. There's no reason not to give you an idea of what's going on. You, unlike Lindsey, were prompt, after all." As he was speaking, Holland made his way back over to his desk, and he reached into a drawer and pulled out a manila envelope. Lilah watched in silence as Holland opened the envelop and shook out several photographs, and she frowned slightly as he handed them to her. After glancing at the top photo - a picture of nothing more than a nondescript warehouse - she looked up at her boss, confusion on her face. "What is this?" "Well, my dear counselor, it's the new home of our friends in Angel Investigations." "You found them," Lilah said, smiling triumphantly. Ever since the explosion at the vampire's office the spring before, they had been unable to locate where he and his colleagues were working, and they only knew where Cordelia was living. "Did you find Angel and Wesley's homes as well?" "Oh, we found more than that," Holland replied, sounding rather self-satisfied. "Not only did we discover that Wesley and Angel both keep apartments in the office; we also discovered that they have two new allies. Come now, Lilah. Why don't we make our way over to Lindsey's office to share the good news while you finish looking through those?" Lilah simply nodded in response, and then she and her boss were off, making their way through the tangle of hallways towards the office of Lindsey McDonald. As they did so, Lilah shuffled through the pictures in her hand, and a few passing colleagues had the odd experience of seeing the lawyer's mouth drop open in shock as she came to a particular photograph. Quickening her pace so that she was almost beside Holland, Lilah pulled the photograph out of the stack and started to show it to him. "Sir, there's really something you should-" "What in the hell is going on in here?" Holland's voice rang out loudly, tinged with both shock and anger as they entered the Lindsey's office. The desk had been cleared, and the young lawyer's things were in a box that sat on his desk. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lindsey looked up at his angry boss, then shrugged, clearly unconcerned about the man's outburst. "What does it look like I'm doing?" he asked tiredly. His hair was unkept, and it was obvious that he hadn't shaved in several days. "It looks like you're preparing to go somewhere," Holland replied tightly, and Lilah could hear the annoyance in his voice. However, that didn't stop her from attempting to share her oh-so-important discovery with him once more. "Listen, sir, you really should-" "Can't you see I'm busy here?" Holland snapped, effectively cutting her off before turning back to Lindsey. "Just what is going on? You're not supposed to be going on vacation." "Well, I wasn't, but now I am. I'm taking my two weeks right now. And look," he continued, holding up an envelope, "my two weeks of vacation coincides nicely with my two weeks' notice." "What?" "I'm quitting, Mr. Holland. I'm no longer going to be working at Wolfram and Hart. Don't worry, I won't be taking any of your clients with me. I don't particularly want them." "Another attack of conscience, Mr. McDonald?" Holland queried, his voice cold. "That's two in less than six months. I don't think I like that. In fact, I know I don't." "Then it's a good thing I'm leaving, isn't it?" Lindsey countered as he picked up the box of his personal items and brushed by his stunned boss. If he was lucky, and if he hurried, he might be able to get the hell out of this place before Holland thought to do anything drastic. So, that on his mind, Lindsey made his way out of his office. "Do you want me to call security?" Lilah asked. "No, that won't be necessary. I don't want him killed. I just want him back." "But sir, this is the second time-" "I. Want. Him. Back. He's the best lawyer we've got, and you know it." "Well, then sir-" "What is it, Lilah?" "I think I know how to get him back, sir. And not only that; we'd also be getting to our friend Angel as well," she told him as she held out the photograph that had caught her attention earlier. Holland glanced at the picture of the biggest pain in their collective asses - Angel - and the as yet unknown redhead, then raised his gaze back to his employee. "And just how do you plan to do that?" Lilah smiled as she tapped her fingernail against the girl's face. "Why, through her, of course." ~~*~~*~~*~~*~~ "You know, I think something's going on with Willow," Angel said to the room at large. Over the past few days, the redhead had been subdued and withdrawn, and he was beginning to worry about his young friend. "Why whatever tipped you off?" Cordelia asked, her voice more than mildly sarcastic. "Was it the general moping around she's been engaging in, or the complete lack of focus?" "Cordelia..." the vampire growled warningly. "What? It's exactly how she's been acting, and you know it. And I'm worried about her. Concern just brings out the bitch in me, okay?" "Then you must be worried all the time," Gunn cracked, earning himself an icy glare from the struggling actress. "This is serious," she told him. "Something's wrong with Willow, and I don't know what it is." "Maybe it's this mystery guy she's all hung up on," Gunn suggested. "If she's all hot and bothered over him, that could be why she's all out of focus, you know." "But it doesn't explain the moping," the brunette countered. Her nose wrinkled daintily when another thought occurred to her. "Oh, no. You don't think she had a fight with him, do you?" "That would explain it," Angel said quietly, mentally cursing this unknown guy for hurting Willow. Well, if that was the problem, anyway. If it wasn't, he'd take back all the swear words he was thinking later. "And she' really fell for this guy, too," Cordelia complained. "I mean, if that's the case, and Mr. Wonderful turned out to be Just Another Bastard, that just sucks. Think about it. First there was Oz, then there was Tara, and now this guy." "Maybe someone should call her," Gunn said, looking over at Angel. "You know, see if she's okay." "Not me," Angel said. "You're the boss." "Also a guy. If this guy screwed her over, she's probably not feeling too kindly towards the male gender as a whole." "Fine. I'll do it," Cordelia said with a sigh before the guys could debate any further. She picked up the phone and dialed, turning to give the guys one last glare as she did so. "Wimps." ~~*~~*~~*~~*~~ Willow heard the phone ringing as she struggled to hold her groceries and unlock her door at the same time, and she cursed softly as she dropped her key. She could hear the phone continue to ring as she gave up her admittedly poorly thought out attempt to do two things at once and set her bags down, before picking up her key and finally managing to unlock her door. The machine was already on as she opened the door, and Willow quickly picked up her grocery bags and carried them in, dropping them just inside the door before grabbing her key from the lock and shutting her door. She practically ran to the phone at that point, but, by the time she reached it, the caller had already finished leaving their message and hung up the phone.     Sighing, the redhead hit the button to replay the message, and she smiled slightly as Cordelia's voice perkily asked her to call back so that they could set up a date for some 'girl time.' The phone was actually in Willow's hand, and she had even dialed the first few digits of Cordelia's cell phone number, when someone grabbed her from behind, their arm crossing tightly over her throat as they dragged her to the door. Willow gasped for air and kicked behind her, actually managing to connect with the person's shin. Her attacker released her momentarily, and she lunged for the door, trying to get away. She didn't get far, however. Her attacker grab her foot and pulled, knocking her off balance and causing her to go head-first into the shut door. Willow moaned as she struggled to her knees, trying to stay conscious, even though her head now hurt terribly and everything was spinning. As she tried to stagger to her feet, a shadow rose over her, and the person swung something hard. Willow didn't even have time to brace herself for the impact. As the bar stool her attacker had picked as their weapon of choice was slammed down on her, she screamed, but no one but her attacker was around to hear her. Then, everything went black.

Lindsey entered his apartment slowly, carrying the box of his things. He couldn't believe he'd actually done it. He'd actually quit his job at Wolfram and Hart. "If only I'd done this six months ago," he murmured as he set the box down on his coffee table. He'd actually considered leaving the firm six months ago, when the whole Vanessa Brewer debacle had happened, and he'd ended up helping Angel and his crew of do-gooders. He'd been prepared to leave then. He'd betrayed the firm by helping Angel get his hands on a bunch of the firm's encrypted computer disks, then he'd helped thwart Vanessa's latest assignment - the assassination of those blind kids. When he'd done it, Lindsey had known very well that it could have been the last thing he ever did. The firm could have come after him and killed him for that betrayal. But they hadn't. No, instead of killing him, they had offered him something he just hadn't been able to resist: power. The promotion to junior partner was something he'd been working towards for what seemed like forever, and he had finally gotten it. He couldn't just pass it up. Of course, now he wished he had. He could have walked out of there then, just left that damn office, maybe started his own law office or something, and Angel and his friends wouldn't have been able to turn Willow against him. They wouldn't have had reason to. But that wasn't what happened. He'd stayed. He'd stayed, and he'd enjoyed that power, and he'd lost Willow because of it, because her conscience wouldn't allow her to be with someone like him. Someone evil. "You're not evil, damn it," Lindsey muttered to himself, though without much conviction. He'd seem the pain and disdain in the redhead's eyes when she had walked out on him. He'd hurt her. He'd disappointed her. And that made him feel evil. Sighing, Lindsey made his way into his bathroom, where he turned on the sink and splashed water on his face. Since Willow had broken up with him, he hadn't slept much, and his unshaven face appeared haggard and exhausted, which he thought was fitting, considering that was also how he felt. He'd tortured himself with the what ifs... What if he had never asked her out? What if he had told her from the start? What if he had left the firm when he had the chance? He'd bombarded himself with so many scenarios he'd nearly driven himself crazy. He'd known it was pointless to play the 'what if' game, but he hadn't been able to help it. Not that it mattered anyway. All that really mattered was the way things had really went. All that mattered was that he'd lost Willow. "Damn, you look awful, McDonald," Lindsey told himself as he gazed at his image in the mirror. "And what for? It's not like torturing yourself is going to change a damn thing. She'll still be gone." Groaning softly, Lindsey pushed himself away from the sink, then made his way into the kitchen. He jerked open the refrigerator door, grumbling to himself when he saw the contents. No beer. Damn it, he'd wanted to get drunk. Again. He did have to celebrate his lack of a job, didn't he? Just like he'd celebrated the decimation of his love life every night for the past week. Sighing, Lindsey shut the fridge, but not before grabbing a can of soda. He figured a non-alcoholic beverage was better than nothing at all. Nothing at all. That's precisely what he had now, wasn't it? "Damn, I'm pathetic," he grunted as he slowly made his way out of the kitchen and into the living room. "God, I have to snap out of this. It's over, man. She's working for Angel, the lucky bastard. And now that I've quit the firm, she'll never have to see me again. It's for the best," he told himself, not sure if he was stating a fact or trying to convince himself of the truth of the statement. Lindsey shook his head tiredly as he walked over to his couch and flopped down unceremoniously. He'd reached for the remote, prepared to spend the rest of the night watching television, when he noticed the light on his answering machine blinking, indicating that he had a message. Lindsey cursed as he stood up and went over to the machine. It was an older model, one of those that still used those little tapes. He'd been meaning to get rid of it for awhile now and completely switch over to voice mail, but he'd never gotten around to it. Sighing, he reached out and pushed the playback button, then waited for the message to play. "You didn't think we'd let you get away that easily, did you, Lindsey?" Lilah's sly voice asked. "You're the best we've got. But you've still got a weakness. We found that weakness, my dear. And now we have her. If you want her back, you'll just have to come and get her, won't you?" A scuffle could be heard then, then a painfully familiar voice made its way to his ears. "Don't do it, Lindsey. Whatever they want, don't do-" Willow's voice was cut off at that point, and Lilah spoke once more. "Well, we've got your girl, McDonald. The question is, what are you willing to do to get her back?" Lilah asked before adding, "It'll be great to have you back." Lindsey stumbled back in shock as the message ended, his eyes glued to the machine, staring at it as if it were some kind of a monster. Willow. Wolfram and Hart had Willow. What the hell was he going to do now? Nearly shaking in a combination of fear and rage, Lindsey reached out and hit the rewind button, then took the tape out of the machine, knowing he needed it for proof. Quickly, he pulled something out of the box of things he'd brought home with him, then practically ran out the door, headed somewhere he'd never thought he'd be going. ~~*~~*~~*~~*~~ Angel sighed as he sat at his desk, staring at his phone. Gunn and Wesley were out on a case - a minor and completely un-supernatural case involving a missing cat - so he was alone for the night. Alone and waiting for Cordelia's call, that is. Willow had never called the brunette back that evening, and the struggling actress was worried about her friend. If he was pressed on the subject, the vampire had to admit that he was worried about her, too. The redhead just hadn't been herself over the past few days. She'd been quiet and preoccupied, not at all like the cheerful and sweet Willow he had come to know and love. Plus, it wasn't like Willow not to return someone's phone call. Well, two someone's phone calls, if the truth be known. Angel had actually called the young witch about an hour earlier, and she had never called him back, either. Therefore, something had to be wrong. He just didn't know what it was. "Come on, Cordelia. Just call me, damn it," the vampire muttered, glaring at the phone. She'd told him she was going to stop by the grocery store to get a few things she needed before heading over to Willow's to check on the redhead, and she'd promised to call and let him know what was going on. Granted, it had been less than half an hour since she had left, but Angel was feeling impatient. He had half a mind to just go over to Willow's apartment himself, but Cordy had warned him not to, telling him that if the redhead's mood was due to this mystery guy she had been seeing, then the company of a male was probably not what Willow wanted right now. Angel spun his chair in a slow circle as he gazed up at the ceiling, then instantly came alert when the door to the office was shoved open. "What the hell are you doing here?" Lindsey flinched at the near-growl in the vampire's voice, but decided that what he was here for was more than worth risking Angel's wrath. "Look, I know I'm not exactly the person you want to see, well, ever again, but-" "Get. Out." "No way. Not until you've heard what I have to say. Do you have any idea how long it took me to find this place? Some PI firm you've got here... you need a damn investigator just to find it..." "Ever think that maybe there's a reason for that?" Angel growled. "Keeps out people like you. Now, are you going to leave, or do I get the pleasure of stomping your ass?" "I need help." "I don't care." "Maybe you should," Lindsey replied, his eyes darkening furiously. "Is this how you treat everyone who comes to you?" "Not everyone. Just the ones who deserve it." "And who are you to judge? You used to be the scourge of Europe. You even took in the Slayer who tried to murder you. What makes me so much worse?" Lindsey asked, and Angel blinked, at a loss as to how to respond. Taking advantage of the vampire's silence, the lawyer plowed on. "Someone... someone I care about is missing. I need your help getting her back." "Maybe she came to her senses and ran as far away from you as she could get," Angel returned sarcastically. "Will you just listen for a moment? This is serious!" "Why? Why should I listen to you? Why should I help you after all you've done? There are dozens of good people out there who need my help. Why should I take time out to help you find your little girlfriend?" Lindsey glared at Angel for a moment before pulling out his answering machine tape and shoving it into the micro-cassette player he'd brought with him. He quickly pressed play, and he watched in silence as recognition came to Angel's face. The vampire was clearly stunned. It was then, with the familiar voice sounding in the room, that Lindsey answered Angel's question. "Because she's Willow."

"Willow," Angel echoed dumbly, his eyes glued to the micro-cassette player in Lindsey's hand. There was no doubt in the vampire's mind that it had been Willow's terrified voice that McDonald had played for him. The question was... why? "Why would they take her?" "To get back at me," Lindsey tossed out. "And probably you, too. Kill two birds with one stone and all that." "But why?" "I already told-" "Why the hell would they think taking her would get at you?" "My God," the lawyer murmured, staring at the vampire in disbelief. "You really don't know, do you? I thought... I thought that after she found out, that she'd tell you." "Tell me what?" Angel asked, thoroughly confused and more than a little pissed off. "She was involved with me," Lindsey told him, and Angel's face darkened with rage. "That's a load of crap, and you know it, you bastard! This is a trap, isn't it? You come to me, all whining and in need of help, I give in, and - boom! - you stake me in the back. And I mean that literally." "This is not a trap, you damn idiot! This is for real!" "Please, there is no way someone like Willow would end up with scum like you." "She didn't know!" Lindsey shouted, glaring daggers at the vampire. "She didn't know who I was... Or, she knew who I was, but she didn't know what it meant. It seems *someone* forgot to tell their employee about the connection between Wolfram and Hart and Angel Investigations," he told Angel, his voice condescending. "She... she knew..." Angel began to protest weakly. "As of less than a week ago." Both men turned at the unexpected female voice to find Cordelia standing a few feet behind Lindsey, a look of concern on her face. "What did you say?" Angel asked the brunette. "She didn't find out about the whole 'Lindsey is a jackass' thing until about a week ago," Cordelia told him. "You're the one who told her," the lawyer accused, his eyes darkening in anger. "You're the one who convinced her to leave me." "Hold on just a damn minute, Mr. Evil Lawyer Guy," Cordelia said, her voice annoyed. "You're the one who pushed her away. I just told her the truth about what you did. If she left you because of that, well, you've only got yourself to blame, you know." With that, the brunette turned her attention to the vampire that had been watching the exchange between his employee and his current worst enemy with interest. "I went to her apartment, and she wasn't there," Cordelia told her boss, ignoring the 'well, duh' look the statement received from Lindsey. "The... the place was kind of messed up. Not really trashed... but not Willow-neat either. And... and I found this," she said as she held out a slip of paper. Angel quickly stepped forward to take it, and he growled softly before reading it out loud. "'We've got your girl, vampire. You want her back? Come and get her.'" "Lilah never was the creative type," Lindsey muttered, earning a glare from both Angel and Cordelia. "You think this is her?" Cordelia asked. "She's the one who left the message on my machine," Lindsey told her. "She's probably not the person who grabbed Willow, but I'm willing to bet she orchestrated the whole thing, including that little note you've got there." "Message on your machine?" the young woman said questioningly, and Lindsey realized that she must not have been there yet when he had played it. "They didn't just take her in order to get at Angel. I'm a target, too." "And why would that be?" Cordy asked. "You are their Boy Wonder." "Not anymore. I quit. I... I didn't know they'd go after Willow. I mean... she left me about a week ago, as soon as she found out just who I was and what I'd done in the past. I'd never thought..." "Save it," Angel ground out. "I don't want to hear your little pity party, okay? It's your fault they took her." "I'm not the one that note's for, *vampire*. It's not just me; it's you, too." "Yeah, and what the hell are we going to do about it? Stand here posturing like a couple of idiots? See who has the bigger pair?" Cordelia asked, clearly pissed off. "You know, 'cause I don't know about you two jackasses, but all I really want to do is get Willow back. After that, you're more than welcome to tear each other to shreds. I don't really care." "You're right," Lindsey said with a sigh. "Damn straight, I'm right. What about?" "Getting Willow back is all that matters. We... we need a plan." "And what makes you think I'm going to trust you to work with us?" Angel asked. "How do I know you won't just take us to Willow and throw us all to the wolves, Willow included?" "Because I love her." "Aw, how sweet. I almost believed it. Maybe you could try it again. With a tear in your eye this time." "Stop it!" Cordelia's shout was completely furious and loud enough to stun them both. When the brunette turned on Angel, the vampire actually took a step back when he saw the angry expression on her face. "You two are acting like complete jerks! I mean, Angel, here you are, more concerned with attacking Lindsey than getting Willow back! And you!" she continued, turning to face Lindsey. "What?" The secretary thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I don't like you, and Lord knows I don't trust you. I think you're a dirty, rotten, slimebag. But that doesn't matter right now. What matters is that you're our inside guy." "I don't work-" "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got that. But you still know how these jerks think. And we need all the help we can get." "Cordelia..." Angel began, a slight whine in his voice. He immediately snapped his mouth shut when the brunette whirled on him, her eyes flashing. "Don't even start. In case you've forgotten, Willow is in danger here. It doesn't matter why it happened, or how much you hate each other, or even whose fault it is. I mean, it seems to me that Wolfram and Hart is pissed off at both of you, and they're using Willow to get at you, which makes it both your faults. Therefore, I'd suggest you both stop being all growly at each other until we get her back. Do I make myself clear?" Both the lawyer and the vampire muttered something in response, but it was completely unintelligible, causing Cordelia to get even more annoyed, if that was possible. "I didn't hear you," she told them. "Now, do I have to repeat myself, or-" "We're clear," Angel replied a bit desperately. He'd never seen his secretary so angry, and he didn't want to do anything to further incur her wrath. Cordelia turned to face the other man. "Lindsey." "I'm clear." "Good. Now that we've got that settled, why don't you two make nice... or make some plans. I don't really care which. Just, no bloodshed, okay? Save that for the bastards who took Willow," the brunette said as she made her way into her office. "Where the hell do you think you're going?" Angel asked incredulously. He couldn't believe she'd go on a tirade like that, then just walk out. "I'm going to my office," Cordelia said slowly, as if speaking to a toddler. At Angel's annoyed glare, she shrugged and began speaking normally again. "I'm calling Wesley and Gunn and telling them to get their butts down here to help." At this point, she held up her hand as if to stave off questions and protests. Of course, none were forthcoming. "I know, I know, they're on a case. But I think Willow's like takes precedence over a stupid *cat*!"     With that, she walked into her office, shutting her door behind her and leaving the two enemies alone. After a moment, Lindsey broke the silence. "Interesting employees you have here." "You have no idea." ~~*~~*~~*~~*~~ Lilah smiled as she paced the length of the room, her eyes on the young woman tied to the chair. "I wouldn't have had them hit you so hard if you hadn't tried to warn Lindsey away, you know," she told the redhead. "And your point would be what? That it's my fault your henchmen knocked me unconscious?" Willow retorted. "Well, if you want to put it that way-" "Screw you," the redhead tossed out, cutting off the female lawyer's statement. She smirked when Lilah turned to her, incensed. "Why you little-" she began, then stopped herself. "It would serve you well to remember who has the power here." "And it would serve you well to remember just how many times Angel has screwed up your plans. He'll figure out that you took me, and he'll be here." "How sweet... Complete trust in a vampire. And you're right. He probably knows who has you. And if he doesn't, he'll know soon enough. Maybe we want him to know who has you. You ever think of that?" "You ever think of how many times he's botched up your plans?" the redhead returned, causing Lilah to scowl. "He won't this time, because he won't be able to find you. And if he does, well then, we'll just have to kill him." "Well, golly, why didn't you think of doing that before?" "You're friend is going to die, little girl. One way or another. Either he'll kill himself from the guilt of failing you, or Wolfram and Hart will kill him ourselves. And Lindsey will come back to the firm. As for you, my dear," Lilah continued as she leaned in, speaking directly into Willow's face, "well, I guess we'll just let Lindsey decide what to do with you." "Angel's going to find you, and he's going to kill you," the redhead replied, her calm voice hiding how scared she really was. Not just scared for herself, but for Angel, Lindsey, and the others as well. "Oh, he is, is he?" Lilah asked, her voice sly. "I didn't think he was in the practice of killing humans. At least, not anymore." "For you, I think he'd make an exception."

"So, what do we do now?" Gunn asked as he surveyed the room. He and Wesley had come as soon as they'd gotten Cordelia's call, and he had to admit that he had been more than a little surprised - stunned speechless was probably a more proper term for his reaction - when told that Lindsey McDonald was Willow's mystery man, but he was willing to put the past behind him (at least for now) in order to get the redhead back. He just hoped that Lindsey and Angel felt the same way. Considering the way the two men - well, one man and vampire - were glaring at each other, he wasn't entirely sure they did. "I can't believe Willow would involve herself with scum like you," Angel said with a shake of his head. "Yeah, well, stranger things have happened," Lindsey replied. "I mean, she does work for a vampire." Before Angel could respond to this, however, the lawyer continued, turning to face Gunn as he spoke. "First, we have to find out where they may have taken her. The firm has several places around the city where... troublesome people are sometimes taken." "Well, that's a pleasant thought," Cordelia muttered. "Well, be that as it may," Wesley spoke up, completely ignoring the brunette's comment, "we can certainly rule out any place that you know about." "Not necessarily," Lindsey interrupted before the Englishman could say anything more. "They expect *you people* to try and find her. But me? They would never expect me to come running to you guys for help. They expect *me* to come running to them and take my job back so I can get her back." "Then why don't you just do that?" Cordelia asked. "It seems like it would be a hell of a lot easier than trying to find her." "Because then they would win. And they would know that whenever I stepped out of line again, which I most assuredly would, considering the fact that I'd probably just quit again once Willow was safe, well, they would know that all they had to do to get to me is threaten Willow. I don't want that for her, and I know you don't either. Which means that all we can do is fight them and win. It's really the only option." "Fine. I get that now. I don't like it - and I really don't like the idea of working with you at all - but I get it," Cordelia said with a sigh. "So what do we do? Just check out all these places Wolfram and Hart keeps for the random torture of people they don't like until we find Willow?" "That would take too long," Angel cut in with a shake of his head. He hated the idea of working alongside Lindsey McDonald - he'd almost rather go back to hell - but if it meant getting Willow back, he would do it. "We could split up," Gunn pointed out. "There are five of us." "Not a good idea," Angel replied. "They've probably got people - or creatures - guarding her, which means none of us would probably be able to get her back on our own. And I know that if I found her, I wouldn't be able to leave her with those bastards for another second, even if it was just to get you guys." "Which means what? We go from place to place as a big, conspicuous group until we finally find her? No, I don't think so. That would take too damn long," Cordelia retorted. "My God," Lindsey muttered as he rubbed his hands over his temples. "With all this arguing that goes on, it's a wonder you people ever get anything done." "Well, I don't hear you coming up with anything," Cordelia sniped. Good Lord, how she hated this man. It was because of his law firm that she had ended up in a continuous vision last spring, and, if Lindsey had succeeded in burning that damn scroll like he wanted to, she would probably still be at the hospital, heavily sedated and in great pain. Of course, if Willow had fallen for him - and given her behavior since the time of their break-up, she apparently had - then there had to be some redeeming qualities in him. She just had no clue what they were. "I'm thinking," Lindsey snapped. "Look, first we've got to get all the facts... What do we know?" "Well, we know that the slimebags you work for have taken Willow and are probably doing horrible things to her," Gunn replied. "Slimebags I *worked* for," Lindsey corrected in a cold voice. "I'm no longer employed by them. And Willow's probably safe for now. They want me back, which means that they'll take fairly good care of her, at least until they learn I'm not coming back, and by then, we'll already have Willow safe and sound. Now, since you people don't seem to be thinking, here's what we know: Wolfram and Hart has Willow, and the odds are very strong that Lilah is with her." He paused then, and the others nodded in acceptance of his statement. When Wesley and Gunn had arrived, Lindsey had played the tape from his answering machine for them, so they all had heard both Willow and Lilah on the tape. "So we know the bitch queen is with Willow," Gunn said, his voice annoyed. "So what?" "So... it narrows down the possible places that Willow would be. Lilah's not one for creepy crawlies, and she can't stand getting dirty." "She doesn't like dirt, but hey, defending slimy demons makes for a great time," Cordelia said with snort. Angel ignored his secretary's statement, instead focusing on Lindsey. "What else?" "Lilah is really big on irony. Or, what she considers to be irony, anyway." "And what does that mean to you?" "Well, what could be more ironic than the people of Angel Investigations running around like chickens with their heads cut off looking for Willow..." "When she's really right in front of us," Angel finished, nodding. "I see what you mean." "I don't," Cordelia said. "What are you guys talking about? If she was right in front of us, wouldn't we see her?" "Not necessarily," Lindsey said with a chuckle, wondering if Cordelia was always this literal-minded. "I think what Lindsey is saying is that Willow is being held somewhere that we know, on our turf, in a way," Wesley said thoughtfully. "But where? I mean, our turf is basically here, my apartment, and Will's apartment. And trust me, she's not at her place. And Dennis... well, he doesn't take to kindly to strangers, so I doubt she's at my place, either." "Is Dennis your dog or something?" Lindsey asked, curious. "He's my ghost." "Okay," the lawyer said slowly, surprised by the answer. "So that's our turf, Lindsey, and she's not there. All we've got is a couple of apartments and this warehouse-turned-office..." "Oh, God," Lindsey murmured. "What? What is it?" Wesley asked, alarmed. "Office," the man muttered to himself. "I should have known." "And for the people that this makes no sense to, you should have known what?" Cordelia prompted, and Lindsey looked over at her. "I think I know where they're keeping Willow." ~~*~~*~~*~~*~~ "They'll never find you," Lilah taunted as she paced the floor, not even noticing the creaking as she walked. Willow did, however, and her eyes flicked to the floor, praying it would hold. Not that she cared about Lilah's safety or anything - the bitch could die for all she cared - but the floor beneath Lilah's feet also happened to be underneath her as well. "They'd never think to look for you *here*," the woman continued as she glanced around her. Willow cringed at the laugh that came from the woman. It was definitely shades of Cruella Deville. "They'll find me," the redhead insisted coldly. "And when they do, you're going to regret ever screwing around with Angel." "Oh, please. If he were going to find you, he would be here already. This place does belong to him, doesn't it? Or, at the very least, it used to," the woman said as she looked around at the charred remains of the original office of Angel Investigations. Smiling at Willow, she continued in a conspiratorial voice. "You know, just between you and me, it could really use some work." "Go to hell." "My, my, my. You really do have some spunk. That bitchy little brunette - Cordelia or whatever - would probably be crying like a baby if she was in this situation." "Oh, really?" Willow retorted with a snort. This woman obviously had never been around Cordy. "Shows how much you know. Cordelia could chew you up and spit you out, you stupid bitch." Willow had barely finished speaking when Lilah slapped her, nearly knocking both the redhead and the chair to which she was bound to the floor with the force of the blow. Damn, this lady lawyer was tougher than she looked. Of course, Willow wasn't about to give the other woman the satisfaction of knowing she was in pain. "You need to learn to watch your mouth, little girl," Lilah warned. "Or else when they call me to tell me that Lindsey's come back into the fold, well, you won't be around to save anymore." "Oh, death threats now, is it? I don't think you've got the balls to do it," Willow challenged, her eyes on something just outside Lilah's line of vision. She could have sworn she'd just seen... No, no. Don't look. If she looked, Lilah might look over there, then everything would be screwed. "Oh, really, little girl? Well, let's just see about that?" the woman replied, pulling out a wicked-looking knife and reaching for Willow. Before she could do anything, though, she was quite rudely interrupting by someone shoving her to the ground. It was then, while he was standing over her face-down form, that he spoke. "You get your hands off of her."

Angel. It was the only thing on Lilah's mind at the moment, the only thing that the female lawyer could think for what seemed to be an incredibly long moment that was frozen in time. Nothing else mattered but the demon-faced vampire who stood over her, his golden eyes gleaming. Angel. Angel was here. He had found Willow. And the vampire looked incredibly pissed off, his eyes glinting with rage. He looked violent and dangerous and... Almost like he was ready to kill her. That particular revelation was more than enough to snap the woman out of her frozen silence, and she scrambled away from him, shaking as he simply stepped closer, still looming over her. The fact that she was still on the floor and he was standing made him seem all the larger and more threatening. "Where the hell are you stupid demons?!?" she screamed, trying to hide the shaking in her voice, trying to make herself sound angry and annoyed rather than terrified. "Get your asses in here! You're supposed to be protecting me!" She forced herself to glare up at Angel then, attempting to appear brave and in control, even though she felt far from it. She'd dealt with the vampire before, that was for sure, but she'd never seen him with this dangerous glint in his eye. She was definitely going to have these stupid demons killed for failing to warn her after this was all over. "You shouldn't have come here, vampire," she told Angel, her gaze still firmly on him as an idea came to her. She could hear the sounds of her 'bodyguards' coming to her rescue, and that, coupled with her little plan, gave her enough confidence to smirk up at her attacker. "Of course, I always did want to be there when you got killed, so I guess I should be happy you're here," she purred a split second before flinging the knife she held up at him, aiming for his face. Angel ducked the flying weapon, snarling in anger as it whizzed by his ear. He heard a sickening squish as the knife lodged itself in the shoulder of one of Lilah's would-be protectors, and he grinned savagely as he reached down and yanked the female lawyer and all around bitch up off the ground by her hair. "Don't be so sure that I'll be the one to die," he hissed at her before tossing her behind him. She ran right into the demon she had just accidentally injured, and the pair went tumbling to the ground. Angel was on his knees beside Willow in an instant, and he gently put his hand to the cheek Lilah had slapped, wincing at the red mark the woman had left on his friend. "You okay, Little One?" he asked. "Yeah, I'm fine," Willow told him with a nod, but Angel could tell she was holding back tears, though he wasn't sure if they were tears of pain, fear, or maybe even relief at being found. "I really want to get the hell out of here, though. This place isn't safe." "I know that. There are demons-" "No, Angel. I mean it isn't safe. The floor... I don't know how long it will hold." Angel's eyes widened as he realized just what it was Willow was getting at, and the vampire swiftly went to work on the ropes that bound the girl, only to be stopped by a noise behind him. He lashed out quickly with his right arm, and he winced as his fist met the hard, scaly skin of one of the demons that had been hired by Wolfram and Hart to protect Lilah and hold Willow hostage. Knowing he had bought himself only a few seconds with that hit - not nearly enough to grab the redhead and get the hell out of there - the ensouled vampire stood, immediately getting into a fighting stance. He knew that he was going to have to battle his way out of this charred heap, and he could only hope and pray (and wish that Whomever was up there would listen to the prayer of a vampire) that he would be able to get Willow out of there before it all came tumbling down around them. Lilah struggled to get up, grimacing as she disentangle herself from the disgusting, scaly, *bleeding* demon she had been thrown into. Her expression darkened even more when she realized that she had some of the demon's green blood on her suit. Damn it, she had just had this thing cleaned, and now it was probably ruined. Frowning as she finally managed to get to her feet, she whirled around to face Angel, who was now in an all-out fight with the other demon. "Weren't there supposed to be four of you?" she shouted, furious that her protectors were apparently screwing up big time. Without pausing in his fighting, Angel smiled ferally as he hear the woman's comment. Did the stupid bitch really think he'd come alone? Wesley, Gunn, Lindsey, and Cordelia had been the ones that had ambushed the four demons when they had arrived, allowing the vampire time to get into the building undetected. As Angel fought the demon, trying to figure out the quickest way to incapacitate this thing so that he could grab Willow and make his escape, Lilah made a move for the redhead, only to be stopped when the already-injured demon that was making its way to its behind her suddenly pitched forward, crashing to the floor with Lilah pinned underneath it. Lilah was unable to suppress a scream as the four hundred pound creature came toppling down on top of her, and her eyes widened as she felt the floor shake beneath her. Maybe... maybe this place wasn't as sturdy as she had thought it was. Moving gracelessly in her fear, she scrambled out from underneath the demon, her mouth falling open in shock as she saw what had caused the demon to collapse: the bolt from a crossbow was deeply imbedded in the creature's back. The demon was dead. "What? You didn't think we'd let Angel do this all by himself, did you?" Gunn asked, and Lilah looked up to find the young man sneering at her. She quickly looked over to the chair where Willow was tied, and rage built inside her when she saw Cordelia untying the redhead. No. This could not be happening. This had been her idea. And what would Holland do to her if the plan - her plan - failed? That was something she didn't want to think about. Gunn grinned as he saw the look of panic on the woman's face. Maybe she was finally figuring out just how badly she'd screwed up by going after Willow. Three of her demons were either dead or very nearly so - two of them courtesy of Lindsey and Wesley - and the fourth was in a fight to the death with Angel. Not very good odds for the lady lawyer, that was for sure. "Willow, are you okay?" Cordelia asked as she worked on the ropes holding her friend. She bit her lip as she sliced through the bindings, trying not to cut the redhead. "Yeah, I'm fine," Willow managed. "I just want to get out of here before this places falls down. The structural damage... this place can't handle what happening here. It should have been demolished a long time ago." The redhead let out a little hiss of pain as Cordelia accidentally sliced her skin, and the brunette winced in sympathy. "I'm sorry." "It's okay. I've had worse," the witch replied, then asked the question she was dying to have answered. "How did you guys find me-" "There," the secretary muttered as the last of the ropes fell away. "Come on, let's get you out of- Ow!" Cordelia glared at the woman that had knocked her down. She contemplated really going after her, but then decided that it wasn't worth it. The brunette knew that Willow was probably right about how unstable the place was, and she wanted to get the hell out of there in one piece. Even so, she couldn't resist the well-placed punch that knocked Lilah on her ass. "You know," she said as she stood, "I heard what you said about me. And you know what? A bitch like you could never have me bawling like a baby, 'cause I know that, at the end of the day, you're going to be the one getting your ass kicked." And with that, she and Gunn grabbed hold of Willow, hauling the redhead up. Just as they were about to begin the process of getting her out of there, however, a loud noise caught the attention of all of them. Quickly they turned to find the source of the noise, and Willow gasped. Angel had practically thrown the demon across the room... Right into one of the few remaining stable support beams. It gave way immediately, and Cordelia screamed as a hunk of the ceiling came down with it. The impact of the demon, the support, and the debris made the floor shake, and the group looked at each other with wide eyes. "We've got to get out of here. Now!" Angel shouted as he ran toward them. The vampire grabbed Willow and picked her up, and Gunn pulled Cordelia behind him, nearly dragging the girl in his haste to get out of the crumbling building. They barely made it out. The group had barely made it outside of the building - in fact, they were less than halfway across the street - when the building completely collapsed in on itself, with both Lilah and the last remaining demon still inside. Not even noticing that he was in the middle of the street, Angel dropped to his knees, taking Willow with him, and pulled the redhead into his arms, where she finally began to cry, sobbing in both suppressed fear and relief. Lindsey stood just a few feet away, a bit of the blood of the demon he had killed staining his shirt, and watched the scene unfold. And it was as he stood there, watching Willow being taken care of by someone that cared about her - someone that would do anything to ensure her safety - that he came to a decision. And it was because of that decision that he did the hardest thing he had ever done in his life. He turned and walked away.

Lindsey walked into his apartment, trying to ignore the feeling of loneliness that swept over him upon walking into the empty place. He didn't know why the place suddenly felt so lonely; he had lived alone since college, and he had never felt this way before. He had no idea why he did now... And why was he trying to kid himself? Wasn't self-delusion what had gotten him into this whole mess in the first place? Back when he'd first found out the truth about Wolfram and Hart, he had tried to ignore it at first, and then he had convinced himself that it didn't really matter, that what Wolfram and Hart was doing wasn't that big a deal in the grand scheme of things. And then he had allowed himself to get deeper and deeper into it... And now he was free. It had been two weeks since he had left Wolfram and Hart, two weeks since he had taken his life back. Two weeks since he had last seen Willow. Lindsey never really expected to see her again. He was gone from her life for good, and it was all for the better, he had told himself. Better for her, anyway. She probably hated him. He was part of the reason she had been taken, after all. Even though she worked for Angel, Lilah probably would have never thought to take Willow if the redhead hadn't once been involved with him. He imagined she hated him for that. Hell, she probably hated him, period. Willow was probably thrilled that he was out of her life for good... "Lindsey." The voice was unexpected, and for a moment he thought it was just wishful thinking, or that maybe he was beginning to lose it. Yes, that was it. He had gone off the deep end, the lights were on but nobody was home, the wheel was spinning but the hamster was dead... "Lindsey. Are you going to stand there like an idiot, or are you going to turn around and face me?" He spun around slowly then, his eyes immediately focusing on the slender redhead standing by his window. "You're really here." A tiny smile curved Willow's lips, and it was all he could do not to run to her. Standing there wearing a light blue sundress that swirled around her legs, her hair down... she was almost ethereal in her beauty, and he was afraid that if he went to touch her, she'd disappear. "Stop looking at me as if I were some sort of a ghost," she told him, not unkindly. "You of all people should know I didn't die at Lilah's hands. You were there, after all." "You... you know?" "Did you really think I wouldn't find out? Did you really think you could just walk away, and I'd never know you were there? Angel told me." "He should have left well enough alone." "He thought I had a right to know." "And what if I didn't want you to know?" Willow smiled faintly, though Lindsey didn't see how she could be amused by his belligerence. Why the hell was he behaving this way towards her, anyway? Oh, yeah. So she would go, get on with her life... and forget about him. "I really don't think Angel particularly cares what you want, Lindsey. Why did you leave?" "It was..." "What? Was it what was best for me?" "Well, yes, actually..." "Or was it what was best for you?" Willow continued as if he hadn't even started to speak. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" "Too difficult a question? Sorry, I didn't mean for it to be. I guess we'll just have to talk about something else then," the redhead said as she turned to look out the window. She watched the children playing down below for a moment, then spoke again. "I, uh, I heard you quit." "Excuse me?" "I heard you quit," Willow repeated as she turned back around to look at him. "That's true." "Why?" "What's that supposed to mean?" "That's the second time you've asked that in less than a minute. There are no trick questions here, Lindsey. They're actually quite simple. I just want to know why you quit." "Well, there really wasn't anything there for me-" "The real reason," Willow interrupted, her eyes boring into him. Lindsey had the distance feeling that she was staring straight into his soul, and it left him a little off-balance. It also convinced him to tell her the truth. "Honestly? It was you. After you'd left, after you'd done your own walking away, I took a good long look in the mirror, and I saw myself as you saw me.     I didn't like it." "And just what did you see?" she asked. "Something bad, something wrong, something evil." "And you think that's how I see you?" "Well, isn't that why you left?" "I left because we fought on different sides of the same battle, and there was no way I could reconcile that with myself. I thought what you were doing was wrong, I admit that. But... there's good and evil in all of us, Lindsey. I've seen it in others; I've seen it in myself. And it's scary as hell to know just what's inside you. You have to fight the badness inside of you... I do it, Angel does it, Cordelia does it. We fight it, bury it deep down inside, but that doesn't mean it isn't there. The difference between me and you was that you weren't fighting it. You sat back and watched it. Hell, you even helped it. Maybe it was because it didn't mean anything to you; nothing you cared about was threatened. No one around you cared what you did." "Until you." Willow laughed, a slightly hollow sound. "You were working for them the entire time we were dating." "And it was destroying me. Remember the Clemens' case? The murderer I got set free?" he asked, and he could tell Willow knew exactly what he was talking about. The night she had found him in front of his television set, drunk and watching wrestling. It was the night they had first made love. "Before I met you... I wouldn't have had that kind of reaction. I would have been patting myself on the back for a job well done, not drowning my sorrows in alcohol." "And I changed all of that?" "Yes, you did." "Great, I turned you from a heartless bastard into a drunk. I'm so proud." "Willow..." "Don't, Lindsey. Don't put this all on me. Because it's not all me. I may have opened your eyes to what you had become, or were in danger of becoming, but you were the one who had to make the change. And you did. Or, at least, you're trying to. Quit your job, actually went to Angel of all people in order to help save me, and you've even started looking into creating your own law firm." "How... how did you know that?" "I have my ways," the redhead replied mysteriously. She paused then, looking down at her feet. After a moment she raised her eyes to meet his, and he could tell she was debating whether or not to say something. "What is it?" "Do you really think you can do it alone, Lindsey? Can you make this change all by yourself?" "You just said it had to be me who made the change." "Yes, I did. And you do have to be the one who chooses. But it's not easy, Lindsey. And even though the decisions lie with you, it's hard to be good. And the thing is, now that you know what lurks out there, can you just pretend it doesn't exist? 'Cause I know I couldn't." "I can handle what's out there." "Can you? Can you face the bad guys all by yourself, be they human or otherwise, with nothing but a beer bottle for comfort?" "What are you saying? That I'm basically screwed, so I should just give up now?" "Not at all. I'm just saying that you need help. Everyone does. And it takes more strength to admit that than it does to lock yourself away and go it alone." "I'd think it would be more difficult on your own." "Most do. No one to lean on... no one counting on you. You can close yourself off and say that no one else matters. That's what makes it easy. You don't have to give a damn. It's harder when you care. There are people counting on you, and if everything blows up in your face, it's everyone who gets hurt, not just you. But it can be better in some ways, too. A support system to lean on, people that love you. What makes it easier is also what makes it more difficult, 'cause you have to watch the people you love struggle, and you help them, but sometimes you lose them, too, whether it be to the darkness or to death. And that's where the most painful part lies..." she trailed off then, then spoke softly, her voice no more than a whisper. "I still love you, Lindsey. You've gotten yourself out of the depths of the darkness, and I don't want to see you fall back in." "I don't intend to." "No one ever does. We... Angel Investigations... well, we could always use a lawyer, someone with legal knowledge who could help us out." "Are you asking me to come work with you?" The redhead shrugged. "It's just something to think about. It's completely up to you. The others agreed to it. All you have to do is make your choice. Go it alone, or struggle through it with us at your side." That said, she slowly made her way to the door, only to be stopped by Lindsey's voice. "How'd you get in here, anyway?" Willow held up a small key. "I never did get around to giving it back to you. I guess I should now," she said, holding it out to him. Lindsey waved it away. "Keep it. Oh, and Willow?" "Yes, Lindsey?" "You do realize that, if I do take this job at Angel Investigations, I won't be able to keep my hands off of you." Willow smiled slightly. "It's really not that big of a surprise. And... and I don't really think I'd mind. We still have some things to work out first, but then... well, I do still love you." "And I love you. It's good to know we, uh, have an understading. I'll see you at work tomorrow." Willow smiled. "Ready for a new beginning, huh?" "Yeah. Not too many people get a second chance." "And even fewer take advantage of it. I'm glad you've decided to." Lindsey waited until she had left, then spoke to the empty room, which no longer seemed so lonely. "So am I." The End