disclaimer on first part.
Amy was speaking, "But Giles, we can't hope to mount a raid on the place."
"We have to do something," Willow leaned forward determinedly. "Angel has saved all our lives; and we can't just leave him in Morgan's hands."
"Well duh!" Cordelia said snappishly. "We want Angel back as much as you do; without him, we're unemployed!"
"Yes, Cordy, let's keep our priorities straight." Xander said icily.
Wesley glared at Xander. "Please have a care how you speak to my fiancee!"
"Hear that?" Buffy said excitedly. "Wesley and Cordy are engaged!"
"That must be the longest engagement on record," Xander was still sniping. "What is it, six years? Or seven?"
"You should talk!" Cordelia retorted. "You've never even been engaged! And it's only four years; the first three we were just living together."
"Really, we do not have time for this," Giles reproved them. "We're in the midst of a crisis. We don't know Morgan's plans for Angel; but we must assume she means him harm."
Buffy pinched Spike's arm.
"Bloody hell! Watch it, Slayer! I may be dead, but I still have feelings."
She paid no mind. "Did you hear? Morgan has Angel! She's the vampire who killed me."
And me, Spike thought.
"What do we know about Morgan? " Willow asked expectantly.
Giles cleared his throat. "Here's what Xander and I were able to discover- Mary Morgan was a former Slayer."
"What?" Amy jerked to attention.
"To be specific," Continued Giles, "she was one of the two Slayer kills credited to Spike."
He'd known it was coming and managed to keep his face impassive, even when Buffy stiffened and dropped his hand.
"Did he...you know, grrr?" Willow made her vampire face.
"Yes. Or allowed another vampire to turn her. At any rate, she then became a powerful and deadly master vampire."
Giles placed a thick manila folder on the table. "She just calls herself Morgan now. I've been tracking her for twelve years, ever since ..."
He stopped abruptly, and Ripper showed plainly behind his eyes. "Until now, I have failed to destroy her."
"WE failed," Xander corrected. "I swore on Buffy's grave that one day I'd put that bitch in the ground. And I will."
He did not raise his voice and his cold expression never altered; but something about those quiet words made Spike shiver.
Wesley paged through the folder. "Impressive. You've charted every kill she's responsible for, her patterns of movement, even her known associates."
"Never mind that," interrupted Cordelia. "Look, I know you guys want revenge for Buffy, and that's fine. But this has to be less about killing Morgan and more about saving Angel!"
There was a long silence and Amy glanced cautiously at the redhead. "Willow?"
The witch sighed. "Cordelia's right; we have to save Angel first."
Xander broke into a storm of protest that, for the first time, gave Buffy a glimpse of the boy he had been.
Giles said, cutting off the tirade, "I thought you shared our feelings, Willow. It's been..a long road; and you've been beside us the entire way. If your sentiments have changed..."
"They haven't!" Willow exclaimed. "Losing Buffy was the worst thing that ever happened to me- worse than my injury! I want Morgan dead as much as you do, but you know if Buffy could come back she'd tell us to go get Angel!"
Giles nodded reluctantly. "You're right."
Xander shook his head stubbornly. "I'm not letting Morgan go! If Angel has to die so we can take her out..."
"Xander." Willow eyed her friend steadily. "You know what Buffy would say, what Buffy would do."
"I'm not so sure," Buffy muttered. "I mean, I really want them to kill Morgan!"
Spike stifled a chuckle. Then he remembered that she knew the truth about Mary Morgan; or at least some part of the truth, and his heart sank.
Xander was still staring resentfully at Willow. "I've devoted my life to hunting Morgan! "
"He has," Giles confirmed. "He's been the best assistant I could hope for. I've spent my life fighting demons; and Xander will carry on my work."
"We all will, Giles," Willow said earnestly. "Including Angel! That's why we need to save him."
Xander and Giles allowed their eyes to meet; then Xander sighed, and his broad shoulders slumped.
"Okay, Will," he said, "You win. But someway, sonehow, I swear I will destroy Morgan!"
Willow's relief was evident.
Giles removed his glasses. "Tonight is Beltane; the vampires will be celebrating. We'll launch a raid tomorrow, just before midnight when the majority will be out hunting."
"Thank you, Giles," Wesley said softly.
Giles nodded to the other Watcher. "We'll meet here at sundown tomorrow. I think that's all for tonight."
Xander darted forward. "Will, shall I carry you downstairs to your car?"
"No thanks," Willow answered politely.
Amy was less polite. "She's not an invalid, Xander. She drives that car better than I do!"
With an odd lurching movement Willow stood erect, grasping an elegant silver-topped cane.
Buffy gasped. "Will, your leg!"
Where Willow's left leg had been was now a prosthetic. But she moved briskly to the door with scarcely a trace of a limp.
"Sorry, Will," Xander apologized. "I didn't mean to be Mr. Protective."
"It's okay. After those months in a wheelchair, I swore that once I could walk again I'd never let anyone treat me like an invalid. We'll kick some demon ass tomorrow, and I'll be there!"
Buffy's eyes filled with tears as she watched Willow and Amy leave. Automatically, she started to drift after them.