Willow had decided to show them *exactly* how she could use her powers by
putting on an impromptu magic show for her friends.

So, there was Buffy sitting next to Oz, Xander next to Amber and Angel
sitting there on the loveseat. Spike was in the back of the room, arguing
with Anya like he usually did while Cordelia looked on, playing referee.
Doyle just sat there watching Cordy.

Just a normal night on the Hellmouth at Spike's place.

"Cor, Red. Look at Angel. He looks like those idiot cops in Lethal Weapon 4,"
Spike said, making Willow loose her concentration as she was levitating a
vase of his. The vase came crashing down to the ground right on Spike's foot.

That caused everyone to burst into gales of laughter.

Willow smiled. Everyone had seemed so dour lately, and she wanted to make
them smile and laugh, so she did all of the spells she had mastered as badly
as possible, in the process turning Spike's spacious living room into a
massive mess.

And each time, he'd turn away from his argument with his girlfriend to glare
at the redheaded witch. He'd get back at her...

They'd been playing the practical joke game long enough.

***

After Willow was finished and had helped clean up the mess she'd made, Spike
went over to the CD player. "I'm in the mood for something...different," he
said, taking out his Beatles Anthology CD and putting in Sarah McLachlan's
"Surfacing."

Willow looked up in shock. She knew exactly what he was planning...there were
four actual couples in the room. Buffy and Oz, Xander and Amy, Cordelia and
Doyle and him and Anya.

She'd made the biggest mistake of her young life by confiding in the blonde
vampire on night when she got *extremely* drunk that she had a thing for
Angel.

She knew Buffy knew. She had for a long time. In fact, Buffy had basically
given Willow the go ahead. About a year ago. Willow, however, wasn't ready to
deal with him yet.

Willow looked over at Oz, who made a slight "go ahead" gesture with his
hands. She smiled at him. It was a strange thing with them; they really had
broken up, and it had something to do with Buffy.

Because of a demon, Buffy was able to read thoughts. It was strange, but she
picked up that Oz had more than friendly feelings for her. It was actually
something Willow had suspected for a long time.

When Oz was a wolf, he would only get super worked up when the small blonde
Slayer was around. And even regular Oz would get slightly more interested if
Buffy was involved in whatever was being done.

So Buffy confronted him and he admitted it. Willow wasn't hurt or shocked.
Not really. Much as she cared for Oz, she really just wanted him to be happy.
So she broke up with him, making sure they would be able to be friends
afterwards, and watched as her best friend and her boyfriend began dating.

If she and Oz had been sweet, Buffy and Oz had been even more so.

The CD went to song number two, and by then the couples had paired off and
most had left the main room. Spike and Anya had even stopped fighting long
enough to start cleaning up a bit. Spike headed over to Willow.

"Pet, I am tired of the practical joke contest. Let's call a draw, okay?"

She took the Mountain Dew he offered her. "All right. Truce. Now...can you
please turn this CD off?"

He grinned at her. "No way in bloody hell."

[I have a smile
stretched from ear to ear
to see you walking down the road]

Angel looked over at the two of them, amused. He said nothing, just watched.
And listened. And thought.

Willow had changed. A lot. He knew what had been going on; Cordelia had
started talking to Xander again before she left and they still met up once in
a while, normally when Xander came up to visit Amy at UCLA.

So he knew about the second bout of telepathy of Buffy's, and the breakup.
And the fact Willow told Spike that she liked him. Him being Angel, a though
which made the vampire feel...special.

[We meet at the lights
I stare for a while
the world around disappears
Just you and me
on this island of hope
a breath between us could be miles]

Willow turned away from Spike, who was picking up after everyone. He did it
so often it wasn't even noticed anymore. It sort of shocked the others at
first that Spike was maniacally tidy.

Now, it was just part of a normal Friday night.

Her gaze fell on Angel, who was smiling over at her. She blushed, something
she rarely did anymore. No longer a virgin, she noticed her first year and a
half at college had loosened her up immensely.

He had been staring at her and motioned for her to sit next to him.

[Let me surround you
my sea to your shore
my sea to your shore
let me be the calm you seek
Oh and every time I'm close to you
there's too much I can't say
and you just walk away]

She walked over to him, sitting down. "So..." she began, looking at her hands.

"So," he replied, looking at her. "Did Spike set this up? My childe...reminds
me of my sister Carolyn."

"You had a sister?" she asked.

He nodded. "She was the village matchmaker. Pretty good, I suppose. Except
she couldn't get me or her married off, no matter how big her dowry was or
how good-looking I was."

"I don't believe it," she said, catching the tail-end of Spike commenting to
Anya that his bloody sire better not be talking about his sister again.

[And I forgot
to tell you
I love you
and the night's
too long
and cold here
without you
I grieve in my condition
for I cannot find the strength to say I need you so]

He grinned. "Afraid so. I was too much of a drunkard, and she was...well, she
was too smart to be treated well, and the men who lusted after her knew that.
She was a lot like you, actually. Except not as beautiful."

Willow blushed even more, which was the reaction Angel had been hoping for.
"Really?" she asked quietly, turning her head to look at him.

Instead of replying, he kissed her softly, ignoring the mutterings around the
room. Most of them were of the word "Finally" or "Thank goodness."

When she pulled away, Angel felt disappointed.

"Not here," she muttered. "Too many other people."

And with that, she stood up and headed for the door, giving Spike the finger
before she let herself out.

[Oh and every time I'm close to you
there's too much I can't say
and you just walk away]

"No fair!" he said, laughing slightly. He watched Angel get up and quickly
follow her out.

"So, Spike. You played matchmaker, but they only kissed for less than a
minute. I told you, I could have done better," Anya said from behind him.

"Much as I care for you, sweet...shut up. I owe her a thousand dollars."

"Really?" Anya asked, moving closer to him. "And why's that?"

"I bet her that she and Angel wouldn't get together. I thought she'd be so
damn nervous she'd leave."

"Beat at your own game. How like you males," Anya said, walking away from him.

"Love you too, Anya," he muttered, shaking his head.

[And I forgot
to tell you
I love you
and the night's
too long
and cold here
without you]