"So, you and Wesley, huh?" Willow asked softly.

Faith grinned. "Yea," she said, wrapping her arms around her former Watcher's shoulders. She glanced at him with a look of mischievousness on her face. "I think it was the torture. I got him somewhere around blunt and cold."

Wesley chuckled. "Yea, Faith, keep dreaming that I enjoyed the torture."

Willow watched the couple in amazement. She had never seen Wesley seem so. . .not uptight. And Faith - she was shocked in the changes Faith had undergone. The former Slayer seemed so much happier. She smiled softly, glad she'd decided to take the trip to LA. Faith and Wesley were happy, as were Cordelia and Angel. The only person she didn't really want to see was Spike.

Seeing the blonde vampire had stirred feelings in Willow she didn't think she had anymore. < No, > she thought. < I don't care for Spike. I dealt with those feelings when he left Sunnydale two years ago. > She bit her bottom lip, looking down.

"Willow?"

Willow looked up at Cordelia and smiled. "Huh?"

"You ok?" she asked her friend.

Willow nodded. "Just tired. Been a long week. You know, we had to fight that demon last week, and I'm still trying to catch up on my sleep."

Spike's eyebrow rose. "Red, I don't know why you are so tired. I doubt you did much to help."

Willow glared at him. < How can I have feelings about someone who's so mean to me? > "Shut up, Spike, I did just as much as everyone else!"

Spike sat back, a grin on his features. "You know what the difference between the group here in LA and the group in Sunnyhell? Everyone here is important. Cordelia sees the visions, Faith's a Slayer, Wesley does his Watcher thing. . .Peaches and I are the brute strength." He grinned, somewhat cocky. "What the hell do you, Anya, and the moron do? I mean, even Soldier Boy has some qualities that will help the Slayer, with his strength and all, but you? I don't bloody think so."

Angel hit Spike on the arm. "Spike! Apologize to Willow!"

"Don't bother," Willow said, standing up. "He won't mean it. There's no reason for him to say something he doesn't mean." She looked down at Cordelia. "I'm going back to your apartment, Cordelia."

"Ok," she said softly, standing up. "Do you want me to come. . .?"

"No. Dennis and I will play cards or something." She turned to the table. "Angel, Wesley, Faith, thank you for such a wonderful dinner." She stubbornly brushed a tear away. "Spike, I hope you go to hell." She spun on her heel and left the resturant.

*~*~*~*

Cordelia leaned up and kissed Angel softly. "I'm going to go in and check on Willow. I'm sure she's not in a great mood." She ran her fingertips down his shirt. "Thanks for understanding and letting me have time alone with her to see if I can make her feel better."

"She needs you. Spike really hurt her feelings," Angel said. He brushed his lips against Cordelia's cheek. "I'm glad that you and I don't have emotional problems like they do."

Cordelia smirked. "Yea, like we were even better a year and a half ago."

Angel chuckled. "Go on in, go make sure she's fine. I'll see the two of you in the morning."

"Mmm-hmm." She leaned up and kissed him again, then disappeared inside of her apartment.

"Willow!" she called out. "Willow, are you here?"

The frail redhead came shuffling out of the bathroom. She was wearing blue and green plaid flannel pajamas. Her hair was up in a ponytail and she had been crying. "Oh, Willow," Cordelia cried, rushing to the sobbing girl. She hugged her tightly. "Willow, what's wrong? You know Spike's just being an asshole. He's good at that."

"But you don't understand!" Willow sobbed. "I. . .I like Spike. A lot. I always have. I thought that the feelings went away when he left, but. . ."

"You still want him."

Willow nodded her head.

"What a jerk," Cordelia growled. "Too bad we can't hurt him back."

"Sometimes, I just wish he could spend time in my shoes. See how much it hurts me when he says things like that. Or better yet, I'd love for him to just be weak, you know? He thinks he's such hot stuff cause he's a vamp. He can do whatever he wants. I *have* limitations, you know."

Cordelia hugged her. "I know, Wills. I know. Come on, let's get you to bed." She gently guided Willow to her bed. "I think you should sleep in here with me, in case you need someone during the night."

"Thanks." Willow curled up under Cordelia's fluffy blankets. It didn't take long for the redhead to be sound asleep.

*~*~*~*

Willow stretched, waking up slowly. She yawned, noticing it was darker than she remembered when she went to sleep. She stumbled from the bed into the bathroom. She splashed water on her face, then finally opened her eyes to look in the mirror.

She frowned. She had no reflection. She reached out to touch the mirror when she noticed her hands. They were different than what she was used to. They were paler than they'd ever been, and her nails were painted black. "Hmm," she said. "That's odd." Her eyes grew wide when she heard her voice. It was much deeper than her own, and British. She looked down and gasped. Instead of the cute little female body dressed in flannel pajamas she was expecting, she was looking at an alabaster lean male body dressed in nothing. "CORDELIA!" she screamed, stepping back. She hit the wall and sunk down, pulling her knees to her chest. Tears started streaming down her face.

Angel came storming into the bathroom. He knelt down beside Spike with a frown. He was sitting on the floor, naked, arms wrapped around his knees, and he was sobbing. "Spike?" he asked softly.

Spike looked up, shaking his head. "No! Goddess, no! I can't be! I'm not Spike, I'm Willow!"

Angel frowned. "Spike, stop joking around."

"Angel, where is my body?" Willow asked, pushing herself into his arms. She sobbed into his neck.

Angel frowned, stroking Spike's back. < Ok, > he thought. < Spike's lost it. I guess I should call Cordelia's, check on Willow. >

*~*~*~*

Spike woke up and stretched. Immediately, he knew something was wrong. The first indication was the morning sunlight that was flooding the room. He wasn't dust. The second indication was the fact that he was in Cordelia's bed, and not in his own, where he'd fallen asleep. And the last indication was that he could feel warmth, and a heartbeat, from his body. He stumbled out of bed, ran into the bathroom, and gasped in shock.

He was staring in the mirror, but instead of seeing nothing, like he was used to, he was looking into Willow's face.

"BLOODY HELL!" He frowned. "Great! I even *talk* like the chit!" He stalked back into the room and stopped with a smile. Cordelia was sleeping peacefully on her bed. "I can hurt a human now. . .being as I am one. . ." He scowled. "Damn it! Peaches would kill me if I hurt his mate. Besides, I kinda like the chit. She's honest." He blinked as a thought hit him. "Oh, god, where is my body? Is the witch in it?"

He ran to the phone, reaching it just as it started to ring. He picked it up. " 'Ello?"

"Willow?"

"Peaches? Peaches, is that you? Is Willow in my body? You'd better tell that damn chit to give me back my body! Ask her why the hell she cast a bloody spell and made me wake up in her body!"

"Oh, my god. Spike. It is you," Angel said softly. "Then that means. . ." There was a pause. "That means that Willow really is dealing with your demon."

Spike's lips curled into an evil grin, making Willow's innocent face look dastardly. "Good for her. It will teach her to go around and switch bodies with people."

"Spike, wake Cordelia up and come over, right now!"

Spike glanced down at the flannel pajamas. "My god! How can the chit wear this crap to bed? We'll be over in a little while, Peaches. Cordelia is asleep, and I'm going to. . .see just what I can do with this body."

"NO! Spike, you will *not* molest Willow's body!"

There was a scuffle as someone ripped the phone away from Angel. "Listen here, you bastard," Spike's voice came over the phone, smooth and evil, "if you so much as *think* of touching my body, I swear to god, I will dust this body and you will be stuck as me for the rest of your life. You will be weak and inferior. Got it?"

For the first time in a long time, Spike felt fear. He inwardly cursed, knowing it was Willow's body's natural line of defense, hearing a voice so evil and threatening. "Damn, Red. Calm down. I was joking. I'm going to get the chit up and we will be over soon. Don't. . .don't go looking inplaces you don't need to look."

"Whatever," she hissed.

Angel came back on the phone. "She's not controlling the demon very well. After the initial crying spell, she's been stalking around here, angry at the world. I'm surprised she hasn't dusted *me* yet."

Spike sighed. "We'll be over in a few. Bye, Peaches." He hung up the phone and woke Cordelia up.