Having pin pointed when they would attack without saying as much as a word to one another, they started on prep work. Because they wanted to be extra careful but still use every method at their disposal, Wes had asked Dr. Anne from the hospital to speak to the book and ask it to bring forth the information that was needed. That way the SP's would never suspect anything. They'd figure that when the W&H building imploded, the book got lost and some random human picked it up and was playing with it. Dr. Anne agreed. So Wesley wrote on a piece of paper what he wanted her to request the book to conjure up. She held the book and read very carefully off the paper.

"The location of the Senior Partners of Wolfram & Hart and layout of their domain."

            No sooner had she finished speaking, did she open the book and all sorts of different pictures and images started to appear. Her job complete; she went back to the hospital. Wesley, Gunn, Connor, and Dawn started pouring over what the book gave up. Not surprisingly, it was in code and they had to crack it. Connor looked at the letters and symbols carefully and then concentrated harder as he walked away with the book.

"Connor, what are you doing?" Dawn asked as the others watched him.

"I know this language. Or rather the memories that were brought back to me do." He said his forehead creased in concentration.

"What language is it?" Gunn asked then.

"The hell dimension that Holtz kidnapped me to, they spoke this there. Maybe the hell dimension where the SP's are located and Qor'Toth are either next to each other, one and the same, or connected somehow." He said looking up at the other 3 people in the library with him.

"So do you think you can decipher it?" Wesley asked.

"I think so but I will need more time. I don't remember that much off the bat." Connor answered.

"Take all the time you need." Everyone turned to see Angel standing in the doorway.

"Dad?" Connor asked surprised.

"The point is, that book may be our only way to get in unnoticed so whatever you can give us will be of great help. Willow and Illyria have worked out the right portal but they need to know how to open it properly so we don't end up in the land of shrimp. That's where you come in, son. I know you've been bunking it in the hospital on a cot but you can have my apartment and bed since I.....well don't spend my time there anymore. You can use it as your study and resting location. I've already stocked up on food for you as I doubt you'd find blood appetizing." Angel said with a half-smile but his eyes were serious.

"Thanks dad that really means a lot. That cot was getting kind of hard. Where do you sleep now?" Connor asked out of curiosity as Angel's eyes shifted to the right. He didn't want to admit that he spent most of his nights with Buffy, just watching her sleep or sleeping with her and not in the biblical sense. But Connor understood and waved his arm in a never mind motion. 

            Meanwhile across the base, Tara and Willow were talking about how dangerous this mission was going to be. Tara didn't want to lose Willow but she knew Willow was powerful enough that even the SP's wouldn't see her coming. They sat and chatted in the house while the sun was shining outside and Faith was taking the slayers through very rigorous exercises. She wasn't pulling any punches; they were training 12-14 hour days with minimum breaks. While that was going on up top, Spike and Illyria were walking around the underground tunnels. Illyria was unusually quiet even for her; finally she spoke.

"They don't trust me." She said with a jerk of her head towards Spike.

"Do you blame them?" He asked honestly.

"You're less trustworthy then me." She countered to which Spike shrugged.

"I wouldn't go that far, Buffy trusts me and that's all I care about. I saved the world from The First Evil and proved my loyalty to her a long time ago. You on the other hand, came out of nowhere, killed Fred, took over her body and walked around for quite some time acting like you were better than every dimensional being out there. So I'm not quite sure who's less trustworthy there, blue bird." Spike said snidely.

"Why do you keep calling me that? I'm not a bird." Illyria looked at Spike with disdain.

"Consider it a term of endearment." He said under his breath and walked away from her.

"Stop walking away from me! I am not done speaking!" Illyria hurried after him as he spun around to face her.

"You're never done speakin! You expect everyone to just listen to you. Well guess what, we don't have time for your speechifying about how amazing you are or were! We have a war that needs some serious preparation for. So can we save the crap about your amazingness for a different time? Ugh!" Spike grumbled and turned down a different path to put some distance between himself and Illyria.

            The truth was that though she annoyed the hell out of him, he was attracted to her and he could feel her being attracted to him as well. It's something a vampire could just sense. But he knew hell would have to freeze over before she would admit it to him. He hated that he had feelings for her or that they were so alike. Not really wanted in any world and never getting who or what they wanted. He liked it hard and so did she. He still loved Buffy and he always would but his dreams were now filled with erotic scenes with Illyria that he couldn't even put into words and it was embarrassing for a vampire like himself to even think of her that way but one couldn't control feelings.

            Bloody Hell! There she was standing in front of him again. They stared at each other with disdain and contempt. He took a step toward her, she didn't move nor flinch. He wondered if she was even breathing but she stared at him with her defiant blue eyes. He took another menacing step toward her and another until he was standing right in front of her. Without a second thought, he grabbed her hard by the arms and kissed her on the mouth. There was no romance, no softness; this was raw sexual power. Mentally, he dared her to pull away. But he knew she wouldn't. His tongue sought hers and dominated her mouth as she followed suit. It was a battle of two super powers. Neither would give, say uncle, or wave the white flag.

            And right there in one of the many tunnels of the base, Spike took what he had wanted before he even knew that he wanted it. He and Illyria had the wildest, most passionate sex he had ever known. No one, not Drusilla or even Buffy came close to what this million year old bird made him feel. His blood was on fire, his bones liquid, his brain gone. When they were done, neither spoke but the bond was now unbreakable. They continued through the tunnels until they reached Spike's apartment and locked themselves in. They weren't seen again until nightfall.

            As Gunn, Wes, Dawn, and Angel helped move Connor into Angel's apartment, he himself got a chance to look around. But he spent most of his time deciphering the ancient text in the book. Buffy had come down to see how he was settling in and smiled as she coughed. She had come down with a cold and was now relaxing in her bedroom with Angel playing nurse maid. Slayers heal faster so she wasn't worried but everyone shooed her from practically every location because they needed her in the best possible shape for the upcoming battle. She smiled and left with Angel on her heels.

            The others left, only Dawn lingered. It seemed that she was as smitten with Connor as he was vice versa. That and she wanted to learn that old demonic language to add to her growing list of languages. She was a quick learner. She'd learned Italian in Italy to add to English, Spanish, French, Turkish, Sumerian, and Latin; all languages that came in very handy in the supernatural world. She also wanted to learn some other dimensional tongues as well as Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, and Ancient Aztec to name a few. She was like a sponge when it came to languages. Connor was very impressed.

            When he took a break from trying to decipher the book's contents and they had dinner at Angel's apartment, Connor asked Dawn about her college plans and she said she'd gotten into a few places on the east coast as well as the University of Chicago.

"However, no matter where I end up at some point I will have to either study abroad or fully transfer to the watcher's college in England to study under Giles. That's my calling. I want to be a watcher for a slayer someday."

"Have you applied to Stanford?" Connor asked with curiosity.

"Um no....I haven't, why?"

"Well that's where I go. I kinda figured since you got into some Ivy League schools on the east coast this would be a piece of cake and we can hang out on campus and stuff." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Yeah? Hmm, I definitely will have to think about it. I mean my sister would be glad to have me close by since eventually I'll be going to England for lord knows how long. Thanks Connor, I'll look for the application online." Dawn nodded and smiled as Connor got up suddenly.

"No need, I already printed out an application for you. Just in case." He said with a flirtatious smile. Dawn's eyes went wide as she took the application in her hands and then looked up at him with suspicious eyes.

"You've had this printed all along. How did you know I would even consider it?"

"I didn't. But I figured my inherent good looks and charms would convince you. Besides, if you said no, I could always toss it." He said, winking at her as she blushed.

"You really are your father's son, aren't you?" She said staring at the application shyly. She didn't see as Connor frowned a bit. He really didn't know what his father was like before he was born and he was dying to find out. But he knew that would have to wait until after the war. As they finished eating, they went back to deciphering the book together.

            Back in Buffy's room, Angel brought her some hot tea with an old recipe that Buffy showed him her mom used to make when she and Dawn would have sore throats when they were kids. She took the cup gratefully out of Angel's hands and sipped the toddy as he got into bed next to her again. It was a good thing vampires didn't catch colds. She'd gotten used to having him spend every night with her, especially now that she was under the weather.

"You think we're ready?" She asked him hoarsely. He knew what she meant.

"I think once Connor deciphers the text, we'll be a huge step closer. After that it'll just be time to get ready and roll. Catch them off guard."

"I hope it works, I want to save Lorne and maybe even kill the SP's if that's inherently possible." Buffy said as she sipped from her mug again as Angel checked her forehead for a fever. Didn't seem like she had one.

"Don't worry Buffy, we'll get it done."

"Since when have you become mister sensible?" She looked at him.

"Since you've come back into my life. Now I know for sure, nothing can ever separate us again." He said as Buffy drifted off to sleep. He took the mug out her hands and lay her head on the pillow as kissed her on the forehead and watched her sleep soundlessly.

He looked out the window briefly at the full moon and thought to himself:

Bring it on!