Summary: As before

Reluctantly Buffy decided she should take a bath. Willow tried to make the bathroom a happy place. She used Joyce’s perfume to make it smell nice and ran Buffy a bubble bath with healing herbs in. She also played some relaxing music on Buffy’s stereo in the hallway.

Buffy was flooded by the memories of the other night when she walked in but she kept telling herself she could do this. It was only a bathroom, one she had used for years.

She undressed and sat in the bath, trying to concentrate on the music from the hall. She leaned back and closed her eyes trying to ignore the sting of the hot water on her injuries.

Gradually her heart rate slowed slightly. Her muscles began relaxed. Her mind began to enjoy the music instead of just finding it a distraction.

She stayed there for half an hour before getting out. That had been her challenge, to stay there that long.

Once her sentence was over though she hurriedly dried herself and left.

It was a good start. One obstacle at a time. And no matter how simple taking a bath had been it was the first obstacle she had had to over come. She was pleased with herself. She wasn’t comfortable in there but she also wasn’t scared any more.

She dressed for the day and went downstairs. Angel was awake now and talking to Xander on the phone.

Buffy looked quizzically at Willow.

"I think he has a lead." Willow explained. "I don’t know what though."

Angel hung up and turned to them. "Someone went in just now. Xander doesn’t know who but he’s got a good description. The man then left and met with someone outside. Someone in a car with dark windows. The man gave him something Xander assumes was Money and then drove off."

"So we still don’t know for sure who was in the car or where they live." Said Buffy.

Angel smiled. "That’s the good part. We have a license number. I’ll call Cordie now, she can look it up. Once we have a name for the car we can probably trace whoever it is through credit cards, band accounts, anything."

"Yeah," agreed willow. "I can hack into the computers, that’s not a problem. But what if it is a vamp and they don’t really carry cards."

"If it is Leonard he’ll have an identity. He liked the high life and for that you have to have certain things. Like bank accounts, cars, houses. And for all that you need an identity."

Buffy grew scared again. The thought of facing her fear loomed large. She tried to push it down.

"OK, call ‘em." She said.