Pairing: Willow/ Angel
Rating: R
Spoilers: Season 3 Buffy
Summary: Willow runs to Angel for help and things happen.
Feedback: Comments, *cringe* flames, questions, all sorts of stuff. ?
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~Parts: 1-5~
“Mom?” Willow asked as she walked down the stairs. “Mom are you okay? I thought I heard a crash...” Willow trailed off as she came to the bottom of the stairs. The sight of her downstairs floor leaving her speechless, the first floor was a mess. The sofa was overturned and torn apart, lamps and end tables were broken, but what frightened her the most was... her mother. Her mother lay on the floor on her back; her clothing was ripped open and shredded and her face and body bruised and beaten.
“Run,” Sheila Rosenberg whispered hoarsely to her daughter, “RUN!”
By their own accord, Willow’s feet carried her out of the house at top speed, not knowing where she was going. Before she knew it, the redheaded hacker was standing in front of Angel’s mansion on Crawford Street.
Great sobs wracked her slight frame, at times causing her to choke on her own breath.
* * *
Sitting in a plush leather arm chair by the fireplace, Angel sat reading a book of sonnets. As the vampire turned the page the sound of a timid but frantic knock on the front door caught his attention.
* * *
“An-Angel,” Willow pleaded the dark vampire to the hurry to the door her voice barely a whispered sob as her knees gave way.
Angel opened the door to see Willow began to fall and quickly swung her slight body up into his arms. Willow clung to the dark vampire as he kicked the front door shut and clutched her tightly to his chest as he walked to his black leather couch and sat down holding her in his lap.
“Little One?” Angel questioned holding the redhead away from him enough to see her face. “Willow what happened?” he asked concerned as he held her face in his hands wiping away new and old tears.
Willow looked into his concerned chocolate eyes and whimpered as more tears cascaded down her pale cheeks.
“Hush baby, shhhh,” he cooed to her as he brought her head back to his chest and held her tightly against his broad chest. “It’ll be alright Rua you’re safe.”
For the first time since he’d heard the knock, Angel looked at her. As he did, he found her to be clad only in a long knee-length nightshirt. Breathing in the vampire smelled blood – her blood and looked down her body, his eyes falling upon the floor beneath her feet were drops of blood were rapidly forming a puddle. Shifting the shaking girl in his arms, he stood and gently placed her on the couch. She watched him, her emerald eyes wide with confusion and curiosity as he kneeled before her.
“What?” he asked looking up from her feet.
“Mom,” she repeated her shaky voice barely loud enough for him to hear, and he thanked the gods for his vampire hearing. “Th-there w-was a nn-noise,” she stammered as her voice shook horribly and she sniffed back more tears. “When I w-went down s-stairs... sh-she was beaten...I-I th-think...”
“Willow,” he urged her to continue as he gently rubbed her leg from ankle to knee. “Little One?” his voice trailed off as he found her asleep, the night’s events taking their toll on her.
Lifting her carefully into his arms, he carried her upstairs and into his bedroom and laid her gently upon the black silk comforter of his California King sized bed.
Leaving her for a moment, he retrieved his first aid kit from the bathroom and sat on the bed beside her feet. Lifting her foot onto his bent leg, he finally saw how badly torn her feet were.
“Oh sweetheart,” he moaned sadly as he left her for another moment. Upon returning to her, he set a folded towel on the bed beside himself and unfolded another towel and draped it over his bent he had on the bed. Lifting a bowl onto the bed and placing it onto the folded towel, he submerged a soft washcloth into the warm water and set about cleaning her small feet.
* * *
“Hello,” a groggy British voice answered.
“Rupert, it’s Angel, we’ve got a problem.”
“Angel? What?” Giles asked confused as he snapped to full wakefulness.
“Willow came over tonight, she didn’t say very much, but I think her mother may have been hurt. I’d go to her myself, but Willow’s pretty upset and I don’t want to leave her alone. I was hoping you could...”
“Of course. I’ll call you when I find out anything.”
* * *
“Oh good Lord,” Giles said in horror as he steeped through the open doorway of the Rosenberg home. Upon looking around the watcher found the entire first floor literally torn apart. Walking further into the house he saw the head of Sheila Rosenberg from behind the overturned couch. Rushing to her side he called out to her as he checked for a pulse. Hearing a soft moan come from the beaten – and most likely raped woman, he rushed to the phone and called for an ambulance.
* * *
Drying off both of her small feet, Angel looked up and saw the various scrapes, cuts and bruises that were on her legs and arms, showing signs that she’d fallen. Looking closer he found a bit of dirt in her hair and cuts upon her left cheek.
She must have cut through the park, he thought. “Forgive me Little One, but I need to get you cleaned up,” he whispered to her.
Angel drew a hot bath, checking to make sure that it wasn’t too hot, he returned to her. Lifting the sleeping redhead into his arms he carried her into the bathroom and set her torn feet gently upon a soft rug as he leaned her against his chest. Running his hands along the bottom of her night shirt he lifted the garment over her head and then slipped off her white cotton panties being careful of the cuts and scrapes on her legs.
Lifting her once again into his arms, he lowered her gently into his large sunken bath and leaned her against the side wall as he disrobed save for his black silk boxers. Climbing into the sunken pool of a bathtub behind her, he straddled her hips and leaned the slight redhead against his hard chest.
Dipping a soft black wash cloth into the warm water he poured a generous amount of sea scented body wash onto it and lathered it into a foamy white froth. He held the cloth in one hand as he cupped water into the other hand and let the warm water fall upon her shoulder. Gently rubbing the foamy cloth over her shoulder, he lifted her right arm out of the water and washed her skin, cleaning her as thoroughly and gently as he could. Repeating the same process with her left shoulder, he set the loufa onto the side of the tub and lifted her slightly, setting her to straddle his lap.
Willow stirred in his arms as he leaned her back into the crook of his shoulder and lifted one torn and scraped leg out of the water. Willow began to awaken as she felt warm liquid surrounding her and someone holding her close. Fighting against the hazy fog of her sleep clouded mind, her eyes fluttered open. As her vision focused the redhead found herself in a warm bath where someone was gently washing the various cuts and scrapes on her leg. When the cloth touched the still very tender sole of her foot she hissed catching the vampire’s attention immediately.
Startled by the sound, Angel turned his head to look at the girl in his arms.
“It hurts,” she whisper whimpered to the dark vampire. For some reason that she couldn’t explain, she wasn’t bothered in the least to find Angel bathing her.
“I know Little One, but I have to make sure the cuts are clean.”
Looking up into his chocolate eyes, she nodded tiredly and rested her head upon his shoulder, buried her face into the curve of his neck. Angel hugged her to him tightly for a moment and kissed her snowy pale shoulder.
“Rest now Kitten.”
Angel gently cleaned her until he was satisfied that all her cuts and scrapes were clean. Shifting her so that she was once again leaning against his chest he dipped a cup into the now slightly pink water and cupping his hand over her eyes rinsed her hair and washed her copper strands until they shined. As Angel moved to shift her again she moaned at the movement and tried to snuggle back against his chest rubbing her pert bottom against his half hard cock. Hearing Angel’s soft growl and feeling his hands upon her hips she stilled.
“Angel? Are you okay?” she asked her emerald eyes looking at him in concern. “Angel? ... Did I hurt you?” the thought that she might have hurt him spiraled out of control in her head causing her to babble speedily. She ran her hands over his chest trying to make sure that he was alright as her words came out in a rush. “Oh Goddess! Angel, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you! Are you-” Her words were cut off as Angel covered her mouth with his.
Raising her hands up out of the water, she slid them up his arms and around his shoulder and into his hair, holding his head to her. She could feel liquid heat pooling between her legs as she kissed him back with a passion neither knew she had. When she sighed into the kiss, he thrust his tongue into her warm mouth and tasted her sweet flavour. Strawberries honey and cinnamon, he thought. Unwrapping his arm from around her waist he moved his hand up to cup her breast, his fingers teasing her nipple until it hardened almost painfully.
Willow moaned in protest as he removed his mouth from hers until she began to feel him kiss her from her jaw down the smooth column of her throat and down to her shoulder. Latching onto her breast, he sucked her nipple into his mouth, teasing and flicking the already hard nipple with his cool tongue.
Delighting in her moans of pleasure, he alternately sucked on and nipped at her breast with his blunt teeth. His hand slid down her flat stomach to the apex of her thighs. Running his fingers softly through her copper curls he slid his fingers between nether lips, her legs opening to him. Slipping first one, than another finger into sopping core, he purred as he felt her thrusting against his hand.
Moving his mouth back to hers, he captured her mouth in a searing, breathless kiss as he thrust a third finger into her. He felt her buck into his hand trying to get more contact as he thrust his fingers in and out of her in an all to slow and steady pace. Building a slow rhythm, he felt her muscles begin to quiver as her walls tightened around his fingers. He found her clit with his thumb and pressed it down against her before flicking it hard.
“Angel!” she screamed her release, tearing her mouth away from his as she soared with her first orgasm. “Oh Goddess!” she purred as he brought her slowly down from the heights he’d taken her to.
Willow buried her face into the crook of his neck and yawned tiredly as she fell asleep once again in the dark vampire’s arms. Removing his fingers from the redhead’s tight channel he brought them up to his face and tasted her release.
Lifting her in his arms, he stood and carried them both out of the now cool bath. Standing with her on the soft mat, he lent her against his chest as he reached for a large soft towel and dried them both off. What the hell just happened? He thought as he looked at the draining water.
Carrying her back to his bed he laid her upon the soft silken comforter and retrieved a dry pair of bowers as well as a soft grey sweater for her to sleep in. Slipping the soft cable knit sweater over her head, he pulled the garment down her body watching as it stretched to rest just above knees.
Wrapping both of her feet in gauze and cotton he pulled the covers back on his bed he slipped her beneath the black silk sheets and covered her with the sheets and comforter before slipping beneath the bedclothes beside her. Reaching out, he pulled her into his arms and moved her head to rest on his chest as he tucked her into his side and wrapped her in his arms. It wasn’t long before he fell into the most peaceful sleep he could ever remember having.
Angel awoke late in the afternoon to the smell of warm blood. Afraid Willow had reopened the cuts on her feet he sat up quickly only to find her gone from the bed.
“Angel,” Willow called softly from the doorway, still dressed in his sweater. “It was getting late,” she said as she hobbled over to the bed and sat down handing him a warm mug of blood, “I though you might be hungry.”
Taking the pro offered mug, he kissed her forehead. “Thank you Little One.” Moving to lean against the headboard, Angel spread his legs and pulled her in between them, leaning her back against his chest. Kissing her head, he began to drink his breakfast.
~Part: 6~
Willow blushed lightly as angel watched her watch him drink his blood. She couldn't take her eyes off of the dark vampire as he drank the garnet blood, something about the way his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed, and something about late last night and...a tub? Wait - last night? Last night seemed so far away, but as the redheaded hacker began to think more about what had happened she remembered something that could only have been a nightmare. Her mother broken and bleeding lying on the floor behind the couch telling her to flee, running through the streets, through the park, through a graveyard to get here. Her feet torn and bleeding and oh so sore from not having any shoes on them to protect them. Oh goddess, her mother!
Angel watched Willow closely as she became lost in her thoughts, her eyes so clearly expressing her emotions. He saw the pretty little confused frown and then the blush and smiled knowing she was remembering the tub. As he drank the last of the warmed blood he began to smell her apprehension and then fear and looked up sharply. Taking quick stock of the room and looking through the doorways, his eyes returned to her slight form and he saw her clouded eyes.
"Little One?" he questioned softly as he came to her side. He frowned when she didn't look up, didn't respond. It was as though she didn’t even know he was there. Bringing his large hand to her face he held her soft cheek in his calloused hand and rubbed his thumb gently over her cheek bone.
"Mom," Willow whimpered softly as she came out her thoughts. She whimpered in pain as her legs gave out and Angel swiftly swept her up into his arms. Carrying her back to the bed he sat down leaning against the headboard and held her in his lap.
"Oh Goddess, my mom. She’s hurt and I'm here and she told me to run. She could be dead a-and she was so hurt. There was somebody else in the house. But why was mom home? She wasn't home when I went to bed but she was there when I - the crash and the broken lamp, and I don’t think she could move. Oh Goddess she was so hurt and I left her there, how could I just leave her there!?"
She had spoken so quickly that he had barely been able to keep up with what she was saying. By the time she was through her voice had risen to a hysterical shout and she collapsed against angel in tears.
"I left her there! How could I just leave her there!?"
“ Willow,” Angel said sharply snapping her out of her near panic attack. “Hush baby,” he cooed as he pulled her tight against his chest tucking her head beneath his chin. “It’s ok, after you fell asleep last night I called Giles, he said he would call as soon as he was able.”
“And I would have…” answered a deep British voice. “But somehow calling didn’t seem appropriate.” Giles walked further into the vampire’s bedroom and sat in a overstuffed armchair next to the bed. “Willow, Angel, good day. I apologize for the intrusion but as I said, calling would not have been appropriate, not for this.”
“Giles?” Willow asked her earlier panic resurfacing. “Where’s mommy?” her voice sounding like that of a small child, frightened and lost. Angel rubbed small circles against the small of her back in an attempt to comfort her as he looked expectantly at the watcher awaiting further explanation.
“Willow, my dear,” he began slowly looking into her wide emerald eyes. “I think of you as one of my own and I would do anything to keep you from pain, but what I’m going to tell you...It’s not the best of news.” Rupert Giles looked down at his hands folded in his lap and gathering his thoughts, looked back up at Willow with sad eyes. Leaning forward he took one of her small hands into his two larger ones. “Willow my dear, as you already know your mother was hurt rather brutally last night,” he waited as she nodded, his voice growing softer with the difficulty of the news. “When I reached your house last night she was barely breathing and her pulse was weak...They were able to make it to the hospital with her she became conscious at a point and revealed her attacker...If I were able I would spare you the pain of this...Willow...the man who attacked your mother, he was,” Giles trailed off not knowing how to tell the poor girl without shattering her any more than she already was.
“Giles just tell me please,” Willow asked fresh tears rolling down her already red and puffy cheeks.
“The man who attacked your mother was your father.” He said in a rush. Giles watched as Willow’s face took on a confused frown as she processed what he had just told her, her eyes widening with fear and disbelief.
“ No, no daddy wouldn’t, he wouldn’t,” she said more to herself than anyone else. “I don’t even – how-they were –and DC for two more weeks – but then the crash and mom and I don’t – I don’t understand,” she said slumping against Angel and the vampire folded her up tightly in his arms, kissed the top of her head.
“Willow, I hate to do this, but there’s...there’s more.”
“More?” she asked in a whimper. He nodded sadly before continuing.
“Willow, they took your mother into surgery to help stabilize her more serious injuries...she didn’t make it. I’m sorry Willow, so terribly sorry he said as the girl began to sob great heaving soul shattering sobs.
~~~*~~~
Angel and Giles talked quietly in the mansion’s kitchen, their mood far too somber for either’s liking. The dark vampire had laid Willow down on the bed after she had cried herself to sleep in his arms, his own heart aching for the girl. Raising a newly warmed mug of blood to his mouth Angel took a long drink as Giles prepared himself a cup of earl gray.
“Willow’s never mentioned her father being violent before,” Angel said as he sat at the long red oak table. “What happened Rupert, did the man just snap or something?”
“No.” Giles joined Angel at the table staring into his dark tea before answering. “Willow was sparred the knowledge due to her parents’ constant absence from her life. If not for their pictures in the front hall I doubt Willow would truly remember what looked like. She’s sixteen Angel and in all her time, she’s spent perhaps the combined total time of at the most two years in their company. No, Mr. Rosenberg most certainly did not just snap. From what I was able to understand from the officer present...at every place that her parents visited their had been reports of domestic disturbances and violence from hotel managers, temporary neighbors, and the late Mrs. Rosenberg herself.”
Angel’s eyes became wide as he listened to what Rupert was telling him. All this time the mother of such a gentle and caring creature as Willow had been being beaten by her own husband, Willow herself barely knew her parents and it was no surprise to any of the authorities that her husband would be the one responsible. How in the world had this happened?
“Why didn’t she leave him?”
“From what I could gather, if Sheila had left him, he would have next attacked Willow.”
“He won’t come anywhere near her!” Angel roared his demon coming forth. He could feel Angelus raging against the cage his soul held him in at the thought of someone hurting Willow. “I will kill Giles, even Angelus is willing to kill him. He comes near her and I will let my demon out to play.”
Seeing the golden eyes and ridges of the vampire, Giles held to his tongue and waited for him to calm. Knowing that Angel’s demon would not soon recede he made one confession.
“Torture him all you like Angel, Angelus. But know this, that girl – Willow is a dear girl and I consider her more of my own than either Buffy or Xander. So if you plan on torturing that bloody sod, the you better leave room for me cause you better damn well believe Ripper will be there.” His normally cultured accent had taken on a decidedly rough nearly cockney tone and both men had murder in their eyes.
“Angel?” Willow asked. Neither man had heard her enter the room or seen her until she stood next to Angel’s chair. Her face wore a tired confused frown seeing both men so upset and Angel’s game face on. Gently she raised her hand and lightly stroked Angel’s brow ridges, her fingers gliding along the raised skin. The souled vampire began to purr at the feeling of her hands on his face, her touch light and feathery. Leaning into her touch, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. Taking her small hand in his, he brought it down from his face and kissed her palm and then gently kissed her forehead. His ridges smoothed out and his human face returned.
Giles watched the exchange with interest, noting how Willow was able to calm the vampire in a way that the slayer never could. Smiling at the exchange between the two he shook his head slightly. Just be careful Angel we don’t want you to lose your soul again.
“Angel can’t lose his soul, when I recursed him I didn’t add the vengeance part in. His soul is permanent. I thought you knew that,” Willow said and both men’s eyes became wide for different reasons. Angel’s for her confession and Giles for realizing he’d spoken out loud.
“Willow you recursed me?” Angel asked looking into her emerald eyes. The redhead simply nodded as her emerald eyes met his chocolate brown ones.
“ I just wish I done it sooner, maybe if I had done it the first time then you wouldn’t have gone to hell. Then when you were in hell, I couldn’t believe it, I didn’t know, I would have pulled you at sooner, at least I think I would. I didn’t know there were so many books on hell dimensions but I finally found a way to bring you back and here you are. I’m just sorry you were there so long, if I had-” Willow’s babbles were cut off as Angel covered her mouth with his.
Kissing Willow was mesmerizing, all heat and fire and passion. Giles watched the display for a moment before clearing his throat causing the two to break apart. Willow looked at Angel, taking her bottom lip between her teeth as her face flushed the colour of her hair making Angel want to kiss her all the more.
“Willow, what did you mean you pulled Angel out of hell?”
“Well I couldn’t just leave him there Giles! I sent him there with his soul! I-”
“Buffy sent me there Rua,” Angel said lifting her face so she was looking at him. “Buffy sent me to hell, not you. Ye pulled me out princess,” Angel purred his long forgotten Irish accent returning as he grew lost in her emerald eyes.
“Angel what am I gonna do?” Willow asked dropping her gaze to his shirt as she drew small random designs over his deep maroon silk covered chest. “My mom is dead, my dad’s apparently gone psycho. I’ve got to plan her funeral, midterms aren’t that too far away and no one’s talking to me and I don’t even know why, they’re just ignoring me. Where am I gonna live?”
“With me,” Angel answered as he slipped his hand beneath her chin and lifted her face to his. Kissing her forehead and then her lips softly he repeated, “with me.”
“Ok,” she said softly as Angel tucked the girl back into his arms and held her close.
~Part: 7~
Willow tiredly entered the mansion that she shared with Angel and slumped down into the overstuffed leather cushions of the black couch. Her hands covered her eyes as she cried tear she thought had ran dry. It had been two weeks since she had run from her house in fear, one week since her mother’s death and funeral. Her heart ached as she thought of the woman she barely knew. Her mother had been killed by her father’s own hand and now her father was after her.
Angel woke slowly from his deep sleep when he heard Willow’s tears from where she sat downstairs. Pulling on a pair of dark slacks he padded barefoot down the stones stairs and sat beside her on the couch pulling her into his arms, her hot tears scalding his cool skin. Moving them both so that they were laying stretched out on the leather sofa he tucked Willow into his arms and held her as she cried herself to sleep in his embrace.
Two hours later at Giles’ apartment
Giles reached out blindly from where he lay on his couch and picked up the ringing phone. “ ‘ello,” he said groggily.
“Ah, hello Mr Giles?” a masculine voice answered back.
“Yes, who is this?” the watcher asked as he sat up and put his glasses on.
“This is Damien Fontaine, I’m an officer of the court, I was attained by Sheila Rosenberg’s family to handle her will. She had it changed a couple of years ago and – you know this would go much easier if we could meet somewhere, it doesn’t have to be an office, but somewhere that we could sit down and discuss this.”
“Of course, where are you located?” Giles asked as he reached for a pad and pen he kept by the phone. “Right, do you know where the Espresso Pump is?...Yes that’s the one...thirty minutes. I’ll see you there, there’s a booth in the corner by the bar. Wonderful, See you then.”
-----
Giles walked into the Espresso Pump in a nice pair of blue jeans and black t shirt and a dark boots, getting a drink from the coffee bar he sat down at the corner booth by the bar and waited for the other man to arrive. Five minutes later he watched as a man in a dark blue blazer a white shirt and black slacks walk into the café and purchase a tall late before joining him at the booth.
“Mr. Giles I presume,” the man said as he sat down across from him.
“Yes and you must be Mr. Fontaine.”
“Damien please, may I call you Rupert?”
“Of course. You said this had something to do with the late Mrs. Rosenberg.”
“Yes but this also has to do with her daughter Willow. Sheila made certain to note that you were important. Rupert, before this goes any further I am instructed by her will to give you this note and be certain you read it.”
Handing a sealed envelope to the watcher, the man sat back and waited as Giles carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the folded stationary.
‘Mr. Giles,
I know that you do not know me and I dread to admit that my daughter does not know me that well either. However she does know you. She wrote me a letter three months ago while we were on a trip, she imprinted upon me how important you were to her and even though she did not say it directly, I know that she thinks of you as a father, and there are times that I wish you were her father. For all that she has said about you I know that you would care for her far better than we have. Which is why I have made you part of my will and which is why I am making this request. If anything ever happened to me – which if you are reading this letter than something has happened – I have made it clear that you are to be Willow’s guardian. Normally it would have to be that way if Willow’s father were to become unfit to care for her. Although I do know already that he is unfit, he is a very cold and calloused man, when I became pregnant with Willow he tried to convince me to get rid of her but I wouldn’t so instead I traveled with him and we left her alone to raise herself. I do hope you understand, but the papers are all already there, I went to Damien and had Ira’s parental rights removed a long time ago although he doesn’t know that. But now, you are Willow’s father. Do well by her, not for me, but because you care about her, which I’m pretty certain you do.
Take
care of my little girl,
Sheila
After reading the letter Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them with the handkerchief from his pocket. Looking up at the man across from him he asked a very simple question, “Where do I sign?”
~Part: 8~
Angel watched Willow as she stirred in his arms a smile playing across his face as he combed his fingers through her fiery tresses. Groggy green eyes opened slowly and looked up into smiling brown ones.
“Angel?” leaning over her the dark vampire claimed her lips in a slow sweet kiss that left her breathless and a tightness in her belly. “That was nice,” she whispered as a blush stole across her face. Willow yawned and stretched her bodily with a languid cat like grace against Angel as she finished waking.
A knock sounded at the door pulling Angel from his Willow-induced thoughts. Images of her lying underneath him in his bed, her body writhing against his own as she moaned and cried out in pleasure made his pants tighten and he groaned softly as he rose to answer the door.
“Hello Angel,” Giles said when the door swung open, stepping into the mansion Giles came to rest in an black leather sitting chair. He watched as Angel returned to the couch and sat beside Willow, putting his arm around the girl and watched as Willow’s head rested comfortably on Angel’s shoulder. The pair looked for all the world like two lovers just risen from bed.
“I have some important news. It’s rather surprising actually, I never would have...well that aside. Willow your mother left a special clause in her will. Apparently knowing your father’s temper and violence she quietly had his parental rights removed for your own safety. He doesn’t know yet and I’m sure he’ll be right furious when he finds out, but a letter you wrote to your mother made a rather startling impression upon her. I signed some important papers today and became your legal guardian, if you’d like she left adoption papers along with them, ooof!” the air left his lungs with startling speed as a redheaded blur bound into and nearly toppled the chair.
Giles held Willow’s trembling body to him, her emotions running rampant. “I always thought of you as more of a father than my own,” she mumbled into his chest and then looked up at the man, “but now you really could be my daddy,” she said her voice sounding like that of a young child.
“If you wish it,” Giles said smiling at her as he stroked her hair and looked upon the girl he thought of as his own.
“Yes yes yes,” she mumbled excitedly as she hugged him tightly.
“Willow dear, as happy as I am I do need to breathe,” he wheezed out.
“Oh, sorry,” Willow said as she pulled back her face matching her hair
but with a smile that seemed brighter than the sun outside.
Turning to Angel she ran to him and tugged on his hands to lift him
from the sofa, “Giles is gonna be my dad!” she said hopping up and down
in front of the vampire.
“I heard Rua, I’m happy for you,” Angel said taking the excited girl in his arms and hugging her tightly.
“Giles is gonna be my dad.”
~Part: 9~
“Hey Willow, haven’t seen you in awhile. Never thought you were the type to skip school for so long,” Buffy said as Willow entered the school library.
Willow looked at the slayer in confusion and then turned to look at Giles ‘he’s my dad’ she thought as a giddy little smile came to her face before disappearing just as quickly.
“Buffy I thought you knew,” Willow said as she put her books down on the table.
“Knew what Wills? That you don’t really like school as much as you pretend to. I even went by your house Wills it was all boarded up.”
Willow’s eyes grew large at the callous way she was being treated by her supposed best friend. “Buffy my mom was attacked and killed in our own house three weeks ago. I’ve been living with a friend since the night I found her.”
Buffy looked at Willow in amused disbelief. “Nice story Wills but I saw your dad yesterday and he said that everything was fine. When you want to tell me the truth you can find me.” With that Buffy left the library her head held high with her nose in the air.
Willow looked at the library doors her face a mask of confusion and hurt. Turning to look for Giles she found him next her, “I d-don’t understand,” she whispered to him as tears fell from her eyes.
Giles took his new ‘daughter’ in his arms and held her close as he did his best to soothe her.
“Oh shut up Xander!” the two heard Cordelia say as she came into the library with the boy following her. “Don’t listen to everything Buffy says I may not be nice to Willow but I know she sure as hell wouldn’t make that up.”
Hearing their voices Willow buried her face more deeply into Giles tweed jacket, not wanting to face the pair before she had to. After her incident with the slayer she just hurt so badly.
Cordelia set her things down on the table and walked over to where Giles stood hugging Willow. Looking upon the redhead with a gentle sympathy she put her hand on the girl’s shoulder. The shy hacker looked slowly up at the cheerleader and saw the gentleness in her eyes.
“Hey sweetie,” Cordy said as she gently brushed the red tendrils out the crying girl’s face. “The stupid bitch told us her story, but like I said she’s a stupid bitch. She seems to forget that the world doesn’t revolve around Buffy Summers. Oh sweetie,” Cordy said softly when she saw new tears cascade down the girls pale cheeks. “What happened?” she asked as she brushed the tears away with her perfectly manicured hand.
Willow sniffled and turned from Giles’ arms into Cordy’s arms and the taller girl wrapped her arms around the petite redhead. Xander came up to the two girls and stroked Willow’s hair as he looked at Giles for an explanation.
“Willow,” Giles said softly, “would you like me to tell them?” When Willow nodded into Cordelia’s shoulder he continued. “Three weeks ago Willow was woken during the night to the sound of her mother being attacked. She found the woman on the floor barely conscious and telling Willow to run. Willow went to Angel and I was sent after her mother who died shortly later in the hospital. If any of you run into Willow’s father stay away from him, he’s the one who killed her mother and he has been looking for Willow since.”
The two teen’s eyes grew horrified as he told them the tale and then a small smile graced their lips when the story came to an end.
“So the G-man is your dad now huh Wills,” Xander said as he sandwich hugged Willow between himself and his girlfriend.
“Xander must you call me that?” Giles’ asked as he looked on the three teens with a parental softness.
“Yup, there’s only one G-man in the world and you’re it,” the goofy boy joked.
Willow yawned into Cordelia’s shoulder and the girl couldn’t help but smile at Willow. “I’m sleepy daddy,” Willow said tiredly sounding like a young child. Ever since the watcher had told Willow that he would become her adopted father the redhead had taken to calling him ‘dad’ or ‘daddy’ and although she did still call him by his name at times, he had to admit that it was nice to be called ‘daddy’.
~Part: 10~
A few days later Willow returned to school with a decision to test out of her classes and test for early graduation. With her tests done for the day she entered the library and went straight to Giles’ office. Slumping tiredly onto his small sofa she groaned and left her backpack drop to the floor as she yawned.
Giles looked up as she had come in smiled at the display and set down the papers he was working on. “Tests done for the day?” Willow nodded and curled up on her side on the couch and rested her head on her folded arms and was asleep in bare minutes. Smiling the watcher stood and draped a blanket over the girl and then returned to his work
Sunset...
Angel came through the stacks of the library searching for Willow. Although it wasn’t unusual for her to be there he was wondering how her testing had gone. Two days earlier she had been escorted back to the mansion they shared by none other than Cordelia and Xander. Buffy still being oblivious to the burgeoning relationship between the vampire and teen witch had no clue to where Willow was living. No one was willing to tell her.
Walking to the watcher’s office, the dark vampire knocked softly on the door before entering. Seeing Willow asleep on the small sofa he smiled and turned to Giles.
Lifting the sleeping girl into his arms and slinging her backpack over his shoulder, Angel nodded a thank you to Giles and stood leaving with Willow and returned to his mansion for the night.