Pairing: Angel/Willow
Rating: NC-17 for dark fic, rape, and explicit sex.
Summary: After bringing Angel back from Hell Willow's life is irrevocably changed. Willow dissapears for 3 1/2 years and Angel is none the wiser. Life gets complicated when she shows up with his child in tow. Read you'll get it.
Note 1: Part 2 is really kind of heady, and contains the rape of Willow Rosenberg at the hands of Angel, if it is too much for you-- skip it, but it is important to my story.
Note 2: According to the English to Gaelic dictionary this: tá mé chomh mór sin i ngrá leat means: I love you so much, and I have seen this: Mo Ioniun in other stories and it means my beloved.
Note 3: Faith never went evil in this AU, but joined up with the L.A. Gang to help out and lend her Slayer powers. She is dating Wesley in this universe.
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~Part: 1~ Homecoming
Sunnydale, CA 1998
Willow laid in bed exhausted from her sleepless nights and slayer duties that the slayerettes had to fulfill on a weekly basis. They had been loosing most of the vamps from the beginning but as the team regrouped they became almost equivalent to a slayer. They now only lost about one fledgling a day, but Goddess forbid if they came up against a master vampire or a difficult demon. Willow knew that Buffy would be coming back, and she understood the Slayer’s pain, but Giles had not been able to find her, and she doubted that she would be found until she wanted to be found.
A strange feeling suddenly made Willow sit up alertly in her bed as if something had suddenly changed drastically in her life. ‘It can’t be…’ Willow thought to herself. Her sleepless nights the last 3 months were due to dreams, at first they were fuzzy and she could ignore them, but as time went on they became clear, in Technicolor. She would see Angel tortured for endless hours by different demons with special skills of their own. At first she just thought it was her imagination, but the pieces began to fall into place, and Willow began to realize what had really happened in the final moments of the Buffy/Angelus battle. She didn’t know the exact details, but she did know that the soul had reached him in time, and that must have had to send him to hell anyway due to Angelus pulling out the sword from Acathla’s chest. Willow, with this realization, immediately began researching a way to bring her friend back from the pits of hell. She researched madly for a month, and then last night she was able to finally put the spell together specific to dragging Angel from hell, and had the supplies in place to perform the spell.
The spell went down without a hitch, but nothing happened as she sat there, naked and shaking, a good hour after finishing her chanting, but nothing happened. Willow went home and cried her self to sleep, but she would not give up. She told herself there had to be another spell out there somewhere that will bring him back she just hadn’t found it yet. No one knew of the research or spells that she had been performing, but she knew that Giles suspected something when he asked if she knew where a book over “Demonic Hell Dimensions and spells” that she had borrowed without his consent the day before. Willow, though, was willing to bet none of them suspected her reasons for wanting that book, and Giles was simply concerned for her safety, because according to him she was “just a baby in the Wiccan world” and could become seriously hurt or even killed if she was not cautious.
The same feeling that had made her jerk up from her thoughts came back again. She felt compelled to go. Feelings like this were not to be ignored by Willow Rosenberg. She got up and put on a pair of sweats, tennis and left the empty house for the direction that she was being pulled to. Her steps became faster as she realized the direction she was being pulled to it was like a string that was attached to her gut pulling her harder and faster to her destination. Ten minutes later – quite an accomplishment when this trip would usually take 30 minutes to reach by foot – Willow found herself in front of the Mansion. Everything looked the same as she walked the door the markings still on the floor from the spell she had performed last nights, and some broken bottles from the remnants left over from the spell. ‘Now that’s odd’ Willow thought to her self ‘I don’t remember breaking those…I’m usually very careful with my supplies.’ Suddenly Willow heard a low growl from a darkened corner of the mansion, and then she knew he was back she had heard those same growls in her sleep the last two and a half months.
Sunnydale, CA 2001 (present)
Buffy Summers, newly risen, stood beside the table with her friends trying to find the root to their new troubles. The demon was strong, but clearly a minion controlled by some larger, more powerful…suddenly the bell rang above the door and she saw the figure she had thought about from the minute she dug out of her grave wondering what he was doing, how he was doing, standing in the door holding his bag and staring at her. Suddenly, she wasn’t sure who moved first, she found herself in her arms feeling warm and protected again. She didn’t want to ever leave this warmth again and squeezed for dear life. She let go when she heard him gasping for breath, but didn’t step back. Instead she chose to lay her head against his chest, knowing that Giles would make everything alright.
She felt herself being picked up suddenly and carried to her weapons/training room that he had built for her nearly a year ago. She didn’t even notice the shocked expressions crossing her friends- Xander, Anya, Spike, Amy and Tara, and her sisters face as she was carried by them. Giles shot them a piercing glare warning at them to stay quiet and not to disturb them.
As soon as the door closed behind Giles back Anya spoke up with her typical inappropriate thoughts “well it looks as if Giles and Buffy are going to finally have orgasms together…” oblivious to the glares from Xander, Tara and Amy she went on, “come on Spike lets go have orgasms too, I’m feeling left out.”
“Okay, sweetums.” Spike led her out into the night, glad that she was so blunt; he couldn’t stand those quiet chits, like Buffy, that never spoke about how they really felt it had kept her and the good watcher separate for the last couple of years despite their intense feelings for one another. Xander rolled his eyes at the retreating couples backs, he wasn’t entirely sure why, but he knew the couple was meant for one another. Spike didn’t seem to mind her bluntness, while it had been a constant state of annoyance for him the half year they had dated. He missed the companionship, but he knew that he had already met the right one, but she was in LA working for the “brooding wonder” trying to find her self before she was willing to come back to him.
They had split after graduation for various reasons, and felt at the time that it was the right thing to do, but looking back he knew that they were meant to be. They had both dated since then; he had dated Anya for a 6 month period, but found her seriously lacking as a replacement for his Cordy. And Cordelia had dated Doyle for a while until he died and she acquired the skull-splitting visions from him when he died. Two and a half years ago they started to email and call each other regularly while trying to build lives for themselves. They found that they had a lot in common, besides smoochies in a closet, and had become best friends quickly, which Xander hoped would turn into more eventually, but he was fast loosing confidence.
Xander turned to say something to his remaining friends when the bell above the door rung again, and a blast from their past walked in, a skinny little red head and a miniature version of her walked through the door.
Sunnydale, CA 1998
Suddenly Willow heard a low growl from a darkened corner of the mansion, and then she knew he was back she had heard those same growls in her sleep the last two and a half months. At first her heart began to race because she realized that she had managed to accomplish bringing him back. Then fear mixed with her racing heart beat as she saw a slumped figure crawling towards. Willow found herself in the next instant with her back down and a very feral Angel vamped out, and was growling on top of her, sniffing at her neck. Willow stopped twisting and thought that that would only excite him more and decided that she needed to calm down, because that was only causing her blood to rush more and Angel to consequently become more excited. He bent over and smelt and then licked her neck, and she smelt of him, he clearly smelled like brimstone, ash, dried blood, and death. She hoped it wasn’t human blood.
“Angel…” Willow said calmly, trying to redirect his attention. He straightened up and looked at her a look of recognition passing over his features and then leaving his eyes moments later, but that was enough. “I’m Willow, do you remember me?” He clearly didn’t. “Well, that’s okay, because I remember you, and I’m here to take care of you. So you need to let me up so I can go to the refrigerator and get some blood. Okay?” She stopped and waited for his next move. He seemed to understand what she said, because he released her wrists and set back in a crouched position in between her legs, but didn’t take his eyes off her for a moment. She began to walk to do the door where his kitchen was located at, she had some trouble finding it yesterday, but it still had electricity running to it so she had stashed several packets of blood in the refrigerator and in the freezer so she could defrost them later. She started to open the door when she heard the growl again. So she turned around, knowing that he wouldn’t allow her to leave his sight. She held her hand out to him and told him to come to her.
He quickly crawled to where she was standing and took her hand. Willow blushed when she noticed that he was entirely nude and seemed to be completely oblivious to it. He was that way in hell too, but she was able to ignore it in her dreams, because of the pain*they* were in. When she dreamed of Angel she felt everything he did, saw everything he did, but she didn’t think he knew she was there he certainly never acknowledged her presence. Often times after the demons had finished the torture sessions Willow would curl up and cry in his lap, he never responded or reacted to this, but he would always start humming this song that she never recognized, but it was very comforting. In fact, she never heard him do it in less she was in his lap, but he never touched her like she wanted him to. Willow was not able to do ignore his nakedness now. She tried so hard not to look down, and when he reached her she stood him up, and asked him to stay while she went back towards the circle she had drawn the previous night and reached into her bag and brought out a blanket that she had thought of at the last minute the night before. She walked back to him and placed it around his shoulders, and noticed that his crouched form put him almost at her level, which is a really interesting trick considering she was 5’3” and he 6’2”.
Willow took his hand and lead him into the kitchen sitting him at the bar on one of the bar stools so he wouldn’t be hovering and distracting her while she worked. He had severely burned patches of skin, and deep gashes that looked infected, but she knew blood was the most important thing he needed right now. She had gotten a few packets of human blood from Willy’s; because she knew that only would be able heal him like he needed. She knew that he wouldn’t want that for long so she had stashed pig’s blood as well in the freezer. Willow worked and hummed almost the same tune that she had heard him hum to her while he was in hell, at the same time to keep him distracted and it seemed to work, because he laid his tired head down and stared at her, obviously trusting her to do what was needed.
Sunnydale, CA 2001
Xander turned to say something to his remaining friends when the bell above the door rung again, and a blast from their past walked in, a skinny little red head and a miniature version of her walked through the door. Xander was speechless, and couldn’t help but notice the frozen features of his former best friend. She was clearly surprised to see him too, and had not wanted to run into him this way, but she realized it would happen eventually. Xander took a step towards her, and she naturally took a step back. The last three years of running had been nothing but painful for Willow, and she had never intended to come back, but the differences in her daughter were becoming more pronounced, and the nightmares had started for both of them about 3 months ago. She knew what her daughter was going through, because she was living through most of it too.
Willow had decided a couple of weeks ago that she needed help, and the only people who could do that were the Scoobies. No matter how much she tried to magically block the nightmares from her and her daughter they wouldn’t go away, and they were both dying on the inside from them, she could feel it happening, and that was one thing she wouldn’t allow to happen. She was willing to face any demon in this world to protect her daughter, even her own personal internal demons. Willow hadn’t expected to see any of the old gang this soon, she had hoped for a bit of a reprieve before facing them. Only going to the ‘Magic Box’ to gather more supplies to ward her hotel room, because if she didn’t any vamp in Sunnyhell would have an all access pass to their room, and they were already beacons to the dark because of the energy both of them contained.
Xander noticed that Willow’s face hadn’t changed much it was still very youthful, but it looked drawn and thin. She had bags under her eyes from lack of sleep; her hair was much longer due to a lack of funds to cut it very often. Willow was wearing a t-shirt and tight jeans that had patches and a faded look, which actually tended to be quite fashionable, but Xander doubted this was the case. The little girls dress was a faded pink but was lovely against her complexion, and she held a small doll that looked like it could use a replacement, but she hung on to it for dear life. The little girls hair was the same color as Willow’s, Xander remembered Willow’s hair at this age and knew that this little girl would be a great beauty like her mother.
Magical protection and other needed supplies had been costly over the last three years and a half years, even with her well paying job she was constantly scraping to get by. Willow moved to Cincinnati, OH, initially, and spent the next six months getting ready for a pregnancy that she feared would be abnormal or demonic. She had tests and sonograms done, but all of them pointed towards human, before the power would kick off throughout the whole hospital while she was getting the test done every time. She knew the power being lost to the facility was somehow her fault, but didn’t know how? So she quit getting those tests done, and decided she would love this child no matter it’s form when born. Willow, of course, still researched all this thoroughly while she was pregnant, but this was not the only weird occurrence. Her pregnancy was short compared to normal human pregnancies, only 6 months, but Angie had been born perfectly healthy and was released to days later. Willow’s doctor had been astounded, and wanted to run further tests, because babies that were born this early usually died or were very ill, but Willow told him that she had been wrong about the date of her last cycle and the date of conceiving the child. He clearly didn’t believe her, but Willow didn’t care what the Doctor thought and felt it best to leave as soon as possible. Willow had started off with quite a sum that her had grandmother had left her for college, but she used it for medical expenses and living expenses these first six months, which almost drained all of this large sum. She knew that she would have to get a job to support her and her daughter, but she had to find somebody she could trust to look after Angie.
Willow decided to move to Ireland, where she knew Angie’s father had originated from, after Angie’s birth, and get a job at a technology firm located in Dublin. She had worked on and received her GED while in Cincinnati, and was proud of it considering the extreme circumstances she had at that time. When she arrived in Dublin she was short on money, but looked for a family that would take her in for board. She found the O’Connor’s a family that advertised for a boarder, and when they met the sweet-faced child, and the hungry ‘breast-feeding’ mother they couldn’t turn her away. They grew quickly to love Angie and Willow, and offered to take care of Angie while Willow worked. Willow had never been more grateful, never forgetting to thank them everyday. The mother, Shannon, quickly became like the mother Willow never had while growing up. She had a brood of her own, six children ranging from five to eighteen, and they all loved to help and play with little Angie, finding her uniqueness a gift not a curse.
Willow had hated to leave the family, but her and Angie’s powers had begun to change and grow the last six months and the nightmares- well they continued to grow, and knowing that her daughter had the same ones she did scared Willow. She couldn’t continue to let her daughter go through this she was withdrawing more and more within herself, and Angie was changing too. While Angie appeared to be getting older, unlike her mother, any injury she got while running and playing healed almost immediately. Willow discovered during her pregnancy that she needed blood to survive, and while she didn’t need it after Angie was born, Angie needed at least once a week and the hunger grew after awhile.
The O’Connor’s seemed to ignored the weirdness that surround anything Willow and Angie, and while she appreciated it, she now needed someone to talk about these changes too. She loved them after all, and didn’t want anyone in this family to get hurt by them. She hadn’t planned to return to the America’s after leaving, and had definitely never planned to return to Sunnydale, CA. But things began to change, her and her daughter’s powers, as mentioned before, were growing, and she was finding it more difficult to conceal them from the public at large. Plus, she was being followed, she wasn’t sure by who, but knew that they weren’t good, she had been attacked and shot at, among other things the last two weeks. The last straw was when she and her daughter had been attacked in the middle of the shopping center, in broad daylight by masked figures. She had let her powers be shown so she could get her and her daughter away. There was no way, at this point, she could stay, and knew only one group of people in the world who would not take advantage of her and her daughter’s unusual lives, and would help to protect them, and they were in Sunnydale, CA. So they left the family they had known for the last three years and headed back hoping to find the family she had left behind.
Willow quit backing up when she noticed the hurt look pass over Xander’s face. When Xander noticed this he ran to her and threw himself into a stunned Willow’s arms, and refused to let go. At this moment Amy and Dawn looked at the new arrival and realized who she was and rushed behind Xander and put them in a group hug; Tara hung back only recognizing the arrival from old photos and tales from her girlfriend’s and Xander’s childhoods. Willow’s arm was still at her side holding her daughters hand; whose grip was now very tight on her hand. If she didn’t know better her fingers felt like they should be bleeding now from the pressure. Her daughter was obviously worried never being around this many strangers before in her short life. Xander felt the tension still in her thin body and looked back at her face noticing the pained expression. He took a step back, forcing the others to step back as well. He looked down at the Miniature replica of Willow and smiled, and tried to talk to her, but the little girl hid her face in her mother’s pants leg.
Xander, hurt, took another step back and offered them a seat at the book laden round table in the center of the room, where the rest of the group had seated themselves. Willow assumed they must know the owner, because they looked very comfortable there. Willow glanced at Amy, and smiled, glad that she had stayed with the group like she had asked. Amy smiled back, knowing she had done what her friend had asked her to over three and a half years ago. Willow then looked at the girl who sat nervously next to Amy, gripping her hand, Willow could feel the power coming from both of them, but knew they were not nearly at her or her daughters level. She then noticed the young woman sitting to their right with a grin on her face. Suddenly memories of this girl came into her head and instead of replacing the old they just intermingled with them. She also thought she could see a green light in the aura of this girl who was Buffy’s pretend sister Dawn.
Willow smiled at Dawn her knowing smile surprising Dawn, because she knew what the look meant. She knew Dawn, but then again she didn’t. This was oddly comforting to Dawn. Dawn then noticed the little girls brown eyes, seeing the same look of recognition on her face, as on her mothers. The little girl would not remember who she was, but she clearly recognized her other form, and instantly took to the older girl, recognizing a kindred spirit in their unusual existences. The little girl ran to Dawn and hugged her, and whispered in her ear that she knew whom she was and that she was glad to meet her, in a little Irish brogue, and then ran back to her mom. Willow was surprised at this, she had never seen Angelina take to anyone like that before, in fact, she was always overly shy, afraid that someone would see into her true self. Willow instantly knew she had done the right thing by coming back and decided to take Xander’s offer to sit at the table exhausted from their long trip.
Los Angeles, CA 2001
Angel walked down the darkened street with his crew at his back looking for the Ronan Demon that Cordy had seen in a vision earlier that day. This should have been an easy kill, but suddenly Angel found himself feeling weakened and in severe pain. His crew rushed to him when they saw him fall to the ground and curl himself into a ball. He didn’t know what was happening, and neither did the others, and the demon chose that moment to attack.
2 hours later
A clearly injured team walks in a Vampire still struggling to stop the pain, and still trying to get anything coherent out of him. All he could manage was Sunnydale, need, and go; in that order. Wesley helped Gunn to set him down on the couch and headed to the office while the girls helped Angel to lie down and relax. Wesley knew that there was no pain medication that could be used to help the vampire, so he chose to use a spell to block the pain temporarily from his brain so they could find out what was happening. Immediately after reciting the simple incantation Angel sat up.
“We have to get to Sunnydale…I don’t know why, but something is very wrong there.” Angel grimaced remembering the pain and pull he felt to go there. He had only felt that pull one other time when he was in hell, but hadn’t felt it since.
Concerned his crew began to barrage him with various questions he didn’t have answers to. “I don’t think this has anything to do with Buffy, I didn’t even know she was dead until Amy and Tara showed up at the hotel, and I didn’t realize she was alive until they called a week ago. It’s something else, I’m needed there…” Angel got up after trailing off and ran upstairs to get packed.
“I think he’s loosing it again,” Gunn said worriedly. It hadn’t been that long since the Darla obsession had ended, and they all still had doubts in their minds.
“No,” Wesley defended him, “he was definitely in some real pain, and I think that he needs to go to Sunnydale or it could get worse. This spell is only temporary, and will begin to wear away in the next couple of hours.”
“Well then…let’s get him to Sunnydale before the sun comes up. How long does it take to get there?” Gunn stated, determined to get back things to the norm.
Angel walked in to the office with his long leather coat and a suitcase, “Two hours…let’s go.” He said, heading out the door, not caring who stayed or who followed; he felt a pull to Sunnydale that he hadn’t felt since he was in hell, and he would be there to find whatever it was and take care of it this time.
Wesley and Gunn looked at him surprised and immediately left the office calling for the three girls (Cordy, Fred and Faith) to hurry or be left behind.
They piled into the van that Wesley had purchased for the company a year ago with curtains covering all the back windows and between the front seat and the back of the van for Angel’s protection when they have to do business during the day. Also their crew was growing larger now that Fred and Faith had joined as well, so they needed a bigger vehicle to ride around in.
Sunnydale, CA 1998
After she finished feeding the starved vampire Willow determined that Angel would need a bath before going to bed. She took him to the decadent bathroom that she had searched out yesterday after arriving to see what was needed for his arrival. She had brought some of her own soap, shampoo, conditioner and towels, and had even had a bath in the rather large bathtub yesterday before the spell was performed to clean off her body of all impurities that might harm the spell.
She filled the bath with hot water and some oils she had found underneath one of the cabinets wanting to wash away the scents she had picked up after she found him. The smell of death was the worst part, even though Angel had been undead since before she met him, he had never smelt like death, and to do so now made his walking and talking (well grunting anyway) a little surreal and nauseating.
He had followed her in to the bathing room, watching every little move she made in awe, the scents from her and the bathtub appealing to him and making him grow hard at the sensuous effects. As she bent over he started, dropped his blanket, and walked over to her bent figure staring down at her ruby red hair; he found it mesmerizing; almost as much as her bottom. He reached down to grab her and brought her against his needy body. Willow gasped feeling his erection at her back; also the knowledge that he was again totally naked clearly didn’t help. She turned and stepped to the side before his arms could encircle her.
“No Angel…I’m Willow, remember?” she tried desperately to remind him, being this close to him in that condition was doing things to her that she had never felt before in her life and she wanted him into the bath so she could leave and calm down. Her resolve face set and voice a little sterner, she commanded him into the bathtub. He sank back into his distant gaze, clearly hurt by her turning away his attentions. She helped him into the bathtub then quickly left the bathtub not caring if he wanted her to stay or not.
She busied herself cleaning the stains from the circle she had made on the mansion floor for the spell, and the glass that Angel must have knocked over when he came back to earth. There was also a dark stain on the floor in the middle of the circle that she hadn’t noticed before now. It looked like someone had done a black chalk drawing of Angels form while he had slept. Willow reasoned that he must have fallen here, because she could not see the substance anywhere else.
She cleaned for half an hour hoping to find a clean vampire by the time she reentered the bathroom. Instead, she found him sitting in the exact same position she had left no cleaner than before. His eyes were blank, showing no emotions, and no recognition when she sat beside him with a washcloth and a bar of soap. She had a hard time cleaning his chest and back, by the time she had reached his legs she could barely breathe. She had only glimpsed naked male figures in magazines and an occasional movie would show the backside of a male form when she flipped through the channels. This was heady experience seeing his shape and length, he appeared to be at least double in size of the one male penis she had ever seen in her biology book, and *she flushed* aren’t they supposed to get bigger in um … certain situations.
She remembered the feel of him against her back and knew instantly that this must be true, because he had felt much bigger than the intoxicating member before her. She wondered how he could possibly…nope, not going there, Rosenberg, Buffy’s ex, remember. She made it through the bath without any catastrophes occurring. Washing his hair seemed to bring him out of his stupor even. As soon as she put the shampoo in his hair and started moving her hands around his scalp she unmistakenly heard a purring come from the bent figure. She didn’t stop the process and get up and run screaming from the mansion like her head begged her to, but she definitely hurried the rest of the process. After helping him into a pair of silk, black (typical) pajama bottoms, she put him in between the silk sheets. She hadn’t noticed during this process that he had gripped her right wrist, making it impossible to move after he was settled.
“Angel, I’m going to lie down on the floor beside the bed, so try and get some sleep.” Seeing the worried look in his eyes she smiled back at him reassuringly. He loosened his grip on her wrist not wanting to let her go, but not wanting to scare her away. He couldn’t stand that. She was glad that she had arranged the pallet on the floor by his bed earlier, knowing that he would need her tonight at least. So she turned off the rest of the lights in the bedroom and laid down falling instantly to sleep from exhaustion.
Sunnydale, CA 2001
Xander didn’t want to interrupt Giles and Buffy’s reconciliation, but Willow showing up was something to important to ignore. They had looked for her, of course, after finding the letters that she had left each one of them before she left, but found no trace of her, and shortly afterwards they found out Angel was back, and the new slayer was evil, followed by an ascending snake mayor. It never slowed down. They had stopped looking shortly after finding out about Faith’s double-cross, but never gave up hope. It had hit Xander the hardest remembering how Jesse, Willow and Xander had grown up together always supporting each other, and taking care of one another when it was needed and their parents wouldn’t, and now neither were around to support each other like they needed.
Xander hadn’t had that since Willow left, Cordelia tried to fill that role, but she couldn’t, and he slowly began to withdraw within himself the further away from her departure that they got. Cordy had not been able to contend with this, but stayed by his side up until the battle with the mayor. Then told him she was leaving Sunnydale, now that she had no family income to go to college, so she had decided to act in LA, and she felt they needed a break. At the time he agreed feeling the strain in their relationship, but soon found himself missing the attention that Cordy had bestowed on him this past year. That summer Xander had initially sunk deeper within himself with the loss of *his* Cordelia, but decided to date the ex-demon Anya to try and fill the gap, but that did nothing to feel the gap in his heart that had been made by the two women he loved the most. So Xander straightened himself out by applying to UCSunnyD and by getting a construction job to help work his way through school, which he quickly advanced in and determined his major to be an architect. Afterwards, contacting Cordy had been the most difficult rode to his recovery. He found her working for Angel, and learned about her short relationship with the half-demon Doyle, and the *gift* he had left behind for her.
He kept the lines of communication open calling her twice a week, emailing her daily, and sending her gifts and flowers on special occasions. He loved and looked forward to her calls letting him know how much she likes his gifts and how he didn’t have to go to the trouble, but he always insisted and she always accepted. He planned to surprise her for the Christmas holidays, Angel had invited him up, telling him that he couldn’t stand Cordy’s brooding, she was worse than him. This made Xander laugh not believing him for a minute, but appreciating his attempt to help get the couple back together. Xander and Angel had started their friendship over after both of their epiphanies (Xander realizes he loves and misses Cordy and Angel’s obsession with Darla) as they were, and found that they had a lot more in common than they previously thought; including their ongoing search almost four years later for the missing Willow.
Angel and Willow hadn’t ever been very close, only talking a handful of times the two years they knew one another, so Xander found it curious that Angel still helped him to search for their red headed friend, when everyone else from there two groups stopped mentioning her or even pretending to look any longer. But he didn’t question it too intently; deciding it was just part of Angel’s loyal nature to Buffy’s friends, even though it was clear that the two had been over after Angel had come back from hell.
And we digress…
Xander walks over to the weapons/training room door and knocks on the door. He hears a muffled “hold on” and “bloody hell” and grins to himself. It’s about time those two crazy kids recognized their feelings for each other. He had noticed it last year, shortly after Riley had left and tried to breach the subject with both of them, but each one he approached in the beginning would deny their feelings for the other one, but slowly he wore them down into admitting their feelings, but they still didn’t believe the other cared for them that way. Plus, with the constant disasters happening around them they had no time. Buffy’s mother dying, and her being suddenly saddled with a 14-year-old key to raise and protect from a God, put off any further attempts Xander had to get them together. And then Buffy sacrificed herself so that her sister could live and so that the world went on. Giles left not able to stand being around the memories of her, in particular little Dawn. This upset Dawn, because Giles had been the closest thing to a father that she had, but there was nothing for it. So Xander, Tara, Amy, Spike and Anya attempted to help raise the girl until they could bring Buffy back, which they had done last week...
A clearly rumpled Giles and blushing Buffy walked out interrupting Xander’s thoughts. “What is it that you want Xander?” Giles practically growled.
“See for yourself, G-Man.” Xander stepped out of their line of sight and held his arm up presenting the red head sitting wearily at the table. Before Giles could grumble at Xander for using his name incorrectly for the millionth time Buffy jerked her hand loose from Giles grip, and saw her speed across to the other side of the room to the sitting red head and bring the limp figure into a hug.
Giles was in shock, he never really expected to see her again, not after…he shook his head guiltily; not wanting to drag up guilty thoughts and mess up this reunion and his good mood at seeing *his* slayer again and finally getting to tell each other how they felt.
~Part: 2~ Secret's Revealed
Sunnydale, CA 1998
(Two Weeks Later)
‘I am tired of it!’ Willow screamed in her head, knowing that doing so out loud, while the vampire was at her heels, would make little difference, and would only serve to agitate the vampire and have to do another round of heavy petting that he would try to turn into something more, something sexual. Willow didn’t want to think of Angel in that way, but after two weeks of perusal on Angel’s part she could not help but develop more intimate feelings for her friend, which had begun to give her away when he was especially attentive. The smell of her arousal would only send the wild ‘Angel’ into a more aggressive state, and would scare Willow, at this point usually Angel would stop, smelling her fear was something he didn’t want.
The man was constantly at her heels, never losing sight of her, unless he was asleep, and it was driving her crazy. This was the only time Willow was able to go out for food, clothes, and materials, was when he slept, and that went for bathing as well. Her own personal tag-along vampire followed her into the bathroom, as well. He refused to leave, so she would make him turn around, while she got dressed, and did her constitutionals, it was exhausting, not to mention embarrassing. After a week, though, it had begun to get on her nerves; she wished someone else could help take over the care. Initially, she thought it was her being the first person the feral vampire saw that made him cling to her so much, so she decided to let her friend Amy in on her little secret, so that she could get a little time with her friends and family.
Reintroducing Amy to Angel, and telling her everything that had occurred over the last year was not the hard part. No, the hard part was getting Angel not to growl and try to attack poor Amy. That was nearly a week ago and Angel, with Amy’s consistent visits had begun to warm up the nice ‘witch’, as he liked to call her. When Angel refered to Willow it was always in his ‘mother-tongue’, and not clear enough for Willow to make out, but she could have sworn she heard the word Ioniun, but that couldn’t be right, because that means beloved. He never said her name, and she wasn’t even sure if he remembered who she was, but he clearly liked her more than a friend. That’s what she had been trying to figure out the previous week, until it finally occurred to her that the reason she had been having visions of Angel in hell, and felt the pull when he came back, and any time she was away from him. There must have been some bond that occurred when she did the restoration spell, one that was causing Angel to feel these emotions. So Willow, since this time, had been working on finding some type of spell to reverse the effects. Unfortunately, the only spells the red witch had managed to find were spells that would eliminate both the original spell and the bond. But she had a lead, and needed to get away tonight to find the book being sent to the library, and see the rest of the Scooby gang, and Buffy, whom she had found out, came back yesterday from her hiatus in LA. Thank goodness for cell phones, or she knew that Xander and Oz would have been scouring the town of Sunnydale looking for her. She claimed to be out of town the first week, and made her visits short the next. She had only been able to see Xander, Cordy, and Giles, as of yet, and missed her boyfriend, who tended to be out on tour a lot more these days, but she knew he would be at the Bronze with the rest of the gang tonight, and wanted to see him desperately.
Willow still had no intention of telling Buffy or the rest of the gang anything about Angel being back, she couldn’t until she eliminated this bond. It would only cause more problems, and she had enough as it is. Trying to make Angel understand that she had to leave him with Amy was one of those problems, she knew he couldn’t hurt Amy; she was a bad-ass Wicca that could send Angel into his next life if he tried anything, but it still hurt to leave him knowing how unhappy he was. She decided to leave during the day so that he wouldn’t attempt to follow her. Amy promised to take the best care of Angel, while she was gone.
The red-headed Witch stopped by the library first to pick up her book, and to see Giles; he was concerned, because he hadn’t seen her much lately, and she looked worn. “Hello Willow…I’m guessing you know Buffy is back by now, and is supposed to be at the Bronze tonight with the rest of the gang.” Willow nodded her head and asked how Giles was since Buffy reappeared. Willow saw a tear slip down the side of his cheek, and all he could say was that he missed her. Willow left, leaving Giles to face his grief in the only British-way possible, alone.
12:00 midnight
Willow walked towards the front door of the mansion with a slight skip in her step. Things had gone well with Buffy. Buffy had apologized to both Willow and Xander profusely, but Willow made it clear that it wasn’t needed; after all she hadn’t told anyone that her demon ex-boyfriend is back from hell yet. Willow was worried that she wouldn’t be able to lie to any of them, and knew that any mention of Angel might cause her to spill all of her secrets, but conveniently they avoided that subject like the plague. Oz was very sweet and attentive tonight, he didn’t want her to walk home, driving her home actually put her farther away from the mansion, but that couldn’t be helped. Oz had told her he loved her for the first time tonight, she was on cloud nine, and then he had kissed her senseless. She knew now that everything would be all right. She had the book to at least block the effects from the bond, as she discovered while waiting at the Bronze for the rest of the gang to show up, and fully intended to put the spell to work immediately.
The red headed witch walked into the mansion oblivious to the real storm inside. She noticed Amy lying on the couch asleep, and shook her awake.
“What-what…” Amy muttered.
“Amy, its Willow, you fell asleep.” Willow said while giggling, she couldn’t believe the scared Amy from earlier that week had managed to fall asleep while watching the wild vampire. “How is he?”
Amy stood up stretching out her limbs, “Oh, he’s okay, been sleeping for about…” she looks down at her watch to note the time, “oh my goddess my Dad is going to kill me!” Amy shrieked and ran around collecting her books and things that she had brought over to vamp watch.
“I’m sorry Amy, do you need me to call over there and talk to him, I’ll explain…well…something.” Willow tried to help.
“No, no…call me tomorrow though, and don’t forget school starts in two days, and we haven’t done all are shopping yet. By the way, how did the date go?” Amy inquired slyly, knowing it went well from Willow walking in so late.
“It went very well; as you know…” Willow couldn’t help but give a toothy grin. “I’ll call you tomorrow and give you the details, since you better leave now.” Willow hastily reminded Amy who was in her own little dream world.
Amy rushed out to her car, and drove off. Willow was glad she had a car it was to dangerous, even for a Wicca to be walking around at this time. Willow walked into the kitchen, and started cleaning up today’s dishes, and swept and mopped the floor. She then went and got the book that she brought home with her. It was an old manuscript, its cover clearly replaced at least once, by the look of the pages. Some of the pages weren’t even there anymore, but the important one was.
A noise off to the left, from the bedroom, brought Willow out of her own mind, and she leapt up remembering how Angel hated being away from her and how sad he had looked when she had left earlier today. She approached the door to his room and knocked more out of habit than out of necessity.
Suddenly the door was yanked open, and a pair of arms from a darkened room shot out of the door wrapped around Willow’s waste, and she found herself against a muscular chest, and her lips being bruised by tight cold lips. The techno pagan looked up, and immediately wished she hadn’t; Angel was fully vamped, his eyes yellow, and his ridges up. She tried to break away, letting her fear show clearly in her eyes, because it had saved her before, but it was no use, he would not let her go.
“No,” he said in his usual monosyllabic way, and then, surprisingly, he said a full sentence. “…you are mine,” and then he sneered “or at least you soon will be.”
Before Willow could think his lips slammed down on hers, kissing her brutally. Even her efforts to break away seemed to excite him more. He held her to him, continuing to kiss her until she started to gasp for air. Then he broke away picked her up, as not to let her get away, and brought her to his bedroom, and set her feet down on the carpeted floor. Willow had been lost in the moment when his tongue had been plundering her own mouth. When he broke away and lifted her into his arms, she knew she didn’t have a chance to fight him. Her mind went blank on all spells that she could have thought up to incapacitate him, so that she could get away, partially from fear, partially from the unwanted feelings that were forming in the pit of her stomach and at her core.
The red headed witch found herself suddenly without a top as Angel ripped it from her body. He didn’t stop there, he quickly relieved her of her jeans, and his yellow eyes glowed in appreciation. ‘This cannot be happening…’ Willow thought. She tried to cover her matching white cotton panties and bra, but he wouldn’t let her, swatting her hands away. The look in the vampire’s eyes made her back up, knowing that he would not stop there. Before she knew it her legs ran into the bed, and she fell back against the bed, obviously this was what he had wanted to happen, by the smile on his face.
‘Uh oh!’ she thought and suddenly found a very naked Angel on top of her. The speed at which he moved astounded her. It only took him a matter of seconds to undress, and she hadn’t even seen him move. ‘This is not good’, before she could think of anything that she could do she found her lips covered, and hands covering her breasts. Nobody had ever touched like this before, all her and Oz had ever done was kiss. Her breasts became sensitive under his ministrations, and her nipples puckered as he twisted and rubbed at them. Willow felt wetness begin to form between her legs, and began to get more frantic. She knew that this man was about to take something very precious from her, her virginity.
Angel uncovered her lips to let her breathe and brought his mouth down to her neck. He licked her pulse point, but stopped when he heard a scream from above, and went back immediately to the mouth that was releasing this distracting sound. Willow’s scream was effectively cut off, and she had no clue what to do. He was too strong, and she too weak. She tried to close her self off to the sensations that Angel’s wandering hands and mouth ignited in her, but she couldn’t. She felt a burning at the pit of her belly, and wondered what could cause this new sensation. She felt guilty and weak for allowing her self to feel this way. Angel had trapped her arms again after she scraped his face, although, he did not mind this sensation, he could not allow her to escape before he made her his mate. He allowed his hand to wander down to Willow’s heat, and growled when he felt the layer of cloth keeping him from her. Tearing away her panties he sunk his fingers into her already moist center, and he was pleased that he made her feel this way too.
Willow felt her body begin to gyrate against the sensations beginning to pulsate throughout her body. She didn’t know what was happening and feeling her body’s betrayal she began to cry. The tears slipped down her face, but she refused to make a sound allowing the sobs building within her soul. Images started to come to mind, Oz when he first kissed her, Angel when she first saw him standing at the Bronze with Buffy in his arms (the beginning of her own maddening crush on another unlikely candidate), Buffy doing her sexy dance with Xander…none of these memories could block out the sensations though.
As Angel continued to finger her as he brought his face down to her neck. He knew that making her his mate would change both their lives; she would be his and he would be hers, for the rest of eternity. This thought had never appealed to the great Angelus or even the broody Angel when he was with his beloved Buffy, but at this moment it was the only thing that Angel could do to hold on to *his* Willow, and make sure that nobody would ever have her besides him. So he claimed her, bit into her neck, while sending all of his mystical energy into her, effectively binding himself to her.
Willow cringed when she saw Angel’s fangs approaching her neck but could not move partially from fear, and partially from the sensations raging throughout her lower body due to his fingers manipulations. As his face descended she felt his thumb slip up her sex and start to flick the little bundle of nerves, making her forget what was happening above her. When she felt his fangs pierce her skin she found it stimulating and exciting, and the magic that poured through her system caused her finally to go over the edge. She climaxed, releasing the burning liquids that had built up in her body, and having never felt this sensation before was embarrassed and confused, but she no longer cried.
Before Willow knew what was happening Angel removed his fingers and inserted his hard penis. Even with her orgasm and his fingers working to loosen her up, she still felt the pain that his overwhelmingly large member when he began to enter her, but this was nothing compared to the pain she felt when he broke her maiden’s head. Willow began to cry again for her loss of innocence, for the wrong feelings coursing through her despite her mind fighting against it, she cried for the loss of her relationship with Oz, because she knew he would no longer want her, and lastly she cried for Angel, knowing that their friendship would never be the same and knowing that once he fully realized what he had done the guilt would overwhelm him.
Angel stopped moving and removed his fangs, only taking enough blood to claim her as his, when he penetrated her woman’s head knowing that it would cause her pain, and started murmuring sweet words in his native Gaelic tongue into her ears.
“Mo Ioniun” he whispered “tá mé chomh mór sin i ngrá leat.”
She didn’t understand what the last part of the words, but it soothed her, making her forget her unwillingness and the reasons she should not be here. ‘No’ she thought, ‘I cannot forget-‘ her thoughts were cut off by thoughts from unknown source. ‘Shh, it’s alright my love.’ The voice soothed.
Before she realized that the thoughts in her head belonged the man above her, his body began moving inside of her making her forget again about anything, but the sensations running through her that this. She felt her hips moving involuntarily towards another release.
Angel pushed her bra down exposing her perfect breasts, and pink nipples, he fell in love with another part of her, and brought his face down to her breasts, making love to them as he did to the rest of her body. He licked at her skin enjoying the salty sweet taste that was being brought by the sweat from her body. Licking and nibbling his way to his desired destination while moving within her, he took her left nipple into his mouth while his hand was seeing to the other one. The vampire licked, flicked, and sucked it, loving the sensations that were being sent through the bond due to his attentions. He knew she was about to cum again and felt his time was nearing as well. Angel didn’t know if he could make it, he hadn’t felt this out of control since his first time when he was a human lad, exploring a local bar maid, but he refused to embarrass his self. So he decided to use his experience to bring her over this time.
The souled vampire forced his hand to leave the nipple and brought it down to her clit applying the same touches to it that he was administering to her nipple moments before. This sent her over the edge, her already tight wet passage tensed and squeezed around his member as she released, Angel did to, squeezing his eyes shut at the sensations that were coming through the bond. Angel had never felt this before; the intermingling of emotions coming from both of them caused him to go over the edge again. Nothing had ever caused him to do this before, he had heard that the effects of being bonded to another were well worth the price of submission to another, but this was heaven for Angel.
Angel slowed his movements and he realized to close the bond he would need Willow to drink some of his blood. Refusing to pull out of her, he brought his elbows up to relieve some of the pressure from his own weight. He bit into his wrist with his fangs and brought it to her mouth. Angel was grateful that her eyes were still shut so that she would not realize what would happen before it was to late.
The red-headed hacker didn’t know what was going on until it was to late, lost in her self-flagellating thoughts she didn’t look, didn’t see the bloodied wrist until the blood was flooding between her pursed lips and down her throat. She choked on it, wanting to vomit from the metallic taste that lined her mouth and nauseated her tummy, but the man above her wouldn’t let her. He took his wrist away and quickly replaced it with his mouth. The mixture of his blood and saliva only served to harden him, but he knew she needed rest, and that her body would need rest so that she could heal from their encounter, and go through the metamorphosis that would further their vampire to human bond, and initiate her immortality. Un-life was good!
2 hours later
Giles walked into the dark mansion and noticed the roaring fire in the fire place was lit. He wondered if Buffy had come to visit the mansion, lit the fire, and then forgot to put it out. He hoped not. Giles let the fire stay, because he needed the light to prepare for the ritual to permanently close Acathla’s mouth, based on Buffy’s description, for all time.
Before he put down his bag filled with supplies on the couch he noticed a book from the library that had just come in, one that he had planned to add to his special collection. The tired librarian approached the chair, wary, as to why Buffy would have brought it here. When he picked it up he thought his heart would burst. This page was marked for blocking the effects on bonds…this could only mean that the night Angel was turned, that Buffy allowed him to mark her, and vice versa. Before he could further think about the consequences of these events he heard a noise coming from one of the rooms.
Walking towards the door with caution, after all this was the Hellmouth, and nice abandoned mansion, what vampire or demon could resist this comfy abode. Giles didn’t knock, feeling that the evil creature didn’t need any further warning than his beating heart and quick breaths could provide. Walking through the door, he saw the last thing he would ever expect, something straight from his nightmares, Angel, naked and content on his bed. He was so busy being in shock over the figure on the bed, he failed to notice the shadow in the corner struggling to get dressed.
Willow didn’t want to speak up, but the worst person who could have walked through that door, her father figure, the man who was there to protect them and love them was about to see what Angel had just done to her, and she knew as a consequence he would want to kill Angel for it. She couldn’t let that happen, after all, Angel didn’t know what he was doing, did he?
After she put on Angel’s shirt, hers was ripped, she spoke up. “Giles?” The haunted face turned to face her, obviously not registering her shadowed figure at first. She walked towards him, towards the light, closer to the man who would help protect her and solve the predicament she had put herself in by thinking she could do this on her own.
Suddenly the infamous Ripper glare appeared on Giles’ face, one that made her not only stop in her tracks, but take a couple steps back. She had only seen that glare one other time in her life, when they found Ethan in the costume store, and she suddenly knew the situation was a lot worse than it originally seemed.
“What have you done?” Giles growled.
“No-Nothing.” Willow stuttered. “He-I-“ she cut herself off realizing that if she told him what really happened she would be risking Angel’s life, and she couldn’t do that, because Angel was a good man, vampire, whatever. So she said the only thing she could think of “Don’t worry, he won’t turn into Angelus, I made his soul permanent when I brought him back.” Thinking this would solve the problem she let herself relax a little.
With the speed of a vampire Giles shot across the distance between them, took her arms, shook her, and started to yell her. “You’re telling me that you brought that murdering fiend back from hell, gave him a permanent soul, and then slept with your best-friends boyfriend, because he now has a permanent soul?!” Willow’s mouth dropped when he said this; not believing what words just came out of this mans mouth, the man who she had always looked up to, who she knew would never hurt her, or any of the Scoobies, for that matter. She couldn’t respond to Giles question at this point, fear beginning to build within her. The hacker suddenly felt alone in the world if her mentor felt this way about her, assuredly the others would as well. She felt her throat close up, suddenly finding it hard to breathe, she was at least glad that Angel could not wake up to this scene. She had lain in bed for an hour and a half after the event, thinking of the best spells to get herself out of this situation without further embarrassment. She finally remembered a 24 hour sleeping spell she had found and memorized a week before, and used it on him so that she could get dressed.
“No excuses Willow?!” The man in front of her spit out. He suddenly let her go causing her to stumble and fall, her body curling up into the form of a fetus needing protection from the dangerous elements that surrounded her. Bringing her knees to her chest, she was hoping to get this even more painful scene out of the way so she could leave this ‘house of pain’. She had glimpsed the look of disgust that covered his face, and the way he turned his back on her, refusing to see her.
“You are to leave here Willow, and go home…” Giles trailed off deciding what to say next. “I won’t tell Buffy or the others what I’ve seen tonight, but…I never want to see you in the library or near me again.” Not caring how ridiculous this might sound to a student who would need to enter the library, particularly for their senior year. He could only think about how hurt *his* slayer would be by this revelation. “Now leave my sight. Now!!” He raged.
Willow unable to ignore these hurtful words climbed to her knees and then to her feet, but before she left she let her infamous temper take over, before she could stop herself. Tears still trailing down her face she spat back at him, “you may hate me, but if you do anything to him, I will tell your slayer everything, and then she will hate you too!” She knew she was risking her own neck, but didn’t care for her own safety any more. All she cared about was saving this man that she had made helpless for the next…23 ½ hours.
Giles didn’t respond, but his knelt head gave her all the answer she needed. He had clearly intended to send him back to hell as soon as he walked into the room, but the knowledge that his slayer would find out about Angel’s return, and Giles knowingly killing him with a soul, than nothing would ever repair their relationship. Willow circled around him like weary prey watching out for the predator. When she made it to the door she bolted out into the main living area, she saw the book still lying open grabbed it and the rest of her things, and ran all the way home never stopping to think about what the next day would bring. That was a decision better left for the morrow.
Sunnydale 2001
Willow looked up from the, literal, breath-taking embrace that was given by Buffy to see a grin slip from the older mans face, to a look that she hadn’t seen grace that face since Egyhon’s reappearance in her final year here. The same look he gave Jenny after the demon was forced from her body, a look of complete guilt and responsibility. This thought made Willow feel even more tired and drained keeping her and her daughter’s defenses up, lack of sleep, and worry from fear of acceptance, had worn her out. She stood after Buffy released her to stay awake, but apparently standing this fast while extremely tired will make a person’s head start to spin, and pass out, because that is what happened to Willow Rosenberg.
Moments Later
Willow opened her weary eyes to see her daughter standing above her with a worried expression on her face, she had obviously tried to heal her mother, but even at her level her 3 year old body could not really summon the power needed to heal an adult. The Techno Pagan did feel a bit better though. She looked around realizing that she wasn’t in their home anymore, and suddenly memories of the last few days flashed came back. She stood up and hugged her daughter wanting to reassure her that everything was alright before making her next move. She noticed the concerned faces of her friends around the magic shop, and her fear began to dissipate. Maybe they would help her and her daughter, and would forgive her trespasses once they heard her story.
“Angie, sweetie, can you go with Dawn down to the Expresso Pump to get Mommy a mocha please?” Willow asked not wanting her daughter to hear the next part of her conversation with these people who were veritable strangers to Angelina.
Angie looked a little weary about leaving her mom, but when Dawn took her hand she felt better for some reason, she gave her mom a hug, and they left the shop.
Before anyone could say anything Willow wanted to explain why she was here after 3 ½ years of running. Xander was clearly wanting to say something and once you got him started it was hard to shut him up, after all, she should know, she knew him the first 17 years of her life.
“Xander, please, for right now I have something to say before Angie comes back.” Xander shut his mouth with grim determination, and Buffy looked confused at the mention of her daughter. “Giles-Buffy Angie is my daughter, she is three years old, and being hunted by strangers in masks a continent away. I didn’t think anybody knew about her unusual birth, but obviously I was wrong. I need help to protect her and to figure out why she is here. I’ve done research, but my sources were limited where I’ve been the last 3 years and I’ve run out of other ideas. If the slayer can’t protect her, and a watcher can’t help us, than I have run out of options.”
The bell to the magic box rang again, and a giggling Angie and Dawn walked through the door. Willow shook her head she couldn’t believe how close these two had gotten since they just met. Angie tended to be closed off to strangers, but maybe there was some connection there that just felt right for her daughter.
“I will answer all your questions tomorrow, but right now I need to get back to the motel with a few supplies that I came in here for. We are very tired, and the rest of your questions, I hope, will last till then.” She didn’t even bother to ask about Angel’s whereabouts she knew by the link that she would sometimes uncover that he was no longer in Sunnydale, but that was all she knew, and one of the reasons she was confident enough to come back.
Xander, Buffy, and Giles mouths were all hanging open frightened by the calm but assertive manner in which the Wicca spoke. This is not their Willow from 4 years ago. Giles did the math, he knew whose daughter this was, and he knew that no other birth like this one had ever occurred before. This little girl was special, and needed to be protected.
Dawn was the first to speak up. “Why don’t you come back to the house with us? We would love to have you and Angie with us.”
Willow was shocked at the offer, but shook her head in refusal. “Thank you, Dawn, but we couldn’t possibly intrude like that.” Willow stopped, she didn’t know what she was doing refusing this offer, she was practically broke, and this would solve part of her dilemma. A soft voice broke into her thoughts.
“Please, Mom, I want to stay with Dawnie.” Angie begged still holding onto Dawn’s hand. Willow shouldn’t have been surprised after she had taken to this girl, but she was, she knew that Angie missed the O’Connor children’s company, and was in a foreign land, so she was likely to search out new friends, but this was unusual to say the least.
Willow looked quizzically at her friends, asking for permission to invade their privacy. The expressions on their faces answered her questions, and made her decision. She turned around and knelt by her daughter and Dawn.
“Dawn, would you mind taking Angie back to the house while I go to the motel and pack up our stuff?” Willow asked this to Dawn, but searched her daughter’s eyes for any look of weariness. They hadn’t been apart very much since Angie had been born, only when Willow worked. The hacker was surprised by the smile that was held in her brown eyes, and knew that everything would be alright. Dawn nodded euphorically, happy to baby-sit this sweet little girl that reminded her of someone that she couldn’t place, at that moment, other than Willow.
Buffy approached their sides, and asked the two girls to go wait in the car for her. Willow gave Angie and Dawn a hug, even though she hadn’t really known the key for very long, she felt like she known and trusted her for years. Buffy turned to her and gave her another tight hug.
“Willow, why don’t you take a nap before you come over? We’ll watch Angie, besides she will feel better if you don’t look so tired, too.” Buffy didn’t give her a chance to respond. She left leaving the door to ring.
Willow shook her head knowing that she had been just been given a chance to actually get some much needed sleep without worrying about her daughters safety. She turned towards Giles and Xander, the only two left in the room from their original Scooby Gang.
“Can I borrow your phone? I need to call a cab.” Giles nodded, so he must be the owner of this establishment, but Xander stopped her progress to the phone.
“Wills there is no need for you to take a cab to your motel; I’ll take you. This is a small town, which motel are you staying at?”
“Motel 6” She responded, smiling for the first time in a long time.
“Ah…trusty, clean, and cheap, how can you beat that?” Xander said playfully.
“Thanks, Xan, but I need to get a few things first would you mind waiting for me outside?” Willow knew Giles had figured out whose child she had, and she didn’t want any of the others to know this little piece of information, as long as she could hold back.
Xander left with a little skip in his step, and Willow couldn’t help but grin, he had changed. The boy had become a man, a very confidant, smartly dressed, attractive man. She couldn’t help the affection that she felt for him come back to life, but the love she had felt for him was not the same. It was the type of love you felt for a brother.
Willow walked further into the shop looking for the supplies that she needed for the protection spells, and the spells to continue blocking the bonds. She tried to ignore the eyes following her around. She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped.
“Calm down,” Giles whispered. “I just want to tell you that I know whose child she is, and we’ll talk about it later. Also, anything you need here today is on the house. Just leave a list of the supplies you take with Amy before you leave.” With that Giles turned around and walked to his office.
Willow let out the breath she had been holding since he began talking, and began to quickly gather her things.
One hour later - L.A. Gang Sunnydale
“Take a left…no…stop…turn around…there-it’s there. Whatever is affecting me is in that motel.” Angel knew that whatever it was wasn’t of the good. He climbed out of the back of the car glad nightfall had finally come, and approached the Motel 6 wearily. He didn’t bother to go into the lobby, because the pull had become stronger the closer they got to his destination. He could pinpoint the door to the room he was looking for.
The rest of the ‘Fang gang’, as Faith liked to refer to them, piled out of the van ready to follow their leader into hell itself if it was necessary. Angel approached the door warily not knowing what he could possibly find. He felt much better since he reached Sunnydale, but still weak and for some reason antsy.
Angel knocked just in case he was wrong about the feelings he was getting. There was no answer, for a few moments, so he pounded on the door. Suddenly the door opened with a very tired looking Willow standing in the doorway.
Willow tried to shut the door, but Angel didn’t let her, using all his vampire strength to keep it open. “Willow?” Angel whispered. His stomach fell when he saw her; he knew that he had to talk to her. She needed to tell him where she had been these last few years. Why she had run away from her friends and family without a backwards glance? Why he would sometimes have dreams about her being in his bed, making love to her? He knew this wasn’t possible, because he would remember it, and plus, the curse.
The rest of the gang helped push the door open and followed there leader into the room. Willow backpedaled looking suddenly like a frightened mouse, and sat on the bed, defeated, knowing nothing could be kept secret now. She had let her defenses on the bonds slip too much, he had realized she was here, and found her. It was only a matter of time before he found out about Angelina.
Suddenly Angel’s eyes turned yellow, “Willow, what are you doing with my mark?”
‘Uh, oh!’ Willow thought.
~Part: 3~ Tabula Rasa
Suddenly Angel’s eyes turned yellow, “Willow, why do you have my mark?”
‘Uh, oh!’ Willow thought.
Before Willow could think another thought her hand came up to the side of her neck to cover the mark which had been previously been covered by a glamour. She yanked her hand down into her lap, when the realization hit her, but Angel saw the movement.
Angel didn’t understand the next sensations that hit him or how he would eventually end up with a stake above his heart, but there it was. When he saw Willow bring her hand down to her lap from her neck he grew angry and threw her fragile form against the wall, covering her body with his.
The next thing he knew he was on the floor, where apparently a very frightened and weak witch had sent him crashing too, with a very worried slayer jumping on him with a stake above his heart. He had the look of a crazed vampire and it was not going away.
Willow realizing the problem, blocked their connections and covered her mark with a new glamour. She immediately noticed a difference in Angel’s eyes, still no less feral, but recognition entered his eyes. She caught the girl’s eyes who were sitting on Angel’s chest.
“He shouldn’t be a danger anymore.” She whispered, and then fell to the floor exhausted, sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest. She didn’t recognize any of the other people who encircled Angel’s form except for Cordelia, but she looked different, and was clearly not happy to see her, either.
Faith got off her boss, not wanting to upset the souled vampire who she respected and began to glare at the person who had caused her boss to go maniacal. The anger and confusion his demon felt was gone, his demon retreated; Angel knew he knew something, but was hiding it from him.
Angel leapt to his feet in vampire form and stared down at his mate trying to think of what to say next. He should remember giving her this mark, shouldn’t he? He knew Angelus hadn’t given it to her, because he remembered every little thing he had done without his soul. The only way to get information would be from the only person in this room to obviously know about it.
“Willow. Look at me.” Angel’s tone left no room for Willow to look anywhere but at him. She stared at him remembering the horrors and pleasures derived from their last meeting, she could see that she didn’t have the effect on him that she had when he came back from hell, and realized that his reaction must have been from gratitude and from her being the first one to take care of him, because if anything he looked murderous towards her now, not passionate. If she didn’t know any better (because of his permanent soul), and hadn’t felt his soul when he walked through the door, she would think he was missing his soul. She had never seen this look of anger on his face before, and she was rapidly reaching the point of hysteria. ‘This can’t be happening again’. She repeated this mantra over and over again to her self, while closing her eyes.
Angel noticing the distancing of Willow, and feeling as if he stayed in her vicinity a second longer he may attack her either with the intention to kill or…mate with her, he wasn’t sure, decided he must leave the premises and get his head together. He backed up from her and told the others in a tone that threatened physical damage if they failed this mission to “watch her”, and make sure “she doesn’t go anywhere”.
Angel left the room slamming the door behind him. Walking down the deserted streets Angel came to three realizations, the dreams he had of him and Willow in bed the last 3 ½ years weren’t just dreams. He would never give her that mark purposely; he had never even considered giving that mark to Buffy, knowing the permanence of it, and the control it would give to the bearer, and he had loved Buffy. She must have tricked him into her bed and tricked him into marking her (probably knowing it would make her immortal), and she must now pay for her actions. He just had to figure out he was going to make her pay. He turned on his heels and quickly headed back to the motel with an Angelus grin on his face, and passers by could only shake in fear at the expression on this demons face.
*********
Meanwhile Willow had no idea of what thoughts were passing through Angel’s mind at this moment, but she knew it wasn’t good, and all she could worry about is what would happen to her daughter. This lead her to the last time she saw his Angelic face 3 ½ years ago.
Sunnydale, CA 1998 (last flashback)
As soon as Willow reached her empty house, she realized that there was nothing left for her in Sunnydale; she would not be able to stand the looks of disgust from her friends. There is no way to keep this from them if she stayed. Angel would feel too much guilt to be her friend again, and her last foundation of peace had been taken away from her when Giles took away her privilege to the library. Nothing was left for her, but to leave, her parents didn’t care if she was here anyway; they had left at the beginning of the summer and had made no reappearances and obviously didn’t intend to call. They wouldn’t care either.
Willow packed several bags putting them into the car that she would leave somewhere between Sunnydale and where she was going, to prevent her parents or her friends from finding her. It wasn’t stealing, merely borrowing, she convinced herself, besides her parents weren’t using it and they probably had no intentions of being back for awhile.
Exhausted from the nights event she decided to sit and take a nap before heading out. After she woke she knew she would have to break into her funds that her grandmother had left her for college, but she had no other choice, she would just have to work her way through the rest of high school and college, surely she had enough money for that.
When she sat down in her father’s comfy chair, the book she had attempted to read before the incident, slid into her lap, ungraciously bringing her to the realization that she could not leave without blocking both the bonds that were now placed upon her and Angel’s souls. They would never be able to live like that. The pain from the distance that separated them would kill both of them or drive them crazy.
She read over the spell that would block the bonds, and on the next page found a spell that would block a person’s memory for the spell caster’s desired amount of time: Tabula Rasa. The spell was only removable by the original spell caster. Perfect, now Angel would be able to get back together with Buffy…she couldn’t understand the panic and pain that rose up within her at that thought, but chose to ignore it. I’ll just have to warn Giles to not tell Angel or anyone about what happened, but there is no way I’m going to face him again he’ll probably turn me into a toad or something.
She decided to leave notes with Giles, Buffy, Xander, and Oz; she couldn’t face any of them for the obvious reasons, and on her way out of town she would visit Amy and Angel one last time, thus completing the last step to leaving town. Willow did realize that by blocking Angel’s memory she was eliminating a primary reason for her leaving, but she ignored this reasoning, because internally she knew it would be to painful to see him with Buffy again.
*******
Willow walked into the mansion even more exhausted then before and saw the still sleeping form of Angel on the bed. It had been 22 ½ hours since she performed her last spell and she wanted to hurry the last two before he woke, or she may never leave. She had delivered the letters and spoke with Amy about covering her post as technopagan, explaining a bit of what happened, but not all, obviously. She borrowed the supplies she would need to perform the various spells needed to cast the blocking bonds and memory spells. Willow didn’t know if she would have the energy to perform this last part of the plan, because it would take a lot more energy to perform both spells than she normally used on one spell at a time, they were very complicated, and she was already spent. But she had to try. Willow entered the room and quickly performed the spells, before she chickened out, and realized that she must already be gaining abilities from the marks that Angel had forced upon them.
Willow stopped to wonder about them, but withdrew from the thoughts quickly knowing she only had about an hour before Angel came out of his temporary coma. She walked over to Angel’s still form and put her hand to his chest, unintentional tears already falling from her eyes streaming from her face.
“I forgive you Angel. Have a good life with Buffy.” With that Willow brought her lips down to Angel’s lips, caressing them, and then pulled away and backed out of the room. Willow walked to the car with tears streaming down her face and decided that she would have to block these feelings for Angel or they would only cause her further pain, and proceeded to leave Sunnydale.
Sunnydale, Hotel Room, 2001
The ‘Fang Gang’ stared at the figure on the floor that was drawn in within herself, she had clearly fallen asleep again, and while they awaited Angel’s return they whispered among themselves trying to get the scoop on this little red head that had made Angel go all psycho.
“Who is she?” Gun whispered to Cordelia.
Cordelia’s face twisted into a sour expression. This was the woman who had run off without any thought to how it would affect the rest of the gang, or Xander, and effectively ruined her and Xander’s relationship.
Wesley answered, Cordelia was glad she didn’t want to have to bitterly bring up her past with the red head Wicca. “She is Willow Rosenberg, and as far as I know she left Sunnydale 3 ½ years ago without any warning. I never met her, but from what I over-heard from Buffy and her friends, Willow is a very sweet, mild mannered, up and coming witch, not able to possibly have the power that I feel rolling off of this young lady.”
Fred spoke up from her corner chair, “Then how do you know it’s her if you never met her, and she has so much more power after just three years?” Fred asked an obvious question in her sweet Texas accent.
Wesley responded indignantly, “I have seen pictures of her Miss Burckle; of course I know who she is.”
Gunn stepped up to defend his girlfriend’s question. “Well Wes if you hadn’t been wrong before we might not have had to question your opinion on this now.” Gunn said heatedly.
“Now see here…” Wesley started to respond before Faith stepped in, but Faith had been looking for a fight with this young black man who was determined to be the alpha male in their little hen house.
“You better back down Gunn, before I beat you down.” Faith warned him, her slayer power radiating throughout the room and indicating to anyone sensitive to know it that there was about to be a fight.
A loud whistle came across the room, and everyone turned looking for its source. Fred was lowering her fingers from her mouth. “Now I think that is enough. We all need to calm down and think of that poor girl who has obviously had a traumatic experience today, and we will need all of our wits to make sure what happened earlier doesn’t happen again. I have not heard one thing from any of you to indicate that Willow deserves what happened between her and Angel, or how we’ve treated her since.”
Nobody said anything in response, shocked at Fred’s defense of Willow, and the fact that she had said so many words at once. She was usually so quiet. Gunn decided to back down for his girlfriends benefit; he didn’t like to upset her, and apologized to Wesley and Faith. Before they had a chance to respond the door slammed open and a determined looking Angel walked through the door, automatically heading to the figure that had been woken seconds before by the loud whistle that came out of the seemingly mousy girl in the chair.
Angel knelt onto his haunches, coming eye to eye with Willow, and shook in fear of his next words. “Get up; get your stuff together, your coming back to L.A. with us.” His words and look left no room for argument, but Willow refused to leave her daughter even if it meant keeping her away from Angel; that had clearly grown beastly since she had last seen him. Willow was about to say so, but this was waylaid when Wesley spoke up saying that the sun had just come up and there was no way to get Angel out of there without him burning up, so they would have to stay till night fall.
Angel grunted, and turned his fierce eyes towards the others in the room; he looked as if he had forgotten about them, and had to make a decision. Each one of them took a step back, and Fred turned her head into Gunn’s shoulder who knew that Fred would need some protection from the delusional vampire.
“Fine,” Angel said realizing that there was no other solution. He pulled out his gold card and handed it to Wesley. “Go get two more rooms. Be prepared to leave at dusk. I won’t wait for stragglers.”
The crew was clearly alarmed by this, but left without saying another word. Cordelia, not one to put up with cranky vampires, stayed behind, concerned, despite her negative feelings toward Willow. Angel was clearly delusional; he just stared at the hacker like she was some type of meat to be devoured.
“Angel, I think we need-“
“Cordelia, I told you to leave. Willow and I have some private business to discuss, and I would like a nap before we leave.” Angel interrupted the seer; not even turning around to acknowledge his friends concerns.
Cordelia decided to leave before events became climatic, but decided she would need to call Buffy to warn her what was going on to protect Willow from him.
“All right Angel I’m leaving, but if you harm one head on her head, you will have to remove the stake from your ass once Buffy finds out.” Cordelia warned as she walked out the door, quickly before he figured out her next move.
*******
Willow didn’t know what she feared more the thought that Angel would demand that she reversed the spell or that he would become violent. Willow had gotten to the point in her mind where she would prefer the violence than the look of guilt on his face. She had fallen in love with him, and she didn’t want him to hurt. Maybe she had done something in a different life to deserve this type of existence. Whatever it was she intended to get out of here soon, she just wanted a moment to speak to the man she would probably never see again. She wanted to engrain every detail of his image into her memory so that she would have another few years of that in her mind before it began to dissipate again.
“So Willow, maybe you would like to tell me why we are here, and why I seem to be bonded to a women I don’t remember ever sleeping with.” Angel ground out behind clinched teeth. Willow turned away from his knowing eyes, tears slipping down her face, she could barely prevent the sobs that were about to escape her throat.
“Or maybe you would like to tell me why I have these dreams of us sleeping together.” Willow looked suddenly shocked, and turned her head to question him with her eyes, but realizing that he couldn’t know that the spell should have wiped any memories, including those from his subconscious, she turned her head back to the position it was in before.
Angel chuckled in a very Angelus like way, and grabbed her chin turning her head back to face him, but she kept her eyes lowered. “I don’t know how you did it, but apparently sleeping with you means I cannot lose my soul with someone that I don’t care about, since I’ve done it twice now, probably because you and Darla are such good little whores.” Angel stopped looking for her reaction. She refused to give him any, closing her eyes, so he couldn’t see the pain that caused her. “Did you know my marks gave you immortality? Of course you did, why else would you prostitute yourself out to me. Well since you’ve decided to bond yourself to me I’ve decided to take what you so willingly took from me. You are now mine, and I will do with you as I please.” Angel sneered. He brought his hands to her night shirt and tore it. Angel brought his hands back as a memory of this exact event entered his mind. Before he could question it or notice the look of terror that crossed Willow’s face the door was kicked in, an angry Buffy, Giles and Cordelia entered the room.
Buffy ran to the side of the bed and grabbed the still stunned Angel and through him to the other side of the room. Cordelia went to Willow and helped her to cover up, but Willow obviously didn’t seem to care about her nakedness. Cordy worried about what drove her boss to do this to her. Willow may have been thoughtless to leave as she did, but raping her was uncalled for.
Willow was in shock burying her head into Cordelia’s shoulder wishing that she and Angie were back in Ireland. Cordelia led the sobbing girl to the bathroom to get dressed and cleaned up while Buffy and Giles confronted the mad vampire.
*******
Willow didn’t know what she would be walking back into when she reentered the room, but she was determined to leave this freak show as soon as possible. She didn’t see Angel when she first walked in, and couldn’t help fearing that they staked him. Then she looked to her bed and saw a pissed off Angel handcuffed to the bed rail.
Willow felt tears come to her eyes, but before she could make a move Giles approached her and told her not to worry. That he and Buffy would protect her, but that it was time to release the memory charm on Angel, because he was somehow under the delusion that she had raped him in order to become immortal. Willow grew angry at this, and decided she had been trampled on enough by this man.
“Okay, but Angel once you know the truth I want you to leave me alone. I want nothing to do with you, and if you come near me again I will stake you. I’m tired of being your toy, and then being abused because there is some type of misunderstanding.” Willow spit out at the equally angry vampire. Giles summoned the books and supplies from Buffy’s house, while two confused women stood staring at the two angry immortals glaring at each other.
When the materials were brought in Willow took a deep gulp of air, as if to go underwater, and performed the reversal of the memory charm. Every one, but Giles and Willow thought the memories would come back instantaneously, but that would be traumatic on any mind, so it is made to come back in increments over a small period of time. It all depends on how much the mind can take, and how much was missing.
Suddenly a gasp from the bed brought two stares to Angel; Willow chose to ignore it, knowing what he was remembering. Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of her pain. Buffy questioned the look on Angel’s face; it was one of pure horror, but no one knew the worst had not yet come to pass.
“I-I remember being in hell…and being yanked out…but I always thought it was by the First. It wasn’t though, Willow, you did it, didn’t you?” He said his expression softening towards the red head. But she refused to look at him she stared at the spell book in front of her reliving the memories as he did. She nodded her head, but stood up, refusing to look at the locked up Vampire.
Willow grew scared that he would remember while everything while she was here. “Buffy, I want to go to your house.” Buffy didn’t move, she was staring at Angel lost in her thoughts. Only the pleading tone of Willow’s next sentence brought her out of it. “Please Buffy, I can’t take anymore and I’m worried about Angie being by herself.”
Buffy shook herself out of her stupor, and turned towards the fragile red head. “Okay Willow, let’s go.” She put an arm around Willow’s waist and led her out to the vehicle, knowing that everything that happened next would be relayed by Giles.
Buffy took Willow home and led her to a room after she checked on Angie, telling her to rest that nothing would happen. Although Willow was scared about Angel showing up after remembering, she knew that Buffy had uninvited Angelus years ago, so she should get some rest before the next horror in her life appeared back on her doorstep.
Willow lay down on the guest bed lost in memories of the past, and hopes for the future.
Back at the hotel: Moments after Buffy and Willow leave.
Members of the ‘Fang Gang’ trickled into the hotel room one by one curious but wary of the reactions coming from the head member, and then the corresponding reactions coming from the rest of the gang and Giles. Giles was keeping Buffy informed every time he had a memory.
No one could reconcile the tearful, sobbing, and pleading Angel that lie on the bed to the one who just hours before looked ready to murder anyone who crossed him.
With each memory that came forth Angel realized that his earlier interpretation of events were incorrect, in fact, if anything, his memories indicated he was the one who initiated events. He remembered coming back from hell and being cared for by Willow. He remembered the feelings that he had seeing the beautiful red head lying beneath him on the floor when he first saw her; it was at this point that he knew she was his savior, his love, his everything. He had just wanted to make her realize it. He had remembered the feel of her as he pressed up against her in the bathroom, and the feelings that transpired between them as she washed his blood and other various grotesque substances, that he picked up in hell, from his body. He was there an hour before he remembered falling in love with her about a week into her care, and the feeling of helplessness at not being able to declare these feelings to her. He remembered the broiling anger he felt when he smelt the wolf on her when she came home after a ‘Scooby’ meeting. He remembered the feel of her skin, the touch of her lips, the way she would become aroused at his touch, but then become scared at the feelings that were building between them. But he could never reassure her, he could never tell her it was going to be all right, because he didn’t have the capacity to do that.
He remembered that he knew of all the feelings he had for Buffy before Angelus came to be, but felt that they were incomparable to the feelings he had developed for *his* Willow. She had been so sweet, seeing him at his lowest, but never backing down. Watching him feed despite the horrors it must have reminded her of. During this time she had made it clear that he was not responsible for anything Angelus had done, and that his soul was now permanent so that he could be with Buffy. He had wanted to tell her that he would never be with Buffy again, but the words wouldn’t form, he was only able to tell her with growls and touches that she was all that he wanted.
These memories, made the last 3 ½ years of his life make sense, when Buffy found him, he couldn’t explain it, but he just hadn’t felt the same way about her. His weird feelings and obsessions with Darla last year, and his inability to connect with his staff and other women. It was all so clear now.
Then the memories came from their last day together, and he was horrified by the events that occurred. He spoke of them as he relived them.
“…One day Willow came to me and told me that she was going to go out on a date with Oz. I was mortified that she could do this, but I knew that she couldn’t understand me. I tried letting her know that she was mine and I didn’t want her see the wolf anymore.” Angel didn’t realize at this point he was growling, his eyes had turned yellow, and his whole face was about to shift. “She brought Amy over that day to watch me while she went out. I couldn’t explain to her, and she left during the day, preventing me from following her. I didn’t know my way around anymore so I didn’t dare leave after sunset just in case she came back and needed me. It wasn’t until late, after dark, that she showed up. I remember lying in bed worrying about her; worrying that werewolf would try to hurt her, and dreaming of the ways I would hurt him. When she walked in I could smell her from the bedroom, her excitement, her arousal, his scent all over her. I knew he hadn’t taken her yet, so I decided…oh no…” Angel trailed off turning his head to the side refusing to look at the others.
Giles knew what he was going to say he had guessed from her letters, and the events that had transpired years ago and tonight. “You took her.” He ground out angrily. Everyone turned looking at him in confusion, so he clarified. “He took her virginity, he raped her, just like he was doing when we walked in…you son of a bitch.” Giles could tell he was right by the expression on Angel’s face. He flew at Angel, but never made it. The rest of the crew held him back not sure what was going on or that Angel really did this. “I knew it…I should have known when I walked in on…” Angel faced Giles when he spoke these words.
“What?” Angel growled, “When did you walk in?”
Giles lowered his head remembering the words he said to her in his anger to protect Buffy. “I…I walked in sometime after…she must-must have put you into some kind of sleep, because when I showed up you didn’t wake. I walked in to the room thinking you and Buffy…but, she was in the corner…hiding…I thought she was hiding from me. I called her several bad names…she told me that your soul…”
“My soul’s permanent,” Angel whispered. Everyone was in shock at this point; not able to believe the things that this girl had endured at these men’s hands. Cordelia had tears running down her cheeks, she had put the blame on Willow all these years, while Willow was hurting, no friends to comfort her.
Giles went on, “I thought she had tricked you into sleeping with her…I should have realized…she didn’t tell me what happened…probably to save you. Then she left, after I told her never to come around me again…I ostracized her, because…my petty insecurities. What must she have went through…and Angie…oh no!” He groaned into his hands.
“Who is this Angie?” Fred spoke up, not afraid to ask the question everyone was thinking.
Giles ignored the question knowing that Angel didn’t need to hear it from him. That was Willow’s choice; he wouldn’t make that choice for her. “When she left there were letters to the various members of the Scooby Gang, letting them know she was leaving, and not to look for her. I thought I knew the reason why she left, but I had no idea.”
Angel came out of his internal brooding and looked at Giles. “There’s more…I marked her…and she marked me. Well I-I forced her…to mark me.”
“Dear lord…how was she able to leave your side with the marks?” Giles questioned his watcher tendency to question a new impossible event, showing through his concern.
“I don’t know, she must have done something to the marks…I’m not sure, since I’ve never given the marks to anyone, but I’ve read books on them, and I know there should be more to them than I feel now…she must have done something to them.” Angel came to this realization, and it hurt, that she had done this to hide from him. He understood why, but it still hurt, and after what he did to her today; there was no chance for her to ever forgive him. He would be lucky to escape being tortured and staked by the gang after they found out, and he just couldn’t seem to care. He deserved it. She had done nothing, but save him, and care for him. “Please unlock me. I promise I won’t hurt her…” Tears were traveling down his face knowing his temper had cost him the one thing in life that would make it worth living…he had broken an Angel.
“No.” Cordelia spoke up when Gunn took the keys and was walking towards Angel’s handcuffed arms. “Don’t let him out till nightfall; he’s going to walk out into the sun if you do.” Gunn stopped and backed up.
“Cordelia…” Angel moaned out, but was trying to break his chains. “LET ME OUT OF HERE!” He growled, but slunk back into the bed knowing it was hopeless; this pair of handcuffs had been magically reinforced.
Giles couldn’t stand being anywhere near this group anymore if it was up to him, he’d let the bastard walk into the sunlight, but it wasn’t his choice. He now had to go back to Buffy’s home and explain to her what Angel had done, and then explain his own sins. They had weighed on him for so long.
Giles faced Angel one last time before leaving the room. “Leave town Angel…tonight. You’ve hurt enough people. Leave, and if you ever come back I’ll stake you myself. I’m going to tell Buffy what happened, so I would keep the gang near you if you want to live. Don’t try to contact them…they don’t need you. They have us now, and we’ll protect them.”
Not realizing his slip Giles walked out of the room, and drove to the woman he loved, knowing he would probably lose her after he told her the truth. Buffy was loyal to her friends she would not be able to forgive this and who could blame her, he was almost as much to blame for her disappearance, and what she was currently going through as Angel was.
*******
Cordelia sat staring at the man lying on the bed in a catatonic state, hating and feeling sorry for him at the same time. He would never be the same again, she had worked so long to bring him out of his shell and now he would never be able to forgive himself. As much as he blamed himself for the things Angelus had done, he knew that wasn’t him. But this, Angel had done this all by himself, and he would never forgive himself for this. Cordelia found it hard to forgive herself for her feelings toward Willow the last few years and the way she treated her before that.
Suddenly, a vision hit Cordelia; she cried out and grabbed her as a barrage of images hit her at once. Images of Willow fighting for her and her daughter’s life, and if Angel and the ‘Fang Gang’ didn’t join in this fight they would die. This was about to get very complicated.
~Part: 4~ Kidnapped
Images of Willow fighting for her and her daughter’s life, and if Angel and the ‘Fang Gang’ didn’t join in this fight they would die. This was about to get very complicated.
When the images quit passing through her head Cordelia found herself on the floor, Angel was not able to catch her because he was still chained up. Cordelia moaned for some Advil, she refused to say anything while she was at risk from drooling from the pain.
When Cordelia went down, Angel immediately went into protector mode, setting his self-pity aside temporarily. He was shouting orders at the gang, but not demanding that they release him as before; he knew they were too obstinate for that.
After Fred made it back with the Advil, Gunn holding the ice pack and Wes with the soda, Angel demanded that Cordelia use these products so they could get on with their jobs. Everyone of his crew, including Cordelia, gave Angel exasperated looks. Who was he to boss them around after what he done to Willow that day alone? But they didn’t question it, that’s the way it had always been.
Cordelia groaned from the sidelines, finally able to make coherent sentences, without drooling like she had some form of rabies. She knew what she had to say would cause even more problems then before, but she would not let anything happen to Willow or this mysterious daughter who just entered the picture.
“Willow…” Cordelia looked up to find intense eyes staring at her. “She and a little girl…I’m pretty sure it’s her daughter, she looks just like Willow did at that age. They are in trouble, some strange men or…demon’s probably…in masks with ninja fighting skills are going to attack tonight and even with Buffy there they will lose.” Cordelia stopped at this point, but no one caught her point. “They’ll die if we are not involved.”
“Let me go Cordelia, I promise not to walk out in the sun, or stake my self…at least until this is resolved.” Cordelia and Gunn looked warily at each other knowing he could be lying. “Please Cordelia, I will not allow Willow to be killed…I love her…she deserves better than that. Besides, I can’t kill myself anyway, I would be risking her death if I did and I would never do that to her.” Cordelia nodded to Gunn and he unlocked him, but everyone was still weary, not worried anymore about him dusting himself, just about his actions from earlier still confused and scared everyone enough to be weary.
Angel sat and then stood up; rubbing his wrists gingerly they were red from his pulling. As soon as they were unlocked the magical resistance must have been broken because Angel was able to bend the metal in his frustration.
After Cordelia recounted all the details from the vision, Angel and his crew sat there making plans on how to go about saving Willow and her daughter from these ninjas that were going to attack. Angel refused to stop and think about the jealousy brewing over Willow having a child with someone else. He knew it was impossible for him to have children, but the fact that she had a child meant she had been with someone since they were together, and that hurt.
They decided not to call the Scooby Gang, because of what Angel had done there was no way they would risk letting Angel into the house, and then let him stay there if they knew he was coming. They would have to come in when the attackers showed so they could fight them before anyone could think to revoke his invitation.
Angel would see her one last time before he had to leave her forever; he knew she would never allow him back in her life, but to see her one last time would be heaven.
Dusk:
The team decided to stake out Buffy’s home, while Cordelia, Gunn and Fred visited with Xander on the pretense of just being in town. They were supposed to call Angel when trouble showed up. Angel would be looking for his childe to aide in the fight; he would even put up with his annoying childe to keep his Willow safe.
When Cordelia walked into the house the first thing she noticed was the tenseness that radiated through the air. She didn’t see Giles car outside so she assumed he wasn’t here, but she found Xander comforting Buffy in the kitchen.
As soon as Buffy saw them things got even worse. “Buffy…” Cordelia didn’t even make it to the next words before she was interrupted.
“Don’t even Cordy, we know what happened and if we find out you’re here on a mission trip for Angel than you had better leave now.” Buffy said angrily, and Xander obviously agreed.
“I’m not here to defend him.” Cordelia reassured them. “We’re just here to see Willow, make sure she is okay, and visit with you, nothing more.” Buffy and Xander nodded their heads, deciding to believe them. Xander let go of Buffy, and circled the Island kitchen and hugged Cordelia. He was happy to see her despite the circumstances in which they are meeting. He didn’t know what would happen now that they found out what Angel had done, but he loved Cordy, and he would do anything to get her back. He finally felt as if his family was coming back together and he would not lose them again.
As introductions were made, and greetings exchanged, a teenager and a young girl walked in looking for snacks while they watched Disney movies together. Cordelia said hi to Dawn and knelt down beside the miniature version of Willow, she was clutching a ragged doll in one hand, and nearly sucking on the thumb on the other hand. She was obviously nervous with all the new strangers hanging around. Cordelia gasped when she noticed the eyes of this little girl in front of her, they were the same chocolate brown of Angel’s with a small amount of the yellow that Angel’s eyes will change into when his face shifts.
Cordelia quickly covered up her reaction, and smiled at…Angie…that name is also very peculiar, thought Cordelia. She offered her hand, but Angie refused to take it, shifting closer to Dawn. As soon as they left with their snacks and sodas Cordelia decided to question her suspicions, although…it was impossible, wasn’t it?
“How old is she?” Cordelia questioned the suddenly nervous Buffy and Xander. They had only found out about an hour ago the parentage of Angelina, and they didn’t think it was a good thing for the ‘Fang Gang’ to find out about her yet. But they had to tell Cordelia something or she would become suspicious, not that she wasn’t already, but one bridge at a time.
Xander answered, but tried to distract, “She is three. Would anyone like a soda or a snack?” Without waiting for a response he headed for the refrigerator digging through it, while Buffy stood in front the sink looking down at her fidgeting feet.
“Oh…my…goddess…she’s his, isn’t she?” Cordelia asked in an unbelieving tone. Fred and Gunn stared at her quizzically, but Buffy and Xander stopped their nervous actions, knowing the ex-cheerleader had guessed correctly. “How is it possible? Vampires can’t have children. Can they?” Fred and Gunn’s jaws dropped figuring out who Cordy meant by this inquisition.
“Yes, she is Angel and Willow’s daughter, her name is Angelina and while she seems to be normal and healthy she has some abilities that we know about, and we imagine she has some that we don’t know yet. She is a sweet little girl, and Willow brought her here to protect her, obviously someone has identified her as being different, and has targeted her. We are researching prophesies and ways to help her but we just started, so who knows.” Xander would have gone on, but he was deflating, knowing this would get back to Angel, and he would lose his Willow again. No, not his Willow, but she was part of his family, and he wouldn’t lose her again without a fight.
Buffy spoke next, clearly upset by this chain of events. “I know you have to tell Angel, but can you wait until I’ve spoken with Willow about it. I don’t think she wanted him to know, but now there is no choice. I’ll call as soon as I’ve spoken with her.” Buffy waited for Cordelia’s response, as soon as she nodded in response Buffy left the room, knowing how climactic events were about to become, and wanting to prepare Dawn and Angie for them. She wouldn’t wake Willow about it until dinner arrived, and that still hadn’t been ordered.
As Buffy walked into the living room the doorbell rang, and since she was the only one standing she decided to answer it. Several things happened at once. Spike, Angel and the other members of his team came rushing in slamming the door behind them, and telling everyone to get away from the windows, and then figures came crashing through the windows in the living area and the dining room. These figures were all dressed in black with samurai swords on their back. Although, these figures were really too distorted to count them as human.
Cordelia, Gunn, Fred and Xander ran in only seconds after hearing the crash. Cordelia headed towards the little girl knowing they were looking for her from her vision, but before she could get to her a red blur brushed past her grabbing the little girl and running back for the stair case.
Willow knew she had to get her daughter out of here these people were dangerous, and there were a lot more of them than before. She didn’t see the two gangs fighting these creatures, whoever they may be. She ran up the stair case putting a hex on the door knob for anyone with dubious intentions. There must have been a couple of the black masked figures to fall for it, before they just knocked down the door. Willow and Angie’s eyes turned black and they both whispered the word ‘thicken’, freezing the two men that had gained entrance in place. They wouldn’t be able to hold them infinitely and the more that entered the weaker their holds would become. Willow’s only hope was to protect Angie, but to do that she would have to leave herself vulnerable, open to attack. She started to chant, and while Angie tried to keep the shield up between them and the ninja demons, she was just not powerful enough.
The shields dropped and the demonic ninjas surrounded them trying to grab both Angie and Willow, but they were unable to touch the little girl, there bodies began to burn the closer they got to her, and would catch on fire if they touched her. Willow slumped exhausted from casting this spell. Suddenly she felt herself lifted and thrown over the shoulder of one of these creatures, grunting at the impact that almost made her lose her stomach. She clutched to the figure, to prevent further jostling, but kept her eyes open to make sure her daughter was okay. She saw Angie sitting there scared, but none of the demons tried to get close to her, instead following their leader, who carried the distraught mother out to the awaiting cars.
Buffy saw the figures carrying Willow outside and tried to break free from the warriors and rescue her, but they had obviously planned for this, because the remaining demons surrounding the Slayer, sacrificing themselves for their mission. Willow opened up her mind and psychically connected to the blond slayer, and asked her to take care of her daughter, and to remind her how much she loved her. Buffy felt like breaking down, she had only just got her best friend back and now she was going to lose her again. No! Cry later, fight now! They fought down to the last demon cutting them up and chopping their heads off. Screaming out battle cries as they did, losing themselves in the sensation of revenge and death.
*******
The battle was over, and the house now looked like a small war-torn third world country. The occupants stood looking over the carnage, inspecting their fellow comrade’s injuries, but luckily no deaths. They were awaiting Amy and Tara to arrive to disperse of the mess without having to find places to bury the bodies, or Xander having to pull out his trusty nail gun.
Angel was the first to notice the absence of Willow. “Where is she?” Before anyone could ask who he was talking about, Angel tore up the stairs with all his vampiric speed, coming to the bathroom that had a little girl that smelt a great deal like her mother, but was not her. He noticed the little figure was drawn in within her, sobbing into her drawn knees, and felt his heart break. There was something different about her that he couldn’t place. He started to approach the little girl, when she looked up in game face. She was a beautiful child, and was clearly turned before they could get to her. Angel couldn’t have been more forlorn, he had not been there for the woman he loved, to protect her, and he had not been able to protect her child. Willow would be suicidal when she found out.
Angel stood there in a trance not knowing what to do with the little girl, only shook out of his stupor when he was pushed out the way with slayer power. Buffy ran to the girl and took her in her arms. Angie’s legs surrounded the slayer’s waist, and her arms rapped around the blonde’s neck.
“Be careful, she’s been turned.” Angel cried out not wanting his ex-girlfriend hurt.
Buffy and the rest of the household’s occupants who knew what was going on rolled their eyes at his concern. Buffy gave Angie to Dawn when she walked in and asked her to take her to the room that used to belong to Buffy’s mom, but was currently unoccupied, and also the only one in the house not torn apart.
Too distracted by watching Dawn taking the small vampire out of the room, Angel didn’t notice the Slayer approach him until he felt the sting from her hand slapping him across the face.
“That’s for what you did too Willow.” She raised her hand again, but was cut off by a growl and a hand catching her wrist.
“Don’t slap me again slayer!” Angel growled warningly. “Now tell me what is going on, before I tear this town apart looking for Willow.”
Buffy, finally remembering what happened to her best friend, yanked her arm from Angel’s grasp and felt tears beginning to swell in her eyes decided that despite timing, it was time to get confessional with Angel, because someone needed to help them protect Angie.
Not wanting Angie’s sensitive hearing to pick up their conversation they decided to take the meeting downstairs, but not before Angel found out of one thing. “Where is she?!” He said with enough force to send various members of the Scooby Gang and the Fang Gang running for the stairs.
“She’s gone; they captured her, I can only assume that Willow decided to protect Angie instead of herself, but I can’t be sure. She psychically asked me to protect Angie on her way out the door, but was cut off on her way out. I’m not sure what happened.” Angel’s face had morphed at this point, but before he could run for the staircase to the street, Buffy caught his arm. “If they had intended to kill her, they would already have done so…we’ll find her.” Angel nodded, his game face still in place, but decided he needed more answers before he would be able to find Willow.
*******
The living area was crowded, but wasn’t torn apart any longer, since Amy and Tara got there, and there was no trace of the demons, or their viscera laying around, added bonus. Angel walked in and frowned not for sure that he wanted to have this talk with his or Buffy’s crews in the room, but given his behavior lately he didn’t figure he had much of a choice; so he decided to take it out on his grand-childe. He approached the bleached wonder who was taking up an armchair, with his feet propped up on a coffee table. Angel hit the back of Spike’s head with the palm of his hand.
“Hey-“ Spike got up growling.
“Put it out boy and get up so a lady can sit, have I taught you nothing?!” Angel growled at his sire.
“By what I’ve heard today ‘sire’, you’re actions toward a lady, would constitute jail time.” Spike had barely gotten the words out before a fist connected with his jaw.
Faith got between the two vampires, “break it up boys, we have bigger fish to fry than who has the biggest weavos. So sit down and shut up!” Faith turned and went back to her and Wesley’s corner. He encircled her waist without even a smirk, which must have been an effort, because she could see it in his eyes.
*******
Angel stood there with his head down staring at the ground knowing what Spike had put in his tactless way was true. He went into brood mode, remembering the time he had made love – no, raped Willow, when all she had done was pull him out of—that’s it…Willow pulled me out of hell. I remember now. Angel knew that if he could love Willow any more he would, but it was impossible, he loved her with every thing he had and he would show her that with every day he had left on this earth.
Everyone settled, so Buffy decided to take the initiative, inviting Cordelia to help, but Cordy was willing to give up the floor in this case. Buffy gave her a look that cried out ‘Chicken!’, but the brunette seer ignored it.
“Angel…everyone…Willow has been taken.” Buffy stopped waiting for anything, but everyone knew it was going to get worse; it always did, so they stayed quiet. “Willow has a daughter who is very special, and comes from two special people.” Everyone looked at the blonde confused, it sounded like she was talking to five year olds about a new step parent.
“Get on with it Slayer. I want to get home to my wifey, we’re slated to shag in 30 minutes.” Spike said, bored, but his interest was peaked at the ongoing developments involving the red head.
Everyone rolled their eyes, but their interest was set on Buffy. “Angelina…Angie, as she likes to be called, is the daughter of Willow and…Angel.” Buffy trailed off nearly to a whisper by the end of the sentence, but the two vampires and the other slayer caught it with their enhanced hearing.
“No!” Angel said, but he knew it was the truth. He had known when he saw her that she was his. “It’s impossible. Vampires can’t have children.” Well 150 years ago he would have said vampires can’t have souls either. “How?”
Xander spoke up for the first time, clearly angry, “well we all know how, because you raped her…she had no choice. She had to run away from her friends, because of you! And now, she has been kidnapped, also, because of you! Angel…I swear to you, if we don’t get Willow back alive I will burry a stake in your undead heart, and if you hurt, physically or emotionally, that little girl upstairs than I will stake you on pure principle.” Angel had tears streaming down his face, but at the mention of his daughter, he tore up the stairs at lightning fast speed. Needing to know she was okay and protected.
This time when he reached the room that had belonged to Joyce he was scared, scared his daughter would not like him, scared that she would be scared of him. He had so many questions. ‘Could she walk in the sun? Could she eat human food? Was she capable of loving a human?’ He certainly hoped so; he wouldn’t wish to deprive anyone of these things, let alone this innocent child.
He walked into the room stealthily, so he wouldn’t upset…Angelina…huh, I wonder why she named her after me, since I caused her so much pain. Angel noticed her sleeping figure on the bed, her knees against her chest, and her arms holding them close…she looks so much like Willow. Dawn was sitting next to her running her hands through the girl’s hair long red hair. When the young Key noticed the brooding vampire she stood up so that the father would be able to sit next to his sleeping daughter. She gave him a tiny nervous smile, and left, making her way through the growing crowd outside of the room. Everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of this ‘miracle’ child or to protect the child from the ‘monster’. Angel didn’t care which as long as he could hold her and assure himself that she is real. Angel sat down on the bed, back resting on the headboard, and brought his legs up onto the bed, stretched out in front of him.
He stared at the sleeping figure, he thought she was sleeping, he wasn’t quite sure, because her breathing wasn’t like normal humans, obviously she had to breath at times, but not all the time. Her heart beat, a little faster than the norm, was normal. He brought his cool hand to her thick hair, and swept his hair through the baby soft strands, just wanting to feel. She was definitely there, he wanted to bring her to him, hold her, like he would a baby, but she would probably not appreciate a strange man holding her. So instead he just lay there with the sleeping child not wanting to move, but knowing that he had to find her mom, and make them a whole family. He would tear apart all of California to find her if need be, and he knew of a good place to start.
********
Willow, closed her eyes as soon as she lost sight of her daughter, not wanting to see the ground go up and down as the demon carried her out of the house. She opened her eyes after he finished descending the stair case and noticed the ongoing battle within the house, knowing it was hopeless. She saw Buffy try to break away, and decided to give her a message psychically, she just didn’t know if she could do it in her weakened state. She had to call on a goddess for help, something she hadn’t had to do in years, but it worked.
‘Buffy, I don’t have much time left to talk, and I know you’re busy. This is hard for me, I promised Angie I would always be there to protect her, but I had to sacrifice myself to protect her. Please protect her, and love her, and remind her as she grows how much I loved her. Tell her I will watch over her, even if I’m not there physically.’ At this point she could not go any further breaking the connection hoping Buffy got the message.
Before the red head could think of her next action she was shoved into the bench seat of a dark van sitting out in front of the Summer’s home. A suit was in the seat, obviously amused by the look of disdain on her face. He was a pretty boy, with brownish/blonde hair, longer than should normally be acceptable in the business world, but very attractive, and baby blue eyes, in a power suit that probably cost more than all the clothes she had ever had. Before she could say a word, Willow felt the stick of a needle in her neck and a cool feeling rushing through her veins. Her vision became blurry, but she heard the man say to the driver that it was time to go, and then everything went black.
Lindsey McDonald looked down into the sweet innocent face of Willow Rosenberg and knew that he would give up this double agent act to get her out of harms way, but he first needed to know what Wolfram and Hart had planned for her. They still didn’t trust him and for good reason, but they were more than willing to give him his job back, as long as he didn’t mind Lilah Morgan being his boss. This is how he would earn his redemption, by saving this fragile girl from these monsters that call themselves lawyers. He had looked over Willow’s file the last few days and found himself drawn to the red head, she was beautiful and obviously very intelligent, and a dangerous mixture in Lindsey’s opinion, being that was the type of woman that tended to be his downfall. Lindsey touch her pale cheek making sure she was not affected too much by the serum that Wolfram and Hart had concocted to block her magic, and weaken her. She was cool to the touch, but her vitals appeared to be normal according to the physician in the back of the van.
Wolfram and Hart had told them that Willow was not to be hurt, instead protected, but he was sure that he could not trust them. So he would have to make sure that they kept that promise.
*******
Willow opened her eyes blearily, bringing her hand up to her eyes to block the blaring sun that shined in her eyes. She turned over, closing her eyes and wondered why Angie hadn’t been in to wake her up yet; she was usually an early riser, despite have a ‘creature of the night’ for a father. Angel…oh no! Willow’s eyes popped open noticing that nothing looked familiar, she appeared to be in a very upscale apartment. There was minimal decoration, and from what she could observe, from the bed, it could be either a man or a woman’s room, nothing indicating either way.
Willow got up, and clutched her head, trying to remember what happened last night. She tried reaching for her magic to get rid of the headache, but there was something blocking it. It drove her nuts, because she could feel it, almost touch it, but could not use it. Something is wrong.
The red head went to what she thought was the door to the hallway, but when it wouldn’t open she deemed that she must be right, and started pounding on the door, while yelling for help. Nobody answered immediately, but she didn’t care, she would continue to do this until she knew her daughter was safe.
Willow’s voice began to crack and die as she continued to scream and pound. A feeling of helplessness passed over Willow that she hadn’t felt since her first two years with the Scooby gang. She stopped pounding on the door and turned around to face the room, it was clearly a sky scraper so no breaking the window to escape.
Willow slid to the floor against the door, as the memories of last nights events came back to haunt her, tears pouring down her face, at the thought, of how scared Angie must be at that moment. Willow wiped away her tears, ‘I’m not going to give up!’ she screamed to herself. Suddenly the door was pulled open, and the next thing Willow knew she was lying on her back staring up at those pretty blues from last night.
The ‘studly’ stepped over her still figure and offered her a hand, but Willow refused to accept any help from her kidnapper. The Wicca sat up and assessed her chances of hitting him over the head and running out the door to safety.
“Forget it; even if you could somehow manage to knock me out, there is a guard outside your room and one by the elevator and the staircase; not to mention this is a very high security building.” The pretty boy said with a knowing grin on his face. Willow’s face sunk, defeated again.
She saw a hand in front of her face again, but this time she noticed a scar surrounding the wrist area, and it made her curious. “What happened to your wrist?” She asked curiously.
Lindsey let out a small laugh, she was so cute, sitting there enquiring about his wrist, yet clearly still plotting something. “That my dear…is a long story.” He stopped clearly in thought.
“So why am I here? And why am I in this apartment instead of a…dungeon, or a jail. Because that is the kind of accommodations that prisoners tend to…” Lindsey cut her off mid-babble, amused, but not wanting to scare her more than necessary.
“Miss Rosenberg…may I call you Willow?” The man had still not introduced himself, but yet he could use her first name, ‘I think not’; Willow raised an eyebrow and she smirked, indicating that would be anything but okay.
Lindsey shivered not liking the look that could be reminiscent of any master vampire he had ever met that knew something you didn’t. “Okay, Miss Rosenberg, my name is Lindsey McDonald, and this meeting is being set up courtesy of Wolfram and Hart.” He expected some recognition from this world renowned witch, but there was none on that blank face. If he had been the old Lindsey this would have been the perfect opportunity to reel her in, but that was not his intention. “Well we are a huge law firm in Los Angeles, CA, that represents Vampires, Demons, and any other creature of questionable origin that may need representation.” Lindsey looked at her expectantly, expecting a negative reaction to her statement. His look told her so.
“So, you are saying you represent all of these creatures good or bad?” Willow asked. Lindsey nodded his head dumbfounded; this redhead was continuously throwing him for loops. “Well that’s good because you know equal representation, and all that.” At his shocked look she defended herself. “Well there are attorney’s out there that represent murderers daily, getting them off on any little technicality, it’s the system, some people that are freed are innocent, some not, but there has to be some system so that person guilty or not deserves a chance. Just like there are murdering and innocent humans in the world, there are murdering and innocent demons as well; so I guess they deserve the same treatment.” Lindsey had never met a girl like Willow Rosenberg before, but he liked her.
Lindsey shook his head out of his thoughts, not wanting to get more distracted. “Okay, well we’ve brought you here...” he revised before she could interrupt “kidnapped you for several reasons. We know you mated with a vampire, had his child, and you both have acquired abilities that you shouldn’t have, plus you shouldn’t have been able to have a child with a demon at all.” Lindsey stopped waiting for confirmation or denial, she gave neither. “There are prophecies on you, the father and the child that Wolfram and Hart do not want to see come to fruition, and to do that we must keep you both separated from the father. We don’t know who the father is, and we doubt you’ll give it up willingly, but let me remind you there are ways to find out that are very…uncomfortable...” Before she could speak up he went on. “If you give up the father and we can ensure your removal from his vicinity than we will let you go home. End of story.”
Willow couldn’t help but giggle at the dramatic irony of this situation. If they had never come after her in Dublin she would still be there, but no, whether they know it or not, they are the reason we have come back into contact with Angel.
Lindsey took her hand something was in his hand, but he demanded her attention with his eyes, and then he leaned over and pretended to kiss her cheek, but whispered into her ear. “Do not read that until you are in the bathroom.” He pulled back, shivering at the skin to skin contact that they had endured. “We’ll be waiting on your decision, Miss Rosenberg, tomorrow morning.” He winked at her and left. Willow figured there must be cameras about explaining his weird behavior, so she roamed around a bit, before heading to the bathroom where she turned on the bath water. She couldn’t risk microphones hearing the sound of paper.
‘Do not be alarmed, I am a double agent within the company who learned the hard way that despite what this company represents, they are looking to do harm to this world. I’m trying to get you out of this with the least amount of pain possible. So I need you to give me the name of any vampire that could have fathered the baby, preferably not the real one, because it may cause the death’s of thousands of lives if you do. I will do my best to get you out of here tomorrow. The firm doesn’t really want to incur the slayer’s wrath, so just play along, and you’ll be gone by tomorrow.’
Yours,
Lindsey
‘Hmm, that’s curious. I wonder what he meant by “Yours”, oh well, I’m going to take a nice long bath, and get a good nights rest. It looks like I have a story to make up for tomorrow morning, and I always do my best thinking in the bathtub’.
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