Author: Alice K

Parts: Prologue-3

E-Mail: ayk@chickmail.com

Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel & Co. belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, UPN and the WB Network. No copyright infringement intended.

Rating: PG

Summary: Willow confronts her destiny. Wackiness ensues. Status: Incomplete

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~Prologue~

Late January, 1998

Carefully lighting the last candle, Janna Calendash, otherwise known as Jenny, looked over at her two companions. One, an elder man that was now in the process of taking off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose. The other, a rather attractive redhead underneath loose clothes that was reading a computer printout.

The man moved across the library floor to lightly tap the computer teacher¡¦s shoulder. She hoped he was going to say good luck. However, he had other things on his mind.

"Do you think it's wise to include Willow in this spell?¨

"Cursing a demon with a soul is hard. We need three people to make it work, Rupert. And you're the one that chose not to tell anybody else.¨

"I know, but she may get hurt. She's not a witch and inexperienced.¨

Jenny slipped out of the conversation by excusing herself to the computer lab to retrieve the Orb of Thessula. She didn't want to lie to him, but thought it would be better not to tell him of the power rolling off of the young teenager.

As she padded back across the library to her companions with the orb in her hands, she saw that Giles was back in his office and reading the spell. Jenny started when she saw Willow make the last preparation for the ritual. It was perfect and the set-up was much more intricate than she had instructed.

"Amazing.¨ She said, and thought "Just like an experienced mage!"

Willow looked up from her work to see Jenny standing next to the table. Being so absorbed in preparing, she failed to hear her mentor move next to her.

"I hope you don't mind, but I added a few things.¨ Willow paused and her face scrunched up in confusion. "The ideas just . . . sprung up.¨

Hastening to reassure her, Jenny complimented her instincts. Their conservation was interrupted when Giles appeared in the doorway of his office.

"Are we ready?¨ Giles asked this with a tone of resignation and caution.

"Yes, ready to start.¨

Willow yelped with excitement as she gathered the printout with the spell on it.

The three moved to their spots as Jenny started to chant in her native tongue of Romanian. Continuing the chant, but in a lower volume, she passed the printout to Giles and he started in a Latin translation of what Jenny said. He too lowered his voice after the first verse was said, and passed the pieces of paper to Willow. Chanting in English until something happened that amazed them all.

After finishing the first verse in English, her eyes glowed, showing off her green eyes. The spell became more complicated as Willow was bathed in a golden light. Thousands of voices, Willow's voices, chanted the spell. However, each single voice spoke a different language. Latin, Greek, Romanian, English . Both ancient and modern with others that were long forgotten.

¡§What¡¦s happening?¡¨ Giles spoke to Jenny, but his eyes were on the lightshow unfolding before them.

"I . . . I don't know. This has never happened before.¨ Jenny said this in an awed voice, as if wanting to show reverence to the being before them.

During this interaction, all the candles had extinguished except for three that made a triangle surrounding them. The Orb of Thessula glowed as its light was also extinguished.

An exhausted Willow lay in the center sleeping. Changes in her appearance could easily be seen. With a draft from the wing, and the candlelight dancing in her hair, it looked like a roaring fire. As her eyelids fluttered, and she carefully opened her eyes, you could see the iris of her eyes had lightened to a light shade of green. She only asked one question before she slipped back to her deep sleep.

"Did it work?¨

***

Across the town of Sunnydale, Beth Rosenburg woke from her sleep, and turning to her husband, woke him from his slumber.

"What is it?¨ Ira asked sleepily.

Beth replied with a sad smile on her face.

"She's started it.¨ Quoting from a prophecy that she had known about ever since she'd born Willow and moved to the Hellmouth,

"She shall come to bathed in a sea of light.
She from the light and he from the darkness
Will combine in her coming.
Superior to all others,
The Angelic Watcher with her consort of darkness
Shall be Immortal to lead the battle
Saving mankind.¨

~Part: 1~

Late June, 1998

As she walked in the library, Xander and Buffy looked up from their research to see if it was an intruder. Seeing only Willow, they went back to the dusty books. It was after school so there wasn't anybody else there. Giles was in another teacher meeting with Ms. Calendar.

The tension between everybody and Jenny finally left when she and Willow cursed Angel again with a new spell that wouldn't break. That was when she truly felt her power.

Unfortunately for Angel and Buffy, the appearance of the evil Angel even for a moment, broke their relationship. Buffy couldn't face him with what had happened, while he didn't want to risk hurting her. They ended their relationship mutually. And if there was a chance of them ever getting together again, it was destroyed when the claddaugh ring was returned.

Their feelings for each other diminished somewhat. They were still uncomfortable with each other, but they were now good friends and everybody forgave Angel. Xander was the last one in the group to give up his feelings of hatred towards Angel, but the became part of the past when he and Buffy started dating.

That part was also a touchy subject, the Slayer had made sure that Willow was okay with the idea, which she was. After Oz came, she finally recognized that her feelings for Xander were only a deep love for him as a brother.

It was now the day before graduation for seniors. Oz wasn't sure a long-distance relationship would work since he was going to a music conservatory in Boston, so he had broken up with Willow the month before. It was a hard blow to her state of being, after everything else that had occurred, though she was still getting over it, she could see that Oz was right, and she hoped they could remain friends.

Right after Angel was re-cursed, Cordelia¡¦s parents finally took notice of the extremely high crime-rate in Sunnydale, and moved, with Cordelia in tow, to northern California.

Everything had changed, relationships were broken and new ones formed. However, that wasn't the most distressing part. When Giles, Jenny, and her parents confronted her after the spell on Angel about her ancestry and participation in an ancient prophecy, that was when she broke.

Willow threw herself in her schoolwork, as if she could forget herself in the work. She started to shy away from everybody, except Angel. She spent more time with him, listening to him. Though he was reserved at first, he soon let go of himself in Willow's patience and understanding.

She never told him about her destiny. He could tell she was hiding something, but never pushed the subject. It was a few weeks after the first talk when she realized she was falling for him. Not wanting another rejection, she went to Giles and agreed to her destiny, but only as a way to get out of Sunnydale.

"Hey Willow, what are you thinking about." Xander asked as he interrupted her thoughts.

"Just lost in thoughts." she replied half-absently. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but was cut-off by the return of Giles and Jenny.

"Ah, I see we're all here." Giles said.

"Of course, what else is there to do on a Friday after school other than read up old prophecies on the end of life as we know it."

If Xander was waiting for a reply, he didn't get it because Giles just went to the stack of prophecies and began leafing through them while Jenny started up the computer.

"I'm glad you're so enthusiastic because with Oz and Cordelia leaving it'll only be us researching now."

"Great, one of the ups of living on a Hellmouth. I can't wait to be reading about my death while the ungrateful people I'm saving are spending time on their tans during the summer."

"Oh, well I'm sure I'll be able to think of something we could do together Buff'." was Xander's reply to Buffy's sarcastic comment.

Willow felt like choking. She must have made a sound because Xander suddenly turned to her and said:

"Well, how 'bout it Will, just us. We're the Three Musketeers again." She didn't want to ruin his mood, but figured that now would be as good a time as any to break the news to her two best friends.

"Actually, it'll only be the two of you. Oz and Cordelia aren't going to by the only two leaving."

There was a sharp intake of breath after she said that. Giles and Jenny already knew, since they were the ones that helped Willow plan. Therefore, they as well as Willow were looking at Buffy and Xander for a reaction. Buffy was the first to speak.

"Where are you going Will?"

"England. Oxford. I've had an early acceptance because of my academic records. I plan on helping the Watcher Council based there."

It was the truth, just not everything. She just chose to not tell the parts of how she was following her destiny, and how she would not just be helping, but more along the lines of running the Council.

"I'll be leaving a week after school ends."

Willow stood waiting for more questions. However, she wasn't ready for Xander's outburst.

"No! You can't go. You have to stay here. Help Buffy save the world. You're Net Girl. We need you." He turned sharply to Giles and Jenny who were standing next to the computer and pointed a finger accusingly at them. "You helped her do this, didn't you! I can't believe you're just going to let her go!" With that, he turned and sped out the library doors.

Willow watched him leave and thought about running after him, but dismissed that notion when she remembered the races they held when they were younger. Her thoughts faded when she felt someone touch her shoulder. Turning her head, she saw Buffy. The Slayer's eyes were shiny.

"Don't worry Willow, he's going to be fine. Give it time. He'll turn around by the time you leave. Congratulations!" Her voice was a bit shaky and a higher pitch, but confident. "Look at the time. I promised my mom we were going to do a whole mother-daughter bonding thing. Let's talk later, ok?"

Buffy didn't wait for Willow's answer as she followed her boyfriend out. Not wanting the three to see the tears that fell while she ran from the school.

~Part: 2~

The day after Willow leaves . . .

Angel woke from his dream with a start. The vampire was so scared that he was breathing rapidly and unnecessarily. Putting his head in his hands, he felt his whole body shake with uncontrolled rage and a deep sense of helplessness. It was a nightmare.

He remembered every detail about it, every smell, every sound. Held in a dungeon of some sort. Though he wasn't the one held there, just looking at the body that's wrists and ankles were held by chains angered and saddened him to no extent. It was Willow. His Willow. And she was a prisoner.

***

Her clothes were mere rags that did little to cover her extensive injuries. Cuts were seen everywhere on her body, blood sinking through the material that covered her. He did not feel the need for her blood; her presence seemed to quench his hunger. Bruises covered her face, and she seemed barely conscious.

He walked towards her, but felt as if he were on a treadmill, never moving closer. His nonexistent breath was held when she looked up at him. Her eyes were drooped showing her losing battle against unconsciousness.

"Angel . . . he'll . . . come back soon. Go." Willow lost the fight as unconsciousness filled her. A sanctuary from the pain.

"No . . ." Angel tried to tell her that he would find a way to help. That he would never leave her. Then he woke up.

***

Looking at the window of his apartment, he saw sunlight fall on the heavy curtains that covered it. It was still mid-afternoon, too early to go out.

Lying back down on his bed, he thought of the nightmare. Could it have been prophetic? Yet, why would anyone want to hurt such a sweet person as Willow? Angel shook off the thought of the dream meaning anything, as he figured that it was caused by Willow moving to England.

It wouldn't do any good to scare Giles and everybody else. He knew everyone had taken her decision hard, even Giles and Jenny, though they helped her plan. However, he took it hardest. She was the one that had accepted him. She had talked to him when everyone shied away, consoled him when he and Buffy broke up. She was his friend, his world. His love.

Trying to shake off the dream as sadness at her leaving, Angel stood up from his bed. Yet, as he walked towards his bathroom door, he felt an ominous foreboding deep within him.

He could take the sewers to the school.

***

"What do you mean she's been kidnapped?" Giles yelled.

The librarian was next to his table while Jenny sat in shock on the couch in his office. Though the door was closed, Giles' voice could be heard arguing with the voice on the other end of the phone in the library. Buffy and Xander, who had just walked in the library, sat down in the library seats, listening to Giles.

"She's been kidnapped. Yesterday, right after she got out of the plane."

"Yesterday! And you tell me now?" Giles was still yelling, but he didn't seem to notice.

"We didn't want to worry you. Unfortunately, we haven't found her yet. Since Willow's inexperienced with her powers, she won't put up much of a fight." The voice on the other end sounded sad and tired.

"Who took her? Tell me god damn it!" The other Watcher paused before replying.

"You remember Lothos?"

"Of course, Buffy killed him back in LA."

"We believe Willow was taken by one of his pupils . . . Menphry."

Giles abruptly hung up. Jenny looked on questioningly. Looking out the window towards the library, he saw Buffy and Xander looking at him with unreadable faces. What further surprised him was when Angel stepped out, scaring them all.

"I really wish you wouldn't do that." Giles' voice sounded exasperated. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Yeah dead-boy." Whatever else Xander was going to say was cut-off when everybody glared at him.

"Couldn't sleep." Angel sounded uncertain. "I heard part of your conversation. What happened?"

"Yeah Giles, what about me killing Lothos?"

"A . . . a Watcher friend of mine has been kidnapped." He didn't stutter through, just unsure of how to reveal this information and just how much he should tell. "As for the second question," he looked at Jenny; she was apprehensive and curious. She knew just which watcher friend he was referring to. "she was captured by one of the vampire king's children."

"Will, then your friend isn't in as bad hands. I remember Lothos' head childe. He wasn't that bad."

"Unfortunately, it's worse. Menphry likes to torture, not kill his victims. In fact . . . he was so bad, Lothos turned away from him once he heard of his activities."

There was a stunned silence. Broken only by a strangled cry from Jenny. Giles moved to console her.

"There will be no training today Buffy. You don't have to go to patrols either. However, if anything happens, you can find Jenny and I at my house waiting for more information." With that, they walked out of the room, with only startled silence following them.

It was after sunset when the two teenagers and a vampire moved through the streets to Giles' house. Angel's voice could be heard pleading with the other two.

"Are you sure we should go there? He seems like he wants to be alone."

"Please, Giles let me off of training and patrolling. He needs company."

"Buffy's right. G-man's in obvious need of adolescent squabbling."

Xander's quip was said without a reply as they stood in front of Giles¡¦ house. Buffy knocked on the wooden door and was greeted with the sight of a red-eyed Giles; he motioned them in quickly without word. Inside, they could see Jenny in similar condition drinking tea. Xander broke the silence with a simple question.

"Any word?"

"No, not yet." was the only reply from Jenny.

"Is that good or bad?"

"It depends on your perspective. No word could mean he's still torturing her and word could mean . . . she's dead." Giles spoke this with grim understanding of what's to happen. He was also saddened by how he was to tell the three close friends that it was Willow they were talking about.

The phone rang.

Giles spared a glance at Jenny and felt something tighten in his chest. Picking up the phone, he said a small hello. The voice on the other end was too small for even vampire and slayer hearing, so only Giles knew what was said.

"Rupert, good news, she's alive and we have her."

Turning from the receiver in his hand, he told the assembled group the news, however, that was the only good news they had.

"Rupert, still with me?" With a sound from Giles that sounded like a yes, he went on. "Unfortunately, she's been seriously injured . . ." The watcher on the other end went through the list for a few minutes. The group surrounding Giles was wondering what was wrong. Continuing, "If she weren't an Immortal Rupert, her injuries would have left her dead long ago despite Menphry's precaution."

Silently, Giles thought of what to tell the group. He was boiling with turmoil. When the man of the other end finally finished, Giles was finally able to put a word in.

"I'll leave on the first flight with Jenny."

"No!" The force of the words shocked Giles.

"Why the bloody hell not? If she's in pain, we should be there to help."

"Before she slipped into unconsciousness, she was able to tell us two things. One, she managed to kill Menphry. Two, she specifically said not to let anybody from Sunnydale see her like this."

Though Giles wanted to fly back, he wished to honor Willow's request.

"About the other thing Rupert, she's in really bad shape, and to be able to kill Menphry like that? She's powerful, probably able to demolish a heavily populated city easily. The only effect of her fight with Menphry was extreme fatigue."

Taking this information in, Giles asked about Willow's mental condition.

"I don't know how she was back in Sunnydale, but . . . she's different. Being a captive of Menphry's can be bad both physically and mentally. Taking into account the physical condition she's in, I'd say she took the brunt of the attack in her mind. She's cold in her responses and she acts like she doesn't care about anything anymore. Don't expect her to act the same."

~Part: 3~

1 year later . . .

Late June, 1999

Willow breathed in the smell of Sunnydale in the summer. The town hadn't changed much since she left last year.

The 18 year-old looked more mature and sophisticated than her age hinted. She had aged both emotionally and physically. Now wearing a deep burgundy form-fitting dress that fell just below her knees, she showed the curves and confidence the old Willow lacked.

She had just driven from LA after a night of rest in a hotel near the airport. The flight from England was long and tiring, so the sleep helped energize her.

With the diminishing sunlight, she got out of the Benz she had bought the day before and was now parked in front of her old and vacated house. Her parents had moved to Boston when she decided to leave for England. Looking up at the house, memories washed over her, both good and bad.

Smoothing out her dress, she began the work of moving her large amounts of luggage. The tedious work allowed her to concentrate on something other than her growing uneasiness.

She was worried about seeing them after such a long time away. Though the three best friends wanted to keep up with the friendship, their duties gave them little time to think of anything else. The few letters to each other in every month or so only said that they missed each other and were in good health.

Briefly, Willow remembered how distraught Xander was at hearing her plans to leave. However, with a little help from Buffy, the two were able to see each other off on good terms. Oz and Cordelia were informed a little after and both expressed their good wishes for the trip. Angel was understandably upset; the two had grown close the weeks before she left.

Willow sighed at the last thought. That was one of the things that helped her decide to leave. It was in those weeks that Willow found herself falling in love with him. Though Angel did not let on how Buffy and Xander¡¦s relationship affected him, Willow suspected that he still had a deep felt love for Buffy in his heart, and always would. Not wanting to feel the pain of rejection again, having already experienced it when Xander did not return her feelings and Oz broke up with her, she left.

Angel and Jenny Calendar were the only two she really wrote to regularly. With Angel, she would write of Oxford and mundane topics. With Jenny, she could talk of the heavy burden of her destiny. In the whole Sunnydale group, only Jenny and Giles knew of it.

Once again, Willow sighed when she entered the house with her luggage. However, this sigh was directed at the dust that covered the furniture and walls. 'Time for cleaning'. With that thought in mind, she trudged up the stairs to her old bedroom and set the luggage next to the nightstand gingerly.

The first thing she did was unpacking her various suitcases. Setting aside a spell-book, she thought of the purpose of bringing it. Continuing the work, she found herself working off most of the afternoon. Thinking of how she should call Jenny or Giles to tell them she arrived safely, she covered her bed with the sheets and other necessities. Not bothering to change, she let the exhaustion and worry that was held inside for days take over and fell into a peaceful sleep in mid-afternoon with one thought uppermost in her mind. 'Home, sweet home.'

***

Willow woke up from her dream, her flesh clammy and her heart as heavy as stone. In her nightmare which, though she was fully awake, seemed as vivid as though she was dreaming it again. She remembered the shock as her dream showed Buffy and Xander pointing at her, accusing her of leaving them alone in the world. After they had faded away, Angel had materialized; telling her that no one would ever love the shy mouse.

Pulling the blanket back, Willow stifled a sob before it managed to leave her throat. The people in the council may have thought her unfeeling of emotions, but her household knew better. When left alone in the quiet confines of her room, all the day¡¦s pent up emotions would spring from the boxes stacked in her mind, sweeping her into a sea of misery.

After a moment of reflection passed her, Willow moved to the shower so as to wash off the day's dirt. She hoped that the water was working, Giles had promised he would handle it, but she had arrived a day earlier than originally planned.

Luckily, the water had started running after she turned the nozzle. Willow could have easily used her magic to do so, but preferred to do things as a normal person would, without the supernatural effects.

The shower soothed her after an anxiety-filled day. Stepping out of the small stall, she dried herself off and walked skyclad to her room. Picking up the receiver of the phone, she was glad to hear the line still worked. It was a Friday night, but she knew Giles would still be at the library researching along with Jenny.

The redhead dialed the number as if she did so everyday. It was a safe haven for her as a teenager. A place to escape.

She could hear the cranky and mumbled hello from Giles' voice. It had been so long, that she started to giggle. The watcher was suddenly alert, that voice, he had heard it before.

"Willow! You're back, where are you?!" Willow held the phone away from her and desperately hoped he was the only one there. Her hopes were dashed when she heard a squeal on the other end and a woman snatch the phone from Giles' hands.

"Willow, is that you? You're home early! Oh, I've missed you so much." The happiness in Jenny's voice was a welcome relief to her and she released a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"Yes, I'm home at my old house right now. I stayed in LA last night."

"Do you need any help settling in?"

"No, don't worry about it. When do you think I should surprise the rest of the Scooby Gang?"

"Well, they're at the Bronze right now. Giles is saying how she's lacking in responsibility."

Willow couldn't help but laugh. Even though a year had already passed, the Slayer would always be the same. Too bad the same couldn't be said for her.

"Willow, you still there?" It was Giles. The Hellmouth had made the watcher weary during the past three years.

"Yes, I'm still here. Maybe I'll go the Bronze and lurk in the shadows."

"Um, okay. If you choose to do so. Maybe you could come to the library tomorrow? It'll be a Saturday, so there won't be too many people around. Everybody will be so surprised to see you."

"Well, I couldn't very well not see my best friends graduate could I? At least I'll be able to see how they've been doing since I've left. I'll even go by the cemetery to see how the vampires are doing."

"Um, what? Cemetery? Oh, of course. If you want." The redhead smirked and was glad that Giles wasn't there to see it. She would always be the shy little mouse to this person, thankfully Jenny would be more understanding.

"See you tomorrow then." Willow hung up after hearing Giles' stuttered reply. Not many things changed, except for her.

Changing into a pair of fashionable tight-fitting black pants and a maroon spaghetti strap tank top, something which the old Willow would have never considered wearing, Willow pulled her shoulder-length red hair up in a butterfly clip, letting the loose pieces fall where they wanted to, and set off from her house towards the Bronze.

How many teenagers there were oblivious to the creatures that stalked the night for prey, how many would die walking home tonight? Shaking her head, Willow tried to erase those thoughts out of her mind. Ever since becoming involved in the supernatural business, she tried not to care too much, but she did. Damn her parents for making her such a kind person.

Not wanting anybody to notice her, Willow sneaked into the club and hid in the shadows. She had become quite good at that over the past year, she could probably give Angel lessons on lurking.

They were easy to spot. Being a Slayer, she gave off a vibe that all Watchers were able to pick up, Willow included. Xander was dancing. If you could call it that. Both looked good, not changing that much in physical appearance.

She gasped when Buffy turned, staring at where Willow hid. Though she knew nobody could see her, Willow still sped out of the club in a hurry. Nobody noticed.

Not knowing where else to go, the redhead found herself walking towards the cemetery. Before, she and Xander would often accompany Buffy on her patrols before heading towards the Bronze. Yet again, things had changed.

Willow didn't have to wait long when two ghastly looking vampires emerged from the surrounding trees and charged at her. Easily sidestepping them, she staked one and turned to face the other. It was already discouraged to find his partner staked, but hungry. Both ran at each other, but the fight was over in moments.

Dusting the vampire ash off of her attire, Willow felt herself being watched and turned around to face the next challenger. Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened when she saw the person watching her.

Angel.

Before she was able to say anything, the vampire had already crossed the distance between them and enveloped her in a gigantic hug that would have crushed anybody human. None said a word while Angel held her. Willow could feel his blood tears on her cheek while his arms were tight around her. Angel said only one word before a strangled sob broke through his lips.

"Willow."

Willow relaxed in his embrace, enjoying the fact that, for once in a long time, she felt truly special.

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