Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, they are property of Joss
Summary: Angel checks on Willow after the incident in the boiler room
Couple: A/W (friendship, maybe a little more)
Spoilers: follows the invisible girl ep.
Category: drama
Rating: pg-13 to be safe
Comments: here I take liberties because of my fondness for this pairing. I hope to have more along this storyline. I love to get mail so if you read this and you like it or hate it please write me.
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She dropped her book bag on her desk and turned on her computer. She pulled off her school clothes as her computer booted up. Today had been a really long day. What was she thinking all her days now were long days, now that Buffy was here. She paused after she slipped on her light brown checked pajama bottoms (her favorite pair) to connect to the Internet. They had fought that invisible girl today all to save the selfish Cordelia. The fact was she identified with Marcie Ross. She often felt invisible. She glanced at the photo on her desk of her and Xander. Taking a sigh she slid on the white A shirt. She heard a small chime from her computer signaling she had mail. She pulled the pigtails down and grabbed her brush and sat at the desk clicking the little icon. The mail was from her parents in Bangkok, they were going to stay another month. More money had been put into her account for necessities and the only words of love was the love Mom and Dad at the bottom of the message. As Willow pulled the brush through her long red hair she fought back the tears that threatened, yea she knew what Marcie was going through.
There was a knock on her balcony doors making her jump. "Hello?" She said cautiously knowing to be wary.
"It's me Angel." She opened to find the dark vampire staring at her.
"Angel? What's wrong? Is it Buffy?"
"Huh? Oh no, I wanted to see if you were ok." His chocolate eyes boring into her green ones with worry.
"Why wouldn't I. OH the gas.. yeah, I'm ok throat hurts a little but I'm ok." She moved back to the desk and picked up the brush again running it through her hair. Her head hurt when she wore pigtails. She hated her hair down it made her look like a slob she thought. "So you ok?"
Angel was startled out of his thoughts about the fine red hair resting over the pure white of the material covering her chest. "Me? Yea, I'm fine." He still wasn't used to her concern for him. He had been sent here to help Buffy and yes every night his attraction for the blonde Slayer was growing but the years he had secretly watched this little red head while he was waiting for the slayer to arrive were only making his heart hurt more. She didn't deserve to have such a monster love her. She was pure and innocent. He looked at the screen of her computer, so many nights she had sat in front of that machine loosing herself. He saw that the message there was from her parents. They were going to be away for another month. Those damn people don't even care that their only child is living alone in a supernatural hellmouth. Their ignorance always managed to piss him off.
Willow frowned he was growling, and then she noticed what he was looking at and quickly shut the monitor off. "It's nothing really Angel, at least I don't have them pressing me to go to synagogue. I tried once to tell them about Wicca you know. " She paused as he looked at her shocked. "Yea that was the look." She giggled morosely " As soon as I said the word my father handed me a Torah and preached on the values of the Jewish faith." Willow sat heavily on the end of her bed. " Angel, today I felt sorry for Marcie. I mean I felt that.. I've felt the same way she did." She hung her head. Angel was on his knees in front of her in a moment. He hesitated only a moment and his strong hands were lifting her face so she was looking at him.
"Will, you are not like that girl, your a lot nicer for one and you have people who care about you."
"Xander doesn't see me anymore he is always trying to find a way to ask Buffy out and practicing on me, my parents are never here. I'm only seen when someone needs something that I can do." Her eyes filled with tears.
"Will.. " he wiped the tears off her cheek and pulled her into his embrace. "You have me and will always will." God he wanted to hold her forever, but he couldn't he had his duty. He heard the small redhead sniffle one last time and pull away slightly.
She smiled at him that sweet smile that he treasured on his darkest moments. "Thank you Angel. I'm sorry that I broke down like that. It just was a weak moment you know." She smiled again this time stronger and back in the shell that she had so firmly built around herself. " You are here to protect Buffy, not me. Buffy is falling in love with you, I can tell." `who would blame her' she thought. "She is really going to need you in the next few years.. as much as I hate to admit.. She needs you more than I do. " As the moment of hurt flashed through his eyes she rushed on "I need you too Angel, " she covered his lips when he was about to speak with her fingers, "more than I should, but Buffy needs you to survive so that she can save the world. Her destiny is to live Angel. You must help her do that."
Angel listened as this small young woman reminded him of his duty. He had told her the real reason he was here; he didn't know why he did. She was different. She was like whistler he could sense it in her. She wouldn't know for sure for several years, supposedly, but he had a suspicion this beautiful little witch already knew. "I know my little caretaker. Do me a favor little one,"
"Anything"
"Never think that you're anything less than spectacular." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Can you stay a while tonight?" She wanted as much time as she could get with him, before.. No Rosenburg don't think about that.
Angel actually smiled. There wouldn't be much time left for her when things started heating up on the hellmouth. "I would love too little one.. more than anything else."
Angel quietly closed the balcony doors he had only a half hour before the sun rose. His little witch always could make him forget the time. "Good day little one" he whispered silently as he headed home.
The End