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~Part 11~
Whistler continued on with his story. When he was finished everyone could clearly see the problem. Evil and good always had to be in a balance, with out evil how would you know what good is. The new evil they would be facing was not what would be unlike the evil they had faced before, but what would be different would be those who knew about the evil.
"I get what you're saying, but demons have been around since the beginning of time. And there have never been more than a few people who believed in them." Willow said.
"Yes, but that is about to change Willow." Whistler said.
"So people are going to know about demons, won't that help us fight them?" Xander asked.
"You would think so, but it will only cause more problems. There are those creatures that are good that could be destroyed because not every will be open minded when dealing with them. Take for example witches. Not all of them are bad, but that won't matter there will be certain people who will want them all dead." Whistler told them.
"How are we supposed to stop this from happening?" Angel asked.
"I can't tell you that. I'm sorry you must fight this battle on your own." Whistler said.
"Well when exactly are we supposed to be fighting this battle?" Buffy asked.
"We can't tell you that either. You will know when its time to fight." Temperance told her.
"So let me get this straight, " Willow started she sounded very mad, "You show up here to warn us about a new evil, you tell us hardly anything and that's it you're going to leave. You won't tell us any details. How the hell can your warning really help us at all." She stopped talking for a moment and tried to calm herself. No one said anything and after a minute Willow turned to Angel.
"Angel, I don't care if he is your friend or not I want him gone and I want him gone know." Willow said quietly. Angel wasn't even about to try and argue with her. She looked like she was on the verge of crying, and the last thing he wanted for her to do was cry.
"Whistler I think you had better leave now." Angel told him.
"Yes I do believe that would be for the best. But I leave you with one final piece of advice trust nothing you see." With that said he walked off and faded into the background.
"Well I guess I had better be going to." Temperance said.
"Are you really my daughter?" Angel asked as she started to walk off.
"Yes I am. Don't worry too much daddy things will work out you'll see." And then she was gone.
Everything went black and then they were all back at the mansion.
"Is everyone ok?" Giles asked.
Everyone gave him their reply that assured him that everyone was indeed ok.
"Well I don't know about everyone else, but I'm still tired. Why don't we all head to bed?" Cordelia said.
"I think that would be a great idea." Giles said agreeing.
"There a great many number of places to sleep through out the house feel free to use any of them. I'm going for a walk." Angel walked out of the house thankful night had fallen.
"Well, lets head to bed." Joyce said.
"I can show you where to sleep Joyce." Spike said. "Why thank you Spike." Joyce said thinking about how nice Spike could be when he wanted to.
Spike started to lead her down the hall before his reply could be heard.
"No problem pet my bedroom is this way." Spike told her.
"Your bedroom now you just." The others didn't get to hear the rest of what Joyce said.
"Giles would you help me find a room?" Cordelia asked.
"Why yes of course." He told her. And they headed off in the opposite direction that Spike and Joyce had taken.
"Well you kids don't stay up to late. Ira and I are going to go sleep in the where we put Angel." Shelia linked her arm with Ira's and headed off to sleep.
"I'm going upstairs. Do you want to come with me Buffy?" Willow asked.
"No, I'm going to go on a quick patrol." Buffy said. Willow headed upstairs and Buffy headed out the door. Leaving Xander and Dawn alone on the couch.
"Xander would you sleep here with me?" Dawn asked.
"Sure will." Xander said. They both curled up on the couch and Xander covered them up with a blanket.
Upstairs Willow had found the most wonderful room she had ever seen. She assumed it was Angel's. As she explored the room she found that there were 3 doors in the room. One was locked, once was the biggest closet she had ever seen she didn't know Angel owned that much clothing, and the third was a bathroom with a huge black marble tub that could have easily held 3 people. Although she was tired seeing that tub was just too much for her to resist. She filled the tub with hot water and used some soap to make it a bubble bath. Once the tub was full she took off her cloths and climbed in.
Angel couldn't believe all that had happened tonight. He still couldn't get over the fact that he was no longer in hell. Not only that, but Willow loved him, or at least she would love him. She had to love him he couldn't believe that Willow would have a child with him and not love him.
"I just need stop thinking." Angel said to himself.
"You know they say the first sign that you're going crazy is when you start talking to yourself." Buffy said coming up to stand beside Angel.
Angel had been so caught up in his own thoughts he hadn't even heard her.
"Buffy." He said acknowledging her.
"Angel I think we need to talk." Buffy told him.
"Yes, I suppose we do." Angel replied.
"Ok I'm going to start and I don't want you to interrupt," Buffy started and paused for Angel's reaction, Angel nodded he head and she continued, "Angel when we first met I saw you as my savior, and I fell in love with you. The truth is I'll always love you, but not the way Willow dose. Lets face it we never would have worked out. I realize that know. I also realize that you and Willow were made for each other. She was an absolute mess while you were gone, so don't leave again. And while we are on the subject of leaving what the hell are you doing standing around out here. Willow is back at the house."
Buffy could tell Angel was relived that she wasn't expecting their relationship to pick up where it left off, and she smiled.
"Thank you Buffy." With that said Angel turned around and headed back to the house, back to his Willow.
~Part: 12~
Buffy watched as Angel disappeared in the shadows. She was happy for him, she was happy for them all. They all had someone to call their own. Even her mother had Spike, although Buffy wasn't really sure what to make out of that relationship. She just wished that she had someone. With that final wishful thought Buffy headed out to patrol.
He watched as she left, she seemed so alone. But that was impossible he thought, after all she was the slayer and she was surrounded by friends. Maybe she was looking for someone who would be more than a friend. He wished he could be that someone, but right now things were just too complicated. One day she would be his, he just had to wait.
As Angel entered the mansion he knew right where she was. He could sense her the moment he walked into the door. It was strange he thought as he headed to the room, out of all the rooms in the mansion she had chosen his. He smiled at that, she had in turn chosen him. Joyce was worried and for once she wasn't worrying about the danger that faced her daughter and her friends. This time she was worried about what she was going to do if Spike kept pushing. She really hadn't had any kind of serious relation since her marriage ended. It just never felt right, but with Spike things were different. It felt right. She would have to talk with him at some point. They had a lot to talk about the first of which being his name. Why on earth would the man want to be called Spike when he such a nice name like William.
Spike watched Joyce as she sat in bed. She should have been sleeping, but instead she was thinking. He could tell by the way her nose was all scrunched up. He knew he was pushing her, but he also knew that he had to take every opportunity possible or he might miss out. Know one knew how long they would have together. Now all he had to do was make Joyce see that he was the right person for her. He just hoped he could make her see it sooner than later.
Xander watched as Dawn closed her eyes and snuggled up against his chest. He was so happy that she was with him. He had always thought that he would end up with Willow in the end. They had been best friends forever it just seemed natural one day they would take things further. But after he had seen Willow look at Angel he knew that she would never look at him like that and to be perfectly honest that was just fine with him. After all he really couldn't complain when he held his future in his arms. With that last thought he snuggled down in to the couch and closed his eyes to go to sleep. Dawn knew exactly when Xander feel asleep. He lost all the tension in his body and he looked so peaceful. She knew that today had really been the first day the Xander had really seen her. They had known each other for a long time, but it was always her admiring him. After today things were going to change. She was going to make sure that Xander saw her for everything she was. Xander would be hers and that thought made her extremely happy. But planning to make Xander beg would just have to wait until tomorrow. Right now she was more than happy to have him hold her. Begging would come tomorrow. Giles had followed Cordelia through the house as they searched for some place to sleep. Neither of them knew where they were headed, but as long as he was with Cordelia he could really care less where he was. After a few minutes of searching they came upon a room. He had planned to leave her and go in search of a room of his own, but with one word from her he was unable to leave. Cordelia had asked Giles to stay. She didn't want to be alone tonight. It seemed like she was alone so much tonight she wanted to have someone. She pulled Giles on to the bed with her. Cordelia snuggle up next to him and was instantly asleep.
"Shelia I'm not sure this will work." Ira said as he sat down next to his wife.
"It has to work Ira. She can't find out the truth." Shelia told him.
"Maybe it would just be better if she found out the truth." Ira said try to persuade her.
"Ira Willow can know nothing. We will not tell her anything as far as she is concerned we are her loving parents who are looking out for her best interests." Shelia couldn't believe that Ira would even suggest telling Willow the truth.
"Shelia you heard what that girl said about the future. Willow will find out. Wouldn't it be better if we were the ones to tell her." Ira didn't like the prospect of Willow knowing the truth anymore than his wife was, but one of them had to think about this rationally.
"We can't Ira. Don't you see that we just can't tell her?" Shelia knew they wouldn't be able to settle this anytime soon. So she settled her self in and prepared for a long night.
As Angel entered the room he saw that the bathroom door was open.
"Willow may I come in?" Angel asked softly as he walked over to the bathroom door. He waited a moment, but when he got no reply he walked slowly into the bathroom. Willow was in the bathtub fast asleep. Angel knew she had a very stressful day and didn't wish to wake her, but he also knew he couldn't just leave her there. He walked closer to the tub and grabbed a large towel from nearby. Angel started to let the water out of the tub. As the water got lower he covered her with the towel and pulled her up into his arms.
Willow opened her eyes slowly as she felt herself being set down on a bed. She looked up and saw that Angel was there. She must have fallen asleep she thought.
"Angel what are you doing here?" Willow asked.
Angel had been so busy making sure that Willow was comfortable he hadn't realized that she had woken up.
"Willow you should go back to sleep you need your rest." He wasn't ready to talk with her yet. He really didn't know anymore than she did, but by the look on her face he knew they would be talking.
"Angel we really have to talk." Willow said try to sit up, but was unable to. Angel gently held her down.
"Alright we will talk, but you will lay down." As Angel had started talking he had gotten up and gone over to the dresser. He pulled out a shirt and tossed it to Willow. He turned his back until she had it on.
"Angel why are you here?" Willow asked again. She moved over on the bed so that Angel could have room to sit down, which he did after she told him to. He seemed very resistant to be close to her.
"I don't know how I got back Willow one minute I was in hell the next I was back here." Angel told her trying to steer her away from any topic that was too deep.
"Angel that's not what I asked. I want to know why you're here now with me." As Willow began to speak Angel saw her resolve face slip into place, he knew that she had made up her mind and he wouldn't be able to stop her until she had said everything she wanted to. "Are you here with me because of our daughter? Would you be here with me if you didn't know about her?" Before Willow could ask another question Angel leaned now and kissed her.
Willow couldn't believe that this was happening. Angel was kissing her and at that moment she decided that for however long Angel wanted her she would be his.
~~~*~~~
It had been two months since that. The night her daughter had come and they were still no closer to finding out what she had been warning them about. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened, or at least nothing out of the ordinary for Sunnydale.
The only thing that will had found that could be helpful was a spell. The spell would allow her to go into the minds of those she chose to include in the spell. Willow knew that the others wouldn't understand why she had to do this so she had decided not to tell them. Ever since Temperance had left Willow felt the need to do this spell and now was her chance.
Willow had the room set up just as it should be. Every one was out tonight and wouldn't be back till dawn. She set everything up in the main living room of the mansion. She sat in the center of the circle on candles she had created one candle for every mind she would enter. After taking a calming breath she began the spell.
I call upon those near and far,I call upon those below and above,I call upon that, who has sight,Give unto me thy power.I ask to enter the minds of those I name,Xander friend of old,Cordelia enemy no more,Buffy mighty protector,Shelia mother by blood,Ira father by blood,Giles teacher of knowledge,Joyce mother in spirit,Dawn sister in spirit,Spike the protector son,Angel of my heart,Let our minds be one.
As Willow finished the spell everything went black and she found herself standing in a long hallway. On each side of the hallway were doors each labeled with a different name.
As she walked down hall she stopped at the first door she came to it was Xander. She stepped inside.
As she stepped through the door she was greeted by the sight of a little Xander playing in a sand box. A moment later Xander was joined by Jesse.
"Hey Xander what you doing?" Jesse asked as he moved to stand beside Xander.
"Waiting for Willow we're going to play." Xander replied.
"Well I'm going to go play with the other guys. You can come with me." Jesse said as he started to head towards where the other boys were playing.
"Can Willow come too?" Xander asked.
"No way she's a girl." Jesse said shaking his head. Xander didn't even bother looking up at Jesse he just sat there and continued to play in the sand.
"I'll stay and wait for Willow." Xander said not even caring that he wasn't getting to play with the other boys.
Before Willow had a chance to think about what she saw everything went black once again and she was standing in front of another door. She took a moment and the stepped through the door. As she walked through the door she found herself standing back in the mansion. After a moment Angel walked in to the room followed closely by Xander.
"Angel I know that we haven't always gotten along in the past, but I want Willow to be happy. And if you make her happy then I'm just going to have to live with that." Xander looked nervous about being in the same room as Angel, but he wasn't about to walk away before he said what he had come to say.
"Xander I would never hurt Willow she is the best friend I've ever had." Angel said trying to assure Xander that he in no way wanted to hurt Willow.
"She may be your best friend Angel, but she deserves more than just your friendship." And with that said Xander turned and left the room.
Once again the room went black and Willow was again standing before a door. Willow stopped a moment before she went on. Xander had just told Angel that he should have a relationship with her. Xander was encouraging Angel to be with her. The more she thought about it the more she smiled. Xander had always been there for her and when it came to her relationship with Angel it would be no different. With that last thought she stepped through the next door.
This time Willow found herself standing in a hospital room. She saw herself and Angel standing by the bed in the room. She was slightly older and she looked absolutely beautiful the person in the bed was Xander.
"Xander are you sure about this?" Willow heard herself asking him.
"Ya Wills I am. I'm not ready to go yet. I want to stay with my family. I'm dieing Wills this is the only way." Xander said giving her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry Xander you'll barely feel a thing." Angel told him as he leaned over Xander a bite into his neck.
Willow was shocked beyond belief Xander was letting Angel turn him. He was going to become the one thing that he hated the most and he had asked for it. Before Willow could think about it any longer she found herself standing outside another door this one was marked Cordelia.
Past, present, and future she would see something from each time it was her last thought as she stepped through the door and into Cordelia's mind.
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