Feedback: please, pretty please!!! :)
Summary: By chance, Willow and Angel meet up in L.A. But the meeting is not a happy one... Willow has a terrible secret, and Angel will do whatever it takes to help her out.
Spoilers: A few here and there. Small references to little bits and pieces of eps like Reptile Boy, What's My Line Pt. 1, Becoming Pt. 2, Doppleganglander and Graduation Pt. 2. This story takes place *well* into the Angel series. We're looking at least a couple of seasons, all based on the premise that Angel *hasn't* seen any of the Scooby Gang since leaving Sunnydale.
Rating: Probably a PG or something...
Distribution: Just ask if you like.
Disclaimer: You know. :)
Author's Note: It's 1:20am. This just came to me and it *had* to be written. It was practically screaming "Write me! Write me or Else!" :) It hasn't been proof read, so please forgive any spelling mistakes and the like...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Angel opened the door, the most heartbreaking sight he had ever seen stood before him.
Her cheek bore the deed red stains of a wide graze, her jaw the black outline of a bruise, her nose the small hint of blood. He reached out a hand to help her as she stepped through the door, but she shrunk away from it. "It's all right... I'm all right."
"Are you, Will?" He asked.
She did not reply.
He lead her to the couch, motioning for her to sit down. She did, and he sat beside her, watching her carefully. "I didn't think you'd come."
She shrugged, "Me too."
And then nothing else was sad, for minutes at least. Angel watched her, Willow watched the carpeted floor of his Los Angeles apartment.
< I'll kill him. >
Angel pushed the thought from his mind. He wanted to help her. First and foremost.
< And then I'll kill him. >
Taking a moment to review the situation, Angel sighed inaudibly. He couldn't believe this was happening. It had been so long since he had seen Willow. Years in fact. She had become a beautiful young woman, growing more so everyday, he was sure of it. And then that night, here she was. They had met completely by accident, hugged madly and then chat for a few minutes before he invited her for coffee at the nearest cafe. She told him about how Buffy was contemplating a career in Law Enforcement after all, how Giles had met someone new, another Watcher type he thought he heard Willow say, and married. And Xander... He was working as a carpenters apprentice, making stakes outta scraps she'd said, or something like that at least. Oz had left town with his band, they'd broken up a year or more ago.
< And now she's with him. >
The new guy. Studying law. Very handsome. Charming. She was in love. And in L.A. to meet his parents for the first time. Ricky, she called him. Short for Riccardo.
And then that charming, handsome law student had come across them at the cafe. He'd practically dragged her out of the place, all the while remaing his supposedly swauve self. Angel had said a reluctant good bye...
< But something wasn't right. >
So he followed them for a block or two. Only to see him lead Willow into a darkened side street. Only to hear him yell, and Willow scream. And as he'd rounded that corner, he'd seen the one thing he *never* wanted to see.
One powerful fist plowing into the sweetest face he had ever known.
A few fists buried into *Riccardo's* face later and Willow's new love had run off into the night. Willow had cried and told Angel he shouldn't have interfered...
And Angel had told Willow to come home with him.
Of course she didn't. She wouldn't. And nothing he could say seemed to be able to change her mind. But he'd given her the address anyway. He wanted to help her. He needed to. He couldn't bare the thought of her hurting.
"How can you stay?" Angel asked suddenly, breaking the silence, "Why do you put up with it, Willow?"
The girl sighed, shaking her head slightly, pondering the question. Eventually she looked up, her face sincere, "Why did you stay with Buffy for so long?"
Confused, he asked quietly, "What?"
"Why stay with Buffy for as long as you did?" Hints of a hurt long gone, but never forgotten, filled Willow's voice as she continued, "She loved you. But you lost your soul to her... Then I gave it back to you. She sent you to hell. You came back and even when you loved her still, she kept pushing you away, hurting you... It took the taunts of a wannabe Demon to get you to consider leaving her..." A tired laugh emerged from her and she smiled sadly, "God, I don't even know what I'm saying..." She shrugged and said, "What I mean is... You stayed. Why?"
Angel's face had hardened with pain, "Because I loved her."
"You left her. Why?"
The vampire sighed, "Because I loved her."
"And now?"
He could barely reply, "I love her still."
"My point exactly."
He shook his head, "No, Willow... This is different... What happened to you is not like what happened to Buffy... To me... He hits you." He whispered, "He hurts you."
Willow shrugged, "Buffy did both those things to you if I remember it right..."
"No." Angel's tone set sternly, "This *is* different. Willow, the guy's a monster. You *can't* love him..."
Anger teetered into Willow's voice, "You were a monster once and Buffy *still* loved you."
An instantaneous look of guilt, and hurt, spread across the vampires handsome face and Willow flushed with shame on seeing it. She barely managed to whisper, "I'm sorry."
He looked up, their eyes locking, "Don't be." He mumbled, "It's true."
Willow flashed a quick look at her watch, straightening sharply in her seat. One hand rubbed her still-aching side for a few moments and she moved to get up, "I should go. Ricky will wonder where I am."
"Wait..." Angel climbed to his feet as she did, reaching out a gentle hand to take hers, "You don't have to go. Not yet."
"No, I really do." She started to step around him, but Angel stepped with her, tightening his soft hold on her hand. Willow groaned inaudibly, "Angel, please."
The vampire confessed solemnly, "I can't let you go back to that."
Willow's eyes flashed angrily for the breifest moment, "You don't have a choice."
It was the spark of passion Angel had beeen hoping to see since they'd met up earlier that night. That tiny hint that the Willow he had known all those years ago was still in there. Somewhere, buried deep, the sassy little Wicca he'd come to think of as his friend was hiding.
< I know what I have to do... >
"No." A kind of gentle force now filled Angel's voice, "It's you who doesn't have a choice, Will."
"Stop it, Angel..." Willow tried to yank her hand away from his, but his grip on her remained. He stepped closer to her, taking hold of her free arm as well. She struggled half-heartedly before him, "Stop it. I *have* to go."
"Why, Willow? Does he need you?" His tone deepened, "Does he want you?"
Raising her voice venomsly, she snapped, "Do you?" Stunned by the reaction, Angel was unable to reply. Willow nodded, "I thought as much." She struggled to pull away from him again, "Now let me go."
"No."
"Now!!!" She shouted.
Angel smiled. "So there you are."
"What?"
His grip loosened slightly, "I knew my Willow was in there somewhere."
Willow's head almost swam...
< My Willow? >
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Angel leant forward, pressing his soft lips to her forehead, "Do you remember?" He leant his head against hers, "Do you remember what things were like in Sunnydale? When you shouted at me in the Library that night... Giles too? When you restored my soul? When you punched Anya in the Bronze when that *other* you came to town? When you stood up to Faith while the Mayor had you held captive? When you fought along side the rest of the Senior class on Graduation Day?"
She nodded against him, "I remember."
"You were so full of passion, Will. So full of life. That girl, she's still inside of you. Ricky just tried to push her away."
Taking advantage of Angel's loosened grip on her arms, Willow pulled quickly, angrily away from him. "I'm just the same... I know I am."
"You're not."
Barging past him quickly, Willow stated flatly, "Why did I even come here? My life, everyone's lives, they've been better since you left... Oww!!!"
Angel had grabbed her again, whirling her around, "Why *did* you come here, Willow? Why of all the places you could possibly go?"
A wave of fear passed through Willow, "Stop it..." She pleaded, "Please... Don't hurt me..."
Tears threatened to fill Angel's eyes as he watched her resolve crumbling, but he remained firm in his approach, "Why, Willow? Why did you come here? Was it because you're ashamed to tell Buffy that your new boyfriend isn't as peachy as he seems? Or because Xander would go insane and kill him to protect you? Because Giles would belittle you for staying with him for so long?"
"They wouldn't do that..." A small sob broke from within her.
"Wouldn't they?"
"They wouldn't."
"But you're afraid they would. Just like you're afraid of what he'll do if you even tried to tell someone what he does to you... Just like you're afraid of him. So afraid you're forced into submission..."
Willow screamed into his face painfully, "SHUT UP!!!"
Angel's anger flared to match her own, "NO!!! You need to hear this, and you're going to. You're going to hear every last word I have to say."
The tears that had been swimming carefully down Willow's face up until that point now flooded her gentle features, "LET ME GO!!!"
Calm filled Angel's voice, "Make me."
Willow looked up sharply, deep into his eyes. She shook her head, "No..." Her voice was now a coarse whisper, "No..."
And then Angel did the one thing he never imagined he ever would, or could...
The resounding slap as his open palm connected with Willow's face reverberated throughout the room in an eternity's worth of moments.
Stunned by the flash of pain, the girl tumbled away from him, landing awkwardly on the floor. Her hands darted instinctively to cup her injured face, but she did not cry out. Unmoving except for the tired heaving of her aching chest, an overwhelming sense of desolation filled her. But it was not to last.
< This is what she needs. >
Angel prayed silently to whoever might be listening that this was right, his tears escaping him, when the wake up call he had just given her kicked to life. Before he could move, she had darted to her feet, her elegant hand clenched into a tight fist. A strangled scream emerged from her and she slammed her white knuckles into the vampires face with force she didn't know she had. He barely backpeddled as Willow brought her fist forward again, connecting with the same stretch of cheek as the blow before it. Barreling both hands into clenched balls of frustration, she stepped closer to him, bringing each fist down in turn on his chest.
Sensing her need for closure, Angel allowed himself to be forced backwards across the room as she struck him over and over and over until, eventually, she had pinned against her bedroom wall. Aware suddenly that he could not move from the space she now held him, a heavy sob broke from within her and she slumped to the ground before him, tears now wetting her face.
Angel took a few unecessary breaths to steady himself, and then he crouched before her. "Willow..." He whispered, his voice hoarse with the ache he felt for her.
The girl looked up past the strands of red hair that had fallen into her face, eyeing him carefully for a moment with her blurry eyes. "Angel..." She whispered back.
And then she leapt into his arms, knocking him back against the wall with a loud bang that she simply could not hear past the sobs that continued to erupt from within her. The vampires strong arms gripped her tightly, gently, and he cradled her against his still heart, hopeful that this had been the key to her release.
Minutes passed, her tears subsidded slightly. She glanced up into his sweet face, he looked down lovingly into hers. She almost manged to smile as she mouthed silently, "Thank you..."
The End