Friendship

Note: Text enclosed in < > represents thoughts or feelings. 

In the library, Giles, and Angel sat at a table pouring over one of Giles' dusty, ancient books. Xander paced, becoming increasingly agitated as Angel informed them of the threat to Willow. 

Xander expected Buffy to be attacked, but Willow would be a sitting duck. His anger and frustration shifted to Angel, the only vampire available. Xander focused his anger by shooting Angel in the back with mental stakes. 

With a great boom, the library doors slammed open. Giles, Angel, and Xander, startled, looked up to see Buffy stride in, followed by Willow. 

"Giles, Willow says a bunch of 90210 vamps tried to put the bite on her," Buffy jumped right to the point. 

"Ah, yes," Giles pushed his sliding glasses back onto the bridge of his nose with his forefinger, "Angel just finished explaining what happened." 

"Good," Buffy perched on the edge of the table. "Willow's put me in the know. So any ideas?" 

"Yes, well, let me see," Giles adjusted his glasses. He turned several pages of the old book. His finger settled on a page. "It says here that Laval are a rather reclusive bloodline of vampires who prefer to live above ground, usually in luxury. They are noted for their unusual ability to blend in among mortals." 

"I'm afraid that's all," Giles closed the book, looking thoughtful. A long pause ensued while Giles wrestled some inner thought, mumbling softly to himself. He stood and began pacing, oblivious to the others' watchful stares. 

Giles suddenly walked over to a book shelf, searching the titles. "Ah, here it is!" he exclaimed, pulling small, modern volume off the shelf. 

"The Vampire Encyclopedia by Matthew Bunson," Giles explained, holding the book up. "It is a 'fictional' compilation of modern vampiric legend and myth, but a surprisingly useful one at that." 

Giles flipped through the book quickly. After a moment, he found what he wanted. Giles began to read aloud, using his finger to mark his place again, 

"Gilles de Rais Also known as Gilles de Laval (1404-1440), a marshal of France and a national hero of the Hundred Years War, who, as a result of his supposed cruelty, cannibalism, Satanism, and assorted sexual perversions, became one of the most notorious murderers of all time, a historical vampire, and the basis of the story of "Blue Beard". A brilliant soldier and nobleman, Gilles fought alongside Joan of Arc against England, earning the rank of marshal at the age of twenty-four. An inheritor of a vast fortune, he was subject to incredibly extravagant tastes as well as an interest in alchemy, sorcery, and other forbidden black arts." 

Giles finished reading, and looked hopefully over at Angel. "I don't suppose you'd know more?" he asked. 

Angel looked uncomfortable, as if being put on the spot. Finally, he offered reluctantly, "The Clan choose offspring from among the best of their descendants." 

All eyes turned speculatively to Willow. She squirmed under the collective gaze. 

Willow walked over and sat down next to Angel. She felt...uncomfortable. <Among my only friends.> 

"So Willow's great, great grandfather might be a fork?" Xander asked. Willow winced. <Nicely put, Xander.> 

Giles blinked, struggling with the slang. "Well,...possibly," he hesitated. "Willow what do you know about your family tree, your lineage?" 

"Not too much. My family has some old papers I could go through, a family bible," she said. <Like I'm really going to find a vampire in there.> 

Remembering her entire reason for being here, Willow glumly opened her bag and pulled out Giles' book. She pushed it across the table to him. "Thank-you," he replied absently. 

"Angel, you looked like you wanted to say something," Giles commented. 

Angel shifted, hesitated. Willow hadn't seen him look directly at Buffy since they'd walked into the library. "I have an...acquaintance who keeps extensive genealogical records. He may be able to help." 

"What kind of an acquaintance?" Xander couldn't resist an opportunity to nail the vampire with an insult. "A mortician?" 

Angel's eyes flashed fire. "No, a priest," his gaze promised retribution. 

"All right, enough you two," Buffy cut in. "Giles, where do find these Laval?" 

"Well, I suppose one might start in nightclubs, country clubs-" 

"Places that serve alcohol?" Buffy interrupted. 

"Well, yes," Giles replied, not quite sure where Buffy was heading. 

"Places I can't go in other words," Buffy's point sunk home. Giles nodded. 

"You'd better check them out with Ms. Calendar," Buffy suggested. "You'll be less conspicuous with a date." 

Willow hid her smile. <This is getting good...I just wish Angel and Xander would stop glaring at each other.> 

"A_date," Giles tripped over the idea. "You want me to take Ms. Calendar on a date." 

Xander strolled over to Buffy and pointedly, possessively, slid his arm around her slowly around her shoulders. 

"Good idea, Giles," Buffy smiled innocently. She patted Xander's arm fondly. 

Xander's stare exuded hostility for Angel, <Get lost buddy. She's mine now and you're not welcome anymore.> 

"Preposterous," Giles sputtered. "For one thing, Ms. Calendar would never agree." 

Angel shifted slightly, clenching and unclenching his fists under the table. Willow could see the repressed hostility, the fury, in Angel's eyes. <Angel's itching to tear Xander's hands off Buffy and rip him in half.> 

"You never know till you ask," Buffy insisted. "Better get right on it. Time's a wasting." 

<The tension became explosive.> 

Xander bent down and tenderly kissed the soft, creamy flesh beneath Buffy's jaw. 

Willow bounded to her feet. <I've had enough.> 

Buffy's elbow stabbed Xander in the side, "Xander knock it off. This is serious." 

"Angel, we're leaving," Willow cracked the command like a whip. 

Angel snapped to his feet, obeying instantly. <Pretty effective, I'll have to remember that.> 

Giles and Xander stared blankly, astonished. Giles, interrupted in mid-speech, continued to let his mouth hang. Only Buffy understood. 

Angel snatched up Willow's bag off the table. He took her arm and rushed her half-way across the room before Giles recovered his wits. 

"Willow," Giles sounded slightly panicked. "where are you going? Leaving may not be wise." 

"After all," he stuttered, "the_the_re are vampires trying to kill you," Giles' distress became more apparent, his eyes pleaded for some sort of explanation for Willow's seemingly bizarre behavior. 

"She'll be safe," Angel reassured Giles. "She'll be with me." 

"That's not what I'd call safe!" Xander finally found something to say. 

Xander bounded across the room to Willow, desperate to protect his best bud from her own naiveté. "Willow, he's a vampire." 

"Willow, please, listen to Xander," Giles pleaded. He fully expected Willow to be reasonable, sensible. "You're life is in peril and we don't have a plan formulated...I...I haven't even had time to consult all of my books." 

Xander seized Willow's shoulders, turning her to face him. "I can't let you leave. It's not safe." Xander's frantic appeal, from the heart, showed Willow that he sincerely feared for Willow's life and that he saw Angel as a clear and present threat to her safety. 

<So nice of you to care, after all of that ridiculous posturing.> Willow reached up and took Xander's hands in her own. 

"Xander Let Go," Willow forcibly repelled Xander's hands from her shoulders, gathered Angel with a glance, and swept out of the room. 

Giles and Xander stared after them, speechless. 

Willow devoured three blocks of sidewalk in silence, square by square. Her pain and frustration expressed themselves with each step. Slap, slap, slap...the rhythm became hypnotic after a while. 

Willow finally glanced over at Angel, evaluating his mood. 

Angel walked with his hands buried in his jacket pockets. <He's so good at brooding, in that James Dean kinda way.> He met her eyes, his expression guarded. 

Willow took a deep breath. 

"I slapped Buffy," Willow confessed. <There, I've said it. It's out.> 

Angel's eyes widened. No other response. 

"I don't know why I hit Buffy--I mean, it's totally unlike me," Willow lamented. "I've never done anything so...antisocial before in my life." 

Dark eyes stared at her. 

"And back there in the library...it was all I could do not to slap Xander too," Willow included the whole ugly truth. 

More silence...<Angel say something, anything. Tell me I'm not going nuts.> 

"Maybe I'm possessed," Willow continued, determined to fill up the quiet. "Demonic possession accounts for all kinds of anti-social behavior <Like eating pigs and principals>, doesn't it?" 

"Willow, you're not possessed," Angel finally spoke. Relief flooded Willow. 

"I'm afraid that it may be something much worse," he finished. Dread replaced her relief. <That's not what he was supposed to say.> 

Willow stopped walking. She turned to face him. 

"You're kidding right?" Willow searched his eyes desperately. Angel looked serious, somber. "Please tell me you're kidding," Willow pleaded. 

"I wish I could," Angel took her hands. <Oh, this is bad.> 

"Tell me," she commanded. Willow braced herself for his response. 

"Red hair," Angel's mouth swept into an irrepressible smile. 

"What?!" <I'm going to kill him!> 

"Red hair," Angel seized some Willow's long locks, held them up as evidence. "It's the mark of the devil." 

"Oh, You..." Willow steamed. Willow whacked him on the chest. Angel let go of Willow's hair and started laughing. He raised his arms in self-defense. 

Willow whacked him again, kept whacking him until she forced him to retreat almost into the street. Angel protected himself from her blows as best he could while doubled over, helpless, with laughter. 

"Ok, I give," Angel raised his hands in surrender. Willow whacked him one last time. Somewhere along the way she had begun laughing also. 

"Please, I can't take anymore," Angel caught her arms and dragged her to his chest. 

Her laughter stopped as her body slid upwards along his. Willow became acutely aware of the solid male chest rubbing against her breasts through their clothing. 

Angel took her into his arms, his hands kneading and caressing along her back. 

He stared at her lips, hovering. Liquid heat tightened her abdomen. 

"Willow," her name caressed his lips. The anticipation became torture. 

His mouth drifted closer to hers... 

Something changed, something painful flashed briefly in Angel's eyes. The light in his eyes went out. 

"I'm taking advantage," his words flat, pained. 

Angel let go, turned away suddenly, leaving Willow in free fall. 

<NOOOOO!> the protest roared through Willow. <Why do they always have to stop before they kiss me?!> 

Willow gasped for air, her breathing resumed, painfully; her heart thudded solidly, resumed beating. <I hadn't noticed them stop.> 

"Willow?" Angel, shoulders slumped, turned back to her. "Please forgive me." The most heart-wrenching guilt filled his eyes. 

"Please don't be angry," he pleaded. <Angry! Try furious!> 

"It won't happen again, I promise." <You Jerk!> 

"It's ok," Willow's words came out in a strangled whisper. <I can't believe I'm going to forgive him.> 

"Sometimes,...things...happen, " she said. 

Angel perked up a little, relieved. He offered her a tentative smile, seized the excuse, "Right...things happen." 

Willow nodded, "Things..." 

<It was hormones, the pain, the laughter...Buffy and Xander.. We're both suffering broken hearts, seeking comfort together.> 

Angel walked Willow the rest of the way home. He remained quiet, subdued. 

<I should be happy Angel was enough of a gentleman to stop before we did something we'd regret.> 

Willow pulled out her key and opened the front door. The dark house told her that her parents were not yet home. 

<But I'm not...> 

"Thank-you for walking me home," Willow said, softly. She turned to go in. 

"Willow?" 

"Yes?" 

"Please don't go anywhere alone at night," Angel asked. "I might not be there next time." 

Willow nodded. <Does this mean he's leaving?> 

She turned to face him, but he was already gone.