Part 1:
Stating the Problems
 

Dear Dairy:
   I feel so old. I feel like I've lost something. Actually I have.
Buffy's been gone for what feels like forever but is actually only
been four months. Angel is in hell. I can feel him. I have nightmares
about it. I can feel him-I know I said that but it's so different.
He's in so much pain and has so much guilt that I wonder how he is
surviving in the conditions he's in. I can't quit thinking about my
nightmares of hell. God how it hurts. How does one indoor hell
forever? Is it really even possible?
      Xander, Cordelia, Giles, and the new slayer, Faith, has become
the "new" Scooby Gang. It's not the same. It won't ever be. I'm
secretly trying to find a way to bring Angel back, but I am no farther
today than I was the first day. But I have a new lead, which may prove
very resourceful. Their names are Maggie and Johnthan. Their vampires.
Yep, I've lost my mind, but they're good. (Never thought I'd say that
one in a million year but its true.) Maggie is a little over a
thousand while Johnthan is around 820 something. I ran into them
(literary) while I was running away from some other vampires. Johnthan
grabbed me and pulled me into an alley and covered my mouth while
Maggie hunted them down and dusted them easily. I've been friends with
them for almost as long as I've known Buffy. Its not that I don't
trust Buffy and Giles it's just that Buffy saw
everything in either black or white. She sees nothing in gray. And
honestly I like having Maggie and Johnthan, only my friends, not
sharing them with anyone.
      But about four and a half months ago, Maggie and Johnthan had
to go away to help a friend with a problem. Neither would go into any
detail but it was a vampire cop friend. Its kind of weird to associate
vampires without souls as good but it would appear with age they can
experience guilt and remorse for their actions. I'm hoping they'll be
home soon so I can get their help with this. I want so bad to just cry
in Maggie's arms but she's not here and I have no way of telling her
what's going on. It's pretty hopeless; from where I've been standing
but what can I say? Well I had best get going. I need some sleep
before tomorrow.

                                          Bye,
                                                                Willow

      Willow shut off her computer and rubbed her hands over her
face and sighed. Everything was such and mess. She couldn't even put
everything that was wrong in one thought without wanting to just
scream. She pealed out of her school clothes and glanced at her alarm
clock as she changed into her pajamas. It was one thirty in the
morning and Willow felt like she hadn't slept since she was young. She
hadn't slept well since Buffy left and Angel had been sent to hell.
What could she say visions of hell were not something that left you
wanting to sleep very deep?
      Willow spun around at scratching at her window. She almost
screamed with joy. Instead she rushed to the balcony doors and swung
them open. She launched herself into Maggie's arms. She hugged her
until she was sure that it wasn't a dream and they were really back,
really home.
      "Child? What is it that has you so upset? Come now lass, talk
to me." Maggie's smooth quiet voice reached Willow's ears and she
began to cry. Maggie looked at her companion, Johnthan, for some sort
of help but the redhead just shrugged. Maggie did the only thing she
knew to do; she hugged he girl tighter to her and let her cry until
she was ready to talk. After sometime Willow settled down and backed
away and began babbling almost immediately.
      "I'm sorry I was just so upset. Everything has gone to hell
since you left. Well actually only Angel's in hell. Buffy's
runaway, Cordelia and Xander are dating; Oz left for touring with the
band. I don't know what to do. I need your help. O' how was your
trip?" Maggie and Johnthan just stared in amazement at the small girl
they had befriended. She was often very bubbly but now she just seemed
overwhelmed.
      "Now lass, how about you slow down and lets sort this out one
problem at a time. All right?" Willow looked at the vampire who looked
no older than 17 and couldn't help but smile. He was always careful
around her as if she might break. She stared at him. He was probably
was the beautiful human being she'd ever seen. He was paler than most
vampires but she thought that had something to do with both his age
and his normal skin coloring. His hair was orange-red, cut short and
he had big deep blue eyes that could get anyone's attention. He was
short too. He was only about 5'8 but he had a lean muscular appeal to
him. He wore blue jeans that were baggy; not nearly as baggy as Oz's
but they were baggy, he wore a black thick leather belt and his navy
blue shirt was tucked in showing off his narrow waist. He truly was
beautiful. Willow understood at least part of the reason that Maggie
had picked Johnthan to live forever. His personality was rather
complicated, but always as beautiful as his appearance.
      Now Maggie she was similar in appearance to Johnthan. She had
reddish-blond hair that stopped at her jaw line. She had light blue
eyes that were just as big. She wasn't as pale as Johnthan but pale
none the less. She was only 5'4 and appeared rather weak. She often
used that to her advantage when she fought. She was very skilled in
gymnastics and boxing. She would allow her enemy to believe she was a
weak vampire then when he or she wasn't excepting it she let loose an
attack that would either wound them to the point that she could kill
them easily or kill them flat out. She was just as striking in
appearance as her childe. She could very well beat any of Harmony and
her gang in a beauty contest any day. But Maggie seemed completely
unaware of her beauty.
      Willow was shook out of her thoughts by Maggie who was looking
very worried.
      "Willow tell me what you mean but Buffy's gone and Oz's on
tour? And why would Angel be in hell? And Xander and Cordelia dating,
well that one actually figures. They had enough sexual tension between
them to make a very large explosion. But really come sit down and tell
us what the hell has
happened since our short trip." Willow allowed herself to be pushed
back into her room and sat on her bed before explaining.
      "When you left everything was the same until about a week
later when Xander and Cordelia finally told us about their
relationship. Then another two weeks went by and Angelus decided to
open a portal to hell and stuck the whole world into hell. Well Buffy
went to stop Angelus while I-without her knowledge or anyone else's-
decided to try to restore Angel's soul once again.   It worked but it
was too late Buffy had pushed Angel, not Angelus, threw the portal to
close it, cause to shut it you much spill the blood of its opener.
Anyway, Buffy ran away because she couldn't handle the fact that she
had sent Angel to hell.  Well about two months ago a new slayer was
sent. Her name is Faith, she's pretty wild but I like her, I think you
would too. Well we've all been researching as usual and trying to
locate Buffy. And a little slaying too because Faith hasn't had long
to become as good as Buffy but she's a quick learner. Well about a
month ago I started having nightmares about being in hell and I can
see and feel Angel's pain. I'm trying to find a way to get him out of
hell for both our sanities, but I can't find anything. There are
millions of ways of opening portals to hell but no way to get someone
out. It's almost hopeless. I was hoping with two very smart vampires
helping me instead of just me it would work a little better." Willow
gave her a small shake. She hadn't realized how bad she was hurting
until just them but she had had to be strong for everyone else and she
just hadn't had time for herself. She hated dumping all her problems
on them but she just needed some kind of release before she went nuts.
      "Why didn't you tell us about this when I called a month and a
half ago? You know that you can tell us anything, right?" Maggie asked
looking almost hurt. Willow thought about the phone call, she hadn't
known what kind of trouble Maggie and Johnthan were trying to help rid
the world of and hadn't wanted to burden them with her problems too.
      "Because I didn't think you could have come back because of
the problem you were helping out with and I didn't want you to worry.
I just didn't want to burden you." Willow said as she looking at a
spot on the floor.
      "Willow you will never be a burden to us, never. You are our
friend; we cherish that friendship more than anything does in our
undead lives. Please feel free to tell us anything and at anytime, we
could have come back a month ago but we thought
everything was under control, we were looking for a way to arch
Angel's soul his forever.  We wouldn't have spent so much time
researching if we had known these things." Johnthan said and sat down
on the floor near Willow's feet. Willow sat wide-eyed looking at the
vampire then turned her head to Maggie as if to confirm what she had
just been told. Maggie just simply nodded. Willow just stared back in
awe of what her friends had tried to do for her.
      "Did you find anything?"
      "Yep, we have found a spell that will also allow him to age as
a human if he wishes, which also means he would die of old ages if he
didn't stop the aging process." Johnthan said and brought out a book
from behind his black leather waist length jacket. He opened the old
book to a page marked and handed it to Willow. Willow smiled her first
smile in months. Now all she had to do was find a way to get Angel out
of hell and she would have it made.

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