Distribution: Angel of Mine, TPWFLD, anyone else please ask first.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Angel and Willow do not belong to me. They are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and the WB. All characters are used without permission. No copyright infringement intended.
Feedback: Yes please!!!!
Summery: It's Christmas and Willow goes looking for the perfect gift for Angel.
Spoilers/Warnings: Up to Revelations. Angel's out of hell, and he and Buffy are no longer together. The whole Willow/Xander thing never happened as far as I'm concerned.
<> Indicates thoughts.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Willow sighed as
she walked out of another of the Mall's many shops. She was getting nowhere.
"What have I gotten myself into?" She said as she thought back to how all
this started.
Earlier that week
She had decided to go and visit Angel to see how he was, ever since it was revealed that he had returned from hell he had been keeping his distance from everyone. Xander and Giles weren't to keen to see him, Buffy was doing her best to forget about the whole thing, Oz was away and Cordelia just didn't care. Willow had decided that he needed to spend some time with someone and after all he did save her life she had told herself.
<Like that's the only reason your going over their, to say thanks.> Willow thought.
<Of course it is, he's my friend. He needs me.> She told herself.
Unfortunately she wasn't doing a very good job at convincing herself. Willow quickly put these thoughts out of her mind and focused on the task at hand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first night she had arrived at the mansion Angel was shocked to say the least. He hadn't expected to see any of us again, unless it was with stake in hand.
Angel had not exactly been talkative. He has started regressing back into his cryptic guy ways. That night she had finally started to get him talking a little, which was a start. Even if it was about where she wanted to go for college.
After that night she had came back to see Angel often, and he had slowly started to open up to her about his time in hell and his shock to find out she was the one who returned his soul as Buffy had never mentioned it.
During this time though, her friends never knew where she went, she doubted they even notice she was gone. It was at one of their meetings when she had asked him what he was going to do for Christmas. He had told her that he was just going to stay at home as usual. That people like him didn't deserve to celebrate it.
That had done it. There and then Willow decided that he was not going to spend Christmas cooped up in the mansion brooding. She had decided to spend Christmas with him. Whether he liked it or not.
So it was with that thought in mind that she had ended up in this predicament. Willow had gone to the Mall to look for the perfect present for Angel and was getting nowhere.
As she passed a china shop she saw an ornament of an angel that had one of its wings broken. she thought to herself.
"This is hopeless." she said to herself.
The mall had started closing and Willow was no nearer to finding her gift to Angel. She had brought a few little gifts but not anything extra special. A little teddy bear dressed in traditional vampire cloak, hat and vampire teeth. Some books, and a CD full of Christmas songs.
She dejectedly left the mall and headed home.
Later that evening
Willow looked up from her wrapping when she heard a knock on her door.
"Come in" she called.
"Hello dear, are you okay? You've been cooped up in your room for ages." Her Mum said.
"I'm fine Mum" Willow said. "I've just been busy".
She put down the present she had been wrapping and picked up a new one.
"Who are all these presents for dear?" her Mum asked, "I thought you had brought all your friends gifts already".
"I did, These are for someone else." Willow replied.
"Oh, and who's that?"
"Just an old friend, his name's Angel".
"Really. You seem to be going to an awful lot of trouble for him." her mum said smiling as she left the room.
"Mum! He's just a friend. He's be …been going through a…a lot lately and……"Willow's voice drifted off as her mother went down the stairs.
"Uh huh, sure." Her mother said to herself.
Christmas Day
The mansion
Willow stood outside the mansion and waited for him to answer. As she stood outside doubts began to cross her mind.
<What if he's angry with me for waking him up, what if he doesn't like the presents, what if…>
Her thoughts were cut off as Angel answered the door. He was only wearing a pair of trousers.
<God he looks good>Willow thought.
<Wait where did that come from?>
She stopped her pondering when she noticed that Angel was talking to her.
"Willow" Angel said looking confused. "What are you doing here, it's Christmas."
"I know silly, that's why I'm here." She stated matter of factly.
"But won't you parent be angry your gone"
"No. I'm Jewish remember? I don't celebrate Christmas." she said.
"Oh, yeah, I forget"
"Angel, as nice as this is can I come in please? It's cold outside." Willow said.
"What? Oh, right. Sorry" He mumbled.
"Thanks" willow said as she walked in. It hadn't gone unnoticed by her that he had been staring at the bag she was carrying with some interest.
"Sooo, Willow" He said. "What's in the bag?"
"Sit down and I'll show you." Was all she said.
Once they were sitting down and Angel had put a shirt on, Willow put the bag on the table.
"So, what's all this about" Angel said.
"Okay, well I didn't want you to spend Christmas all by yourself, so I thought I'd visit you, and then I ...I figured that if I came over I may as well get you some presents. So..so here" Willow said as she gave the bag to Angel.
Angel looked at her for a moment before he opened the bag and slowly pulled out half a dozen presents.
Willow watched on as he opened the presents one by one. After he opened the last present that contained the vampire bear he looked up at Willow and smiled.
Willow smiled back in relief.
"I...I wanted to get you something really special" She started "but I couldn't find anything that seemed right and…" Willow was cut off by Angel.
"Willow, it's lovely. No ones every done anything like this for me before." Angel said " But I mean why? I don't deserve it after all I've done to you."
Willow put on her resolve face "Of course you deserve it, and what do mean after all you've done? If it weren't for you I'd be dead now, and after all it is Christmas. I'm just sorry I couldn't get you something really special." She said sadly looking at her hands.
At that last statement Angel got up and sat next to Willow.
"You know, you did give me something special." Angel said.
"What" Willow said confused.
"Your friendship" Angel said with a smile.
Willow smiled back.
"Merry Christmas" Willow said. "Friend."
THE END
read the sequal 'Willow's Secret'