Sunnydale
1999. Thirteen months after Willow's disappearance.
"Something's
wrong."
"What
are you talking about? Everything's fine."
"No,
it's not. I can feel it. Something is wrong."
"What
could be wrong Katelyn? We got rid of the witch. The slayer and her friends
have all been taken care of…well except for the vampire. But he's so consumed
with his guilt about what has happened, that he's hardly what I'd consider
a threat. Everything is in place now. With the slayer gone, it will only
be a matter of time before Sunnydale and then the rest of the world is
ours for the taking."
"I…I
guess. I...it's just I still can't help wondering. Wondering what went
happened with the spell. I mean we never did find out why the spell went
wrong, or where the witch was sent because of it. Willow was meant to be
sent to the demon dimension, but something drew her away, and now she could
be anywhere. We should have just killed her."
"Killing
her would have left a body, and would not have destroyed the others like
it did. Besides, how do we know that we didn't just evaporate her or something?
I mean we haven't heard anything about her after all."
"Perhaps."
Katelyn said. "Perhaps."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
2006
Angel's place
When
Willow awoke the next day she found herself to be alone in Angel's bed,
the vacant space next to her making her feel strangely empty and alone.
It was silly really. She had in essence spent most of her life alone, even
with her friends around her, she had always still felt a void within her.
But
in the time that she had spent here with Angel that void had started to
be filled. At first she thought it was simply because he was the only connection
that she had to her past, to what she used to know.
But
with each passing moment that she spent with him, she began to realize
that that was not the only reason. There was a much larger one. One that
she had managed to avoid thinking too much about almost from the moment
she had met him. She was slowly falling in love with him.
She
didn't quite know when her feelings for him had started changed from a
simple schoolgirl crush to something deeper. All she knew was that these
feelings she had for him now were more than simple friendship. And she
didn't have the first clue what to do about it all. So, she decided to
just follow her heart, and hope that she didn't get hurt.
Reluctant
to leave the warm confines of the bed…his bed, but wanting to find Angel,
she forced herself up and quickly showered and changed. Then, after taking
a deep breath, she went to find him.
As
she walked around the apartment, it quickly became apparent that Angel
was nowhere to be found. Wandering into the kitchen she found a note addressed
to her on the kitchen table, telling her he had slipped out just before
dawn to make sure nothing had been left behind at the school, and for her
not to leave the house till he returned, as he was worried for her safety.
Putting
the note back down, Willow quickly made herself some breakfast and ate
it, before deciding that with Angel most likely one till sunset, that this
would be the perfect time for exploring.
She
knew really that she shouldn't, but she was eager to find more out about
Angel…this Angel and it was pretty likely that he wouldn't just open up
to her.
Wandering
through the sitting room, Willow came across an old oak wall-unit. Looking
briefly through the draws, Willow found nothing of particular interest
and moved on to the cabinet above.
As
she opened the front of the cabinet that when pulled down become a desk,
Willow couldn't help but feel that this was wrong.
Deciding
that it might be better after all if she just left best enough alone, she
started to close I up when she saw something in the corner of her eye that
caught her attention.
Reaching
over, Willow pulled out a simple black leather folder.
Curiosity
getting the better of her, she slowly opened it up, shocked at what she
found there.
Inside
where drawings, over a hundred drawings of her. Each one signed by Angel
and dated. Some going back to just after they had met.
Taking
the folder with her, Willow sat down on the couch and started to look though
the images, varying from when she was only 16, with long hair and pinafore
dresses, to how she looked now, dated up till yesterday. Images ranging
of her sleeping in Angel's bed, to her sitting at the dinning table laughing
at something.
Willow
wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there, looking at each picture
again and again mesmerized, but when she finally looked up and out the
window, she noticed that it was already dark outside.
Quickly
shutting the folder, Willow stood up and stared to make her way back to
the desk wen she stopped dead in her tracks.
Leaning
in the doorway, starting intently at her was Angel, a silent question she
did not know, shining in his eyes.
End
Part 11
"Angel!" Willow said,
jumping up from her seat quickly and placing the folder on a nearby table.
"I didn't here you come in."
"I
came in the through the back door. I didn't want to disturb you just in
case you were asleep or something."
"Oh...thanks."
Willow said, shifting nervously. "So...um...when did you get back? Just
now?"
"No,
I got back about ten minutes ago, just before it started to rain."
"It's
raining?" Willow said.
"Yes.
There's one hell of a thunder storm going on out there Willow."
"Oh,
I didn't notice."
"Yeah,
I gathered that. You seemed to be engrossed in something. So Willow, what
were you looking at that was so fascinating that you got lost in your own
little world?"
"Nothing
really." Willow said her voice wavering.
"Nothing."
Angel said rolling the word over his tongue. "It looked to me like you
were looking in that folder."
"The
folder?" Willow said.
"Yeah,
that folder on the table over there." He said pointing.
Oh,
that folder. I only had a quick look. I had only just opened it. I know
I shouldn't have looked at it, but I was curious and it was wrong. I'm
sorry!" Willow babbled, wanting nothing more than to crawl into a hole
at that moment knowing she had been caught.
"Willow,"
Angel said moving from the door fame and further into the room. "When I
found you in here, it looked to me that you had been looking at it for
a while."
"Um...w..
wait a minute! Why am I explaining to you when it should be the other way
around! Why do have all those drawings of me Angel?"
"Don't
you like them?" Angel asked as he moved closer to her, reminding Willow
of an animal ready to pounce and any moment.
"Like
them? Angel what does that have to do with anything? Why do you have all
those drawings of me?"
"I
like them." Angel said, ignoring Willow's question, coming to stand in
front of her. "I like them a lot."
"Um
Angel?" Willow said, growing nervous at the intense stare he was giving
her.
"Of
course I like the real thing even more." He said, now standing so close
to her they were almost touching.
"A...Angel?"
Willow questioned, not sure what Angel was going to do next, given his
strange and erratic behaviour.
"Yes
Willow?" he said, pulling her towards him.
"Wh...what
do you think your doing?" she said, trying to sound angry but instead growing
more nervous with every second that passed, but at the same time couldn't
stop the shiver that went down her spine at their closeness.
"Well,"
Angel said as he pulled her even tighter against him. "I was thinking that
I might kiss you."
"Wh...what?
Kis-"
Willow
was suddenly cut off when Angel ducked down and captured her lips with
his own, his arms wrapping tighter around her.
Resisting
at first, Willow soon lost herself in the kiss that Angel had started,
wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him.
The kiss was everything
they both had ever hoped for. Something both of them had wanted for so
long they almost couldn't remember when they had wanted it from.
And
now it had happened.
Finally
breaking apart, they both started at each other, both unsure what to do
or what to say next. Both of them now unaware of the storm that raged outside.
End
Part 12
After
staring into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity, Willow
finally broke the intense stare, her cheeks now having a rosy shine to
them.
Unsure
what she should say or do after what had just happened, Willow settled
for simply squirming under his gaze, and hoped they he'd say something
soon, before she was forced to.
Just as Willow thought he was going to wait for her to speak first, luck prevailed and his voice rang out in the quiet room.
"Willow?"
At
hearing her name, Willow suddenly began to worry about what he was going
to say, and also refused to look at him.
A
little concerned by Willow's lack of response, he tried again.
"Willow
look at me." He said as he placed his hand under her chin, tilting her
head towards him.
Looking
straight into her eyes, Angel found himself unable to read the look she
was giving him and started to wonder if she was having second thoughts
about what had just happened between them.
Deciding
to voice his concerns, he spoke to her.
"Willow,
are you okay? Do you regret what just happened between us?"
"No!
I...I don't know. " Willow said as she sat down on the sofa. "I just don't
know anything anymore..."
Sighing,
he took a seat next to her and motioned for her to look at him.
"Willow,
I'm sorry. I forget how strange and different all of this is to you. Being
here, not knowing how to get back and having only me for company."
"What?
Angel, despite all that has happened to me, I couldn't have hoped for anyone
better to be stranded with."
"Willow,
you don't have to-"
"I'm
not just saying that okay, I mean it. And to answer your earlier question,
I don't regret the fact that you kissed me Angel. If fact it was probably
just what I needed to take my mind off everything that's happening."
<Never
mind that it made my heart stop and my toes tingle, > Thought Willow.
"But,
after the kiss it seemed like you thought this was a mistake and it shouldn't
have happened."
"No,
I was just...I had a million things running through my mind. I was stunned,
scared, I was worried you thought it was a mistake. But I never thought
it was a mistake. I've been wanting to kiss you pretty much since I got
here, hell, I'd wanted to kiss you before all of this happened."
"Really?
You mean that all those times we spent together in the library researching
and such you wanted to kiss me?" Angel paused to consider Willow's confession
"Well, that explains those stares you used to give me." Angel continued
teasingly.
"You
saw them! I thought I hid them pretty well. Oh god that's so embarrassing."
"I
don't know, I think it's kind of cute myself." Angel said softly as he
drew Willow towards him.
"You
do huh." Willow said, her worry about Angel regretting it now easing.
"Yes.
So Willow, now that we've gotten all of that awkward 'the moment after'
talk out of the way with, what do you think we should do now?"
"Well,
I would say research, but I need a break from all that for a while, but
I can think of a few other constructive ways we could spend our time."
Willow said cheekily.
"Is
that right?" Angel said, already bringing Willow close to him.
"Yep." Willow said, before being cut off by Angel's lips as they were pressed against her own.
End Part 13
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