She knocked on his door, before entering. In the short time she had woken up, Giles and Buffy had called. She looked at her caller I.D. and ignored the call. She remembered what Angel had told her. She knew before she could face them, she needed to face Angel.
She walked into the dark room and closed the door behind her. For a moment she thought at the sadness of Angel never being able to see the beautiful day outside. It wasn’t fair, she thought as she moved to the sofa and sat down. She would wait for him. Her thoughts returned to the night she had come and kissed him. She had tried to stop, but there was nothing she could do. The cave, the arrow, the blood, the dream. She was too deep in thought to see the person who joined her.
“Willow.”
She jumped off the sofa.
“Angel.”
“I didn’t mean to scare you”.
“No...no..I was..It..was a surprise.”
“Please sit.”
She did, but tried not to look at him. Just hearing him had triggered her memories back to the dream, the wonderful dream. She turned bright red.
Angel had taken a good look at her when he saw her on the sofa. As at command he grew hard, remembering. It took all his control from reaching out and kissing her. He sat next to her.
“Willow I wanted to thank you. Thank you for saving me not only once, but three times. You’ve defended me when everyone has doubted. Even let me drink from you to live. I know it must have been horrible to let me feed on you...,” he said guiltily and ashamed, his gaze moving down.
Willow cut him off angrily.
“You don’t have to thank me Angel. I should be thanking you. You saved me from that arrow. If it hadn’t been for me you never would have lost so much blood. And it wasn’t horrific. I helped a friend and when ever you need...”
He looked up at her. She had managed to amaze him once more.
“I’ve never met anyone like you,” his eyes shining with gratefulness.
She looked at him and turned a bit redder.
“Last night under the tree. I’m sorry. I never should have. It was just that, I didn’t want it to be painful for you so I tried to make it as pleasurable as possible. The blood created the effect in me too, but I took a step further that I shouldn’t have and I’m sorry, I shouldn’t...,” he said feeling like a sixteen year old rambling. If he could sweat, he would be trenched.
“I understand,” she interrupted, feeling a bit hurt by the apology.
“Do you remember anything about the night before?” he asked her, knowing the best approach would be to ask her straight out.
She tensed
“Nothing wrong happened the other night,” he told her with a tenderness in his eyes she had never seen before. Willow remained looking at him with a guiltily face.
“What do you remember?” he asked hoping to get an answer.
“It’s crazy,” she mumbled.
“No it’s not. Tell me, please.”
It was crazy and knew many people would not believe her, yet she had a feeling Angel would. She gathered up enough courage and began the story.
“It was like a dream. I was there, but yet I wasn’t. I got up from bed, changed and had a need to see you. It was important. I had to find you. I felt desperation. I could not control myself. I was in my body, but I had no control of it. It was as though two people where in it. Then I saw you and felt such relief and love. Then we spoke and a heavy sadness fell on me. Such a sadness. Then...” she said looking away from him, blushing.
Then he had kissed her he thought, knowing this must be awkward for her.
“Then you past out,” he said hoping there was more.
“I thought I had fallen into a second dream. I was in the country talking to someone. She told me that I had to remember. Remember everything. That I would know and everything would be fine. I don’t remember anything else. I know it sounds crazy,” she said, looking at him, hoping to see a different reaction.
“No it doesn’t. The person. Was she named Victoria?”
“How did...,” she began, but trailed off in surprise.
“Was it her?” he asked rather urgent.
“How could you know her name?” she asked him as she pulled herself up, knowing he knew more. He looked in to her eyes, knowing he would have to tell her.
“I knew her,” he replied as he stood up.
How to explain? he asked himself. He ran his hand through his hair.
Willow swallowed hard, trying to understand. A sharp pain hit her and she closed her eyes. She would see her again. Under a tree, waiting, wanting to see someone. Then she saw him.
“Under the maple tree. You proposed. The bracelet. You didn’t have a ring. She kissed you,” Willow said calmly.
<How the hell....> he asked himself as he turned around and looked at her surprised. Her eyes were closed and seemed to be in a trance.
“It was before, before you became...became...she knew...knew what you would become....knew she could some to you....she loved you...loved you so much...,” she said her voice becoming softer. She smiled.
Angel didn’t understand. She walked up to him, her eyes still closed. Her thoughts still in the past, she placed her hand on his cheek. He did not move away, welcoming her touch.
“You looked so happy. You were strong. Full of life. Your eyes, full of light..,” she continued as she trailed off. She opened her eyes and could see Angel looking at her intently. She realized what she was doing and took her hand back.
“I’m sorry,” she told him as she backed away from him.
“No...don’t be,” he said.
She blushed a bright red.
“I was just.....just um...,” she tried to explain.
“How did you know?” he asked.
“I was there. I would see you...through her”.
He looked at her more intently. There was something in those green eyes.
She looked away from him and walked over to the fireplace more confused then before. Her head hurt. She didn’t understand any of this. She didn’t want to. She looked at one of the candle holders on a side table. <Damn it, won’t this headache ever go away> she thought. Before she even completed the thought, the candleholder flew through the air, startling her and Angel.
“Oh God,” she muttered, wondering what had happened.
Her head throbbed. She bumped into Angel. She was scared. She turned to face him and soon Angel was pushed to the floor. She looked on terrified. She froze, then headed for the door.
Angel had not expected that push. He was thrown down to the ground for a second time and his body was not happy by that at all. He rushed to his feet as he saw her head for the door. Before she could reach it, he wisked her around. He placed a strong hold on her shoulders, making her remain still.
“Willow calm down. You need to calm down,” he told her.
“What...happened...what’s happening?” she asked him frantically.
“You need to calm down.”
Those were the last words she heard before everything
went dark.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Angel carried her to the sofa. She had passed out once again. She had been frantic, pushing him for a second time to the ground. She was strong. Very strong. His body was still bruised and hurting. He would need to explain. But how could he if even he did not quite understand it. She had told him she had been there. Seen him before he became a vampire. Confessing to him that Victoria knew what he was to become. She knew his fate and yet never told him. The thought perplexed him. He was soon brought out of his thoughts as he saw Willow begin to moan. He sat next to her.
Her eyes blinked slowly open. The light hurting them a bit. Willow was exhausted. She felt as though she had ran a marathon. Her head throbbed. If this was how a hangover felt, now she knew she would never drink. She was looking at Angel as her eyes finally focused.
“How are you?” his soft voice asked.
“Tired,” she replied.
“You need to rest,” he told her.
“What’s wrong with me?” she asked him, hoping he knew.
“Nothing’s wrong,” he told her.
“Then I’m going crazy?” she asked somewhat hoping.
“No you aren’t,” he told her as his hand caressed her forehead.
“Then what is wrong with me?”
He felt her desperation and knew he would tell her as much as he knew.
“Willow do you trust me?”
Willow looked into his eyes and thought about it. Angel had saved her life several times, but they hardly spoke. He was her friend she knew that, but she did not really know him. Yet the answer pooped into her head once he asked.
“Yes.”
He looked at her astonished. That he had not expected. Even Buffy did not trust him completely. He knew that. He looked deeper into her green eyes.
“Victoria was a woman I knew before I was crossed over. Everything you saw at the maple tree was true. I proposed to her. We were to wed in secret later that week.”
“Secret?”
“There were rumors. Rumors everyone in the village believed. Her parents did not approved of our courtship.”
“What kind of rumors?” she asked fearing what he was about to say.
“Her family pertained to a certain clan, certain people. They did not approve of outside marriages. They had certain talents. Gifts per say. They moved from village to village, trying to live normal lives, but then the rumors would start and the fear would spread, then moved once again.”
“Angel, what did they do?” she asked trembling.
He took a deep breath and took her hand in his.
“Victoria was said to be able to see into the future.”
“That isn’t possible...no one can...” she began to say.
“Her sister Shannon was gifted with the movement of objects.”
“Telekinesis. She was able to move things with her mind?” she said not able to believe.
“Do you know much about your family tree?” he asked her.
“Um..I haven’t really asked my dad. My mom’s family is from Boston, we don’t alk to them much, I also have some family still in Ireland..”
“Ireland?” he asked.
“Yes. My aunt Melissa still lives there, my family came from..,” she said as she realized what he had meant.
“How long ago have you spoken with your aunt?”
“Angel you aren’t thinking..?”
“The only way you can receive their gifts if you are part of there family. They were from Ireland, like I was”.
“But I don’t have any of there gifts..” she began to protest.
“You can move things. You pushed that holder like you pushed me. You opened the door in the sewer and the vampire that other night.”
“Angel..I didn’t mean..I didn’t know..I just...I don’t understand,” she told him as she pulled herself up.
“I know, I still don’t understand everything.”
“The nightmares she was there. One of the tortured,” she told him gasping for breath.
“Nightmares? What nightmares?” he asked.
“I have had nightmares....of people dying...tortured...killed. I was there..but wouldn’t help...wouldn’t help them..she was there..she was there,” she told him busting into tears. He wrapped his strong arms around, stroking her hair.
“They took them away in the middle of the night. All of them. They burned their houses and took them away. I tried to find her. It was too late,” he told her as a tear ran down his face.
“I’m sorry Angel..I’m sorry.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“It wasn’t yours either,” she sobbed.
He held her until her cries softened and his grief subsided.
“What am I meant to do?” she asked knowing she had to accept what was happening to her.
“I’m not sure. Victoria mentioned something about protecting the family.”
“The prophecy..”
“Your the one.”
“And your the shadow.”
“I think so.”
*Why me?*
*I don’t know.*
*How is it connected?*
*Giles might know*
*You heard Giles, he thinks it’s about Buffy.*
*He’s wrong. We’ll need his help.*
Willow looked up and would see the same confusion in Angel’s eyes. She pulled back a bit frightened. Angel stood up panicking a bit.
“How?”
“I don’t...don’t know.”
“But you didn’t...”
*You didn’t either.*
“I know, but..,” she stopped noticing he hadn’t moved his lips.
“I’m not crazy, right?” she asked.
“No...no you aren’t.”
*We should see Giles*
*We should *
“Stop that”
“How if I don’t know how I do it in the first place?”
*I’m sorry*
“Angel, talk. Is this one of the powers?” she asked.
“It might be, I’m not sure.”
“My headaches,” she realized.
“Headaches?”
“I get headaches. Every time I use something. Your push here, the door in the lair, the candleholder. I get headaches.”
“Are they painful?” he asked her.
“No,” she hesitantly lied.
He looked at her for a moment. He knew she was lying to him. He could...feel it.
“They do,” he told her a bit hurt and serious.
She looked up and him and wondered how he knew.
“A bit.”
He sat back down next to her. He took her hands in his. He looked deep into her green eyes.
“We have to trust each other on everything Willow. Somehow, where connected.”
He smiled and caressed her hands. She stared back, thanking the person who had chosen him as her protector.
“I promise.”
“We’ll have to find out about your past. Somehow you are a descendent. I’m not sure how since the entire clan was executed.”
“I can ask my mom.”
“Then...” he trailed off as he looked to the door.
Willow followed his gaze and could feel the worry in Angel. He stood up and she followed, still not sure what it was. He turned to look at her, then heard the whisper in her head.
Buffy...Xander...Giles.
******************