Before she could speak, her phone rang loudly really loudly, making her and
Angel jump.
After the second ring she looked at the phone and said wistfully,
"I guess I should get that."

She reached for the phone and answered it. "Hello?"
The voice on the other line replied "Hey Wills, Xander said you were
looking for me earlier."
"OH, Buffy," she said as she looked guiltily at Angel, who was
motioning for her to not tell buffy he was there.  "How are you?
Whatcha doin? Patrol go okay, no big bads?"
"Will, have you had coffee?"
"NO, just woke up from a nap, yup me nappin'.  It's what I do best."
"How was your afternoon?"
"Oh, uh, good. Helped Dawn with her homework, watched TV, patrolled."
"Oh, really?  I could've helped dawn with her homework all
afternoon.  Xander and Giles said…"
"What did they say?" Buffy asked wondering what Xander had told her
she was doing, < I hope I didn't just give something away. >  Buffy
thought to herself. "Oh, nothing.  Just that you were busy this
afternoon, and I shouldn't bother you.  But I could of helped with
Dawn," she told Buffy, not buying a word her supposed best friend was
saying. She looked at Angel as to say, "See?  They're hiding
something from me."
Angel gave her with a look that said "get off the phone, we need to
talk."
"Buff, I am really tired.  I am gonna let you go, k?"
Buffy was really worried now.  What had she done? "Are you sure? You
sound like something is wrong.  Tell and I shall solve."
" Oh Buff, nothing is wrong, just really sleepy."
Willow tried to fake a big yawn into the phone while trying not to
laugh at Angel making faces at her.
"Well if you're sure, I'll let you go back to sleep.  It is late,"
Buffy replied to her best friend
"K, goin' sleepy now, talk to you soon…"
Angel listened as the girls said goodbye. He knew something was up.
He could hear Buffy's voice over the phone; she was hiding something
and he planned to know what it was by the end of the next night.
Willow hung up the phone, and her tummy growled.
"Well jeeze, I guess I should eat something," she hinted at Angel.
"Well Willow, why don't we go get you something to eat and you can
tell me about Buffy said to you," Angel replied as he stood up
reluctantly from her bed.
Willow grabbed a coat to Angel's dismay, and off they
were headed to Waffle House. .
Once seated in a small booth in the back, a woman who looked like
she was a reject hooker came over and took their order.  Angel looked
at Willow, noticing the small changes in
her since the last time he saw her. Her hair was shorter and curlier
though still that same red, which he loved. The physical changes
ended there. The emotional changes were the significant ones. She sat
taller; confidence oozed from her, as well as sexiness he knew was
beneath her child-like demeanor. The magic flowed from around her.
She had to be amazingly powerful now.  Her eyes no longer held the
innocence he held so dear within his memory of her.  Although there
were glimpses of it, he had a feeling, she knew how to use it to her
advantage now.
Willow looked at Angel and figured he was studying her, which would
explain his quietness.  Since he was looking at her, she took the
chance to silently study him as well. Of course,
his looks have not changed, except for his eyes.  The pain that she
associated with Angel was no longer present in his eyes.  They now
showed love and kindness, that at times she remembered seeing on
occasion. He just seemed lighter, if you could describe a vampire
as "lighter"; he glowed with a happiness she was glad he had found,
she thought to herself. One thing she did notice was that he was
wearing a deep purple.  It just made him look more handsome.  <If
only, he would wear the leather pants with that shirt, it would be a
dream come true,> Willow thought as she sighed.
Angel noticed her sigh, and decided that he had enough studying and
was going to ask her her about her call and that soft sigh.
"Well Will, what did Buffy say?" Angel asked while gauging her
emotions.
"Just that she is a big fat liar, a selfish bitch, and as big a slut
as spike thinks she is, or until he fell
in love with her, like the rest of the male population in the world,
and some of the female population--I think Tara had something for
her." Willow answered Angel.  Angel didn't have to gauge much.  She
just let it all out! He was confused about the Spike and Tara
comments, but was pleased that she was being so open with him.  He
reasoned that if inviting him into her bed didn't open her up to him
then he didn't know what would.
"Well Willow, don't hold back on me, tell me how you
really feel," he said with a laugh.
" Oh goddess, I am sorry Angel!  I know you love her, but sometimes
she just makes me sooo, well I would say mad, but that word does not
encompass how I really feel. But, oh, I don't know how I feel, but by
the look on your face I am still babbling so I'll stop now," she
said looking up in to Angel's eyes.
"Willow, you can tell me you hate Buffy, and it won't bother me.   I
know how you feel, and you're right, I do love her, but I am not in
love with her.  After I got back from hell, I started to see things
about her that made me not want to be with her anymore.  Yes, I did
love her, but I could not be with her."
Willow didn't know what to say. He had never said so much at one time
to her, let alone something that made her that happy. Willow decided
she should say really feel. But, oh, I don't know how I feel, but by
the look on your face I am still babbling so I'll stop now," she
said looking up in to Angel's eyes.
"Willow, you can tell me you hate Buffy, and it won't bother me.   I
know how you feel, and you're right, I do love her, but I am not in
love with her.  After I got back from hell, I started to see things
about her that made me not want to be with her anymore.  Yes, I did
love her, but I could not be with her."
Willow didn't know what to say. He had never said so much at one time
to her, let alone something that made her that happy. Willow decided
she should say something before her mind started reeling even more.
"Well, Angel, tell me how you really feel," was all she could muster.
 

********************** Chapter 7*********************

Angel just laughed and as her food arrived, he
wondered how a girl so small could eat all that food.  He
had just watched her devour a chicken
patty melt, a double order of hash browns smothered in cheese,
and a salad.  He felt like he had just watched Xander
eat, although she looked better than Xander when she ate.

" I am sorry Angel, I was starving," She said looking at him
sheepishly.

   He told her not to apologize to him for anything, and if
she thought that was bad she should see Cordy eat!
They both laughed at the idea of Cordelia eating anything.
Angel hated to end the playful mood, but he need to
know all that was happening so he could find out how to solve it.

   "Willow, when did all of this start?" he asked her.

   " When did what start?" Willow replied innocently.

She did not want to tell Angel all about Tara.  She had
decided that she was going to do the truth spell, and
she was sure that he had told Cordy to discourage her
from doing it. She could just see Angel standing behind Cordy,
instructing her what to tell her.

  "Willow don't play coy with me, you know what I am talking
about," Angel said to her. He didn't want to let on
too much; he did not want to damage the friendship or
what ever they were heading into, nor did he want to
damage her friendship with his seer.

    "When did Buffy start making you mad?" he asked a
straight-faced Willow.

Willow was feeling better at his
last remark; <he just thinks I am mad at Buffy,> she thought to
herself.
   " I dunno when it first started.  I guess today when I found out
that she was lying to me, or Xander was lying to me. I do not know
which one it is.  I guess that means I mad at both of them. Oh yeah,
I am mad at Giles too, he backed Xander up," she confessed, taking a
deep breath. <Angel is going to have to go away or doing something,
because I cannot do the babble thing too well anymore, > she thought
to herself.

   Angel was slightly amused by her display.  She had been
trying to keep from him what was going on but had just let
him know she was mad at everybody.  All he had to
do was distract her and she would babble the rest of
it out. He knew this was not the best way to do it,
<However it was the quickest way,> Angel thought to himself.

   Angel reached across the table, and lightly brushed
his fingers across her cheek and brought them down to
cup her chin.  Bringing her eyes back up into his, he asked,

   "Why are you mad at them?  Have they done something?"

  Willow was still dealing with the shock of feeling
Angel's fingers on her skin, but before she knew it
she was spilling her heart out to him.  She told him
all about the Giles incident, which is what she was
calling it, about Xander and Anya's conversation
before Giles had told them she was there, about
her phone call from Buffy, and about Cordy's
insinuation that she couldn't do a spell right. She
just let it all out.  <Maybe Angel could figure it all out. > she
hoped silently.

   "Wow, little one, it sounds like you have had a rough
few weeks. So, how do you want to solve this
problem? Because it sounds like they're not listening
to a word you say to them.  Do you think this has to do
with Tara leaving, or do you think it is something
else?" Angel asked to her after the confession.

   Willow didn't know what to do.  Should she tell him
about he spell or not?  No, she decided, she was not
going to tell him about the spell.  She knew he would
never go for it. She almost wanted to tell him what
he could do to make her feel better, but that would
just end up a repeat of what happened on her bed this
afternoon.  Of course, after that, she needed a spell to remove
guilt. But Buffy was being a bitch, and Angel wasn't
in love with Buffy anymore.  As a matter of fact, she
didn't know the PTB had anchored his soul! Willow
only knew because Cordy had told her a few weeks ago.

   Willow let her thoughts swirl in her brain for a few minutes.
As did Angel, until a deep blush started rising on
her cheeks, and she had opened her mouth, letting out
another soft sigh.  He couldn't take it a minute longer so he asked,
 

  "Little one, what is going on in that beautiful head of yours?"

   Willow stuttered her reply "What did you just say?"

   Angel had a bemused look upon his face as he said

   "You know what I said little one."

   <So he had called me beautiful!> she rejoiced silently, her mind
beginning to race again.  As he paid the bill and left a huge tip, he
grabbed her hand and said in her ear breathlessly
   "Let's get out of here."

   She willingly complied as he took her hand and they
began walking the streets of Sunnydale, silently.
Angel didn't know where they were headed, and he
didn't care as long as she was still held his hand.
Willow couldn't take it any longer.  She stopped and
looked up into Angels deep chocolaty eyes and asked

   "Did you just call me beautiful?"

   "Yes little one I did," he replied as he looked down
into her wide, sparkling emerald eyes. He leaned down
and brushed a feather light kiss upon her lips.  When
she deepened the kiss he traced her lips with his tongue, begging for
entrance.

   Willow was shocked to feel his cool lips softly touch
hers, all she knew was she wanted it, and she wanted
more of it, harder and deeper, she wanted to taste
him.  She deepened the kiss and slowly traced her hand
up his neck up to his sable colored hair, enjoying the shiver that
went through his body.
  When he traced her lips with his cool tongue, she moaned against
his mouth and opened up to him, pressing herself into
his hard, delicious body.  She wanted time to stop
while she explored his mouth. Although she would be the happiest
witch on the planet if she died right now of asphyxia, she needed to
breathe.  She pulled away from him, dazed.

  All he could say to her was "Wow! That was amazing."

She looked at him and just nodded her head, not trusting her voice.

  Angel's mind was going a mile a minute.  He had never experienced a
kiss that passionate before in his life! Never had Buffy kissed him
with all the passion that he had felt come from Willow.  Buffy had
never completely let herself go with him. He wanted to pick Willow up
in his arms and carry her to the nearest bed, but he
would wait.  He knew it wouldn't be her first time but
he wanted it be like nothing else she would ever
experience, so he would wait. He was not going to be like
some boy. He was almost 250 years old so he could at least act like
it.

   "Little one I am going to have to get you back to your
dorm, unless you want to come spend the night at my
place." He looked to her face, to see how she would
react to that idea. She just looked at him and smiled,
and tightened her grip on his hand.

  She answered his request with a simple answer " I would like that."

    Her mind was racing. She was going back to Angel's! What would
happen? She was sure he wouldn't let things get too far too soon,
which she was grateful for, but she would like more smoochies, that's
for sure.

   Before Angel could say anything else to her they were
standing in the lobby of the hotel he was staying at.
They took the elevator to the 6th floor, and stepped
out into the penthouse suite. Before Angel knew what
was happening, Willow had pulled him into another deep soul-searing
kiss.

   <Gods her lips taste so sweet, like strawberries,> he
thought to himself, before he lost all thought to the
kiss.

They stood in the entrance way, kissing for
several more minutes until Angel pulled them apart
and looked into Willows' lust filled eyes, saying "Little
one, we need to stop this before it gets out of hand,
and we take this too far to fast. When I pull you into
my arms and make love to you I want your feelings to be as deep as
mine."

Willow could not believe this was happening. Angel had
deep feelings for her!  When did that happen?  How did
that happen? She was about to get lost in her thoughts
when she realized she had not spoken a word to him in
10 minutes and figured she should try.  "Angel," she
began softly, " I don't what this to get out of hand
too fast either, but I do have feelings for you.  I
have had them for a long time, and I want our first
time together to wonderful."

She looked at him and
decided that she needed to diffuse the situation with
some of her well-placed humor; she slowly moved out of
Angels embrace and took a look around the room.

"Well,it is not as nice as my place but it will do," she
said looking dead serious at him.

Angel let out a deep hard laugh and replied "Little
one, we are going to have to teach give you some taste."

She shot back at him "I have taste!  I choose you didn't I?"

         ***************** Chapter 8 **************
 

Angels mind reeled.  She chose him! How could that have
happened? All he knew was that he wanted to pick her
up in his arms and carry her off into the bedroom, and
make love to her forever. However he stopped himself. He wanted to
wait until things had been sorted out and he knew better where they
stood. Angel thought to
himself as he searched through the room for the key to the mini bar.
"Well I am still not so convinced about your taste.
But here is the key to the mini bar, help yourself," he said
teasingly as he tossed her the key.
Willow went to the fridge and looked at the selection.  <Oh tequila!>
she thought to herself but got even more
excited by the Dasani water that she had recently
become addicted to. She grabbed a bottle and settled
herself on the couch, and snuggled into the cool arms of her vampire.
Angel reveled in the feel of her in his arms.  He
had questions he wanted to ask her but was unsure exactly how to ask
them.
He decided the direct approach was the best.
"Willow I have some questions I want to ask you."
"Okay, ask away," she answered steeling herself for
anything he might ask.

"You mentioned something about
Spike and Buffy and Tara earlier and I wanted to know
what you meant," Angel asked as casually as possible so as not to
arouse any suspicion on her part that he still wanted Buffy.
Willow's mind went automatically to those very
thoughts, but she pushed them down. She knew he was no
longer in love with her best friend.

She filled him in
on Spike falling in love with his mortal enemy and about all the
things Tara did and said about Buffy.  Angel was in shock with
everything Willow said about
his grandchilde. He knew that Spike had feelings for
Buffy, but what shocked him the most was the fact he
had tried to act on those feelings. However he was not
too surprised since he knew that Spike's mind worked in twisted ways.
If
Spike couldn't kill her the next best thing for him to
do was fall in love with her. It was amusing. Yet what
Willow told him about Tara was not so amusing. It
sounded like the girl did have feelings for Buffy,
however he did not know Tara.

Willow's story had taken a
lot out of her, as well as the events that had happened
between them.  He pulled her tighter in to his arms
knowing that he loved her more than anything in the world.

As Angel tightened his hold on her, Willow knew in her
heart she was falling head over heels for the man who
held her so tightly in his cool embrace. It was funny
to her because she thought she was done with men. Tara
had opened her up to a new world, which Willow had
loved and treasured but that world was not enough for
her, she wanted more and now she knew what that more entailed.
"Little one," Angel spoke softly in to her hair.
"Mmm?" willow replied to him in a lustful yet sleepy tone
"Are you sleepy?" he asked her hopeful that he could
carry her into bed and wrap his arms around her body while they
slept.
"Uhmmm, will you stay with me though?" she asked tentatively.

Angel's response was pulling her into his arms and
carrying her to the bedroom and laying her on his
bed.  His hands traveled down her body as he relieved
her of her skirt, then her shirt. He left her
momentarily with a questioning yet longing look in
her eyes as he went to the armoire and grabbed her on
of his oxford shirts to sleep in. He slowly wrapped it
around her fiery skin and then began buttoning each
button until there were three left. He looked down
into her cleavage and could not bring himself to fasten the button
that
would hide that view from him.
Willow sat back and allowed him undress her, not wanting to
lose his touch. Her skin craved it. She looked into
his eyes when his hands were no longer on her body, she
watched him retreat to a closet and return with a
soft, supple oxford shirt that smelled of him. She sat
up and let him drape the cool comforting cloth around
her achingly warm body. She watched his face as he
slowly placed his fingers on the buttons to hide her
body from his eyes. She knew he did not want to clothe her but felt
he needed to.
Willow slowly moved her hands to his body and pulled
the tail of his shirt form his pants watching the lust
play in his eyes as she slowly unbuttoned his shirt
and slid it off of his body. She placed feather light
kissed down his sensitive abdomen, as she reached the
zipper on his pants, she slowly pulled on it and freed
him form the suddenly too tight pants. She was
surprised when she got there, not because of the
evidence of his arousal but because he was wearing Scooby doo boxers.
She giggled as he realized why she had stopped. <Damn!  Of all days
to skip laundry.> he chastised himself.
They had been a gift form Cordy on a day he was
missing the `good ole days'. Cordelia had thought
herself quite humorous that day. If truth be told, he
had thought so too, but in this situation he lost all
thoughts of humor. However they did not seem to bother
her as she just continued on removing his pants with a knowing smile.
When she returned from her trek, he placed a sweet soft
lingering kiss on her lips as he pulled her on to his chest.
 

     ***************** Chapter 9 ****************

Neither of them spoke about what had just transpired
between them. Willow drifted off to sleep with the new
images of Angel in her mind.

As he slowly stroked her hair,
Angel could still feel her burning fingers on his cool
skin. He wanted her, there was no hiding that fact. He
felt her float in to dreamland.  He whispered to
her "I love you little one" as he too feel asleep.

Willow awoke with a start, as she often did when she
found herself somewhere other than her own bed. Not
that that had happened since Tara. She looked at the
clock on her bedside table. She had been asleep for
her normal four hours, but she was not going to leave
Angels protective arms that encircled her. She thought
about what had happen in the last twelve hours since
Angel showed up at her dorm. The thought that had made
her the happiest was when she heard Angel tell her that he loved her
right before she fell asleep.  That thought had turned
into some rather graphic dreams of the man who was presently nuzzling
her neck.
"Little one, I know you're awake, and I demand that
you go back to sleep." Angel surprised her enough to
pull her from her probing thoughts.
" I am sorry sweetie, I didn't mean to wake you up,
but I do have to go to school today," she lied to him, knowing she
needed supplies for the spell she was going to do tonight.
Angel didn't want to let her up but if she had to go
to school, then he had no choice. He knew how important it was to
her.
"Okay, little one, up you go.  I'll call room service
and order you some breakfast. What would you like?" He
said as he got up from bed, giving her a show.

Willow watched his movements as he removed himself
from the confines of the bed they shared. He slowly
uncovered his body, with a grace Willow supposed one
would get after 250 years.  However she could feel he
was letting her know what she was missing by getting up.
" Just some toast, with strawberry jam, please," she replied to
Angel's request.

Angel walked out into the living room of his suite.  If
she thought he was going to order her toast then she didn't know him
very well.

Willow dislodged herself from the bed and headed to
the bathroom, knowing that Angel was not just going to
order her toast.  She just hoped what ever he got her came with
strawberries.
After Willow had showered and dressed in one of
Angels' shirts and her skirt from last night, she left the bedroom to
find Angel sitting in the kitchenette with a plate of chocolate chip
pancakes covered in strawberries in front of him.  Her jaw dropped.
How in the world did he know?

Angel sat and sipped his
blood, as he watched Willow walk into the room and saw
the breakfast he had ordered her.  "Its getting cold little one" he
told her.

"How in the world did you know that was my favorite? "she asked him.

"There are a lot of things I know about you, and by
the way my shirt looks good on you," he replied huskily.
"I am sorry, I hope you don't mind but mine had
something on it." She knew he didn't, she could tell by the look in
his eyes.
"Anything of mine is yours," he told her.  "Now sit down and eat your
breakfast."
They sat in comfortable silence as she ate; he watched
her try to eat slowly even though he could hear her stomach
rumbling .
Willow devoured her food, trying her hardest not got
get any of the strawberry juice on Angel's midnight blue shirt.
Angel was glad she was wearing his clothes; if she ran
across anything of the not-so-nice population of
Sunnydale, they would smell him on her and stay away. It
was also a shirt that Buffy has never seen so she wouldn't recognize
it.  And damn did she look good in
it! It made her bright hair shine, her skin look
creamier, and her eyes looked like the deepest
darkest emeralds he had ever seen. He wanted to take
her right there, smear the strawberries all over her
and lick them up very slowly. It was taking all his willpower not to.

Willow finished her breakfast and thanked Angel for it by
giving him a very soft gentle kiss.
Angel returned the kiss and deepened it.  Pulling her
in to his lap, he asked, "Do you have to go?"
Willow wanted so desperately to stay with him in this
position and make love to him but could not.  She HAD
to get the ingredients for her spell. She still needed
to know what they were hiding from her.  She may have
Angel but she just had to know.  The old saying 'curiosity killed the
cat' popped into her head.  She dismissed the thought quickly. She
should have taken that as a warning but could not know
at that moment how things were going to change that very night.
Angel could tell by her silence that she was
contemplating staying with him. So he asked "I am
going to take you silence as a yes." He picked her up
and carried her to the couch ignoring her pleas that she couldn't
stay.
"Angel put me down, now!" she demanded.
He did as he was told, his mother taught him well.
"I have to go to school, I have a paper due," she said, feeling
terrible about lying to him again.
"No stay with me little one, I promise you'll have more fun," he said
wickedly.
"Angel, don't do this! You know I have to go," she whined
" I know, but I just want you to stay with me---please."
" Look at me—do you see this face? Do you know what it is? Huh, do ya
mister?"
Angel looked at her, it only took a minute before he recognized the
look.
" Yup, that's right, it's my resolve face--- you know not to mess
with it right?"
Angel knew what this meant. There would be not
passionate lovemaking when she had that face on.
"Alright you win." Was all Angel could muster.
Willow got so excited she almost forgot she had to
leave.  She had won their first fight and it was not an
easy thing to do when she had to say no to that angelic face.
She turned to leave--- again, when she felt her feet leave the
ground.
Before she knew what hit her, Angel's arms embraced
her, and his lips met hers.  It was in that moment that she knew she
could never leave him again. When the kiss ended
Willow mumbled " I wonder if UCLA, would accept me?"
With that she walked out the door into the waiting
elevator, leaving a baffled, yet excited Angel.
 

  ******************** Chapter 10-12*****************

After she left, Angel sank into his bad habit… he was in brood mode.
Last night had been amazing, just holding her, and
touching her in a simple, sweet, straightforward way.
He loved that he did not have to pretend with her; she
knew what he was and accepted it.  She always had and
he knew she always would. It was simple--he loved her,
had been for a while. He had tried to tell her but
well, she thought he was talking to Buffy.  But he
hadn't been.  He meant what he said to her the night before,
he loved Buffy, but in the past tense. After he
returned from hell, he noticed things about Buffy he
just did not like. Maybe it was Faith's influence.  Maybe he had been
to blind before hell but he never noticed the `bad qualities', if one
could refer to them in such a way. However he did begin to notice
Willow, in ways he had never before.  Perhaps it was Oz's
influence.  It is a sad but a true fact that a man wants what he
can't have, but he doubted that was the reason. Willow was
just so amazing, but that one word was not enough to
describe her. She was so much more, and he had spent
all night with her. It had been a dream come true for
him.

After Willow walked out the door, her mind was in
a jumble. Angel was all she could think of.  Well that and his strong
hands on her body. That was the most erotic night she had ever with
some one. Yet, it was just simple, it was beyond sex. Sex
was one thing but to have someone touch you so
erotically, yet so innocently did more for her than
anytime she had made love to Oz or Tara. Angel was
amazing, she meant what she said about L.A. She could
see herself there.  It would be hard to leave
everyone, but in L.A. it would be a new start.  She
wouldn't have to play the part they wanted her to
play. She could help Angel and she really would like
to hang out with Cordy more, and get to know Gunn, and
the host sounded like he would be a lot of fun.
Willow walked into a magic supply shop. She thought to
herself, well they might think of it as a magic shop,
no wonder Giles was putting them all out of business.
She needed certain things she did not have and going
to Giles' shop would have meant answering questions,
hence the shopping at a competitors.
She found the supplies she needed and paid for them,
something she was not used to doing.  It sucked but was
necessary. She made her way down to the Magic Box as she
walked in the door the usual scene greeted her.

Anya counting the money, Dawn doing her homework,
Buffy and Giles in the back training and Spike—Spike
what in the world is he doing here?

" Hey red, why the look?" Spike asked Willow, "Miss me?"

Well that's another question to ask tonight. Willow thought to
herself.

Spike looked at Willow, He knew something wasn't right
with her. As a matter a fact he could smell his Grandsire all over
her but was not going to bring that up. He was just making his way
with Buffy, and he knew what a barracuda she could be when it came to
Angel.

" Well since you asked, I never noticed you were missing," she shot
back at Spike. In truth, she had missed him very much, but when Buffy
got something in her head you couldn't fight with her. She had
thought that Spike was amusing, and loved to spar with him,
even if sparing just meant flinging insults at each
other. She hated what he felt for Buffy because it made him stop
talking to her.

"Ha Ha, very funny luv.  You know you missed the big bad, I mean now
one here has the substance for you."

"Owe, that hurt." Spike gave Dawn an  `I am gonna get you' look.

"Spike, I have substance, and you know it," Dawn shot at him.

Willow just shook her head as they started fighting.  She thought
Spike was well suited for Dawny, he had the sense of humor of a 15
year old.

" Hey Anya, how are you?" Willow asked her best bud's girlfriend.

" I am well, but Xander has an infection, and we can't have sex,"
Anya replied to a Willow ignoring the disgusted look she was wearing.

"Oh, well I am sorry bout that Anya." She said before heading to the
back.

They were just finishing there training session when Willow walked
back.

" Buffy, I do think you should tell her…"

" Giles, she is my best friend and I don't think she would take this
well."

Willow stood back and cleared her throat.

" Hey guys, did I interrupt anything?" she asked them with a venomous
tone.

" Uh, no Will, we were just finishing." Buffy told her.

" Good I needed to tell you guys that I need to talk to you all
tonight, here about 9. Can you make sure everyone is here?" She did
not wait for their response as she turned and walked out of the
training room.  She picked up her bags she left at the door and
headed back to Angel's hotel.
 

Angel heard the elevator ding before he saw her, he
met her at the door with a gift in hand.

Willow opened the door to find Angel standing there with a brightly
colored box in his hand.

" This is for you little one." He said handing her the box.

Willow squealed when he handed her the box, and began ripping the
paper off it.

Angel watched with delight as she ripped the paper off
of the box reveling a long black velvet box.

" Oh Angel, you shouldn't have." She said breathlessly, as she opened
the box to reveal a sliver necklace with a charm of the tree of life.

She looked into Angel's eyes knowing what that charm meant, she saw
the love in his eyes. "I love it!!" she told him.

" I am glad little one, it was meant to for you to love."

Angel went over to her and placed it around her neck,
when the clasp snapped, they knew instantly that it was for life.

"Where did you find it?" she asked Angel wonderingly.

"I will never tell." He said with a smile.

"Well I guess that solves it. I will never know how you accomplish
some of the things you do." She said to him.

"If I told you that would take out the romance, and my
best quality--- mystery. Now come here and tell about your day."
Angel told her with a devilish smile.

"Hold on let me put these bags away." She said walking towards the
bedroom.

Angel had noticed the bags when she walked in, he could smell the
heady contents of the bag. He knew something was up.

" I have to go by the magic shop around 9, tonight, Giles needs to
tell me something." She said with a smile.

Angel knew by that smile there was something she was not telling him
and he knew in that moment of clarity she planned to do that spell,
even though he had come to her and told her how he felt. Wait I
haven't told her how I felt, he thought to himself.

Willow was still smiling about how she had told Angel
about tonight. How clever of me, she thought trying to suppress her
giggles.

"Come here little one and wipe that grin off your face, we have to
talk." Angel said to her straight-faced. Willow knew this moment
would come but she wanted to wait till the Scooby's were taken care
of.
"Angel, I know we have to talk but I have to go home before I head
over to see Giles. Can we do it after I see them, because I only have
an hour before sundown, and 2 before I have to be at the shop."

Angel wanted to do this now, but he knew that she was not going to
let him, he would just have to follow her and stop her before the
Spell.
"Okay little one, but I want you to be careful and before you leave
your dorm call me on my cell.  Then when you get there call me on my
cell and then before you leave you call---."

"Yes I know call your cell. I get it mister! You want to make sure I
am safe, but don't forget I am big strong powerful witch." She said
laughing at his overprotective concern.

" Just as long as you've got that point." He said pulling her up into
his arms looking in her eyes, he liked what he saw there--- love. He
gently bent down and captured her lips with his; she fell into him,
holding his body to hers. He lowered her to the ground
without losing contact with her tender lips.  She willing opened her
mouth to him with a soft moan as he slid his cool tongue into the
beckoning heat of her mouth to brush against his tongue against hers.
Willow could not believe the love present in his eyes.
She thought it might swallow her whole.
Not that she minded. When his lips met hers she felt
like she was a shooting star, rocketing to the moon
and back. Once his tongue found entrance to her
waiting mouth, she thought she had died. She had
not even realized that her hands were tangled in his
hair, and his hands were--- oh my,on my breast. Gods
don't ever let his hand move, she thought as she
moaned. At that moment his hands began caressing her
nipple as his other hand found its way under her tank.
`Oh I guess that movement is okay', she thought as she
reached around his hard body and stroked his chest.

Angel was delighting in the feel of her touching his
body, feeling her in his hands, he did not want to let
her go but knew he must. The time just was not right.

"Little one, I think it is time for you to go, but you will be back,
right?" he asked withdrawing his hands from under her clothing.

Willow just sighed and dragged her fingernails down his chest
enjoying the way he moaned.

"I will be back, but I think you will still be the same gentlemen
when I return." She replied in a voice full of lust.

She grabbed her bags and left a baffled Angel in her wake--- again.

She made it to her dorm as the sun was setting and made her
obligatory phone call to Angel.  She then
began mixing her herbs, and memorizing the spell,
checking it for fine print. She didn't want to give Anya
anymore power to tell the truth more than she already
did. The last thing she did was pack a bag, she was
not going to leave Angels side again after tonight and
well, his clothing left a little to be desired.
She fingered the necklace he had given her; she
had been touched, and shocked. It was so sweet of him
to do that for her, she had gotten enough crosses in
her short lifetime. She called Angel as she was
walking out her dorm room with a feeling things were
never going to be the same again.

Angel watched her leave with a bemused smile on his
face, so she was impatient. He would have to teach her
better. As much as he wanted to sit here and peruse
those thoughts, he knew that if he wanted to make sure
she was safe then he needed to get ready to follow her.  Sundown was
in only 15 minutes. He felt bad about what he was doing but he could
not stand to lose her again.  The worst part about it was that he
wanted to know what her friends were hiding form her, but he knew
that she would feel awful afterwards.  He was half way
to Sunnydale U. when his cell phone rang.  It was Willow telling him
she was on her way to the Magic Box. He waited for her
to pass him as he hid in the shadows. When she passed
she was talking about him under her breath.
`Wow she is talking about doing what to me, well she
is more creative than I thought' he said to himself
with a smile. He noticed her swinging a little velvet
bag at her side. He figured that it contained the
herbs she would need, as well as an overnight bag. He
liked that idea, her overnight.
Before he could get a handle on his thoughts they were at the magic
shop.
 

Willow decided to go in the back and stand behind them
all as she performed the spell, that way they could
not interrupt her in mid sentence--- like they always
did. She crept to the back and said a spell under her
breath that would allow her so sneak up silently. She
opened the door with ease, and no unnecessary squeak
that usually accompanied its opening, she walked into
the empty training room and began reciting the spell.
When she was finished she opened the bag of herbs and
placed them in the palm of her hand, not dropping a pinch.
Angel watched Willow go around back and he was
thankful, that way he could sneak in the front, and hide in the
shadows.

" Well it's nine!  Where is Willow?  It's not like her to
be late." Buffy said sounding bored.
"Well Buffy you can just wait.  It's also not like Willow to be so
cryptic, so if she said be here, I think we all should be here."
Giles told the rest of the grumbling children.
"I'm here guys, are you done whining, yet?" Willow asked as she
stepped from the back.

"Hey red, I know I wasn't formally invited but I thought why the
bloody hell not be here?  With you sounding so cryptic I thought
maybe you were gonna tell us you had been getting lessons from
my granddad." Spike told her pointedly.
Angel had to hold in a growl that that his grandchilde
always brought out in him. He was already pissed off about the way
Buffy had spoken about Willows promptness. Then he had to remind
himself that he was there to stop Willow from doing something she
might regret, and if in the process he got to kick Spike's ass then
so be it.

Angel walked out from the couch set up to the side of the store and
was about to make his way down to put a stop to this thing.

Willow opened up her bag and threw the concoction at all of them,
even him.  "Hello, Angel." She said without looking at him

"How did you know I was here?" he said back to her, however that was
not what he wanted to do.

Willow looked over at him and knew the spell  had worked.  "Sit down,
I will explain later. I have questions, questions that will be
answered whether or not you are here."

With that everyone sat down, even Angel.

Everyone had sat shocked at the conversation between Willow and
Angel, and had wanted to ask but however the only thing they seemed
to want to do was tell the truth. Especially Buffy.

"Spike and I are together." She shouted out before anyone else could
talk.
She looked to Angel to see what his reaction would be.

Angel just laughed, "As a matter a fact, I am in love with Willow,
that is why I told you no when you called me last week." Angel told
her nonchalantly.

Willow looked from Buffy and Angel, well that was one question
answered and another one to ask.

"Buffy, why did you call Angel?" Willow asked her best friend.

"To ask him if you could come stay with him in L.A." she told Willow
obediently.

"Well since we are playing the honesty game here, " Xander said
looking at Anya "I am going to be a dad, it seems."

Willow did not like what was happening around her.

Everyone went to hug and congratulate the parents-to-be which took
the focus off the fact she had cast a spell on them.

"Xander, Anya congrats, but can we get back to the matter at hand?
Buffy why would you think I want to go to L.A.?" she asked trying to
understand why they thought she would want to go to L.A.

Giles spoke first "Willow from this point on it is going to get
rather serious, and since you have Done something I have explicitly
asked you not to do to us, I have no choice in the matter," he paused
catching his breath.

Willow took this moment to ponder exactly what she had done. She put
all of her friends under a spell, to find out what they were hiding
form her. So far none of it had been that bad, they were just waiting
for the right time to tell her.

"You're right Giles. I should not have done this, but I felt it was
necessary," she was cut off by Angel.
"I tried to get her to stop but she is stubborn, I even tried…"

Angel was cut off by Willow

"Angel I am sure they all know that you had nothing to do with this.
No need to tell them all the details." She said sweetly.

"Aw, Red, I want the details." said Spike, who was thoroughly
enjoying this, especially after Buffy couldn't wait to tell Angel she
was with him. `Ha take that you poof you' thought Spike happily. He
was in no hurry to end this truth-a-thon; he knew what the
Watcher was hiding from the witch.

" AW, Spikey Boy, you need my details to make Buff happy." Angel said
in total Angelus form.

"Okay boys, stop it! Giles has something he wants to tell me,
don'tcha Giles." Willow said coyly.
 

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