Part 6

Willow was humming quietly while walking on what Angel thought was the way home. It was the way home. Willow was just planning to make a stop. She could see the park coming up ahead, and the ice-cream parlor was right across the street.

"Angel, do you like ice-cream?" Willow asked innocently.

"I don't know. I've never had any." he replied

Willow stopped short. (Angel's never had _ice-cream_? Angel has _never_ had ice-cream!) Willow was completely shocked. Everyone had at least tried it!

Willow looked up at Angel. "We have to make a stop before we go home," she told him as they started walking again. She was getting excited, because if he had never had ice-cream before that meant that it could be a surprise.

"Where?"

"It's just up ahead, across from the park."

"Okay, I hope it won't take long though, it's starting to get little late." Angel wasn't worried much. It was still a little too early for most of Sunnydale's nocturnal residents to be out yet.

Coming to the parlor Willow told him to wait outside. "It's gonna be a surprise." She smiled.

"Willow, I don't want any ice-cream." Angel wanted to take back his words as her face fell. He tried to make it up to her. "Why don't you get some and eat it for me? We'll eat it out here on the bench."

"Okay." She said, still a little disappointed.

But being a well-mannered child, Willow did as he suggested. She bought a large vanilla cone with chocolate sprinkles, hoping to entice him to take a bite. (I just love vanilla. You can put almost anything on top.)

Willow rejoined Angel outside, slowly savoring her ice cream.

"Angel, why don't we go across the street? I can eat my ice cream on the picnic tables."

Not wanting to disappoint her again, Angel agreed.

They were sitting down, Willow still trying to get him to taste her dessert, when four fledglings came up behind Willow.

He couldn't run. He wouldn't risk the child. Having no other option, Angel shifted his face. Angry that he had to lose his friend, he despaired. She would run in fear.

Angel underestimated Willow. She watch wide-eyed as her Angel's face changed. His brown eyes, which had watched her with gentleness, had turned gold and now blazed with fury. His face was now all wrinkly. He had fangs - like a cat!

Willow saw all this. She didn't run though. Angel had forgotten something. She was his friend-but he was also _hers_! Once Willow loved someone or something she didn't let go willingly.

Willow watched wide-eyed, as Angel attacked the four men that were walking towards them. She didn't know quite what to do. Angel didn't look _crazy_, he just looked, well, _different_.

She knew that she couldn't run, Angel might get hurt. Willow also knew she couldn't exactly help him either, she was too little. Trying to figure out what to do, Willow watched in shock as Angel was held down by three of the men - men whose faces, she now realized, looked something like Angel's.

Willow watched in silence as the fourth man hit Angel. _Her_ Angel. She watched as he struggled against the strange men. As she watched, a multitude of feelings welled up inside of her. Anger, fear, despair, helplessness, and more - none of which she liked. Suddenly everything seemed to slow down. Her emotions took her over.

She looked intently at the strange, bad men. The men that _dared_ to hurt her Angel. She screamed. She screamed only one word, putting all of those hated emotions into it. She didn't scream very loud, but the word seemed to hang in the air - echoing.

"_STOP_!"

And the bad men did. They were frozen in place.

But Angel didn't. He didn't realize that the fledglings had stopped fighting against him. At that moment, he only knew two things: that he was free and that he had to kill those that threatened Willow.

Three were turned to dust in quick succession. The first when Angel decapitated him in one blow, the second when Angel tore his heart from his body. The third was the worst. Angel made a meal of him.

Part 7

The fury and power that had moved Angel had burned down to ashes - like three of the fledglings that had stood against him - and he wondered where the strength to do what he'd just done had come from. It was gone now, leaving him feeling drained, but he quickly came to his senses and glanced around for his last opponent.

He spotted him standing just a few feet away, unmoving. Thinking this strange, Angel searched for Willow, hoping she had not run, and that she was not hurt. He saw her. She was standing still, staring intently at the frozen fledgling.

Angel called her name softly, worried. She seemed to be in a trance. However, at the sound of his voice calling out to her, she was freed. So was the now-forgotten fledgling.

Hearing Angel call her name, Willow looked at him. He was bruised and bloody. Concerned, she walked towards him. As she approached, he watched her with an emotion she didn't recognize.

Angel stared at the child in wonder. She hadn't run. She wasn't hurt. She was, in fact, coming toward him. Angel knelt before her, intending to apologize. Not for his actions, which he couldn't excuse, but for scaring her. Willow stopped the words from ever being uttered. She hugged him.

Part 8

Completely forgotten, the fledgling stood, looking on in amazement as the powerful newcomer submitted to the young witch. To think, they had only thought of the child and her protector as a quick meal before they'd had to go back to the lair.

He saw the witch grace the vampire with her approval. Here was a chance to gain power. With his sire having recently died in the wars, his clan had dissolved into mass confusion. They should not have gotten involved. His sire hadn't stood a chance of becoming 'Master'. Now, no one followed orders anymore.

If he submitted now, maybe, when the witch had her vampire make a bid to become 'Master of the City', he would be favored. That witch had to be very strong to have control over such an old one. She had stopped him, and the others, in their tracks with only a word! (Why does she choose to look like a child?)

The fledgling watched as the witch smiled as she told her vampire something. The vampire laughed, and at her gesture, followed her like a puppy as she walked away. ( Okay, maybe not a puppy - a watchdog.)

The young vampire considered what he had seen carefully. The witch's vampire had to be a least 200 years old. He very well could become Master. He didn't think there were any older in Sunnydale.

The fledgling followed them home, having decided to watch them.

Part 9

Finally Willow pulled away, much to Angel's regret, and looked him over. He was covered in blood and dirt. "Angel," she said with a smile, "you need a bath. You're all icky!" Willow pointed down the street, "Let's go Angel, I want to go home."

Angel laughed gently, happy that she hadn't left him, but knowing that there were a lot of questions that needed to be asked later. But she was right; he did need a bath. The questions could wait...for a little while.

On the walk back to Willow's house, Angel tried to sort out his feelings on the recent happenings. He was a little disturbed over the strange things that had been happening in the girl's company. First, there were those times when it seemed as if he couldn't disobey her, he hadn't even _considered_ disobeying her. Strength he shouldn't have had helping him through the fight. And then, after the fight, she and the young one had just stood there, seemingly unaware of any danger. The vampire hadn't run. And that was just strange.

Just then, Angel was forced from his thoughts by a prickling sensation on the back of his neck. Someone was following them...watching them. He forced back a growl at the intrusion. Something would have to be done.

One good thing had come from that nearly disastrous fight - Angel was feeling better. Stronger. The vampire's blood that he had drank had nearly put him back to full strength. There was no need to put up with any intrusions or irritations from others of his kind. In short, Angel was ready for a good fight.

Coming back to the house, they went around to the yard. Willow was about to climb back up to trellis when she decided to ask Angel to come inside. She wasn't allowed to bring strangers inside, but Angel was no longer a stranger - not really. He was her friend. And he really, really needed a bath. Especially before he put on his new clothes.

With the invitation already made Angel decided that he may as well. For how else was he to get a bath if he didn't go inside? Carrying the packages, Angel followed her. The vampire could wait a little longer.

After she reached the top, Willow turned to see how Angel was progressing. She giggled at the sight that she was presented with. For there - boxes under one arm, his hair all mussed and just generally dirty - was Angel, a grown man, climbing up her dainty white trellis. He was such a good friend. He hadn't complained at any of the things she'd wanted to do. He didn't tell her what to do, or make her try to do anything she didn't want to. And that was a very good thing as far as she was concerned. She bet nobody else had a friend like Angel.

Angel reached the top and tossed the packages to the ground. Willow quickly hushed him; if Nanna found out that she'd been gone all this time she would be punished for life!

They crept into her bedroom, Angel looking around curiously. Willow had lots of toys, too many really for just one girl to play with. Angel wondered why she had so many as Willow led him down the hall to the bathroom. Once there, Willow showed him where the essentials were: soap, towels, bubblebath.

"Nanna sleeps downstairs. So if we're really quiet, she won't wake up," Willow told him. "I'm going to go wait in my room. Don't take too long, okay?"

"All right." he whispered back.

When she left, Angel tried to figure out how to run his water. He got splashed in the face from the shower for his troubles, but got everything sorted out, eventually.

Back in her room, Willow waited for Angel to finish. She laid down on her bed, thinking about her day. She yawned. It had sure been interesting. Maybe Angel could tell her how he did that thing with his face. And where had those men that he'd been fighting gone? They had just disappeared! And what had happened when she'd felt all funny? With all these thoughts going through her head, Willow drifted off to sleep.

Coming back into the room, Angel saw the sleeping child. He watched her for a moment, then pulled off her shoes, and tucked her under the covers. It was time to make sure she was safe.

Part 10

Angel climbed out if the window and into the night. In his dark clothes he easily blended into the surrounding shadows. He was tracking down the escaped fledgling, determined to keep Willow safe.  Nothing was going to harm her - not if he could help it.

As he circled the house, Angel felt another presence impinging upon his senses: a vampire, the one he sought. He was across the street, hidden in the shrubs that bordered the sidewalk.  Angel observed him for a few moments: he was very tall - as tall as Angel himself, with dark blond hair, and loose dirty clothing. He had probably only recently been made a vampire, no more than five years ago.

After trying to ascertain if he had been seen and deciding that he hadn't, Angel stalked the vampire. He went upwind and behind the blond, walking carefully so as to make no noise. When he was close enough, Angel struck, pinning the other to the ground.

"What are you doing here?" Angel angrily growled out.  Frightened out of what little wits he had, the fledgling instantly answered with the truth. "I was trying to find out _your_ reason for being here, to see if you were going to join the 'Challenge'."

Angel was startled; he hadn't known that the Master of Sunnydale was dead. There was only one Master, generally the oldest and most ruthless vampire around, to a territory. The territory was usually as large as the Master could hold, which meant there was a lot of fighting between neighboring Masters.

If a Challenge had been called then that meant that there wasn't anyone really powerful enough to be the clear successor. No one strong enough to control the different clans in the area. If that was the truth, then _he_ could take control of Sunnydale. He could order them not to kill, and since he had no qualms killing others of his kind, if they disobeyed...

Returning from his thoughts, Angel gazed down upon the fledgling pinned beneath him. "And if I was planning to participate? Were you and your _dead_ friends going to kill me?"

"No!" The fledgling nearly screamed, terrified that the blunder of an attack he and the others had committed earlier would cost him his life - well unlife. "I didn't know you, Elder!"

Angel barked a laugh, taking pleasure in his fear. His conscience prevented him from harming the innocent, but homicidal vampires were another matter entirely.

"When is the Challenge to start?"

"This Tuesday, under the full moon, in High Ridge Cemetery", came the young one's answer.

"Well, inform the Judges that Angelus, Favored Childe of Darla, Order of Aurelius will be attending."

At his words the fledgling felt another wave of terror. He had dared to attack Angelus - and lived! The grandchilde of the Master, a vampire so old his name had been lost in the centuries through which he'd survived. The Angelus who had struck terror in the hearts of mortals and demons alike for over two hundred years.

"Before you go however, I'll have your name and lineage. For come the night of Challenge, if I've found that you've disobeyed me...well let's just hope it doesn't come to that, shall we?"

The fledgling nodded his head frantically at Angelus' silken threat. "Luke, Childe of Damian, Order...Order of Belle Morte.", he recited rapidly.

Angel released him and stood back, allowing Luke to stand. "Leave here now, and be sure to tell the Judges what I've said." Angel told the other in a soft, smooth voice. Somehow, Angel's eerie calmness made it all the more terrifying.

Angel was relieved that the encounter had gone so well. His demon really was still a part of him - just not all of him. He knew that if becoming Master helped to protect Willow, he could do it with a clear conscience. He would do whatever was necessary to keep her safe. She was his reason for wanting to be...anything.

Angel walked down the street, keeping an eye out for a pay phone. He needed to call his broker, to make a few preparations for his life in Sunnydale.

The money entrusted to the brokerage company years ago had been invested. "James Hamilton" was a very rich man.

Angelus would be moving into a house near Willow's in a few days - if all went according to plan.

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