Part 4
Dreamscape
"Angel, are you there?"
"I’m here, little one," Angel assured the girl.
"Good, I wasn’t sure if I could do this again,’ Willow replied as she took in a deep breath.
"How exactly are you doing this, anyway?"
"It’s something that I learned in my research. It’s a way of communicating with someone while you are asleep, and since they won’t let me see you, or even give me any information on you, I thought now would be the perfect time to try it out."
"I’m glad that you did. I like knowing that you are okay. You are okay, aren’t you?"
"Could be better, but hearing your voice helps. A burger wouldn’t hurt though. I’m a bit hungry."
"I thought you said that they were giving you food."
"Yeah, the are, but I just get this weird vibe from it. Like that it’s drugged or something. It would make sense since I still haven’t told them anything." Angel nodded his head in his sleep.
"Makes sense, considering I know that the blood they have drop for me is drugged. I can smell it on the bag."
"Oh Angel, what will you do if you can’t eat?" Angel was surprised at the concern in her voice considering that she hadn’t eaten either.
"I’ll be fine, little one. I ate right before I left LA. I’m more concerned about you right now."
"Boy we are the pair aren’t we?" Willow chuckled.
"That we are, little one. That we are."
"Angel, can I ask you something?"
"Anything, you should know that by now."
"It’s about what you said the last time we talked. Did you mean it?"
Angel knew exactly what Willow was talking about. He had thought about why he had told her he loved her. It wasn’t that he hadn’t meant it, he had. He had been in love with her since before he had left Sunnydale, there was something about her that just made him care for her. Her unwavering acceptance of him was only the beginning. He had watched her grow up in front of his eyes and he loved everything that he saw.
"Angel?" Willow questioned again when he didn’t answer.
"I’m here, sweetling. And yes, I meant it." Angel admitted. He could feel the smile that had crossed Willow’s lips when he said that.
"Why?"
Angel hadn’t expected that question and wasn’t sure how to answer her. He knew why he loved her, of course, but he wanted to give her those reasons when she was in front of him, not through the dreamscape.
"There are a lot of reasons, little one. Your intelligence. You love of life. Your capacity to forgive."
"Oh," Willow sounded disappointed and Angel heard it.
"What’s wrong, Willow?"
"Nothing," she tried to reassure him, but he didn’t believe it. "I understand, I mean, nothing." As soon as he heard the tone in her voice, Angel knew exactly what was going through Willow’s mind.
"I also love you because you are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. You hair reminds me of fire and your eyes are like emeralds. I can never get tired of looking into them."
"Really?" Willow asked hopefully.
"Really. Willow you are a gorgeous creature that I can never get enough off."
"Angel, you don’t have to say those things."
"Yes I do, sweetling. I have to say these things because they are true. You are the one person that makes me want to live. You are the reason that I continue fighting my demon. I love you."
"I love you to Angel. I have for a long time." Angel smiled in his sleep at the thought of the red head that he had dreamed about for so long might actually return his feelings. "I just never even thought that you would even be interested in me like that."
"Of course I would, little one. You are an amazing person, as any fool should be able to see."
"Yeah, well, if that was the case then there wouldn’t have been a need for you to come down here. Remember Oz didn’t feel that way." Willow’s voice took on a sad note as she remember the boy that had taken her heart and cleaved it in half.
"Oz is a fool and an idiot for doing what he did," Angel spat out. "You deserve someone who appreciates you for what you are and is willing to put you on the pedestal that you belong on."
Willow laughed, "Yeah right."
"That’s where I would put you, Willow," Angel stated, meaning every word of it. "That’s where you belong."
"How is it you always had a way of making me feel better?"
"Years of practice, sweetling. Years of practice." Angel heard something in his sleep. "They are coming little one. I must go."
"Okay. I love you Angel and I know that we will get out of this."
"We will, sweetling. We will. Remember I love you."
With that said, Angel awoke to find Riley and two other soldiers standing outside his cell. (Strange, he’s always been alone before, what’s changed.) "Well, well, well. Looks like the little boy has brought some friends."
Riley just looked smugly at the vampire in the cell. "We’re taking a little trip, hostile." With that, Riley signaled for one of the men to open the cell. As soon as Angel detected the energy barrier was done, he morphed into his game face and tried to attack Riley and the other guards, only to stop when an unbearable pain ripped through his head. Angel fell to the ground, holding his head while Riley bent down to him, smiling maliciously at the stricken vampire. "Hurts like a bitch, don’t it hostile. That’s what’s gonna happen everytime you decide to attack someone."
"You son of a bitch," Angel snarled, getting back to his feet. "What the hell gives you the right to do this to me? Why don’t you just stake me, instead?"
"Staking would be a waste of time," Riley explained as the two guards grabbed Angel’s arms. "Instead, we’re going to use you for some experiments."
Riley lead the way as Angel was removed from the holding cell. Angel finally got a chance to look around and noticed other vampires and various demons that the Initiative had capture. (What the hell are these people? What are they doing?)
"Where are you taking me?" Angel asked, wanting some answers.
"You’ll find out soon enough," Riley answered.
"What about Willow? Where is she?" Angel knew that Willow was all right, she had told him as much in his dreams. (Willow, I will get you out, I promise. Never doubt me.) Angel stopped at a door, he was tempted to try and attack them again, to escape, but he had already realized that they had done something to him to make him unable to do so without searing pain.
"We’re here," Riley announced, punching numbers into the keypad at the door. "I hope you enjoy your stay here." The door opened and the two guards threw Angel into the room, quickly closing the door so that he couldn’t get out.
"Angel?" Angel turned around and saw Willow standing in the middle of the room.
"Willow," he said, running over to her and picking her up. Willow wrapped her arms around him, holding onto him tightly as he lifted her. She wanted to make sure that she wasn’t imagining that Angel was in her arms. She had done so before due to the lack of food.
"Oh, Angel, is it really you?"
"Yes, sweetling, it’s me," Angel replied as he showered kisses
around Willow’s face. "I’m here." Willow’s next comment was stopped as
she found her mouth claimed by Angel’s in a kiss that spoke of the love
that they only recently admitted and she lost herself in him.