Part one
"Hello."
"Buffy, it's me Xander," came the voice on the other end of the line.
"What's up Xander?" Buffy said as she played with Oz's hair.
"Just thought I would let you and Oz know that I just saw Angel and Willow heading over to your house." Buffy sat up when she heard that.
"Angel's back," she asked. Oz looked over at the girl in bed with him and could see her excitement over the news that her boyfriend had returned to town.
"Yup. I figured I should give you a heads up."
"Thanks Xander. I'll talk to you later," Buffy hung up the phone and turned to see Oz already getting dressed again. "Xander said both Willow and Angel were on their way over."
"Okay, I'm outta here," Oz replied as he finished putting on his shirt.
"Did you still want to get together tomorrow before I have to get locked up?"
"Yup," Buffy answered as she started getting dressed. "Say around three or so. That way you have time to see Willow."
"Yeah, I haven't seen her all week. I miss her you know?" Oz said as he put his shoes on. "I hope she's okay about that."
Buffy shrugged her shoulders, "You know Willow, she's pretty easy going. Besides if she loves you as much as you love her, she'll be happy to spend any amount of time with you." Buffy watched as Oz walked over to her bedroom window. She quickly joined him and gave him a kiss.
"You have fun with Angel," Oz said.
"You know I will," Buffy grinned.
Oz climbed out the window and Buffy went to her dresser to finish getting ready for Angel's visit. She wished that she had time to get a shower, but she didn't want to waste a single minute of him being there. (I just hope he doesn't smell Oz on me) Buffy still wasn't sure what to make of her relationship with Oz and she was pretty sure that Oz felt the same way. There wasn't any love between the two. Buffy was in love with Angel and Oz loved Willow with all his heart. It was just that the two of them could give each other something that was lacking in their relationships with the other two. Willow still wasn't ready to give herself over to Oz, while Buffy and Angel couldn't do anything more than kiss because of the happiness clause. (Damn gypsies, having to mess around with my fun.)
Buffy and Oz were only in it for the sex. They could have the loving relationship with their chosen loves without having to pressure them for something the other wasn't willing to give yet. Buffy knew that eventually Willow and Oz would start sleeping together, and she would be happy for her best friend. (He's not Angel when it comes to experience, but Oz does have his charms.)
The only person that knew of the relationship was Xander. He had found Buffy and Oz in the stacks one day and surprised the two of them by keeping their secret. He covered for the two of them whenever someone asked about them. Xander didn't want his best friend hurt and he knew that if the truth ever came out about Buffy and Oz, Willow would be crushed. And then there was Angel. Buffy loved Angel even after all that he had done after he had lost his soul. She had a hard time when he first came back, but with after a little time and a lot of encouragement from Willow, Buffy had opened her heart up again to the souled vampire. She regretted that the two of them couldn't make love again but she was willing to have whatever kind of relationship possible. Buffy looked in the mirror and was satisfied with how she looked. She went downstairs to wait for Angel and Willow and was surprised to find the front door wide open. She took a quick look around the house to make sure that nothing was amiss. (Odd, maybe I didn't close it tightly when Oz first got here.) Buffy went outside and sat on the front porch to wait for her love and best friend.
On the other side of town
"Angel?" Willow whispered against Angel's chest.
"I'm here Willow," he said softly, holding her tightly.
"Where are we? What happened?"
"We're in the park and you fainted," he said, holding onto her like she was his lifeline. "I carried you here." Willow looked up at the man holding her and could see the tracks that his tears had left on his face. She reached a tentative hand to brush one away.
"It's true, isn't it?" she said quietly. "I mean, it really happened?" Angel couldn't say anything. He just nodded his head. "That bitch," Angel looked down at the girl in his arms, shocked to hear her swear. She struggled to get out of his arms and he let her. He watched as she started to walk around, murder clearly written in her eyes. "That goddamn whore. And him. All this time he was telling me that he loved me and he was busy screwing my best friend, that lowlife son of a bitch." Angel didn't say anything, knowing that when Willow's temper flared, it was best to let her rant. "I trusted her. I told her everything and this is the thanks I get. That lying little tramp. But, hey, can't blame it all on her can we? Nope. It takes two to tango and I'd say she had a willing partner. No wonder he never bothered pressuring me to sleep with him. He didn't need me. He already had a willing partner."
"Willow," Angel said sadly. The tone in his voice made Willow stop and look at him. What she saw there made her anger disappear as her heart went out to the vampire.
"Oh Goddess, Angel, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't be taking this out on you," she apologized. "This has to be just as hard for you too. I know how much you love her." Willow wrapped her arms around Angel, her pain momentarily forgotten in her concern for the vampire. Angel allowed himself to be comforted by the hacker, surprised at her sudden change in attitude.
"No, Willow, it's okay," Angel replied. "I know exactly how you feel. It's all I can do to not want to go back there and let my demon out." Willow pulled back from Angel, a little bit of fear in her eyes. Angel saw it and felt bad immediately.
"It's okay Willow. It's only toward them, I could never hurt you." Willow saw the truth in his eyes. "So, please, go ahead and vent. It'll do us both good." Willow actually smiled at that.
"How much venting am I allowed?"
"How much do you love them?"
"Well, as of right now, I don't," Willow replied truthfully as she pulled herself up and sat next to the vampire. "I don't even want to know them. All I want to do is scream and cry and break things but I don't know if it will do any good."
"Sometimes it does a whole lot of good," Angel told her.
"Sounds like you're talking from personal experience," Willow replied.
"Not really," Angel shrugged, "just watched as others have used that as therapy. I was usually the one that inflicted the pain, not the other way around." Willow thought about that for a moment.
"I just can't believe the two of them would do that. I mean, I believe it, because I saw it and all, but that they could declare their love for us and the entire time they're humping like bunnies. That's just so sleazy." Angel watched as Willow started processing everything that she had just learned, trying to see if there was a reason for the betrayal of her best friend and boyfriend. She was trying to find clues that would have indicated that something was going on. As bad as he felt at Buffy's cheating, he felt even worse because of the pain that he knew Willow was going through. Willow had just lost two of the most important people in the world to her and he wasn't sure how well she would be able to handle it.
"Angel, how long do you think it was going on?" Angel was surprised when Willow asked him that question. He thought about all the times that Buffy had begged off seeing him, saying she was going to patrol. He remembered when he went looking for her, him never finding any trace that she had even been out those nights. (My god, all this time, she's been with him.)
"I think awhile Willow," he said gently, waiting for the girl to start sobbing. Willow just nodded her head.
"Yeah, that's what I think too. It makes sense now," Willow took Angel's hand in hers, trying to both give and receive comfort from the vampire.
"All those times that I couldn't find either one of them. The looks I saw between the two of them when they thought no one was looking. I just always passed it off as an overactive imagination." Willow snorted, "Overactive my ass." Angel was about to say something when he sensed some vampires nearby. He gathered Willow in his arms.
"Willow, we have to get out of her. Are your parents home," Willow shook her head. "I don't want you to be alone right now, and to tell you the truth I could use some company. How about coming back to the new house?"
"Yeah, I think that would be a good idea. I don't really want to be alone either. Besides, I've been dying to see the new place." Angel led Willow out of the park as a certain bleached blonde vampire looked on.
Spike had heard the entire conversation, and much to his dismay, his
undead heart broke for the red-head. Spike knew what it was like to have
the person you love be with someone else and he didn't wish it on anyone,
even his sire. He didn't think that Angel would do anything to get back
at the slayer for her betrayal of him, but he had a feeling that the blonde
bimbo was going to have some trouble ahead for her harming the young witch.
(And I think I might actually want to help Peaches with that.) Spike grinned
as he followed Angel and Willow.