Part 26

"Well, that was unproductive," Willow sighed as she sank into the couch.
Angel came up behind her and began to massage her shoulders. "Oh yeah, that
feels good."
"I take it you didn't get a chance to talk to Harmony today," he said.
"Nope, she wasn't even in school. And then, to top off what I would deem
an already lousy day, thanks to two pop quizzes, Buffy and Oz looked as if
they were up to something," she informed the souled vampire.
"When aren't they up to something?" Angel stated. Willow shook her head
and leaned back into his chest.
"No this was different," she told him. "It wasn't like before. Angel I
honestly am afraid of what they might be planning." Angel placed a light
kiss on Willow's hand.
"Willow, there is nothing they can do that will secernate us," Angel
promised. A knock on the door interrupted the pair. Willow got up to
answer it and was surprised at who was on the other side.
"Mom, Dad what are you doing here?" The surprised teen asked. "I though
you were in New York."
"Your friend Bunny called and told us we had to come back to Sunnydale.
That something had happened to you," Sheila Rosenberg said as Willow ushered
her parents into the house. They looked over the home and Angel, giving
everything an appraising once over.
"What did Buffy say?"
"She told is that you had broken up with that musician and that you were
living with two men," her mother answered, pointedly glaring at Angel.
Willow's parents were surprised when the young girl laughed.
"Did she happen to mention why I broke up with Oz or how I came to live
here with Angel?" Willow walked over to the vampire, taking his hand. "By
the way, Mom, Dad, this is Angel. Angel, these are my parents, Sheila and
Ira Rosenberg."
"Pleasure to finally meet you," Angel said, hoping to diffuse the tension
in the room.
"Wish we could say the same," Ira Rosenberg stated, turning to his
daughter. "So, it's true. You are living with him."
‘Yes, but you already knew that," Willow pointed out. "I told you about my
living arrangements months ago. You were fine with them."
"That was before Bunny unformed us about the situation. That he was
pushing you away from your friends. She said that you haven't even been
hanging out with Xander," Sheila answered. "And who exactly is Spike?"
"Spike is Cordelia's boyfriend and, before you ask, yes he does live her,
but so does she. With the approval of her parents who have met both Spike
and Angel," Willow informer her parents. "As for Angel pushing me away from
my friends, the only friends that have been pushed away have been Buffy and
Oz and they caused that themselves. Would you like to know why I broke up
with Oz or why I no longer see Xander?"
"Please, enlighten us," her father replied.
"Angel and I caught Oz and Buffy in bed together." The Rosenbergs looked
shocked at Willow's revelation. "Angel had just come back with some
important news that he wanted to share with Buffy, whom he had been dating,
and I just wanted to hang out with her since I hadn't seen her in awhile.
We walked in on the two of them. After that, Angel and I helped each other
through it and fell in love," Willow finished explaining.
Sheila Rosenberg was confused. Nothing that she had been told on the phone
agreed with what she was witnessing. Certainly, there was a considerable
age difference between her daughter and the man she was living with, but it
was obvious that the man was deeply in love with Willow. And if Buffy and
Oz were together, why would she call the Rosenbergs and try and get them to
make Willow leave Angel?
"Why would Bunny call us them?" Ira questioned.
"Mr, Rosenberg, ever since Buffy and Oz found out that they had been caught
and that Willow and I were together, they have done everything in their
power to secernate us," Angel explained. "In calling you, they were
probably hoping that you could do what they haven't been able to. Secernate
Willow and I."
"If you don't mind my asking, what exactly are your intentions towards my
daughter?" Ira asked Angel, who looked down at the red head, a loving
expression on his face.
"I plan on making her as happy as I possibly can. She's my life. My
reason for living. I can't tell you what the future holds, but as long as
Willow allows me, I want her in my life," he answered honestly. Ira and
Sheila Rosenberg looked at each other, both coming to the same decision.
"Good enough for me. Come on Sheila, we better hurry if we want to catch
that flight." Willow and Angel looked at each other, trying to figure out
what had just happened.
"You're okay with this?" Willow's parents nodded as Willow and Angel led
them to the front door. "Then why did you come back to Sunnydale?"
"We just wanted to make sure that you were okay," Sheila told her daughter.
"We trust you Willow. Besides, you'll be eighteen in a month." Willow
gave both her parents a kiss.
"Thank you." Angel shook Ira's hand and then the Rosenbergs left. Willow
and Angel held each other, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Well, that was interesting." Willow commented.
"Now we know why Buffy and Oz were acting the way they were," Angel said.
"They were hoping your parents would force you to move out."
"Guess the overestimated their concern for me." Willow shrugged. "Won't
they be disappointed when they find out it didn't work. You know, I'm
beginning to thing Spike and Delia are the lucky ones since they don't have
their exs fighting to gain their attention again.

"Spikey," came a sing song voice. Spike and Cordelia had been walking
through the park, enjoying the nice spring night when they heard the one
voice they least expected.
"Dru," he whispered, turning to face the insane vampiress, putting his body
between her and Cordelia. "What are you doing here?" Drusilla sashayed
over to the blonde vampire that had once been her lover and ran a long,
darkly painted fingernail from his cheek to his throat.
"Spike's been a naughty boy," Dru said. "Miss Edith said that he's found a
new plaything. An icky human."
"So what if I have," Spike growled, backing away from his former paramour,
putting more distance between her and Cordelia. "Thought you were playing
with that Chaos demon in Brazil." The brunette vampiress shrugged.
"Got bored. And he was slimy," she whined. "Besides, I missed my Spikey.
I want things like they used to be.
"Sorry, pet, those days are long gone." Drusilla's eyes flared yellow and
she hissed.
"Because of her," she growled. "She should be food for us, not a mate."
Spike could feel Cordelia shaking with fear of what the vampiress might do
to her. "Come on, Spikey, it can be like it was before. Remember the
scream and the blood. So much blood. It was glorious." Drusilla's voice
took on a dreamlike tone as she remembered the past. "We can start with
her." Spike shook his head.
"Sorry Dru, but things change," he informed her. "Go back to Brazil.
There's nothing left for you here."
"No," Drusilla lunged towards Cordelia, who screamed as she scrambled to
get away from the woman. Spike grabbed Drusilla from behind and threw her
to the ground, a stake appearing in his hand.
"I don't want to kill you, Dru, but I won't let you hurt Delia," Spike
warned her. "She's my mate." Drusilla whimpered, knowing that Spike could
never bare to hear her cry but he wasn't buying it. "Sorry, pet, it won't
work. Not this time."
"You're mine, Spikey. We were meant to be together."
"Not anymore. Leave." Drusilla looked at the determination on Spike's
face and knew that he meant it when he said he would kill her. She stood up
and walked away, all the while formulation a new way of getting Spike back.
As soon as she was out of sight, Spike took Cordelia in his arms and
comforted the shaken teen.
"Shhh, luv, it's okay. She's gone," he told the girl.
:"She wanted to kill me," Cordelia whispered. "She wants me dead, Spike."
"I won't let that happen," the blonde assured her. "I'll make sure she
doesn't touch you."
"Spike, what are we going to do?"
"I don't know, luv. I just don't know." Spike looked worriedly towards
the spot where Drusilla had disappeared. He could feel her eyes watching
the pair and knew that this had only been the first battle and that the war
had only just begun.
 

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