~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~1~ Melting
It hurt. The cold burned, and the pain washed over her in waves. The water had been so cold. How long had she been under? Was she still in it? She could remember the fight. There had been so many vampires; there was no way that they could take them all. She could remember being on the dock, trying to stay alive. She could remember falling in water; Buffy’s terrified scream still reverberated through her head. But she couldn’t remember anything after that.
< Come on, Willow. You’ve got to come back. Do you hear me? >
A voice came through the inky blackness. So scared. Frantic. Who was it? Did she know it?
< This is not a choice, Willow. You cannot leave. You cannot die. Please don’t die. Please come back to me. Please don’t leave me. >
How could she leave that voice? That person? Willow began to push her way through the darkness, and the pain increased. So cold. Frozen. Dear Lord, it hurt. She took a gasping breath.
< That’s it, baby. Fight. Come back to me. Please, baby, fight it. >
She took another breath. Was it Oz? Xander? Maybe... it sounded familiar. Xander. It had to be Xander. It was a full moon. Oz was a werewolf tonight.
< Good girl. Keep breathing. That’s it, Willow. You’re doing great. >
She continued fighting her way through the darkness towards consciousness. She let out an anguished moan as the pain increased.
< That’s it, sweetheart. Wake up. Please wake up. Just open your eyes. Come on, little one, open your eyes. >
The voice was closer. It seemed to be coming from right next to her. She would wake up for him. She would live for Xander. She opened her eyes to see her friend.
But it wasn’t Xander.
It was Angelus.
Willow saw that it was Angelus looking down at her, but it didn’t really register in her brain. Maybe it was because he didn’t really < look > like the Angelus that she knew. The smirk and confident aura that constantly surrounded the soulless vampire were gone, and in their place was nothing but fear. She had never seen Angelus afraid. Come to think of it, she didn’t think she’d ever even seen < Angel > afraid.
“You’re awake,” the vampire said, his voice full of relief.
Willow struggled to sit up, and Angelus reached down to help her. Too weak to even put up a token struggle, the redhead accepted his assistance.
“Here. Drink this. It’ll make you feel better.”
Willow sent a skeptical look in the vampire’s direction, but took a swallow of the drink anyway. The brandy burned its way down her throat, and the sensation made her cough. Angelus held her up until she was through coughing, then gently eased her back down.
Gently.
That was the big difference. Angelus was never gentle. Angelus was a vampire, a soulless demon. He shouldn’t be capable of gentleness. He was evil.
Willow looked around the room she was in. She was in the factory, in the middle of a bed. Angelus’ bed, she supposed. For some reason, that revelation didn’t properly terrify her. It probably had something to do with the relief that she wasn’t dead. Well, she wasn’t dead yet, anyway. The bed had been piled high with blankets, and Willow only felt slight embarrassment at the discovery that someone had changed her clothes. She was now wearing one of Angelus’ silk shirts. In all honesty, the redhead was just grateful that she was no longer wet. She turned her gaze back to the vampire that was perched on the bed beside her.
“You saved me.” It was a statement rather than a question, but the dark haired vampire nodded in response anyway. “You would care if I died.”
The vampire flinched slightly at the disbelief in Willow’s voice. When he spoke, his voice had regained some of its harshness. “I saved you, didn’t I?”
“But wasn’t the point of that attack for us to die? Isn’t that part of your master plan? To kill us all?” Willow was ashamed to hear the tears in her voice, but it couldn’t be helped.
“Those vamps weren’t mine; I had nothing to do with that attack. And as for killing the others? That’s always been part of the plan. But never you. I was never going to kill you.”
“What about that time at the school right after you turned?”
The vampire didn’t look at her. “I wasn’t going to kill you. I planned to just take you and leave before Xander got back with the others, but that idiot teacher interrupted. So I had to improvise. I never intended to kill you.”
Was he telling the truth? Could she really believe that he meant her no harm?
“Where are the others?”
“They got the hell out of there. The Slayer kept trying to find you, but the Watcher made her leave. Said it was too late.”
Willow couldn’t help but burst into tears. The others were safe. They were alive. Thank God.
“Buffy tried to find me?” she managed as she tried to control her sobs.
“So did that moron Xander. He searched even longer than the Slayer did.” Angelus returned his gaze to her, concern still evident in his eyes. “Are you warm enough?”
Willow began to respond to the question, but a familiar voice interrupted her.
“Is the little chit up yet? Because if she doesn’t wake up soon, I say we should eat her.”
Angelus jumped from the bed, his demon face coming to the fore. “Get the hell out of here, Spike, before I forget I’m in a good mood and rip out your throat.”
Willow pushed herself up in bed, trying to see around Angelus. The thought that Spike was in the room with her was terrifying.
And then she saw him.
His face was scarred, and the blonde vampire was in a wheelchair. Was this what Buffy had done to him? The Slayer had told them that Spike was injured, but she hadn’t accurately described just how bad it was. Willow silently cheered for the destruction her friend had wrought. Somehow Spike’s comment about eating her hadn’t exactly endeared him to her.
Spike saw the redhead peering around his sire and smirked. So the little chit was awake; no wonder Angelus was so pissed about his comment.
“I said get out, Sit-n-Spin,” Angelus growled.
Because he didn’t particularly care to be tossed across the room with the girl watching, Spike rolled out of the room, a murderous look in his eye. He consoled himself with the thought that when he got out of that chair, Angelus would pay.
As Spike left the room, the dark haired vampire turned back to Willow. The girl shrunk away when she saw he was in game face. With a muttered curse, Angelus returned to his human face, then reached out and took hold of her arm.
“I won’t hurt you. Be careful, or you’ll fall off the damn bed.” His voice was harsh, but his touch was gentle as he pulled her back to the middle of the bed.
“I want to go home.”
“You can’t.”
Willow looked up at him fearfully. Angelus flinched. For some reason, fear from Willow was less satisfying then fear from others. He didn’t particularly like seeing Willow afraid.
“It’s morning,” the vampire informed the girl. “I can’t take you home now, and I’m not letting you go off alone. You’re weak.”
“But you will let me go home?” the redhead asked timidly.
Angelus looked at the door that Spike had left from. It wasn’t safe to keep her here where Spike, or Drusilla, or even one of the minions could just walk right in. Besides, he did still have an invitation into her home. “Yes, I’ll let you go. I can’t be with you all the time, so you’re safer at home than you are here. I’ll take you tonight. Until then, rest.” He pulled the covers snugly over Willow. Shocked into submission by the vampire’s comments, as well as his actions, Willow just lay there. He was going to take her home. He wasn’t going to kill her; he was going to let her go.
As long as he could keep her safe until nightfall.
~3~ A Single Spark
He carried her home. She had protested that she could walk, but he had ignored her. She had to admit it felt kind of nice to be carried around, even if it was by a soulless demon. He was just so strong... he held her like she weighed nothing at all. She snuggled deeper into his arms, forgetting for a moment just who and what he was. He had let her sleep almost all day, waking her up only when he decided it was absolutely necessary for her to eat and drink. The other vampires had had strict orders to stay out of Angelus’ quarters, and he had stayed with her and kept watch over her the entire day. He hadn’t even left to get her food; he’d had it brought to the door. It was strange to feel safe with a killer, but she did.
“We’re here.” The words, whispered softly against her ear, made her shiver.
Willow opened her eyes, not at all surprised to discover that her house was dark. Her parents were in New York and probably didn’t even know that she was missing and presumed dead. Angelus shifted her to one arm when he reached her French doors, then opened them and carried her inside. The redhead’s eyes widened as she realized that Angelus had Angel’s invitation into her home. The main source of her shock was the fact that it had been a month since he’d turned, and he’d never done a thing to her.
Angelus set her down on the bed and saw the shocked disbelief in her eyes. He smirked slightly. “You forgot I could come inside, didn’t you?” he asked silkily.
Willow nodded slowly, then said what was weighing heavily on her mind. “You’ve been in here before. After you changed, I mean.”
His smirk grew, and the aura of confidence that had been gone much of the day was back. “Of course I have. You didn’t know?”
“You would make a pretty lousy predator if people knew when you were around.” The vampire laughed at Willow’s comment, and he almost missed her next question. “Why?”
“It’s you. Don’t you know how amazing you are? How wonderful, how beautiful? Even Soulboy saw it; he just didn’t know what the hell to do about it.”
Willow’s already large eyes widened considerably. Angel had thought she was beautiful? Angelus thought she was amazing? Of course, being considered amazing by a demon wasn’t exactly her first choice, but, hey, it was a start.
Angelus watched the play of emotions on her face. He loved to just sit and watch the little redhead. In deference to the girl’s right to privacy, his souled self had tended to keep his spying relegated to the Bronze and making sure she got home safely each night. He, on the other hand, had spent hour upon hour spying on her wherever she went, following her home, watching her sleep, all without her knowing it. And today he had watched her sleep, and she had known he was there. For some reason, that realization sent a little thrill through him.
The vampire looked at the clock, noting the time. It was only nine; he could stay for hours if he wanted to. But he didn’t want to frighten her, and he knew that she wanted to talk to the others. He was still disgusted by the fact that Willow was friends with the Slayer and all her little followers, but his opinion of Xander had been raised slightly because of the events of the night before. The young man had frantically searched for the hacker, only stopping when the Slayer and the Watcher literally dragged him away from the water. Maybe he’d have to alter his plan a bit. Kill the others, but change Xander. As a gift to Willow. With a mental sigh, he turned back to the redhead.
“I have to go. Demons to see, people to kill. But I’ll be back.” And with that, he leaned down, kissed her, and left.
Willow touched her fingertips to her mouth, shocked to the core by the vampire’s gentle kiss. The jolt that had gone through her at the simple contact scared and surprised her, but she could dwell on that later.
Right now, she had to call the others.
~4~ Where There's Smoke
“He saved you?” Buffy blurted out. It had been half an hour since Willow had called the others, and, while everyone was thrilled that Willow was indeed alive and well, they were now trying to figure out exactly what was going on. The Slayer turned to Giles, utter disbelief on her face. “Just what the hell kind of plan is that? Wasn’t the attack meant to kill us?”
“He said he didn’t have anything to do with that attack.”
“And you believed him? Please, Willow. Get a clue. Of course this was his doing.” Buffy looked to Xander for support, but the young man was too busy staring at Willow to even notice the Slayer. He still couldn’t believe she was alive, and, quite honestly, Angelus could invade Poland and start World War III for all he cared. All that mattered to him was that the vampire had saved Willow. She was alive.
“Actually,” Giles said to Buffy, “if Angel says he had nothing to do with it, I tend to believe him. He’s not the type to let others take credit for his work. If he had done it, he would let us know it was him; he wouldn’t deny it.”
“So now he’s running around saving the innocent? I don’t buy it,” Cordelia said skeptically. She sent a glare in Xander’s direction. She was happy that Willow wasn’t dead or anything, but if Xander didn’t stop staring at the redhead soon, she’d have to kill him.
“Not the innocent,” Jenny Calendar countered. Despite the bad feelings that had erupted since Angel’s change for the worse, Willow’s disappearance and subsequent reappearance had led to a tentative truce among the group. “Just Willow.”
“Excuse me?” Buffy virtually snarled at the teacher.
“He saved Willow, which means he saw the attack. She’s the only one he helped.”
Giles took his glasses off and cleaned them before putting them back on. “I see your point. Whatever it is, he’s fixated on Willow.”
“Willow? Why Willow? I’m the one he loves, not her.”
“You’re the one Angel loves.”
Buffy turned to Oz; she had forgotten that the guitar player was there. ”And just what is that supposed to mean?” she demanded.
“This isn’t Angel we’re talking about here. It’s Angelus. Now, I never really knew Angel, but it’s pretty obvious that losing his soul changed him completely.”
“Oz is right,” Giles stated. “Whatever is going on now, it is Angelus that we’re dealing with. We must remember that. For some reason, he saved Willow, and for that, I’m grateful. However, this fixation he seems to have on her... we must be very careful. We must be prepared for whatever it is he has planned.”
Sullenly, Buffy nodded. She didn’t understand why Angel had a thing for Willow all of a sudden, but it was still her job to protect her friend. Even though the Slayer was jealous, she didn’t want Willow to get hurt. She had thought that she’d lost Willow the night before, but she’d been given another chance.
And she didn’t intend to screw it up.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Drusilla danced through the room as the stars sang to her. She smiled as she neared Angelus.
“Daddy has a new friend. The little tree that weeps.”
Angelus smiled. How perceptive his childe was. Even if she was completely nuts. “That’s right, Dru. And what do you intend to do about it?”
The female vampire danced away, laughing. “Why, I shall play with her. Dress her up, Daddy. Then she can have tea. Miss Edith likes her. I want a new friend.” She stopped in her dancing and turned to face her sire. “You will bring her back, won’t you, my Angel?”
Angelus smiled. If Drusilla liked Willow, then Spike wouldn’t touch her. Things were definitely looking up. “Perhaps, Dru. Perhaps.”
~5~ Fanning The Flame
She could sense him. She wasn’t sure why; maybe it was because she now knew he could be out there, watching her. She had come to expect it. No matter the reason, Willow knew for sure that Angelus was following her as she made her way home. She continued down the street, oddly grateful for the vampire’s protection. She picked up speed as her house came into sight and briskly made her way to her French doors.
“Invite me in?” the silky voice called from the darkness.
Willow turned and directed her response to the shadow that seemed to be Angelus. “I wasn’t aware you needed an invitation.”
“I don’t,” the vampire replied as he walked into the light so she could see him. “I just thought it might be nice to ask.”
Willow snorted. Now that she knew Angelus didn’t intend to harm her, she was no longer as frightened of him. “You’re not nice.”
The vampire came closer, stopping when they were so close they were nearly touching. “Aren’t I?” he asked as he brushed his lips against hers, just a whisper of contact.
Willow shivered at the sensation evoked by the almost-kiss, and Angelus smirked. He was beginning to get to her.
“Why don’t we go inside?”
Willow simply nodded her answer, and the two entered her room.
“Why are you here?” the redhead asked as Angelus prowled around her room, picking up various items and moving them around.
“To see you.”
“You mean to stalk me.”
“Something like that,” the vampire conceded as Willow sat down on her bed. Unable to resist, he sat down beside her. He smiled when she stayed put, not even flinching at his closeness. He was definitely making progress. “What’s a nice girl like you doing out so late?”
Willow glanced at her clock, slightly surprised to discover it was after two in the morning. “Research, as usual.”
“Oh,” Angelus replied as he lay down on her bed. Inside, he was fuming over the thought that the idiot Slayer had allowed his Willow to walk home by herself. The girl would pay; he’d make sure of it. "Researching anything in particular?”
Willow lay down beside him, completely oblivious to the effect she was having on the vampire. “Like I’d tell you. You’re evil, remember?”
“That’s right, I am. Want to know something about us evil guys?”
“What?” Willow asked nervously. She wasn’t sure she liked where this converstion was going.
“We always take what we want.” Before Willow could even breath, much less think, the vampire pounced on her. But he didn’t bite her. No, he did something far more dangerous to her senses.
He kissed her.
It was nothing like the brief kiss he had dropped on her lips a few days earlier. No, this was completely different. His lips were soft but cool, and he applied just enough pressure that Willow felt compelled to open her mouth. She moaned as she felt his tongue sweep inside in a gentle caress, and she ran her fingers through his spiky hair. She began to tremble as she felt his hands start to move under her shirt...
“Oh, my God! Willow!”
The couple on the bed leapt apart, and Willow whirled around to see Buffy at her door.
“Oh, Lord,” Willow managed between gasps for air.
Buffy just stood there, shock and pain evident on her face. Seeing his chance, Angelus leaned down to Willow, whispered the word “soon” in her ear, then ran by the Slayer, knocking her off balance. After a few moments of stunned silence, Buffy finally spoke.
“What the hell was that all about?”
~6~ Burnt Out
Willow sat on her bed, studiously avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room.
“So he was here?” Giles asked.
“How did he get in?” Cordelia interrupted. “I mean, doesn’t he need an invitation?”
“He has one.”
Cordelia’s eyes widened in shock. “You mean you invited a cold-blooded killer into your bedroom? Nice going, Willow.”
The redhead rolled her eyes. She was starting to get angry. This was her room, it was nearly three in the morning, and who she made out with was nobody’s business but her own, damn it. “He wasn’t a killer when I invited him in. He was Angel. Will you people just go now? I’ve told you everything that happened, and I really want to go to sleep. Okay? If you want to drive this whole thing into the ground, you can do it later! Now will you just leave?”
Buffy glared at her friend; she knew there was more to what had happened than what Willow had said. However, she had no way to prove it.
“Fine. We’ll go.”
Willow stood up and opened her door. “Good. I’ll see you tomorrow. Or should I say later today?”
The entire group filed by Willow one by one, and Oz sent a sad look her way. Guilt surged through Willow as she realized how hurt Oz must be feeling, but she pushed it away. She was confused enough by her own feelings; she couldn’t afford to dwell on anyone else’s. She watched as the group headed out into the darkness, waiting until she knew they were all gone. Taking a deep breath, she stepped outside, glanced around cautiously, then went on her way.
To find Angelus.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Angelus stormed into the warehouse, throwing minions out of his way. He was so furious, he didn’t even notice that he was in game face. With a loud snarl, the vampire threw a lamp against the wall, shattering it. Nope. He still didn’t feel any better. Maybe a nice, young kill...
“Did somebody have a bad night?”
Angelus turned and snarled at his childe, briefly contemplating throwing Spike’s wheelchair against the wall. With Spike still in it. With an effort, he reined in his anger. He had to regain control; he hated it when others saw him lose it. He usually killed any witnesses, but he couldn’t do that with Spike. He needed someone who could deal with Dru.
“Actually, my night was going wonderfully until the damn Slayer showed up.”
“Ruined your kill, eh, mate? Bloody bitch.”
“Not my kill, Rollerboy. It wasn’t a kill. I was with Willow.”
“And the Slayer interrupted you? Did you rip her head off?”
Angelus snorted. “Please. I couldn’t do that in front of Willow. I mean, sure, I’ll kill her, but I can’t let Willow see me do it. She’d never recover from it, and I don’t want another Drusilla on my hands.”
“Daddy saw the little tree.”
The two male vampires looked up as Drusilla entered. Angelus smiled at his childe. He was curious to see if she had anything else to say about Willow.
“Yes, Dru, I did.”
“When will you bring her to me? I want to play with her. Miss Edith says she’ll make a good friend.”
Spike raised his eyebrows at Dru’s comments. He’d heard his princess mumbling about trees earlier, but hadn’t realized she meant Willow. Things were definitely beginning to get very interesting. He wondered if the “little tree” was as excited about meeting Dru as Dru was her. Somehow, he doubted it.
The female vampire came closer to the men, gliding gracefully across the room. She let out a childlike giggle and spun around, her dress flaring gently.
“She’s coming, Daddy. The little tree wants to see you... she’s coming to be my friend.”
Angelus straightened up, shocked. If Drusilla didn’t have a knack for always getting things right, he wouldn’t have believed it. Willow was coming here? For him? Without saying a word, the vampire flew out of the room and headed for the front of the warehouse.
To wait for his Willow.
~7~ Rising Flame
Willow let Angelus pull her into his arms. She couldn’t believe she had traipsed across town in the middle of the night just to find him, but he was the only one she could talk to about this. He was the only one that had a clue what was really going on. In all honesty, she didn’t understand it herself.
“Come on in,” the vampire urged. “There’s someone who wants to meet you.”
“If by ‘meet’ me you mean kill me, then I think I’ll pass,” the hacker returned nervously.
Angelus put his hand under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “I would never let anyone hurt you Willow; I swear it,” he told her vehemently.
Willow smiled slightly as she she lifted her hand to touch the vampire’s cheek. “I believe you,” she whispered.
Angelus pressed a quick kiss to Willow’s lips, then took her hand and led her inside. He led her to a small room, and Willow could see Spike inside, sitting in his wheelchair. She sent Angelus a questioning glance; she seriously doubted that Spike was the one who wanted to meet her.
“I think you two have already met,” Angelus said, looking around the room for Dru. Where had that lunatic gone?
Spike stared at Willow; she was cute, he had to admit it, but she didn’t appear to be Angelus’ usual type. From what he’d been told, she was much smarter. Of course, she had willingly come to the warehouse...
“Pleased to meet you, pet.”
Willow raised an eyebrow at the blonde. “You’ll have to forgive me; I can’t say the same to you.”
Spike laughed. The chit had spunk. He turned to his sire. “Oh, I like her.”
Angelus smiled. “So do I, Spike. So do I.”
“Is she here? Did the little tree come?”
The dark haired vampire felt Willow stiffen at the sound of Drusilla’s voice, and he ran his hand up and down the girl’s arm in what he hoped was a soothing gesture. Judging by the way Willow relaxed slightly and leaned into him, it was.
“She’s here, Dru.”
The raven haired woman danced into the room, carrying Miss Edith. She stopped when she was barely a foot away from the redhead.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
“You have?” Willow asked dumbly. Had Angelus intended to make her come the warehouse?
“Miss Edith told me all about you,” Dru said in a lilting voice as she held the doll out and spun around. She paused in her dancing and looked at Willow again. “She said you’d be my friend. She said I should be nice to you. Do you like tea?”
Willow allowed herself a smile small. This was the terrifying Drusilla? She was crazy as a loon, that was for sure, but if she took orders from her doll, that was fine with Willow. Well, it was fine as long as the doll continued to like her. “Actually, I do like tea,” the redhead told the vampire.
Dru immediately turned to her lover. “We need tea, Spike. We need tea.”
“Then we’ll have tea, ducks,” the blonde replied as he gestured to one of the minions, who quickly left the room in search of the item his mistress demanded.
“Now. We need tea now, my Spike,” Dru whined.
Willow walked closer to the female vampire and placed her hand on Dru’s arm. The woman whirled to face her, and Willow smiled gently. “Do you have other dolls, Drusilla?” When the demon nodded, Willow continued. “Would you show them to me while we wait for our tea?”
With a smile reminiscent to that of a child, Drusilla took Willow’s hand and led her out of the room. “Come, let’s see my dolls. They want to meet you, too. Miss Edith told them all about you.” The vampire giggled, then whispered conspiratorially, “Then we will have are tea. But the dolls can’t have any. They’ve misbehaved.”
Spike and Angelus watched in stunned silence as the two women left the room. After a moment, Spike gathered himself enough to speak.
“Did that really just happen?” the blonde asked his sire.
“Yes, Spike, it did. I told you Willow was something special.”
“That you did, mate. Remind me never to doubt you again.”
~8~ Burning Bright
Willow had never woken up with a man in her bed before. Of course, this technically wasn’t her bed. It was Angelus’. Still, it was odd to wake up in the vampire’s arms. It was also very nice. With a contented sigh, the redhead snuggled deeper into Angelus’ embrace and let her mind drift to the night before. Drusilla had been a huge shock to her; she had never expected to like her. The redhead had never really thought about the lives... well, unlives, actually... that vampires led. She had pretty much thought that it was ‘hunt, maim, kill, see you tomorrow night.’ But seeing Spike and Dru together... he was so obviously in love with her. It was amazing. And Spike himself. He was just so damn funny. Okay, so his jokes had some violent tendencies, but he was still hilarious. Strange as it seemed, she had begun to like the blonde vampire. Dru was her favorite of the two, though. There was just something about her; she seemed almost like a child at times. It was very difficult to keep in mind that she was a demon.
Willow shifted slightly and looked at the doll that was lying on the pillow next to her. Dru had insisted that, because the warehouse was a new place to her, Willow should take the doll to sleep with. The redhead smiled sleepily as she reached out to touch the doll’s delicate porcelain face.
“You’re awake,” the vampire said as he tightened his hold on her marginally.
Willow turned in Angelus’ arms and smiled at him. “Good morning.”
“Afternoon, actually.”
Willow’s brow furrowed in momentary concern, then she shrugged. “Guess I missed school then. Oh, well. It’s not really a big deal. I’m smarter than all the teachers anyway.”
The vampire smiled at her logic. She was so adorable when she was only half-awake. Of course, he thought she was adorable all the time.
“What about the Slayer? Won’t she worry when you don’t show up for school?” he asked innocently. At Willow’s skeptical look, he grinned. “Pretend I care.”
“Screw the Slayer.”
“I already did. It wasn’t an experience I’d care to repeat.”
The redhead sent a mock glare in Angelus’ direction and pushed herself away from him and off the bed. The vampire’s grin grew as he looked at her. She was wearing nothing but one of his silk shirts, and she looked beautiful. She put her hands on her hips, making the shirt inch higher.
“That wasn’t funny.”
“Yes it was, and you know it,” he returned.
“Trouble in paradise?”
Both Willow and Angelus turned at the sound of Spike’s voice. The blonde grinned when he saw Willow’s state of undress, then rolled inside the room.
“What do you want, Spike?”
Willow sent a stern look in Angelus’ direction, then smiled at Spike as she hopped up and sat on the edge of the bed. “Hi, Spike. What’s up?”
“Drusilla, actually. She wants to play with her dolls again, and she’s asking for you.”
“Oh!” Willow hopped off the bed, then turned to the dark haired vampire. “You don’t mind if I go play with her, do you?”
Angelus grinned. He couldn’t believe how quickly and easily Willow had opened herself up to the crazy vampire. The girl just continued to amaze him. “No, Willow, I don’t mind. Although you might want to get dressed first.”
Willow blushed approximately the color of her hair as she looked down at herself and saw what she was wearing. She couldn’t believe she’d let Spike see her like this. With a quiet squeal, the redhead grabbed her jeans and dashed behind the chair in the corner to put them on. When she was finished she gave Angelus a quick kiss and left the room with as much dignity as she could muster.
Spike turned to his sire, a smirk on his face. “I just keep liking that little girl more and more. Can we keep her?”
“I hope so.”
~9~ An Errant Spark
Buffy wouldn’t speak to her. She had originally been willing to write off the kiss she’d seen as momentary insanity on both Willow and Angelus’ part, but Willow’s failure to show up the next day, as well as the inadequate explanation the redhead had given for both events, had changed her mind. Willow, like Jenny Calendar, had been officially thrown out of the Slayer’s good graces. Giles, in a show of support to his Slayer, ignored her as well, and Cordelia acted pretty much the way she always did. Quite honestly, Willow didn’t give a damn. She had Angelus, Drusilla, and Spike. Surprisingly, Xander had defied the Slayer’s wishes and continued to talk to her. the redhead wondered if the boy had any clue how much that meant to her; she seriously doubted it. And now that the hacker was being ostracized by Buffy, she was free to resume her friendship with Jenny. All in all, Willow figured she had come out pretty well.
Sighing, Willow put her books down on her desk. She could go over to the warehouse now if she wanted to, but if she did she wouldn’t get her homework done. Between Angelus, Spike, and Drusilla, she’d be busy all night. The four of them had become an odd little family, and Willow had to admit that she loved them all. She’d play dolls with Drusilla, and she would let the female vampire fix her hair for her. Spike, on the other hand, was teaching Willow how to play poker. Angelus... well, somewhere along the line, Willow had managed to fall head over heels in love with the vampire. He was so different than she had thought him to be... but she could dwell on that later. She had homework to do. Wrinkling her nose in distaste, Willow picked up her Physics book and lay down on her bed. She had a test the next day, and she knew she had to study for it.
The hours passed by quickly, and soon it was dark. With a happy sigh, Willow shut her book - she had finished Physics and moved on to French long before - and headed out into the night to find Angelus.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
It was a good night to be a vampire. The Slayer was across town fighting some stupid demon bent on world domination, and the vampires were free to kill and feed as they chose. Angelus was having a blast. He had taken Dru out to hunt earlier, and the two of them had brought a wonderful kill back for Spike. Angelus smiled as he thought about how much better things had been between him and his childe since Willow had joined their little family. Of course, it probably had something to do with the fact that he was no longer taunting Spike with Drusilla... oh, well. It didn’t really matter why things were better. He was just glad that they were, and he knew that at least some of the credit belonged to the tiny redhead.
With careless grace, Angelus stalked down the street, looking for all the world like the predator that he was. He had time for one more kill before he went back to the warehouse to see Willow.
His Willow.
At times, the vampire still had trouble believing his good fortune. Willow wanted him; she had chosen him over that stupid Slayer and her Watcher. He was still planning to kill those two. He was surprised that Xander was sticking by his redhead, though. He’d thought the boy to be thoroughly whipped by the Slayer. Oh, well, the boy had proven his worth, and Angelus fully intended to turn him as a gift to Willow. Perhaps the boy would like that Gypsy for a companion... yes, Jennifer Calendar would probably make a fine vampire. So would Willow, of course. But not for several more years. He wanted to enjoy her warmth for a while before he turned her into a demon.
With that on his mind, Angelus grabbed a young girl - fifteen, perhaps sixteen - who just happened to be walking by him. With a wicked grin and a snarl, he morphed into his demon face and drained her dry in less than a heartbeat. Of course, neither one of them had heartbeats anymore. Ahh, he loved the taste of fear and innocence. A stunned gasp came from behind him, and he spun around, hoping for another kill. What he saw made him drop his victim and simply stare in shock.
It was Willow.
And she was crying.
~10~ Dousing The Flame
Willow ran to Jenny’s. It was the only place she could think of. Angelus didn’t have an invitation, so she knew she could be alone there. Well, not alone, exactly. Away from him. She couldn’t believe he hadn’t caught her. Maybe the shock of knowing she had seen him like that had momentarily paralyzed him. Whatever it was, she didn’t care. All she knew was that she was glad he hadn’t caught her. She couldn’t face him right now. She couldn’t deal with what she had seen.
“Oh, Willow. What’s wrong, honey?” Jenny exclaimed as she opened her front door to find the girl sobbing on her porch.
“I’m an idiot,” Willow managed as she walked inside. When she realized that she was now in a place where Angelus couldn’t get to her, the redhead really lost it. She was sobbing so hard that she could hardly stand, and Jenny practically had to carry her to the couch. After she had Willow settled, the computer teacher went to make herbal tea, hoping that the brew would soothe the young hacker. She lifted a silent prayer to Whomever was listening that whatever it was that had left the girl in this state could be fixed.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Angelus stood over the body of his victim, shaking slightly as grief began to replace the shock. He had lost her; he was sure of it.
He could see it written all over her face.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
“He was just standing there, holding her. He’d killed her, Jenny. She was younger then me. I’d seen her at school. She was only a sophomore... and he killed her. Oh, God, how could I have been so stupid?”
The teacher held the girl as she told the story, her heart breaking for her young friend. “You loved him, Willow. If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll admit that you still do. Love can blind you to a lot of things.”
“He’s a murderer. I knew that from the start, but I went ahead and fell for him anyway. And Spike and Dru. I became friends with killers. I completely ignored what they were.”
Jenny held Willow closer as her sobs began anew. “Oh, honey, I wish I could fix things for you, but I can’t.” She paused and drew Willow away so that she could look in the girl’s eyes, which were puffy and red from crying. “I can help you to change things, though.”
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Angelus slammed his fist into the wall, leaving a rather impressive hole. He winced at the pain; he was sure his hand was broken.
But nothing compared to the pain in his dead heart.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
“A permanent soul? Why didn’t you tell me you were working on that?”
“I didn’t want you to know. I didn’t actually plan to use it on him. I know that sounds like a ridiculous lie, but it’s not. I was afraid he’d turn you. If he did, I was going to use it on you.”
Willow sighed as she looked at the printout in her hand. The curse to permanently anchor Angel’s soul. Dear Lord, she didn’t know if she could do it. But she had to; it would be selfish to ignore this opportunity. Angel deserved another chance, even if it meant she had to watch the body of the man she loved with the Slayer. Besides, Angelus was a killer. Willow had blinded herself to that reality, but it was still true. And now that she saw him for what he was, she couldn’t allow him to do more damage. She wouldn’t be able to face herself in the mirror each day if she did. She looked up at her teacher.
“Do you have all the ingredients?”
Jenny shook her head. “There are a couple herbs I need, but I know someone who can get them for me. She can be here in a few minutes.”
Willow looked at Jenny, her resolve face firmly in place.
“Do it.”
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Angelus slumped to the floor, his shoulders shaking in silent sobs. In all his time as a demon - before the curse and after it was broken - he’d never actually loved something before. Until now.
And he had ruined it.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Cordelia Chase put her hand on Willow’s shoulder in an uncharacteristic show of concern.
“It really is the right thing to do,” the brunette told her.
Willow wiped her eyes and attempted to smile. “I know. But thank you for saying it.”
Cordelia gave the other girl’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. She looked up as Jenny entered the room. She had never seen the teacher look so serious.
“It’s ready.”
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Drusilla let out an unearthly cry as the stars began to scream at her.
She was going to lose her Daddy again.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Tears rolled down Willow’s cheeks as Jenny chanted in an unknown language. She looked at Cordelia as the brunette handed her the ingredients that would help complete the ritual. The two girls lit the herbs and began to chant as well. Willow’s voice broke, and she sobbed in earnest as she helped to complete the spell that would recurse Angel permanently.
And destroy the man she loved.
~11~ A Flicker Of Hope
It had been nearly a month since Angel had been recursed, and Willow had found herself magically back in the Slayer’s good graces. Buffy had somehow deluded herself into believing that Willow had been planning all along to try the curse, and that the redhead had only been around Angelus so he wouldn’t suspect what she was up to. Willow didn’t really care what the other girl thought, she was just glad that Buffy and Giles were speaking to her again. She needed all the friends she could get, even if they were annoying. In one move, Willow had lost three of the most important people in her world: Angelus, Spike, and Drusilla. Oddly enough, Angelus’ two children didn’t seem to hold any ill will towards her. The couple had left town immediately after Angel’s re-emergence, but Willow had found one of Dru’s dolls outside her door with a note from Spike telling her that Dru had wanted her to have it. It was the doll that Dru had given her to sleep with that night at the warehouse that now seemed so long ago.
Willow sighed. She was glad Buffy no longer hated her, but she despised the fact that her friend refused to acknowledge what had really happened. At least she had Miss Calendar and Cordelia to lean on. She never thought she’d consider the snobby brunette a friend, but the girl had really been there for her. With the help of the teacher and the cheerleader, Willow was slowly getting over the loss of Angelus. She knew deep down that, even if they hadn’t done the curse, it would have been over anyway. There was no way she could have forgotten what she saw, and Angelus would have never changed his ways.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Angel watched Willow from his spot just outside her door. She looked so lonely, and his heart ached at seeing her this way. He wanted to tell her how Angelus felt - how he himself felt - but he wasn’t sure how the knowledge would effect her. He sighed softly. Since he had come back, the Slayer had made it obvious that she wanted to continue the relationship that they’d had before, but he had told her no. He didn’t want Buffy anymore. All he wanted was Willow.
And he had no idea how to tell her.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Willow stopped in her reading as the feeling of being watched came over her. Angel. It had to be him. She had felt his presence quite a few times over the past few weeks, and she wondered why he was following her. Was he simply grateful that she had helped to restore his soul? Did he feel guilty about the relationship she’d had with Angelus? If that was it, she didn’t see why; it’s not like they had slept together or anything. Or was it something more? No matter what it was, she had to know, and she had to know now. The waiting was driving her crazy.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Angel jumped as the door swung open. He’d been so absorbed in his thoughts, he hadn’t even seen Willow leave her desk.
“Um, hi.”
“Hi to you, too.” Willow left the door open and sat on her bed. She stared expectantly at Angel, who was still standing just outside the threshold. “Are you just going to stand there all night, or are you going to come in? You’ve still got an invitation, you know.”
“I know,” Angel answered, stepping just inside her room. He tried not to think about the last time he’d been in her bedroom. He could clearly remember the feel of her in his arms; he was aching to hold her once again.
“Why are you here, Angel?”
The hacker’s words knocked Angel out of his memories. Or, more accurately, Angelus’ memories. Not sure of how to answer her question, Angel looked around the room. His curiosity turned into surprise when he spotted the doll on Willow’s dresser.
Willow followed the direction of the vampire’s gaze and smiled sadly when she realized what he had seen. “Dru gave it to me; Spike left a note with it.” Willow wiped a tear from her cheek. “God, I miss them. I know it’s wrong, that they’re evil murderers, but I can’t help it.”
“You miss him, too, don’t you?” Angel asked, purposely speaking of his soulless self in the third person.
Willow closed her eyes against the wave of tears that threatened. “Is that why you came here? To tell me to get over it because he never really gave a damn about me anyway?”
Angel sat down beside Willow and reached for her hand, unable to just stand there and watch her in pain. “He loved you, Willow. He loved you so much it hurt. I never thought the demon was even capable of caring for someone, much less loving someone, especially to the extent that he loved you. I still have my demon, Willow; I still have him inside me, and I always will. And it still loves you, little one. Almost as much as I do.” Angel winced as he realized that he’d actually said that last part out loud.
“You love me?” the redhead whispered, shocked. She knew Angel thought she was pretty - Angelus had told her that - but she’d had no idea that he loved her.
“God, Willow, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that, at least not right now anyway. This isn’t exactly the time for us to be having this conversation.”
“When will it be time?”
“When you’re over him. I want to be with you, Willow. But I can’t be a substitute for him. I won’t be one. You have to want to be with me, too. And I know you’re not ready for that now. But it’s okay; I can wait. I’m pretty good at that.”
Willow sighed and leaned against Angel. She knew he was right. She needed time, but she would get over Angelus. And when she did, she could move on.
With Angel.
End Story. End Series.
go to the sequal Happy Again