Author: Kaz

Email: kardeb97@yahoo.com

URL: Near Her Always http://nearheralways.com

Pairing: Willow/Angel

Rating: R at the most, this part G

Disclaimer: Joss and company own the characters and anything you recognize.

Distribution: Any list archives, NHA, SC, anyone I've given permission to.

Summary: Willow and Angel get involved after Buffy's death.  (Sorry if this has been done!)

Spoilers: Season 5 finales of both BtVS and A:tS

Dedication: to Dan for giving me this idea.  And to Chris for being wonderful.

Feedback: Please!  This is my second W/A fic and I'd love to hear what you thought of it!

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~Part: 1~

Willow sighed and put her head in her hands.  She had come to L.A. to tell Angel about Buffy's death.  And she had.  She had watched his face grow even paler than it usually was, his eyes widen in shock, and his fists clench by his sides.  He had known the instant he saw her.  All he said was "Buffy" before locking himself in his office.

Willow bit her lip.  She had just finished explaining what had happened to Cordelia and Wesley.  Cordelia had tears streaming down her face while Wesley sat stiffly stoic.

Willow looked up as the door opened quietly.  "Angel, do you want to know how?" She asked quietly as she watched the dark-haired vampire come into the room.

He looked at her, his eyes filled with pain.  "I heard. you don't need to explain again," he said shortly, taking a seat on the desk.

"Oh, okay," Willow said, glancing at Cordelia and Wesley to see what they would do.  They appeared to be at a loss for words, neither making a sound.

Cordelia stood up and walked to the vampire.  She wrapped her arms around him, giving him a quick hug before quietly exiting the room.  Wesley followed, giving Angel a sympathetic glance before shutting the door with a click.

The room was quiet; the only sounds were Willow's breathing.  They sat silently for a while.

"How're you holding up?"

Willow jumped, Angel's question startling her after so many minutes of silence.  "Um, oh.  I'm fine.  I ." she swallowed, pushing back her feelings.

Angel raised an eyebrow.

Willow's face fell, tears welling in her eyes.  "It's so hard.  I . Tara and then Buffy so quickly," she whispered, unable to say anything else.

She felt arms wrap around her and she welcomed the embrace.  She began to cry in earnest as Angel held her.  She felt his hands stroking up and down her back.  After a few minutes of sobbing, she pulled back.  "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to ." she said softly.

"It's okay," Angel answered.  "What happened to . Tara?"

"She . we . it was too much.  Me trying to restore her.  I -it made her comatose.  And then, so much was going on, it overloaded her and . I lost them both," Willow admitted, her tears once again overflowing.

Angel's face showed his shock. "Oh God, Willow!  I am so sorry," he said, once again pulling her into his arms.

"It's not your fault.  And you're going through your own stuff.  You're . you're really the only one who understands.  I mean, Giles and Xander think they understand but they don't ."

"Understand?" Angel asked, a hint of a smile playing over his lips.

Willow nodded.  "Exactly.  They're trying to help. They thought if I came here and got out of Sunnydale, it would help.  But all I've done since I got here is cry."

Angel shook his head.  "There's nothing wrong with that.  You're hurting.  It's normal to grieve, especially when you've lost . so much in so little time."

Willow nodded, wiping her eyes with her hands before pulling a tissue out of her pocket.  Instead of using it, she began to play with it, her hands folding it then unfolding it.  She looked at her tissue for a minute before looking into Angel's face.  "Then it should be normal for you too.  And you're not . you're just . so . stoic," she said.

Angel shrugged.  "I'm a vampire," he said, as if that was an adequate explanation.

Willow glared at him.  "So?  That doesn't mean you can't feel things.  You have a soul, not that having a soul makes a difference really.  Look at Spike, he's . he's hurting so much.  And so are you!  And both of you are big, stupid macho 'grr I'm a vampire and I don't care because I'm all . manly'  and . this isn't what I wanted to say."

Angel smiled a little despite his pain.  "It's okay."

Willow shook her head.  "No it's not, but I don't want to see you do the whole brooding thing.  Not that you aren't justified, but . it won't make you feel any better.  Trust me, I know," she said wryly.

"I agree."

Willow blinked.  "What?"

"I agree."

"You agree to what?"

"That I shouldn't brood.  I've done it for 85 years and it hasn't helped any."

"Oh," Willow said, surprised.  "That's good then."

Angel nodded. "So ."

"Yes, so ."

They both looked at each other, not sure what to say. Grief still marred both their faces.  Angel held out his arms and Willow thankfully dived right in.

They sat, just taking comfort in the other's closeness for at least an hour.

A tentative knock on the door interrupted them.  It was opened quietly and Cordelia's face popped in.

She cleared her throat before she began to speak. "Um, I didn't know what else to do, so I bought you some chocolate peanut butter ice cream and other fattening stuff.  So if you want it, it's in the freezer.  But we're going home," she said softly. "Unless you'd rather we stay?  'Cause we'd be happy to."

Angel shook his head.  "Thanks Cordy.  But .  I think we'll be okay."

Cordelia nodded and began to shut the door.

"Cordy?" Willow asked just before the door shut.

Cordelia stuck her face back in.  She looked at Willow questioningly.

"Thanks for the ice cream."

Cordelia smiled and shut the door behind her.

~Part: 2~

Willow and Angel enjoyed each other's embrace for a while longer.  Finally, Angel moved slightly.  He craned his head to look down at Willow.   "Did you want some of that ice cream Cordy bought?" He asked.

Willow nodded.  "There is no ill that can't be cured with peanut butter and chocolate!"

Angel winced.

"Oh, what did I say?" Willow asked worriedly, seeing the emotions evident on Angel's face.

Angel shrugged.

"No, tell me.  That's what I'm here for," Willow insisted.

Angel sighed, needing to tell someone about that wonderful day with Buffy.  He nodded, making the decision to talk to Willow.  "Come on, I'll tell you over ice cream," he promised.

* * * *

"Oh God.  So you gave up being human for her and now she's ..." Willow trailed off.  She got up and put her arms around Angel, who stiffened up slightly but didn't protest the contact.  "I'm so sorry Angel.  But ... you don't know that this wouldn't have happened sooner if you hadn't."

"I know.  And I have no regrets," Angel said softly.

"But ..."

Angel hung his head.  "But, I can't help thinking about what it would have been like if I'd kept it."

Willow frowned.  "I don't know what to tell you, but I think there are always going to be 'what ifs' in life. That's part of being human."

"But I'm not," Angel retorted, digging a spoon into the melting ice cream.

Willow almost growled at him.  "Stop that.  You're more human than most people!  And don't tell me you aren't!  I've met so-called humans who have less humanity than you!"

Angel held up his hands in surrender.  "Okay, okay.  I won't say that anymore."

"Good."

Angel had to laugh at the self-satisfied smirk that graced Willow's lips.  "So you've demolished the ice cream.  Now what?" Angel asked.

"Me?  You certainly helped Mr. I-Don't-Eat-Real-Food!" Willow retorted.

The two were silent as they cleaned up the kitchen. "Angel?  Does it make you feel guilty to laugh and be happy?" Willow asked once they were done.

Angel sat down on the sofa.  "Now or in general?"

Willow shrugged.  "Now I guess."

"Kinda.  But we have to move on, Willow," Angel said. "I've been preparing myself for this day since I fell in love with her.  Every time I heard your voice, or Giles' on the other end of the phone I would think 'This is it.  She's gone'."

"Oh, Angel, I'm sorry.  I never thought ... never realized ..." Willow bit her lip and then sighed.  "I guess I never really faced it.  All those times when we've beat the baddie with only cuts and scrapes.  But ... this time death was her gift."

"What?" Angel asked, surprised.

"That's what the spirit of the first slayer told her. Death is her gift.  None of us ever considered that it could mean ... what it did," Willow admitted.

Angel nodded again.

The two were sat silently, each lost in their own thoughts.

Willow turned to Angel.  "I should be going home soon. We need to fix the Buffybot so no one knows what's happened."

"I should thrash Spike for even thinking about making a Buffybot!" Angel growled.

"Hey!  If he hadn't we'd all be in a very bad situation right now!  Buffy is the only thing that keeps the Hellmouth under control!  Although what she was made for is really gross, I'm glad Spike made Warren do it!" Willow stated.

Angel managed a smile.  "That's one of the things I like about you Willow, you always see the silver lining."

Willow shrugged.  "Somebody's got to do it and it certainly isn't you, Mr. Broody-pants!" Willow said playfully.

* * * *

"Thanks for coming, Willow," Angel said.

"No problem.  If you need anything, you call, understood?" Willow asked, giving Angel a hug.

"Understood.  That goes for you too," Angel replied.

Willow nodded.  "I promise.  Do you think you'll want to come see ..." Willow trailed off sadly.

Angel looked thoughtful.  "I don't know.  If I do, I'll let you know, okay?"

"Okay.  Bye Angel."  Willow said as she headed for the stairs.  She turned and gave a little wave before she walked out the door.

"Bye Willow.  Take care."

~Part: 3~

Willow swore silently as she searched for the portable phone.  She had searched for it everywhere and was only now on its trail because it was ringing.  "I'm gonna kill Dawn for not hanging it back up if I don't find it in time!" She muttered to herself.

With a shout of triumph she fished it out between the sofa cushions and pressed the on button.  "Hello?" She said somewhat breathlessly.  Absently, she began straightening the cushions she had uprooted in her search.

"Willow?"  Angel's voice was filled with worry.  He leaned forward against his desk as he tried to hear if anything was going on in the background that would cause Willow to be out of breath.  'I don't hear any out of the ordinary,' he concluded, still worried.

"Hi Angel!  How're you?" She asked, making herself comfortable on the sofa.  She leaned against the arm and curled her legs under her, letting herself relax for the first time that day.  She had been going non-stop since she had awakened.  First, getting Dawn off to school, then to her classes, then to the grocery store, then back home to put away the groceries and straighten the house up.  She was beginning to feel very sorry for all the single mothers and fathers who had to work as well as do all the housework.  'Thank goddess I have Dawnie to help me with some of the chores!' She said to herself.

"Is everything okay?  You took a while to answer the phone," Angel commented, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Ah, the couch monster ate it.  But don't worry, I triumphed!" Willow assured him with a giggle, holding her fist in the air in what she hoped was a conquering motion.  She rolled her eyes at herself as she realized what she was doing and quickly put her hand back down.

"Couch monster?  Are you okay Willow?  Did you call Giles?" Angel asked hurriedly.  He grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and quickly wrote 'Couch monster, Sunnydale' on it.  He stood up and walked toward the door to give the slip to Wesley to begin research.  He opened it quickly, causing the others at Angel Investigations to look at him in concern.

Willow rolled her eyes and sighed.  "It was a joke, Angel.  I know you know what one is.  You've even been known to make one on occasion.  Though they're usually bad, but nonetheless, you should be able to recognize one.  Do I need to come down there and give you lessons on recognizing jokes?"

Angel winced in chagrin.  He quickly closed the door, ignoring the stares of his colleagues for his odd behavior.  Crumpling the paper in his hand, he threw it in the wastebasket. "Thanks, but no Willow.  I do have a favor to ask you though," he said, sitting back down in his chair.  He held the phone tightly in his right hand while his left tapped his knee in a nervous gesture.

"What do you need?" Willow asked, curious as to what the vampire would need from her.  She grabbed a pen off the coffee table and began twirling it between her fingers.

"Well, if it's not too much trouble, I don't want to put you and Dawn out, and if either of you are uncomfortable with the idea, that's fine, but could I stay with you?" Angel asked in a rush.  His fingers began drumming harder and more quickly on his leg.

"Geez Angel!  Trying to take the Babble Award away from me?" Willow teased gently, the pen falling from her hand.  She frowned as she retrieved it from the floor and began tapping it against the couch arm.  "And yes, you can.  Is there something wrong?  Are evil vegetables going to attack Sunnydale or something?"

"No.  Nothing's wrong.  I'm ready." Came the quiet answer.

Willow's levity immediately ceased.  She swallowed back the pain that surfaced automatically and cleared her throat.  "Sure.  We'd love to have you whenever you get here."

"Are you sure?  I mean, I could stay at the mansion if you'd rather," Angel offered half-heartedly.  In reality, he loathed the idea of staying at the mansion.  It was dark, dank and held too many memories.

"Angel, the mansion is dusty and full of ... nobody.  You need people around and we are here ready to be those people.  Or at least I am.  Can I be a people all by myself?  Anyway, when are you coming?" Willow asked, annoyed with herself for babbling during a serious conversation.  'Do I even know the meaning of a serious conversation?  He doesn't need me babbling!  He needs support.  A babble-free support person.' She thought to herself. 'I will be babble-free the entire time he's here.  Babbling will not interfere in the support or the conversations!  No babbling!' She told herself sternly.

"Well, I was thinking of this weekend.  Wes, Gunn and the girls said they'd be okay without me for a few days," Angel answered.  'I love it when she lets her mind wander like that.  Not too many people are comfortable enough with me to let themselves do that.' Angel mused inwardly.  Shaking himself he realized that he had missed what Willow had just said.  "Sorry Willow, what'd you say?"

"I said that's fine.  Dawn and I will expect you this weekend," Willow promised, nodding her head decisively.

"Thanks.  I appreciate it," Angel said.   The two were quiet for a few moments.  Angel could hear a tapping in the background at Willow's that mirrored his own tapping on his leg.  'Guess we're both a little anxious,' he thought to himself.  Finally, Angel spoke up again.  "Um, so how are things?"

Willow winced.  "They're ... going.  Some days are better than others.  I try to keep busy.  'Cause a busy Willow is a Willow who doesn't think about things she shouldn't think about." 'Oh yeah, that was a very intelligent sentence!' Willow berated herself with a roll of her eyes.

Angel chuckled softly at her reasoning, knowing it all too well himself.  "Yes, I can understand that.  I've been redoing the filing.  Cordelia isn't too pleased but it does keep my mind off ... her."

"The filing?  How many ways are there to file?" Willow asked, curious despite herself.

"Well, according to Cordelia there are many ways.  For instance, I found a case we worked on last year filed under "A".  It was a Boligoi demon who wanted us to find his nestmates.  Very simple," Angel began the story.

Willow's eyebrows furrowed.  "Okay.  Did the demon's name begin with an A?" She asked, confused.

Angel grinned. "Nope.  His, or rather its, interpreter was a human who wore Armani when they came to our office.  Hence, it was filed under 'A'."

Willow shook her head.  "You gotta love Cordy.  At least she keeps you on your toes!" She replied, a smile coming to her face.

"Yep!  Did I tell you about the time ..."

The two talked about inconsequential things for another hour, simply enjoying each other's company.

~Part: 4~

Willow opened the door and gave Angel a smile.  "Hey."

"Hey," Angel replied, swallowing hard. 'God, this is surreal.  She shouldn't be here.  She should be at her own home.  Buffy should be the one answering the door.' He thought to himself.

Willow stepped back, noticing the play of emotions cross Angel's usually stoic face.  "Come on in," she said quietly, gesturing with her hand.

Angel nodded and stepped through the door.  He looked around, noticing small changes here and there.  It even smelled different and he could detect only lingering vestiges of Buffy's scent.  "Where's Dawn?" He asked before pausing,  "and what was Spike doing here?" He all but growled.

Willow smacked him on the arm.

Angel looked at her in surprise.  "What?" He asked confused.

Willow shook a finger at him.  "You be nice.  He's going through the same thing you are.  Well, except he and Buffy never dated," she conceded.  She shrugged, and looked at him in sympathy.  "He did love her, in his own odd way."

Angel raised an eyebrow, his eyes glinting with golden flecks.  "Oh?" Was all he could manage.

Willow nodded, her resolve face firmly in place. "Yes. And don't you 'oh' at me, mister!" She berated him.  She took a deep breath and continued. "And Dawn and Spike are out to the movies.  They do it once a week."

"They what?" Angel asked in astonishment, not bothering to hide his skepticism. 'She lets him take Dawn out?  What is she thinking?' Angel wondered, pushing down the urge to ask her just that.

"They are out at their weekly movie night," Willow answered, her voice calm.  "Dawn likes him and he thinks of her as a little sister."

"You do know that if he had ever had a sister, he'd have killed her?" Angel snapped.

Willow's face hardened.  "Angel, the decision isn't yours.  Spike and Dawn are friends and I won't interfere with that.  Dawn's had too many people taken from her this year and she couldn't stand to lose Spike too!" Willow retorted.  "Besides," she continued quietly. "I think Spike promised Buffy something.  I'm not sure what but he's taken as his responsibility for looking after Dawn when I can't.  He's good about that.  He's been a really big help."

Angel looked at his feet.  "Oh," was all he said.  He cleared his throat and looked around again.  "I'm sorry."

Willow smiled slightly.  "It's not a big.  I should've warned you.  Do you want something to eat?  I just picked up the order from Willy's this morning."

Angel turned sharply to look at Willow.  "You went to Willy's alone?"

Willow rolled her eyes.  "Yes, dad, I did!" She said with a grin, pulling on his arm and leading him to the kitchen.  She pointed to a stool. "Sit," she ordered, and was surprised to see Angel do just that.  Grabbing a bag of blood from the fridge, she deftly sliced it open with a knife and poured it into a mug.  Placing it in the microwave, she pressed the "beverage" button and turned to face Angel.  "Things have changed Angel. I'm not the same person I was when you left.  I'm a pretty powerful wiccan now and everybody in town knows it.  Well, at least the demons do.  I can take care of myself."

Angel sighed.  "Willow, are you sure-"

"Yes, Angel, I'm sure.  I ... I was Buffy's big gun!  I took on Glory and lived.  Not to say that I didn't have help, I did.  But I kicked her ass!  I hurt her!" Willow told him.

Angel raised a brow and gave Willow a somewhat accusing look.  "You left that out of your story earlier," Angel noted in what he considered a very calm manner.

Willow blushed and bit her lip.  "Well, um, you know.  Didn't want to toot my own horn.  Besides, there were more important things to tell you," she said softly.  The microwave beeped.  Willow took out the steaming mug and handed it Angel.

Angel nodded.  "Thanks," he said, sipping at the blood.  He looked at the mug in his hands for a moment before meeting Willow's eyes.  "Can I give you some advice?"

Willow nodded.  "Sure," she replied, sitting on the stool next to him.

"Be careful with the black magic," Angel began.  He held up a hand as he saw Willow begin to protest.  "And don't tell me you didn't use it.  That's the only thing I can think of that would allow you to hurt Glory.  And I'm not telling you this because I think you can't take care of yourself," he continued.  "I have to admit I'm wondering if going into a demon bar alone is the smartest thing you can do, but if you've lived this long on the Hellmouth, you can take care of yourself.  But I've seen the magic take over a person. They become so power hungry they lose themselves. They do things and say things they would never consider even thinking if they weren't on the high black magic can give you.  They become addicted to it and I've known one person who's overcome the addiction.  One.  Out of dozens.  And I don't want to see that happen to you."

Willow was silent for several minutes, thinking about what Angel had said.  "Who says I would become addicted?" She asked, an edge to her voice.

Angel shrugged.  "I never said you would.  I just said I didn't want to see it happen.  And the way you told me you kicked Glory's ass, it reminded me of someone I knew," he admitted.

Willow looked at him in curiosity.  "Who?"

"Me."

Willow crossed her arms and looked hurt.  "You?  You never told me you were into magic!" She said.

"Oh, no.  I don't mean magic," Angel replied.  "But I do understand the urge to have something pushing you to do things you can't do.  Knowing how good it would feel to give in just once.  But you can't and you know it.  And I don't want you to have that urge Willow.  It makes life a hell of a lot harder than it already is."

"Oh," Willow said softly.  She had felt the power and almost glorified in the rush using the black magic had given her when she was avenging Tara.  She had avoided using it since the battle with Glory.  She had used magic since then, to help with the slaying, but not any spells out of the book at the Magic Box.  She had been tempted to, but had realized that other spells would do the same job. 'Oh Goddess.  Angel's right.  I could so easily have lost myself.' Willow thought to herself in horror.

Angel saw the terror on Willow's face and was not surprised by it.  'Good, I got through to her,' he thought in satisfaction, finishing off the blood in one large swallow.

"Thank you," Willow said softly, leaning over and giving Angel a kiss on the cheek.  She blushed as she realized what she did and pulled away immediately.

Angel stiffened slightly but managed to make himself relax.  He smiled at the redhead seated next to him.  "No need to thank me.  You've done so much for me, there's nothing I can do to repay you," Angel told her.  "Besides, I've lost too many people this year too."

~Part: 5~

Angel stood up and rinsed out the mug.  Quickly putting it in the dishwasher, he turned to Willow to find her examining him intently.  He raised an eyebrow.  "What's wrong?"

Willow shook herself.  "Nothing," she said slowly, cocking her head.  "You're ... different."  'What is it?  He's not acting like the Angel I knew in Sunnydale.  Not even like the Angel I saw in LA.' She wondered.

"Different?" Angel asked. Doing a mental inventory, he frowned to himself.  'I haven't changed the way I dress.  Is there something wrong with my hair?' He asked worriedly, quickly ran his fingers through it. 'Nope, it feels okay.'

Willow nodded.  "Yup.  I don't quite know how though." She wrinkled her brow as she continued to peer at him. 'Oh well, it'll probably come to me in a minute.' She told herself.

Angel shrugged and began to fidget under her intense examination.  'Not that it's bad that a beautiful woman's staring at me, but Willow's never been this blatant before.  I guess I'm not the only one who's changed in two years,' Angel said to himself.

Willow blushed as she noticed how uncomfortable she was making him.  'Good job, Willow.  Make him uncomfortable!' She berated herself.  "I'm sorry," she apologized out loud, taking her eyes off the brunette vampire.

She got off the stool and looked at the clock.  'How do I entertain a vampire?' She asked herself.  Her eyes widened as she was suddenly deluged with a variety of vivid images detailing exactly what she could do to entertain a vampire.

She fought back a blush.  'Well, it's official.  I need help.  Either that or I've been spending too much time with Spike.  Or both,' she said to herself.

She turned to Angel. "Well, what do you want to do now?  We have a while before Dawnie and Spike will get back."  Willow's brain raced to come up with an activity to occupy the vampire.  'Hmm, there's monopoly or something.  Do vampires like monopoly?  Spike plays it with Dawn but they're a law unto themselves.  I mean, it's not like Angel or Spike can say it takes too long 'cause they've got all the time in the world.  Though I do remember Spike protesting about his manly image he had to protect.' Willow recalled silently.

Angel thought for a moment. 'I wonder what's going on in that mind of hers.' Angel thought absently before bringing himself back to the present.  He sighed. 'Might as well do it now,' he said to himself.  "I'd like to see it," he said softly.

Willow straightened and took a deep breath before nodding.  "Okay," she answered.  She looked at Angel and continued tentatively, "do you want company?"

Angel was silent for a moment.  "Sure," he answered.

Willow didn't say a word, simply grabbing her jacket and leading the way to the front door.

* * * *

The walk to Buffy's grave was silent.  Willow tried to look at Angel out of the corner of her eye as they stood in front of the headstone.  She swallowed.  'His face is so impassive.  Like marble.  I can't tell what he's thinking,' she thought.

Angel stared at Buffy's grave with pained eyes.  'God, its real now,' he thought to himself.  He knelt down to read the inscription, his lips quirking in spite of himself.  'I wonder if it's Xander's work or Willow's,' he thought inconsequentially.  He reached out a hand and gently traced Buffy's name.  'I'm sorry I wasn't here, Buffy.  I'm sorry I couldn't save you,' he whispered in his mind.  He stood up and looked at the grave a final time.  Steeling himself against the pain in his heart, he forced himself to let go.  'Good bye, Buffy.'

He turned around to say something to Willow.  'Where'd she go?' He asked himself.  Hearing a heartbeat only a few feet away, he followed the sound.

* * * *

Willow had quietly left Angel's side when the moonlight had glinted off another gravestone.  Since Angel was so absorbed in his thoughts, she didn't disturb him.  She walked to the grave and knelt beside it.  Her heart clenched in pain as she read the inscription for the thousandth time.

   'Tara McClay, 1980-2001

    She walks in beauty, like the night    Of cloudless climes and starry skies;    And all that's best of dark and bright    Meet in her aspect and her eyes:    Thus mellow'd to that tender light    When heaven to gaudy day denies'

Closing her eyes she put her hand on the headstone, letting her tears fall down her cheeks unchecked.

* * * *

Finally spotting the redhead, he saw that she was kneeling by another grave.  His heart immediately went out to the woman in front of him as he read the gravestone.  He waited for a moment then unable to simply watch her hurting, he said the first thing that came to mind.  "Byron isn't it?"

Surprised, Willow shrieked and jumped up, pulling stake from her sleeve.  She relaxed when she saw it was Angel.  "Oh, Angel, it's you," she said, quickly wiping her tears away.

He winced.  "Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you," he said quietly, looking at the grass that covered Tara's grave.  'I shouldn't have said anything.  I should have just waited.  Where was my famous silence when it was actually needed?' Angel asked himself, thoroughly annoyed.  'She was kind enough to let you have time alone!'

Willow smiled.  "No, it's okay," she answered.  She saw his mouth tighten and sighed.  "It really is.  And yes, it's Byron.  Giles picked it out.  I was too ... I couldn't decide so he helped.  Tara always liked Byron," she said softly.  She looked at him for a moment, before continuing.  "Are you okay?"

Angel shrugged.  "Been better, but I've also been worse," he answered.

Willow nodded.  "I'm sorry," she said quietly.  "Is there anything I can do?"

Angel shook his head and remained silent.  "Are you okay?"

Willow shrugged.  "I'll be okay," she answered.  When Angel didn't reply, Willow took the hint and began leading the way out of the cemetery.

A shriek reverberated through the air, causing both Willow and Angel to tense.  The two looked at each other for a moment before Angel was off in the direction of the cry.  Willow followed close behind him, trying to keep up.  She almost bumped into him when he came to sudden stop, staring at something.

Willow stepped around him and saw the sight that made him halt.

Dawn was sitting on a headstone, her legs dangling while she ate what looked like a chocolate ice cream.  In her other hand was a second cone which, at intervals, she licked.

"Hey, Nibblet, keep that mouth off of my ice cream!" Spike protested as he backhanded a fledgling.  Keeping his eyes on the fledgling, he leaned over and took a lick of his cone.

"I'm just making sure it doesn't drip all over my hand," Dawn replied.  "If you'd got napkins this wouldn't be a problem."

"I'm a vampire, not a pansy, pet!  We don't use napkins," Spike answered giving her a grin as he waited for the fledge to attack again.  When it did, he produced a stake, which he promptly shoved into the vampire's heart.  With a burst of dust, it was gone.  Spike quickly went to reclaim his dessert.  "Hey, you ate all the sprinkles!"

"Well, they were going to melt off," Dawn replied, grinning.  Suddenly she noticed Angel and Willow.  With a huge smile she waved enthusiastically and hopped off the headstone.  "Hey guys!"

Angel and Willow hurried to them.

Angel glared at Spike.  "What do you think you're doing taking Dawn to a cemetery?" He snapped at his childe. 'I can't believe he put Dawn in danger like that!' Angel fumed to himself.

Spike glared right back.  'Bloody wanker.  Thinks he knows what's best does he?' Spike thought to himself in annoyance.  "Not your business," he retorted.  He turned his attention to Willow, noticing her tear-streaked cheeks.  "You okay, Red?"

Willow nodded.  "I'm okay," she replied, giving him a wan smile.  "How about you?"

"We're fine.  Spike was so cool!  He just dusted that vamp.  See, it attacked us while were walking and Spike was so slick!  He handed me his ice cream and just took him on!" Dawn said enthusiastically, sneaking glances at the blond vampire.  She blushed when he caught her and turned her attention to her ice cream.

Spike nodded, pretending not to notice Dawn's infatuation with him.  "Yup.  Exactly how it happened. He attacked us, I was just defending the lil bit," he agreed, keeping his eyes on Angel, almost daring him to say something.

Angel sighed and turned to Willow.  "And you think letting him take her out is a good idea?" He asked the redhead.

Willow sighed and raised an eyebrow.  "Yes, I do.  He's a good influence on her," she stated, fixing her resolve face firmly in place.

Angel looked at her in shock. "Spike?  A good influence?" He asked incredulously.

Spike also protested.  "Hey, Red!  That's not nice.  I'm evil and mean.  I'm a horrible influence!" He protested.

Willow raised her eyebrows.  "See?  I knew you two could agree on something!" She said with a smile.  She turned to Dawn.  "Come on, let's go home.  And if two certain vampires agree to behave like the adults they claim to be, they can join us!"

Willow held out her arm to Dawn, who immediately took it and the two began walking toward the entrance of the cemetery.

Spike and Angel looked at each other warily for a few moments.

Finally, Angel spoke up.  "Spike, you've got ice cream dripping onto your hand.  Dawn was right, you should have got a napkin," he told the younger vampire before turning and jogging after Willow and Dawn, leaving the blond alone.

Spike scowled.  "Bloody poof," he muttered to himself as he looked down at his ice cream-covered hand.  "Always has to have the last bleeding word." Dropping the cone to the ground, he hurried after the girls.

~Part: 6~

Willow fought back a smile at the way Angel and Spike pointedly ignored each other as they approached the Summers-Rosenberg residence. As she unlocked the door, she turned to them and raised her eyebrows.  "Can I trust you two to behave when we're inside?  It's not like we have a lot of money to pay for any damages if you two get making with the testosterone," she warned, half in jest, half in seriousness. 'The last thing I need are extra bills for fixing furniture,' she said to herself.  'And I bet neither of them would be too happy helping me clean up either.'

The two sighed loudly in unison.  Dawn giggled a little at how similar they sounded but wiped any traces of humor from her face when both sets of eyes turned to her.  She gave both an innocent look as she pushed past them and entered her home.  "Yeah, I don't want my allowance cut back just to pay for a stupid lamp you two broke because you were being all macho-y," the teen declared as she hung her light jacket up.

"I'll behave," Angel promised.  He continued, muttering to himself, "Though I know Spike doesn't know how."

"Hey, Peaches!  I heard that, you wanker!" The blond protested, scowling at his grandsire.  Seeing the disapproving glares from both Dawn and Willow, he rolled his eyes and held his right hand up as if he were swearing an oath.  "I promise I won't do anything physical to the Poof," he said before letting his hand drop.  "Though if he doesn't stop with the nancy boy comments, I'll be forced to defend myself intellectually.  And we both know who'll win that contest of minds!"

Angel sniggered behind a hand as he rolled his eyes at his grandchilde's boasts.  'Spike will always be William, no matter how hard he tries not to be.' He noted.  Suddenly, he groaned as a sharp elbow connected with his gut.  He looked up into the stern face of Willow.

"Angel, be nice," she all but growled as she gestured for both the vampires to enter.  As Willow shut the door, she prayed to her Goddess that the two would behave. 'Please let them be good!' She said mentally, hoping that her deity would hear her.

Angel looked at the clock on the mantelpiece as the four entered the living room.  "Isn't it about time for bed, Dawn?" He asked. 'If Dawn goes to bed, there's no reason for Spike to stay,' he reasoned. 'And then Willow and I will have time alone to talk.'

Dawn snorted.  "Angel, it's only ten o'clock!" She said in the superior tone of a teenager who knows she's right.  "And besides, it's the weekend, so I can sleep in tomorrow.  I am fifteen you know, I'm not a child."

"Yeah, Peaches, get with the twenty-first century! Kids today can stay up past nine o'clock," Spike put in, flopping down on the couch.  Dawn immediately claimed the seat next to him while Willow sat in the chair.  "I mean, we realize for someone as old as you, it might be hard to remember the little details, but you should at least try!" Spike continued maliciously.

Angel scowled at Spike before choosing the chair next to the redhead.  "You're one to talk, William," Angel said in a warning tone.

Spike shook his head violently.  "Don't get into that 'William' crap, Angelus.  I'm not William anymore!" He snapped.

"And I'm not Angelus anymore," Angel countered.

"Ha," Spike said, giving the older vampire a disbelieving look.  Angel merely raised an eyebrow in response.  Spike continued, "We all heard about your little affair with the dark side, so don't pretend you're a knight-in-shining-armor."

Angel winced and looked at his hands.  "And who told you that?" He asked shortly, glancing up quickly as he asked. 'Was it Wesley?  Or Cordelia?  I'm going to have to sit her down and have a little chat about privacy,' he promised himself.

Willow decided it was time to intervene.  "Cordelia did. And don't you get all mad about it either," she told the brunette, shaking a finger in warning.  "She was asking Giles if there could be some magical reason for you being all ... depressed.  She was trying to help."

"What Red means is, the cheerleader was afraid Angelus was on his way back," Spike put in. 'Ha, take that you wanker,' the blond thought.

Angel snapped his head around to look at the blond in horror.  "I told them it was me, not Angelus!" He growled, looking decidedly displeased.

Spike glowered.  "Yeah, I'm sure that knowing it was her best friend and not his evil double that killed those lawyers was a great comfort to her."

"Hey, I didn't-" Angel began to say, his e-xpression somewhere between outrage and guilt.

"No, Dru and Darla did. But you let them, Angel," Willow said quietly.  She sighed before putting on her resolve face  "But that's in the past, so let's talk about something else, alright?"

"But couldn't he do that again?" Dawn asked from her position on the couch.  When the three sets of eyes turned to her, she blushed and looked uncomfortable. "What I meant is can't he still become Angelus?  So we don't know if it's just in the past or if it's in the future, too."

Angel sighed and nodded, running a hand through his hair.  "Unfortunately, we haven't found a way to make my soul permanent yet.  Wes was looking prior to my ... problems but since then we've had other things to deal with."

"Other things?" Dawn asked in confusion.  "What's more important than that?"

Angel cleared his throat.  "Well, Cordelia was transported to Pylea, a demon dimension.  So we had to go there to get her back and to help overthrow their oppressive government.  It treated humans as cows, slaves," he finished in an offhand way.  "And then ... we heard about things here.  So we haven't had a lot of free time recently."

Willow shifted in her chair.  "Well, um ... actually," she began tentatively, "I've kinda been on the lookout for anything that might help with anchoring your soul, too."

Angel looked at her in surprise.  "You have?" He asked, his face showing his shock. 'She's been doing that with all she's had to deal with?' He thought to himself incredulously.  He felt guilty that while he claimed to have no free time to research, Willow, who had more to do than he did, had been finding a spare moment to do it.

"You don't think she wants to see your evil half again, do you?  None of us do," Spike informed him. "The Angelus you turned into a few years ago is a bloody nonce!"

Willow scowled at Spike.  "Actually, I was looking for a way for him to be happy and safe knowing that Angelus couldn't be brought back," she said.  She shrugged.  "I haven't found anything that both would work and doesn't require things we can't get.  All the ones I've found say they need 'blood of a dozen virgins set in moonlight for three days' and stuff like that."  She threw a pillow at Spike when she saw the leer on his face.  "And no, we're not going to find twelve virgins Spike.  Ew!"

Spike grinned unrepentantly, leaning back against the sofa as he began to mentally reminisce.  "Ah, I miss the good old days.  Before I had the chip, I could kill for weeks on end.  Virgins, whores, it didn't matter.  The blood tasted marvelous when it was fresh. Though, to be truthful, nothing beats virgin's blood."

"Um, ew.  And way too much information," Dawn said, becoming pale.  She stuck her tongue out at Spike to emphasize her point.

Spike was contrite when he saw Dawn's face.  "Sorry, pet.  Didn't mean to upset you," he apologized as Angel looked at him in shock.  "What?"

Angel shook his head.  "Nothing," he answered, putting on an impassive face. 'Could Spike really have changed?  And if not, what's he playing at?' He asked himself as he studied the blond out of the corner of his eye.

Willow cleared her throat.  "So, Angel, how long are you staying?"

"I'll probably leave tomorrow evening.  I could make it back to LA now, but I could use a little time away," he said.  He glanced at her.  "You don't mind, do you?"

Willow smiled.  "I invited you to stay, didn't I?  Of course I don't mind!"

"I do," Spike grumbled.  "But nobody seems to be asking my opinion."

"No, we're not," the other three occupants of the room agreed simultaneously.

~Part: 7~

Willow sighed as she flipped the television off.  "It always amazes me that we have almost a hundred channels and yet, there's nothing worthwhile on," she muttered to herself as she puttered around the living room, picking up glasses and rearranging pillows and cushions.

"Talk to yourself often?" A voice asked from behind her.

Willow shrieked and dropped the glasses, causing them to shatter upon impact.  Whirling around she came face to face with Angel.  Letting out a sigh of relief she smacked him on the chest.  "Don't do that, Angel!" She ordered.

Angel looked contrite.  "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," he said apologetically as he knelt to help her clean up the broken glass.

"Yeah, well, you did," Willow answered, scowling. Realizing how she sounded she sighed.  "Sorry.  I didn't mean to snap.  It's just I'm kinda bored.  And I thought you were sleeping!"

Angel smiled.  "I was.  But," he shrugged,  "Decided not to waste my last few hours here sleeping." Grabbing a trashcan, Angel held it out while Willow dumped the shards into it.

Willow smiled in return, not sure why her stomach fluttered slightly at his words.  "Oh, well, then let's do something!" She said brightly.  She looked around and frowned, realizing that Angel had very carefully avoided the large patches of sunlight that flooded almost every room of the house.  "What do you do during the day?"

Angel chuckled. "Sleep usually," he admitted.  "Or research for a client.  And Cordelia keeps trying to get me to understand the computer."

Willow smiled.  "You and Giles, I swear, you're the only two people on the planet who don't like computers!" She said with an exasperated sigh.  She cocked her head at him.  "Angel, what do you do for fun?"

"Fun?" He asked, frowning.  "Well, I work out sometimes, especially if we have new weapons."

"You call that fun?" Willow asked, shaking her head. "I know you sketch, what else do you do?"

Angel's visage darkened for a moment as he was reminded why she knew he could draw.  He shrugged.  "I read, listen to music ... " He trailed off.

"A ha!" Willow said, smiling in triumph.  "I knew there was stuff you liked doing!  So what books?  What kind of music?" She looked around and pulled him to a kitchen stool that was away from any sunlight as she sat in the one next to it.

Angel smiled.  "Is this twenty questions?" He asked, teasingly.

Willow pouted, getting up from the stool.  "Fine, I was just trying to make conversation!" She said, pretending to walk away.  A hand on her arm stopped her.  Butterflies appeared in her stomach and she felt giddy. 'What's wrong with me?' She asked herself. 'It's not like Angel's never touched me before.  I mean, there are the many times he's thrown me away from danger or that one time he tried to kill me.  But anyway, I shouldn't be getting so excited.'  She took her seat and smiled somewhat shakily at Angel again.

He dropped her arm.  "So, you're interested in my hobbies?" He asked.  'And why does that fill me with happiness?  Not perfect happiness of course, but it's a nice feeling,' he thought to himself, shrugging it off.  "I admit I'm a classicist, both in books and music.  Or for reading, I like histories."

"Histories?  Why?  You were there, weren't you?"

"Well, not for ancient histories.  I'm not that old," He pointed out, grinning.  "But I do like to laugh at some of the theories of the so-called historians. Some of their hypotheses are so far-fetched it's funny."

"Really?  Whose?" Willow asked, intrigued.

"Well, for starters ..."

* * * *

Willow and Angel looked up from the sofa in the living room when the front door burst open.  They had been talking the entire afternoon and had realized that the stools were fairly uncomfortable about an hour into their conversation.  They had moved into the living room, where Willow had secured a blanket over the front window to block out the sunlight.

A smoking leather duster slammed the door shut. Spike's head poked out, still smoking from the early evening sunlight.  He frowned when he saw Angel. "Bloody hell, you're still here?" He snapped.

Angel rolled his eyes.  "It looks that way, doesn't it?" He said, goading his grandchilde.

Willow sighed loudly, causing both of them to look at her.  "Will you two stop it?" She asked. When they both looked away, embarrassed she giggled.  "I swear, you two look like you've just been caught with your hand in the cookie, well, blood bank maybe."

"Thanks, Red," Spike muttered, striding into the living room.  "Where's the Bit?"

Willow glanced at her watch.  "She went over to Marcie's house to study," she replied.  "But she should be home soon, if you want to wait."

"Thanks, don't mind if I do," Spike answered, flopping down in a chair.  "So what're you and the Poof chatting about?"

"I am sitting here, Spike," Angel growled.

Spike smiled.  "I know," he said.  "Well, Red?"

Willow rolled her eyes.  "If you don't stop I'll turn you into a ... a ... rat, Spike!"  When Angel stifled laughter, Willow turned toward him.

"Hey now!  You still haven't figured out a way to turn your little witchy friend back yet, so don't go experimenting on me!" Spike protested.  "I wasn't doing anything!  Merely asking what you were talking about."

Angel smothered his laughter, causing Willow to turn toward him.  "And you, mister," she began, much to the delight of Spike.  "You'll be his little rat-friend if you don't behave!"  Angel immediately stopped chuckling.  Willow smiled in triumph.  'Knew that would work,' she thought to herself happily.

"If you want to know about poetry, you might ask, Spike," Angel suggested mildly, changing the subject.

Willow merely raised an eyebrow as Spike growled at Angel. 'Spike?  Poetry?' She asked herself incredulous.  Outwardly, she gave no hint of her shock. "You like poetry, Spike?" She asked out loud.

Spike quickly mulled over his options and decided on a strategic retreat.  He glanced at the clock and stood up abruptly.  "Well, look at the time.  Tell Nibblet I'll be by later," he said, hurrying to the door. Pulling his duster over his head to shield him from the last light of the day, he waved.  "Be seeing ya, Red.  Peaches, hope you go back to LA soon."

Willow shook her head as the door slammed shut.

Angel sighed. "That's my childe," he muttered.

Willow giggled.  "And you're so proud, aren't you?" She said sarcastically.

"I used to be," Angel admitted softly.

Willow's eyes softened as she saw the regret on Angel's face.  Leaning over she put her hand on his shoulder.  "You could try to make things right between you," she suggested.

Angel shook his head. "Too much has gone on between us to get back what we had."

"How about something new?" The redhead replied.

Angel shrugged.  "He hates me.  And to be frank, he's not my favorite person either.  So it's better this way."

Willow sighed. "If you say so," she said. "If you ever want to talk about it ..."

"Thank you," Angel answered.  He could feel the sun sink under the horizon.  He stood, and walked to his bag. "I should get going.  It's time for me to go back."

"Oh, okay," Willow said, feeling disappointed that their conversation had to end.  "Well, have a safe trip."

"I will," Angel promised.

"And call me when you get there, so I know you made it safely," Willow instructed as they walked to the door.

"I promise," Angel said, smiling at the concern Willow was showing him.  He opened the door and stepped through.  "Bye, Willow."

Willow leaned forward and gave him a quick hug, pulling back before he could return the favor. "Bye, Angel."

~Part: 8~

Willow looked around sadly at her room.  Her bed was made, her clothes were put away and everything was in its proper place.  Except there was one thing missing: Tara.  Willow sighed.  She was cleaning her room.  But it was more than simple cleaning.  It had been a month and a half since Tara and Buffy had died.  Six weeks of mourning.  Willow felt the tears come to her eyes even now as she carefully rearranged her belongings to make up for the absence of Tara's.  Her family had come for her things but Willow had kept some.  It was almost as if by keeping something of Tara's she was keeping the blonde witch alive.  But she realized that all she was doing was keeping Tara's memory alive. And everyday it tore into her.  She knew Tara wouldn't want her to fall asleep crying each night.  Tara would want her to keep going.  So Willow was cleaning.

She was ready to begin to move on.  She had kept a few of the smaller things in place; she couldn't bear to pack all the pictures and memories up.  However, the rest of it was going to go into her most recent keepsakes box.  She took down the hatbox from the shelf in the closet, feeling the contents shift as she walked to the bed.  Opening it, she took out the top layer of belongings-her robe from graduation, complete with scorch marks offered a buffer for the more fragile objects.  She began to pack Tara's possessions inside-a hairclip, a ring and several pictures and other mementos were carefully tucked into the remaining spaces.

As she gently placed the last object-a flower Tara had given her that Willow had dried-on top, her hand brushed over a book.  Her lips turned up in a small smile when she realized it was her high school diary. Carefully dislodging it from the confines of the box, she began flipping through the pages, occasionally giggling and rolling her eyes at the way she had fawned over Xander.

She began to read closely when she got to the entries where Buffy played a role.  Reading over her memories, she smiled, remembering how happy they had been.  'So carefree.'  Willow pursed her lips at that thought. 'Yeah so carefree with werewolves and vampires for boyfriends,' she thought to herself.  She paused as a word caught her eye 'Angel'.

It was the entry where she had written of Acathla and the spell she had performed.  She shuddered in memory. 'Being possessed by Romani spirits, not of the good,' she recalled.

She flipped through a few more pages, avoiding her hurt and betrayal over Buffy's abrupt disappearance after she fought Angelus.   Those memories were too like the ones she was feeling now to be comfortable. She didn't blame Buffy.  That would stupid and she would feel guilty if she did that.  But Willow admitted that she still felt hurt and betrayed.  Her best friend was ripped from her and she had no chance to say goodbye.  But at least they had parted on good terms.  Not like with Tara.

Willow pulled herself away from that memory and forced herself to pay attention to the diary.  She stopped on the entry where she detailed how Buffy had described the fight with Angelus.

'Buffy said a portal opened up.  She described it as white-hot, with tendrils of energy flickering around the sides with a purplish center. (Okay, she didn't really say it like that but I can't really write 'Big purple portal.  Big white globs of something along the edges' now can I?)  She ran Angel through with the sword and he looked at her shocked.  She says he told her he didn't remember what he had done as Angelus until he had been in that Hell for a while.  Then he was pulled into the vortex.  It shut with a blinding flash of light and when Buffy could see, all that was left was the statue.'

Willow swallowed, her heart in her throat as she remembered that night a month and a half ago.

***

She looked down at Tara's prone body, tears in her eyes as she realized that while she had been trying to restore Tara's mind, all she had succeeded in doing was to rip the remaining vestiges of it away from her.  Tara's eyes peered into the night, unseeing, even though her body still lived.  Willow began to sob, clutching Tara, pleading with her to be alright.  She began to rock, her mind unwilling to accept the reality of the situation.

Willow was torn from her shock by a loud, thundering tearing sound.  Startled, she looked up and gasped. In the sky above her was an enormous vortex, the energy rippling as a giant bat-winged snaked creature emerged.  Willow watched in horror as she saw demon buildings flicker in and out around her.  Wiping the tears from her eyes, she stood shakily as she saw two figures on the top of the scaffolding.  Her eyes widened as she saw one begin running toward the edge of the platform.

"No," she whispered futilely, extending a hand as if by doing so she could stop what she knew would happen.  She was unable to make her voice, mind or magic work in time to do anything.  She cried out as if in physical pain as she saw the figure, who she could now see had long, blonde hair, jump off, performing a swan dive into the vortex.  A sudden light blinded her. She blinked her eyes a few times and looked up to see Buffy's body plummeting down.  She closed her eyes against the sight and sound of impact.

***

"Oh Goddess," Willow whispered, the blood draining from her face.  "It's almost exactly the same.  The energy, the vortex, the light.  And . Angel was pulled into a hell dimension.  Could . I wonder where . her body is here but what if some part of her isn't?  What if . Oh Goddess!  Please no!" Willow cried, realizing, for the first time, that Buffy's soul could be in Hell.  "And it's already been a month and a half. Forty-five days.  Angel was there for three months and he said it was like five hundred years.  Oh Goddess, have I let Buffy suffer in hell for two hundred fifty years?"

She dropped the diary to the floor with a thud, tears streaming down her face as she reached blindly for the phone.

~Part: 9~

Angel looked up from his perusal of his weapons cabinet at the sound of the phone.  He carefully replaced the sword he had been polishing in the cabinet before throwing the cleaning rag onto the table.  Quickly jogging for the phone, he rolled his eyes as he heard the answering machine click on. Cordelia's perky voice began to speak.

"Hi, you've reached Angel Investigations.  We help the hopeless!   We're away from our desks on a case, so if you leave your name and number at the sound of the beep, we'll be happy to get back to you.  No case too small, all reward money accepted gracefully!"  Beep.

"Um, hi, this is Willow," Willow said quickly, mentally cursing the fact that no one was at the hotel.  "I-if Angel could call me as soon as possible, it's really important."  Willow caught her breath, trying to stay calm.  'I can't get all panicky.  It won't help,' she reminded herself.  She looked down at her shaking right hand and winced. 'Damn.  Too late.'

Angel's eyes widened to hear the suppressed terror in Willow's voice and lunged for the phone to catch her before she hung up.  Quickly pressing the 'on' button, he said, "Hello? Willow?"

Willow felt her body relax minutely at the sound of Angel's voice.  "Oh, Angel, you're here!  I mean, you're there!" She said, relief evident in her voice.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his own usually stoic demeanor eclipsed by the worry he had for the tiny redheaded girl on the other end of the line.  "You said it was important and you sound so ."

"It's Buffy!  And I don't know what to do because if she is, we have to save her but I don't know if she is," Willow informed him quickly.  She looked down as saw as the hand not clutching the phone began to shake more violently.  She thrust her hand under her other arm in an attempt to hide the shaking from herself. She smiled wanly when she felt the tremors decrease.

"What about Buffy?" Angel asked, confusion marring his features.  "Slow down.  Take a deep breath and just explain what's wrong."

"That's just it!  I can't slow down.  She's already been there for two hundred and fifty years!  And you were there for five hundred and you hardly knew who you were but you're a vampire and she's not.  So how is she surviving?" Willow began to panic once again, her hand coming out to gesture wildly.

Angel felt his stomach drop as he tried to put together what Willow was trying to say.  "Willow?  You need to slow down.  I don't understand what you're trying to say," Angel told her, as he sat down, concentrating intently on putting together the pieces of the puzzle of words that Willow had almost screamed at him.

Willow took a deep breath, trying to calm her rising fears.  "Well, I was reading over my diary because I was putting away Tara's stuff.  And I read the part where Buffy described the portal thing that took you to Hell and then I remembered what the portal to Glory's dimension was like and they seem a lot alike. At least I think so because I wasn't there when you went 'cause hello, hospital and soul restoration, but Buffy did tell me about it!  And I was there when she . when she did what she did and I think they sound similar.  So I was thinking, what if Buffy's in Hell and suffering and in pain?"

"But her body, isn't her body ." Angel began, grasping at the important pieces of information before Willow cut him off.

"Yes, her body's here.  But I was thinking, different Hell dimensions, maybe they left her body here!  What if her soul is in Hell, not her body?  And you were there for over five hundred years, well, or three months depending on where you were.  And Buffy's been gone from here for a month and a half!  Who knows how long she's been gone from her perspective!  She could be suffering and in pain and I've left her there for . who knows how long!" Willow wailed into the phone.

Angel clenched the phone in his hand, trying to stay calm.  "Willow?  Have you talked to Giles about this?" Angel managed to get out around his own increasing fear.

Willow shook her head, not realizing that Angel couldn't see her.  "You're the first person I called," she admitted, her eyebrows furrowing as an abstract part of her mind began to scrutinize that piece of data.

Angel didn't bother to analyze the warm feeling that spread through him upon hearing this news.  He nodded to himself while he quickly came up with a plan. "Okay, I'll get started with everyone here on some research.  You call Giles and set it up at your end," Angel instructed, standing up quickly and beginning to gather some books for research.

"Okay," Willow said, somewhat relieved to have some of the pressure taken off.  She swallowed.  "Angel?"  She asked.

"Yes?" Angel asked distractedly as he flipped through some of the relevant books.  He had become quite the collector of ancient manuscripts and books dealing with the different Hell dimensions.

"Do you think . do you think she's suffering?" Willow asked quietly, letting the tears fill her eyes and roll down her cheeks.

Angel sighed, closing the book and returning his attention to the phone call.  "I wish I knew.  But just because you think it's the same doesn't mean that Buffy is in hell.  I don't quite remember too much about the portal that took me there.  I remember a lot of bright light, some colors and the sword in my stomach, but ." He trailed off somewhat awkwardly.

Willow winced and smacked herself on the forehead with her free hand.  "Oh, I'm so sorry Angel!  I didn't mean to make you feel bad," she whispered, horrified at the thought that she dredged up painful memories for the brunette vampire.

"No, you didn't," Angel assured her.  "I mean, they're not exactly my preferred memories but I'll survive."

The two were silent for a moment, the feeling of urgency that had overwhelmed them both moments before quieted since they had a plan of action.

"What will we do if Buffy's in Hell?  We still don't know precisely how you got out," Willow said forlornly.  She picked up a pen and a piece of paper and began jotting down some notes of things to check for.  She knew they'd probably need a location spell to determine which Hell Buffy was in.  And that would probably require a lot of hard to get ingredients. 'But Giles shouldn't have too much of a problem, I hope,' Willow told herself.

"We'll get her out, somehow." Angel assured the redhead.  "I promise."

Willow smiled.  "Good.  'Cause I would be a real sucky best friend if I let her stay there!" She said.  She bit her lip, knowing she had to tell Angel something she'd kept secret-even from her friends.  "And if I had known that you were in Hell and I could've gotten you out, I would have."

Angel felt a shock run through him at that remark. "Oh, Willow," he said softly.  "Even after everything I did to you?"

"Even after all Angelus had done to me, yes," Willow assured him, stressing his alter ego's name.  She stood up quickly, suddenly feeling the need to begin working on the problem at hand.  "But I need to go. I'll call Xander and Anya and Dawn and I'll go down to the Magic Box.  Giles should be there," she informed the vampire, grabbing her coat.

"Gotcha.  I'll call everyone here and we'll begin working.  Fred might have some ideas none of us have thought of," Angel told her.

Willow nodded, having been informed about the physicist's background in one of the many long talks she and Angel had shared.  "Good!  Call us if you find anything.  We should probably keep in contact since we don't want to waste time by looking at the same texts, at least at first. We may need to cross-verify and stuff later though."

"Good idea," Angel answered.

"Talk to you soon, Angel," Willow said as she hurried toward Dawn's room.

"Bye Willow. Go careful," Angel said in return.

"I will.  Bye Angel," Willow replied as she knocked on the teenager's door.  She clicked the off button and opened the door at Dawn's greeting.

"Dawnie, we need to go to the Magic Box."

~Part: 10~

Giles sighed and took off his glasses to polish them. As he put them back on, he looked around the room. Willow was standing up, nervously shifting her weight from one foot to the other.  Dawn had tears running down her cheeks and a look of horror on her face. Xander kept swallowing as he tried to keep from crying and Anya was trying her best to comfort him.

Giles cleared his throat, causing all eyes to look at him.  "Well, that's an interesting theory you have Willow," he admitted.  He was vastly disturbed by the redhead's idea that Buffy was in a hell dimension.  It was entirely possible that the Wiccan was correct, but Giles knew better than to say so aloud before verifying where the blonde slayer actually was.  "And I do think we should look into it."

Willow looked at him with wide eyes.  "Do you think we could rescue her?  I can do a spell.  I saw one that called for the Urn of Osiris and there's got to be one kicking around somewhere," she began.

"I think I saw one of those on Ebay," Anya volunteered.

"Ebay?" Willow asked incredulously before shrugging philosophically. "Well, if we can get it, then we can get Buffy out!"

Anya nodded and got up, going to the computer.  "Let me see if I can find it," the ex-demon said, expertly clicking on the correct icons to connect to the internet.

Dawn managed a smile at Willow.  "Do you really think you can do this spell?"

Willow began to nod when she was interrupted.

"Hold it!" Giles said firmly.  When he had everyone's attention, he shook his head. "Have you all lost your bloody minds?" He asked in frustration.

Willow's face hardened.  "What do you mean by that?" She asked, her tone of voice betraying how hurt and angry she was.

"You don't even know where Buffy is!  For all you know, she could be in paradise!"

"But we don't know that, Giles!" Willow protested.

"And you don't know if she's in Hell either!" He snapped back.

Willow swallowed, trying to keep her already frayed temper.  "But . what if she's being tormented?  Can we just leave her there while we research?  It could add weeks or even years to her pain!" Willow retorted. She hadn't expected this much of a fight from Giles. She understood his reasoning but didn't he understand how much pain Buffy could be in?  How it could be tearing her apart from the inside as her body was . 'No, don't go there,' Willow said to herself, turning her thoughts away from the possible fate of her best friend.

"Well, I doubt she'd appreciate it if she is indeed in paradise as a reward for her sacrifice and you pulled her out!" Giles replied.  He took his glasses off yet again and rubbing the bridge of his nose.  "Perhaps we can do a scrying.  It will at least let us know where she's not."

Willow nodded, pleased that Giles had finally seen things her way.  "That'd be a good start!  And if she is in . there?"

"Then we'll get her out."

Willow smiled.  "So how do we start?"

*****

Willow groaned and laid her head on her arms, pushing a book out of the way so she would have room.  It hit the floor with a loud crash.  Without moving, she looked at the others.  They were as exhausted and disheartened as she was.  Dawn, who had fallen asleep where she sat, her head resting against the display case, looked up sleepily as the sound of the book crashing awoke her.  Xander and Anya were leaning against each other, stifling yawns.  Spike, who had shown up as soon as the sun went down on the first day, was out on patrol.  He had promised to be back in time to walk Willow and Dawn home.  Giles was surrounded by the remnants of their search. A scrying bowl, the remains of several packs of incense and one of Buffy's crosses lying in disarray.  They had spent the last three days systematically scrying for the slayer in every Hell dimension Giles, Anya and Willow could find in the research books.

With an effort, Willow reached out a hand and grabbed the portable phone, pressing the 'redial' button. Angel, Wesley and Cordelia had been doing the same search from Angel Investigations in L.A.  Between the Sunnydale searchers and the ones in L.A. Willow had figured they had searched more than four hundred Hell dimensions.  And so far, no luck.

"Hi Willow," Angel said wearily from the other end.

"Any luck?" She asked hopefully.

"No, Willow.  I'm sorry," Angel said apologetically. "And we're out of ideas.  We've even looked into the lesser dimensions.  She's just not there."

Willow sighed, tears pricking her eyes.  "She's got to be somewhere," she whispered.  "And I'm going to find her!  I won't let her suffer.  I won't!" She said more loudly, standing up.  "Angel, I'll talk to you later. And thanks."  Without listening for a reply, she hung up the phone.

"Willow?  Did they find anything?"  Giles asked, looking more awake than he had a few minutes ago.

"No.  But I'm not leaving her there!  She's hurting! I know she is!" Willow said staunchly.

Giles frowned.  "But you don't know where she is.  We all know that for one who gives their life up for others usually goes to paradise.  I was willing to use our energy and time to search, to make sure she was okay.  But we've ruled out all known Hell dimensions. You need to let her go, Willow."

"I can't believe you're just giving up!  Haven't you just heard what you're saying?" Willow asked, grabbing her bag.  "They 'usually' go to paradise.  All the 'known' Hell dimensions.  What if this is an unusual case?  What if there's some unknown dimension!"

"Willow, what do you plan to do?" Giles asked, standing up and moving between her and the door.

"I'm going to save Buffy since nobody else is willing!" She snapped as she walked around the older man.

"I forbid you to attempt that!" Giles almost snarled, grabbing her arm.  "You'd be messing with powers and forces you have no hope of controlling."

Willow scowled as she forcefully yanked her arms from Giles' grasp.  Glaring, she turned on her heel and stomped out of the Magic Box.

Giles groaned.

"Great job, G-man," Xander said.  "You know there's nothing that'll stop her now, don't you?"

Spike walked through the front door.  "What was Red so bloody pissed about?" He asked as he strode in.  He disagreed with bringing Buffy back, hence his volunteering to patrol while they searched for the girl.  She had done her duty, paid the price and Spike believed she was probably being rewarded for her sacrifice.  In his experience, the Powers That Be were good about things like that.  'Well, depends on your view, I suppose,' he conceded silently to himself.

Dawn spoke up from her position on the floor. "Willow's gonna bring Buffy back and Giles told her she couldn't.  Now Xander says nothing can stop her," she said quietly.  She had mixed feelings about Willow's quest.  Part of her agreed with the red haired witch.  If Buffy was in Hell, she wanted to save her.  And most of all, she wanted her sister back.  But the other half was resolutely on Giles' side.  They didn't know where she was so how could they pull her from an unknown situation?  She sighed and pulled her knees to her chest.  Crossing her arms, she rested her head once again.

Spike rolled his eyes.  "Bloody wonderful, Ripper," he snapped as he hurried to the table to grab the phone.

"What are you doing?" Dawn asked.

"Calling the Poof.  He'll stop her," Spike answered as he began to dial.

~Part: 11~

Angel groaned loudly and said goodbye.  Hanging up the phone, he immediately grabbed his keys.

"Where're you going?" Cordelia asked from her desk.

"Willow's going to try to bring Buffy back," he said through clenched teeth.

"They found her then?" Wesley asked, surprised when Angel shook his head.  "She's going to attempt it without knowing where to pull Miss Summers from?"

Angel nodded grimly.

"Sounds like you'll need a hand then, Angelcakes," a new voice said from the doorway.  The group looked up and saw Lorne, looking dashing as always in one of his revamped Zoot suits.  This one was blue and  had crisp pale blue button down to compliment the color.

Angel raised an eyebrow.  "You want to come with me?" He asked, stopped in his tracks by Lorne's offer.

"Sure do," he said, gesturing for Angel to precede him to the car.

Angel didn't move.  "Why?"

Lorne rolled his eyes and grabbed Angel's arm, pulling him toward the entrance.  "Aren't you on a schedule? Don't you have places to be and a beautiful girl to save from herself?  See you later, folks!  Don't wait up," he said with a smile as they exited the hotel.

*****

Willow stumbled down the road, furious with Giles for forbidding her to bring Buffy back.  'How dare he?' She asked.  'I'm a grown woman!  And he's not my father!'  It took a few more minutes of mentally railing at Giles for Willow to get her temper under control.

When she was sufficiently calmed down, she started to mentally list the things she would need in order to complete her task.  'Candles, candle-holders, incense sticks, matches, salt, an offering dish, my athame. I'm never gonna remember all this!' She realized to her annoyance.  She stopped briefly to take a pen and paper out of her bag so she could write the growing list down.

She continued down the street, mumbling the ingredients and items she would need while writing quickly on the paper.

*****

"Can't you hurry?" Angel asked impatiently from the passenger seat after glancing down at his watch.

Lorne looked over briefly before returning his eyes to the road.  "If I go any faster, I'll get pulled over or get into an accident," he informed the vampire.  "I know you're worried about Willow but getting into a car wreck won't save your lady love any faster."

"I knew I should've driven," Angel muttered before fully processing Lorne's comment.  "And what do you mean by lady love?"

Lorne fixed Angel with a quick look.  "You know exactly what I mean, dumpling."

Angel grimaced.  "Okay, so maybe I do care about Willow more than I should ." he began.

"Who said that?  I certainly didn't.  In fact, I think you should tell her!"

"Is that why you wanted to come?  So you could give me advice about my love life?" Angel asked incredulously.

"Well don't we have quite the ego today?" Lorne mused.  "No, as a matter of fact, I came over to talk to you about paying for the renovations to Caritas, since you did drive through it with your car."

"Fine, fine.  I'll help pay," Angel conceded.  "But why are you going to Sunnydale?"

"Because I read you.  You groaned when I walked in and I saw a smidge of your future.  You're gonna need me," Lorne informed him.

"Great," Angel muttered before frowning.  "And I can't tell her.  She thinks of me as just a friend."

"Well, why don't we take it one step at a time and stop her from bringing back her friend, hmmm?  Then we can worry about how she really feels about you," Lorne suggested, pressing on the gas pedal a little more.

"What do you mean really feels about me?" Angel asked.

Lorne just smiled and kept driving.

*****

Willow sat next to Buffy's grave.  She was surrounded by a circle of salt.  Candles lit each of the cardinal points and an altar cloth was set up in front of her. She looked around and reached for her bag.  Laying out the incense and incense holder, she grabbed the matches.  She smiled slightly as the scent of sandalwood wafted toward her.

She looked around.  'Everything seems to be in place,' she said to herself.  She reached for her athame, which was to her left and the offering plate.  She set both in front of her, along with the herbs she would need.  Taking a deep breath, she muttered 'here goes nothing.'

Willow closed her eyes, centering herself and forcing her muscles to relax completely.  Taking deep breaths, she gradually tuned herself in to the world around her.  She could hear the crickets chirping and cars in the distance.  Opening her eyes, she knew she was ready to begin.

Grasping the athame in her right hand, she quickly made a small cut on the palm of her left hand, letting the blood drip into the offering plate.  After a small amount had been collected, she quickly wrapped her hand in a bandage and began to slowly add the herbs the spell called for, chanting in a soft voice.

*****

Angel swore as Lorne finally pulled up to the correct cemetery.  This was the third one they'd been to, and Angel's face had grown sterner and more foreboding as each minute passed.

"Don't get your underwear in a twist because you couldn't give directions," Lorne retorted, glaring at the vampire.  "Well?  Is this the right one?"

Angel nodded.  "I think so," he said, getting out of the car.

Lorne rolled his eyes.  "Like I haven't heard that before," he muttered as he got out and locked the car.  He looked around and shuddered.  He could almost feel the pure evil of the Hellmouth washing over him.

Angel turned his head swiftly as a familiar scent overwhelmed his senses.  "I smell her.  She's bleeding!  Come on!" He said, taking off in the direction of Buffy's grave.

Lorne turned to speak with him and swore as he saw the back of Angel's back quickly disappearing into the cemetery.  "Hey, it's okay.  You go ahead.  I mean, it's not like I know the area or where I'm going, but why worry?  I'm sure there are some nice vampires who are willing to give me the directions to the slayer's grave," he called after Angel as he trotted off in the same direction.

~Part: 12~

Lorne came to an abrupt halt as he almost barreled into Angel.  "Hey, you could give a demon some warning," he protested, stepping around the motionless vampire.  He looked into the clearing and sighed.  In front of him was Willow, or at least the girl who he assumed was Willow.  All he could see was her back.

"Lorne, I can't get to her.  There's something holding me back," Angel said, his voice hoarse with frustration.

Lorne nodded.  "I can almost see the energy from the protections she's cast," he answered.

"Great.  How do we stop her?" Angel asked.

Lorne shrugged.  "I'm not quite sure," he admitted.

*****

Willow continued with her chanting as she heard footsteps coming toward her quickly.  Glancing up, she saw Angel burst through the bushes.  Taking a deep breath, she turned her back toward him, willing herself to continue the spell and not be distracted.

*****

"You're not sure?" Angel snapped.

"No need to get testy!" Lorne retorted.  "Have you tried talking to her?"

Angel winced.  "Well, no," he admitted before turning his attention back to the witch in the circle. "Willow?  It's me, um . Angel.  Listen, can we talk?" He waited a moment before asking again.  Willow ignored the both of them.  "Willow, please talk to me?"  He sighed and turned to Lorne.  "She's not talking to me!  What do I do?" He asked in a loud whisper.

Lorne rolled his eyes at the vampire's attempt.  He could hear the witch's chanting become louder.  His eyes widened in sympathy as he read the redhead.  "Oh the poor thing," he whispered.

Angel turned his head slightly, looking at Lorne from the corner of his eyes.  "What do you mean?"

"She's hurting, bad," the green demon informed him. He winced as Willow's reading washed over him with each word she chanted.  He spared a quick glance at Angel.  "You need to get her attention, distract her or something.  She's working on pure pain - anything that causes her to ignore it or forget it will bring down the barrier long enough for you to get to her."

Angel nodded and opened his mouth before closing it again.  He cleared his throat.  "Um, so Willow, Spike called me.  And we didn't fight once on the phone," he offered to begin with.  He ignored Lorne as the green demon rolled his eyes and gestured for him to continue.  The vampire's mind raced as he tried to think of things to say to the redhead to distract her.  He decided to try for humor first.  "Did Cordy ever tell you that she got pregnant with demon spawn?"  He paused, noticing no discernable change in the witch. "Guess not.  Well, um how about that I slept with Darla last year?"

Lorne groaned and closed his eyes.  "Real smooth, Casanova," he muttered.  His red eyes widened as a new tone in the chanting alerted him to a change in the redhead.  "Keep going," he urged Angel.  "You almost had her there."

*****

Willow tried to stay focused on her chanting.  She knew the words by heart so she was able to take part of her mind off the spell to focus on the two people who were standing on the edge of her circle.  'Angel? And . that must be Lorne,' she mused before blinking. 'Stay focused, Willow!' She admonished herself.

As she realized that Angel was speaking to her, she began to tune him out.  However, a few words broke through her concentration.  'Darla?  He slept with that vapid . he didn't tell me!  Oh, he and I are so going to have a little chat when this is all over!' She promised herself, tamping down on her anger at the revelation.  She took a deep breath and felt her circle waver slightly.  She quickly focused again, pouring all of her pain into the spell once more.

*****

Angel searched his mind for something that would surprise the redhead.  Humor hadn't worked and his news about himself and Darla had only produced a faint ripple of interest.  His mind finally latched onto something that the redhead couldn't ignore.  He took a deep breath and mentally steeled himself.  "Willow, I love you!"

Angel was pleased to see Willow whip around to face him, her mouth hanging open in shock and her eyes wide.  He smiled and turned to Lorne to see Lorne rolling his eyes.  "What?  It worked, didn't it?" He asked as he strode toward the girl in the center of the now collapsed circle.

*****

"Willow, I love you!"

Willow heard the words but was unable to fully comprehend them.  She turned quickly to face Angel, and was shocked to find him smiling beatifically at her.  Her mouth fell open and her jaw worked soundlessly as her throat was unable to produce any sound.  She glanced at Lorne who had a pained expression on his face.

She blinked as Angel quickly made his way to the center of circle.  In dismay, she looked around and saw that the spell had been aborted.  It was over. This spell was a one-time thing.  Once started it couldn't be used again by the same witch.  She swallowed as her eyes began to fill with tears.  She knew why Angel had said what he did.  She met Angel's eyes, now no more than a foot from her own.  As her tears spilled over onto her cheeks, she raised a hand and slapped Angel hard on his cheek.  "You *bastard*!" She screamed before she ran off past Lorne toward the entrance to the cemetery.

Lorne turned to Angel and shook his head.  "You, my friend, have no sense of timing whatsoever," he chastised.  When Angel looked at him with a blank look, Lorne rolled his eyes.  He hurried to the shocked vampire.  "If I didn't know you were over two hundred years old, I wouldn't believe it.  I didn't think anyone could be that bad to the woman they love!"

Angel raised his hand to his cheek.  "She slapped me," he said in a surprised voice.

Lorne shook his head and grabbed onto Angel's arm and propelled him in the direction the witch had gone. "Now hurry!  Go tell catch up with her like a good little vampire and tell her you really do love her!"

Angel looked at him in confusion.  "But I just told her that," he protested, not understanding.

"She thinks you said it just to stop her from doing the spell!" Lorne said in frustration.  "Do I have to spell everything out for you?  I mean, really, where would you be without me?" He asked, shaking his head.

"She . but why would . oh God!" Angel sputtered as he turned and hurried off through the bushes in pursuit of Willow.

Lorne smiled and nodded to himself.  "Well, my work here is done," he said to himself, pocketing the keys to Angel's car.  "I wonder if there's any place I can get a good Seabreeze around here," he mused as he made his way to the cemetery entrance and toward a sign that proclaimed that the bar was called 'Willy's'.

As he walked in he sat down at the bar.  "A Seabreeze," he ordered when the barman looked at him quizzically.

"You're not from here, are you mate?" A voice with a British accent asked.

Turning Lorne saw a blond vampire.  The face sparked a flash of memory he'd once read from Angel.  Lorne smiled.  "You must be Spike," he said.

Spike's eyes narrowed.  "And just who might you be?" He asked.

Lorne laughed and patted the seat next to him.  "Sit down, my good vampire.  I think we have lots to talk about!" He said in a cheerful voice.

*****

Angel almost tripped over a sobbing Willow halfway to the Summers' house.  Stopping suddenly, he loomed over the girl who was sitting with her knees pulled to her chest, her back against a parked car.

Willow looked up and upon seeing him, angrily wiped her tears away.  Standing up, she poked him in the chest.  "You . you are a mean, horrible - that was - I mean it was cruel!" She said, her tears streaming down her face.

Angel winced.  "I didn't say it just so you'd stop the spell," he began.

Willow glared.  "Oh really?" She asked in a disbelieving tone.

"Yes, really.  I mean, yes that was what I was trying to do but it doesn't mean I didn't mean what I said!" Angel told her.

"Yeah right," Willow said sarcastically, turning on her heel.  She began walking quickly in the direction of her house.

"Willow!  Please stop and talk to me," Angel said as he watched the woman he loved walk away from him. Willow stopped but refused to turn to face him.  "I do love you.  Ask Lorne if you don't believe me!"

"So that was Lorne?" Willow asked, trying to work through the multitude of feelings that were coursing through her.  'He loves me?  He really loves me?' She asked herself incredulously, almost not willing to believe her ears.

Angel nodded, sighing when he realized she couldn't see him.  "Yes, that was him," he said softly. "Willow?  Why'd you do it?"

Willow's shoulders sagged.  "I can't do it by myself anymore, Angel. I just can't," she said.  She felt strong arms envelope her from behind.  Turning, she buried her face against Angel's chest.  "It's just too much.  And I'm missing Buffy so  badly.  She has to miss me right?  Even if she's in Heaven.  Wouldn't she want to be here?  To be with Dawn and me and Xander and Giles?  I mean, we're her friends!  And I'm the only one who's here.  And I just can't do it all myself."

Angel's eyes closed as he savored the feel of Willow in his arms.  "You won't have to.  I'll help," he offered.

"But ." Willow began to protest feebly.

"No buts.  I love you and I'll help," Angel said in a tone that forbade any further discussion.  "Well, unless you don't want me to."

"No!" Willow said, quickly, pulling away so she could see Angel's face.  "No, I want you to."

"Good," Angel smiled.

"Now," Willow frowned, feeling confident about what she was about to do.  "What was that about you and Darla?  I don't remember you telling me about that earlier.  If we're going to have a relationship, I need complete honesty!"

"Well, um," Angel began, almost regretting his decision to tell Willow that detail.  A smile gracing his face when his mind finally caught up with the conversation. "A relationship?"

Willow nodded, pulling away.  "Well, isn't that what happens between two people who love each other?" She asked, a smile forming on her lips.

"You love me?"

"I love you, Angel," Willow assured him.  She fixed the vampire with her best resolve face before linking her arm through is.  "Now, fess up, Mister!  What else haven't you told me?"  She asked as she led him toward the Summers' house.

Angel squirmed as he began to talk.

End fic.
 

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