Part 6

Willow never knew how loud she could be until now. She didn't even
know she could make the kind of sound she was making now. Willow
wasn't calm enough to actually yell for help. She was just screaming
and screaming. Willow realized it, but that didn't stop her from
screaming. Flashes of her previous deaths made her even more afraid.
She wasn't just screaming for herself, she was screaming for
Savathri, and for Odette, who in the end despite all their strength
and courage were as helpless as she was right now.

Willow closed her eyes, she didn't want see her death coming like she
had before. The blade pierced her skin. Slowly, so slowly, he didn't
even get much blood yet. It felt like he was cutting each layer of
skin, one at a time. Abruptly it stopped. She didn't open her eyes
until she heard her name being called out.

"Willow!" it was Angel. He rushed towards Alaric who hardly had time
to prepare for the attack. Alaric moved to strike him with his sword,
but Angel ducked the blow and then tried to punch Willow's attacker.
He blocked it. After that, the movements were so fast, Willow's eyes
couldn't follow them. What she did manage to catch was the moment
when Alaric stabbed Angel through the side.

"Angel" Willow cried out. Angel looked at Willow and gave her a small
smile, trying to assure that he was all right. He was wounded and
weaponless and more determined than ever to win this fight. Alaric
however, apparently decided that he had enough, and charged at Willow
once again, his sword ready.

This time it was Faith who got in his way. The dark Slayer tried to
kick him, but he caught her ankle with one hand and flipped her to
the ground. Faith recovered quickly, placing herself in front of
Willow she grabbed the stake out of her boot and raised her arms
ready for another round. Angel flanked her.

Alaric surveyed the scene before him. She had a vampire * and * a
Slayer. She must have known he was coming.  Alaric thought it was the
only explanation. Was the redheaded girl in front of him an illusion
then? He needed to know more. The vampire called her Willow. Alaric
had never bothered to learn her name before. It appeared now that he
should have taken the time to find out more about her.

"You gonna fight or stare Scareface?" Faith asked. Alaric said
nothing, he simply nodded, turned, AND walked back into the shadows.
Angel moved forward to follow him.

"Angel, no don't." Willow came up and grabbed the vampire's shoulder.

"We need to get you home, Little One" Angel said, noticing the cut
right above her heart.

" He hurt you" Angel said, his voice was low and very dangerous.

"It's nothing really." Willow said.

" You guys have any idea who or what that was?" Faith asked.

"I've never seen him before." Angel replied as they walked out of the
parking lot. Faith was in front of Willow and Angel was in back of
her.

"He could be working for the Mayor." Faith guessed.

"I don't think so." Willow said slowly. Looking at a wounded Angel
and a bruised Faith, she made the decision not to tell anyone that
this wasn't the first time she was attacked by the silver-eyed
stranger. <They won't get hurt any more because of me> Willow
thought.

"Great we've got vamps straight ahead." Faith said, taking out
another stake from her other boot, and handing IT to Angel.

"Willow stay back." The ensouled vampire said. There were at least
ten of them, fledglings high on the new feelings and power of being
undead. The first one was staked on contact. Two others went for
Angel and another fight began. Three more were heading for Faith, she
was ready for them.  She took one out almost instantly, and was
already punching the second one. Willow waited and watched them both
nervously. Angel seemed to be holding his own with two vamps
attacking him. Faith on the other hand was having a little trouble
with four vamps, and another one was trying to sneak up behind her.

"Faith look out!" Willow cried out and instead of staying in the
background as usual Willow grabbed a short, thick branch of a tree
and rushed up to the nearby vamp.  The redhead kneed the vamp in the
stomach causing the vamp to bend forward. Using his back as a
platform Willow flipped up, staking two vamps as she landed. Turning
she kicked the other vamp. He was dust, before he hit the ground.

Faith got two others and Angel had just finished the last one in time
to see Willow in action.

"Whoa Red I'm impressed where did you learn that move?" Faith
questioned.

"I saw Buffy do it once." Willow lied.  What she had done was one of
her old moves of when she was Savathri.

"I've never seen her do it. Will you teach me that sometime?" Faith
asked.

"Sure." Willow said quietly. She turned to Angel to see him staring
at her.

Five minutes ago Willow was a helpless girl.  Now with the way she
looked around for more vamps, her stance, the way she held the make
shift stake, she has suddenly become a warrior. Angel had always
known that she was more than a bookworm, much more. But somehow he
felt that a change had taken place right before their very eyes. It
didn't feel wrong. It just felt * different *. He knew that it had
something to do with the man who attacked her tonight.

"You guys should come in. We can take care of those wounds." Willow
said.

"Oh Red wait I forgot-"

"SURPISE!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!"

Part 7

"Willow what happened to you?" Cordelia asked.

"Willow was attacked by some weird demon guy, and then he attacked
us. To top it all off, on the was home, we were jumped by vamps. You
should have seen Willow with those vamps, I think Red here has been
taking ass-kicking lesson behind our back" Faith answered.

"By the way here's your purse." Willow said, her voice was distant,
like she wasn't paying attention. She looked around; the whole house
was decorated with bright colored streamers and balloons. On the
kitchen table there was a cake and a pile of presents.

"Are you alright?" Cassandra said, coming right up to Willow to
inspect her, herself.

"I'm fine, Cassie, just a little cut." Willow said. Cassandra put her
two fingers over the cut and whispered something no one could here.
When she removed her finger the cut was healed.

"Could you do the same thing for Angel and Faith they were hurt too?"
Willow said.

"Sure." Cassandra said. She thought as she healed the other two. He
would keep on coming until Willow was dead. She dared not tell the
young witch of her destiny, it was too early and she needed to be
prepared.

"Wills sit down." Xander said.

"Do want some tea?" Giles asked.

"No thanks. Why were you guys throwing me a party? You know my
birthday isn't for a few weeks." Willow said.

"Well we decided that we deserved a party and moving up your birthday
was the perfect excuse" Cordelia said.

Willow understood was she meant, with the Mayor, vamps, demons and
graduation coming up, who knew how long they would live. They needed
a break to just be teenagers again.

"Where's Buffy?" Willow asked. If this was her officially her
eighteenth birthday party, her best friend, should defiantly be here.

"Well B said something about looking for Angel before going to the
party. Little does she know he's here." Faith said smiling wryly.

"Do you know what attacked you, the first time I mean." Cassandra
asked.

"No, we should start doing research. I think whatever he was targeted
Willow specifically for some reason. We need to find out why." Angel
said.

"I agree we should begin researching immediately. Willow I need to
know exactly what this man looked like." Giles said. Everyone turned
to look at her.

"I'm really tired Faith can tell you what he looked like." Willow
said not waiting for an answer she ran up the stairs and locked
herself in the bathroom. Willow turned on the shower and stepped in.
She just wanted to forget this was happening, to her, to her friends,
just for a short while. Maybe in an hour she could deal with this.
~~~~~

Angel really hated the day. He * really * hated it. Not for the
regular reasons a vampire hated the sun. The sun was a constant
reminder of what he strived to be but could never have. Warm, loving,
gentle,<Just like Willow> Angel thought. Another reason he hated the
day. At night he could distract himself, push away at the thoughts
that plagued him. The images of a red headed girl laughing and being
happy, the fantasy that * he * was the reason she was laughing and
happy. And what he hated most of all was once in that intoxicating
fantasy, being pulled out of it. He heard a noise, it sounded like it
was near the gardens. Growling to himself, he made he way downstairs
past the hallway and to the edge of the garden, only a few inches
from sunlight. There in the middle surrounded by wild flowers and
lilies, was the man with silver eyes, the man who attacked Willow.

"YOU. What are you doing here?" Angel asked preparing for a fight.

"I've come to warn you. I know who you are, Angelus and I know what
you are capable of. Continue to protect the witch and death will be
your only fate." Alaric said raising his sword.

"If you've come to fight, fight. But there's no way in hell. I'm
going to let you get to Willow again." Angel said his voice low.

"I've have warned you. You are now aware of the consequences. "Alaric
said.

"You came with a warning so here is one for you. Try hurting Willow
again, and I will make stories of what Angelus did, seem like a fairy
tale." Angel said slowly, and oh so dangerously. This was one of the
few times both his demon and his soul could agree on something. If
this man touched Willow there would be hell to pay. Alaric simply
shook his head.

"You have made your choice. We will meet again." Alaric said.

"I look forward to it." Angel smiled, as if accepting a challenge.
in turn, Alaric smiled and walked out of the mansion. Angel cursed
his inability to follow him.

Going inside quickly, Angel placed a call Giles to see if he had
learned anything yet.

Part 8

"Cassie, have you seen that book I was looking for, with the green
cover and symbols on it?" Willow asked.
"No, I haven't sorry."" Cassandra said, she almost felt bad about
taking the book and burning it. But Willow had to learn, it was the
only way.
"You've been looking for that book for two weeks now, face it it's
gone." Cordelia said. <How am I supposed to find spell to end those
dreams?> Willow wondered. Flashes from her previous lives would jolt
in her head suddenly and without warning. She was beginning to get
memories from other lives other than Odette and Savathri, but they
were so vague, she really couldn't make them out.
"Hey girls, I'm back and I've got lots of junk food.
    We're do you want it Red?" Faith asked as she entered the house.
Ever since the attack it was agreed that Willow would never be alone
and always with one Slayer. The gang guarded her constantly, at least
two people slept over her house every night.
   It was a Friday and Cassie, Faith and Cordelia agreed to spend the
weekend with Willow.
"It's sundown. You know what that means." Cassie said.
     "Um, Faith, why don't we help you with those bags, don't want
you wasting your Slayer strength." Cordelia said, leaving Willow's
room with Cassie. A few minutes later there was a knock on her
window.
    "Hi Angel." Willow said almost shyly. One of the perks of this
arrangement is Angel would stop by after sun set and check on her.
Willow didn't know it, but he would always stay around the house or
wherever she was and watch her, just to make sure she was safe.
   "Hello little one. How are you?" Angel asked.
"I'm okay. Cordy, Cassie, Faith and I rented a bunch of movies and
are going to have a junk food fest. " Willow said.
   "Oh, if you're busy I can leave." Angel said, sounding
disappointed.
  "No, we have a few minutes till everything is ready."
Willow said, holding onto his arm, and quickly letting it go. There
was an awkward silence between them only to be broken by the sound of
giggles from down the hall.
    "Okay guys, come out of there." Willow said tuning around to see
Faith, Cassie and Cordelia.
   "Oh, hi Angel we didn't know you were here. " Cordelia said
lamely.
"Way to not act obvious." Faith whispered to her.
     "I don't see you saying anything." Cordelia whispered back.
"I should go." Angel said, trying to ignore the growing argument
between the two girls.
   "You'll come back right?" Willow said eagerly.
"I'll always come back little one. Never doubt that." Angel said
before he left.  He wasn't out of vampire hearing range to here the
next bit of conversation.
"Sorry about that Wills, anyway the pizza's here." Cordelia said.
    "You guys go ahead, I'm not hungry." Willow said.
  "Red, you hardly ever eat now days. Something wrong, I mean besides
the obvious?" Faith asked.
   "Faith is right, I haven't seen you eat anything in days." Cassie
said. Angel put all of the information from the past weeks together.
Lately Willow was different, her reactions were quicker. Two night
ago in the library Xander accidentally dropped his pencil, before it
was completely out of his hand, Willow caught it. Xander remarked her
reaction time and Willow seemed embarrassed about it. Tonight proved
that her appetite for food lessened everyday, and now she just * felt
* different.  She was still Willow but…..
   Angel stopped the conclusion taking even him by surprise.
Willow wasn't human anymore.

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