Prologue

'Merry England,
Oh your heart is warm,
Your hands are cold.
And I like to think I'm growing up,
As well as growing old.
Well it's been weeks since I've been smiled on,
By a face I knew,
And I started thinking every pretty woman,
Looks like you.'
(Merry England - Archie Fisher.)
Willow was exhausted. She leant her head against the
cool glass of the window as the black cab drove
through the night and the traffic towards the hotel
that Angel had booked for them.
<London. Sheesh, hell of a long way to come to talk! >
 

But there they were. They’d been travelling for what seemed like months and they still hadn’t had a proper conversation.  <In fact, nothing above ‘what tape do you want on’ and ‘what do you fancy for dinner.’ And it’s not even as if he ever had an interesting answer for that one! > To be honest, Willow was seriously beginning to regret agreeing to this stupid venture.

<Yeah, we’ve got issues, yes, we haven’t talked about them. Sure, we’ve got things to sort out. But surely there’s an easier way! > Sighing, Willow closed her eyes and tried to stop thinking.

< Why the hell am I doing this? For Gods sake, he’s a vampire! And he’s not just any vampire. He’s my best friend’s love-of-life, he’s the thing that killed
Jenny. And he’s the man I brought back from hell, the man I love, the man who took my virginity and then left me. Oh God, this was a mistake. >

The taxi pulled up outside a hotel fronted by Roman columns and apparently called ‘The White House.’ Angel paid and thanked the cabby before helping the
half-asleep Willow out of the back seat, and assisting the porter in gathering their bags. Willow allowed herself to be led to their room via lifts and corridors, falling on the first bed she saw upon entering the room. She was asleep in seconds.

Angel tipped the porter and closed the door. Turning around he saw the redhead flat out asleep on the bed, still fully clothed. Smiling, he removed her shoes and socks before lifting her into a sitting position to remove her jumper. Laying her back down, he carefully removed her jeans, leaving her in just her underwear and a T-shirt. He tucked the duvet around her to keep her warm, and turned out the lights.

Heading into the other bedroom of their suite, Angel wondered whether he had done the right thing by taking Willow to London. He knew that she would love the city, and he knew that they would have to do some serious talking. But did he really have the right to get Willow involved in his world?

<I’m just being selfish. I brought her here because I want to be with her. I wasn’t even thinking of her. I should never have brought her. >

Rubbing his neck, he stripped down to his boxers and slid into the bed, knowing that he would again dream of Willow and wondering what the next couple of weeks would hold in store.
 
 

Part 1

‘And when the nightmares come
I will try to be fun
Even though,
I’m so scared you know’
(Robin Hood – Ocean Colour Scene.)
 

It was still very early when Willow awoke. The curtains were drawn, but she could tell that it was still dark outside. More importantly, she could tell that Angel had undressed her. <Shit, he sees it once and figures it’s his to look at from here on in? >

Getting up, she took a good look at the suite they were staying in and, spotting Angel’s room, decided to go and tell him that she didn’t appreciate his
actions, and would he please, in future, leave her clothes as they were.

Angel’s room was pitch black and Willow could only just make out the figure on the bed, tossing around and tangling the sheets.

<A nightmare. > Willow had not shared dreams with Angel since his return from hell, but she remembered well enough what her nightmares had been like at the time. All thoughts of chastising him left her head as she sat down on the edge of his bed and touched a calming hand to his back.

<…. the fire again – consuming everything - see his world burning – Willow and Buffy and Giles –his family – burning too – as if hell had finally come to earth – flames had reached him – he was dying again and then – snow – a cool touch on his burnt body – Willow… >

Willow pulled away as the barrage of images jumped into her mind. Angel sat up and looked at her, shaking off the remnants of his nightmare.

‘That’s the other reason I brought you here,’ he said, very softly.

Willow looked at him, confused. ‘How do you mean?’

‘I know someone who might understand this link thing we’ve got going. I wanted us to go see her.’

‘Why didn’t you tell me before?’

‘I didn’t want Giles to know. He wouldn’t approve.’

‘Oh.’ Willow was still tired and confused. Angel smiled at her and reached out to put his arms around her shoulders.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said, as he pulled her down to lie next to him in the bed.

‘What for?’ Willow asked, snuggling against his shoulder.

‘Bringing you here, not telling you why,’ he paused to kiss the top of her head, very lightly. ‘For undressing you. I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable.’

‘ ’S okay,’ Willow mumbled as she fell asleep against him.

Angel smiled as he held her close and closed his eyes.
 
 

Part 2

Tonight, tonight so bright,
Tonight, tonight.
And you know you're never sure,
But you're sure you could be right,
If you held yourself up to the light.
(Tonight, Tonight, Smashing Pumpkins)
 

They slept right through the day, waking in each other's arms shortly after sunset. Angel decided that Willow should enjoy her time in London before they had
to settle down to serious business, and announced that he was taking her out for dinner.

"What about you?" she asked, trying to imagine Angel eating the vegetarian option.

"I can eat real food if I want to!" he protested. Willow tried very hard not to laugh.

However, she had decided to make the most of this night out, so set off to make herself presentable. Angel settled down in front of the telly, and reached
for the phone to make a reservation for dinner.

Willow lay back in a warm bath, enjoying the feel of bubbles on her skin. London was in the middle of a heat wave and the relief of water was incredible.
Breathing deeply she tried to decide what to wear.

<It's hot. Something cool and loose, cotton would be good. Ooh, what about the long, blue dress thingy that Buffy helped me choose? That's cool, and it looks
nice. And it's not to low cut, but it still fits nicely, just a little bit clingy. I wonder if Angel likes blue? > She stopped suddenly as she realised what she was doing. <Oh God, I'm treating this like a date! He's only brought me here to sort out the dreams! I've got to stop this. He's Buffy's. And I wouldn't want him anyway, > she added as an afterthought. <Oh hell. >

She wore the blue dress anyway.

~~~~~~

London has many faults. It's expensive, crowded and has rats on the underground line. But the worst thing about London is that, when the rest of Britain is
enjoying a pleasant spell of mild summer sunshine, London feels obliged to go one better and experience a full-blown heat wave. The streets become filled with Bermuda shorts and half-naked bodies pushed together in sticky bundles of flesh. The white sunlight glare reflects off well-stocked shop windows, blinding the foolish without shades, and people press inside every shop to fight over the last bottle of mineral water, and crush up next to the air conditioning.
Even after sunset, the air was still hot and the underground, crowded as ever, was unbearable. They got off at Covent Garden, and stepped into the London
night, still half checking for vampires even away from the Hellmouth.

Angel looked over at his travelling companion. In concession to the heat, her hair was piled up and pinned at the back of her head, and her long neck was
completely exposed. <Trust a vampire to notice that. > Angel smiled a little. She was looking around her in wonder, breathing in the air and the mystery of being suddenly in a whole new existence to the one she was used to. The thin straps of her dress fell to a gathered neckline which, while not too low, still
accentuated everything Angel was interested in. Even the long skirt, so different from the minis his ex used to wear, draped perfectly across her waist and
hips. She turned to look at him, her green eyes sparkling.

"So what are we going to do now?"

~~~~~

Angel had purposely booked a late table so that he had time to show Willow around a little before they ate. He remembered seeing leaflets at the hotel for some open-air production that he thought might appeal to her, and so steered the redhead towards the courtyard outside the main market.

The players were just setting up as Willow and Angel took their seats on low wooden benches around the stage area. Sneaking a glance across at her unguarded face, Angel noticed the look of excitement and smiled. <I'm making Willow happy. > Angel positively grinned.

And so, under cool darkness and stars, sleeveless dresses and rolled up sleeves watched open air entertainment, The Three Musketeers seated on still
warm stone floors and benches, laughing as the actors ran and hurried and shouted and fenced late into the night. The audience relaxed, even those vampires among them, joined in, and enjoyed the pantomimic version of an old classic. The children (and Willow), attention held by sword and French bread fighting, clapped and cheered and booed and hissed, and threw bread straight back at the adults.

~~~~~

Willow clapped enthusiastically as the actors took their bows, practically jumping up and down with barely contained excitement. Angel took her arm
companionably in his own, and led her to the restaurant, contentedly listening to her babble about the performance.

They ate at at Maxwell's, sitting cosily in the candlelight, sipping white wine and eating salads, and chatting all the while. After a while, Willow found herself forgetting that she was eating with a vampire, that her best friend was in love with him, that she was only here at all because he had been in hell. And Angel found himself forgetting that he was supposed to be trying not to kiss her.

And when they were finished eating, they walked drowsily back through the still warm night, with the cars and the people still up and running, and lights
still on everywhere, a city still very much alive in the middle of the night. They said goodnight as they reached their suite, and Angel leant down and, ever so
gently, brushed his lips against hers, a promise of more wonderful nights to come. And so they fell asleep in separate rooms, in cover less beds, each thinking of the other, with the windows wide open, and the night and it's noises still flooding in.
 
 

Part 3

‘Been thinking about you
And there’s no rest
Should I still love you?
Still see you in bed?’
(Thinking about you – Radiohead.)
 

<He kissed me!>

Upon waking, Willow’s thoughts were still decidedly obsessive with regards to the night before.

<oh, my God! He KISSED me!>

Having gotten over the initial shock factor, the guilt set in.

<Buffy!> Willow buried her head under a pillow and tried not to think. Then, having given the experiment a good five minutes with no positive results, she got
up, groaning, and headed sluggishly for the shower.

As the water ran calmingly down her back, Willow tried to formulate some kind of Master Plan.

<Hmmmm. Options.
a) Grab the hottie. Oooh – bad plan. No grabbing of any hotties. No, no, no.
b) Don’t grab the hottie. Boring plan.
c) Talk to hottie. I mean Angel. As a person. Or vampire. Not as hottie. Discuss…..things. Like smoochies.

Oh God, I’m screwed. >

Willow sighed deeply. <He probably doesn’t want anything like that anyway. Probably just a one off. He still loves Buffy, even if they aren’t really together
anymore. Nothing to worry about. Unless I’m wrong.>

By the time she stepped out of the shower, Willow had decided to go with plan d) – Play it by ear.

~~~~~~~

In the other bedroom, Angel had pushed the whole kissing thing to the back of his mind, concentrating more on the fact that he had to take Willow to meet
Angharad as soon as the sun went down. Considering how late they had gotten up, that was significantly closer than he would have liked.

<Why am I so worried about this?> He was pacing the floor. He could hear the shower running and knew that Willow couldn’t stay in there for ever. She would be out and asking questions any moment now. <It’s probably just because I haven’t seen her for so long.> Angel growled. He couldn’t even convince himself with that excuse.

~~~~~~~

Eventually Willow was ready. As they waited for the last of the sunlight to fade, Angel tried to explain their mission for the night.

‘Angharad is a friend of mine – a witch. I’ve known her for a long time. She’s had some experience with the kind of link we’ve got – the dreams and the
transference through touch. I want to get her opinion on it – whether she thinks it will continue, whether it’ll get worse, why she thinks it started in the first place.’

‘What’s she like?’ Willow asked. Angel tried not to wince. He did NOT want to answer questions about Angharad.

‘Nice. A little….. odd sometimes. Basically good. Very wise.’

‘Will I like her?’

‘I think so.’ <God, I hope so.>

Willow peeked out past the closed curtains.

‘Sun’s gone.’

‘Oh good.’

~~~~~~

Angel led them through narrow streets that winded every which way until Willow was thoroughly lost and starting to get dizzy. The fact that he was holding
her hand as he led her didn’t help her state of mind much.

Eventually they reached a non-descript alleyway that led down to a small stone courtyard. In the darkness, Willow couldn’t help but feel a little threatened.
Without noticing, she instinctively tightened her grip on Angel’s hand.

Angel felt the extra pressure and almost smiled as he led Willow up a small flight of stone steps to a blank wooden door. <Here it goes.>

He knocked.
 
 

Part 4

‘You’ve got to get up every morning with a smile on
your face And show the world all the love in your
heart Then people gonna treat you better You’re gonna
find, yes you will That you’re beautiful as you feel.’
(Beautiful – Carole King)
 

It would be a gross understatement to suggest that Willow was merely surprised when the door flew open to reveal a beautiful lady with long black hair flowing
across her perfect figure. She looked about twenty five <why did I assume that ‘wise’ meant old? > The statement became even more inaccurate when the lady threw herself into Angel’s arms and pushed her cherry red lips against his cold ones.

Angharad stayed attached to Angel for so long that Willow began to become uncomfortable and gave a little cough to remind them of her presence.

Angel untangled himself from the beautiful woman’s arms and gestured towards Willow.

‘Angharad, this is Willow Rosenburg. Willow, this is
Angharad Williams.’

‘Willow,’ Angharad said in a soft, breathy voice.

‘Such a pretty name.’ She turned to Angel, ‘So this is the girl you’re linked to.’ She smiled a little. ‘Lucky you.’

Angel looked a little uncomfortable and suggested that they should maybe move the reunion inside.

~~~

Willow looked casually around the dark room they were all sitting in, barely listening as Angel explained ‘the story so far’. The small room was crammed to
overflowing with books of all sorts and sizes, suddenly bringing back images of Giles and his library. A wave of homesickness hit Willow from nowhere, and intensified when she glanced over at Angel and saw Angharad’s hand resting lightly on his thigh.

<She’s so beautiful.>

It was true. Angharad looked perfect, creamy skin, dark blue eyes, curvy but slim, <and that hair!> Perfect.

<Maybe too perfect. Angel said she was a witch…>

Willow suddenly rediscovered hope for the other women in the world.

Angel had stopped talking, and was looking at her. Willow focussed back in on the conversation.

‘I’d say that was about it, wouldn’t you Willow?’ Angel was saying. ‘Absolutely,’ Willow replied, over brightly. Angel looked at her a little strangely, but let it pass. ‘So you see why I’m worried.’ He said instead.

Suddenly Angharad was all business. ‘Of course,’ she said, standing and brushing down her immaculate burgundy dress. ‘The prophecy.’ She moved to pick up a book and passed it to Angel. ‘The page is marked.’ She started searching through another pile of books.

‘You’ve explained it to her already, of course.’

Angel started to look a little awkward. Angharad looked at him and slammed down the book she was holding onto a small table. ‘Dammit Angel! Help me out here!’ And then she turned to talk to Willow for the first time since her arrival.

‘It seems that we need to have a chat, my dear.’

~~~

Willow was most confused. <ANOTHER prophecy? Did these guys know EVERYTHING that was going to happen? >

Angharad had sent Angel off somewhere, supposedly in search of some more milk, and the black haired witch was now engaged in making cups of tea for her and her guest. And Willow was sitting and waiting for an explanation.

Eventually Angharad joined her, teacups in hand, and began to speak.

‘Did Angel ever tell you how we met?’

Willow shook her head. ‘Did Angel ever tell me anything?’

Angharad laughed. ‘Good point. I found him, searched for him. Because of the prophecy.’

Willow groaned. ‘Another prophecy. I was hoping I’d heard you wrong.’

Angharad laughed lightly. ‘I’m afraid so. But at least it’s a fairly simple one, and all translated.’ She took a sip from her tea. ‘But first, about this link. As you’ve probably guessed, it’s a fairly rare occurrence, even between two vampires. And unprecedented between a human and a vampire.’

‘As unusual as a vampire with a soul.’

‘Exactly. Which is how I knew Angel was the vamp in the prophecy.’ She drank the rest of her tea and reached for the teapot to pour some more. Munching on
a digestive biscuit, Angharad continued. ‘ Roughly translated, this prophecy claims that one day a vampire with a soul will link with a witch with hilarious consequences.’

‘Hilarious consequences? That’s a new one for the prophecies.’

‘Well, hilarious for us. The link will grow stronger, and so will you both because of it. Enabling you to do serious damage to all the nasties.’

‘And the catch is…’

‘It takes a while for the link to reach total power. And you’re still kinda weak until then so….’

‘The nasties will try and get in there first.’

‘Exactly. Which is why Angel brought you here.’

‘To keep me alive.’ Willow mused on the thought for a moment. Finally she said, ‘Okay, I see his reasoning. But he didn’t tell me all this himself why?’

‘Because he’s Angel. What do you expect.’

‘Good point.’ Willow looked at Angharad. While she’d been talking, Willow had almost forgotten that she’d decided to dislike this woman. In fact, she’d been
almost friendly with her. Willow decided to answer the question buzzing round her head. ‘When did you find the prophecy?’

‘About sixty years ago. It took me another ten to find Angel.’

‘So it is your witchy powers that lets you look ….’  Willow stopped when she realised she was speaking out loud.

Angharad was laughing. ‘Yes, I’m afraid so. But I’m only eighty seven.’

Willow decided that it might be a good idea to get along with this woman. Any witch who could look that good at 87 had to be pretty powerful, and not someone you wanted to be on the wrong side of. <Besides, she might give me lessons…>
 
 

Part 5

‘Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi,
Gwlad beirdd a chantorion, enwogion o fri;
Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwladgarwyr tra mad,
Tros ryddid collasant eu gwaed.

Gwlad, gwlad, pleidiol wyf i’m gwlad,
Tra mor yn fur i’r bur hoff bau,
O! bydded i’r hen iaith barhau.’

‘Land of my fathers – the Welsh nathional anthem.’
 

They were walking home through the darkened streets, Angel keeping Willow close beside him, his eyes scanning the blackness for the first sign of trouble.
Willow, however, had her mind fixed firmly on Angharad. <What is with her and Angel? >

She jumped as Angel grabbed her hand, and saw almost too late, the vamps headed towards them. Angel whispered to her, ‘get behind me, and be ready to
run.’

It was only a minor skirmish in the end, just a couple of vampires trying to suck her blood, nothing out of the ordinary. Angel staked them both fairly easily,
but was still muttering under his breath as he pulled Willow out her hiding place behind a convenient wall. Without saying a word to her, he grabbed her hand and dragged her back in the direction of Angharad’s house.

She didn’t look at all surprised to see them as she opened the door, just ushered them in, quickly and quietly, and putting the kettle on before motioning
for Angel to get talking.

‘Vamps,’ he said, succinctly. ‘This isn’t safe.’

Angharad started to pour the tea. ‘That’s the problem with London. It’s too damn easy to get information around.’ She added sugar to the cups. ‘You want to go to Wales.’ A statement, not a question. Willow wondered how Angharad could know so much about Angel’s thought process.

‘Yes,’ he replied.

‘Why Wales?’ Willow asked, feeling stupid and tired and left out. And wanting to go home.

It was Angharad who answered. ‘I have a house there. It would be safer.’

Angel came and sat by her, taking her hand. ‘I’m sorry Willow. I was hoping…’

‘And here I was thinking that life away from the Hellmouth might be safer,’ Willow joked. ‘Don’t worry Angel. Wales is fine. But you had better ring Giles.’

Angharad collected their belongings from the hotel, leaving Willow and Angel drinking endless cups of tea at her home. And by midnight they were in her car and driving fast to beat the sun.

~~~~~

Even by moonlight Willow was stunned by the beauty of the mountains as they passed the ‘Welcome to Wales’ sign and entered ‘God’s country.’ She couldn’t wait to see it by daylight.

They were heading for the coast. Willow wasn’t sure if Angharad had a boat standing by in case of emergency, but she wouldn’t have been surprised. And she couldn’t help being nervous. <This was supposed to be a holiday.>

Angel turned round from the front seat to smile at her. ‘You okay?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Sure?’

She nodded. What could she say? She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.

~~~~

Evidently the act fooled even her because the next thing she knew Angel was carrying her into a cottage by the sea and she was too tired to even argue. Her
eyes fluttered closed again, but she remained awake long enough to feel him kiss her lips and he whispered ‘Nos da, cariad.’ As her tucked warm blankets around her and laid her down to rest.
 
 

Part 6

‘Sometimes I wonder if I’m ever gonna make it home
again, It seems so far and out of sight. I really need
someone to talk to, and nobody else, Knows how to
comfort me tonight.’
(Home Again – Carole King)
 

Willow woke to hear the rain falling hard on the glass of her bedroom window. Evidently the long hot spell was over, at least in Wales anyway. Pulling the duvet up to her throat, she sat up and listened to the weather. Her watch told her it was early afternoon, but the room was still gloomy as if it were only dawn.
Sighing, she padded over to the window on bare feet and opened the curtains.

The wind was whipping the rain into cold, harsh sheets, the sky black and forbearing. <This cannot be summer.> The grey and purple mountains were shadowed and dangerous and in the distance she could see a ruined castle sticking out along the coastline, watching the storm. She stood, mesmerised, watching the water fall, wondering what kind of place they had brought her to. <This country is so Angel! Dark and brooding and dangerous.>

She turned at the sound of the door opening to see Angharad enter slowly carrying a cup of tea. Carefully, she set it down on Willow’s bedside table
and walked over to the window to join her.

‘Isn’t it beautiful? That’s Criccith castle you can see in the distance. Harlech castle’s in the other direction. And the beach below us is Blackrock sands.
We’re right by the rock pools here.’

Willow smiled. ‘I was just thinking how perfect this setting is for Angel when he’s brooding.’

Angharad laughed a low laugh and nodded her head. ‘You’re right. But he seems to be brooding a little less now. Did you sleep all right?’

‘Fine, thanks.’

‘Well, there’s tea for you there, I wasn’t sure you’d be awake. And I know it’s a bit late but I’m making breakfast if you want some.’ Willow nodded and
Angharad continued, ‘Well, get dressed and come on down.’

~~~

Breakfast consisted of sausage and bacon and eggs and fried bread and enough fat to make Willow feel guilty for life. But it did taste good.

Angel joined them after a few minutes and even indulged in a little bacon. When Willow raised an eyebrow at him he simple shrugged and said ‘I like
Angharad’s breakfasts.’ Angharad grinned and set about making another pot of tea.

~~~

It wasn’t until all the washing up had been done that the three retired to the sitting room and Willow was finally able to ask some of the questions that had
been on her mind.

The room was decorated in dark reds and furnished in mahogany with deep chairs with red velvet cushioning. The walls were lined with books again, this time
neatly ordered on bookshelves, and a huge window gave an incredible view of the mountains in the distance and the sea below them. The sky seemed to merge with dark surf as the water fell and fell.

‘How can this be summer?’ Willow asked, pulling her jumper tighter around her and remembering the weather back home.

‘You’ve never been to Wales before, have you?’ Angharad asked on a laugh. ‘It’s always like this.’

Willow hoped that she was joking.

Angel looked up from a book he had been leafing through and sighed gently. ‘So what do we do now?’

Angharad signalled with a shrug that she had no idea.

‘Well, I kinda have some questions,’ Willow put in. ‘Like, what the hell’s going on?’

‘I wish I knew,’ Angel muttered under his breath.

Angharad glared at him.

‘Well,’ she began, ‘basically we have to keep you out of danger until the link between you is complete. According to the prophecy, it should be done by
Christmas….’

‘Christmas!’ Willow interrupted, jumping to her feet and starting to pace. ‘I can’t stay here till Christmas!’

‘Well, yes, we might have to move again, if the vampires come,’ Angharad conceded.

‘That’s not what I mean. I can’t stay away from home till Christmas!’

Angel sighed again. ‘Sweetheart, I think you might have to.’
 

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