Dissclaimer: Nobody belongs to me, unfortunately. They belong to Joss & Mutant Enemy, and a few other people I don’t know.
Rating: R
Spoilers: BtVS Season 3; Beauty & The Beasts.
Category: Willow/Angel
Summary: Willow discovers Angel, setting motion a series of events.
Distribution: Fire & Ice, BBA, Angel of Mine, Willow’s Angel, anyone else, ask, and you shall receive
Author's Note: This takes place after Faith ,Hope & Trick. It’s my own wacky universe after that. Angel has returned, but Buffy is the only one who knows;
I’m altering some of the events of Beauty & The Beasts to fit the story.
Author's Note 2: This is my first solely W/A story. Sorry if it sucks:)
Dedication: Kaitelynn, because she knows how I think. To anyone who missed me. :)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Willow sat staring at Oz as if he had said something completely unbelievable. He had. She looked at him, willing her tears to stay away. "You’re leaving?’ She asked quietly, trying to grasp what he had said.
"I’m sorry." He spoke the words with the same lack of emotion as anything else that left his lips, but for some reason, it seemed to feel crueler somehow. Like he really didn’t care.
Willow stood up. "I guess this is it, then. I’ll see you around." She started to leave and then turned back to her boyfriend. Former boyfriend. "Or not."
She walked away, her body seemingly moving of its own accord, as she tried to tell herself it didn’t matter. She heard Oz calling after her. She didn’t stop. It didn’t matter. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Buffy talking to Scott Hope. She was glad that Buffy was trying to get on with her life.
When she walked out into the cool night air, Willow faltered. She didn’t know where to go. She wasn’t ready to go home and face the emptiness of her house. Her parents were away, again. It wasn’t that she wasn’t used to it, but sometimes she felt so very alone. She had felt that way a lot the past several months. After Buffy had left, the nightmares had started. At first she thought they were just her over active imaginations way of trying to reconcile Buffy’s disappearance. But the details had been too perfect. Too concise. She realized it was probably closer to the truth to say they were like pieces of a half remembered dream. Except that it wasn’t her dream.
Her sleep had been filled with things she didn’t understand. Anger, then confusion, and finally pain. Blinding torment invaded her thoughts. It was constant, and something she couldn’t really grasp in the waking world. Just something she felt. And them recently, the nightmares had changed, again. Now the most base of instincts drove her sleep. Hunger, survival, fear.
It was never more than the emotions. She never got the images to go with them, but some part of her subconscious recognized them for what they were. She knew she was to blame. S he had sent a friend into hell, with his soul in tact. Whatever he lived through there, she shared in his pain. And she knew, she deserved it.
Willow shook her head, willing away the despairing thoughts. When she looked up, she noticed she was standing outside of the mansion. Again. She had found herself here several times since Buffy’s disappearance. It was here the feelings from her nightmares were stronger. It was here that she had realized her mistake. It was here, she let herself mourn his loss, and her part in it.
Willow walked into the mansion cautiously. She wasn’t expecting to find anyone here, but she always felt like she really shouldn’t be here. She had killed him, as surely as if it had been her who had thrust the sword into his heart.
Willow crinkled her brow in confusion as she sensed something. At first she couldn’t identify it. Then she realized it was a presence. His presence. But that couldn’t be, could it?
She walked further into the room, seeking comfort in the darkness. She turned when she heard a noise to her right. The sound of chains rattling. She nearly passed out from shock at the sight that greeted her.
Angel. Chained to the wall, growling viciously.
End Part 1
Buffy walked through the cemetery silently. She knew she should check on Angel, but she couldn’t bring herself to go. It had been a shock to find him the previous night in the park. She didn’t know why he was back, or how he had gotten here, and if she was being completely honest, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know. She had begun putting the past behind her. She had closed the door on the past; she wasn’t ready to re-open the old wounds. But yet, here he was, back from Hell. She knew she should tell Giles and the others he had come back, but she wanted to wait just a little bit longer.
Maybe when he was better, when he was himself again, she could explain it to them. Or maybe he would leave, and they would never have to know. Either way, she would wait.
She turned and headed home; she would go and see him tomorrow. Tonight, she just wanted to forget.
*****
"Angel?" Willow took a cautious step forward.
Angel snarled, his eyes golden, seemingly possessed.
"Angel?" She asked again, moving slowly. "Do you know who I am?"
Angel looked up then, her voice seemed to calm him a bit. He was looking at her as if he couldn’t believe he was really seeing her, like it was just a mirage.
"Have you… have you eaten?’ She asked quietly, holding his wild eyes with her own.
Willow heard a growl rumble from deep in his throat. She frowned slightly. "I’ll take that as a no." She turned around, wondering where she could get some blood. She doubted there was any here.
"I’ll be back." She told him, unsure if he could even understand her. He was staring at her; she could feel his animalistic gaze on her back as she left, in search of blood.
****
Angel looked around wildly. His mind was a hazy fog. He wasn’t sure what was real, and what was a dream. He knew that he was no longer in Hell. At least he didn’t think so. He remembered the Slayer. She had captured him, chained him. He didn’t know why, or what had happened. He was lost in a sea of confusion, fueled by his hunger. His mind kept weaving a path between his memories. The pain, still fresh, haunted him. He could still feel the torment, heavy on his soul. His past haunting him like a terrifying dream that wouldn’t shake itself loose.
He had felt her presence. His savior. Her light seemed to wrap itself around him, comforting him. He didn’t know what it was about her he found so comforting, so safe. Only that she calmed him. Soothed his soul in a way he hadn’t believed possible after all that had happened.
He thought he heard her sweet voice speaking to him, but he couldn’t be sure what was reality, and what was the dream. He stared up at the creature before him, something inside of him, knowing he was safe. And then she was gone. He was alone again. So very alone.
****
It was nearly an hour later when Willow returned, with several pints of blood. The entire time she was gone she tried to figure out what had happened. Why he had returned. How he had gotten out of Hell, and more importantly, what had led to his being chained in the mansion. The only explanation was that Buffy had brought him there, and chained him to the wall like an animal.
Willow realized that Angel was not himself, and his being restrained might have been necessary, but what she couldn’t understand was why Buffy hadn’t said anything. She hadn’t told anyone he was back, and as far as she could tell, he hadn’t been fed.
That’s what bothered her the most. Angel had returned from hell itself. He had been freed from him torment, and yet instead of comforting him, Buffy had chained him up and left him alone. That bothered her more than she liked to admit.
Willow entered the mansion and made her way into the kitchen. She put several of the blood bags in the refrigerator. She poured the of the blood bags into a large mug she had found in the cupboard and heated the liquid up to normal body temperature. She entered the room where she had left Angel, unsure of what she would find. It was obvious he had been changed by her undeserved time in Hell. It was just another thing she felt an unrelenting guilt for. If she had cursed him sooner, if she hadn’t been sidetracked by the attack on the library, if she had found the disk earlier, maybe, just maybe he wouldn’t have gone to Hell. Maybe he could have found the happiness he deserved, instead of suffering the torment she knew he had been subjected to.
She felt Angel tense as she entered the room, his eyes golden.
She walked to him cautiously. "Angel? I brought you some… blood." She tried to speak in soothing tones, hoping not to agitate him further.
Angel looked up at her, as if seeing her for the first time. He inhaled deeply as the scent of warm blood reached him. He growled low in his throat as his hunger began to consume him once again.
Willow inched closer to him, holding out the mug. Angel jumped forward and snatched the mug out of her outstretched hand, spilling nearly a third of it over his chest. Willow winced as she watched the red liquid splash down the front of his naked chest.
Willow turned and made her way through the house, searching for something to clean him up with. After several minutes, she found the bathroom. She didn’t waste any time finding a washcloth and soaking it with warm water. She didn’t want to leave him alone for too long.
When she reentered the room, Angel had finished the blood, and was staring around wildly, seemingly oblivious tot he mess he had made. Willow made her way over to her friend, and began cleaning the blood from his chest. She could feel his chest rumble as the warm washcloth was swept across it.
"Shah," She tried to soothe him as she pushed him gently against the wall. He was filthy, she noticed, and wished she had enough strength to rip his confines from the wall. Willow smiled to herself as she had another thought.
She placed a hand each on the metal, which encased his wrists. She closed her eyes, and centered herself as she remembered the words to a spell she had come across. At the time, she didn’t think she would ever have a need for such a spell, but Willow found herself thanking the goddess for her desire to study even things she may never need.
After a moment, she felt the shackles snap, and opened her eyes. Angel was staring at her with curiosity and confusion in his golden orbs. She stood up and pulled him to his feet. Leaning him against her small frame she led him to the bathroom.
Willow set the vampire on the clothes toilet seat as she began to draw the bath water. She turned up the hot water to steaming, and filled the tub. When it was two-thirds full, Willow turned the water off, and returned her attention to the vampire.
Willow noticed for the first time that Angel was naked. Completely naked. She wondered idly why it was that Buffy had not seen fit to dress him, but then brushed the thought away. It wasn’t important, and she didn’t want to think about Buffy’s reasoning for anything concerning Angel.
Willow lifted Angel off of the seat and led him over to the bathtub, pleased to find that he didn’t resist her. After he was sitting in the hot water, Willow knelt in front of the massive tub and began scrubbing the grime away. When his body was thoroughly cleaned, Willow stood up and began to walk tot he other side of the room, only to be stopped by a growl coming from deep within Angel’s chest. S he turned around to find him staring at her.
"I’ll be right back." She told him. He seemed to acknowledge her words, and she opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out a couple of bottles and returned to the bathtub.
Willow pushed Angel forward with one hand as she poured a cupful of heated water over his head. She heard him hiss slightly as the liquid ran down his face.
"It’s all right. It’s only water." Willow soothed as she began to massage the shampoo into his hair. She thought she heard him purr as her fingered worked the lather. After his hair was thoroughly clean, Willow began to pour more warm water, rinsing away the soap. She then poured some conditioner onto her hands and began to run it through his clean hair.
Willow heard a sound of contentment coming from him and smiled to herself. He seemed to be relaxing, if only slightly. Once the conditioner had been rinsed clean, Willow stood up and pulled him to his feet. She turned around to grab a large bath towel, averting her eyes from his nakedness as she wrapped the vampire up in the fluffy terry cloth. She helped him out of the bathroom and into his room.
After several moments rummaging through his dresser, Willow found a clean pair of sweats and a tank top for him to wear. She set him down on the foot of the bed as she began to dress him.
Once dressed he put him to bed and covered him with the silk sheets. She was about to leave him to his sleep, when she felt his firm grip on her wrist. Willow looked down, into his eyes, and nodded her understanding. She climbed into bed beside him and rubbed his back soothingly as he fell asleep.
End Part 2
Willow awoke several hours later to the sounds of growling. She opened her eyes and looked around the room, trying to remember where she was. She felt the fear coming at her in waves as Angel thrashed around the bed, apparently reliving a nightmare that had been based in reality. She placed a hand on his shoulder soothingly.
"Shh, it’s alright you safe." She kept whispering words of comfort and eventually he seemed to calm down.
She sighed heavily as she realized he had fallen into a dreamless sleep once again. She wasn’t sure if he had ever actually been away. He had never opened his eyes, never made any movement that would lead her to believe he had been awake and aware of his surroundings.
She climbed out of bed carefully, and went into the kitchen. She sat at the table and lay her head down, thinking about everything that had happened in the past several months.
Angelus trying to open a vortex into Hell, Her restoring his soul, albeit too late to stop Buffy from sending him into Hell. Buffy running away, and having to help with the vampire slaying while she was gone. The dreams, which she now knew, were actually glimpses into what Angel had experienced since the soul restoration. And finally, Oz leaving and finding Angel.
So much had happened in such a short time, she wasn’t sure what was going to happen next.
She needed to go home and take a shower, but she didn’t want to leave him alone for too long. She was glad it was Saturday, and wouldn’t be expected anywhere. She stood up and made her way back to the bedroom. Finding him still asleep, Willow left the mansion quickly and nearly ran to her house. Once there, she showered quickly and packed a small bag. She didn’t think she would be coming back for a couple of days. Angel couldn’t take care of himself, and there wasn’t anyone else to do it.
Willow knew that Buffy would probably be more than willing to take care of him when he needed it. But even as she had the thought, she doubted it. If that were true, would she have found him chained? Wouldn’t Buffy have been there helping him when she had shown up? She didn’t know what Buffy’s reason’s were, but she was beginning to think that what was best for Angel wasn’t on the top of the list.
However, Willow had no choice but to help him, to ease his suffering. She was to blame for all he had endured, and it was she who would do whatever it took to make him whole again.
*****
Buffy left her house with a smile. She knew that everything was going to work out for the best. Angel would regain his health, and she could move on with her life, just as she had begun to do before he had returned.
She still had feelings for him, but she had realized that what they had had together could never be anything substantial. He was the epitome of everything she fought against as the Slayer. He had proven that when he had lost his soul, and although she believed the curse was intact, she didn’t think that Angelus was too far below the surface. Sooner or later, he would come out again. Maybe not they way it had been before. But some part of him, which craved the dark and all that came with it, would resurface. The way she had found him in the park, naked and animalistic just proved it.
Buffy just hoped that he would heal quickly, so that everyone could get on with there lives and forget about the past.
She opened the door to the mansion carefully, and entered cautiously. She looked around wide-eyed when she didn’t find Angel chained to the wall. Buffy had thought the chains were strong enough. Apparently she had been wrong. She was about to leave and search the towns sewer systems when she heard a noise coming from the direction of Angel’s bedroom.
Buffy practically ran into the room. She was shocked to find Angel lying on the bed, clean and dressed. He was shaking on the bed, apparently having a dream of some sort. She took a step closer and heard a growl erupt from his throat.
When she looked down at him she saw his demon’s golden eyes staring back at her, with a rage she had seen in her nightmares. It was the gaze of a killer. She looked around the room carefully, searching for something she could tie him up with. She was afraid he was going to attack her, and she didn’t think she could kill him, not again.
Buffy noticed a wood cabinet in one corner of the room, and opened it, keeping one eye on the vampire. She noticed some heavy handcuffs along with a length of chain. Grabbing the metal items, she took them back to the bed. She hesitated slightly when she heard a snarl escape the vampire as she neared him. Steeling herself for whatever was coming next, she walked to the bed.
Angel jumped off of the bed and lunged at the Slayer, snarling and growling wildly. He didn’t know what she was doing. Why she was attacking him. All he knew was that she shouldn’t be there. His whole body screamed at him that he was in danger. That the slayer presented a threat to him. He attacked her viciously, wanted nothing more than to be as far away from her as possible. He felt her hit him hard across the face, and then kick his feet out from under him. He landed on the floor with a thud, and before he could react, he felt her fist hit him squarely in the jaw, sending him flying backwards. His head connected with the metal railing on the bed. His last thought before losing consciousness was of his red-haired savior. He didn’t know where she had gone, but he could feel that she was safe. He didn’t know how he knew exactly, only that he did.
*****
Buffy sighed heavily as she watched Angel slip into unconsciousness. She knew now, more than ever that she had been right about him. His dark nature was just below the surface. It would only be a matter of time before it was set loose once again. She only hoped that whatever was wrong with him started healing itself soon. She didn’t know how much longer she could keep him chained up. She now knew that she could never tell the others about his return.
They would never understand what was wrong with him. She didn’t even understand it. She shook her head of her thoughts as she lugged his body back tot he bed and began to tie him up again, making sure the chains were tight. She would have to come back later and make sure they stayed that way. She would bring him some blood then. She hadn’t thought to feed him earlier, but she was certain he would be hungry soon. She wasn’t sure how long he could go without food, but she was sure it was a couple of days.
Buffy smiled sadly at her former loves unconscious form. "I’m sorry." She whispered as she turned and shut the door, fleeing the mansion and all of its memories.
******
Willow gathered her things and headed out of the door, locking it behind her when she felt a sudden wave of anger overcome her. It was unlike she herself had ever experienced. It was strong and powerful. The anger was fierce, almost tangible, and then pain, and then nothing followed it. Just an empty void. Willow realized it wasn’t her own emotions she was feeling, but Angels. She wasn’t sure exactly why or how, but she knew that they were his emotions. She had never felt them while she was awake before. However as the force of the emotions reverberated in her mind, she realized she didn’t have time to analyze what was happening. She ran all the way to the mansion, wanted to make sure he was safe.
Willow was nearly out of breath when she pushed the heavy door open. S he made her way to his bedroom and thrust through the doorway. S he gasped at the site. Angel was unconscious, and chained to the bed. She rushed over and began to untie him. When she had finished extricating the vampire from his binds, she noted several cuts on his face.
Willow didn’t allow herself to think about what must have happened as she bandaged his wounds. When she came back into the room, she noticed he had stared to awaken. He opened his eyes, and stared at her with a mixture of fear, and confusion.
"What happened?" She asked, not sure if he could answer her, or even if she wanted to know.
Angel stared at her, his animalistic gaze softening slightly. He moved his lips as if to say something, but no sound came forth.
"Shh, it’s alright. It doesn’t matter." Willow came and sat on the bed, pulling the vampire into her arms. She looked at the clock near the bed and sighed. It was several hours until sunset. She knew that whatever else happened, it was her job to take care of him, keep him self. And he was no longer safe in his own home.
End Part 3
Willow leaned back into the hot bath water. She sighed heavily, allowing the steam to work out the tension in her muscles. She closed her eyes as she thought about the past few days.
Once the sun had set on Friday, willow had packed a couple of bags for Angel and brought him to her house. She knew that he wasn’t safe at the mansion anymore, and with her parents out of town for another six weeks, her house was the perfect place.
She had spent the weekend taking care of Angel, and trying to relieve some of the tension, which seemed to surround him after this latest incident. Not that he had been calm before, but whatever had happened while she was gone, had agitated the vampire immensely.
She knew it had been Buffy. There was no other explanation. Who else would come to the mansion in the first place? Who else would have the strength to subdue Angel, especially in his present condition? With the exception of another vampire, or demon, the only person was a slayer.
While it was true, there was a new Slayer in town, willow seriously doubted it was Faith who had captured and chained Angel to begin with, nor that it was her who had come into his house and tied him to his own bed. That left only one person. Buffy.
Willow wanted to believe there was a reasonable explanation for her friend’s actions. She knew that Angel wasn’t exactly mister sociable, but he wasn’t acting in a violent matter, which begged the question, why tie him up?
Willow was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of the bathroom door opening. She turned to see Angel standing in the doorway, staring at her, with the half-golden gaze she had gotten used to. She was learning to read his expressions. Even in this state, his eyes were very expressive.
"Angel. Come in." She motioned for him to sit down on the toilet seat.
Angel walked into the bathroom cautiously. His mind was still trapped in the remembrances of the dream, or was it reality? He couldn’t be sure. When he had opened his eyes and found himself alone, he had gone searching for his only source of comfort.
He had followed her scent like a hunter searching out his prey. When he had finally found her in the bathroom, he hesitated. He could feel her presence wafting through the air, calling to him.
Now he found himself, calming down, just from being near her. The fear he had felt at waking up alone was slowly dissipating. He watched her, as she seemed to relax into the bath water. His mind was starting to clear. He still had trouble discerning which was a memory, and which was part of a dream, but he found himself, able to understand her when she spoke. Her words actually made sense, instead of just grasping at the emotions he could feel coming off of her. He still couldn’t seem to form the words to speak himself. But with his savior, he didn’t need words. And she was the only one who counted.
He could feel her smile. It was like a comforting blanket that wrapped itself around him. He closed his eyes, and let the sensation chase away the last remnants of the dream. When he opened his eyes, he found Willow standing up in the bathtub, wrapping a large towel around her small body.
*****
Willow felt strange. Here she was, standing half-naked in her bedroom, in front of a highly aggressive, sexy vampire. And she didn’t feel uncomfortable in the least. It seemed completely natural. She supposed it helped that Angel didn’t think of her in that way, if he even thought of her at all.
She finished getting dressed and turned to the vampire who was sitting on her bed, watching her with a strange look. One she hadn’t seen before.
"Angel?" She asked quietly as she sat down next to him. "I have to go out" she heard a low growl rumble from his chest.
Willow placed a gentle hand on his arm. "I won’t be gone long" she stood up and pulled on her sweater. "I’m gonna bring you some food." She ran down the stairs and heated up a couple of blood bags. When they were warm enough, she jogged back upstairs and placed the mug in Angel’s hands and gently brought it up to his lips. When he had drunk the liquid, willow pushed him back against the bed and covered him slightly. She placed a hand over the ridges in his forehead, and over his eyes, closing them as she did. Willow kissed him on the cheek before she got up and left her house.
*****
Willow left her house and jogged to the school. She knew she needed to make an appearance. Explain to them why she hadn’t gone to school. But the real reason she was going was to speak with Buffy. She needed some answers. She was tired of speculating.
When she entered the library, Willow looked around briefly. She saw Cordelia and Xander huddled in the corner, whispering to one another, while Giles and the new Slayer, Faith sparred. But Buffy was no where to be seen.
"Where’s Buffy?" She questioned.
"Wills, hey. Where were you today? Were you making with the smoochies with Oz?" Xander looked at his friend suggestively.
Willow paled slightly at the memory of Oz and his leaving. She had been so busy taking care of angel, she had completely forgotten about him. "I didn’t feel well." She lied. "So, where is Buffy?"
"She’s with the new stud." Faith offered between punches. Giles groaned from his place on the floor.
Willow smiled sympathetically. "I have to get back home. I’m still not feeling very well."
"You get some rest." Giles rasped out.
"Yeah, later." Xander waved.
Willow hadn’t stepped more than a few feet away when she saw Buffy standing in the hall talking to Scott Hope.
"Buff." Willow called.
"Oh, hey Wills."
Scott gave Buffy a quick kiss and left as willow walked up to the blonde slayer. Willow smiled slightly.
"It’s good, you’re moving on… What with Angel… and all." Willow told her friends, gauging her reaction.
Buffy paled slightly. "What about Angel? He’s gone. Sent him to hell."
Willow nodded, her mind on overdrive as she realized that Buffy wasn’t going to tell her anything. "Yeah, but…"
"But nothing!" Buffy snapped slightly. "He’s gone, and that’s it." Buffy’s voice softened as she watched Willow’s face change. "Oh, will, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. Angel’s a touchy subject, you know. You okay?"
Willow stared at Buffy disbelievingly. "No, Buffy, I’m not okay." Willow’s voice was calm, her mind desperately trying to grasp a reason for Buffy’s attitude. Could she be wrong? Maybe Buffy didn’t know.
"I know he’s back, Buffy." She paused, seeing the recognition in her friends’ eyes. "I found him. Naked, alone and frightened, chained like an animal."
"He is an animal." Buffy stated, remembering the look of hatred, which entered Angel’s eyes the last time she’d seen him.
Willow stared at the Slayer, realizing that she believed what she was saying. "He’s Angel, not some rabid Dog."
"Will, I don’t know what he’s been telling you, but he isn’t the same. He’s… I don’t know, different." She told her friend, as another thought came into her head. "You said you found him? What were you doing at the mansion?"
Willow sighed. She wasn’t in the mood to explain something she couldn’t even understand. "I have to go." She turned and left the hallway without another word.
Buffy stared after her for a moment wonder what the hell had just happened.
End Part 4
Willow walked home thinking about everything that Buffy had said. The closer she got to her house, the more irritated she got. By the time she reached her house, she was bubbling over with anger. She entered the house, slamming the front door behind her. She began pacing wild circles around her living room.
"Animal my ass!" She mumbled. "Who does she think she is? Just walking into his house and chaining him up like that?"
Her tirade was stopped as she felt a cold hand on her shoulder. She spun around and found Angel staring down at her, his golden eyes showing concern. Then he did something she never expected. He spoke.
"Wi… Willow?" His voice was hoarse from disuse, but it sounded like a symphony to Willow.
She smiled brightly, her previous anger forgotten. "Angel." She wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug.
He opened his mouth as if to speak again, but instead of words, a rumbling sound came forth. Willow took a finger and placed over his lips. "Shh. It’s okay." She lay her head against his chest.
The moment was broken when the phone rang. Willow moved to answer it and had to smile when she heard Angel growl low in his chest as she moved away from him.
"Hello?" She answered.
"Wills? Hey!" Xander’s voice came over the line.
"Xander, what’s up?" She sighed.
"Hey, we were wondering if you could come back down here. We could use your help"
"I don’t know." Willow groaned. She had no desire to see Buffy again so soon.
"C’mon, Wills. We need your brilliance."
Willow laughed, despite herself. "I don’t think so. It’s not a good idea."
Xander noticed a strange tone to her voice. "What’s up?" He asked cautiously.
"UP? Nothings up?" She exclaimed a little quickly.
"C’mon, you can tell the Xan-man!"
Willow sighed. "It’s nothing, really. Buffy and I just had a disagreement. I don’t really want to see her right now."
There was silence for a moment as Xander thought about what she said. He knew that there was more to it than a minor argument. Willow wasn’t one to hold a grudge. Whatever it was must really have her upset.
"Buffy won’t be here. She went on patrol. Said she needed to work out some aggression. Guess I know why." Xander joked.
Willow snorted. "Alright, I’ll come. But only for an hour." She hung up the phone, and turned back to Angel. He was watching her with a half-glazed look in his eyes.
"I have to go out again." She explained. He growled and Willow put a calming hand on his chest. "I’ll only be gone an hour." Her eyes lit up as she remembered something. "Ooh, I brought you something." She ran over to her bag, which she had dropped on the floor. She picked it up and fished and hand inside one of the pockets, producing to CD’s. She placed them both into the CD player and put it on repeat. After a moment soft, soothing classical musical came through the speakers. She smiled as she saw the look of recognition in Angel’s eyes.
Before Angelus had come back, Buffy had complained frequently about Angel’s love of classical music. Willow herself found it soothing, and hoped he would as well. She turned her attention back to her bag and pulled out the other thing she had brought for him. Some drawing pencils and some sketch paper.
She brought the supplies over to the table and set them down. "I… I brought you these. You don’t have to use them. But, if you want…" She let the world trail off as she was embraced in another one of Angel’s frequent bear hugs.
Willow gently pulled her self away and sat him down on the couch. She then left him to fix him some blood. When she returned, she handed him the mug and watched, fascinated, as he drank the warm liquid, not minding that she was staring. She knew that this Angel was different than the one she had known. He was the same person, basically, but there were changes in him. Changes she knew wouldn’t go away once he regained his health. These changes were permanent, and she liked them.
When he was finished with his dinner, she took the mug from him and washed it in hot soapy water. When she returned to the living room, Angel was asleep, having let the music sooth his weary soul. She bent down and kissed him lightly on the cheek, and left the house.
*****
When she arrived at the library, Willow was pleased to discover that Xander was right. Buffy was nowhere to be seen. Xander and Cordelia were sifting through some heavy books, while Giles was locked in his office.
"Willow, you’re here." Xander smiled.
"Yep. What do you need my help with?" She asked as she sat down in front of the computer.
Xander explained, in his own special way, that there seemed to be some sort of creature running around. A couple of boys had been killed, and the schools counselor had been found that afternoon.
Willow hacked into the morgue's files and dug up all the information she could find. After several minutes she looked up to find Xander and Cordelia staring expectantly at her. "What?" She asked.
"Well? Are you going to tell us?" Cordelia asked impatiently.
"Tell you what?" Willow was confused.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "About what miss high and mighty did to piss you off"
Willow groaned. She should have known that they would want to know what she and Buffy had argued about. She was about to protest when a thought struck her. Why shouldn’t she tell them? Sure, they wouldn’t be happy about it, but telling them truth was better than lying. They would understand… eventually.
"Alright. But Giles should hear this too." She got up and went into Giles office. "Giles? I have something I need to tell everyone. I think you should hear it."
Giles looked up from his desk, concerned, but merely nodded. He followed her out of his office and to the table Xander and Cordelia were sitting at. Willow paced around nervously.
"Okay, first of all this isn’t really my secret to tell, but…" She looked at her friends and smiled slightly, "I don’t think it should be a secret"
"Willow? What is it?" Giles asked warily.
"It’s Angel." She spoke softly. He’s back."
End Part 5
Silence enveloped the room.
"An…Angel? Are you certain?" Giles asked, trying to contain the overwhelming emotions Willow’s statement brought forth.
Willow placed a comforting hand on her mentor’s shoulder. "Yes."
"That Bastard! I’ll kill him!" Xander shot out of the seat, but was then grabbed by Cordelia and pushed back into the chair.
"You’ll do no such thing!" Cordelia admonished after seeing the look of horror, which had, cover Willow’s features.
"Uh, how did this happen?" Giles asked, trying to regain focus.
Willow sighed. "I’m not really sure. I don’t even know if he knows." She looked into Giles eyes carefully. "He’s not the same. He’s… different."
Giles eyes narrowed. "Did he hurt you?"
Willow shook her head. No, nothing like that. But…"
"Does Buffy know?" Xander’s voice was laced with venom for the vampire, and concern for his friend.
Willow’s eyes darkened in anger. "Yes. She knows." She turned around, trying to decide what to tell them.
"Buffy found him, chained him." She paused. "I can understand it the first time, but this last time…"
"Last time? There was more than one time?" Xander asked.
"Yesterday, I went to see him, and found him chained to his bed like an animal."
"He is an animal." Xander spat.
Willow’s eyes glared dangerously as she took a step closer to Xander. "He’s not an animal." She hissed then took a deep breath, turning round and tried to calm herself.
"What happened before… won’t… can’t happen again." She spun around to face the three. "I know this is a shock. It was shocking for me as well, although I should have known, I suppose." She shook her head. "I just thought you should know. We shouldn’t keep secrets." Willow turned and started to leave the library when Giles voice stopped her.
"Willow" Giles stood up as Willow turned around. "You said you should have known? Why?"
Willow looked blankly for a minute as she tried to remember what she had said. "It must have happened when I did the soul restoration. Jenny did tell me once that the Gypsy who had originally cast it was connected to him slightly. I never expected it happen, or that it would be so strong…" She trailed off, reaching out to feel Angel’s presence. He was still sleeping, although for once it wasn’t a nightmare filled sleep. He was at peace. She smiled.
"Hello? For those of us who don’t speak bizarre… what the hell?" Xander was completely confused. He had followed most of the conversation, but now it had ventured in a land of confusion.
"Are you saying that you… and… he… are connected to one another?" Giles tried to wrap his mind around this latest news.
Willow nodded. "I think so."
"How can we fix it?"
"I’m not sure it can be fixed." Giles sighed. "But I’ll look into it."
Willow smiled. "Thank you." She started to leave again.
"You’re going to him, aren’t you?" Xander accused.
Willow stopped but didn’t turn around.
"You can’t. I won’t let you." Xander stood up and ran towards her, as if to stop her from leaving. He stood in front of her, blocking her path, looking down at her with anger and frustration in his eyes.
"Newsflash, Xander this isn’t up to you." Cordelia spoke from her place at the table.
Willow smiled slightly at Cordelia’s rescue. She had never expected her greatest enemy to side with her.
"What about…" Xander racked his brain for an excuse, any excuse to keep her from going to that monster.
"What about Oz? Yeah, Oz!" He seemed pleased with his choice until he saw the brief flash of pain, which flitted across Willow’s features.
"Oz is gone. He left." Her tone was flat, devoid of any emotion.
"Buffy? What about Buffy? How can you do this to her?" Xander latched on to his last hope of detouring her.
Willow stared at Xander, a strange feeling of calm overtaking her. "Buffy isn’t my concern. And I’m not doing anything to her. I’m helping a friend. That’s all." She pushed past her friend and left the school, anxious to get home, to her friend.
*****
Buffy had finished patrol early. She was on her way back into the library when she heard voices. She stopped to listen. It was Willow. She was telling them about Angel. How dare she? That was her secret. Her business. Willow had no right. It didn’t concern her.
Buffy heard Willow say something about being connected to Angel. No, that wasn’t right. S he must have misheard. She listened carefully as Xander threatened Angel, and knew she had been right to keep it a secret. They would never understand. They would try to kill him. The problem she was facing now was that she wasn’t sure if that was such a bad idea. Why couldn’t he have stayed gone?
She heard Willow approach the door and backed up slightly. When she heard Xander speaking to her again, she breathed a sigh of relief she didn’t want to be caught eavesdropping. She heard Xander ask about Oz, and was surprised to hear Willow’s answer. When did Oz leave? How come no one told me?
"Buffy? What about Buffy? How can you do this to her?" She heard Xander ask. Buffy took a step closer to the door, waiting to hear Willow’s response. She nearly gasped when she heard the words that came out of Willow’s mouth.
When she heard the door being the thrust open, she hid in the shadows until Willow was out of site. She was shocked. How could Willow not care? Buffy knew that had had a disagreement, but couldn’t she see that Buffy was right? Angel was dangerous. She shook her head as she ran out of the school, wanting to catch up with her, try and convince her. Maybe find out where Angel was.
*****
Willow was a couple of blocks from her house when she heard the footsteps behind her. She stopped and turned around.
"Who’s there?" She asked. She wasn’t sure how or why, but she knew it wasn’t a vampire.
"Willow." Buffy called as she came out from behind a tree.
"Stalking me now?" Willow asked cautiously. She knew, despite her anger, Buffy was a lot stronger and although she didn’t think the blond would resort to violence, she was having trouble understanding anything she did lately.
"Is it true?" Buffy asked staking a step closer to Willow. Despite herself, she hoped to scare her friend. Get her to realize what kind of danger she was in.
"What?" Willow asked sighing.
"That you told them. That you are connected to him. That you don’t care about how I feel."
Willow looked carefully at her friend, realizing that Buffy must have heard their whole conversation. "You could have come in. You didn’t have to go sneaking around. But wait, you do that well, don’t you?" Willow ignored her question, choosing instead to give in to her desire to express some of her thoughts.
Buffy looked shocked. "You want him, don’t you?" She shook her head. "He’ll kill you. It’s who he is." Buffy told her sadly.
Something inside of Willow snapped at Buffy’s words. How could she stand here and claim to know so much about she was supposed to love. She didn’t know him, and obviously, she never did.
"He isn’t a killer. That was Angelus."
"They are the same. I’ve seen it. That look. He’s an animal. You told the others that Angelus wouldn’t come back. What if he never left? What if he’s just pretending? What if he never went to hell? What if, he’s just waiting to slit your throat like the fool you are?" Buffy spoke seriously, believing every word.
Willow did the only she could. She slapped Buffy hard across the face. Harder than she would have believed she had the strength for. So hard, the Slayer stumbled back slightly.
*****
Angel woke up with a start. He had been sleeping peaceful, when a sudden torrent of emotions over came him. Fear, irritation, confusion. But at the forefront, Anger, and then pain. He jumped off of the couch and rain out of the house. Something he couldn’t understand driving him, directing him to his destination.
******
For a moment, Buffy was filled with shock, bewilderment. But only for a moment. Then it gave way to anger. Anger at herself for not being able to kill Angel when she found him. Anger at Angel for coming back. Anger and willow for being stupid enough to believe Angel’s lies. She didn’t know what Angel had told her, but whatever it was, he had been successful in getting Willow to betray her friends. All of these thoughts and emotions came to her in a split second. She lashed out, slamming Willow onto the ground. She hit her heard across the face, and grabbed her wrist forcefully, twisting it until she heart a slight snap.
Willow groaned in pain and then everything went black.
Buffy gasped as she felt her body being thrown against a tree. The same tree she had used for cover earlier. She looked up to see the golden eyes of Angel staring up at her. He snarled loudly as he backhanded her, sending her unconscious. He turned around and found Willow slumped against a tree. He picked her up gingerly and carried her back to her house, leaving Buffy alone, and unconscious. She was easy prey for anything that happened by. Angel didn’t care. His only concern was for her savior, and making her safe.
End Part 6
Buffy groaned as she opened her eyes. Faith was staring down at her, smirking.
"Need a little, help, B?" She held out her hand.
"I’m going to kill them." Buffy grumbled as she gained her footing.
"Who? The bushes? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure they’re sorry." Faith snickered.
"Willow, and that… monster." Buffy snarled.
"Willow? She did this?" Faith laughed. "What monster?"
"Angel." She spat the word, sounding remarkably like Xander.
"The vamp? I thought he was in Hell?"
"He was. Now he’s back… with a new attitude." Buffy began filling her fellow Slayer in on what had happened as they walked to the library.
*****
Angel paced around the living room angrily, waiting for Willow to wake up. His mind was starting to clear up some, and what he remembered, only forced to anger him further.
His memories had been drifting in and out of his mind for days. He had been unable to determine what was truth, and what was part of a horrible dream, but now, things were becoming clear. And with clarity, came some realizations he had been unable to face… before.
He had loved Buffy, or at least the idea of Buffy. Who he thought she was. He was so taken with that ideal, long before he actual met her that he ignored who she really was. He had fallen in love with the innocent girl who was called to a destiny she had no control of but would embrace it willingly. A girl who would fight the forces of darkness. Keep the balance. A girl who knew what he was and excepted him anyway.
But, she was none of those things. She had been innocent, once. And she had been called to her destiny. But she didn’t take it on because she was noble, she did it because she had to. She didn’t even really accept him. She tried to pretend he wasn’t a creature of the night. A vampire. Her sworn enemy. That would only last for so long. In time, the reality would set in, and it had.
His time in Hell, had given him the opportunity to see things how they really were, not how he had chosen to view them. He was a vampire. He had been for over 245 years. He would always be a vampire. Until time stopped, or he turned to dust. That wouldn’t change, and he wasn’t sure anymore if he wanted it to.
Having his soul restored had not changed the man, only the killer. It didn’t change the parts of him that made him who he was. It had afforded him a conscious. A knowledge of what was right and wrong, and a will to do the right thing.
For a hundred years he had let his guilt drive him. He hid in the shadows like a frightened child. Too afraid to live again. To afraid to admit that he was more like the vampire than the man.
Hell had taught him that despite eternity, there are things you never have enough time for. Things you should waste. His fear and ignorance had cost him too much already. It was time to be selfish.
He was different. He could feel it. He didn’t know if it was his time in Hell, or the change in the spell willow had performed, but he was different. The guilt was almost completely gone. Leaving in its place, something he thought he would never find again. Himself.
******
Willow awoke with a groan. Her head was pounding. She tried to move but found herself unable to manage. She opened her eyes to the most beautiful site she had ever scene. Angel. It wasn’t the half glazed, animalistic look she had become used to. It wasn’t the golden eyes she was looking into but the chocolate brown ones. But, there was something in his eyes, something she had never seen in him before.
She could feel the concern coming off of him in waves. She smiled slightly, reaching out to touch him gently. However, her arm wouldn’t cooperate. There was a searing pain in her wrist. When she looked down, she noticed it was bandaged tightly. She looked up at him, a question in her eyes.
He opened his mouth as if to speak, but nothing came forth but a raspy sound and a growl of frustration. She couldn’t help but smile. She could see the clarity in his eyes. He was returning to her. He would be her angel again. *Her Angel? * Where did that come from? She shook her head of the confusing thoughts.
Willow stood up on shaky legs as she heard a fierce pounding on the door. She groaned, afraid it was Buffy. She opened the door carefully, prepared to slam it if it was the Slayer. It was a slayer, but not the one she had been expecting.
"Faith? What are you doing here?" Willow asked cautiously.
Faith peered around the slight redhead and stared at the vampire. His face shifted into that of his demon as he sensed her. Faith smiled.
"I want to know about him." She nodded towards Angel.
Willow eyed her carefully. "What about him?"
"Aren’t you going to let me in, Red?" She looked expectantly at Willow and then grinned. "Not a stake in sight" She held up her hands as if to prove her point.
Willow stepped aside, letting the Slayer in. "What do you want to know?"
Faith eyes the vampire carefully. After listening to everything Buffy and Xander had said, she was having trouble imagining they were talking about the same person. Buffy had said he was crazed. He didn’t appear that was to her. Sure, he had his game face on, but she was a Slayer, and invading his space. That had to make a guy nervous.
"B said you attacked her. Nearly killed her." She laughed. "Good going."
Willow smiled despite herself. She liked this girl. "It wasn’t like that." She thought back to the fight. "Well, maybe it was." She frowned. "Would you like something to drink?
Faith nodded. As willow went into the kitchen, Faith appraised the vampire. He was definitely a hottie. Didn’t seem to be Buffy’s type though. He didn’t strike her as someone who would follow the blond slayer around like a lost puppy. This one seemed to be comfortable in his own skin. Nothing like what she had heard about him.
When Willow returned, Faith noticed for the first time, that one of Willow’s writs was bandaged tightly.
"What happened?"
Angel growled.
"Buffy." Willow said simply.
"Let me see." Faith held her hand out. She looked at the wrapped wrist and applied a slight bit of pressure. Willow yelped in pain. Faith raised her dark eyes. "It’s broken."
"No, it’s not. It’s just sprained." Willow protested.
Faith shook her head. "I know injuries. This is broken." She stood up. "C’Mon, lets go." She led willow towards the door, calling behind her shoulder. "Fang, are you coming?"
*****
Two hours later, Willow sat in the emergency room as the doctor wrapped the plaster cast around her wrist. Faith had been right. Her wrist had been broken. In three places. She couldn’t believe it.
"All set." The doctor smiled down at her. "You need to be more careful." He admonished her. "Make an appointment with your doctor for X-rays. You’re boyfriend and his sister and out in the hall. You can go home now. But take it easy with that arm for awhile."
Willow nodded and hopped off of the table. S he had to stifle a giggle at the doctor’s reference to Faith and Angel. My boyfriend and his sister. If he only knew.
When she walked out into the hall, she found Faith lounging a chair while Angel paced nervously. She could tell he was struggling to keep his human face on. She needed to get him home, where he could relax.
"Hey!" She smiled. "Guess you were right." She looked at Faith. "Thanks."
"No sweat." She said as she got up and followed the couple out of the hospital.
"You want to come back with us?" Willow asked.
"No. I think I’m gonna go kill something. I’m all restless." Faith moved around wildly, making her point.
Willow nodded. "Okay. Thanks."
Faith walked away from them, heading towards the cemetery.
*****
"Willow"
Willow froze. She looked up at Angel. He was staring at her expectantly.
"Are you… alright?" His voice was thick with emotion and raspy from disuse.
Willow smiled. "I’m fine Angel. Just a scratch." She grinned. "So what do you think of our new Slayer?"
"I’ll like her better than the other one." He replied deadpan.
Willow was unsure if he was serious, or not, and decided to put off that question until alter, when she wasn’t so exhausted.
End Part 7
Willow had barely returned to her house when there was another knock at the door. Willow groaned as she stated to get up of the couch where she had nearly fallen asleep. Angel pushed her back down and went to answer the door himself.
Willow heard a gasp from the other side of the door and then a growl from low in angel’s throat.
"Back off, Deadboy!" Xander snapped.
"Xander?" Willow called from her place on he couch.
Xander pushed his way past a snarling Angel and into the livingroom. He saw Willow lying, apparently unharmed and breathed a sigh of relief.
"What’s he doing here?" Xander asked sitting next to Willow on the couch.
Willow felt a wave of an emotion she couldn’t place coming from Angel. She could hear him growling and looked up. His eyes were golden as they watched Xander hug her closely. She didn’t know what was wrong with him. He had been fine, verbal even, before Xander had shown up. But now it seemed, he had returned to the growling and snarling. Xander let go and leaned back slightly. Angel’s growls lessened.
Xander eyed Angel nervously, not completely ignorant to angel’s possessiveness.
"So, what brings you here?" Willow asked, looking curiously between Angel’s animalistic gaze and Xander’s fearful one.
"Buffy said you attacked her, well you and… him" He nodded towards the vampire. "I wanted to make sure he didn’t hurt you."
Willow smiled reassuringly. "He didn’t. I’m perfectly safe with him. We all are."
"Then what’s this?" Xander pointed to Willow’s left wrist, which was wrapped in a cast. "What happened?" He glared accusingly at the vampire, who glared back, taking a step closer to the couch.
"This?" She asked holding the broken limb up for inspection. "It’s nothing." When she noticed Xander’s disbelieving stare, she sighed. "Buffy did it."
"What?" Xander shook his head. "Why? She didn’t say anything about that."
Willow snorted, despite herself. "That’s not surprising." She smiled at Xander and gave him a hug, which caused another wave of the unfamiliar emotion to flow through her.
"I don’t know what’s gotten into her. She followed me after I left you earlier. She said some things, I said some things, none of them pretty." She sighed as she remembered exactly what had been said. "I lost my temper and hit her. She hit back."
Xander sat there stunned. That was not the way that Buffy had described the events. She had said that she had run into Willow on her way back from patrol and that she had tried to warn Willow about how dangerous Angel was, and that Willow had gotten upset and attacked her. It was then Buffy said Angel showed up and proceeded to finish what Willow had started. She had said angel was in a blind rage. Uncontrollable, dangerous. That was what had brought Xander here. He was afraid that Angel had hurt Willow, or worse.
But now, sitting in Willow’s livingroom, watching the vampire, he realized that if Angel had attacked Buffy it had only been in defense of Willow. He did seem a little wild, but certainly not as out of control as Buffy had claimed. Protective and possessive seemed to be better adjectives.
Xander realized that Cordelia was right. Buffy wasn’t seeing things clearly. He didn’t pretend to understand exactly what was going on between his oldest friend and his hated rival, but it was obvious, even to him, that Willow was in no danger, at least not from Angel.
"And the broken wrist? How did that happen?" Xander looked to Angel, who as of yet hadn’t spoken. He was silent asking the vampire to confirm his suspicions.
"When I got there, Buffy had her pinned to the ground. She was in a rage, she could have killed her." Angel’s voice was filled with raw emotion, and Xander realized that the vampire was in love with Willow. He wasn’t sure how long he had been, or if Angel even realized it, but it was a fact none the less.
Xander stood up. "Well, I better go. Will you be in school tomorrow?"
Willow nodded. "Yeah, and Xander? Thanks… for understanding."
Xander shrugged. "What are friends for?" He turned towards angel. The two stared at each other in muted silence for several long seconds before Xander grinned. "See you around Deadboy." Xander walked out the door, his mind at ease for the first time since he had learned angel was back.
****
Angel watched the door close in wonderment. He had seen something in the boy’s eyes. Something he never expected to see. Understanding and acceptance. He wasn’t entirely sure, at least not on a conscious lever what it was Xander understood and excepted, but he was grateful for it nonetheless.
Nothing Xander could have said or done would have made him leave, but a confrontation would only have upset Willow, and that was something he would have given anything to prevent.
"Well, that was… weird." Willow quirked an eyebrow at angel, indicating her bewilderment.
Angel chuckled at the look that crossed her features as she tried to analyze the events of the past half-hour. He couldn’t help it. She looked so adorable.
Willow frowned, and stared at him in utter amazement.
You’re laughing. Okay, you’re laughing at me, but your still laughing." Her eyes were shining brightly with merriment. "Who are you? And what have you done with my Angel?"
"Your Angel?" He asked. His words were serious but Willow could detect the slightest hint of humor in his dark eyes.
She was about to apologize, take back her possessive statement, when instead she burst into giggles. "You’ve changed." She looked at him appraisingly. "I like it."
End Part 8
Willow walked into the school cautiously. She had no desire to run into Buffy, or anyone else for that matter. Despite Xander’s visit the previous night, she was still concerned that he would take Buffy’s side, and then she’d be left without any friends. She sighed as she entered the classroom.
She was exhausted. She hadn’t slept really well. Her sleep had been addled by remnants of Angel’s time in Hell. He’d been having nightmares again, and thanks to their connection, she felt what he felt. The fear, the pain. The memories had flooded her to the point she thought she couldn’t breathe. She had been gasping for air she felt she would never receive when Angel woke up and held her. Once she had calmed down, he told her about his time in Hell.
She had told him he didn’t need to tell her, but he seemed to want to speak with someone about it. She listened for hours as he shared his thoughts and feelings. She found herself wanted nothing more than to comfort him and take away his pain.
They sat in silence for a long time until Willow had fallen asleep. When she woke up this morning, she found herself still nestled in his arms. She had quickly showered and dressed, leaving the vampire to his continued slumber.
Now, she was wondering if she could make it through the day without actually running into any of her friends.
"Willow!"
Willow looked up and saw Xander entering the classroom. She smiled slightly. "Hey."
"You made it." He grinned as he sat down next to her. "How’s the wrist?"
"It itches." They sat in silence for a moment before Willow spoke again. "I wanted to thank you… for not going postal, with Angel and all."
Xander looked at her carefully before he spoke. "Are you two… are you… together?"
It took a moment for Willow to comprehend the question. The moment she did, she got this shocked look on her face and started shaking her head vehemently.
Before she could deny anything, Xander continued. "Because if you were… It would be okay."
Willow stared at him, stunned. She smiled. "Thanks for the support, but… we’re not. Just friends. I swear."
Xander nodded, although he didn’t entirely believe her. He couldn’t forget the possessive way Angel had acted the previous night. He had spent a lot of time thinking about it since then. He even talked to Cordelia about it. The two decided that despite the implications of what such a relationship could mean, they would back Willow. She was their friend, and if Deadboy would make her happy, then they would support her. Xander only hoped that Giles and Buffy could do the same.
*****
Willow left the school in a hurry. She had gotten out of her last class early and was eager to make it away from school grounds before she could be corned by Buffy. She hadn’t actually spoken to her, but the glares the Slayer had sent her way during lunch had not gone unnoticed. She had spoken to Giles briefly, who was still immersed in his research on the connection Willow seemed to have with Angel. So far he hadn’t come up with anything, but that didn’t stop him from continuing his search.
"Red." Faith’s voice brought Willow out of her thoughts.
"Hey." Willow smiled at the brunette Slayer as she made her way across the street. "What’s up?"
Faith shrugged. "Nothing. I thought maybe you’d like to patrol with me tonight?"
Willow thought about it, and then smiled. "Sure, but…"
"You can bring Fang." Faith anticipated her concern. She grinned. "So tell me, what’s he like?"
Willow looked puzzled for a minute. When she realized what Faith was referring to, she blushed. "Oh, No. It’s not like that. We’re not… We’re friends." Willow found herself wondering why it was that everyone seemed to think she was intimate with Angel. They were friends. Weren’t they?
Faith laughed. "You’re more than friends, Red."
Willow started to protest, but then another thought entered her mind. "Why do you think we’re more than friends?"
"Last I checked my eyes worked just fine. Maybe you should have yours checked." She told her as they neared Willow’s house. "I’ll be by after sundown."
Before Willow had a chance to respond, the Slayer had disappeared. She shook her head in confusion and entered her house. Angel was sitting on the couch, sketching something. She stood in the entryway and stared at him for a long moment. He was beautiful. She realized she could stare at him forever and not be bored, not even notice the passage of time.
"Are you just going to stand there staring, or are you going to come over and see what I’ve done?" Angel kept his eyes on his work, but his voice held a distinct note of amusement.
"I… uh" She didn’t know what to say, so she didn’t say anything. She sat on the couch next to him and looked over at him, waiting to see what he had drawn. When he handed her the sketch, she could scarcely believe her eyes.
It was her. Her hair framing her face like a curtain, her eyes big and wide, her lips full. She looked up at him. "It’s beautiful." She breathed as she gave the pad back to him.
"It’s yours." He tore the sheet off of the sketchpad and handed it to her. "How was school?" He asked before she could decline his gift.
"Thank you." She smiled brightly. "School? It was fine." She giggled nervously remembering her conversation with Xander.
"What?" He asked, curious.
"Xander asked if we… if we…were… together." She whispered the last word.
"Would it be so bad if we were?" Angel asked seriously, wanting to know how she felt.
Willow’s eyes shot up to his. "We’re friends Angel. Friends." She stood. "I’m gonna take a shower." She left the room, wanted nothing more than to get her mind off of him and the assumptions her friends had made.
"Faith will be by in a couple of hours. She wants me to patrol with her." Willow called down from the top of the stairs. "She said you can come… that is if you want. If you feel up to it." She took a few steps down the stairs so she could see him. "Do you? Feel up to it?"
"I’m fine. Good as new." He reassured her.
Willow seemed to study him, trying to decide if he was telling the truth. She wouldn’t have believed him, except he did look good. Really good. One might go so far as to say delectable. <Bad, Willow! He’s your friend. We’re just friends> She kept telling herself as she walked back up the stairs and prepared for her shower.
*****
A couple hours after sunset found the threesome making a second pass through the cemetery. The evening had been quite pleasant despite the fact that they had come across several vampires. Willow liked Faith and was grateful for the added distraction. The strangeness of the afternoon and brought up some thoughts she wasn’t sure she wanted to Analyze just yet.
Angel hadn’t said anything more to her, but she had caught him staring at her with an expression she didn’t recognize on several different occasions. She was sure that she was misreading the look in his eyes. He didn’t feel anything for her, at least not in the way Xander and Faith seemed to think. If he did, it was most likely gratitude, which was good. Because she definitely didn’t feel anything for him. Nope, she sure didn’t. She wondered how many times she would have to tell herself that before she believed it.
Willow noticed that Faith had assumed a fighting stance as they rounded a couple of bushes. Angel pushed her gently out of the way as he came to Faiths aide. The vampire and the Slayer were even matched against the four vampires, which had appeared out of nowhere. She watched in awe as the two fought.
Faith’s fighting style was different than Buffy’s, although equally effective. Angel on the other hand moved swiftly, with grace and elegance, which seemed only slightly odd considering what it was he was doing.
After the last of the vampires had turned to dust, Angel strolled back over to where Willow had been standing, his human mask back in place. About halfway to her spot near a tree, his face shifted back into that of the demon. He growled low in his throat.
Both Willow and Faith turned to what he was snarling at. Buffy stood in the shadows, her stake poised in the air.
"Buffy." Willow spoke nervously. Buffy was too close to Angel for her comfort. She had a deadly look in her eyes. "What are you doing?" Willow asked as she walked towards the pair.
Buffy took another step closer to the vampire as he growled loudly. "Saving you from yourself."
Angel lunged at her, snarling loudly. He threw her to the ground. She dropped the stake, and instead decided to kick out at him. He groaned in pain as her booted foot collided with his ribs.
"Buffy! Stop!" Willow screamed.
Buffy reached for the stake again. Once she had it firmly in her grasp, she aimed it at his chest and attempted to drive it home. However, she was knocked to the ground by a fierce blow from behind. Buffy looked up into the face of her attacker. Faith was standing over her. She picked Buffy off of the ground, buts till held her arms tightly.
"Go, get Fang home. I’ll take care of this." She told the redhead.
Willow nodded and ran towards Angel. He had fallen to the ground in pain. He still wasn’t up to his full strength, and Buffy had reopened some of his wounds.
"Come on." She helped him to his feet, and led him out of the cemetery, not daring to look back at the two Slayers.
*****
"What the hell is the matter with you, B?" Faith asked after Willow and Angel had left.
Buffy looked at her fellow Slayer. "He’s dangerous. He’s going to hurt her."
Faith shook her head. "He adores her." She tilted her head as she stared at Buffy.
"That’s what bugs you so much isn’t it? He’s over you. Hell, he’s so over you he snarls anytime you come anywhere near him. You hate the fact that she’s the one helping him. That’s it isn’t it?"
Buffy glared at faith but didn’t comment. Instead she shook herself loose from faith’s grip and took off in the opposite direction as Willow and Angel had gone.
Faith watched Buffy go and laughed. "No, you’re not jealous at all."
End Part 9
Xander sat at their usual table at the Bronze, and watched Cordelia with affection as she spoke snidely to Harmony. He wasn’t sure exactly what it was they were talking about, but he could tell by Cordelia’s body language she was in a snit. She would occasional glance over at him, her eyes sparkling in the dim lights of the dance floor.
"Hey Xand." Buffy flopped down into one of the vacant chairs.
"Buff. What’s up?" Xander smiled at the Slayer, and then frowned when he noticed the bruise on her face. "What happened?"
Buffy shrugged. "It’s nothing." She looked around the club. "Have you seen Willow?"
Xander froze. The fact was he hadn’t seen her since she left school earlier that day, but he had a good idea where she was. "No, not since school. Why?" He asked hesitantly.
"I need to talk to her." She sighed. "She needs to understand. He’s dangerous." She looked pleadingly at Xander. "You see that, don’t you?"
Xander looked sadly at Buffy. He didn’t think she was ready to hear what he saw. "She won’t stay away from him. They’re friends. He needs her help. She has to help him. It’s who she is."
"She will if she has to choose." Buffy stated matter of factly.
"Who’s choosing what?" Cordelia asked as she sat down next to Xander. She kissed him on the cheek and then looked scornfully at the Slayer. "Buffy."
"Cordy." Buffy rolled her eyes. "Willow," She explained. "If she had to choose, she’d choose us."
"Blind much?" Cordelia asked, glaring incredulously at Buffy. Then she turned to Xander and smiled slightly. "Besides, it’s not *us* who are making her choose. That would be you."
Buffy glared at the former may queen. She was about to speak a biting retort when Xander hastily interrupted.
"Cordy’s right." Xander exclaimed before the two girls could start a round of insults. "She won’t leave him. Don’t make her choose."
"There is no choosing. There isn’t a choice. It’s me. It’s always been me." She told them confidently. She missed Cordelia rolling her eyes, concentrating instead on Xander. "Besides its not as if they’re together… together like we were." She spoke with only a tiny hint of doubt.
She looked to Xander and Cordelia. They both wore identical expressions. Expressions Buffy didn’t want to analyze. Not for what they did tell her, but for what they didn’t. She stood up and started to leave.
"Where are you going?" Xander asked warily.
Buffy stopped and turned around. "To find Willow."
Buffy left the Bronze and Xander turned towards Cordelia. "This isn’t good."
Cordelia shrugged. "We warned her." Before Xander could make another comment, Cordelia kissed him, silencing any thoughts that were presently running through his head.
*****
Willow came down the stares and looked around nervously. She was feeling a little awkward around Angel. After she had brought him home the previous night, she had cleaned up his wounds, and he had drifted off to sleep.
She found herself grateful for the alone time. She was beginning to admit, to herself anyway, that her feelings for Angel were changing. She had felt a paralyzing fear rip through her when she thought Buffy was going to stake him. And it wasn’t the he’s-my-friend-and-I-don’t-want-anything-to-happen-to-him kind of fear. This was a deeper, heart stopping fear. She tried to convince herself that it didn’t matter how she was feeling. It was only one-sided. Angel didn’t feel anything for her, beyond friendship and maybe gratitude. But just as she would convince herself that all Angel felt for her was friendship, Willow would remember the strange looks Angel had cast at her, and they way he had asked her if being ‘together’ would be so bad.
She had spent the remainder of the previous night and the bulk of that day trying to think her way through her feelings. Trying to find an answer, but she wasn’t sure she even knew the question. And now she was back at home, alone with him. It wasn’t that she felt uncomfortable around him. Quite the opposite. She had never felt more comfortable around anyone in her short life. But, after realizing her feelings for him had changed, she wasn’t exactly sure how to act around him. That and the fact that he was getting better. He didn’t really need her anymore.
When she didn’t find him in the living room, Willow walked into her kitchen, pushing the doors open slightly. She smiled when she saw Angel sitting at the table, sketching. "What are you drawing?" She asked as she sat down next to him and reached over to look at the drawing.
Angel pulled the paper away from her hastily.
"I’m sorry, Angel. I didn’t mean to…"
Angel handed the sketch to her. "No, I’m sorry. I just didn’t want you to see it, until it was finished. Until it was perfect, like the subject."
She took the paper from him hesitantly. She lost all ability to speak when she looked down at the sketch. It was rough. Barely more than outlines and shades. But even still, she could see the beauty behind the eyes of the subject. Her eyes.
She looked up at him, their eyes locking. Neither daring to look away. Angel leaned closer to her, his hand coming up to brush against her soft cheek. Willow leaned into his soft caress, bringing her face closer to his. Angel inches slightly closer, leaning into her. Just as their lips were about to meet, there was a pounding at the front door.
Willow jumped up, backing away from Angel, and what had almost happened. "I’ll, uh, I’ll get that." She left the kitchen hastily, swinging the doors behind her. She leaned up against the wall to collect herself before opening the front door.
*****
Buffy banged on the front door to Willow’s house furiously. She needed to talk to Willow. She needed to know that what she had told Xander and Cordelia was true. There was nothing between Willow and Angel. There never had been and there never would be. She needed to know what she had believed was true. That Angel wasn't himself. He was dangerous. And she needed to know that Willow wouldn’t turn her back on their friendship. That if it came down to it, Willow would choose her.
She was startled out her thoughts as the front door swung open.
"Buffy." Willow smiled slightly and looked behind her nervously, almost as if she was looking for something. "What… what are you doing here?"
Buffy pushed her way into Willow’s house. "We need to talk. About Angel."
Willow took a deep breath. "Buffy, this really isn’t the time."
"Why? Are you expecting some one?" She looked around the room suspiciously. "Are you expecting him?"
"What do you want? Why are you here?" Willow asked pushing aside her hurt at Buffy’s tone of voice.
"Willow, it’s time to make a choice. Him or me." She looked into willow’s eyes with barely restrained anger. "He doesn’t need you anymore, and that’s the only reason he hasn’t killed you already."
"Buffy, don’t do this." Willow tried to calm herself. She could feel Angel’s agitation through their bond. There was something about Buffy’s presence with angered Angel. It sent him almost instantly into a state of distress. "You have nothing to worry about. Angel and I… are friends. Nothing more." She tried to placate the Slayer.
Buffy laughed, although it was a hollow sound. She could feel something in the air, but she couldn’t place what it was. "Like I have anything to worry about from you? If I wanted him back, which I don’t, I could have him, in an instant. He would leave you in the dust."
That’s when it happened. There was an angry snarl erupting from the kitchen. Everything seemed to blur together as Angel came tearing out of the kitchen. He launched himself at the Buffy.
"Angel! No!" Willow placed a stilling hand on his arm. For a split second, he turned to her with a mixture of anger and confusion, but the moment his golden orbs met her green ones, everything slipped away. His anger at Buffy, his confusion over what had suddenly come over. Even his demo vision melted away. The two stared at one another, lost in each other’s eyes, and the current of emotions that ran between them.
Buffy stood still, stunned. As she watched Willow calm Angel, her angel, a cold rage washed over her. She stalked closer to the pair, and grabbed Angel’s free arm.
He turned to her and snarled. Willow pushed herself between the two.
"Buffy, Go home." Her voice was calm, but Angel could feel the conflicting emotions coming from her. "Don’t come back, not until you’ve calmed down."
Buffy stared incredulously at her. "You have to choose, Willow. You can’t have it both ways." She turned towards the door. "If I leave, I’m not coming back. We’re over." Her voice was harsh, telling Willow she meant what she said.
Willow shook her head slightly, not wanting to believe the word coming from Buffy’s mouth. She walked to the door and opened it, silently telling Buffy of her choice.
Buffy snarled and huffed away, leaving Willow to close the door behind her. She turned towards Angel.
"She was wrong." Angel spoke quietly, relaxing now that the cause of a large amount of his pain and anguish was gone. He grabbed willow’s hand and pulled her sit with him on the couch.
"I won’t leave you. Not now, not ever."
Willow smiled at the sincerity in Angel’s voice. She knew he spoke the truth. "Angel, I…" She paused, not sure what she was trying to say, what she was feeling. "I know you wouldn’t leave me, but you need to. Leave I mean."
Angel’s eyes darkened slightly. Willow shook her head when she realized he had misunderstood her. "No, I mean, we need to find you some place else to stay." When he still didn’t understand she laughed. It wasn’t that it was funny, but he looked so lost.
"My… my parents will be back soon. I didn’t think you wanted to go back to the mansion… but if you do…." She paused again. "You’re better. You don’t need me anymore." She told him.
Angel placed his free hand along her cheek, rubbing it affectionately. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. The kiss started out sweet, but soon turned passionate, as he pried Willows mouth open. Their tongues dueled for dominance. Willow wrapped her hands around his neck, pressing him closer, devouring his cold mouth with her own. When breathing became an issue, she pulled herself away, albeit reluctantly.
"Wow." She whispered, not exactly sure what had just happened, but knowing things had changed.
"I’ll always need you." He brushed his lips gently against hers, and then pulled away. "But you’re right, I should find some place else." He stood up and held out a hand for her to take. "But I want you to come with me."
She looked at him in confusion for a moment.
"Be with me?" His voce was soft, his eyes pleading.
"Always." Willow wrapped her arms around his body, and barely noticed when he picked her up and carried her upstairs.
End Part 10