Rating: R
Distribution: Anyone who wants it please ask me first
Disclaimer: Characters are not mine but the story is. All characters belong to Joss and the WB
Summery: Willow and Angel are forced to make hard choices
Spoilers: None...unless second season counts but I think everyone has seen that by now.
Series: To Hell and Back Series (Part 5)
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Willow sat on her bed completely lost in her own world. Playing a million different seniaros out in her head. Angel was back, Buffy and the others had no clue and Angel wanted it to stay that way. He knew that was impossible to do if he were to remain in Sunnydale so he was leaving. But Willow didn’t want him to go. She felt Buffy had a right to know, she couldn’t keep it a secret forever. Willow was going to tell Buffy before Angel left town therefore stopping...or at least delaying his departure from her life.
She had sat for hours trying to come up with some way to keep Angel around. This was the only thing she could come up with. But in order for her to do she would have to betray Angel. Something that had been done to him far to many times. He may very well never speak to her again. But he would still be in her life and that was better than him disappearing into the shadows never to return.
Her mind made up Willow reached for her phone, took a breath and held it. “Hi Buffy....there is something I need to tell you.....”
Angel had packed up all his belongings, which filled only one bag, and was ready to go say goodbye to the one person he trusted with everything. Willow has sacrificed more for him than he ever deserved, he owed her so much, yet she acted as though she went to hell all the time for friends. Angel’s thoughts were interrupted when he heard a loud banging on the door. Scared that it might be Willow in trouble he ran to answer it, only to be punched right in the jaw by Buffy.
“You son of a bitch! You were gonna leave town, leave me with out so much as I’m sorry Buffy I love you but I have to do this! How dare you! Why the fuck does Willow know you’re back and not me? I know you two did the whole hell swapping thing but I’m your girlfriend! The one you tormented for months, the one you said you loved, your god damn lover!” Buffy paused to push her way past Angel and into the mansion, only to whirl on him again. “Who the hell is Willow? Nothing but a sacred little nothing to you! Yet she knows your back and that your leaving and I was never to know! What game are playing now? I thought Angelus only played games? Unless of course you aren’t really Angel!” Buffy put her stake to Angel’s chest. “Give me one good reason, just one reason not to stake you for everything you’ve done to me!”
Angel wasn’t sure what to feel. Willow had betrayed him. The woman he loved wanted to kill him, couldn’t even tell he had his soul. The Buffy he had left was not this bitter and full of hate. Or was she and he had never noticed? Either way one of them had changed. “If I need to give you a reason then the love you so passionately spoke of no longer exists between us.”
Buffy looked up into the face of the man she once loved, knowing that for her their love had indeed died. It died the night he had lost his soul. She was here for revenge, revenge against Angelus. Sinse he wasn’t here she thought Angel would have to do. “You’re right my love for you has died. All I want now is revenge. You ruined my life, even before Angelus! You’re a fucking vampire! I let you close and you took advantage of a 16 year old girls who had a crush on you. Leave town Angel, don’t ever show your face here again or I’ll......”
Angel threw Buffy on the ground, in the process turned to stake so it was now aimed at her heart with Angel holding it above her. “You’ll what little girl? Hurt me? Do you honestly think you can? I could kill you easily Buffy, somehow you keep forgetting that.” Angel got off of Buffy, “Get the hell out of my house slayer!”
Willow was getting into bed when she heard her front door smash open. She reached for the phone to dial 911 when Angels angry voice floated up to her room. “Willow get down here!” She had revoked Angels invitation after he had gone bad, she had never re invited Angel.
Right now she was glad she hadn’t, Buffy must have already been to see him. “Willow if you don’t come down here right now you’ll know why I’ve told you to fear me!” Willow ran down the stairs to see a vamped out Angel snarling in her broken doorway.
“B-buffy must have been over.” Willow barley managed to choke out, she had never really feared Angel until this moment. God what had happened between him and Buffy?
“Yes Buffy was over and in-between threatening to kill me and thinking I was still Angelus do you know what she told me?” When Willow was about to answer Angel cut her off before she could even draw breath. “She told me that you had told her I was back and leaving town. Now imagine my shock to find out the only person I thought I could trust had betrayed me!” Angel’s face returned to normal, he looked into Willows stricken face and felt the urge to reach out to her, to forgive her. But he couldn’t. “Why Willow? Why did you do it?” Angels voice cracked as he fought the urge to cry.
Willow had already lost the battle with her tears, she wept openly. She was gonna lose him anyway. Telling Buffy had changed nothing, expect now he hated her. “I-I couldn’t lose you! You’re all I have Angel! None of them understand or even care. M-my parents didn’t even notice I was gone when I was in hell, or wonder why I was always breaking down they-” Willow leaned against the wall and slid down, holding herself while she cried. “You know what it was like. You’re the only one who has ever cared about my feelings. Even before hell. We were friends rea-real friends. I need you, I couldn’t bare the thought of you walking out of my life and leaving me all alone. I-I can’t be alone anymore, I just can’t!”
Angel too had lost his battle with his tears, they feel silently as he watched Willow his heart breaking. She was so much like him in some ways. “Willow invite me in” When he got no answer he begged. “Willow, please. I’m sorry.” He leaned against the invisible barrier in dejection only to fall into the hallway. He looked up when he heard a small giggle through tears.
“Sorry I thought you heard me.” Willow gave him a watery smile as he moved to take her in his arms. “I’m sorry Angel I never meant to betray you, I was being selfish.”
“You didn’t betray me Willow.” Angel looked down and Willow and came to a desion. “Willow I still need to leave.”
Willow looked up at Angel and felt her heart break all over again. He was still gonna leave her. “But-”
“But nothing, you are coming with me. Now go upstairs and pack enough stuff to last you about a month. If we’re gone longer I’ll buy you whatever you need.” Angel stood and brought Willow up with him. He began to carry her up the stairs when the reality of what he had said hit her.
“You’re taking me with you? Are you sure? I need to call Xander......”
Angel laughed as Willow rambled on and on before finishing packing and finally picking up the phone.
Xander sat on his bed listening to Willow explain that she would be leaving...with Angel. “I love you to Wills. Tell deadboy to take good care of you or he’ll have to answer to me. Oh and Wills.....take good care of yourself I’m gonna miss you.” Xander hung up the phone and felt an emptiness settle in where Willow had always been. He was going to miss her but he knew this was best for her. Somehow he had always known she would leave Sunnydale, he just prayed it wasn’t forever.
The End
End Series
Sequel? yes no maybe? Email me to let me know what you think.