She dwelt among the untrodden ways
Beside the springs of Dove,
Maid whom there were none to praise
And very few to love.
-- William Wordsworth, She Dwelt Among Untrodden
Ways
"They have every right to be angry." Angel looked down
at Willow
sharply as she spoke for the first time since leaving
the library.
"I betrayed them."
"Don't say that," he whispered, placing a finger on her lips.
"But it's true," she shrugged, looking down at her hands.
"I
betrayed Giles because I didn't tell him about you; I
betrayed
Xander because he hates you and I can't. And Buffy,"
she laughed
bitterly. "I betrayed Buffy because I took something
that
belongs to her." With that Willow rushed out of his arms
and was
halfway across the room before Angel reached her.
"I don't belong to Buffy," he growled, touching her arm
and turning
her to face him. "I learned that in Hell. I don't belong
to anyone."
His finger touched her lips gently, outlining them. "Not
even you."
"But you said--"
"I claimed you, Willow," he murmured, his breath jumping
across her
skin. "You still haven't claimed me." He bent his head
down until his
lips brushed her earlobe. "Yet." She turned her head
sharply, meeting
his gaze out of the corner of her eyes. "Move in with
me," he ordered
softly with a slight smile.
"What?" she asked, surprise evident in her voice.
"How long are your parents out of town?" he questioned.
"Three more weeks," she replied; Angel nodded faintly.
"Move in here. Until they get back," he explained, stepping
away from
her.
"Angel, I can't. Buffy a-and Xander..."
"Will not have a say in this," he finished. His hand sought
hers and
brought it to his lips. "Please?" he whispered, kissing
her knuckle
lightly. She nodded slightly in agreement; he grinned
and lifted her
chin gently with his free hand. His lips met hers with
growing passion
as her hands reached under his shirt and touched the
bare flesh of his
back. One of his hands intertwined with her hair while
to other pressed
the small of her back, forcing her hips to meet his.
She moaned into
his mouth as his erection rubbed against her.
The pair were suddenly thrust apart by someone clearing their throat.
"Giles!" Willow exclaimed, her eyes wide.
"Willow," the Watcher nodded in greeting. He didn't offer
a greeting
to Angel; he just met the vampire's eyes with a cold
stare. Angel
snarled softly and stood behind Willow with his hands
on her shoulders.
"May I have a word with you?" he asked. She nodded and
waited for him
to continue. "Privately, if possibly." Willow glanced
at Angel, and the
vampire nodded. He kissed her forehead and started towards
the curtained
bedroom. He stopped before he reached the entrance and
turned back to
Giles.
"If you hurt her anymore...." the vampire growled, letting
the implied
threat hang in the air as he passed into his bedroom.
"Willow?" She turned back to Giles. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, Giles, I'm fine," she sighed, meeting his eyes and
crossing her
arms.
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I was rash in the library;
finding out he
was back...was a shock," he explained. "Finding out you
were involved
with him was even more so."
"I understand," she whispered, looking away. "I should
have told you
from the beginning."
"Yes, you should have," he replied. "I am sorry, Willow;
I need you
to understand that."
"I do, Giles," she responded, stepping towards him. She
stopped suddenly
when his eyes left her face and fastened on her neck.
"Willow?" he ground out. She screwed her eyes shut as
her hand touched
her neck, already aware of what he was looking at. "He
bit you."
"I know," she whispered, her fingers lightly tracing the faint scars.
"Have you any idea how dangerous that could be? He could
drain you, kill
you, or possibly turn you," Giles explained, trying to
control his anger.
Willow's eyes flew open as she lost the battle with her
own anger.
"Do you think I don't know that?!" she cried out. "And
as of this moment,
neither you, nor Buffy, nor Xander have any say in what
I do or who I do
it with," she growled; in the back of her mind she was
vaguely aware of
the rustle of the curtains as Angel stepped into the
main room. Giles took
a deep breath and tossed the manila envelope he'd been
carrying at her feet
before walking out of the mansion.
Willow waited until she heard the door slam before letting
out a sob.
Angel was instantly at her side, pulling her into a hug.
She cried into
his chest until the tears stopped. When her crying quieted,
she bent
down and picked up the envelope. With shaky hands she
opened it and pulled
out the computer printouts. She smiled slightly as fresh
tears sprang to
her eyes.
"Willow?" Angel asked.
"Your soul," she smiled at him. "It's permanent. No happiness
clause,"
she whispered, showing him the copy of the spell and
the brief
explanation of it that had been salvaged off Ms. Calendar's
computer.
"I'd already figured that out," he whispered, running
his finger down
the slope of her nose.
*FIN*