E-Mail: midnightann@excite.com
Rating: NC-17... my favorite rating.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Boo-hoo. Don't sue. The "Hairspray" dialogue belongs to John Waters and New Line Cinema and I'm sure a bunch of other people.
Notes: Part 2 of the Extended Family Series.
Notes1: When I wrote this a very long time ago, Joss had not yet revised the histories we had been given about Spike and Drucilla and Angelus. Angelus sired Spike about 200 years before this takes place. It just works out better that way. If you didn't see or have forgotten about what we were told in the first 2/3 seasons, everything is explained one way or another.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What the hell!????"
Angel looked up at Pacey who was so startled he promptly fell off the bed with a loud thud. Willow woke and jumped to her feet, running for the bathroom.
"Ohgodessohgodessohgodess..." . She locked herself in leaving a disappointed Angel behind.
"Why'd you have to wake her so soon? Get up boy!" He had to do something to make it all okay. He ran to the closet to find his clothes still hanging. "Get up," and seeing the frightened look on the child's face he changed his tone, "I know what you think but I won't bite."
He had told Buffy that when they first talked... And hadn't he bitten him already? Shrugging off all thoughts of the Slayer and bloodlust he heard the tap turned on as he pulled up his favorite pants. <Leather feels nice, always did> "Too bad my psycho self had to make it his trade mark" he muttered. He couldn't find underwear but it was irrelevant now. He finished dressing, turned on a faint light and moved to the bathroom door where the shower was now running. <At least she isn't running> he though, his features returning to their more hansom human look.
How in the world was he supposed to explain himself? He definitely needed to ask her a few questions, and he needed to answer of few of hers, like why stripped her, why he bit her, why he was humping her like a dog in heat. <Okay, so it didn't really happen like that but still...>
And what was he to do with that boy? -the boy he had FED on (and enjoyed)! How long did he have before ~real life~ went on again and was there any chance Willow wouldn't want it to be the same? He picked the broken boy off the floor and tucked him back into bed.
He took a deep breath, one he didn't need for survival but to keep his mind from going off again. He caught a whiff of the disoriented boy's blood and knew that even though it wasn't a priority, he could lose control again if he didn't feed soon.
He couldn't help but yield to the overwhelming emotions that took hold of him when he realized what had happened. Gratitude, admiration, love... He was out of Hell, and damn it, he was excited? scared? happy? free? He wasn't the last Angelus as that one had been consumed with hate and fear and obsessions, but he didn't feel like the cursed Angel. He felt less weighed down by the overwhelming guilt that usually plagued him, more whole, like he was one person not the second half of an angry beast. He didn't feel broody. He wanted to chuckle: he was free! He was OUT of HELL! He had to fight not screaming it out for all the world to hear. He had a second chance and this time he wasn't going to miss out.
He had watched her through a portal from the Hell dimension, watched them all, and it had been torture. She was so much the best of them, how could he ever be worthy of her? <Willow, my savior, my goddess> he sighed, but then realized he'd been staring at the bathroom door for some time now, and she hadn't attempted contact.
He noticed that boy again, just lying there like a corpse, still drawing a blank about what to do about him. The shower stopped. He felt Willow's fear and had to fight the urge to break down the door and take her in his arms.
She wrapped herself in a towel and with the rest of the courage she had left, unlocked the door.
"Willow, are you okay?" <Be okay Willow, just be okay.>
The door opened a crack and the top of her head came into his sights: "Angel?" the hope in her voice evident. He had to restrain himself from running to her. Her heart sank when he didn't answer: "Angelus?" She said cautiously.
He
closed his eyes at the name his mother had given him, a name he had always
liked, a name that was now tarnished by his most recent "unsouled" incarnation.
Not that he had been a good little vampire
before,
(Scourge of Europe), but this last one was mad and had no feelings, not
for any humans, and not for vampires either. Blood, death, obsession and
frenzy didn't make a well balanced anything. He had acted like a newly
created fledgling, and he was ashamed, he had amends to make to a certain
blond family member for the fiasco. He shook his head and looked her in
the eye.
"Willow" he managed.
She ran out to him, arms outstretched, the towel falling to the floor. She flung herself at him and pulled him into a tight hug, apparently not noticing the giant erection it gave him.
Letting go she caught her breath and started speak: "Oh Angel, I'm so happy you're okay! At first there I thought you'd be all 'grr' because of the clothes and the bite marks but then I saw you and I knew it really did work. Buffy is going to be so happy when she gets back and then everything'll be okay; well except Xander and Giles are going to be a little wigged but now I can sleep and we can get back to being okay and you're alive and you're safe and I did that and I can't believe it I missed you so much and ..." she froze.
"naked.. AH!" She ran back into the bathroom locking the door again.
<I've been babbling naked... in front of ANGEL, Buffy's Angel! Goddess, what an idiot!>. She went on, berating herself and blushing furiously. Her thoughts lingered on the strange goo she had washed off her stomach earlier but couldn't come up with an explanation, last night was such a blur. She sat and turned the shower on cold, she needed to get a hold of herself. They had barely two weeks until the school year started again and she wanted everything to be perfect. She'd think later.
****************
Angel and Pacey were still shaken by the beauty that had stood there a moment ago. They had done what typical members of the male species would have done and had simply gawked, mouths open, organs at attention till the door slammed and locked.
Pacey was the first one to recover, having only really seen the outline of her glorious body in the darkness. "Man? Can we open a window or something? I need air, and maybe some more light..." His voice squeaked.
There was so much to ask but he couldn't get anything else out. He closed his eyes again and tried to stop the pounding in his head.
Angel shuffled around and found out it was two in the afternoon.
"Sorry, can't open the window, not without great pains" <Did I just make a funny? That was a little too Xander.>
He moved around and lit another old lamp, then set out to find clothes for Willow. Drucilla and Spike hadn't really taken the time to pack anything but her dolls as she had wanted to mourn her Daddy in peace without being hunted by a seriously pissed slayer day and night. He got a long dress out for her but again, no underwear in sight. He was getting aroused again, images of Willow lost in ecstasy danced in his head, her cunt dripping red as he lapped... <Snap out of it!>. He threw the dress at Pacey, along with a pair of Spike's black jeans and t-shirt and headed for the tunnel, itching to get to Willy's for the house special. He wasn't sure he should thank the snitch for ratting him out, or beat some respect into him. He needed some satisfact... err, control over himself.
************
Pacey waited patiently for Willow to put on the dress he had handed her earlier. She had been startled to find him there but hadn't said a word. She finally walked out and sat in a chair, pulling a pillow to her for comfort.
"So, do I know you? Do you go to Sunnydale High?"
"Yes, no, Pacey Witter"
"My Pacey? You're the Pacey-" he nodded as she moved to sit by him. "Wow. You're Pacey? You don't look anything like I remember, well, that was two years ago and school pictures are usually 'yuck' but you look great! I mean, under all those cuts and bruises and all that... what are you doing here? I mean this is a really bad time, Angel's going to be back and then there's school and didn't I tell you we live on a Hellmouth? Why would you come here? Ugh, I mean, hi! I'm Willow remember me? I'm your cyber pal?"
She looked down at her feet and drew a breath. This was going to be a long day and with him here, it would be even longer. He didn't speak.
"Pacey are you okay? What happened to you? What are you doing in Sunnydale?"
When he found his voice, he answered her: "Yeah, I think I'll be okay but my head's killing me and everything's a little blurry. My dad happenned-tell you later- I had to take off and I ended up flying here to meet you. Got here last night, some naked guy flew at me in the park and bit me -I think- and then I woke up and you were here *he blushed* and then I fell and that man left. Does any of this make any sense or am I hallucinating? Who is he? Was that the boyfriend you were so excited about.. umm Oz?"
"No, he's Buffy's. She's still my best friend, well her and Xander, remember the Barbie thief? Anyway, I helped Angel, umm.. that's his name, anyway I helped him get out of a bad situation and so everything can get back to normal, or whatever normal is around here."
"If that's the way you help out I think I'm in serious need of some right now" he gave her a suggestive smile but she looked at him, puzzled. "Look that was a joke. I swear I didn't know who you were when I-" he looked down at the wet patch in his pants, "well, came."
"So Angel's that guy you said was a God," he quickly changed the subject.
Willow raised an eyebrow.
"When I first told you about Tamara and how I couldn't even think around her, you said you understood 'cause there was an older guy you knew that would put Apollo to shame" he explained.
"Stop that, he's my friend and I told you that in confidence!"
"Look Willow, I have no place to go. I know you, and I feel like I know your friends. I don't really understand anything right now but I'd like to stay at least for a while. Maybe I can help you out with that research thing you do. "
"What do you know?"
"Right now, I know my head hurts along with everything else in my body and I'm either in a coma or here."
"Pacey, this place. it's so different that other towns. People- they die here Pacey. A lot. And I'm not talking about the most fluffly deaths either."
"So, we ain't in Kansas nomore?"
She laughed nervously, <we sure as hell aren't Toto>.
"Do you really want to know what- I could try and make you forget or-"
He cut her off by grabbing one of her flailing hands. "If it's that dangerous, why do you stay?"
"I have to, I'm needed here."
"Look Rose, my life's been one big soap opera, you know that. I never felt like I was in the right place. Let me stay? For awhile, I'll try and stay out of your way."
"It's not that simple."
"I'll be careful."
"Pacey, you're life's As the World Turns-"
"More like General Hospital" he smirked as he looked down to all his bandages.
".. mine's Dark Shadows or Days of our Lives." She smiled. "Some people wish they never found out once they do. I don't know if I want to be responsible for-"
"Please Rose, I don't like being in the dark."
He shifted on the bed, pain making his whole body shiver. Willow put her hands on his head and concentrated, muttering an incantation that in essence sucked the pain right out of him.
"What'd you do?"
"Be careful, you're still hurt you just can't feel it".
"What???"
"Get dressed and I'll explain..
Pacey got up and went to try on his borrowed threads. He came back shortly and Willow whistled playfully at the tightness of the jeans as Pacey twirled around for her.
She patted the bed beside her and he went back to sit with her. They both took a deep breath and Willow got into it.
"I'm a witch. I know I told you about being Wiccan but what I didn't tell you is that I have actual powers," he looked puzzled, "I can even levitate a pencil," she wiggled her brow and smiled. "Our story starts around the time you and I met, when Buffy first came to school. For many generations now one girl in all the world has the power to -I should really let Giles tell it, he *loves* this part- to fight and kill....."
***********
Pacey was still struggling to keep everything straight as she was finishing her story: "So I knew Angel was back when Buffy sent him to Hell. She stayed around for a couple of days. I think she was hunting Spike and Drucilla but they had left. She may have gone after them, I have no idea. She didn't tell any of us where she was going and we couldn't find her mother anywhere so maybe they're together, I tried tracking them for a while but there was too much to do. We decided to take over for Buffy and Giles trained us the best he could, we were pretty good. We had these walky-talkies and attack plans and I think we really made a difference.. anyway, Amy and I got together and she helped me with magick, I got stronger and better and when I deciphered this spell that was on miss Calendar's disk and researched for weeks trying to make everything perfect- Amy even made sure we would bind his soul to him forever and I think we might have succeeded in keeping the guilt factor in check."
"His soul. Okay. So that spell, it was to get him out of Hell."
"Yeah. Pretty nifty stuff. except we really aren't sure how everything work. We just- I just HAD to take this chance. I would never have forgiven myself."
She looked sadly into the distance. "You have no idea what it was like to look at him before, he was in so much pain it actually weakened him physically and I didn't want him to come back and freak out because of what he did as Angelus the second... So anyway back to the gang: last week Xander and I were patrolling and he was talking about what it was like when I was in a coma. He said he'd be lost without me and that he loved me. Then he kinda kissed me. I had wanted that for so long you know, but it felt so wrong. Before I could tell him what I thought, Oz caught us, and well, he just left. I was way too busy with work for him all summer and I didn't invite him along much 'cause of the band so maybe he thought I was with Xander, but that's pure speculation. Anyway he and I felt awful and Cordelia was starting to get suspicious so he took her on a road trip to somewhere. So they're all gone and the vamps are free to do whatever they do. Giles won't let me fight alone so I knew it was now or never. I did the spells last night and can you believe it worked? I still can't! He's been in Hell for so long. I wish I could have spared him...I hope he'll be." She struggled to catch her breath and her eyes watered, wondering how Angel was going to deal with being back. There were hard times ahead she knew, but she was going to try and get him to have fun, to get out of his shell...
"You really care about him", he said, impressed at all she went through for this man.
"Of course I do, he's my friend."
"He loves you too, you know?"
She sighed "He loves Buffy. I'm just plain Willow to him," she singsonged. "But that's how it's supposed to be. So um, you believe me?"
"I don't know how I'm supposed to feel. Just take it easy on me, I don't think I want to go out and kill things. In fact, I'm still halfexpecting to wake up..."
"Okay Pacey, we'll give you a try. You can be an honorary slayerette!" she chuckled and sighed. "It feels nice to talk to someone else about everything."
Seeing sadness in her eyes he tried to lighten the mood. "I'm almost surprised you can talk, remember when we first e-mailed you were saying you could never talk to a real guy because the only thing that came out of you were vowel sounds? Things have definitely changed..."
Sleepiness was washing over them again and they yielded, sitting back.
Pacey filled her in on what's been happening in Capeside, finishing with Andie's problems and her moving back to Providence with her dad, and going on with what had put him on a plane to the other side of the country. Willow was on the bed next to him now, both half asleep.
"So Willow, you really don't remember what happened last night... with you and Apollo?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, when I woke up, you guys were kinda"
Just then the door opened and Angel jumped in. "HI HONEY, I'M HOME!"
Willow was so startled by Angel's out of character outburst she started laughing and Pacey followed suit.
"What?"
"Angel, are you drunk?"
"Drunk on life, love." He said, realizing that the blood bag he had downed earlier was probably the discarded blood of a junky. He willed himself to sober up and addressed Pacey: "So who are you?"
To Angel's surprise Pacey laughed again and stood to shake his hand. Willow made the intros and told Angel she filled him in before leaving them to speak alone. She went to call Giles to tell him she was fine and with a friend that had dropped by from out of town, she also told him to keep an eye out for the luggage he'd 'lost' in the park.
Angel plopped down on a chair and looked up at Pacey:
"I should apologize for what it looks like I did to you last night."
"Yeah, next time ask first," he joked.
"So, you're not going to hate me?"
"You didn't kill me or leave me to die and I'm not obsessed with your girlfriend or anything so, no."
"Well you looked pretty cozy with her just now-"
"I meant Buffy."
"Oh."
There was an awkward silence and Angel spoke again.
"You want to join me? I had someone go out for some food and alcohol, I thought maybe I'd get you drunk and you'd think this was all a dream. Pretty lame, I know. I'm a little rusty what with the trip back. I was thinking it was either that or scaring you into keeping your mouth shut. So, how is it that you know Willow?"
He passed the vodka bottle to Pacey, who took a swig.
"Hey man, can you show me that scary face thing you do?"
"Why?"
"'Cause you can..."
Willow had found the food and was preparing a feast (sandwiches, but anything was a feast at this point). She couldn't believe her eyes when she opened the last bag to find the most beautiful underwear she's ever seen, and some 'feminine' products (the kind you find in the girl's washrooms). It was embarrassing but it was so sweet she found herself beaming with love. She put them on and finished making the snacks then went back to the bedroom and walked into a very heated conversation.
"How do you live with yourself man! Are you insane? I can't believe you!"
Willow cleared her throat and prepared to referee when Pacey interrupted her.
"Can you believe this guy? He doesn't have a V.C.R.! He doesn't even have a TV!!! If we're going to live together we're going to have to remedy that situation. I'm serious, I'm going shopping."
"I just got out of Hell, boy, why in the world would I have a television?"
Willow cleared her throat loudly.
"I think we should all stay at my house for a bit. I have all the modern conveniences, my parents aren't home and I won't have to worry about Angel being outed before we're ready. Plus Pacey, you're still hurt and... What are you drinking?"
"Vodka. It's disgusting, want some?"
"No thanks"
"So what are we doing tonight?"
"I think we should take a break before we decide what's going to happen. Made us some sandwiches."
"Always in the mood for food." Pacey practically inhaled the confection as Angel and Willow looked on, both thinking Xander had met his match.
Angel sat in silence for awhile pondering how he was going to get Willow to talk to him alone when an idea popped in his head: "Why don't we go to the Bronze?"
"Angel, there are way too many people there and the vampires know who you are."
"Not if I close it down."
Willow looked at him, slightly startled, then smiled.
Angel looked up at her from where he was sitting and felt such emotion he couldn't contain it. He ran the few feet to Willow and picked her up off the floor and twirled her around giggling and jumping and thanking her. He was out, he figured he was allowed to do things like that.
The End