E-MAIL: velvet_hologram@yahoo.com
RATING: R
DISCLAIMER: Joss, God of wonder and torture, owns all the characters. It's all copyright to him and the WB and Fox and whoever else and I don't mean to break any laws, I'm just a humble fan of the show.
SPOILERS: Buffy - set after 'Hush'; Angel - set after 'I've got you under my skin'. Wesley is here, meaning that Doyle has passed on **sniff**, and Willow's met Tara, but she's not yet a big factor in her life.
DISTRIBUTION: Inertia; one else want it? Ask first.
FEEDBACK: PLEASE! This is not my first fanfic, but it is the first that I've POSTED. My first is still incomplete.
DEDICATION: To all the Willow/Angel supporters out there: it's a good cause we're fighting for, to Danielle, and to Mystra.
NOTE: ' ' denotes thoughts.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She wiped away the tear that landed on the glass. The hacker held the picture frame protectively in her hands; she had to keep the image of him as perfect and beautiful as he was. Gazing into his eyes, yet another tear hit the glass. In disgust she wiped away the offending tear, and rolled onto her side. Willow was lying on her bed in the dorm room that she shared with Buffy. She was currently alone, and was lying on her bed staring at the image she held before her. She was glad that she was alone. Willow didn't want any questions as to why she was crying over a sketched portrait of Angel.
She missed him, more than she had thought possible. Two weeks ago she had returned from LA, where she had assisted Angel, Cordelia and Wesley in a case, her knowledge in Wicca needed. She had told Buffy and the others that she was visiting a relative. She suspected that Buffy didn't believe her.
She had always had a crush on the handsome vampire.
'Really, who couldn't.' She had once thought to herself. The time that Angelus had grabbed her, not only did fear surge through her body, but also arousal. After his claim that her innocence was a turn-on, Willow had suspected that Angel had secretly admired her also.
'God I hope so.' she thought as she traced her finger around the image of Angel. While she was in LA, her feelings had only grown stronger, having seen Angel for the first time in a while. Since the time he had returned to Sunnydale. She never acted on those feelings, afraid that she would betray Buffy, even though Buffy was happily involved with Riley. She smiled at the picture.
'Maybe's there is a bit of hope after all.'
With that, she sat up, placing the picture in a drawer beside her bed. She walked over to her desk, rummaging through a drawer for Angel's email address. While in LA, she had convinced Angel to get an email account, just so that clients of his could contact him via the internet. Finally finding the piece of paper with the wanted information, she cursed at herself for being so careless with it, and grabbed her laptop, returning to her bed. Immediately she switched it on, and as soon as she was connected, opened her email account, and starting to type the following message:
"Dear Angel, Cordelia and Wesley,
I just want to thank you guys for feeling that you were able to confide in me about this case. My majick skills haven't been put to such an important use for a while, and despite the dangers, I enjoyed seeing you all again. I just wanted you to know that whenever you may need my assistance again, I am at your disposal. Nothing is going on here where it may require my knowledge and I am, strangely enough, missing the action that occurred before you all left.
Well, I'll stop my babbling now. Cordelia, say hello to Dennis for me.
Bye for now! Willow xx"
She wasn't sure whether to add the crosses at the end, considering what they meant, but she clicked the "send" button before she could change her mind.
*******************
"But Cordelia, you don't do it like that." Angel sighed, exasperated. He was trying to show the brunette how to load the coffee into the perculator properly, but Cordelia refused to listen.
"Look, I think I know how to work these things. Go sit and brood!" Just before he could throw in a rebuttal, the computer started to beep. Seeing it as an escape from the latest problem, Angel went over to Cordelia's desk. Settled in the chair, he double clicked on the flashing mail icon.
"It's from Willow." He said out loud. Cordelia turned to watch him, remembering how he had acted the last time the redhead was there. He smiled as he read the email, not hesitating to reply when finished. She saw his face glow a bit while typing the email, and she couldn't help but give him a smile. Angel saw the accusing smile out of the corner of his eye.
"What are you smiling at now?" He asked her, knowing all too well what she was going to say.
"Look at you, you get all glowy anytime that certain hacker comes up. God, talk about afterglow, and you two haven't even kissed let alone had sex."
He rose his eyes from the screen, not impressed by what she just said. "What are you implying?"
Cordelia walked over to the desk, and lent on it, facing Angel. "I know that you're still not over Buffy, but it's obvious that you're feeling something towards Willow. There's no use hiding it, I can tell these things." She stated matter-of-factly.
Angel looked at her. He had often wondered if he should tell anyone about his attraction to Willow. Yes, he was still hung up over Buffy, but he coudn't deny that he found the witch irresistable. He had felt this way for a long time, it first revealing itself after he lost his soul. He had refused to act on it, though the last time that she was here, it was hard to keep it contained. Could it be a sign that he's getting over the slayer?
"Hello, earth to Deadboy?" Cordelia said, calling him the name that Xander gave him.
"You know I hate being called that." He stated.
"Yeah, I know, but you zoned out there for a sec, and I knew that was one way to get you back to earth," Cordelia rambled as she made her way back to the coffee filter. Angel resumed typing, finshing the letter.
"Willow,
It's good to hear from you. Thanks for all your help with the last case. It was truely appreciated.
Since things in Sunnydale are so quiet, maybe you'd like to come up soon? I know that you're knowledge will be greatly appreciated here. We also have a new case involving a new type of phenomena, so don't be surprised if you get an email asking you to return quickly. You could help a bit now if you'd like. Know anything about the Venthius demon? All we know is that is that it shares similar characteristics as vampires - that being the thrist for blood. The only thing is that there seems to be no determinable way for the demon to extract the blood from its victims, there are no wounds found on the bodies. If you find anything, I'd be very greatful.
I'm starting to babble on now(!), so I'll leave you to it.
Angel."
Satisfied, he sent it.
******************
She had been surfing for only half an hour when she heard the beeps. They were like music to her ears. She knew that it was an email from Angel. Just as she was opening the message, Buffy walked through the door.
"Hey Buff." Willow said, not taking her eyes off the screen.
"Hey." She barely heard the slayer say. She was too caught up in the mail. She was almost ecstatic that he asked for her help again, and she giggled inside at his babble remark. Shutting down the computer, she grabbed a bag and a jacket.
"I'm going to Giles' to do some research, wanna come?" She asked Buffy. The blonde rose up from her bed and followed Willow out the door.
******************
"It extracts the blood through the victim's mouth." Willow stated into the phone. "It takes on the form of who the victim most desires, seduces them, and then what seems to be a kiss, is actually how the blood is extracted." Angel listened intently. He was greatful for the amount of research that Willow had done. It had taken her a few days to find anything, and he himself hadn't found much more than two more victims.
"It's a fairly new demon, arising around the 1800's. It goes into hibernation for 9 months every year, so similar deaths only occur around autumn. It is not known where it dwells, only that it likes heat, but not at extreme temperatures. So, maybe near some oil refinery? I'm not sure. I'm guessing that you'd know where to look." Angel thought over what Willow had just told him. His silence made Willow uneasy.
"Angel, are you still there?"
"Yeah, oh sorry Willow, I was just thinking."
"Umm, well I was thinking as well, maybe I could come up and help a bit?" Angel could hear the lonliness in the girl's voice.
"Sure." He smiled at the phone.
"Oh great! I'll be there on Friday night." Angel hung up the phone, satisfied to have actually gotten somewhere with this case. Inside, he could feel excitement growing with the anticipated arrival. Tomorrow night.
******************
Willow stood at the bus shelter, the cool wind causing ripples to roam over her skin. She had arrived in LA five minutes ago, and was waiting for Cordelia. She was a bit weary of her surroundings, the darkened spots in the corner of the brick building conceiling god-knows-what. Her worries died down when she recognised Angel's car coming towards her. Expecting Cordelia to be driving, she was surprised when she saw a smiling Angel park the car infront of her.
"Hey! I wasn't expecting you to pick me up!" She exclaimed, happy to see Angel smiling, even happier to be the source of the smile. He got out of the car, and took her bag from her, placing it in the back seat. Like a gentleman, he opened the door for her. She watched him curiously as he paced back to his side of the car.
It wasn't long after that they were on the highway, heading towards Angel's building.
"So, have you found anything yet?" Willow enquired.
Angel shook his head. "Unfortunately, nothing. There was another victim last night, a 19 year old boy. The blood was entirely removed from the body, no entrance wounds." Willow gave him a questioning look. Angel glanced over in time to see it. He knew what she was wondering.
"I have a friend at the LAPD. She helps me get the official reports."
"She." She simply said. Angel knew what she was getting at, but didn't respond. He was wondering of he heard a tone of jealousy in Willow's voice. Glancing at her, she was just looking straight ahead, watching the road.
'I hope that was a hint of jealousy.' He thought as he turned off the main road.
*****************
Cordelia looked impatiently at her wristwatch.
"Where the hell are they?" she asked Wesley. He looked up at her, removing himself from the text that he was reading.
"You know, if you want to pass the time quickly, you can help me with the research." He suggested. She gave him a glare which said 'no way in hell'. With that, he sighed and returned to the book. They heard the bang of the elevator, and both turned towards the direction of the noise.
"Hey Will, welcome back." Cordelia smiled at the redhead. Angel walked to his bedroom, placing Willow's bag besides the bed. Returning, he could see Cordelia's disinterest in the new-found situation. Seeing her yawn, he knew it was time to call it a day.
"Cordelia, Wesley, you guys can go on home now. Thanks for doing that extra time." He threw the car keys at Wesley, and walked towards the fridge. Willow walked them to the elevator, wishing them their goodnights, and then headed towards the couch. She hadn't realised how exhausted she was until she relaxed into the soft cousins. Angel soon sat next to her, holding two steaming mugs. He handed one to Willow, which she greatfully accepted.
'Mmmmm, hot chocolate.' She thought as the hot liquid hit the back of her throat. She glanced at Angel, who was shifting in his seat, facing her. She watched intently at his graceful movements. It amazed her how the simpliest things he did so well. He seemed to release some sexual energy towards her, something that she noticed on her last visit. Her face flushed at the thought of her and Angel together. He looked at her, noticing the flushing face. He couldn't help but smile.
'She's so cute when gets embarrassed.' If he could blush, he most likely would have then.
"What are you blushing over?" He queried. Her eyes grew wide.
'Oh no, he noticed!' She cried in her thoughts.
She shifted uncomfortably. "Nothing." She mumbled, revealing her not-so-good lying skills.
"I don't believe." He teased. He could sense the uneasiness that it was causing her, but he also noticed that she was now blushing more profusly than ever, and this made him feel giddy inside. There was something telling him that she was thinking about him.
She knew that in the end there was no use hiding it.
"You" she said as she sipped her drink. She glanced over at him, seeing no reaction out of him what-so-ever.
"What about me?" He inquired.
'This is getting interesting.' He thought to himself. Willow sighed. She was suffering from an internal struggle as to whether to tell him about her crush so it was out in the open, or just come up with something lame. The lame won over.
"I was just thinking about stuff, and how I'd consider you a better friend than those in Sunnydale right now." She couldn't believe she had just said that.
He frowned at her. "What's happened?" Nausea erupted in the pit of her stomach. She hated talking about this, and Angel could see that whatever it was, it was bothering her. He was about to tell her not to talk about it if she didn't want to when she started.
"You know how I was with Oz?" She asked him. She realised that she hadn't told him about Oz and Veruca.
"This is kinda long." She replied, continuing when she saw Angel nodding.
****************
Reliving that experience was harder than Willow thought it would be, and soon she found herself sobbing. Closing her eyes, enclosed in the pain, she didn't feel the large arms around her until her head pressed against something hard.
'Angel's chest.' She realised, a tinge of guilt seeping over her. She brushed it aside.
'Buffy's with Riley now.' She reminded herself.
At seeing her tears, Angel couldn't help but try to calm the girl down. He grabbed hold of her, bringing her closer to him, leaning her against his chest. He searched for a feeling of guilt, and found none. Relaxing, he rubbed her back. He could feel her heart pounding against his chest, the rhythm relaxing him. Soon Willow had stopped crying, but they still stayed bound together, finding comfort in each other. Angel could hear the blood rushing through Willow. That, and the realisation that she was pressed up against him, stirred something within him. It wasn't long until his secret was out. Willow felt something stir under her, and sat up quickly looking down at where the movement had come from. If there was ever a time that Angel wanted to die, it was now. He shut his eyes, hoping that his body really hadn't betrayed him.
"Ahh, Angel?"
****************
He couldn't believe it. He just couldn't believe it. He was able to contain himself so well last time she was here. But they never physically got that close. He sat there, his eyes shut, hoping it was all a dream. He reluctantly peeled them open, knowing that he couldn't sit like that forever. He saw Willow, sitting besides him, face flushed red. Explanation time.
"Err....I...ah....toilet!" He exclaimed, jumping up and rushing towards to bathroom. Finally reaching his destination, he quickly closed the door shut, and leant against it. What was overcoming him? No one had ever had this sort of effect on him, one so close to losing control. He locked the bathroom door, and walked over to the mirror. When reaching there, he realised that he didn't have a refelction ('Idiot!'). Turning around, feeling defeated and completely lost, he made his way over to the shower, not bothering to touch the hot water tap.
****************
Willow sat on the couch, flabergasted. She felt like she was in some sort of a dream. She heard the shower go on, and it brought her back to reality. She sat still, and tried to calmly think over what had just happened.
"Angel. I was lying against Angel's chest. And he had an ....erection." She thought out loud. After realising that, she felt herself burst inside, and had to try to contain herself from laughing. She needed a distraction, she thought, but her mind wouldn't let her forget the vampire's reaction. He had found her sexually stimulating. Willow's face brightened up, until she realised what that could lead to...
'Angelus.' She ran over to her bag, releasing her laptop from its confines. Noticing the time on her watch, she grabbed her pyjamas, and closed the door to Angel's room.
*****************
Angel practicially ran to his room, a towel covering his naked form. Standing in front of his closed bedroom door, he could hear someone inside shuffling through something.
'Willow.' He thought. Having gained some control over his anatomy, he silently listened to her, and soon his imagination had taken the better of him. Willow slowly removing her clothes, dropping each piece gently besides her. Her pale skin exposed to the fresh, crisp air, qoosebumbps erupting all over her skin. Following her hands up to her bra strap, releasing those -
'STOP! GOT_TO_STOP!' He screamed at himself. Before he had a chance to embarass himself any further, he made his way back to the bathroom, waiting to hear for Willow to emerge from his room.
****************
Willow soon came out of his room, making her way into the loungeroom. When finding that Angel was not out of the bathroom yet, she made her way back to the couch, and looked around for a phone connection. She wanted to get online. There's was research that she wanted to do, not only for the case, but for herself.
'Damn happiness clause.' She heard a door slam behind her, and guessed that Angel was now in his bedroom. She had noticed the size of his bed, and was tempted to crawl in there. She wondered what it would be like to sleep next to his naked form, one of his thighs accidently brushing up against her during the night.... She stood up quickly, walking over to the kitchen, and splashed her face with water. She was not helping the already awkward situation. She wondered how she could ever face Angel again, or if he could ever face her. This saddened mer mood a bit, and she sat back down on the couch. Deciding to give up on the internet, she laid on the couch.
*****************
Eventually, Angel released himself from his bedroom, wearing a t-shirt and trousers. He knew that no matter what, he had to talk to Willow to see how she was, and if she would be able to look at him. He slowly made his way over to the couch, finding her lying down on it. He sat down on the coffee table that sat infront of the couch. He gave Willow a reluctant smile.
'Oh dear Lord..' He thought as he gazed upon her.
He urged himself to speak, but found it a very hard thing to do. After sitting there, glancing over at her, and catching her glances, he found his voice.
"Ahh....Willow, I'd like to apologise for what happened before." He started. She smiled at him, thanking him silently for breaking the silence. She was about to say something when he continued.
"I'm not going to lie to you. I do find you very attractive, as I'm sure you noticed." She giggled at that remark. Hearing that made him smile.
"If I had the ability to, I would act apon those feelings, but as both you and I know, we are in no position to do that, both emotionally and physically." He sighed. He really didn't want to do this. He just wanted to kneel infront of her, and gently kiss her lips. He watched her face drop, and he hated himself and the clause for doing this to her.
"I'm sorry. I never intended on you finding out how I feel." She sat up, understanding and sadness filling her eyes. Sitting in fron of him, she reached out for his hands, holding onto them. She looked down at her feet. She couldn't believe that she was going to tell him this.
"I....I too...find you very sexy-ahh, I mean attractive. I have been looking so far ever since you left, hoping that there was a chance for you and Buffy." She waited for him to cringe or something from the mention of the slayer, but he just sat there, watching her and listening to her intently. "But not only for you and her, but for my own vague hope. So, I did my own research. I've found some very interesting yet frustrating information about the clause, which I didn't want to tell you about until it was all concrete, all completed." She couldn't help but stop at this. She felt exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to sleep right now. But she continued on, knowing that he was curious.
"You are not the only vampire in history to be hit with a clause like this. There has been one other. He went by the name of Isiah. He seemed to have a taste for people of a well-off background, and would hunt them down when they were at their most vulnerable. He was eventually cursed by Egyptians, using a very similar curse as the one that you have been afflicted by. The difference was that his soul was 'anchored' to him, forcing him to live with what he had done, and suffer with it. He would never know happiness." Angel nodded, this story sounding all too familiar. He could sense that something was coming, something big.
"I've almost found out how to anchor the soul, without the anti-happiness part." Angel felt like he had been hit in the head with a 40-tonne weight. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He felt the room spinning. Grabbing his head, he lent forward, resting his head in his hands. He felt confused, nauseous. He thought about pinching himself just to see if he was awake. Willow sat there, looking at him. She reached out to him, and started to stroke his hair. She had no idea what he was feeling, but she did what she felt she could only do. Kneeling, she drew her hands around him, hugging him. They remained like that for quite a while.
*****************
He woke up with a start. Droplets of sweat rolled down his face, evidence of a nightmare. He had dreamt that he had been with Willow, become Angelus, and had tortured her to death. He sat up, and made his way to the bathroom, splashing himself with the cool water, reminding himself that it was all a dream. He quickly walked into the loungeroom, wondering where Willow was, dread filling his head.
'What if it wasn't a dream?' Calm washed over him when he saw her sleeping form on the couch. She was drooling a little, completely emerged in her dreams. He smiled at her, and noticed the dull sunlight that played on her features. He then realised that he had slept through the night. He cursed himself, and sat down on the coffee table that was facing the couch. He thought about the night before as he stared at Willow. He smiled at her, and realised how much he wanted this person. Relief flooded over him when he realised that he was finally moving on. The thought of Buffy saddened him. It was not out of grievance for her, but the relationship they lost. When he heard about Riley, he was glad. She had what she wanted - something normal. Willow mumbled in her sleep, bringing Angel back to the loungeroom. He continued to watch her, wondering what to say to her when she would finally wake. He wanted nothing than to hold her, tell her that he could feel himself falling for her. But, he knew, that would not be fair. He could never be what Willow needed, what anyone needed. Looking at the floor, he rested his head in his hands. He caught a tear before it could fall.
Willow woke up, stirring. The first thing she saw was Angel sitting before her, head in hands. Memories of the night before flooded back, deja vu happening. She slowly sat up, the noise drawing Angel's attention to her. She smiled at him.
"Hey." she muttered.
"Morning." He replied, not sure what else to say. She could see his uneasiness, and broke the silence.
"I'm sorry I told you what I did last night. I had no right to say something like that unless it could be done straight afterwards."
"Willow, you have no reason to apologise. Considering my reaction to certain things last night, I should be the one apologising." She smiled at that remark. He was so humble. She felt like laughing, but didn't out of fear of hurting him. She did something that he didn't expect. She stood up, walked over to him, and kissed the top of his head. She then made her way to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
******************
Cordelia walked in, pleased as usual to be in the office. She entered finding both Angel and Willow huddled over a book.
"God, this brings back painful memories." She replied dryly, causing the two to look up at her at the same time. She just smiled at them, and set down her bags.
'Don't they look cute together.' She thought to herself, not able to hide the smile that that thought made. She walked over to them, and started to read the book. She sighed.
"Ok, great. So it's not enough we have vampires running around for blood, but other demons too? What's next, face sucking monsters?" Angel looked at Willow, and they shared a smile. Cordelia walked over to the coffee machine, not seeing their glance. "Good morning everyone!" exclaimed Wesley as he walked through the door. Cordelia gave him an evil glare. The morning had begun as usual.
*****************
Willow walked along Angel and Wesley, steading her step every now and then. The stench of the sewers was becoming a bit much, and she felt that she would faint every now and then. Angel saw this, and stopped her.
"You don't have to come. We can take you back." He said, concern evident in his voice. Willow just smiled.
"I want to help... you...find this...thing" Just then her legs gave way. Angel caught her just before she hit the ground, Wesley grabbing her side.
"We'd better get her back." Angel just nodded. He picked up the small girl, cradling her gently in his arms. Her head fell against his chest. The warmth of her body overtook him, and he stood there for a moment watching her. He knew he loved her then. Wesley tapped him on the shoulder.
"Are you ok?" He saw the fondness that Angel had for Willow in the vampire's eyes. He knew he cared for her, but how deeply, he was unsure of. He gestured ahead of him, and they headed back to the building
******************
The witch murmured in her sleep. Wesley had come down to check on her while Angel was out. Htey had found a reasonable amount of information on the demon, and he and Cordelia had pushed him to go, assuring Angel that Willow would be fine. The vampire's concern for Willow had caused a few theories to arise between Cordelia and Wesley, causeing them to ultimately agree that the two had feelings for each other.
Some noise made Wesley stir away from his thoughts. Angel had arrived. He felt the vampire's prescence behind him.
"She's been asleep for a while. I was just checking on her." The ex-watcher told Angel reassuringly. They walked out of the room, leaving Willow to her slumber. Wesley sat down at the table in the kitchen, while Angel heated some blood up for himself. He soon joined Wesley.
"If you don't mind me saying, Angel, but your concern over the girl is quite startling. Something reminiscent of how you were with Buffy."
"This is different." Angel simply stated, sipping his mug.
"I understand that. I know that Willow is Buffy's friend, and so of course you would be concerned for her, but the depth is what is surprising. One could say...that," Wesley stopped, cautiously, dreading a reaction to what he was about to say. "It seems to the outsider, that you have an infatuation with the girl."
Angel sighed, lowering his mug to the table. He knew that Wesley and Cordelia had been talking about Angel's change of mood since the witch had been here. He himself had noticed it.
"Wesley, I can't lie to you, I have feelings for Willow," Angel started. "To compare this to Buffy is unfair, to both Willow and Buffy. I love Buffy - loved Buffy, and I always will love her. It seems that you're stuck with your first love forever." Wesley nodded in agreement."But these are feelings that are almost uncontrollable. We kissed last night." He looked up at Wesley, noting the shock on the ex-watcher's face. "I felt something that I haven't felt before. It was strange, there was no guilt over Buffy, nor the fact that Willow is Buffy's best friend. It almost felt........it almost felt...right."
Angel noticed Wesley staring at him. The ex-watcher was smiling.
"What?" Angel asked, concerned.
"Even though your body is dead, your heart is not." Wesley stated. "My dear boy, you are over your first love, and are falling for another."
******************
Willow woke to the sounds of murmurs coming from the other room. She looked about her, noticing that she was alone in Angel's bed. SHe smiled.
'Angel's bed!' She rolled over, the smile not leaving her face. She could smell him in the pillow, and that comforted her. Noticing the time on the clock standing on the bedside table, she decided to get up. Willow made her way from the bedroom to the kitchen, yawning and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes on the way over.
"Hey guys." She smiled softly as she sat down. The two men had stopped talking, and were watching her.
"Whatcha up to? Did I miss anything exciting?"
"Nothing." Angel replied. "Except that I found the hideout. No one was home, but I'll be scoping it out later."
Willow's eyes lit up. "OOh! Can I come with? Maybe I can help?"
Angel shoock his head. "I'd rather you didn't. You didn't cope too well with the sewers, and I was hoping that you would continue researching for me, while I'm gone." Willow smiled. She knew she was no Buffy, but she was glad that she could be of some use. Willow understood Angel's concern, and didn't fret about it. She could do some more clause research as well.
"Done." She smiled. Noting her grumbling stomach, she queried about some food. Soon she had a bowl of cornflakes in front of her. Not the greatest dinner, but food nonetheless.
****************
How any being could live here astounded Angel. The old maintence room was filled with nothing but garbage, and held such a stench that Angel was surprised that it hadn't rendered him unconscious. It looked like a breeding ground, a habitat for the demon. There was no sign of anything living, rather, more evidence of death. Angel saw a foot apprearing through the rubble, the the amount of decay informing him that that person had been deceased for quite a while. He heard grumbles behind him, and quickly searched for a place to hide. Cowering behind the door, he waited. The demon walked in, it's steps unsteady. Angel noted the protuding veins in the demon's skin, the blood pumping through them violently. It had just been fed. A slight glow seemed to eminate from it's body. It threw down parts of the victim, and turned slowly. The thing had three legs, the general slimy skin ('It's amphibious' Angel noticed), With extremely large muscles around it's neck. From the sight of the victims, Angel knew that the blood was extracted using a great amount of strength. It didn't look like it was going anywhere soon. It moved over to the pile of rubble, and and kneeled down. It looked like it was praying. The glow seemed to grow stronger.
'It's harvesting it's strength.' Angel thought. He wondered how he would get out of this. The demon was enormous. He decided to sneak out. Slowly making his way from behind the door, he stepped on a can. The sound it gave off seemed unreal.
'SHIT!' The creature turned around, it's large orange eyes glowing. It stood before Angel, making it's strength and height over the vampire apparent. Angel just stood there, watching it. He was prepared for whatever it had coming. The glow became stronger, blinding Angel for a second. Once he regained his sight, he couldn't believe who was lying before him. Willow.
"Willow! Are you ok?" He ran over to the girl, who was struggling to sit up. He knelt by her, holding her up.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, concern in his voice which he couldn't hide. Willow just smiled, and threw her arms around him. He hugged her back, glad to feel her in his arms. He felt her hand go around his neck, and the tension in her fingers increase. In shock, he threw his head back, looking into her eyes. They were glowing.
****************
Willow couldn't concentrate on the book. Angel had been gone for so long, and she was concerned. She told herself not to be, the fact that Angel was a vampire should have been enough to calm her down. But it wasn't. There was something that was bothering her. She found herself fidgeting, and decided to have a break from reading, knowing that any attempt to do so would be futile anyway.
****************
The demon's strength increased. Angel thanked whoever that he didn't need to breathe, for he surely would have been dead by now. Taking grasp of the situation, Angel threw a fist at the demon, striking its face. Growling in pain and surprise, it fell back. Not knowing how to defeat the demon, Angel gathered himself up, and fleed the hideout.
****************
Willow was pacing the room, cursing at herself for not being able to concentrate on anything, when a creak behind her broke her thoughts. Angel lifted himself out of the hole. Willow covered her mouth, the stench that he was emitting was incredible. Angel saw this, and gave her an awkward smile.
"I'm gonna go have a shower." He stated, and quickly made his way to the bathroom. Willow smiled, ecstatic and releaved to finally see him. She headed for the elevator, planning on telling the others that Angel had arrived.
She found Cordelia and Wesley huddled over a pile of books, Welsey reading, Cordelia examining her nails. The brunette looked up as Willow walked into the room.
"I'm guessing Broodboy is back." She asked, watching the look on the hacker's face.
Willow's face lit up at the mention of Angel. "Yup. He's in the shower."
Seeing Willow's reaction, Cordelia couldn't let that pass. "Someone's got a crush on the walking undead."
Willow blushed unconsciously, a stern look taking over her features.
"No. No I don't." She stated. The girls turned to Wesley when they heard the man clear his throat.
"A genius, yes; powerful witch, yes; great actor, no." He stated, giving Willow a quick glance and smile. Sighing, she grabbed a chair and sat at the other side of the desk. Leaning her arms on her table, she addressed them both.
"Is it really that abvious?" The two people across from Willow looked up from what they were doing, and simply smiled at her.
"Yes, it's obvious." Cordelia answered. "But, he's got a thing for you too. It's as plain as the sun, even though he's allergic to the sun, and can't go out when it's out. But anyway, yes. There's a definate sharing of feelings going on there." Wesley simply nodded.
She let herself smile in honour and victory, though quickly wiped it away when the vampire walked into the room. She looked in his direction and smiled as he entered.
"Found anything yet?" He asked them all.
"No," sighed Cordelia. "Though I bet that Willow has something interesting to tell you."
Expecting a dirty glare, Cordelia was surprised to see Willow smiling at her.
"He already knows." Willow simply said, and rose to her feet.
"Touche." Wesley muttered, not looking up from the book he was reading. Angel smiled, and followed Willow as she walked out of the room.
****************
The rest of the night was spent researching down in Angel's apartment. They finally found some useful information, well, Angel and Wesley did. The girls had passed out hours before; Willow asleep on the floor, Cordelia on Angel's couch. Finally finding a means to kill the demon, they called it a night. Angel gently picked Willow up as Wesley woke Cordelia. Angel was amazed at how light the redhead was. He smiled down at her as he lay her on his bed, covering her up with a blanket. He decided he would spend the night on the couch. As he left his room, Willow opened a sleepy eye. Smiling gently, she let sleep overcome her once more.
****************
Cordelia walked straight up to Angel when she arrived the next morning. The vampire was reading one of the texts from the night before, going over the information he and Wesley had found. He looked up at the brunette as she leant on the desk and looked straight at him.
"Why didn't you tell me about you and Willow?" She insisted.
"There is no me and Willow." Angel simply stated.
"Oh yeah. Well, why not?"
Angel sighed. "What was the whole reason that I left Buffy? I couldn't give her the life she deserved. I can't have a relationship with Willow."
"Willow isn't Buffy. She's a hell of a lot better."
"Maybe. But the smae rules apply." Cordelia stared at Angel, glaring at him with contempt. She huffed, and threw herself down on the chair behind her. Crossing her arms, she sat there and stared at the vampire. Angel could feel Cordelia's eyes on him, and he gave up reading the book. He knew that Cordelia wouldn't give up.
"You think that I like this arrangement?" He asked her. "Do you think that I liked the fact that I left the first woman I loved? Do you think that I like falling for another, and knowing that there's nothing I can do about it? No, Cordelia, I don't. But I have to be realistic about this. Nothing can happen. Nothing. Unless we find what we need." Cordelia looked at Angel, wondering what he was talking about.
"What do you mean, 'find what we need'?"
"It seems that I wasn't the only person in history to be cursed." Angel simply stated.
Cordelia leant forward, disbelief on her face. "No way. There's a spell...."
"That can 'anchor' my soul. Yes. But we have to find it." Cordelia sat there in awe, not believing what she was hearing. After a few minutes, she returned to Earth.
"What about Buffy?" He knew that would eventually come up. What about Buffy. He knew that she was moving on. Had moved on. He loved her, always would. But Willow was seeming like more and more a promising prospect.
"She's got a new life. It would be unfair to her for me to waltz back in. I can't do that. I won't."
Cordelia sat back. "You want to be with Willow." She smiled at her boss. It seemed as though he had accepted the fact that he couldn't be with Buffy. Cordelia was liking this. She was liking this a lot.
"Ok. What can I do to help?"
****************
Willow threw herself back on Angel's bed. She had walked in to have a rest from research. She had been reading all day, researching on the demon, as well as the curse. Willow was getting closer, she could feel it. She just needed a break, a little break....
****************
Angel walked out of the elevator, searching for Willow. He hadn't told the others about what happened with the demon, how it had transformed into Willow. Angel wanted to pull the group together, get their thoughts and their research notes about it.
His eyes scanned the loungeroom and kitchen, finding no trace of her. A surge of fear, almost desperation flooded throughout him as walked frantically about his place, stopping when he reached his bedroom. The sight before him would have stopped his heart, if it had been beating. Willow's red hair flayed about his bed, strands gently laying on the fragile face. Her eyes fluttered in sleep, a slight movement from her lips every now and then. A hand rested near her head, grasping for something imaginary. He walked gently over to her, and knelt before the bed. Angel softly removed the strands of hair from her face, causing her to stir. Green, sleepy eyes opened to meet brown ones. Willow smiled at him.
"Hey. How long have you been watching me for?" she inquired.
"Just a minute. I came looking for you." Angel let his hand gently glide her face, reeling in the softness of her skin. Willow stared intently at Angel, a heat before unknown to her surging through her, making her blush unknowingly. Angel saw the slight flush of her face, and smiled. He liked the effect he had on her, and she certainly had one on him. He couldn't pull away from her.
Willow noticed his eyes closer to her. It seemed like she were pulling him into her. She felt like she was in some sort of dream, her head swimming in the gloriousness of it all. She slowly closed her eyes as she felt Angel's soft lips against hers...
"NO!" They both cried at once, jumping away from each other.
The desire in their eyes didn't dissipate however. Angel standing, Willow laying on his bed, they just continued to stare at each other. Their pain, they shared with each other through the the stare.
"It's.." Willow started.
"..not right." Angel ended.
He looked at her, sadness filling up his soul once more. He hated this more than anything, but it was the way that it was to be. He watched Willow shuffle on the bed uncomfortably. He sighed silently. This was intense, nothing like before.
"Willow, I'm..." He started, staring into her eyes.
She didn't have to say anything. He knew that she didn't want him to apologise for what happened.
"I'll wait for you upstairs. We have to discuss this demon." He stated, turning. He made his way over to the elevator, his face empty of expression. Inside, his heart was crying. And he knew that Willow's was too.
***************
"Alright, what do we know about this demon that we didn't already?" Cordelia asked as she handed Wesley a cup of tea and sat down at the desk. She watched Willow and Angel with curiosity. Something had happened when Angel had gone to get Willow, she knew that by the tension in the room. She just wished she knew what it was.
"Well," Angel started, sitting in an armchair by the side of the room. "It is strong, and knows a person's weakness. It used that against me. It took on another form."
"What! It looked like Buffy? God, that's a bit cruel." Cordelia stated, causing all in the room to look at her.
Wesley cleared his throat."Ahh, no Cordelia, I think Angel means someone else. I believe the demon took on Willow's form". He stated.
"Oh.."
"Yes, and the vulnerability of the situation increased. It's almost like it took my feelings for her and used them against me." Angel stated, glancing sideways to Willow. He felt like he was putting her through something that she didn't need. He watched her pull her arms around herself for protection.
"It hideout was disgusting. The stench, it lived in garbage. I think that is what it makes its shell out of - garbage. It makes sense. It needs heat to survive, and the garbage with the bacteria gives off a heat. That way the demon is protected no matter what the temperature it is. But the devices it uses to get a victim seems almost sinister."
"Many things take on an appealing form to capture its victim." Wesley stated matter-of-factly, unknowningly stemming that statement to Angel.
"That is when it's at its most vulnerable," Willow threw in, bringing the attention of the others to herself. "Because it can take on a human form, it is suceptible to anything that harms humans. But, if it gets injured, it can heal itself. The most successful way of defeating this demon is by decaptitation. No other method has worked."
"Another factor that it shares with the damn vampires." Cordelia mumbled outloud. Everyone in the room looked at her, causing the brunette to look back accusingly.
"What? I'm just stating the facts." She defended.
Angel stood. "Decapitation it is. I'm going to go out in a while, patrol for this thing. Make sure that it doesn't feed on anything."
"I'm coming with you." Willow and Wesley said in unison. Angel shook his head.
"Angel, if I may, it'll be safer to travel in a group. If it feeds on people's vulnerabilities like this, at least there will be others to protect one another in case of a confrontation. This is too serious. You are the strongest of all of us, and we can't afford to lose you."
"Especially over me." Willow simply stated, hating that she had said that out loud. Angel just stared at her, causing her to look down. She didn't mean for it to come out like it did. She looked up, but looked away, not being able to stand the pain in his eyes. "Let's get ready then." Willow said. The group broke up, Wesley leaving the office, Willow and Angel making their way to the elevator. While on the way down to the apartment, Angel turned Willow to face him.
"You're worth dying over." He stated simply. She could do nothing but stare into his eyes.
**************
The small group had been out for almost 3 hours, and had found no trace fo the demon. Angel was becoming frustrated. He wanted to get this confrontation over with. Willow walked beside him, arms around herself. The night had a slight chill to it, and she had carelessly forgotten a jacket. Angel saw this, and stopped, removing his jumper and handing it to her. Willow took it. It was much too larger for her, but she didn't mind. It was Angel's. Smiling up at him appreciatively, he smiled back, grabbing her hand and giving it a light squeeze. The two never noticed Wesley watching this scene take forth before him, a large grin on his face. A scream startled them, bringing them back to what they were out in the middle of LA for - the demon. They ran in the direction of the scream, knowing pretty well the situation that they were about to plummet themselves into.
**************
Cordelia sighed, flipping through the old text that she held. She had been searching through this thing ever since the others had left, doing some of her own secret research. She wanted to help Angel and Willow more than ever, her insistence surprising even herself. She saw the torment that Angel was putting himself through over this, and she was glad it was over Willow rather than Buffy. It was annoying herself to the extent of no return, so she decided to do something about it.
"God, ramble much?" She asked the book out loud, finishing the page, and turning it over.
That's when she stopped. In what she thought was rambling was in fact the description of the uniqueness of this certain curse - and the answer to its demise.
**************
The scene that lay before them was one that the small group had come across many times before. A few bodies lay about, the stench of death high in the air. Willow had seen a lot in her time, but nothing like this. Her stomach turned, and she ran to wretch by a wall. The demon dropped its latest victim, a woman whose age they could no longer decipher. Eyeing the sick Willow, it growled with hunger, one that was not yet depleted. It didn't seem to notice Angel and Wesley standing before her, standing guard. Angel had suspected that it may go after Willow, her being the smallest of their group. Angel watched as the large beast made cautious steps towards the group, seeming to sense the danger that lay ahead of it. Wesley gave Angel a nervous side glance, realising that the group hadn't actually formulated a plan as to how to defeat the demon. He stood still, deciding to follow Angel's lead. The vampire watched the demon with intensity, watching and analysing its every move. It kept moving towards them, and Angel started to wonder whether or not the thing could see himself and Wesley.
Willow wiped away the remenants of her stomach, the bitter taste of recoiled food still in her mouth. She turned towards the scene before her: Angel and Wesley standing at her guard, a large beast looming before them, hunger in its glowing eyes. She noticed with curiosity the precision it moved with, using its third leg as a guide.
The demon growled loudly, shocking Willow and causing her to jump in fright. Wesley turned to her and gave her a small smile, understanding her surprise. Angel just stood, watching the demon, waiting and readying himself for its attack.
Seeing Wesley's glance to Willow, the demon growled again. It lept towards Wesley. Angel threw himself in the direction of the demon, causing Wesley to stumble back in surprise. The demon and Angel collided, each falling to the ground with a thump. Angel quickly got to his feet, and yelled at Willow and Wesley.
"GET HER OUTTA HERE!" He screamed as the demon jumped up. Wesley scrambled over to the redhead, grabbing her arm, trying to run while watching the fight before him. Willow, however, wouldn't budge. Wesley looked at her, confused and concerned. He didn't want her to get hurt, any of them. She looked up at him, shaking her head, a pleading in her eyes.
"I have to be here in case he needs me." She pleaded. Wesley glanced at the scene before him. Angel and the demon looked like two feral animals, scraping and clawing at each other. Wesley didn't see how Angel would need her help at all. Angel grabbed one of the beast's legs, and threw it away from him. It skidded along the ground, hitting a wall. It slowly picked itself up, and then huddled into a ball. Angel moved away from it, knowing what it was going to do. The glow blinded them all for a few seconds, though they could hear a low coughing by the far wall. Willow blinked up, looking in the direction of the noise. She couldn't believe who was lying there.
"OZ!" She cried, running towards him. Angel saw her run, but didn't see anyone lying there except the demon. Willow crouched down besides Oz, helping him to his feet.
"Are you ok? What are you doing here? How did you get here?" She bombarded him with questions.
She helped him up gently, keeping hold of one of his arms.
Angel ran over there, grabbing Willow's arm gently.
"Willow, this isn't Oz."
She looked at him accusingly, her grip on Oz's arm remaining. "What do you mean?"
"It's the demon. He's making himself look like Oz."
Willow laughed. "No it's not. It's Oz, and here's come to apologise for what he did to me." Angel looked at her, finally realising. Willow was in a trance. The demon had taken hold of her mind.
"No, Willow, you have to listen to me. It's not Oz. I'm sorry, but it's not him. It's the demon." Willow looked like she was about to cry. Through her eyes, Angel could see her going though some inner torment. She didn't know what to believe. Angel looked behind him, wondering where Wesley was. He was nowhere to be seen.
"Damnit!" He cried.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!" The ex-watcher's cry sreeched through the dark of the night. Angel grabbed Willow and ran a few steps back to see Wesley lunge an ax down on the demon's head.
"NOOO!" Willow screamed, Angel holding her back, pulling into his arms. To her, the demon still took on Oz's form. Angel just held her as she sobbed into his chest, her cries dying as soon as the demon's head had stopped its rolling on the ground. Wesley walked over to them wearily.
"I...I found an axe. Thought it would help." He mumbled. Angel carefully picked up Willow, and he and Wesley walked away quietly.
***************
He held onto Willow, not wanting to ever let her go. He and Wesley had finally made their way back to the car. Willow had fallen asleep in Angel's arms a while ago. Every so often, Willow would shake, alerting him to the fact that she was having a nightmare. Angel stroked her hair, letting her know that he was there. The three of them were in the car, on the way home. Wesley drove carefully, the events of the night recalling themselves in his head. He was worried about the couple, even if they weren't officially one yet.
***************
Cordelia was lounged at her desk, chewing on a lollie, and reading some more text. She glanced up from the book when she saw two large figures come towards her. She lept up from her seat, moving towards them quickly.
"I'm so glad you're back. I was starting to get worried." She said, anxiety obvious in her voice.
Wesley gave her a weary smile, as Angel made his way to the elevator. He heard the others follow his lead.
Once reaching his apartment, he made a bee-line to his bedroom. His first priority was getting Willow cleaned and into bed. He was surprised that she was still asleep; her shaking had subsided. Walking into the bathroom, Angel closed the door behind him, leaving it open a crack. Running the bath, still holding a sleeping Willow, he called to Cordelia for some clean towels and clothes. He carefully stripped the clothes off the dreamy girl, and ignored the sensation that her naked body had given him. This was not the time. He placed her gently into the warm water, and murmuring a small 'thanks' to Cordelia as she left the requested items besides him.
Once bathed, he dressed Willow carefully and carried her to his bedroom. Finally laying her on his bed, Angel watched Willow sleep. She so looked peaceful. He stroked her forehead, and lent down to her, kissing her cheek gently. Before raising his head, Angel finally said something he had meant to for a long time now.
"I love you Willow."
***************
Angel walked wearily into his loungeroom. Stifling a yawn, he threw himself down on the lounge. Cordelia and Wesley had been talking, but were now watching the vampire intently. This didn't go unnoticed.
"What?" Angel asked when they continued to stare at him.
Wesley cleared his throat.
"Cordelia seems to have found something incredible."
Angel sat up straighter. For some reason, he had a strange feeling about this.
"I was doing some reading while you guys were out hunting. I was just reading some texts that Willow had been searching through, on the clause. I decided, what the hey, I'll help too. Well, I found it."
"Found what?"
"The cure. The spell to bind your soul."
Wesley and Cordelia expected Angel to explode with happiness, but were surprised when he just sat forward.
"Can I have a look at the book?"
Cordelia handed it to him, and she and Wesley sat in silence, watching Angel read the few pages. They glanced at each other now and then, wondering what Angel was thinking and feeling. It was a few minutes until the vampire stirred.
"I don't believe it." Angel said calmly. "You've actually found it."
He looked up at Cordelia and smiled. Returning the gesture, she squealed when she saw Angel charge out of his seat towards her, his large arms gripping her small frame towards him. She patted his shoulder.
"Aah, you're quite welcome Angel. But, you shouldn't just thank me, Willow started the search."
Willow. The name brought a large grin to his face. He sat back down, not hiding the smile.
"So....someone's gonna be getting up to a bit of naughty with a certain witch are they?" Cordelia teased.
Wesley smiled at the vampire. He was very hapy for his boss.
"We have to celebrate!" Angel declared standing up.
Glancing at his watch (' 4:30am!'), he decided that his friends most likely wanted to sleep.
"Well, tomorrow, anyway."
"Are you sure?" Wesley asked. "I mean, this is a big deal."
Angel nodded. "I want to think over it a bit, let it sink in. Besides, we still have the ritual to perform, so nothing's set in concrete yet."
Nodding, and murmuring plans to each other for the next day, Cordelia and Wesley finally left. Smiling, he made his way to the shower, his thoughts not leaving Willow or he's soon to be bound soul.
***************
Even though vampire's heal quicker than humans, they still felt pain. And Angel's back muscles reminded him of that physical sensation. He made his way quietly to his bedroom. He had his lamp on, a warm gold colour illuminating the room. Willow was sound, he could hear her shallow heartbeat. He watched her as he made his way over to the bed, watching her small torso rise and fall lightly to the rhythm of her breathing. Carefully, he laid down beside her, and watched her sleep. Daylight would arrive soon. He never took his eyes off the redhead before him until sleep eventually took over his body.
***************
She could hear distant murmuring, and the hint of coffee gently touched her. Slowly waking, Willow opened her eys after a few minutes, the battle the night before having taken toll on her body. There was no clock in the room, but she could tell it was afternoon. Slowly moving her body out of bed, Willow picked up some clothes and made her way to the bathroom. Her body was screaming for the rush of hot water, and she had no choice but to comply.
"Is she awake yet?" Cordelia asked impatiently.
"I just heard the bathroom door close." Angel answered, bringing his cup of blood to the table with him.
The three of them were sitting in the kitchen, waiting patiently for Willow to rise (or impatiently, in Cordelia's case). Wesley sat with them, going over the texts. Despite the fight the night before, they ignored the exhaustion that threatened to take over them. The spell found the night before was the main thing on their minds. They sat in silence, waiting for the redhead to join them, unsure of what to say. It all seemed petty.
"So," Angel started. "Did you rest well last night Wesley?"
Wesley simply nodded in reply, his eyes still gizing over the small and delicate book he held. Cordelia looked at Angel and smiled.
"Hey guys." Willow addressed them as she joined them in the kitchen.
"Willow" Angel stood instantly after hearing her talk, and gestured for her to sit in his seat.
Willow sat, noticing the eager look on everyone's faces. "What?"
Angel sat back down at the table, next to Willow.
"Cordelia made a rather startling discovery last night." Wesley started, placing the book on the table.
Willow simply nodded, silently urging him to continue.
"Well, you know how I was helping you look for the curse stuff? Well, I decided to continue reading through some of your stuff while you guys were out fighting, and I found it. I found what we need to anchor Angel's soul."
Willow sat there silently. Did she just hear what she thought she heard?
"You found the missing details?"
Cordelia nodded, a smile on her face. Willow felt a cool hand rest on her leg. Looking over to Angel, she saw him grinning back, a look of hope and fear on his face. She stared at him for what seemed like hours, but was only infact seconds. Willow felt as though she was going to burst inside.
When it all finally hit her, she drew her arms up around Angel's neck, and hugged him tightly. He felt so good.
"God, I'm so happy Angel. This is the least I could do for you."
He smiled into her hair. "Nonsence, I barely deserve it."
"Hush. You deserve so much more."
They let go of each other, and took grasp of the situation.
"Ok, so what supplies do I need?"
"There's quite a list, but they're all here. I'm not sure if a few alterations will have to be made.." Wesley handed the book to Willow.
"Okie, a few of these things I have here with me, but we're gonna need to go to a supply store for the rest." She replied after studying the page.
She glanced up at Cordelia.
"Let's go." The brunette said, standing up and grabbing her bag.
"We'll be back as soon as possible." Willow announced, standing.
She looked down to Angel, and before she realised what she was doing, she bent down and kissed him on the cheek. The girls then quickly made their way to the elevator.
*******************
"Willow, did you just kiss Angel on the cheek?" Cordelia asked, a small smile creeping across her face.
Willow stood there thinking, and blushed at what she absentmindedly did.
"Yes," She answered. "Yes I did."
*******************
The drive to the store seemed too long for Willow. The red head kept fidgeting in her seat. This didn't go unnoticed, and Cordelia sighed at the girl next to her.
"Willow, I swear that if you don't stop moving, I'm gonna chain you to that seat."
This brought Willow out of her reverie, and the girl sat still, not wanting to challenge the brunette's words.
Finally, the store came into view, and Willow felt the butterfiles flying in her stomach. The excitement caused a moment of realisation. This was it. This was an end to terror.
*******************
The search for their goods lasted a while, but finally after filling a few bags and reaching a surprising total, the girls practically grabbed the bags and ran to the car. Dumping things into the boot, somewhat carefully, the jumped bag into the car. Cordelia's reckless driving made way for a few startled people, but it got them where they wanted to quickly.
*******************
"Angel, you're pacing again" Wesley simply stated.
Angel stopped in his walk, chewing on his thumb thoughtfully.
"Oh, right. Sorry."
He swiftly took the seat close to him. He hadn't felt this nervous for a long time, and he wasn't too sure how to deal with it. He kept chewing on his thumb, the nail becomig brittle. Angel glanced down at his handy work.
'Cordelia will kill me for this.' He thought, breaking a smile when thinking of what the brunette would say about the 'state' of his nails.
The door to the elevator creaked open, and the ruffling of paper bags could be heard as the two women made their way to the kitchen. The men met them there, taking seats at the table. Willow cleared her throat, taking charge.
"Ok. This is a bit similar to the soul restoration spell that I did last time." Willow smiled at Angel, gratefulness clear in his eyes. "This will take a lot longer than that spell though, because we are 'anchoring' the soul to your body. The demon will still be there Angel, the only way that he would be able to escape is would be a rather complex spell, if that even exists. If you grant him control, then he will get it, but overall, the soul is stronger and is the 'keeper' of your body.And you will be able to experience happiness." She stopped quietly, her mind reeling at the possibilities of what could happen. "First, we all need to cleanse ourselves, to make the spell and it's cause pure."
Willow proceeded to remove a few items from a bag infront of her. She sorted them equally, into four 'packages'. She then handed one to Cordelia. Willow explained what she was to do with the items, and Cordelia left for the bathroom. Willow then walked out into the loungeroom, the two men following curiosly. Angel watched as Willow moved a few things around in the room, changing positions of chairs, and clearing a spot in the middle of the room. Making her way back to the kitchen, Willow searched through the bags, picking out the assorted items as she found them. Back in the loungeroom, she proceeded to cleanse the room. Angel and Wesley stood back, watching the ritual before them. Cordelia made her way quietly from the bathroom, standing with the men. Soon, Willow was done, and they followed her back into the kitchen. She picked up another pile from the table, and handed it to Wesley, once again repeating the procedures he must take. He left the room, and they sat in silence.
Soon enough, they were all cleansed, and were sitting in the loungeroom. Cordelia and Wesley sat across from each other, Cordelia to Willow's left, Wesley to her right. Angel sat across from Willow, watching her carefully as she laid a few objects before her. He smiled at her, watching her delicate hands as she placed each object in a certain spot. Willow looked up to him, looking him straight in the eye. He knew that she was ready.
*****************
If he had the ability to speak, he wouldn't be able to describe what he was feeling. No questions were asked though. Angel couldn't hear a thing - it was all dead silent. He saw Wesley and Cordelia move around every now and then, unsure of what they were doing, but he knew that they were following Willow's orders. He watched her mouth move, yet could hear no sound. Angel felt like this was a dream. It was the only way he knew how to. He slowly closed his eyes, feeling as though he had no control over his body.
*****************
Willow felt strange, though strange didn't completely describe what she was feeling. She chanted the words, followed the course of the spell precisely as it was written. But she felt that her movements were somewhat mechanical, that she didn't have control over her body. Willow felt and saw the others move, she felt Angel's eyes on her. But all the time, even though she was the one conducting the spell, she felt....strange.
****************
The apartment was completely silent. The bodies of a male and female lay on the floor in the center of a loungeroom. They are the only two in this room, nobody else present. The flame of a candle slowly whithers and dies, a light stream of smoke taking the red flame's place. Stirring came from the woman as she woke up, her redhair sprawled over the floor. Gently raising herself up with her arms, she clutches her head with one hand when finally settled. The redhead then looks towards the man lying directly infront of her. She stares at him wide eyed until she sees it. Movement. The man opens his eyes. Sitting up quickly, he looks straight at the woman. He smiles gently. The spell is complete.
****************
Willow stared at Angel silently, a barrage of questions in her mind, none leaving her mouth. The gorgeous vampire smiled at her. She felt lost in his eyes, not wanting to move away. She heard footsteps behind her, and forces herself away from the dark brown orbs.
Cordelia stood silently at the doorway.
"Umm..." She started after a minute of intense staring. "So....did it work?"
All eyes turn to Angel. The vampire just smiled, and raised himself up on his feet. Walking into the kitchen, he nods a silent greeting to Wesley, and picks up a cup and heads for the fridge. Willow walked in after him, and the three humans watched the vampire with curiosity and a yearning for a response, some sort of answer to Cordelia's question. The beep on the microwave is the only sound made, followed by the sound of Angel slurping on his blood. He sat down at the kitchen table. Looking at Willow, she knew instantly what to do. Sitting beside him, Angel took her hand and kissed it tenderly.
"Thankyou." He whispered before he took her into a hug.
***************
The small group had been talking amongst themselves. The conversation started about what the first thing Angel was going to do. Glancing at Willow, he knew that he wanted to do, but couldn't. Throughout the evloving conversation about the cons and pros of Angel's new found freedom, the vmapire would look at the redhead, taking in her beauty, her generousity. He wanted to kiss her, to feel her lips upon his skin, making his way down to the place that he so longed to -
"Angel?" Willow smiled at him, knowing that his mind had wandered somewhere.
Angel blinked, bringing himself out his thoughts. He saw the redhead smiling at him, and couldn't help but smile back.
"Sorry. It's still sinking in."
Willow smiled understandably, and turned to Wesley and Cordelia.
"If you don't mind, I'm gonna go have a bath. The spell was extremely stressful, and I need to relax."
The others nodded, and Angel watched the girl leave his sight. Wesley stood, clearing his throat. "I'm going to go for some food. This is more reason to celebrate. Cordelia, would you like to come for a drive. I'd invite you too Angel, it's just that despite your now solid souled state, it's still rather light outside."
Angel gave Wesley a small grin at the Englishman's politeness, and Wesley and Cordelia left the room. Angel sat in the kitchen silently, the only other sounds were the elevator and the running of water.
***************
Willow hummed to herself as she dried her body. The bath had been fantastic, exactly what her exhausted body needed and craved. Twirling a towel around her hair, she wrapped herself up in a large fluffy towel, and made her way to Angel's bedroom. She was surprised to see the vampire sitting on his bed, his back facing her. He didn't notice her arrival. Willow stood and watched him for a few seconds, worry fluttering over her face. She walked to him silently, and sat beside Angel. He looked over to her and gave her a small smile. This had Willow worried moreso.
"Angel," She queried quietly. "What's wrong?"
He gave her a small smile, looking down to the floor. "What you did for me today. It's more than anyone has ever done for me. I'm still reeling from this. It's been something I've dreamed of, but never thought I would ever recieve."
Angel looked back up to Willow, taking in her features. Her short wet hair; the way her eyes sparkled. She was beautiful. He'd always known it, just never really admired it before she came here.
"You've done so much for me, I don't know what to say. Thankyou is nothing in regards to what you have given me. I owe you my happiness, my life. I want to repay you, but, nothing would symbolise what you and your actions mean to me."
A tear rolled down the witch's cheek. This startled Angel. Reaching up, he gently wiped the tear away. Willow closed her eyes at his touch. How she had yearned for it. His hand lingered on her cheek, gently stroking the girl's soft skin. Willow's heart was beating madly, her whole body flushed. She felt warmth develop between her legs. Willow wanted Angel. She wanted him to want her as well.
Angel cupped her chin, raising it so she could look straight into his eyes. She opened them slowly, her blurred vision clearing to the sight of the dark haired vampire grinning at her. Angel could smell her arousal. He shifted his legs a bit, not wanting to reveal his reaction. He wanted her. He wanted her, and he would take her.
Angel leaned towards Willow, her scent becomgin stronger the closer he got. Willow closed her eyes, anticipating what would come. She could feel him so close. Those lips, so near. She could her nothing but her own raggard breathing...
The lound clang of the elevator doors tore them apart. They stood up instantly, shifting their stances, looking about guilitily.
'Damn, bloody, damn..' Angel thought frustratedly. He looked at Willow.
"I..ah...I should go, let you get dressed, greet the others." Angel replied somewhat nervously.
It was then that Willow remembered that she was still wrapped in her towel.
Blushing furiously, she said, "Ahh, yeah. That would be a good idea."
***************
Willow raised herself up on her elbows, her head heavy. She'd been up late the night before. When Wesley and Cordelia arrived, not only did they bring food, but lots of alcohol as well. It was funny to see Angel drunk. She giggled to herself, but stopped after her vision started to spin. Moaning, Willow levered her head gently to the pillow, and rolled over.....coming face-to-face with a very asleep Angel.
"Oooh!" She exclaimed, not expecting to see him there.
Rolling back onto her back, she turned to watch him. Angel was facing her, his mouth hanging wide open. Willow giggled internally at him. He looked so cute. She brought a hand up to his face, stroking his cheek gently. Moving her hand in front of Angel's mouth, it freaked her a bit that she couldn't feel him breathing.
'He's dead, of course he's not going to breathe.' She thought to herself.
Glancing at her watch, Willow decided it was time for her to get up. She lifted herself up gently, not wanting to tip the boat that was rocking in her mind. Her stomach rumbled.
"Eerrrr......too much bourbon is not a good thing." She mumbled out loud.
Making her way wearily to the kitchen, she almost fell over Wesley. The disturbance to his sleeping state stirred the hung-over Englishman. Willow glared down at him.
"Wesley, did you sleep on the floor all night?"
Fumbling for his glasses, the former watcher finally put them on place. After glancing around his surroundings, and where he was lying, he looked back up at her.
"I suppose so. I don't remember much after........well......after dancing on the coffee table." He murmured, causing the red-head to giggle at him.
"Yeah, I never figured you for much of a party animal." Willow replied, walking into the kitchen. "But you proved me wrong!"
Pouring a glass of orange juice for herself, she got a large glass of water for Wesley, knowing that he needed it. He had joined her in the kitchen. She set the glass down in front of him, and took the seat across at the table.
"So, what do you plan doing now that we've killed the demon, and you've anchored Angel's soul?" Welsey asked her after sipping on his water.
Willow thought about it. She hadn't really thought much about 'what after', especially with what is almost happening between her and Angel. She replied after a minute's thought.
"I guess.....I guess it's back to Sunnydale for good ol' Willow."
She grinned at Wesley reluctantly before taking another sip of her drink. She didn't really want to go back. No one had asked after her. She had called Giles a couple of times, but they were handling things fine. But, she wouldn't overstay her welcome. Sunnydale was her home.
A very tired and messed Cordelia stumbled into the kitchen.
"Good morning Sunshine!" Willow exclaimed happily.
"Go to hell." The brunette mumbled, causing the two at the table to laugh.
"Nah, you don't want to go there. The rumours are right, it's a terrible place." Angel replied as he walked past her.
"Look at you." Cordelia cried. "You drank most of that bottle of scotch by yourself, and straight I might add, and you look like you just...I don't know....saw the first sunrise in 500 years. Bastard."
Angel couldn't help but laugh. He looked at Willow, who was smiling at him. He returned the smile. Willow stood up.
"I'm grabbing the shower now before Cordy gets it and uses all the hot water."
"Not funny Red. You better watch it." Cordelia snapped at the girl, sitting at the table.
She munched on her toast as Willow ran to the bathroom laughing. Angel sat with the others, comtemplating what to say to the hacker.
*****************
Willow returned from the shower 20 minutes later, feeling refreshed and a lot better. Her clothes hung loosely to her small body. She walked into the dark loungeroom. It had to be about 3 in the afternoon. She greeted the vampire who was sitting in the corner, reading an old book.
"Hey. Where's Cordy and Dancing boy?"
Angel smiled at the reference. Wesley was a bit of a startler, that's for sure.
"They went home. Cordelia wasn't feeling to good."
Angel stood up and walked up to the redhead, taking her hands in his. He looked at her intently, causing Willow to wonder if anything is wrong.
"What are you going to do now?" Angel asked, concern showing through his voice.
Willow smiled up at him. She knew that eventually he would ask that.
"Well....I've done all I can do. I helped you with the demon, and I anchored your soul. Job well done. So, I guess, it's time for me to go home." She replied, somewhat half-heartedly.
Angel watched her, sadness filling him when he had gotten the response. He gripped her hands tightly, to emphasize his next words.
"I don't want you to go."
This caused Willow to look up at him, surprise in her eyes. Searching his eyes, she could see that he was telling her the truth.
Smiling, she replied, "It's ok. I'm only in Sunnydale. Whenever you need me to help with demons and stuff, you can always call. Giles is a lot better now, even though he's not working, so you can always call his place. We meet up there after our class-"
"That's not what I was talking about."
No way. There was no way that he was suggesting what she thought, hoped he was reffering to. She looked at him desperately, wanting him to just blurt it out. But there was so much confusion.
"I.....what about.....what about Buffy?"
Angel gave Willow's hands a gentle squeeze.
"I was expecting that question. I've been thinking about it too. But, in all retrospect, what about Buffy? Did you not mention that Riley guy? She's moved on. She's forgetting me, and -"
"She'll never forget you."
"Ok. But she's moving on. She's interested in someone else. I've now got a chance to, too. And, besides, I....."
Angel stopped, realising what he was about to say. He thought this never possible. He thought he was doomed forever. He swallowed, and continued.
"I.....I don't love Buffy anymore. She....she will always be speical to me, always. But, it can never be with her and me, I've come to terms with that now. I did ages ago. And....that's over. A new page turned. And I want to start anew.....and I want that to be with you." The whole time Angel had stared into her eyes, almost daring Willow to challenge him to what he was saying. But she didn't. She stared back, and she believed him. He was telling the truth.
This got her all emotional, and caused a few tears to stray.
"Oh....god.....Angel."
This was too much. Too much. What her dreams had consisted of for years, with Angel, together. This was now possible.
The tall vampire took her into his arms, smiling even though she was sobbing into his chest. Once she settled, he stepped back, and stared into her eyes.
"There's no stopping it this time." He whispered.
He caught her lips.
Willow's mind reeled. She couldn't believe this. It was happening. She was kissing Angel. She returned the gentle kiss, her soft lips taking his. Soon enough, their mouths opened, and their tongues joined, sliding in, tasting each other. Willow wrapped her arms aroudn Angel's neck as he wrapped his arms about her waist. Angel picked her up easily, and slowly they made their way to his bedroom.
****************
Angel stumbled into his bedroom, kissing Willow passionately, who had her legs wrapped around the vampire's body, her hands running through his short spikey hair. He lowered Willow gently to the bed, standing up to admire her flushed face. Her hair was ruffled from his own searching hands, and desire swam in her eyes. She smiled seductively to him, wanting to push things on a little further. Angel grabbed at the hem of his shirt, and tore it off quickly, revealing his toned chest. Willow smiled at his action, and sat up, licking and sucking at Angel's flesh. He grabbed at her head. loving the feeling of her lips on his skin. So warm, so soft. When he decided to regain control, he gently pushed Willow back onto the bed, crawling over her sprawled form. He started to kiss her again, one hand stroking her cheek while the other roamed her body, her chest. Angel could feel her sweet, supple breasts under the material of her sweater. He brought his lips to her neck, feeling the warmth of the blood that rushed profusely underneath her skin. She smelt so soft, sweet. He loved it. Lightly sucking on her neck, one hand found the bottom of her sweater, and roamed underneath, taking in her soft, warm skin. Willow felt like she was in heaven as Angel explored her body. She moaned at his touch, hissed at his bite. The vampire sat up, and grabbed at Willow's shirt. In one quick movement it was off, and his eyes found her breasts. He dropped his mouth to one of her nipples, sucking and swirling the tip in his mouth. Her taste was intoxicating, he wanted more. He attacked the other in the same fashion, while his hand played with the other, lightly flicking it, causing Willow to raise her hips in acceptance, in need for more. Her groans grew slightly louder. Angel grinned at his lover, stopping shortly to bring himself to her lips once more, ravaging them again, revelling in the taste of her mouth.
Willow's hands ran down Angel's back. Finding his pants, she grabbed at them, and felt her way to the front. She could feel his erection lying on her stomach, and this revelation made her more excited. Greedily, she grabbed at the fly of his trousers, almost tearing the button from the pants in her attempt to free Angel from the material. Angel grinned at her as she opened the fly. He quickly stood, discarding his body of the trousers. Willow smiled all the time, watching as the sexy vampire stripped down to his underwear. He leant down over her, slowly kissing her, resuming his position. Her lips, so soft, so warm from his recent ravaging made him feel harder, if that was even possible. Angel slowly made his way back down to her stomach, lightly running his finger over her skin, causing her flesh to erupt with goosebumps. Sucking softly at her skin, he made his way down to her pants. He growled lowly at the material, causing Willow to look at him. She grinned at his playfullness, and watched as he very slowly undid her pants. He lent down to her crutch, the smell of her arousal intoxicating. Angel breathed in the scent, smiling, closing his eyes to savor the smell. Leaning down, he emersed his face in the smell, causing Willow to moan, loving the feeling of him there. Angel started to kiss her gently, teasing her, lightly moving his lips over her covered clit. Willow found it hard to stay still, his movements causing the redhead to squirm with need. The vampire grabbed at her pants ruffly, dragging them down her slim legs. He left her panties on, wanting to tease her a little bit more. Angel joined Willow on the bed, laying on his side to look down at her. Her face was glowing, her red lips and lust-filled eyes looked up at him, absorbed in the feel and taste of 'him'. They grasped on to each other again, entwining their bodies together, the need to become one so strong. Willow ran her hands all over Angel's chest, revelling in the feel of his cool skin. Angel nipped at the redhead's neck, causing her to stretch it out to give the vampire more access. The couple were lost in each other, revelling in the reality that was once a dream.
Hands roamed furiously about. Angel's made his way to her crutch. Slipping his fingers under the fine layer of material, he grinned at the warm liquid that had pooled inbetween the witch's lips. Gently parting them, he slipped a finger over her nub, causing Willow to groan loudly. His lips stopped the ravage they had on her neck, Angel watched the look of the woman's face as he gently swirled her clit with his finger. Wilow squirmed under her lover's touch, her body responding to his touch. She was in ecstacy, and Angel had put her there. The flurry of emotions was so many, she didn't know how she could take them all. She moaned, causing Angel to go a little faster and harder. She knew she was comming, she could feel the warm liquid in her start to ooze. She moaned loudly at that point. Angel kissed her roughly, causing her groan to muffle in his mouth. Tounges seeked each other, lapping, taking in the taste of each other. Angel's hand grabbed at Willow's panties, and before she knew it, they were ripped off her body. She found his lipps torn from her as his wet, cool mouth planted itself between her thighs, licking up her juices. She screamed in delight - it was the most amazing feeling. His toungue smirmed around her lips, sliding over her clit, causing sensations to ripple through her. Angel's tounge slipped inside her. His cool tongue felt amazing, sliding so effortlessly inside her. His tongue travelled back to her sensitive nub. Willow squrimed more in response, her legs gently shaking from the sensations that his toungue was causing. She felt one of his fingers slip inside her. She gasped in surprise and lust. Angel moved up beside her again, his finger still in the red-head. He wanted to see her face as his finger roamed inside her. Her reactions were making it hard for him to just take her now, ramm inside her and pump her hard until he came. But, he wanted to wait, to make her squirm. Willow's hand shot out, grabbing hold of Angel's throbbing shaft. This made him maon in surprise. She sat up quickly, then dived her head into his crutch, making his finger slide out of her. She wanted to be in control. She licked over the material of his boxers. She could feel how hard he was. This did nothing but increase the need she had to feel him inside her. The witch tugged at his boxers, Angel assiting in removing them. She admired the sight before her. Angel's large cock erect, waiting for the feel of her to cover it. She lightly licked the legnth, causing it to jump. Smiling, she continued until the vampire could take no more. He grabbed the red-head, who squealed in delight as he threw her down on her back. Covering her body with his, Angel leant down and kissed Willow passionately, realising that he had missed the feel of her tongue. Willow threw her legs around his waist, and looked into the chocolate eyes. Angel stared back in response, making sure that she didn't want to turn back. Knowing exactly what Willow wanted, he positioned himself at her opening, and gently slid inside her. Willow closed her eyes, emersed in feeling of Angel filling her. He started to pump inside her, slowly, and she caught the rhythm. Together they rocked, Angel sliding in and out of Willow's hot passage. The feeling was bliss, she felt so hot, so soft. Their movements became more rapid. The sound of ecstacy filled the air as the couple moaned at the feeling of each other. Quicker became the movements; Angel didn't know how much longer he could last. Willow grabbed at his back as he pumped harder. Hands roamed blindly over each other as their bodies smashed together. An urgency built up between them, and before he realised, Angel flew down to Willow's neck, piercing the skin, taking in her liquid gold as he shot his seed into her. Willow maoned loudly in response, the feeling of release and Angel feeding from her too much. Angel stopped himself from taking anymore of her, and licked the wound gently. A tinge of guilt went through him for feeding from the witch, but he ignored it, knowing that Willow would only scorn him for feeling bad about it.
They layed together, bodies still entwined and one, as their emotions calmed. Kissing each other passionately, they soon feel into a quiet slumber together, their bodies radiating from their acitivies.
*******************
Willow yawned, waking from her sleep. The cool flesh beneath her cheek reminded her of the past nights activities. She looked up at the sleeping vampire, and grinned. She was so happy - it had been so long since she had felt so wonderful. The redhead slowly ran her fingers over Angel's chest, causing the vampire to stir. He opened a weary eye, looking at the witch. He grinned.
"Morning." Angel mumbled
"Well, actually it's afternoon." Willow replied, smiling back at the vampire.
"Details." He sighed, and drew the redhead closer to his body.
This was bliss. He loved having Willow so close to him. He drew in the warmth of her body, her scent. If he died now, he would die a happy man.....err, vampire.
Willow watched Angel closely. She wanted to ask what was to happen between them now, but was somewhat afraid of the conversation. She didn't want to lose him now. So close, this was where she had wanted to be for so long. Would it be ripped from her as abruptly as it arrived?
"Angel," Willow whispered, deciding to find out now what their fate would be. "What happens now?"
He had been waiting for that question. He knew that it would eventually come. But the vampire also knew what he wanted.
"Well, I figure, we continue this, see what happens from there."
Willow thought about this for a minute, relief washing through her body.
"What about Buffy?"
"What about Buffy? She's in Sunnydale, she's moved on. I can finally be happy, and the person I want to be with is lying here with me. Buffy will always be special to me; she was the first person I loved in a long time. But that's over now. It's past. And I've found someone new, someone who I'm falling deeply for." He looked at Willow as he said this, looking straight into her eyes.
Willow couldn't help but blush. She leaned up towards Angel, and softly kissed his lips. Her fears, though, weren't completely sated.
"I have to tell Buffy." She started. "I know that she's with Riley now, but she has a right to know. I can't live with myself if I'm hiding this."
Angel just smiled. This woman was so compassionate, so caring. He watched as Willow got up from the bed, pulling one of his shirts, and made her way to the bathroom. He just hoped that the Slayer would be as understanding and compassionate as Willow was. But, he decided, no matter what Buffy thought, he knew what he wanted, and nothing was going to take that away from him.
*******************
"Are you sure you want to do this alone?" Willow nodded, despite the tears that were now forming in her eyes. She was expecting a harsh reaction from the slayer once she told her about her new relationship with Angel. The vampire leaned down to the redhead, giving her a slow, soothing kiss. It was something that Willow needed right now. She threw her arms around her love, grasping tight, her body taking in the mould and feel of his body. For memory. For later. The couple unlatched, and they walked together to the office door of Angel Investigations.
"I'll be by on Sunday to pick you up, ok?" Angel asked her, unable to hide his concern for the witch.
Willow nodded, and grabbed Angel for one long last kiss. Angel could feel the fear coming off the woman. He knew what Buffy was like, and was ready to have to go to Sunnydale to save the redhead. He watched as the hacker opened the door slowly, and followed Cordelia to the car below.
They had reluctantly agreed that it would be better to tell Buffy of the new development in person, rather than on the phone. For fear of his 'life', Willow had insisted that he stay in L.A., knowing that the sight of Angel and herself together would not go down well.
*******************
The drive had been long and quiet. Cordelia had tried to start various conversations, but the responses dwindled the attempts. Willow was too worried about this confrontation to concentrate on anything else.
Cordelia slowed the car up to the curb, stopping it in front of the uni campus. She turned to the red head.
"Good luck Will. I'll see you sunday."
They hugged silently. Willow eventually got out of the car, and stood in the dusk night, waving Cordelia off. She made her way to her building, dreading what was to come.
*******************
Entering the room, Willow wasn't surprised to find it empty. The witch assumed that Buffy was with Riley, not expecting Willow back for a few more days.
Willow walked over to her bed, lazily fopping onto it. Sighing in relief yet anticipation, she layed on her bed, thinking of the vampire in LA. She felt so lonely without him around, it reminded her of the time when Oz left. Oz. That was someone that she hadn't thought of for a while, it seemed longer. Willow was glad that she hadn't thought of him. Even though she did miss him, and would always miss him, she was glad she was over it, that she had moved on. The redhead sat up, leaning over toward her bedside table. Opening her top draw, and fumbling around a bit, she drew out a picture frame. The same frame that she had, weeks before, been crying over. Willow smiled down at the portrait of the handsome vampire. Memories of the past times they had been together came rushing back, causing her to blush. After staring at it for a minute, the witch giggled. She couldn't believe how happy Angel made her. A tear slid down her cheek. At the sound of the door being opened, Willow flung the picture back in the draw, quickly wiped the tear away, and welcomed the blonde girl who had just walked in.
"Willow! You're back!" Buffy exclaimed as she rushed over to her best friend.
Willow gave her friend an enthusiastic hug, and watched as the slayer sat down on the bed with her. She knew that Buffy was curious about Angel, and silently waited for the questions to come.
"How was everything over there? All swell?"
Willow simply nodded. She had to tell Buffy. She couldn't lie to her. She just wasn't sure how to say it.
"It was a bit scary, you know, the whole big ugly demon thing. But otherwise, it was....interesting." Willow finished, a small grin on her face.
Buffy just smiled.
"And how is everyone there? Cordelia still working there?"
"Oh yeah, still there, and Wesley as well."
Buffy raised her eyebrows in surprise.
Looking out the window, she asked. "And Angel, how's he doing?".
Willow gulped. "He's good, err...fine. A little less broody."
Silence followed. Willow's mind was going wild. 'I've gotta tell her, I can't keep it from her. Buffy's my friend, and Angel's her ex, I can't sit here and pretend that nothing happened.'
Swallowing hard, Willow started.
"Buffy, I've gotta tell you something. And......and, well, you're not gonna like it."
Willow was playing with her hands. She had tried to look at Buffy while she said those words, but found that she couldn't. She was afraid that she'd see the accusation in the blonde's eyes. Finally, the witch glanced up at Buffy, finding the blonde rather curious.
"What's that, Will?"
'Here we go.' Willow thought to herself.
"Well, as you know, I was in LA helping Angel. We spent a lot of time together, and I finally got to know him, you know? Actually spoke to him. Anyway, when we fought the demon, it turned itself into Oz....I mean, it looked like Oz, to use it against me. The demon would use stuff against people to make them vulnerable. And it did that, and it almost got me. In a way, it did. When it was down, it looked like Oz, and he was hurt. He was covered in blood. I couldn't deal. And Angel helped me through that. And, in the event of that, we got....closer." Willow stopped to look at her friend.
Buffy wasn't facing her. She was staring out the window again. The distance in her eyes scared Willow, she wanted to know what the slayer was thinking. The redhead didn't know if the blonde got the implications of what she was saying. She hoped that she did. They sat again in silence, neither daring to speak. Willow decided that she would let Buffy break the ice.
"Exactly how close did you two get?" The question was slow and drawn out.
Willow shivered. "Umm.....very..close."
Again silence revisted the room. Buffy wouldn't look at Willow, so the redhead retreated back to watching her hands fumble about. She was screaming inside. A part of her wanted to run back to LA, the other wanted to yell at Buffy, to get the slayer to open her mind, let her know what she was thinking. The silnce seemed to drag on and on. Willow glanced up at Buffy now and then, finally seeing the tears in the blonde's eyes.
"How could you? How could you Will?"
The question was drawn out between held back sobs, which only induced Willow's own to start. She tried to stop the fall, but it was futile. She felt like the worst person on earth.
Green eyes met blue in fear and recognition.
"I can't explain it. It....it was never my intention to hurt you. I just want to be happy, and Angel makes me happy."
Willow cringed at her own words. They sounded so harsh.
"I didn't mean for it to sound like that."
"I know." Was all Buffy would say.
After what seemed like eternity, the blonde simply stood up and left the room. Willow sat on her bed in silence. The sound of the lock was all that she heard.
*******************
Willow sighed, trying to concentrate on the book that she was reading over. It had been hours since Buffy had left after her revelation, and the hacker was worrying. She wasn't sure what the slayer would do. Part of her feared for Angel's safety, as well as her own. She was fearful of the others rejecting her because of her new found relationship with the vampire. Some fears had been laid to rest earlier, when she had called Xander. Of course, her friend wasn't supportive, but he was somewhat understanding.
"Deadboy? What is it with that guy?"
"Xander, not now, please."
"Sorry Will. You know how I feel about him. So, you haven't seen Buffy since?"
"Nope, not since she left." Willow sighed. "I'm worried Xander. What if she's gonna do something drastic?"
"She won't do that. She probably is just letting off some steam. I'm not too happy about you and Angel either Wills, but she'll come around. Buffy's moved on. She has Riley now. Besides, you deserve to be happy, even if it is with that broody dead vampire..."
Willow was grateful for her friend's support, even if it wasn't the most enthusiastic. Willow hadn't spoken to anyone else from the group. She felt like she was starting a war.
*****************
A distant noise stirred Willow from her slumber. Rubbing her eyes while groggily sitting up, the girl turned to see who had woken her.
"Buffy." The wiccan exclaimed surprised.
The blonde slayer gave Willow a reluctant smile, and made her way over to her own bed. Willow sat up eagerly, hoping to gain some ground on how Buffy was feeling.
"Wanna.......wanna talk?" She hestitated, not knowing whether she had the right to speak or not.
Buffy didn't answer. The girl sat on the bed, her eyes flying all over the place, as if looking for something, a thought or a object.
"How...how long has it been with the two of you?"
Her question was poised and careful. Willow blinked in thought, summoning some strength from within her.
"A few weeks. We had been talking via net for a while before hand, just basic stuff, demon knowledge, spells, incantations. Stuff for his agency."
Silence filled the room. Both fumbled about themselves, their clothes; their fingers. Finally, Buffy drew another question.
"Do you love him?"
Willow was somewhat startled by this question. She had thought, now and then, that she was in love with the vampire. But now, with the question openly posed, she seriously thought about it.
"Close. It's heading in that direction."
Silence once again. The tension seemed to build this time. Willow wanted to burst, tell her friend how wonderful things had been lately. But she wouldn't and couldn't. It was bad enough having to reveal this to Buffy, let alone the rest of it.
Quietly, the slayer began. "I am hurt by this. Hurt, and maybe a little angry........but I don't hate you Willow. I can't. I don't think I ever could. You're my best friend in the world, and I want you to be happy, especially after Oz. But I don't know if I could ever accept you with Angel. Tolerate, maybe, but acceptance is a long way away. I know you didn't set out to hurt me, but I can't help but feel a little betrayed..........Overall, I want both you and Angel to be happy. And if that means him not being with me......but being with you.........then I have no choice but to accept your decisions."
Willow felt her heart lighten at her friend's words. She wanted to rush over and hug her wildly, but decided that wouldn't be the best idea.
Simply smiling, she spoke. "Thankyou."
*********************
It had been a few days since Willow told Angel. The redhead smiled when she thought of her vampire love. Things between Buffy and herself had been a bit tense at moments, but she seemed to be dealing well. Willow saw that she was close to her destination, and hurried along. Heading up to the entrance, she raised a fist to knock, but stopped short when she could hear yelling coming from the apartment before her.
"I can't believe it. I mean, this is Angel, *my* Angel. And my best friend and my first love are together. I can't stand it Giles. I hate it. Sometimes, I think I hate Willow for it. And I can't stand that, I hate feeling that way about it. But....but it hurts too much, Giles, it hurts....and I hate her for it."
Willow stood, stuck in her stance. She was about to knock on Giles' door when she had heard Buffy crying and yelling. Willow had arrived at Giles' to discuss certain implacations of the spell she had performed on Angel. She could hear the slayer sobbing, her cries somewhat muffled. Looking through the small window, Willow saw Giles and Buffy embracing, the older man trying to calm the crying blonde. The redhead backed away slowly from the door, trying to calm the tears that were forming in her eyes. Her attempt at controlling them failed, and as soon as the salt-tinged droplets hit her cheeks, she was already running home.
Willow burst into her dorm room, running towards her closet. Grabbing her bag, the Wiccan ran frantically about her room, throwing clothes in the general direction of her bed. Her crying became more hysterical with the more clothes she threw. Making her way to her bed, Willow collapsed before it, landing hard on her knees. Crumbling into a ball onto the floor, she cried loudly into her hands. She felt so guilty, yet she felt so betrayed. Why hadn't Buffy told her how she felt? They were supposed to be best friends. Willow cursed at herself for being attracted to Angel, for him not stopping anything, for Buffy not getting over him. It was not fair! The slayer didn't own the vampire!
Giving herself a few minutes to calm down, the redhead layed on the floor, her thoughts running wild, running crazy about what to do with this new situation. Her first and only instinct was to go to Angel. And that's exactly what she was going to do.
*********************
He was there when Willow boarded off the train. 4 hours before, she had called the vampire, telling him that she was on her way back. He didn't ask her why; Angel could hear the hurt and distress in her voice, and told her that he would be there. And he was.
Gazing out the window, Willow smiled when she saw him. The man of her dreams, literally, was standing on the platform, waiting for her. Their eyes locked on each other, and she slowly stood up from her seat. Once off the train, Willow made a bee-line for him. Her eyes stayed with his as she made her way up to him. The redhead smiled, which caused the vampire to smile back, his love for her shining through his eyes. A few steps away from the man, Willow dropped her bags, and threw her arms around him. Angel caught her embrace, and buried his head in her red locks. They just stood like that for a few minutes, absorbing the feel of each other. Slowly they parted, and looked into each other's eyes. Willow smiled up at the vampire, so glad to be back with him. Angel smiled back, and picked up her bags. Silently they made their way to the car waiting outside.
********************
Willow curled further into Angel's embrace. They had arrived at Angel's apartment just a few minutes before, and had settled on the couch to talk. The journey back to the building had been quiet, Willow not saying a word. The souled vampire had an idea about what this was about. He hadn't heard or seen her this upset since she had told him about Oz. Angel just somehow knew, that it had something to do with Buffy.
Willow cleared her throught, causing Angel to come out of his thoughts. The redhead looked up into his eyes, staring deep into them. He felt as though her sight had pierced his soul. Angel leant down, and gently kissed her forhead, taking in the scent of her hair as he did so.
"What did she do?" He asked quietly.
Willow sighed. "I went to Giles to talk to him about some spell stuff, and I heard Buffy yelling and crying.............................she hates me Angel, she hates me..."
Willow broke down in tears. Angel gripped onto the girl tighter as she grasped at his shirt, holding it for dear life. The wiccan's sobs racked her body, causing her to shake from the force of her emotions.
Willow couldn't believe this. It seemed that now she was happy and with Angel, everything else seemed to be crumbling down around her. She had seen the look on Giles' face. It was one of anger and betrayal. Xander hadn't been too happy about her new relationship with the souled vampire, but she was expecting that. But Buffy. In a niave way, she hoped that the girl would be happy for her at least. She was no longer broody and snappy. Willow had been the happiest she had been in ages. But now it seemed to all be crumbling.
Angel held his witch firmly against him. He rubbed her back soothingly as he listened to her soft cries. It was tearing him apart inside to see Willow like this. He kissed her forehead in thought, trying to picture what Willow had seen. After noticing that her cries had died down some, he decided that he would not worry about it right now. Angel had a new task at hand.
"How about we get outta here for a while, to get your mind off things?" He asked the redhead, who looked up at him at the sound of his voice.
Willow gave the vampire a small smile, and nodded slightly.
She wrapped her arms around him then, and mumbled into his shirt. "I"m glad I'm here with you."
"And I'm glad you're here, little one. So glad."
*****************
The cool night breeze hit Willow's face with a blast as the couple drove down one of LA's many highways. They were on the way to Cordelia's. Willow needed to get out, be with Angel and keep her mind off Buffy. She hated that the slayer felt the way that she did towards her, but she wasn't really willing to sacrifice her happiness if the girl couldn't be honest with her. But, as strong as that sounded, Willow couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt for thinking that way either. Deciding not the dwell on it, Willow watched the scenery move past her as Angel drove them to the Seer's house.
*****************
When they arrived, Willow was surprised to see Wesley there as well. Not that she minded. It was obvious that the ex-watcher had heard the news, for as soon as she stepped inside Cordy's home, he enveloped her in a hug.
"I'm so sorry for the turn of events, Willow." Wesley exclaimed sincerely.
Willow simply smiled. "Thanks Wes."
Walking out of his embrace, the hacker felt comforted when she felt one of Angel's hands on her back, guiding Willow to the lounge room. They found Cordelia settled on the lounge, a large bowl of pop corn sitting on her lap.
"Hey Willow. We've got some movies to watch, I hope you're up for an action-packed night!" Cordy exclaimed a little too enthusiastically. "Also, there's some ice cream in the fridge. Just in case, even though this isn't a guy thing, you never know when it'll come in handy."
Willow smiled at the brunette appreciatively. This was exactly what she needed. Turning to Angel, she grinned widely, silently thanking him. The vampire smiled back, glad to see his love happy. He kissed her gently, and guided her over to the couch. They sat together, Willow in Angel's arms, while Wesley took the single seater across from them. Throughout the night, Cordelia whined about the cliche's and the acting, while Wesley corrected the historical inaccuracies of some of the films. Willow and Angel sat together silently, absorbing the feel of each other, momentarily turning to embrace. Otherwise, just happy to be together.
******************
Angel carried the redhead carefully to his bed, making sure he didn't disturb the slumbered girl. She looked so peaceful, he didn't want to disturb that. Placing her presciously onto the soft mattress, Angel drew back the sheets, and started to remove Willow's shoes. Unfortunately, his attempts at disturbing her sleep where in vain, and the red head stirred.
"Sorry, little one, I didn't mean to wake you."
Willow smiled sleepily. "It's ok, I didn't really want to doze off like I did."
Willow watched as Angel continued to take off her shoes, smiling as he did so. 'He's so damn gorgeous' she thought hapily to herself. The vampire stood once he finished, and made his way to the bathroom. Before he had left the room though, Willow called him.
"I have to ask you something Angel."
"Anything. What is it?"
Willow sighed. She hoped that this wouldn't scare him off.
"If things with Buffy don't settle, I'd like....I was wondering....if I could move here? I could transfer to UCLA, they had accepted me in before, well, I was able to go there before, when I was applying for universities. Or did they ask me? I can't remember...."
Angel grinned at Willow's babble. He chuckled quietly, and walked over to his girlfriend and sat beside her, waiting for her to finish her ramble. Willow noticed his sudden closeness, and blushed at her nervousness.
"I have a tendency to do that often, don't I?"
Angel nodded, a large grin on his face. Willow smiled back, loving the effect that she had on the ensouled vampire.
"What?" Angel asked, letting their conversation momentarily go off track.
"I love that I can make you smile."
Angel felt something move inside him. He loved it too. No body had ever made him feel this way. There was an honesty to their love, something raw, which made it all the more special.
"Of course you can live here. I wouldn't want it any other way."
Willow grinned. For a moment, the couple sat in silence, staring at each other, deeply staring and losing themselves in each other's eyes. Angel reached for one of Willow's hands, which were sitting loosely in her lap. At his touch, Willow warmed. Angel noticed the rise in the witch's temperature, and slowly leaned towards her. Delicately brushing his lips against hers, he rivisted the skin, his tongue sweeping gently across. Willow's lips opened slightly in response, causing Angel to dip his tongue inside, and lean more firmly into the kiss. Willow's free hand raised up, and nestled in the nape of his neck, gently caressing the exposed skin. Angel's hand, in response to the witch's touch, moved up her arm, skimming lightly over her left breast, to settle on her face, gently stroking her cheek. Willow sighed in response, loving the feel of the vampire, of Angel. She slowly laid down on the bed, drawing Angel down with her. Not losing the kiss, Willow drew herself closer, wanting to be completely encompassed by the vampire.
******************
Willow gazed into the cup she was holding, the warmth of the liquid contained smooth on her skin. She had been there for four days, having not yet returned to Sunnydale. She had spoken to Xander, who had informed her that Buffy was on a raving spree. Apparently she was extremely upset, feeling betrayed by Angel and the redhead. Her leaving didn't help either. But Willow didn't care right now. She thought that her relationship with Buffy was stronger than that. But it wasn't. And Willow felt like she had fooled herself for so long.
'When did it all go wrong?' She wondered.
"Cordelia, where's the Roberts file?" The voice of her lover broke into her thoughts.
The brunette sighed. "In the 'C' folder." Cordelia stated matter-of-factly.
A cruious look crossed over Angel's face, causing him to furrow his brow. "Why is it........oh...never mind."
Giving Willow a knowing and lazy grin, he made his way back to his office. Willow smiled back, and stood to make her way over. Just as she was about to enter Angel's office, a loud banging started at the front office door. Willow knew who would be behind it. She walked over reluctantly and opened the door.
"I figured you'd be here." A rather disgruntled and visibly angry Buffy replied.
The blonde walked in past Willow and stood in the middle of the room. Glancing around, she didn't find Angel, only Cordelia looking at her, not too pleased either.
"What is it Buffy?" Cordy asked, her bitterness towards the slayer not hidden.
"It's none of your business Cordelia. So why don't you make like a good secretary and get your boss, huh?"
"I'm already here."
Angel's stern voice brought the attention his way. He glanced at Willow, who had just shut the door. He was glad that she was still here.
"What can I do for you Buffy?" He asked calmly.
The vampire stood straight, hands in pockets and looked straight into Buffy's eyes. He knew what she was here for, but felt that he didn't need to explain himself, no matter who she may be.
"So, it's true? You and Willow are an item?" She queried.
"Yes, that's right. Have been for over a week now. Why's that your concern?"
With that question, Buffy fumed. If possible, steam would have come out of her ears. Unsettled though, she did not want to have a screaming match with an audience.
"Can we talk about this someplace private?"
"Sure." Angel cooly replied. "Cordy, take the rest of the day off."
The brunette's face lit up. "Thanks. Well, Buffy, you do seem to do me some good."
Cordelia packed up her stuff, and headed for the door. On the way over, she stopped in front of Willow. She grabbed the redhead in a hug.
"Don't worry." The ex-cheerleader whispered in the witch's ear. "Angel isn't going anywhere. His heart is with you now."
Willow hugged Cordelia back, giving her a silent thanks. It was what she needed to hear, even though she knew it anyway. The room was silent as Cordy closed the door behind her. Angel returned his attention to the woman in front of him.
"Ok, talk."
"I said, in private."
Angel knew what she was getting at. "Whatever you have to say will be said in front of Willow. I don't need you talking behind her back anymore."
His comment hit the spot. Buffy's face fell slightly. The slayer turned to face Willow, glaring at the redhead. Willow stood her ground, staring back, letting Buffy know that she wasn't going anywhere, and that yes, she knew what the slayer had been saying. Buffy turned back to Angel.
"Ok. Fine. What do you think you're doing? You can't be with her. Remember what happened between us? Doomed. You think it's gonna be any different with her?"
"Yes, I do think it'll be different with *Willow*" Angel emphasised, noticing that Buffy hadn't even muttered Willow's name since she'd arrived. "It's hard to explain, but it's different. I don't have to hide with her. I can can open up, reveal myself wholey. I couldn't with you."
"You never tried." Buffy threw back.
"I did, but you didn't want to hear it." Angel's voice had become low, and his eyes darkened.
Both women in the room noticed this, but only Willow made her way over to the vampire. "It's okie." She soothed, reaching up to him, moving his face to align with hers. "It's not worth it."
"Of course it is. It's you."
Willow saw the seriousness in his eyes, heard it in his voice. He was not about to allow Buffy to jump in here and act like a judge. Willow stepped beside her vampire, and looked straight at Buffy.
"I'm not your possession Buffy, you do not own me. I'm a grown man, and quite capable of making my own decisions."
"You're not a man." Buffy added harshly. "You're a vampire. Living dead. You're only 'alive' because of me. Don't you forget that."
"Wrong. You're only alive because of me. The master, remember? If we were to play 'who owes who', you would be in debt to me so damn much."
Buffy stared at the vampire, hate and anger written all over her features. Willow stood by, just watching the scene before her. Angel just stood in his place, glaring down at the woman he once loved. Once.
Buffy grewed irritated at the staring competition that seemed to be going on. In a huff, she turned, striding towards the office door, and slamming the door behind her. The couple stood for a moment, wondering if the slayer would come back. When they were greeted by nothing but silence, the turned to each other. Angel grabbed Willow, hugging her, knowing that she would be needing some comfort. Willow smiled at the touch of Angel, but tears started to fall from her eyes.
"I've lost her, Angel. I've really lost her."
Angel closed his eyes at her words. He knew part of her must be falling apart.
"You've still got me, my Willow. I'm not going anywhere. I promise."
His words caused the redhead to grasp onto him harder, and she allowed her tears to fall.
*********************
Two weeks later...
"Is that everything?"
Willow scanned the room carefully, hoping to catch anything that may have missed her eye previously. Coming up empty-handed, she turned back to Angel.
"Yup. That's it." She smiled, depsite the nervous tension that was churning within her.
Walking out of the building, and into the cool night air, Willow was having second thoughts. Could she really leave all this behind, for him? As the redhead made her way to the car, she could see Angel's broad form packing her things into the car. Standing up and closing the boot, he wiped his hands. Noticing the attention he was getting, the vampire gave his love a warm smile.
'Oh yeah,' Willow thought. 'I can do this.'
Angel walked up to the girl, and kissed her head as he stood behind her. Willow looked up longingly towards the people in front of her. Xander and Giles stood before her, their eyes gleaming with tears. There was an uncomfortable silence between the group before Willow decided to speak.
"I guess this is it." She said quietly, not knowing the right thing to say.
Xander looked at her, an internal struggle evident by the features on his face. He stood staring at the redhead, opening his mouth a few times, as if to say something, but the words wouldn't follow. After a few failed attempts at speech, the tall brunette simply grabbed the small girl in a hug. His intense grasp seemed to break through Willow's calm reverie, and the tears started. Eventually she pulled back, and looked up into her friend's eyes.
"I'll miss you Xander."
Xander nodded, knowing that he would feel the same in regards to her.
"But, I'm only in LA, and I'll be down whenever you guys need me for my wacky spells. And there's always the moviefests that I have to come back for. And Charlie Brown's Christmas."
They each broke into a smile. Staring at each other, they sent their silent love for each other, and hugged once more. Breaking apart, Willow faced Giles.
The witch looked up to the older man. This was harder than saying goodbye to her parents. She smiled shyly up to him. Giles smiled back, and hugged Willow gently. When they parted, Giles held Willow by the shoulders, and looked her straight in the eye.
"Good luck Willow. We'll always be here for you."
Willow was somewhat surprised at his comment. She knew that Buffy had talked to Giles about what had happened, and was she was afraid that watcher would hate her somewhat for what happened. But the way that he was looking at her now had no hint of hate.
"Thanks Giles."
Willow stepped back a bit, standing besides the tall vampire who had been silent throughout the whole exchange. He gently took hold of her hand, and gave it a small squeeze, as if to give her some of his strength.
"Well, we should go." Willow replied, her voice cracking with the threat of another shower of tears.
They all said their farewells, and the two men watched as the hacker and the vampire got into the car, and drove off. Into the night, to LA. Willow watched their reflections fade in the side mirror, her tears gaining freedom the further they went. She had decided after the last encounter with Buffy, that she would stay with Angel. Willow didn't want thier bickering to get in the way of the greater agenda, and she also knew that Angel could do with her help. The redhead had already transferred to UCLA, so she was set. Leaving was hard, but she knew that she was doing the right thing.
Coming out of her thoughts, Willow watched the handsome vampire beside her. She smiled at the look on his face, full of concentration. She gently placed a hand in his lap, still watching him. Angel glanced at her, and gave her one of his amazing smiles. He removed his hand from the gear stick, covering the redhead's. He knew that she was both scared and excited about her new life. Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, he took hold of it, brought it to his lips, and kissed the back of her hand lovingly. Willow smiled at the gesture, closing her eyes momentarily at the feel of her lover's lips. No matter what, he would always be there for her. Always. And for that she would be eternally grateful.
***********************
Willow was lying on Angel's bed, her mind buzzing with thoughts and implications of her move. They had arrived half an hour ago, and Willow had been silent since. It wasn't that she was regretting the move, she was just wondering what would happen. Would Sunnydale and those there forget her? Are they angry? The wiccan knew that she would get the answers eventually, she would have to stop worrying.
Angel walked into the room, and gazed over her form. He was so happy that she was here. The vampire knew that the move had been difficult for her, and was planning on making the adjustment as comfortable as possible for her. Angel loved the woman with all his heart and soul, and wanted nothing more than for her to be happy.
The couple started to move around, getting ready for bed. Dawn would come in about an hour, and they were both hoping to be asleep by then. Crawling under the covers, Willow watched the handsome vampire return to the bedroom from the bathroom. He slid in next to her, and she rested her head on Angel's chest once he was settled. They layed in silence for a minute or so, though the time seemed to travel quicker than they noticed.
Angel faced the redhead laying before him, and kissed her forehead. His action caused Willow to look up at him.
"Are you ok?" He asked, concern evident in his voice.
She smiled in response, and gently kissed his chest. "Nothing but."
Smiling, the vampire turned off the lamp next to him, and rested his chin on her head. Willow snuggled up closer to him, closing her eyes, soaking in the feeling of being with her Angel. She smiled as she felt him nodd off, his head turning away from hers in slumber. She was happy. For the first time in a long time, she was actually happy. And there was no way she was giving that up.
The End