AUTHOR: Rach L.

EMAIL: jiwon@sprint.ca

CATEGORY: Willow/Angel. (Main)

RATING: Probably R for some parts (violent situations and descriptions)

ARCHIVE: Sure, just tell me where.

DISCLAIMER: Willow, Angel, Doyle, Cordelia..etc. are the property of Joss Whedon and WB. I promise to return them in
'relatively' good health.

SUMMARY: Angel of Locksley comes home after years of battles for the Crusade, but his homecoming is quite not what he
expected.

DEDICATION: To the people who cursed me for Doyle's fate in this story.  Just remember, I adore Doyle. *g*

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Part 2: The Waiting

***

Come by the hills to the land where legend remains
Where stories of old stir the heart and may yet come again
Where the past has been lost and the future is still to be won
And cares of tomorrow must wait till the day is done.

***

"Shh. Shh. It's alright."

Willow brushed the magnificent fur of her mare. The morning sunlight shone through the door of the stable and she was
reminded that it was another beautiful morning.  Another morning without her brother.

Another day to protect her household.

She had many things to tend to today. One of the servant girls was due to give birth to her first child any day now.
The crops were to be cared for before winter arrived.  At the age of eighteen, she'd learned to be the head of her
household, especially after her father's sudden death and her brother's...

"Maid Willow," her maidservant and confidant, Buffy came in. "You are awake.  Have you had good night's sleep?"

"As much as a girl would wish for."  Willow continued to stroke her mere.  Truth to be told, she had been unable to
rest at night, plagued by the recurring nightmares, the nightmares where her brother, Doyle, was killed in the battle
and never returning.  She hoped it was only her foolish imagination.

"How is Maid Cordelia?"  Willow asked. There was the time when she'd not comprehended the reason behind his brother's
unswayed affection toward otherwise condescending and arrogant Maiden Cordelia.  However, with Doyle gone, Willow had
come to learn that Cordelia was much capable of caring and giving affection to others.  And also, that she loved Doyle
with all of her heart.  There were countless suitors for a fair maiden like Cordelia.  However, she firmly refused
everyone and only waited for Doyle to return home.  Willow respected her to no end.

Buffy answered, sadness apparent in her voice, "She is grieving, as always."

Grieving...Cordelia was allowed to miss and grieve for her love, but Willow did not have time. As a cousin of the king,
she had a position to uphold.

And that position was what was troubling her the most.

"Maiden Willow," Buffy hesitantly spoke up, "More gifts have arrived from the Sheriff of Nottingham today.

Willow winced.  The Sheriff of Notthingham, often referred as Spike, was making every attempt at 'courting' her.
Despite her consistent answer that she did not wish to marry anyone before her brother returned home, Spike didn't give
up.

"What shall we do with the gifts?" Buffy asked carefully.

"Return them to him and tell him that I politely declined them, since I could not possibly be indebted to him in such a
manner."  Willow turned and walked to the door.  She leaned on the door frame, feeling suddenly exhausted.

"Do you think it is a wise decision?" Buffy asked again, this time more abruptly.

Willow turned around, her expression dark. "What is on your mind, Buffy?"

The pretty blonde swallowed and spoke, carefully choosing her words, "The Sheriff of Nottingham has the power, Maid
Willow.  You do realize that he'll soon take advantage of our...situation if you persistently decline his offer."

It was beautiful outside, Willow noticed.  In her vision, the green field was reaching the horizon, revealing the
richness and the beauty of the region. This was her family's land. The old stone castle she resided in, was her
family's for centuries. This was her everything.

However, she was only a woman, she thought bitterly.  With no man to guard the household, her home was literally open
for invitation to every nobleman in the country.  And the fact she was the only close relative of King Richard the
Lionheart--who had left for the Third Great Crusade long ago and had yet to return, just like her brother--only
encouraged their desire to marry her.

A bright yellow flower with delicate petals was trembling slightly by the morning wind.  The fate of this household was
just like this fragile flower, she thought.  A breeze from the mountains would break it and blow it away into pieces.

"The Sheriff is only interested in increasing his chances of inheriting the throne by marrying me.  I do not think it
is what the king wishes. The king did not think highly of the Sheriff."

"But my lady," Buffy frowned, "Spike is known to use every method possible to gain what he desires.  I'm afraid for
your safety."

"Buffy, you've always been my friend and my confidant.   I think of you as my older sister. Not as my maid, but as my
friend, advise me.  What would you have me to do?  Would you wish me to marry a man whom I do not love?"  Willow
watched as her friend pondered.

Buffy looked at her with a determined expression, "I do not wish you to marry the Sheriff. He's not a good man and
you'll not be happy with him."

Willow smiled. "Thank you, Buffy. I have my faith in my brother.  He will come back."

Buffy said carefully, her expression pained, "How could you be so certain, my lady? It is said that a lot of men died
there. No one knows what fate lay ahead for them in the horrible East."

Willow asked, "But you are awaiting for Angel of Locksley's return, are you not?"

At the mention of Doyle's best friend, Buffy flushed.  "How could I... My lady, I have no..."

Willow gave her a reassuring smile. "You do not need to deceive your heart. I know you think of him very fondly."

It really wasn't a secret.  Angel, her brother's best friend, had fallen in love with Buffy. The Angel Willow
remembered was a spoiled yet rebellious boy. He had defied everything the class represented and boldly attempted to
continue his tragic romance. It'd ended with Angel leaving for the Crusade, with Doyle at his side.

For that, Willow could not forgive Angel.

"So?" Willow asked again, curious. "I have thought that you have longed for his return." Willow might despise him, but
it did not mean she didn't wish for her friend's happiness.

"Lives move on, my lady," Buffy answered, looking down, "Master Angel and I had an...understanding before he'd left for
the battle.  We both did not wish to continue..." She trailed off.

"I'm so sorry," Willow gently squeezed her friend's shoulder, knowing it must be hard for her.  Their love, even though
Willow had been too young to understand it, had seemed to be genuine.

"I wish," Buffy hesitantly spoke, "that Master Angel would not return here.  That he'd settle in the place he'd grown
to love.  There's nothing that awaits him here."

That was true, Willow thought as she remembered the painful end of the Locksleys.  Angel's father had been a generous
man, a good man.  However...

The Sheriff of Notthingham, he had too much power, and still was hungry for more. That was the power Buffy was afraid
of.  If Willow did not keep the balance, her family might end up the same.

But she only needed to keep it until her brother and the king came back.  That was all she had to do.

She would wait.

***

There are visions, there are memories
There are echoes of thundering hooves
There are fires, there is laughter
There's the sound of a thousand doves

***

"Doyle, Doyle!" A thirteen-year-old girl with a fierce red hair rushed to her beloved brother. Her emerald green eyes
were filled with tears. "Do not leave me.  You're leaving me."

"Hey, my baby sis," her brother hugged her tightly, "I'm not leaving you. I will be back before the stars come back to
the same place."

With her reddened eyes, the young girl looked up at Doyle. "Do you promise me? But what of the beasts of the East? They
might bite you.  And what of those ghosts that are haunting..?"

"Precious, have you been reading story books again?" Doyle affectionately pecked her cheek.

"I have, but that is not the matter we're discussing now." She insisted, "And they speak of the truth. You'd know if
you had tried to read them."

Doyle smiled. "You're the clever one, my Willow. But trust me.  I'll come back to you."

"You swear by the moon and the stars?"

If he had known that he'd never see his little sister again in this life, and that she would ultimately suffer greatly
because of this promise, he might not have made the promise.  However, he had been young and passionate, only believing
in what he'd wanted to believe.  And so he promised, "Yes, my precious Will.  I swear."

Unsatisfied, but now less anxious, Willow hugged her brother once more tightly. "Come back to me. Soon." And gave him a
light peck on the cheek.

"Hmmm." A brunette, displaying maturity beyond her years at the age of seventeen, stood behind Willow.  "Now, would you
be kind enough to give your farewell to another of your ladies?"

Her brother's face lit with a smile. "Maiden Cordelia.  How kind of you to grace us with your presence."

Willow was put down and gradually pushed out of the way as her brother shared his tender farewell with his love.
Naturally, Willow pouted.

"Hey Red. Whatcha pouting at?"

A familiar (yet annoying) voice spoke to her from behind and Willow whirled around.  "Angel." Willow put on her
angriest expression. "Do not call me 'Red'."

A tall, black-haired young man--too young to be a man, yet too old to be a boy--with dark mocha eyes flashed his most
mischievous smile. "Now, now. Why is our little princess so angry?"

"I'm not little.  You're only five years older than I am.  Even younger than my brother by two years." Willow continued
to pout.

"Five years, sweetheart, is enough to change the world." Angel enjoyed watching this young girl grumble.  Such an
innocent and pure heart she possessed.  Her affection toward her brother and family was enough to soothe even Angel,
who swore he had the heart made of steel.

...The heart which had melted when met with the heart of fire.

Buffy's heart.

Thinking of her ravishing face and her intoxicating smile had made his heart go wild.  He'd been in love with her. More
deeply than he'd ever admitted to anyone.

However, it was not meant to be.

His father had not allowed them to happen, Angel thought angrily, it was all his father's fault. He'd been the reason
Buffy had been hesitant in continuing their relationship. But somewhere deep inside his mind, something had
whispered--are you certain, Angel, that you're willing to risk everything for this beautiful creature?   He had not
been able to answer.

So he was leaving, leaving for the East.  And when he came back, he'd have the answers.

"You are making him leave me."  A quiet, hurt voice stopped Angel from his musings.

"Red, the decision is his.  Not mine or yours." Feeling somewhat guilty, Angel tried to leave, but a small hand tugged
at his shirt.

"Give me your word that you'll bring him back."  Her green eyes were looking back at him intensely.

Startled, Angel looked back at her, "What...?!"

"He had given his word, but I know it is very dangerous in the East.  I need your word that you will bring him home."
Defiantly, she held the end of his shirt like her life was depending on it.

"Fine. I give you my word." Angel tried to dismiss her, but she did not let it go.

"You promise?"  Willow repeated again, her expression serious.

Trying to block out the remorse that was sipping through his veins, he quickly answered, "Yes, I promise. You're
awfully fond of promises, are you not, little lady?"

Willow didn't answer, but just looked at him once with her deep eyes and turned away, running.

Her flashing green eyes haunted him.

***

Wherein the deep night sky
The stars lie in its embrace
The courtyard still in its sleep
And peace comes over your face.

"Come to me," it sings
"Hear the pulse of the land
The ocean's rhythms pull
To hold your heart in its hand."

And when the wind draws strong
Across the cypress trees
The nightbirds cease their songs
So gathers memories

***

Angel awoke, gasping for breath, not knowing where he was now. Looking around, he found he'd fallen asleep under a tree
after a long day of ride.  He should be getting home by tomorrow.

He was covered with sweat.  He'd been dreaming about Doyle's sister and the broken promise every night since the
escape.

He'd come back home, but he'd neither the answers, nor his best friend at his side. The only thing left was his promise
to his friend. And this time, Angel had every intention of keeping his promise.

He waited for the sun to rise and wash away his darkest thoughts.

He waited.
 

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