AUTHOR: Tisienne Blue

E-MAIL: tisatko@msn.com

DISCLAIMER: Only Serena is mine... all others belong to their respective studios/ producers/ creators...

NOTES: This is an on-going story for Nat's b-day, which was last month...*giggle*. She wanted a W/A fic with some Methos thrown in; Pretender is in there just for me. *****= change of
scene/ location, and ~~~~~~ indicates passage of time within a segment...

RATING: a hard R, eventually... I think...

PAIRINGS: W/Methos (a little); W/A; Serena/Jarod...

DISTRIBUTION: as always, Charity has carte blanche to any of my fic... anyone I've said yes to before, and list archives are fine... otherwise, just ask...

FEEDBACK: is kinda the point, dears...

DEDICATIONS: for Nat, of course... also Mystra, Slvr, Louise, Ali, Paula, KrySiEGrL, and anyone else who I may be forgetting... I really DO appreciate the feedback!!!*G*

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Willow slowly and quietly wiped the blood from Angel's chest, trying not to pale too much at the sight of the gaping wound there. It had been a difficult half hour, what with the way
she'd attacked Serena, then getting the older redhead to calm down, and managing to move Angel into his bedroom. He'd argued, of course, that he was all right and could take care
of himself, and he'd looked offended when she'd snorted her disbelief. Or at least, he HAD-- until she'd suddenly stopped supporting him and he'd almost fallen over. After that, he'd
kept his mouth shut about how tough he was.

She sighed deeply to herself then, knowing that she was about to have another argument on her hands. "Angel," she said softly, still staring at the wound in his chest, knowing that
there was a matching one where Serena's sword had emerged from his back, "You need to feed." She let her eyes slowly trail up his body to meet his. "You'll bleed out if you don't."

Angel nodded slightly at the girl, knowing she was right. "The fridge..." he said, as loudly as he could, frowning when the words came out barely louder than a whisper. "There's
blood..." He closed his eyes, loving the way her fingers felt on his naked skin, even through the pain.

The redhead sighed and shook her head sadly. The animal blood in the refrigerator might do quite well for his daily needs, but she hadn't been a Scooby for five years without picking
up a bit of knowledge about his kind. If he was going to heal, and quickly, he needed his blood fresh... and human! "Fine," she said, after a few moments. "I'll be right back." She
smiled at his wretched nod, and left the room, making sure to close the door behind her.

She staked through the living room, ignoring the two immortal women talking there, and when she entered the kitchen, went directly to the drawer the knives were kept in. She selected
a small, but sharp, paring knife, and retraced her steps, filing away the bits of conversation she overheard... she'd ask Amanda about it later.

Angel glanced up when the redhead entered the room again, a confused look crossing his face when he realized that she hadn't brought the blood she'd gone for. His eyes widened
when he saw the knife, and he suddenly understood what she was planning. "Willow..." he said weakly, "No. You can't!" He shook his head wildly as she approached the bed, the action
causing the steady seepage of blood from his chest to intensify. "I told you... never again..." He tried to move away, to stand and leave the room, but he was too weak, and his body
gave out on him before he'd even made it off the bed. He stared at her, horrified, as she sat down beside him and pressed the blade to her own arm.

"Yeah, you told me," the redhead stated flatly as she drew the sharp steel across her pale skin, "But Angel, out of the two of us... I'M the one who gets to tell me what to do." She hissed
slightly as she pulled the blade from her skin, realizing only then that in her desperation to help her friend, she'd cut herself much deeper than she'd intended. Her eyes widened, and
she paled slightly, when the blood started flowing quickly from the slice she'd made. "You might as well drink, Angel," she said shakily, watching the red spots flowering on the covers.
"If you don't, it'll just go to waste..."

He was shaking his head miserably, even as his eyes were drawn to the flowing life that poured from her. She was WILLOW; she wasn't food! And even as he was thinking that, a part of
him was remembering... the subtle taste of her; the way she had burst over his taste buds; the overwhelming thrill of her nourishing him... He'd been filled with the sense, the feeling, of
Willow that day in the airplane hangar, and while he'd tried to deny it; was STILL trying to deny it... he'd wanted more ever since. His tongue flicked out, wetting his lips, as his hand
rose shakily to grasp her arm. He raised his eyes to hers as he felt his face shift, and was surprised, yet again, by the gentle acceptance he saw. He almost groaned when she shifted
closer to him, and he DID groan when she placed her bleeding arm before his lips.

She watched his eyes in fascination as his cool lips finally came to rest against the cut she'd given herself. Her heart was suddenly beating much faster, and she knew it was because of
the fact that he was touching her. She sighed happily, realizing that this was the most intimate act she'd ever participated in... and it was so different from the time she'd bled herself
into that can for him. She hadn't thought that it would be, but it WAS... he was feeding directly from her, and the sensation of his lips on her skin, the gentle suction he was applying to
the wound, the slight purr she could feel more than hear... it was better than sex had ever been for her. She blushed then, thinking that if just his lips could make her think that, then
the totality of him would be... Friend, she reminded herself sadly... friend! She pulled her eyes away from his golden gaze for a moment, fighting the desire to pull him closer. It was a
losing battle, however, and one that was taken out of her hands when his free arm crept around her waist and pulled her down beside him. She met his eyes again, surprised, and
almost fainted from the emotions she saw there... sorrow... and regret... and most of all, love. Her mind was swimming, drowning in the things she wanted to say, but... she didn't know
how, and so she said nothing, and just stared at him as he pulled his lips slowly from her no-longer bleeding arm.

Angel sighed almost happily, and slipped back into his human face. His fingers covered the wound in his redhead's wrist as he smiled sheepishly. "I..." he began, before stopping for a
moment, and he sighed again. "Are you always going to be right?" he finally said, sounding a bit breathless, "Because if you ARE, I'd really like for you to tell me now... It'll save us a
lot of time later..." He stared into her eyes, wanting nothing more than to pull her hard against him, but... he didn't want to scare her, and he thought that if she felt just how aroused he
was... better not to take that chance.

Willow smiled, loving the softly teasing tone of his voice. "Well," she finally said, her voice shaking slightly from his nearness, "I don't know that always is the right word, but... I plan on
being right more often than not, so..." She shook her head slightly, unwilling to be distracted any further by his flirting. "How do you feel?" she asked, looking down at the still-open
wound he bore, "It looks a little better..."

The vampire sighed, releasing her wrist, and glanced away from her. "I'm fine, sweetheart... really. Or I will be in a few days, anyway." He laughed softly. "Who knew Serena liked to
play with swords?" The laughter died in his throat then. "Willow..." he said quietly, completely bewildered, "That WAS Serena, right? How could that be Serena?" He moved closer to
the redhead as he listened to her softly spoken words, and when she was finished he swallowed hard. She didn't understand why the older woman wanted him dead, and he didn't
really want to tell her, but... better she heard it from him. He moved slightly away from the girl he loved, and stared at the ceiling as he began. "I... I suppose I should tell you the rest
of it, then..." He spoke for a good ten minutes, filling in the blanks of the edited version of the past that he'd told her before, and when he was finished, he closed his eyes, afraid of
seeing her face, and the hatred he knew would be there. That was why he jumped when she moved closer and rested her head on his chest, beside the wound he'd deserved to
receive. "Willow?" he whispered, scarcely daring to hope.

"Shhh..." the redhead soothed, one arm coming to rest across his pale, toned stomach, "It wasn't you, Angel... It's terrible what Angelus did, but it wasn't YOU." She could feel the small
shudders passing through his body, and lifted herself up slightly, staring down into his eyes from above. "I know the difference, Angel. YOU would have loved her. HE would have
wanted to own her... and that's how I know that it wasn't you who did those things, even if you DO remember them." She smiled down at him as the fear and regret faded from his eyes,
and when he lifted his head slightly, she matched the movement. Her eyes fluttered closed as his lips barely brushed hers, and she sighed deeply when his hands threaded through her
red locks, holding her there.

He wasn't entirely sure of what they were doing. Well, he knew, but he wasn't sure of why she was letting him; with everything she knew about him, and the things she knew he'd done,
he couldn't figure out why she'd let him touch her, much less kiss her, but... at the moment, he just couldn't seem to care. All that mattered was that slight connection, that tenuous
brush of lips. It was world-changing, and... he wanted so much more. He slowly pulled her closer, his mouth pressing more tightly to hers, and he moaned when her lips opened slightly.
He knew he should stop, end it right there, but... he was lost; he was drowning, falling, flying, and... weak. His eyes flew open when she tickled his mouth with the tip of her tongue, and
closed again as he stretched up to meet her, their lips and teeth and tongues driving towards what they had both wanted for so long... it was sinful, and delicious, and so much less
than what he truly desired. But still, it was more than he'd ever thought to have, and when he pulled away from her, groaning, he knew that he could never allow himself to have even
that much again. It was too dangerous, and... he was glad that he was wounded, because otherwise... He shook his head slowly, and turned away from the dawning realization in her
eyes.

She had been losing herself in him for what felt like hours. His strong, capable fingers tangled in her hair, his cool lips, his sly tongue... the feel of his long, chiseled form so close to
her... it was paradise to her... everything she'd ever wanted and hadn't been sure even existed, and she didn't want it to stop! She'd barely held in her disappointed moan when he'd
pulled away, and it had taken her a good minute to realize where they had been headed. She thanked all the gods she could think of for letting his cooler head prevail, and slowly
rose from his bed, holding back a heart-broken sob. That one moment was all they'd ever have, she knew... they would go back to their 'friendship', and try to forget about what they
could never be to each other. "So," she finally said, pushing the last few minutes to the back of her mind, "A few more days, and you'll be fine."

Angel sighed to himself, knowing exactly what she was doing. "Yeah, Will... a few more days." He listened to her turn and leave, and rolled gingerly onto his back when he heard the
door close. She was distancing herself from what could have happened, and he almost wished that he could do the same, but... if those few minutes were all that he was to have,
then... he wanted to remember every second.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Amanda stared, astonished by the young redhead's dazed look as she stepped from the wounded vamp's bedroom. "Willow?" she said, concerned, standing and guiding the girl to the
couch. "Willow, what's wrong? Is it... is it Angel? Is he..." she didn't want to say it, but she couldn't think of any other reason for the little witch to be acting so... aimlessly. The blonde
waited a moment, but after receiving no response, she went ahead anyway, less tactfully than was usual for her. "Is Angel a big pile of dust?" she demanded baldly, relieved by the
girl's reaction.

Willow snapped back into reality at Amanda's harshly-put question. "What?" she cried, her eyes wide, "No! Angel's... well, he's not FINE, but he's gonna be OK, which is more," she
almost growled, "Than I can say for the bitch who ran him through!" She glanced quickly around the living room before returning her gaze to Amanda's. "And speaking of Serena," she
cooed in a deceptively calm voice, "Where IS she?"

The blond immortal sighed deeply. "She's making us some coffee. Willow," she continued, placing a restraining hand on the younger girl's arm, "She didn't know. About the curse, I
mean, and his soul." She relaxed slightly when the redhead settled back against the couch and just... stared at her from hard green eyes. "It's... she has a history with him, before the
soul, and..." She sighed again. "Look, most of it is... she's wanted to see him dead for so long that she jumped at the opportunity to make it happen, but there's a part of her that was
trying to protect YOU!" She shook her head at the disbelief in the girl's eyes. "She... she saw that drawing, and heard you describe him, and she thought he was setting you up, the way
he did her all those years ago now." She relaxed even more when the girl's eyes softened a bit. "You have to admit," she finally continued, in a much lighter voice, "That it was a fairly
reasonable assumption, especially considering... well, who ever heard of a vampire changing his ways?"

Serena watched them, and listened, from her spot just inside the kitchen door. Amanda was right. She HAD been all caught up in her need for revenge, but still... she'd been worried
for the little witch. And regardless of her desire to deny it, she knew that the older immortal had been telling the truth about what had happened to Angelus, no, Angel. He wasn't
Angelus anymore, and the proof of that was the fact that she was still breathing. Angelus would have found a way to kill her, sword through his torso or not. He wouldn't have just stared
at her with the sorrow and acceptance she'd seen in the eyes of... Angel. She sighed and turned to the coffee machine as it finished its cycle. Now she just had to find a way to
convince Willow that she wasn't gunning for her boyfriend. No, she reminded herself, remembering the rest of what Amanda had said, he wasn't her boyfriend, could never BE that to
her, no matter how much they both might want it. She could feel her admiration for the other redhead increasing. If Jarod had been in a similar situation, she didn't think she'd have
the strength to keep herself at arm's length, no matter WHAT the consequences would have been. She pulled three mugs from the cupboard and filled them with the steaming liquid
from the pot, her mind racing wildly as she set the cream and sugar containers on the tray beside them. She didn't know quite how yet, but... she was going to find a way around that
curse. After all, she had wanted revenge on Angelus. What better revenge could there possibly be than to make sure he stayed chained up; subservient to Angel's soul, forever? She
grinned slightly then, and stepped out into the living room, intent upon apologizing to Willow for almost killing her love. Her bright green eyes grew wide as she heard what the two
women were discussing, and she set down her tray on the table before them before crossing to her coat where it was laying on a chair. She pulled her cell from a pocket and dialed
three different numbers in rapid succession, holding a hasty conversation as each was answered. Finally, satisfied with her attempts to do what she could for the girl, she folded the
phone away, and turned to the others. "The guys'll be here as soon as they can," she said, into the sudden silence. She moved over to the chair by the couch and sat, hanging her
head sheepishly. "Ummm... Willow," she said, glancing at the girl from under her lashes, "I... I'm sorry. About before, I mean. I just... I thought he was..." She shook her head, unable to
find a way to explain her earlier actions without explaining everything that had led up to them. Her head snapped up, her eyes widening in surprise, when the girl responded.

"I won't say that it's OK," Willow said sternly, staring into the older redhead's eyes, "But... Angel told me what his demon did to you, so... I guess I understand, and... As long as you
don't go trying to kill him again, I think I'll be able to forgive you... eventually." She sighed, shaking her own head slightly. "It's not gonna be easy, though. I mean, he's ANGEL, and..."
She stopped herself, not knowing what else to say.

"And you love him." Serena finished for her. "I know. I don't understand it, but I know, and... You're much more forgiving that I could ever be. If someone had done to J what I did to
Angel..." She sighed then, and picked up the mug closest to her, adding a few spoons of sugar and a dash of cream before turning her gaze to Amanda's. "I heard you talking about
the legend," she announced in a sudden change of subject, "And I don't think you should. Not until Adam and Duncan get here, anyway. After all, they know more about it than WE
do." She smiled slightly. "And I'm sure Adam's come up with a few new theories in the last eighty years or so, too."

Amanda chuckled, finally believing that Serena had given up on killing the vampire... she hadn't glanced even once at the door he was laying behind. "I'm sure you're right," she
almost purred, picking up a coffee of her own and sipping it, black. "So what should we talk about then?" she teased. "Oh, wait! I know! Willow here can tell us why she was so dazed
and flushed when she came out of her Angel's room earlier! What happened, Will? A little illicit lip-action?" She smiled slyly, and chuckled some more, mostly to herself, when the girl
in question turned bright red and started stammering a reply. If nothing else, she knew she'd be able to eek hours of amusement from that one moment.

End-- pt 12

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