Part 11

She was in deep shit, and she knew it, even if the senior partners weren't aware of her latest blunder yet. They'd find out; pretty soon, unless she missed her guess.

Of course, being what they were, they *might* already know, and could just be... waiting to see what she'd do. If that was, indeed, the case, she'd have to pull some sort of a plan out of her ass. Hell, she needed to do that anyway!

"All right," she said to herself, wincing slightly as her voice echoed through her otherwise empty office, "Find something that'll *work*, Lilah. You've made it *this* far; there's no way you can let yourself be beaten by a *vampire*. Even if he *has* won all the *other* times..." Her spine straightened and she nodded definitively. She wouldn't let Angel get the better of her. Whatever it took. "Whatever it takes," she said aloud, voice echoing thought. At least the girl had made things easier by running away.

Her fingers danced quickly over her keyboard, and she smiled a slightly wicked little smile at the information she'd discovered about the witch. "Not as good as I'd *hoped*," she admitted to herself, "But I can definitely *work* with it..."

Her smile grew just a touch wider as she thumbed the tab for her secretary. "Put me through to my first-ops team," she demanded, waiting impatiently while the transfer went through. "Sunnydale," she said shortly, when the line was answered with a curt 'yes', and "Now. Call when you get there." She disconnected the line swiftly and leaned back in her chair, a sly expression crossing her face as she relaxed for the first time in *days*. Her plan would work, and Angel would never know just how important the witch would have been if he'd mated her. And the witch-- wherever she was-- would never know that leaving the vampire had led to his downfall. Well, leaving him and not letting her little 'friends' know, anyway...

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

They hadn't slept long, but that was all to the good, as far as Angel was concerned. He could hardly believe what was happening to him. Or more to the point, what *had* happened. He'd never imagined-- before the previous three and a half weeks-- that Willow Rosenberg could possibly be the one to make him feel at peace with himself, and yet... there it was. She bridged the gap between soul and demon, pulling his different aspects into an almost frightening harmony, and if he hadn't been completely sure that he loved her beyond anything he'd ever known, he might have been inclined to fight the feeling. He still had his soul, too, and *that* was confusing the *hell* out of him! He glanced down at the redhead asleep across his lap, his fingers stroking her hair softly as David Nabbit's private jet flew them through the night towards home.

How could he still be all soul-having when he'd experienced more true happiness in the last day than he'd ever known? Why hadn't his demon taken over yet? Was there still a chance that it *would*, or was the knowledge of that very possibility enough to keep his bliss from being entirely complete? It was a group of questions that he couldn't even begin to answer.

A smile crept across his face as his witch shifted slightly against him, and it only grew wider when her luminous green eyes slowly opened. "Hey," he said softly, meeting her warm gaze, "Sleep well...?"

Willow giggled softly, snuggling closer to his big, cool body. "Better than I have in a long time," she told him, still amazed by the boundless love in his eyes. "Did you get any sleep, yourself?"

His hand slid from her hair, roaming gently down her back. "You know I didn't," he said smoothly, pulling her into his lap, "Or you would have seen me in your dreams..."

His self-satisfied tone was enough to turn her earlier giggle into a full-fledged laugh, and she wrapped her arms softly around his neck, suddenly feeling shy. "I *like* seeing you in my dreams..." she admitted, staring at his chest now.

"And I like *being* there, Will," he told her, pulling her tight against him, "But you needed some real, uninterrupted sleep. I thought I should let you get it *now*, since you won't be resting much once we get home. Or not for a *while*, anyway..." He could feel the blood rushing to her face, and a small, happy sigh escaped him. It still surprised him that she could blush from such an innocent statement, especially after all the things they'd done together-- waking *and* sleeping, now-- but... that was Willow, and he wouldn't change her for the world. He still needed to know why he hadn't gone all evil again, but maybe Wes would have some ideas. He'd have to remember to ask him.

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

Wesley groaned loudly as he woke, his head pounding as though it was inhabited by the bass section of a bad mariachi band. His eyes cracked open to mere slits, and he groaned again at the bare dawn light coming in his window. Slowly... carefully... he forced himself from his bed, gingerly crossing the room to pull the blinds. He and his friends had celebrated a bit *too* much, it seemed...

He remembered arriving at Caritas, and Lorne sending a pitcher of sangria to their table... he recalled getting into an argument with Cordelia and Gunn-- although he didn't really know what had caused it-- and he seemed to recollect that the three of them had taken the stage and held it for so long that Lorne had had to *beg* them to let someone else sing. Beyond that, though, he was drawing a complete blank.

He forced himself to go to the kitchen, despite his intense desire to just lay back down, and he swiftly drank almost a quart of cold water, using it to wash down a few aspirin. Finally, he allowed himself to rest he craved, flopping nearly bonelessly onto the couch. It was just as comfortable as his bed, he told himself, even as the darkness fell over his mind again.

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

They'd barely beaten the sunrise, but they'd managed it somehow, and Angel smiled wildly as he got out of the car and helped his witch out, as well. He leaned down, tapping at the front window, and when it opened, he spoke quickly to the driver. "Tell Mister Nabbit I said thanks, and that I'll call him later this week," he instructed, straightening when the driver assured him that the message would, indeed, be passed along. A softer smile crossed his lips as he turned to face the redhead he was so wrapped up in, and he pulled her close, burying his nose in her lovely hair as he committed her scent to memory yet again.

Her arms wrapped lightly around his waist, and she leaned fully and happily into his embrace, unable to believe how much just being held meant to her. The last three and a half weeks had felt like an eternity, and not in a good way. But, she reminded herself, that was *over*! He'd not only *found* her, but he'd come after her, and now, she was...

"Welcome home, Will," Angel said softly, loving the feel of her there in his arms. He pulled back slightly, staring down into her so-green eyes. He could swear that his heart almost started beating again just from the complete and utter love he saw there, and he laughed breathlessly, scooping her up into his arms. His lips nuzzled softly at her neck, and he turned. "Guess I should get you inside before you end up Mated to a big stinky pile of ash..." he murmured.

Willow giggled, her arms tightening around his neck as he carried her into the hotel. "Sounds like a good idea... Not that I wouldn't still *love* you, but..." She shrugged as best she could, a slightly wicked grin blossoming on her face. "Can't sleep with ashes. Not without making a *mess*, anyway..." She giggled again when he moaned softly, and pressed her lips lightly to his for just a moment before he set her feet on the floor. "So..." she said, forcing herself to sound serious, "I guess I'd better find myself a room here..." She started to move towards the stairs, and was completely unsurprised to find a long, cool vampire suddenly pressed hard against her back.

Angel grinned, holding her tight against him, and rocked his hips gently against the small of her back. "Oh, you *have* a *room*, sweetheart... One floor up, third door on the right..."

A small shiver thrilled her at his softly whispered words, and she writhed gently against him before replying, "Why, Angel... That's where *your* room is..." A moan flew from her own lips when he pushed her swiftly away, only to turn her around and pull her tight against him once more.

He allowed a small glimmer of gold to pass through his eyes, and when he smiled again, there was a definite edge of wickedness to the expression. "I know that," he purred, his hands traveling wantonly down her back, "But it could be *yours*, too..." He swiftly cupped her tight little ass, lifting her against him. "Unless you really *want* a room of your own...?" His wicked little small became a good bit larger when she shook her head and wrapped her legs tightly around his hips. "Good," he said silkily, starting for the stairs, "Because I wasn't really planning on *giving* you one, anyway..."

She giggled against his neck, her tongue creeping out to flick tentatively at his earlobe, and she laughed breathlessly when he was suddenly moving faster than she would have imagined. "Angel..." she sighed as he threw open the door to his... *their* room, and kicked it closed behind him. Yes, she was exactly where she was meant to be-- and more to the point, exactly where she *wanted* to be.

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

Fred watched silently from the office doorway as the vampire and the witch talked and then disappeared up the stairs, a small smile on her face. Assuming the Powers had decided to help the new couple, she had a feeling that they'd be all right. Of course, she reminded herself, with the Powers, one could never be too sure.

Still, Angel had gone after the girl, and the Willow had obviously chosen to come back with him, so... She nodded definitively and to herself. She would see to it that nothing disturbed them until it was absolutely necessary. Not that that would be difficult, seeing as her co-workers were most likely in varying stages of sodden misery at the moment. She wasn't *positive* about that, but she was reasonably sure. After all, she'd seen them 'celebrate' before. It hadn't been *pretty*.

She sighed quietly and moved to Cordelia's desk, switching on the computer. It was amazing how much technology had changed in the five years she'd been 'away'; she still had a lot to learn.

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

The small group of men slunk carefully through the bright sunlight of a typical Sunnydale afternoon, sticking mainly to the shadows. Unfortunately, the town being what it was, shadows were few and far between. It didn't stop them from trying, though.

Their leader signaled quickly for a full halt, and pulled the vibrating cell phone from his pocket as he leaned against the side of a building. "Yes," he said, voice clipped in 'proper' military tones. "Yes, ma'am," he continued, after listening for a moment, "But I can't guarantee.." His expression hardened even more, and he turned away from his men as he was quickly cut off. "This is a strange town," he muttered into the phone, "It's like the people on the street *see* us but don't actually... *see* us, if you know what I mean, ma'am..." He picked at his nails impatiently as the lawyer told him what she felt he needed to know, and finally turned back to his command. "Yes," he said seriously, "I understand. The Magic Box." Phone flipped closed, his eyes raked swiftly over his men. "You," he said, singling out the youngest, least threatening looking one, "You're implementing this. It's a standard case of spreading mis-information."

The selected man nodded swiftly, waiting for further orders. His eyes gleamed darkly as his commander continued, and a slight smile twitched the corners of his lips. This was going to be *fun*.

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

It was almost noon when Cordelia finally managed to drag herself to the hotel, a pair of truly huge sunglasses perched on her nose. She made a small grunt of greeting to the busily-working girl sitting at her desk, and headed directly to the coffee machine, sighing in relief when she finally, finally took a large gulp of the steaming liquid. Her eyes were mere slits behind the dark plastic lenses, but after a few minutes-- and another cup of coffee-- she thought she might actually *live*. "I'm never drinking again," she announced, her voice somewhat raspy.

Fred smiled to herself, still tapping away at the keyboard. "Angel's back," she said loudly, ignoring the other girl's words, "And he's brought the Willow with him..." She saw Cordelia looking around the lobby and giggled. "They're upstairs."

The Seer's nose wrinkled, even as she tried not to think about what they were most likely doing up there. Not that she begrudged them whatever happiness they'd found, but... The one look she'd gotten when she'd walked in on them was still burned indelibly into her retinas! Of course, there *was* a very bright side to the apparent outcome of the situation. "Oh, *good*," she finally said. "Now maybe he'll stop brooding and start *working*!" A small smile crossed her lips at the very idea of a non-broody Angel, but a girl could *hope*, couldn't she? "If he ever comes downstairs again, I mean..." She crossed the lobby slowly and collapsed into her chair the moment Fred vacated it. "Okay," she said, gazing at the monitor in front of her, "Where are we?"

The physicist grinned and leaned over the girl's shoulder as she began to explain what she'd managed to accomplish in the almost seven hours she'd been working that day.

"Geez," Cordy finally teased, "Were you here all *night*? 'Cause Angel's not gonna fire me, no matter *how* much work you do!"

Fred shook her head. "I was worried about him, and I couldn't sleep after I left you at the reader-dem... at Lorne's bar, so..." She shrugged and went on with her explanation.

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

His face hurt, just from the smile that had been plastered to it ever since he'd found his girl again, and he didn't think that was likely to change any time soon. She was everything he'd never even imagined having-- or not for *good*, anyway. His hand slid slowly up and down the soft skin of her back, and he released a contented sigh as her breath continued to gust against his chest.

She smiled softly against his skin, reconciled to the fact that she would probably never understand *why* he loved her, much less how it had come about. It wasn't something she would question, she decided. No, she would just accept it, and revel in it, and thank the Gods-- every moment of every day-- that it was so. His cool fingers felt amazingly good on her heated flesh, and she couldn't help but press a swift, soft kiss to his hard chest. A small giggle flew from her lips when he purred deeply, and she raised her head, meeting his eyes. "Love you, Angel," she said quietly, still thrilled at being able to say it out loud, "Love you..."

Such simple words, he thought. Two little words, one syllable each, and yet... they had the power to make him melt inside. The power to make all of him want nothing more than to *deserve* them... to deserve *her*. And he didn't; that he also knew. He wasn't good enough, or strong enough, or full of enough light to deserve having the smallish young woman in his arms, but... have her he did, and by her own choice, too! It was almost inconceivable to him, but she truly *did* love him, as much as he did *her*. And yes, it had taken him a while to realize it, but that didn't make it any less valid or true. "You own me, my heart," he said, after a moment, his smile fading at the suddenly serious light in her eyes. "You *own* me, Will," he repeated sincerely, "As much as you would if you'd bought me."

Her eyes filled with tears, and she pressed her face into the crook of his neck, inhaling the subtly spicy scent of him. "I guess we own each other, then," she murmured eventually, her hands resting lightly on his shoulders. She smiled a slow, sweet smile against him, sighing happily when he tangled the long, calloused fingers of one hand in her hair. "Although..." she teased lightly, "I've never been *owned* before. Is it *hard*?"

"Well," he answered her light tone, "I'll *try* not to make any unreasonable demands..." He tugged gently at her hair, pulling her face up to his. "Of course, I *still* need to figure out what would be 'unreasonable'..." He brushed her lips lightly with his own, a small groan slipping from him when the tip of her warm, wet tongue dove into his mouth. His eyes closed, and he met her actions with his own as he turned them slowly, lips still joined. He could feel her heart beating faster, hear himself purring loudly, and he was entirely certain that he would spend the rest of his existence happily serving his Mate in whatever ways she would allow. "Love you, Will," he finally sighed, pulling away from her mouth for a scant few moments before slowly sliding his hardness deep into her tender heat. "Love you," he said again on a moan, as he began to move.
 

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

A stunned group of people sat around the small table at the Magic Box, still trying to process what the young man who'd just left had said. Regardless of their current antipathy, none of them would have thought Angel was capable of... But still, the man had sounded so *sure*! It was possible, Giles told himself, trying to think logically; especially if the young man had been correct and things had turned ugly for the redheaded witch.

He'd had difficulty, at first, believing what Tara had said she'd seen in Willow's mind, and even *more* problems trying to figure out how Angel could have ended up *claiming* the girl. But Angel being Angel, Giles had finally come to the conclusion that he wouldn't have been willing to just let Willow die whilst trapped in her own head.

No, the vampire would have done everything in his power to *wake* the girl, and if that had meant he needed to claim her...? Well, he couldn't see Angel letting that stop him. He could understand that. Willow was a bright, glowing light of a girl; he might have done something similar himself, had it been necessary... and had he been a vampire with a soul. He'd only had minutes to come to that conclusion, but he was well aware of the truth of it. Yes, in that situation, he'd have done almost anything to save the girl.

He would *not*, however, have gone on to do the things they'd just been told that *Angel* had done. He would never have hounded the girl until her good sense was shattered. He wouldn't have taunted her until she'd been afraid to remain at the hotel. And he *certainly* wouldn't have forced his further attentions upon her until she ran off in despair! And neither, he thought, would Angel, which all led to one rather sad, yet inescapable conclusion. "Angelus." he said sorrowfully, not at all comforted by the nods of agreement from the others.

End-- pt 11
 

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