SERIES: Passing Time (#2)

AUTHOR: Tisienne Blue

E-MAIL: tisatko@msn.com

DISCLAIMER: I am not Joss. Joss owns everyone you know from TV.

RATING: eventually, a smutty porn-fest, but for right now??? Maybe R-ish at most.

PAIRING: A/W/Liam

DISTRIBUTION: Charity can have it, as can anyone else I've ever said yes to. Others, just ask, cuz I'll say yes.

FEEDBACK: tells me if I should continue on with this one.
 

NOTES: Takes place in LA in the future (about six years from now). This part is really just a bit more set-up, relationship-wise... Lots of talking, and discoveries... You'll see. But it's necessary if we're going to get to the porn anytime soon, and let's face it... why else would any of us bother???*giggle*

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Willow sighed, having finally gotten the new arrival settled in to one of the more habitable rooms in the hotel. She could feel her nerves singing, mostly due to the way he kept looking at her, but... what could she do? She supposed that what with the way Angel hadn't stopped glaring in his direction, this human version of him was probably looking to her as his only friend, and... she really couldn't blame him. "So..." she finally said, trying one more time to get him to actually speak, "You'll be okay here, right?" She placed the sweat pants and t-shirt she'd taken from Angel's room on the dresser, and smiled slightly before turning away.

He had so many things he wanted to say, but... he didn't even know how to begin. This redhead was so... so like his dead love, and yet so very, very different at the same time. For one thing, she was apparently... *involved* with the vampire, who was... another him?... And *that* only made sense-- that the two of them were together, considering, but... He wasn't sure that he understood what was going on. It seemed that Mathry'd sent him to... another world? Or maybe just... a different version of his own? But how had he ended up being a *vampire*, of all things? Unless-- he thought back to the night he'd become a Warrior for the Powers-- maybe that night had gone differently in this world. Perhaps his counterpart here *hadn't* cried out to the Gods when that evil blonde had attacked him in that alley, and if he *had*, perhaps they hadn't *answered*... but if that was the case, then... what was Willow-- *his* Willow-- doing with a soul-less monster, and how had she... *tamed* the beast enough that she was still human herself? He also didn't have any idea of what he was supposed to do now, but... he *did* know that he had somehow been given another chance with the woman he loved, even if she *was* a bit different, and apparently *taken*. He watched her, barely registering her words, as she placed the small stack of clothing on the dresser, and only pulled himself from his introspection when he saw that she was about to... "You... you're leaving?" he tried to keep the panic from his voice, but he didn't think he'd had much luck when she turned back to him, compassion in her eyes. "S... stay... Please..."

Willow smiled softly and stayed right where she was. "I'm sorry," she said gently, her eyes shining with understanding, "I know things must be kind of... confusing for you right now, but... I'll only be down the hall in my room, okay?" She smiled a touch more broadly when his eyes lit up a bit. "Just call out if you need anything..." She turned away again, and walked out, closing the door gently behind her before opening it again when he spoke once more.

"Wait..." he said, trying to wrap his mind around what she'd just said. "You said 'my'."

Her brows drew together in consternation, not sure of what he was talking about. "Huh?"

He stood slowly, and crossed the room until he was standing just in front of her, less than a foot away. "*My* room," he elaborated, "You said 'my' room... You don't... I mean, you and this world's Liam aren't..." He shook his head, seeing that she didn't understand. "The vampire. You and the vampire aren't... You don't..." He stared into her eyes and raised one brow in inquiry.

She blushed bright red then, as his meaning finally became clear to her. "*Angel*?!" she almost yelled, "*Me* and *Angel*?!" She would have laughed if he hadn't looked so perplexed. "Gods, no! I mean, he's my *friend*! He doesn't... I don't..." She shook her head at him, in amazement that he would even *think* such a thing. "We don't... see each other that way. I've known him for a long time now, and... he barely even sees me as a woman, so-- *No*, the vampire and I ... *don't*." She didn't realize the wistful tone of her voice, but Liam did.

He could feel his brow furrowing in confusion. He'd *seen* the way the two had looked at each other; *felt* their attraction, but... apparently, they didn't recognize it for what it was? On the one hand, that made things easier for *him*, because if she really *wasn't* involved with the demonic version of himself, then there was no reason he couldn't pursue her, but... On the *other* hand, he *knew* her-- knew her heart, and... he couldn't quite believe that she didn't love this 'Angel', as he appeared to be calling himself in this world. After all, in *his* world, she hadn't had a chance once they'd met... and neither had *he*. "I'm sorry..." he said, after a moment of staring even deeper into her well-remembered eyes, "I must have... misunderstood."

Willow nodded decisively, almost lost in his coffee-brown gaze. "I... I'd say so..." She felt herself leaning towards him, and forced herself to step away. "And... and I'm going now, Ang..." She sighed and pulled her eyes from his. "Ummm... what do we call you? Liam? Isn't that what you said before?"

Liam nodded, a tender smile crossing his lips. "Yes, Willow... Liam. It's my name, after all..." His smile became just a touch softer when she turned to go. "Can..." he stopped her as she was closing his door yet again, "Can we... talk-- tomorrow? I... I'd like to know some things about this world of yours; it's so... different..."

She glanced at him over her shoulder for a moment before smiling into his eyes and nodding slightly. "Tomorrow," she confirmed gently, "But not too early, okay? We pretty much keep vampire hours around here." She pulled the door shut with a muttered 'good night' when he nodded, and she walked down the hall to her room, laughing softly. Her and Angel! Whatever the man-- Liam, she reminded herself-- whatever he'd been through, it had obviously made him just a little bit insane... or psychic, maybe. After all, how *else* could he have happened upon her most closely guarded wish?

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

He didn't realize that he was leaning in his chair, trying to listen to whatever that human *prick* was telling his 'friend'-- until he actually fell out of it. He grimaced to himself as he stood, rubbing the spot on his butt that had impacted harshly with the wooden floor, and moved to his door when he heard her passing by in the hallway. "Willow," he called softly to her retreating back, poking his head out,"Could you... come here for a minute?"

The redhead turned slightly, catching sight of him over her shoulder, and sighed before turning the rest of the way and walking slowly back to his door. Apparently, she was going to have to wait a bit longer to rid herself of the dress and nylons. She slipped past him and into his room. "Well?" she said expectantly, staring at him as she sat down in the chair he'd so recently vacated, "What's up, Angel?"

Angel sighed silently, well aware of the fact that she wasn't going to like what he had to say, but... she was his *friend*, and he just *had* to protect her, because the very *thought* of something bad happening to her-- of her being *hurt* by that human *bastard*-- made both his human and demon halves... crazy. "I want you to stay away from him," he finally said, sitting down in the other chair. "We don't know anything about him, Will," he continued intently, not meeting her eyes, "And, okay, you don't get an 'evil' vibe from him, but still! He could... I don't know, he could have been sent here for any number of reasons, and... I don't think it's safe for you to spend time with him." He winced slightly when he saw her drawing herself up straight and stiff in his chair.

"You don't think it's *safe*..." Willow glared at him, feeling the anger building within her smallish form. "You think he's some kind of a *danger*? Gods, Angel!" She pushed herself up and stalked towards him. "He's *you*! I mean, okay-- not a *vampire*, but I don't think that's any reason to distrust him! Gods!" She stared angrily into his eyes, wondering internally how they could be so like, yet *un*like, the eyes of the human just a few rooms away. "Whatever happened to him," she hissed, trapping him with her hands on the arms of his chair as she loomed over him, "However he came to be here, he's all *alone*! He doesn't know anyone, has *no* idea of what our world is like, and the one person who should conceivably be his friend? Well *he* doesn't *trust* him!" She laughed a bit bitterly and pushed herself away from him. "I can't even begin to *imagine* what he's going through, and neither can you! But do you even *care*? Of *course* not! The only thing that seems to matter to you is that I stay away from him-- leave him to be even more alone than he already is, and..." She flung herself back in to the chair she'd so recently occupied, her voice softening as she fixed her gaze upon him once again. "I can't help but wonder... why, Angel? *Why* don't you trust him... why don't you *like* him? Is it because he's you, but... human? Is *that* it? Are you *jealous*?"

He almost laughed out loud at the very idea, although... he supposed there might actually be some merit in it. Not that he'd ever admit it, but... "No," he finally said, staring down at his hands, "I'm not... jealous; that has nothing to do with it. It's just..." he sighed again, raising his eyes to hers, "I remember what I was like as a human, Will, and... He may *seem* nice, and act all sensitive and caring, but... it's a game." His voice hardened along with his eyes, then. "He'll pretend to be everything he's not, until he gets what he wants, and then..." He shook his head angrily, "And then he'll be gone, and you'll never even know what hit you!"

The redhead stared at the vampire she called 'friend', her mind a whirling mass of confusion. "What in the *hell* are you *talking* about?! 'What he wants'... He doesn't seem to want *anything*, Angel, unless it's to know about this world he's suddenly found himself in! And whatever you were like as a human, that was over two hundred *years* ago, and you've *changed*, so why can't you believe that *this* version of you has, too?!" She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "'What he wants', indeed!"

Angel could feel himself getting more and more angry, the more the redhead-- *his* redhead-- defended the newly arrived human version of himself. She didn't understand yet, but she was going to, even if it *killed* him! "What he *wants*," he blatantly growled, moving from his chair and across the room before she even knew he was thinking about it, "Is *you*, Willow! And I was a *Master* of seduction, so if you don't stay *away* from him, he's going to *have* you!" He imitated her earlier stance, trapping her in her chair with his hands. "He'll tell you pretty lies, and make you think that you really matter, and then... One day you'll wake up, and he'll be nowhere to be seen." He growled again and pushed away from her, pacing the small area in front of her. "And *yes*, I *changed*-- but it took a demon *and* a soul to accomplish it, so I don't really think that applies to our... *guest*."

The redhead stared into her friend's angry face for a moment before bursting into laughter. She started to speak, but the look of confusion on his face just made her laugh harder, and it wasn't until he sat back down, looking offended, that she was able to control herself. "Oh... oh, Gods, Angel..." she said breathlessly, still chuckling, "He's really got you unhinged, doesn't he?" She stood up then, smiling her continuing amusement, and moved towards the door. "I'm not going to stay away from him, you know," she said, meeting his eyes as she stood just outside his door. "He needs a friend, and as for him *wanting* me?" She rolled her eyes again, "Honestly, Angel, that's ridiculous! I mean, he wants me about as much as *you* do!" She tried to contain her giggles as she turned away, intent upon getting out of her dress and into her flannel night things, so she didn't see the look of stunned realization on his face, or hear his muttered 'Oh, shit...'

Liam, on the other hand, *did*, from his spot just inside the door to his room, and a slight smile crossed his lips as he realized that he might actually have some competition for the redhead after all... And he'd always enjoyed a challenge. He smiled again, a bit more broadly, and closed his door before crossing the room and pulling his scorched clothes from his body. He stared at the clothes that this Willow had brought him for a moment, finally shaking his head and crawling naked between the sheets. Either his vampire-self was very different from him when it came to sleeping apparel, or he'd never bothered to tell the girl that he slept in the nude. He switched off the bedside lamp, his smile fading as he fell swiftly in to sleep.

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

The vampire sighed yet again, wondering just how in the *hell* he always managed to get himself into these sorts of messes. He'd known the girl for over ten years, although he didn't really count the first year or so, since he hadn't known her terribly well until his little round-trip excursion to hell was completed. So, almost a decade, by *his* reckoning... And that was when he'd discovered exactly how good of a friend she could be to someone; and the fact that she'd chosen to be a friend to *him*, after all that he'd done during his Angelus days? Well, that had just... floored him. Of all the Sunnydale crew-- even including Buffy and Cordelia-- Willow, the one who had had the least reason to trust him, was the only one who truly *did*, and... that very fact had scared him almost as much as it had thrilled him. Just the thought that this small, soft, sweet girl could look at him, and truly see *him*-- instead of the demon who'd wanted to kill her that first night in the high school-- was... life-altering.

From the moment she'd walked into the old mansion-- the night after she'd found out that he was back-- she'd been nothing but kind, and strong, and understanding, and... He'd never wanted to let that go. He was a demon, granted, but... having a soul thrown in there, as well, had made him truly cherish her friendship and companionship so much more than he'd ever imagined was possible, and... when he'd left good old Sunnyhell-- as his favourite childe called it-- she was the only one he'd really kept in touch with.

Oh, he'd pined over Buffy, believing her to be the great 'love of his life', and he'd visited on occasion, when the Powers sent notice that he was needed there, but... Willow was the only one he'd actually talked to regularly... and slowly, over time, they'd become very good friends.

She'd talked him through his little 'crisis' a few years back, and he'd held her hand-- figuratively-- throughout the whole Tara debacle... They'd become each others' main support whenever something had gone wrong in their lives,and when the inevitable had finally occurred, and Buffy's demise had come to pass, and Willow had said that she wanted to leave her hometown? He'd been thrilled to invite her to stay at the hotel and work with him, and even *more* thrilled when she'd accepted. It had been a *good* five years, and had seemed to be getting even better, and... if he tended to monopolize her time, well, *she* never seemed to mind; in fact, she'd always seemed to enjoy it when Cordelia referred to her as 'Broody's better half'.

He groaned then as he realized that-- as much as Willow had found Cordy's little comments amusing, *he'd* somehow started to take them as writ. That was, he finally understood, the reason he'd been so against her going out with that Jeremy person... it wasn't because he was afraid that she'd end up getting hurt... No, he was afraid that *he* might. If her date had gone well, and she'd wanted to see the prick again, he didn't know *what* he would have done, because... a large part of him-- which he'd somehow managed to hide from himself until she'd made her little comment-- a *very* large part of him considered the girl to be... *his*. He groaned again, burying his face in his hands.

"She's *right*," he finally muttered to himself, "I *do* want her... Oh, *hell*!" He flew from his chair, pacing his room in agitation. "So, what do I do *now*?" he asked himself, hoping that hearing his own voice would help make things clearer, "Do I just... *tell* her? No. How can I? What would I even say?" He focused on a spot in the air, at about the height her eyes would be, and tried it. "Will, I *do* want you; I always have, but I just didn't know it..." He shook his head angrily at his own inability to sound... *right*, and imagined her response to *that* little conversational gem.

"Sure, Angel," he told himself, his voice a poor imitation of her lilting tones, "You didn't know it until your human twin showed up and you decided that *he* wanted me. You're not a dog, and I'm not a bone for you to fight over, thank you very much!" He almost laughed, but grimaced instead as her probable *next* comment came to him. "No matter what," he said to himself in that same falsetto voice, "We'll always be *friends*!"

"But I don't *want* to be just your friend anymore, Willow," he growled in his own deep tones, "Not now that I *know*..." He stopped, shaking his head in despair. There just wasn't any way. No matter what he said, what he *did*... she wouldn't ever be his. Not when there was a non-broody, fully human, *warm* version of himself just down the hall. And not when that same other version of him was ready and willing to pursue the girl with everything he had in him.

He sighed again and grabbed his coat from the hook by his door as he left. It was still early, and he was sure that somewhere, somehow, in the five hours until sunrise, he could find some sort of an 'evil thing' to take his frustrations out on... and maybe he'd even think of a way to go after his girl himself... after all, his *other* self might be human, but... between his soul and his demon, he was fairly sure that *he* was *much* more devious.

He smirked, that thought in mind, as he stepped through the lobby doors,and out into the night.

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

She heard him leaving, and smiled to herself even as she turned the page of the book she was reading. It was his way, she knew... whenever something was bothering him, he'd go out and find some kind of evil to prevent. When she'd first moved in to the hotel, it had concerned her, but after the first six months or so, she'd grown used to his comings and goings, and had come to understand that it was *necessary* for him... cathartic, in a way. So with any luck, she told herself, he'd come home in a more receptive mood towards Liam, which would ultimately be nothing but *good*, she was sure, for the both of them... and her, too.

She lost herself again in her book, tucking her hair behind her ear fromtime to time when it slipped forward, and she was laughing at a particularly witty passage when she heard the anguished cries coming from down the hallway.

She was up off her bed in a shot, and didn't even notice that she'd madet he slight trek to his room before she was perched on the edge of his bed, her hand stroking his face in comfort. "Shhh... shhh..." she whispered softly, almost crying at the pain he felt even in his sleep. "Shhh..." she murmured again, "It'll be alright..."

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

A small part of him *knew* that he was dreaming from the very moment the nightmare began, but... the majority of him was lost. She was there with him, and loving him, and touching him, and that was the good part... but then the time came again, and she was leaving, and she looked at him, as she always had, and told him that she loved him and would be back soon... and then he heard the knock at their door, and... it had changed his life forever.

The horror faded somewhat as he felt the familiar, long-unknown sensation of her soft, silky fingertips against his skin, and he deliberately chose not to wake fully as he raised his hand to meet hers against his cheek. His fingers trailed softly up her arm and over her shoulder, continuing until they were tangled gently in her long red hair. "My love..." he barely breathed out as he pulled her full lips to his, and the dream... *changed*.

"I'm going to have to leave soon," she murmured softly against his skin, her eyes widening for a moment when he moved his mouth lower, and his teeth grazed her nipple.

"Nooo..." he moaned quietly, his fingers sliding down her torso and over her slight pouch of a belly, "Stay..." He licked slowly at the hard nub tipping her breast, and grinned against her skin. "It's just you tonight, anyway," he elaborated, pulling away from her to stare into her eyes. "Call them... tell them you'll come in tomorrow to finish it up..." His smile grew broader when she finally nodded and reached for the phone.

"Okay..." she finally said, a few moments later, "But I *have* to make it in in the morning, or they'll never speak to me again..." The rest of her comments were cut off by her deep moan when he pulled her tightly against him. "Liam..." she sighed happily.

Willow didn't know exactly what was happening. She'd heard him crying out, and she'd gone to comfort him, but... his hands, his fingers, his lips... were everywhere, and while she *knew* that what was happening was *wrong*, she couldn't seem to help herself! It had been so long since she'd actually *been* with anyone, that... she couldn't bring herself to *stop* him, and when his arm slid down her body and wrapped around her waist, she didn't even want to. "Angel..." she moaned, her breath slipping out in a soft sigh. And that was what made her realize what was happening. "Oh, Gods..." she moaned to herself as she jumped up from the bed and backed away, one hand covering her mouth in horror. "I... I'm sorry," she stammered when his eyes flew open and pierced hers, "I didn't... I mean, you were *screaming*, so I... here, and *you*... but you didn't mean... and I never wanted to..." She shook her head again quickly and turned, dashing from the room. "I'm *sorry*!" she cried again, over her shoulder, only to stop, shocked, when she felt his hand on her shoulder.

He'd been rudely pulled the rest of the way into wakefulness by the sensation of his love's soft form pulling away from him, and while he'd been a bit confused for a moment, he wasn't quite ready to let her go. So he'd listened to her going on in that disjointed way that he'd always loved, and he'd finally come to understand what was happening when the events of the last few hours played back in his head. He leapt from the bed, unmindful of his unclothed state, and ran after her. "No..." he said, catching her by the shoulder, "It... it's *my* fault. I... I was having a nightmare, and... When you came in, I guess I just... included you in it, so..."

"*That* was a *nightmare*?" she asked breathlessly, her heartbeat still rapid, "Because it didn't seem to be terribly..." Her voice trailed off, and she found herself stunned into absolute silence for a moment when she turned around and got a good look at him... completely naked. "Oh... Oh, my Gods..." she murmured, when she was able to speak again, her eyes traveling appraisingly over his body, "L... Liam, you're..." She closed her eyes then, unable to draw her attention from his proudly jutting member, as she felt the blood rushing to her face.

"I'm... what?" He wondered what he could have done to make her blush that way, because he didn't think that just his hand on her creamy shoulder would have that effect... Or, he reminded himself, it wouldn't have on *his* Willow, which *this* Willow was *not*! It was only then, as he stared at her closed eyes in confusion, that he realized... This world's Willow wasn't at all intimate with this world's *him*, and... he was *naked*! The realization brought a flush to his own cheeks that surpassed the lovely shade of crimson the girl had acquired. "Oh... Gods, I'm *sorry*, Will!" he cried, his voice louder than he'd intended. "Just... just don't *move*, okay? I'll, um, be right *back*!" He let go of her and turned, quickly racing in to his room and snatching up the clothes she'd left for him earlier before pulling them on and running back to the spot where he'd left her. Unfortunately, even though *he* knew that this redhead was an entirely *different* girl from the one he remembered so vividly, his body had other ideas, and continued to plague him with the phantom sensations of her hands, and lips, running all over his body. "Willow?" he said softly, trying to hide his arousal with his hands, "Willow, I... I really *am* sorry, I just..." One hand rose to her arm, lightly touching her soft, sweet skin, and he sighed, somewhat relieved, when she finally opened her eyes.

She hadn't been able to force the image of his long, hard body from her mind, and she knew that she'd spend forever wondering if he and Angel really *were* as... identical-- physically-- as she *thought*. Because Liam's form, *all* of it, had been just... perfect, and... She blushed again as her mind chose to dwell on the display of his... manhood. It was long, and thick, and... apparently etched indelibly on her brain. It had stood proudly at attention, and she'd found herself wanting, almost more than anything, to touch it. Fortunately, she told herself, she knew the difference between *this* man and the broody vampire she'd lusted after since she'd been sixteen, because... If it had been *Angel* in front of her, naked and hard? Well, *touching* it would have been the least of what she would have done. Part of that, of course, would have been curiosity, because she'd never actually *seen* an uncircumcised penis before-- in real life-- but the rest of it? Oh, the *rest* of it would have been sheer, unadulterated self-indulgence. She barely noticed it when he released her shoulder, and when she finally felt his hand on her arm again, she opened her eyes, almost afraid of what she might see. She sighed in both relief and disappointment when she realized that he was fully clothed, and it took her a moment to understand what he'd just said. "No, it... it's okay; I was just... surprised, I guess..."

He grinned slightly at the dazed look in her eyes, glad to see that he could affect *this* Willow the same way he had his own. He slid his hand slowly down her arm, his smile becoming a bit brighter when she trembled slightly, and he took her hand, leading her back to the room she'd given him. He settled her slowly in the chair near the bed, and flung himself, cross-legged, onto the mattress. "I need to explain to you... about before..." he began.

"No," she interrupted him swiftly, not sure that she wanted to know, "It's not... You were *dreaming*, and..."

"Please... let me tell you?" he pleaded, his heart in his eyes, "I want... I want you to understand, okay?" He smiled softly when she only nodded, and he closed his eyes, ordering his thoughts.

"The dream I was having..." he said softly, "*Was* a nightmare... or at least, it started out as one. It's more of a *memory*, actually." He opened his eyes just a slit, glancing quickly at this new Willow, before closing them again as he remembered. "It all started eight years ago. I was in LA, *my* LA, and I'd been working for the Powers for much longer than you'd think from looking at me. But in any case, I was... on a mission, I suppose you'd say, when I got a bit sidetracked, and ended up in this small bar in one of the seedier parts of town..."

Willow smiled softly to herself as his expression took on a far-away look, and his voice... his voice became almost hypnotic.

"I don't remember *why* I walked into that bar, to tell you the truth, but... it changed my life." He sighed quietly at the memory. "I went in, and... I remember it like it was yesterday... There she was, up on the tiny stage...She had two guys with her, but one of them-- the bassist-- was sitting at a table playing, that's how *small* the stage actually was... and she was singing. I swear I thought my heart would just... *stop*, right then, because... she was perfect, and her voice? It was as though an *angel* had escaped from heaven, as cliched as that might sound. It's the truth, though. And she was... the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, so... I somehow managed to move closer-- even though I'm fairly sure that my body wasn't capable of movement-- and when I stopped in front of her, and she looked at me..." He sighed again, his heart swelling at the memory. "That was *it*. Our eyes met, and... it was over. I knew, in that instant, that there would never be anyone else for me; that every other woman in the world could never even *hope* to achieve the sheer perfection of this girl I hadn't even spoken to yet, and... fortunately, when her set was over, and she stepped off the stage, I discovered that she'd had the exact same revelation, and... I was hers, she was mine, and... that was all that mattered."

She could feel her eyes tearing up as he spoke with such wistful passion of a time not so long ago, and she wondered... "So what happened?"

Liam sighed again, his eyes still closed. "We dated for a little while, and three weeks later, I finally convinced her that we should live together... Oh, I *tried* to get her to marry me, but... she said it was too soon. It was okay, though, because... I'm eternal, right? The Eternal Warrior, chosen by the Powers to do their bidding and help save the world, so... I figured we'd have *time*!" He almost wailed the last before forcing himself to calm. "But we didn't...or not *enough*, anyway." He sighed deeply, one more time. "Three years," he said sadly, "We had three years together, and they were the best years of my life... I was doing good things, stopping the flow of evil-- or at least slowing it-- and my love's career was taking off... She was recording an album, you know. She'd been working on it for almost six months, and... one night, she went in to the studio to overlay some backing vocals, and... she never came back." He could feel the hot tears leaking from his tightly clenched eyes, but somehow he just didn't care that he was crying in front of this girl-- this woman-- who was so exactly his own sweet love, only... different. "I fell asleep, waiting for her, and when I woke... It was to a knock on the door, and the Highway Patrol telling me that there had been an accident, and... they needed me to identify... to identify the... the *body*." He felt the bed sink under her slight weight, and forced himself to continue. "They didn't understand..." he said, shuddering slightly when he felt her slender arms wrap around him, "they just didn't *get* it... I kept trying to tell them, but... how could they ever believe that that cold, leaden husk just wasn't my love... wasn't my *Willow*?" He stopped then, unable to continue as the sobs overtook him, and he held her tightly to him, forgetting-- for the moment-- that she was also a Willow, though not his.

Her eyes were wide as she held him, and stroked his back soothingly. Willow? He'd had a Willow? Her breath caught in her throat as she realized that Angel had been right... Liam *did* want her, but not the her that she was... No, he wanted *his* Willow, and... from the sounds of things, *that* girl had been completely different from her. After all, she could never even *imagine* singing in public. But that was neither here nor there, she decided, as he continued to sob against her neck. "And the *dream*?" she finally asked, when his tears slowed to almost a full stop, "What was that all about?"

He breathed deeply against her skin a few times, still holding her to him. "It... I was dreaming about that night, and... I guess it was you coming in and touching me, but... In my dream, I managed to convince you... *her*, I mean... to stay. To stay home with me, making love... and she wouldn't have been on the road, and that drunk driver wouldn't have hit her, and..." He shook his head, his eyes drooping from sheer emotional exhaustion. "I'm sorry... you're just... so much... like her..."

Willow smiled sadly, her hands still rubbing at his strong back. "It's okay, Liam," she said softly, a tear falling from her own eye at his loss, "But... I'm not her; you know that, right? I'm not her."

He nodded into the crook of her neck, inhaling the scent she wore. It was different from the one *his* Willow had habitually worn, but... it was close enough for his subconscious, and... "I know you're not, Will..." he kept his arms tight around her as he lay back upon the bed, pulling her with him, "But... will you stay? Just for tonight, and... just like this. Nothing more. It...it's been too long since I've had a peaceful night's sleep... Please..."

She wanted to tell him 'no', but... he needed her so badly, and... she wanted him to feel better... besides, she was so exhausted herself that she doubted she'd be able to make it the few dozen feet to her room, so... "All right, Liam," she murmured, trying to ignore just how comfortable she was in his arms... in his bed, "But just for tonight..." She smiled to herself as she felt his body relax into the peaceful bliss of slumber, and closed her eyes, following right behind him. Neither of them noticed that Liam's door was wide open, but Angel did when he returned home a few hours later.

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

All in all, he thought as he trudged quietly up the main staircase of the old hotel, it had been a worthwhile evening. He'd dusted a few vamps, and had even managed to end the extortion racket being run by one of the more shameless local demon families, so... He was feeling pretty damned good. Add in to that that he'd stopped at Carita's, and for *once* the Host hadn't had anything *bad*to say-- except about his thorough mangling of 'Young Americans'-- and the fact that he'd actually had a chance to think about his little 'Willow problem', and... he was a reasonably happy soul-having demon.

He knew that it wasn't going to be easy, but... he was going to make nice with the new human version of himself, and learn how to act more like a human going courting. He'd let this other-him remind him of the things he'd forgotten in the years since he'd been the 'Master of Seduction' he'd called himself earlier, and... once he got his 'sea-legs' back, so to speak, he would chase the smallish redhead like she'd never been chased before. And maybe this other Angel wasn't as bad as he'd convinced himself he *was*. He hadn't really given the man a chance; especially not after he'd seen the way he was looking at *his* *Willow*. He grinned a bit wickedly as he started down the hall. And Willow *was* his, she just didn't know it yet... but she *would*!

His grin remained in place as he approached her door, and he wondered if she might still be up. After all, she'd been keeping *his* hours for quite a while, so it was possible, and his smile grew just a touch wider when he realized that her door was open. He leaned through, glancing about for her. "Will?" he called softly, not wanting to wake her if she'd fallen asleep reading, as she'd done on numerous occasions, and "Willow?"

He stepped in to the room, his eyes drawn to the book laying on the floor, and if his heart had been beating, he thought it would have stopped then. She would *never* just toss a book down like that, and the only reason it could be there was... something had happened to her! He felt his features shift as the demon forced itself out, just as alarmed as *he* was, and he barely managed to keep himself from giving in to the images of what Angelus wanted to do to whoever had hurt his... *their* witch.

Angel growled slightly, filtering the air intently for some sign of anything that shouldn't be there, but... apart from a touch of worry, and maybe just the faintest whiff of.. fear?... there was nothing that didn't belong, and... He stepped out into the hall, closing his golden eyes for a moment as he focused his entire being-- both halves of it-- on locating her heartbeat. When he found it, though, wrapped up in a completely unfamiliar one, he didn't know whether to be relieved or... *furious*, and he stalked down the hall, determined to put a stop to whatever it was that was going on.

He was fully prepared to kick down the door of the bastard's room, but his eyes widened when he saw that it wasn't necessary, and... He stopped in the open doorway, staring for a moment before his human features slid over his face again, and he turned and left, going in to his own room. She'd looked so peaceful there, in the arms of his human-self... And if that was where she wanted to be, then... there was just no way he was going to intrude, not right at the moment anyway. Besides, he reminded himself, as he stripped and crawled naked into his bed, he hadn't made his intentions clear yet, so... how could he hold it against her that she'd chosen to spend the night with his counter-part? As much as he hated the very thought, he knew he'd have to change his earlier plan... Oh, he was still going to pursue her, but... he'd have to make her *think* that he was pushing her towards this 'new' Angel, and all the while, he'd be subtly steering her to *him*. Let his human self have this one night. Because in the end, he promised himself, *he* was the one she'd be curled up against; it would be *his* arms, holding her tightly; and it would be his face she woke to... every morning, and for eternity. No, he didn't begrudge the other him this one night at all.

Of course, his demon whispered as he slipped into sleep, he'd feel differently if the girl and his human version hadn't both been fully clothed and laying on *top* of the covers...

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