Part One
It wasn't unusual for Will to be called down to Detective Harris' office. As rumors passed by in the police building, people whispered about how friendly, smart, and talented Will had a secret death wish. The rumor did have its truths; it explained why he let his partner, Wesley, do all the paper work, why everyone at the local target range knew him by name, why half the time the medical crew was waiting just for him...
Everyone also remembered when Will was an easy going, stick to the book kind of officer who never did anything out of the books orders and who always tried to avoid danger like any sane officer. Then, two, maybe even three, years ago when a robbery had dire consequences of a girl Will had known and many presumed, loved, had been killed because he and everyone had been following the book's orders.
Some people say Will went crazy after seeing her get shot and he beat the robber senseless, while others say he stuck to the book, caught the robber as the robber tried to escape and knocked him unconscious. Many people argued that it didn't matter, and it really doesn't because that isn't the point. Will was a wild card, and that's what lead him on this wild adventure.
**
"Yo, you wanted to see me?" Will's accent was unmistakable, a little bit of his English roots in the midst of a heavy New York copper accent. Will was by no means a bad looking man; dyed blonde hair, intense blue eyes, and a smile that drove all the girls wild, but his legendary danger streak made him famous and as handsome as we was, unattainable.
Detective Xander Harris, another handsome man who was Will's old partner, shook his head as the rogue officer slandered into his office. His brown eyes were full of mirth as he shuffled around papers on his desk, and if he moved in just the right angle Will could see the light reflect off of Xander's promise ring. "Will," Xander's alto made Will jump back into the present, "I heard you ran into open gunfire and clocked a man on the head with his own gun… Now we both know I am a number one fan of your antics, but this is slightly too extreme."
Will slouched in his chair, and gave Xander a nonchalant smile. "It was just the right extreme. We apprehended the guy, right?" Xander sighed and looked at him just as a knock sounded out through the office. Buffy, Xander's own personal bubbly secretary came in and her smile was almost as disarming as her easy flipping moves. "Ang is here to see ya, Xand. He brought lunch." She held up a sandwich of some sort and opened the door so the handsome man could proceed. Buffy glanced at Will and gave him a cute smile. "Heya, Will. Heard 'bout your stunt today. Pretty impressive if ya ask me."
Xander sighed, "That's why we didn't ask you, Buff." Ignoring her semi-hurt look he signaled her out. She gave a wave to Will, glared at Xand then shut the door behind her. Angel sat down in the seat next to Will and he smiled at him. "Hey, Will. Hungry? I've made enough sandwiches to feed a platoon let alone Xand." He gave Will two sandwiches and Will thanked him, noting the similar promise band on Angel's finger.
Only when Xander coughed was the attention brought back to him. "Will, please try to keep your actions under district control. And Angel," he shot the man a pained look, "Don't ever give Buffy any caffeine again… ever." He grabbed a sandwich from Will's hand and took a bite. He ignored Will's indignant shout and accepted a soda can from Angel. "See, Will, you could have lunch brought to you everyday like me if you settle down." The head officer leaned back in his chair and smiled at the two men sitting in his office. "Just like old times, huh?"
The other two men were silent.
** End Part One (Excuse my lousy accent for the girl)
It was a busy time of the year somewhere else, somewhere not as tame as She would have the normal person believe. All the Angels were busy on their own missions and Erika herself to handle all the souls, and there was quite an abundance, pouring in unguided. Half-snarling, she showed them where they were supposed to go, even if it was slightly unfriendly.
Stomping down her Master's corridor, Erika opened the door to find her Master lying about on Her bed. "What in all the seven hells are you doing 'ere? Don' you know you gots a job t' do?" Erika's old accent slipped into use as she approached the other worldly creature. The Angel of Death sat up, her long red curly hair sweeping around her face, black bangs nearly covering her shocking green eyes with specks of black.
"I got bored… Those people are so… dreary." The Angel waved her hand indignantly, leaning on a hand like she was some sort of noble. Her minion sighed and thought of a way to plead with her master. "I never thought this job would be so dreadfully boring… If I had known that Bastard," Erika cowered as she cursed His name and prayed to Him that he would forgive her Master's tongue, "would stick me in such a place, I would have stuck the position up his - "
"Please! The souls are a pourin' in, with no ones to guide 'em! All the Angels are out in other countries… In the US, no, in New York itself seven deaths are a goin' ta take place! We need ya ta - " Her words cut off as the Angel stood up and unfurled her feathery black wings.
"Give me the list." Were the last words she said, before she was gone. Erika sighed thankfully as her Master took flight and she scurried off to the entrance, where a line had started up. "O' for the love of Christ! Stand in a single file, you got all eternity no need to be complaining 'bout a couple o' years!"
**
The Angel of Death approached the crime scene with caution. It would not do for someone to see her, for it would prove quite troublesome. She had long since forgotten her old name, though she vainly tried to remember it, and thus questions would be hard to answer.
She floated above the flashing lights with caution, her arms crossed over her chest. "I knew this was going to be a bother," she told herself as she soared down lower to make her way into the actual place. The building itself was nothing when you were neither seen nor heard by those not close to death, and she easily passed everyone without a care. The building would be a maze of twists and turns but she flied expertly through the rooms, and found herself at the main scene in less than a minute. A quick glance, proved to be fruitful as she saw a two men facing off with each other with their guns. The man lying down next to one was already dead when she got there and his soul was waiting to be guided. She confirmed that the soul on the floor was the one she was after when she noticed something unexpected happened. She quickly showed him the way and turned her all knowing eyes to the scene.
The two partners were drawing off and one, with a crazy smirk shot, and in a split second she saw the outcome of that occurrence. After the man went down with the shot through the leg he stepped closer as if to finish the job. She snarled to herself, wanting the man to not pay for his crimes but not wanting to let an innocent man die so she swooped down from the rafters to push him down. She was sure he could see her, her being so close to the astral plane and she made sure it looked like she was angry. "What the hell are you doing?" She hissed angrily at him, and she grabbed his shirt roughly, picking him up.
"I… I… I…" The man stuttered, his eyes gone wide and his heart skipping beats; he was more than likely going to have a heart attack… he aimed a gun at her chest, his hand quivering. She knocked it aside without a second thought, shaking him as she landed on the ground and tucked her wings out of normal sight.
"Why didn't you just run? All you had to do was grab the drugs and run! Why the hell would you shoot your partner! You have no morals and you are going straight to Hell." She was planning to spit on him when he started to laugh. She looked at him oddly, as his laugh flourished and sounded more… crazy every minute. He raised a gun to her chest, and she snarled, "Why won't you listen to me you bastard? I'm trying to save you here!" A cry startled them both, "Will!" and a man moved out of the shadows.
Will… Will… that sounds like something familiar… She grasped onto the thin shreds of memory she still possessed, trying to find why that sounded so familiar… "Will, stop!" The Angel turned, dropping the idiot to see the cop staring at her. He could see her… he could see her! She cursed herself for getting to wrapped up and she started to disappear when a hand wrapped around her wrist, pulling her out of the way of a gun shot. He rolled them over, so that he was protecting her and as he loaded his gun up with ammo he smiled at her. "I'm Will… what's your name beautiful?"
Beautiful…
tree…
Sleeping…
sleeping…
Will...
What seemed to be a glass wall surrounding her memories, started to crack.
"Willow… my name is Willow."
** End Part Three
(go back a bit)
After the call had come in over the radio Xander had added in a snide, "Will, if I hear you do anything reckless - " Will promptly shut off his radio and swerved the car around suddenly. His partner, Wesley hung on for dear life.
"Will, for all things sacred!" Will grinned at Wesley's form of a curse, and looked over at his partner. While he had always been in Will's department, Will had barely noticed him until two, maybe even three, years ago when he became his partner. Wesley had just gotten married to a girl he had been dating, Cordelia?, and his vacation had made him get relaxed against Will's antics.
"Wes, my man, you need to chill. Have I ever lead us wrong before?" Wesley glared at him unsure if he should answer him seriously or not. "Okay, have I ever lead YOU wrong, if not myself?" Will cleared up and Wesley merely "gestured" to his arm. Will nearly flinched; Wesley had been running after Will once and while Will was capturing the criminal, another got behind Wesley and shot him in the arm by accident. "Okay, that one was kinda my fault. But I told you to stay back, didn't I?"
Wesley merely sighed, a faint smile on his face. They both knew as much as he cared not to admit it, that he loved working as a cop, and with Will. Will smile a sadistic little smile and added, jokingly, "As a matter of fact, I can recall quite clearly you whooping with joy and telling me - "
"Oh, put a sock in it, we are at the crime scene." Wesley chided him, laughter in his voice.
As the began to leave the car, Wesley said to Will, "Remember what Xander said - no reckl -"
"Yeah, Wes. Of course!" Will said, cutting him off and continuing onto the crime scene. He briefly nodded at the officers and asked what the situation was. "There are three men inside, transporting illegal drugs. One of them tipped us off and one went beserk and killed one man, and is holding a gun to the other. He is claiming that he'll kill the other one if we come in. And frankly, I don't believe he… Where the hell you goin', Will?"
But it was too late, Will had already started going inside. He could hear vague sounds of talking and he began walking silently and slowly towards them, making them act as a guide. He stalked closer and he heard a gun shot. Now, he started to run. He heard a woman's voice, and he paused. Where the Hell was that coming from? She couldn't be inside… He rounded the corner, keeping out of sight.
"…going to straight to hell." The woman's voice said as he finally go the situation in view. He turned on his radio, very softly and reported in. "One dead, one with a gun and…" for some reason he felt that he shouldn't say anything about the woman. "… he's pointing it at the other one." He switched off the unit and closed his eyes. He could feel her presence just as well as he could feel his own. It was dark, bleak, lonely… and it made her all the more beautiful. He could see her in his mind, her long curly hair, cold eyes, cold skin… cold heart. She was the perfect Angel… the perfect Angel of Death. He thought he had seen her before, glimpses, just like the others. They hung out more or less at the same places; she taking away the dead ones and him taking away the warm ones. She was the girl of his dreams… he wanted to touch her, and he felt a slight stab of irrational jealousy as the whiny bastard got his face close to her's and put a gun to her chest.
"Will!" Wesley shouted, through his telecom unit, and Will cursed. He stepped out of the shadows and went into the main area. "Will, stop!" He switched off the unit and started at her for a minute. She had dropped the man and she almost looked nervous that he could see her. She wasn't paying attention, but he was. Just in time, in more ways then one, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the way of the gun shot. He made sure they stopped rolling so that his back was to the mad man, in a way protecting her. He drew ammo out of his pocket and smiled at her, "I'm Will… what's your name, beautiful?"
Her eyes widened almost unperceptibly, but to someone who knew her face as well as Will did, it was all the more noticeable. He was half afraid she wasn't going to answer before he risked his life for her, but an eloquent voice whispered from under him, almost shocked with the information, "Willow… my name is Willow."
"A lovely name for a lovely Angel… if you'll excuse me, I got my job to do."
Willow stared in shock at his retreating back, her eyes wide. How did he know…?
**End Part Four
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