Willow stroked Ethan's hair slowly as they sat on the plane, he was asleep in the window seat, curled up with his head on her lap. He had slept since they had left and Willow thanked the Goddess that he had, she couldn't explain what she'd done. She'd killed his father, the only man in their family he'd really known. Steven's father, Ethan's namesake, had died of a heart attack twelve years before Willow'd even met Steven. Ethan had talked to Ira and Sheila on the phone who had refused to come see him, demanding that Willow and Steven bring him to see them.
Willow had adamantly refused to go back to Sunnydale, not after what had happened between her, Buffy and Dawn. The redhead had been high on magick and had wrecked a stolen car with Dawn in it. Dawn had fractured her arm...that had been the last straw for Buffy. Willow closed her eyes as she remembered the conversation they had had.
"Get up," Buffy demanded, a harsh edge to her voice.
"I screwed it up, everything, Tara..." Willow cried. Buffy jerked Willow to her feet.
"Yeah, you know what, you did screw up, okay? You could have killed her! You almost did!" Buffy growled.
"I know! I know! I can't stop, Buffy! I tried and I can't. I can't! I can't, I ju...God, I need help," Willow sobbed.
Buffy glared at the redhead. "Yeah, you need help and not from us. You did this to yourself: you're on your own, Willow."
"Please! Please help me, please," Willow begged.
"NO! You almost killed my sister, the only family I HAVE LEFT - unless you count an absent-tee father! I am sick and tired of you and your magick," Buffy stated coldly. "I NEVER want to see you EVER again. Get out of my life, get out of my town."
And so Willow had left, gone to New York where she had accepted the job she had been offered at Sunnydale High's Career Week, just before Kendra had come to town. She worked hard and finally overcame her magick addiction and completed college at NYC. Then she had met Steven Andrew Sullivan. He was a smart-aleck and at first she hadn't liked him until a professor begged her to tutor him.
Willow tutored him and slowly she fell in love with him, he was charming and witty and NORMAL...his normalcy demanded that she be normal as well. A year later, they married and Willow had quit her job. Barely a year after their marriage, Ethan was born. And Willow's life was complete...until the fighting started. Now Steven was dead.
The redhead winced as Ethan murmured something in his sleep. Her eyes turned to him, he was her world and she wasn't going to lose him. The plane landed an hour later, Willow woke Ethan and they collected their baggage. Willow hailed a taxi and gave him the directions to the Hyperion Hotel. "Mama, where are we going?" Ethan asked.
"To one of mommy's friends, baby," she answered as she stared out the window, trying to think of anything she could say to validate her reason for coming to L.A. without telling the truth.
The cab stopped. "That'll be twenty dollars, ma'am," the driver said. Willow nodded and dug a bill out of her wallet.
"Here," she said as she and Ethan left the cab to grab their things.
Noticing the woman was unaware that she had given him an eighty dollar tip, the driver smirked. With a quick nod and a "thank you, ma'am" the driver drove off, leaving Willow and Ethan staring at the Hyperion. "Your friend owns this place?" Ethan asked with awe.
"Yeah, he does," Willow replied, squeezing Ethan's hand. Taking a deep breath, Willow set down her suitcase and opened the door, Willow picked up her suitcase and entered the bulding. Angel stood in the lobby with Cordelia, Wesley, a girl, a guy, some green creature and a little boy that looked to be a little older than Ethan.
"Did Daddy tell you about him going all grr-y and doing his hi-yah!" the boy exclaimed, imitating karate. "He SO kicked that demon's a..." he trailed off as the adults looked at him, "...butt."
"Connor, did Daddy tell you that it's ten o'clock and it's time for little boys to be in bed?" Cordelia stated.
"Mom!" the boy whined. "It's Saturday!"
"And it's your bedtime," Cordelia replied, Connor frowned as he realized that he wasn't going to get away with this one.
"That boy's not in bed!" Connor said, gesturing towards Ethan and Willow. Six pairs of eyes flew to the pair.
"Willow?" Angel asked with awe.
Willow stared at Angel, tightening her grip on Ethan's hand. "Um...Angel, is it okay if we stay here?"