Distribution- Anyone!
Disclaimer- Do I look like Joss?
Couple - Willow/Spike and Willow/Graham. Also Wesley/Kate, Cordelia/Gunn, Angel/Faith and Angel/Willow friendship.
Rating- Hmm....Pg-15?
Author's Notes- Prologue (A very long Prologue) to "Dreaming of the Future". Also, Graham will not be in the story for this one, but he will apear in the middle of "Dreaming of the Future."
All right guys, I wrote this three years ago and am just going over and reposting it because I am hoping to finish a lot of my old stories and hopefully start some new ones. If you have any of my old fic at your site I would gladly appreciate if you could send me the address, I've lost pretty much all of them and am relying on lists to get most of them back. Please tell me what you think, even though it's old, I still would love feedback! Enjoyâ?¦
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~Prologue~
Willow shut off her computer and started shutting down Angel Investigations for the night. One of the perks of the new offices was that everyone who worked there lived in the same building, something Angel had planned so if any of them needed to be contacted he knew where to find them.
The first floor held the offices and two spare apartments saved for any clients. The second belonged to Angel and Faith, while the third was occupied by Wesley, Kate and their two children.
The forth "floor" was split into two. Cordelia and Gunn said that they weren't ready for a live-in relationship; that left the basement, which Angel, Wesley and Gunn finished for Willow about four years ago.
Willow walked down to her place and saw toys scattered everywhere. She smiled as she saw Angel and Will cuddled up on the couch with the Play Station 2 still on. She grabbed a blanket and threw it over them, taking in the site.
There were times like these where she knew her life was getting better; she knew that she was going to make it, because she had a lot to live for.
There had been many good and bad times over the past six years. First being the marriage of Buffy and Riley, true she was only 19, but everyone knew Slayers didn't live long and Riley didn't want to miss out.
Second had been the fall of the Watchers' Council. The younger watchers were fed up and overcame the elders, starting a new council in New York. She had been asked to become a watcher, but declined.
Third had been Faith's release from jail and Angel's successful attempt to help her. Jail worked wonders on her, and she and Angel helped each other make amends. They began growing closer and everyone was pleased when they started dating.
Forth had been the birth of Buffy's first child, Amanda. Her and Riley where overjoyed planning on having more in a few years.
Fifth, and most joyful, was a spell that allowed her and Spike to have children. They had been together for over two years and where planning on starting a family. The news of a child came on May 5th, two weeks before all of their lives where changed forever.
Xander was accepted into the Council and him, Anya and Giles where planning on moving to New York within the next month. Everything was going great until Drusilla and a new pack of vamps showed up.
That was the end.
They went into battle, but lost Buffy and Spike. Riley was distraught and moved to Iowa with Amanda to get comfort from his family. Willow was even worse. She could hardly move, and it tore her up even more when Xander and Anya left.
Giles stayed behind to make sure she would be ok, but eventually left when Angel came and took Willow to LA. He said that Willow was carrying his grandchild and that Spike would have wanted him to take care of them.
Willow eventually got better and on March 1st she gave birth to William Alexander Rosenberg Jr. Two weeks later she moved into the basement at Angel Investigations and began working for them as well.
"Hey." Willow was jarred from her thoughts by Angel's words.
"Hiya, have fun tonight?" If Angel could've blush, he would have.
"I never knew video games could be so time consuming."
"Why do you think I have it? Sit any child down in front of it and they stay put for hours."
"Every parent's dream."
"Except when you try to get them to bed." They both laughed. Never in a million years did Willow ever expect to be a mother. The mother of William the Bloody's son none the less.
"Well, I'm gonna go upstairs." Angel said, standing up.
"Yeah, it's pretty late." She answered walking him to the stairs. "Or early for you."
Angel stopped and looked at her. Over the past four and a half years, she had come a long way. But there where times, when he could just look at her and see the emptiness, see the pain. He could see into her soul, which still wasn't dealing with Spike's death.
Whenever he looked into to her eyes, he found himself going back to when he first took her in. The way she would always reach out for Spike in bed and, when finding that he wasn't there, would put her arm around her stomach protectively and cry, all while sleeping.
"You ok, Wills?" She looked up at him, with her eyes that always showed a dark and hollow void.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Angel smiled slightly and kiss her forehead.
"Sleep tight, little one." Willow watched as Angel made his way upstairs and then turned back to her sleeping son.
**
Willow was awakened the next morning by a high pitched scream and her son bouncing up and down on her bed. She gave her son a playful look and chased him through the house causing him to scream wildly.
Finally she caught him, and they launched a tickle fest against one another. Five minutes later, they were both laughing and sat down next to the couch.
"Mommy?"
"Yes?" Willow asked looking at Will.
"How come I don't have a daddy?" Willow's face fell at this question. She had always told Will about Spike, but she never told him of his death.
"Ya, know what? It's almost time for school." Will forgot about the subject and started his usual fits of whining.
*********
"Angel Investigations, we help the hopeless, so how can we help you?" Willow always had to hold back a laugh when Cordelia picked up the phone. Six years, and she still never came up with a new motto. "Uh huh, well I'm sorry we don't deal with missing animals....Hello? HELLO? Argh!" Cordelia slammed the phone down. "Some people!"
Willow just shook her head and laughed as she read the paper. "Hmmm..."
Cordelia looked up from her desk. "What?"
"Graham Miller," Willow read from the newspaper, "former army solder and current employee at Wolfram and Hart, has been left the estate of his aunt Mary Porters. Porters, age 45 died last week due to a car accident on highway 1. Porters was the founder of KAKE website and bookstore, which last year was number one nation wide and was number five world wide. It is still unknown if Miller will be taking over or selling the company."
"And this is important because......?"
"Graham...I didn't even know that he was in LA, I mean...I thought Riley would've told me or something. I thought he would've called." Willow said absently and kind of sadly. She and Graham were never the best of friends, but she thought that she meant something to him.
"And working for Wolfram and Hart no less. Great friends you got Wills."
"Yeah, so I guess seeing him is out of the question."
"Unless you want to..." Cordelia trailed off with a sparkle in her eye. Willow had never talked about another guy since Spike had died; maybe she was finally getting over it.
"I dunno. It's been three years, he's probably forgotten me." Willow's watch went off. "I got to go; I'm meeting David for lunch. He wants to try a new computer idea on me."
When Willow was out of the office, Cordelia dialed Gunn's cell phone. "Gunn? I've got the best idea....."
**
"William Alexander Rosenberg I will not tell you again!" Willow shouted as her son bounced on the bed. She had an extremely hard day and William had been acting up every since he had gotten home.
"I don't wanna go to bed!" He shouted back.
"You're going to bed do you hear me? Now lie down and go to sleep!" She moved to get him, but he just ran out of her grasp and continued jumping. Willow closed her eyes and counted to ten.
She had promised herself to never hit William and she was going to stick to it. There where sometimes when it was almost impossible to keep up, and she cursed Spike for giving their son his temper.
"Fine, don't go to bed! I guess I'll just have to go get Uncle Angel and have him yell at you!" William stopped jumping immediately and thought for a second. He bowed he's head in defeat and got under the covers.
Willow turned off the light and said goodnight to her son, then went out to clean up the mess. Whenever William got too much to handle, Angel always straighten him out, she was never quite sure how, but all she knew was that it worked.
Willow finished cleaning up and went to check on William. He was sleeping with the covers off, so she kneeled down beside him and put the covers back on. She slowly traced his face and thanked the PTB that she could have these moments.
Moments where William looked so peaceful and so like Spike. Where she could just look at her son and be reminded that he was a gift not a burden. She felt tears slip down her face and went out to the living room.
She never cried, not anymore. She was too strong for that, she couldn't let it affect her anymore. But it did. Every part of it still hurt. The pain, the confusion and the fact that she was alone to raise a child all by herself.
And that Spike was never coming back.
She had looked or months to find a way to bring Spike back, but failed every time. She had spent hours awake, sometimes days to try and find a shred of hope. But she never did.
She placed her arms around her knees and began to softly cry. From the doorway Faith looked at Willow with sadness in her eyes, debating on if she should let her presence be known, or go to bed.
********
Angel grunted as Faith tried to get up from bed. "Early. Stay." He said tiredly.
"I have to take a shower and get ready for school, now let me up!"
Angel opened one eye and smiled. "I wouldn't say no to a shower." He said kissing her neck.
Faith playfully pushed him away. "I need to think and I can't do that while you're trying to get into me!"
"Who said anything about trying?"
"Angel." Faith said annoyed. Sometimes he could be so.....male.
"Fine." Angel sighed as he fell back into bed. "What do you have to think about?"
"Willow." Faith yelled back from the bathroom as she started the shower. "She really needs to find someone to take her mind off of Spike."
"Who do you have in mind?"
"Graham Miller."
"WHAT!?" Angel shouted as he ran to the bathroom. "The Wolfram and Hart guy? Over my dead body!"
"That wouldn't be that hard." Faith said sweetly. "Besides, he's from Sunnydale. Willow told Cordelia he was best friends with Riley."
"Oh, that makes such a difference! He was probably one of the commandoes." 'Friends with Riley? I hate Riley,' Angel thought bitterly.
"Probably."
"Jeez, could you sound more uninterested?" Angel asked sarcastically. "Willow needs someone that would be good for her. Besides, she's not ready yet."
Faith poked her head out of the shower and looked at Angel questionably. "She's not ready, or you're not ready?"
********
Willow held back a yawn as David went into another conversation about the Internet/Beeper/Television connection. Usually she got into her work, but today her mind was wandering back to someone.
Graham Miller.
Why hadn't he called? He knew she was in LA and alright, they were never the best of friends. But they had talked a lot about sensitive subjects and she would've thought that he would've at least called!
"What about that?"
"Huh?" Willow cleared her head and focused on the issue at hand. "Well, that sounds wonderful. But I am worried about the marketing...."
"Well, well, well." Willow turned her head and cringed at the man in front of her.
"Lindsey."
**
Lindsey smiled at Lilah walked into his office. "Morning."
"He's getting stronger." Lilah said worried. "What if he escapes?"
"He won't." Lindsey said not worried.
"He could."
"He. Won't."
"Fine." Lilah got up and walked to the door.
"Lilah." Lindsey said warningly. "I know what this is about." Lilah looked back at him. "You feel lost and confused, because you want to see her." Lilah looked down. "You chose us, you chose to leave her."
"I didn't know!"
"But you did!" Lindsey screamed, standing up. "Don't make us regret letting you live!" Lilah nodded and walked out. When she was gone, Lindsey picked up the phone. "Graham? Watch her."
*********
Willow cursed as she dropped the files on the floor. Her mind had been wandering all day and she couldn't concentrate. "A penny for your thoughts."
"Got a hundred?" Willow asked as she turned to see Angel standing at the door of his office.
"I think we should talk."
"Oh, no... are we breaking up?" Willow said like a heartbroken teenager. They bother laughed and sat on the couch.
"I'm worried about you." Angel took Willow's hand and looked up at her. "I know you miss him, we both do." Willow looked away, but Angel stopped her by putting a hand on her chin. "I want you to get over him, start dating."
"This from brood boy? May I remind you of Buffy?"
"Buffy and I were different!" By this time, they where both standing up and shouting at each other.
"How?"
"I-we-We just were!"
"Oh, that makes sense! Excuse me for missing the man I love!"
"I never said you couldn't miss him! I'm just saying that you need to get over him!"
"And you don't think I've tried? You don't think that every night I fall asleep trying to dream of something else other then his death? Other then the time we had together? Yo-you don't think that every day I tell myself to go out there and find a father for my son!" Willow now had tears streaming down her face and Angel was trying to inch closer to her.
"You don't think that I try to be strong and confident and optimistic? Do you think its easy raising a child by myself? Knowing that my child is going to outlive me? That once I die he'll be all alone?" Willow couldn't handle talking anymore and collapsed crying. Angel caught her and rocked her back and forth, hoping that this was the beginning to her getting over Spike's death.
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