Willow sat in the chair, her hands folded meekly in her lap. She still couldn’t believe that she had ended up in LA. Perhaps it was just pure chance. Perhaps the goddess had been really bored. Either way, the saddened witch was stuck in the lobby of Angel Investigations, listening to Cordelia speak. Again.

“Listen, I know that it had to have been something bad. What else could cause you to act like this?” Cordy stopped her nervous pacing and knelt by Willow. “But you need to know that you can trust me.” The brunette stared into the redhead’s eyes, searching for some sign of the babbling girl she used to know. “You do know,” she said sadly, “but you just don’t want to share yet.” Cordelia took Willow’s hand in hers and rubbed it gently. “It’s okay. I’ll be here when you’re ready to spill.”

A tear began to slowly leak from Willow’s eye, and then the redhead threw herself into Cordy, knocking the two of them to the floor in a heap. Once Cordelia managed to untangle the appropriate limbs, she sat the two of them upright and held Willow close. Willow’s back shuddered beneath her arm, and Cordy lifted the witch’s face up to see. No tears stained the fair girl’s face – only hurt, pain, and anger.

The deep eyes of the witch bored briefly into Cordelia’s and Willow fought herself from looking away. “Buffy…” the name came out in her misused voice, “and Oz…and Xander…they all…” She sniffled and buried her head into Cordelia’s shoulder as she cried the tears she no longer had.

Once again, Cordelia held the girl close, trying to make sense of what had been said. ‘The only thing she had told Angel was that one word: Buffy. She found herself understanding that Buffy could royally screw up, but it was the mention of the other names that confused her. Willow had hardly been there a day, and she still couldn’t tell them why.

She thought back on that morning. After seeing Willow in the library, she had bombarded the poor girl with question after question, until Angel had entered and told Cordy what was up. And although she had gone into caring-mode instantly, they still knew next to nothing about the redhead’s trauma.

Angel had left almost a half hour ago, heading for the bus station. He had briefly mentioned before he left that had someone to pick up, but said nothing on who or why. So when her boss came up from the sewer systems only a few minutes later, Cordelia was surprised to see not only Wesley with him, but one extra guest. Then she finally realized who the guest was.

“Buffy,” Cordelia gasped out in sudden horror. She felt the girl in her arms cringe greatly, and immediately wondered what the outcome of this confrontation would be. Her wonder turned to anger as she realized that Angel had brought Buffy there, when Willow was obviously hoping to escape her. Then the anger melted to fear for the red-headed hacker. Drawing the girl even closer to herself, she boldly shot the Slayer the deadliest look she could muster. “What is she doing here?” she asked Angel icily.

He looked at the two girls huddle on the floor, then gestured for Buffy and Wesley to sit. “I called her so she would come up here. She told me what happened on our way from the bus station. They need to talk things out, face to face.” He knelt down next to them, and peeled Cordelia’s arms away from the cowering Willow. But when he reached out to touch her, she shrunk away, scurrying behind Cordelia.

As hurt as Angel was by Willow’s actions, he had to press on. “You and Buffy have a bond of friendship, Willow. Petty things like this will only drive you two further apart. And no one wants to see that.” Darting forward, he grabbed Willow and pushed her into a sitting position away from Cordelia.

Cordy didn’t like that idea very much at all. “So you’ve just gone and appointed yourself moderator after only knowing half the story?” she said as she stood angrily. Stepping between the frightened Willow and the relentless vampire, she firmly pulled the latter from the former. She was about to begin a tirade against Angel when Wesley held her back.

“Let him do this, Cordelia. He only wants to help.” Somehow, the bumbling Brit managed to calm Cordy to the point that she merely sat and sulked.

After Angel guided Willow to a chair, the still-shuddering redhead curled up into a ball, hugging her knees under her chin. She looked around the room with scared and accusing eyes, glaring when she came to Angel, and teary when she came to Buffy.

A few long seconds passed before Angel decided to speak. “Listen, you two. I know what’s going on here. Willow, we can understand how you feel.” The witch responded with a deadly stare in Angel’s direction. Angel tried his best to ignore it, quickly rationalized his ignoring it, and continued. “Your powers are growing and developing within you. You’re confused because of these changes, and as a result of this confusion, you’re attempting to push everyone away from you because they’re different.” The deadly glare turned to one of disgust. “We all know what it’s like to be different, Willow. You don’t have to run from us. You can turn to us.” He reached out his hand towards Willow, almost as a peace offering.

Willow turned her eyes from him to Buffy. The Slayer was simply sitting there, nodding her head, as if she agreed with everything that Angel had just said. Then it hit her – that was because that’s what Buffy had told him. She wasn’t going to tell him that she was now sleeping with a werewolf – no, why would Buffy jeopardize her hold over the vampire? Turning her glare back to Angel, she found herself filled with a rage she had never really felt before. And Angel had let himself be played like a marionette, like the faithful Slayer’s dog he was.

Hatred and anger welled up inside of her, and she jumped to her feet. Thrusting out her arm, she stretched her palm wide open towards Angel, and channeled all the power she could feel coursing through her veins towards the vampire in front of her. Before he even knew what was happening, Angel was propelled against the opposite wall with supernatural force. In the blink of an eye, Willow had her hand around Angel’s throat, pinning him against the wall with unnatural strength.

Somehow she knew that her actions were crude and irrational, but she really didn’t care. Willow could feel the pure energy running through her, all of which came from her rage. If she had been looking into a mirror, she would have seen her hair shimmering silver, and her eyes glowing white. Piercing Angel’s deep eyes with her own, she said exactly what she felt.

“Fuck. All. Of. You.”

With that, she dropped Angel, who promptly fell to the floor with a loud thud. After looking once at the others in the room, who were too stunned to try to react, she left the office, slamming the door behind her.

Minutes passed and looks were exchanged among the occupants of the room. Buffy remained slightly impassive, as if waiting for judgement. Cordelia wanted to run out the door after Willow, but was immensely afraid of what the enraged witch would do. Wesley was completely surprised that the little hacker had that much energy within her.

Angel was hurt, confused, and definitely angry. Apparently he hadn’t been told the entire story. Hiding his true emotions deep inside, like he had done so many times before, he looked around the room while rubbing his throat absentmindedly. “That…” he said, trying to find something appropriate to say. He didn’t find it. “…didn’t go so well.”

Buffy stood from her chair. “Well, I can see that I’m not needed.” Brushing past the already-standing Cordelia, she headed towards the door.

“Wait, where do you think you’re going, Miss I-Think-I’ll-Screw-Everything-Up-And-Leave?” She grabbed Buffy’s arm as tightly as she could, and whipped the Slayer around to face her. “Yes, I’m weaker than you. But right now, I’m more afraid of Willow than I am of you, you, you…pitiful, emotionless, pathetic excuse for a human!”

The blank eyes of the Slayer merely gazed back at her. “Cordy, if Willow needs me, if she wants me, she’ll come back for me. It’s as simple as that. I shouldn’t’ve come out here tonight. It only made things worse. I’ll just go home, and wait. And if Willow still wants me as a friend, or anything at all, she’ll come back.” With that said, she looked around the room sadly. Then, pulling her arm from Cordy’s grasp, she turned to go.

Cordelia wasn’t going to let her get off that easily. “You…” she growled, turning Buffy towards her one last time. “You heartless bitch!” she shouted as she pulled her arm back and punched the Slayer with all her might. Although she could feel her knuckles split open, it was worth the sight of Buffy reeling from her blow.

Once Buffy had recovered, which didn’t take very long, she reached out and shoved Cordelia to the floor. “You don’t understand,” she said. Spinning around on a single booted heel, she stormed from the office and out into the night.

Wesley was the only one still standing in the room, and looked at his two companions, who were both lying on the floor. Something told him that things were only just beginning.