Timeline: This is set just after Season 6, Willow is back to normal again thanks to Xander. The Scooby gang are recovering from their ordeal, and Spike is stuck in Africa. Willow spends her time moping, trying to recover from Tara's death and her black magic.

Willow lay back on her bed, surrounded by her friends. She was surronded by warmth, love, friendship, but she still did not feel home. Buffy, Xander, Anya, Dawn and Giles watched her with concern. The thick silence hung in the room like smoke from a fire. Finally Willow spoke.

"Guys...there is nothing I can say to make up for how much I hurt you all" she whispered. "But I am so sorry".

The others looked at her, shaking their heads. It was Buffy who spoke up. "Will, we all know that wasn't you out there, it was an evil force. Your magic took control, and no matter how scary it got, we kept thinking, Willow's in there, and she's gonna be OK". She stroked Willow's hair gently. But Willow began to cry softly, she hid her face away from her friends and curled up into a ball. This caused Buffy to cry too. Xander and Anya exchanged looks of concern whilst Giles put an arm around Dawn to comfort her. It was upsetting to watch such a loved friend in distress.

Xander took Willow's hand, "talk to us Will", he pleaded. A tear formed in the corner of his eye.

Willow turned around, her lip quivered. "She's gone....Xander...she's gone! and she's never coming back! SHE'S NEVER COMING BACK!" Willow screamed, causing her to cry a fresh set of tears.

Buffy hugged her softly. "Willow....shhh" she soothed. "It's OK, its ok" she whispered, stroking Willow's hair again. "You're gonna be OK".

Willow stared at Buffy through her tear-blurred eyes. "NO I'M NOT! SHE'S GONE AND SHE'S NEVER COMING BACK! LEAVE ME ALONE! I NEED TO BE ALONE! she screeched.

"But Willow..." Buffy protested.

"JUST GO!" screamed Willow again.

She shoved her head under her pillow. Slowly she heard her friends getting up and leaving, whispering 'goodbye' and 'we love you' on their exit. Guilt soaked through her. She didn't mean to be so mean to her friends, but she was just so upset. Her emotions just kept taking over.

Willow lay under her pillow sobbing for what seemed like hours. She stuck her head out the side to look at the clock. It clicked to midnight. Willow sighed, she was tired but couldn't sleep, hungry but couldn't eat. It was going to be a while before she got a decent night's sleep. Suddenly she felt something pull her leg.

"Ow..." she mumbled through the pillow. "Who is that...are you trying to be funny?" she snarled. Willow waited for a reply. Silence. Maybe she had imagined it? who pulls your leg in the middle of the night? well...demons excluded. Willow rested her head back on her pillow and tried to sleep. But the mystery person grabbed her leg again. Willow felt anger bubble up inside her. She threw the pillow across the room and got up to look at the source of her frustration.

"GO AWAY! YOU STUPID...." but she paused.

Sitting at the foot at the bed, was not a friend or a demon...but a complete stranger. A beautiful complete stranger. She was a girl. A gorgeous girl. She had beautiful caramel hair down to her shoulders. Her body was curvaceous, but not fat, a classic hour glass figure. Her skin was a beautiful pale colour, like a ceramic doll. And she had the most beautiful eyes Willow had ever seen. Emerald green. They shot through you like a bullet. She was smartly dressed in a black trousers suit, a man's trouser suit, but it looked good on her, it clung to her curves. She had a pink flower pinned to her jacket pocket, and to top it all off, a Frank Sinatra hat sat tilted on her head, just revealing half of her face. All in all, she looked like she had just stepped off the cover of "Vogue".

Willow stared in disbelief. "Who...who...are you?" she managed. "And why are you in my room, and pulling my leg for that matter?"

The stranger smiled. "I'm Bella" she said. Willow noticed her incredible British accent, it made her words roll off her tongue and sound gorgeous in a sex-kitten way.

Willow nodded. "OK...Bella. Why are you here?"

"Well...you may not believe this. But I'm kinda like your guardian angel."

Willow narrowed her eyes. "My guardian angel" she said, deadpan.

"Uh Huh".

"My guardian angel".

"Uh huh".

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Uh huh". "Well, not quite your Guardian Angel, I did say 'kinda', don't you listen?"

"I guess 'kinda' makes everything OK then?"

"See, I'm like the equivelant of a religious guardian angel, I'm a witch guardian angel. If a witch is in serious trouble I'm sent down on the strike of midnight to help her out. I don't go home until she feels better. I help her through her difficult time, say my goodbyes and then go help other witches."

Willow rolled her eyes. "OK if you're real, how come I've never read abour you in books before, or ever heard over witches talk about you?"

Bella sighed. "I'm kinda discreet. Hundreds of years ago every witch knew my name, and they could summon me whenever they needed me. A new wave of greed swept over. My instructions are to help the witch no matter what the problem. Suppose a witch wanted me to steal something from a shop? I'm not allowed to say no. Or worse! suppose a witch wanted someone dead? What could I do! So now witches who really need help are handpicked by me, I choose them, not vice versa. I know every trouble a witch has, whether its something as serious as yours, or even if its just that there are no more cookies in the jar. And its up to me to pick the most important troubles."

Willow sighed in disbelief. "Whoa..big responsibility!"

Bella sighed too. "You don't know the half of it".

Willow thought for a second. "So..if you're real...prove it to me".

Bella smiled. "Willow Rosenberg, witch. You are grieving because your lover, Tara, was unfortunately murdered. After a magic power trip, you would've destroyed the earth if it wasn't for your best friend, Xander, who talked you round. Your other best friends are the slayer, Buffy Summers, her sister and the key, Dawn. There's Giles, first name Rupert, Buffy's watcher, then there's Anya, a demon who's old flame is Xander. Before you found your homosexuality, you fell in love with Daniel Osborne, aka Oz, who was a werewolf, Oz left after giving in to his animal urges with Verruca, another werewolf...."

Willow cut her off. "Okay, okay I believe you, kinda. just don't go on to Oz, I don't have the strength to think about losing him aswell as Tara."

Bella looked at Willow sympathetically. "Willow, we're going to get through this. First thing in the morning, I'll show you how to work this out? OK?"

Willow nodded sleepily. " I have a feeling you're a dream. Hopefully when I wake up you'll be gone".

Bella grinned. "Not quite, it takes a while to get rid of me".

Willow flopped back onto her bed, and got under the covers. She mumbled something to Bella before falling asleep. Bella was left standing there. She smiled sweetly and stroked Willow's hair.

In a soft whisper, Bella said: "We'll sort this out, I promise".

continued