Part 2

Three years earlier

“I feel just like I'm sinking/and I claw for solid ground.”

Willow was returning from college, to visit Sunnydale and check up with old friends. Angel was meeting her at the airport. As she got off the plane, she saw him. He was lurking by the ticket counter. He looks so good! She thought. She stood there, almost in awe, then launched herself at him. She threw her arms around him.
“Hello, Willow.” He said, astonished. Willow let go of him.
“Hello yourself.” She grinned at him. “So, how’s little old Sunnydale?”
“Same old.” His uncharacteristic remark left her unfazed. She looked half crazed with happiness.
“I missed you! College is cool, but… it doesn’t compare at all to home.” They followed Angel to get Willow’s luggage, then to his car. As they drove home, Angel thought about how much Willow had grown up. Willow was chattering away, assuming that her friend was just being broody.
“So, Willow, how are you and Oz?” The vampire asked innocently. Willow stopped her chatter immediately.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”
“’s okay. We…decided that it’d be for the best.” Her eyes filled with tears, but she kept her sadness in check. They arrived at Angel’s, where Willow would be staying. Remarkably, it was Angel’s idea that Willow crash with him.
“Ooh, look, we’re here.” Willow said, hopping out of the car. Angel grabbed her luggage from the trunk. “Really, Angel, you don’t have to do that.” He smiled teasingly. “But if you insist…” He carried Willow’s stuff into the apartment and put her stuff in his bedroom.
“You can have the bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.” Willow smiled.
“Angel, you’re being sweet and all, but you don’t have to do all this.” He growled playfully.
“Go to sleep. It’s too late to argue, I’ve made up my mind.” Obediently, she went into her bedroom, changed, then crawled into his bed.
“Good night, Angel!” She yelled.
“Sweet dreams, Willow!” He called in response. She fell asleep soon after. Angel, however, left to kill newly risen vampires. He fought three, then went back to his place and looked in on Willow’s sleeping form. He’d missed her. He’d missed all of them, but strangely, it was Willow he’d missed most. He whispered, “Sleep deeply, Will,” then withdrew to the couch for a much-deserved sleep.
Willow awoke at six and found Angel deeply dreaming on the couch. She thought of how peaceful her friend looked, and wished he’d look that way all the time. Before she knew it, she’d bent down and kissed his cheek. “Sleep well, friend.” She went in the kitchen and found that Angel had bought basic foods for her stay. So she ate breakfast, and determined that, because of her friend’s late hour schedule, she’d better get adjusted to his time. Thus, she figured that she’d go to sleep at two and wake up at ten. She did some work on her laptop computer to pass the time, eating lunch when she got hungry again. At two, she signed off, and though she wasn’t very tired, went into Angel’s room and forced herself to get some sleep.
When Angel woke up at his usual time, eight in the evening, he figured Willow would still be awake. He looked around his house for her, and, when he couldn’t find her, decided she must have gone out. Thinking she’d worry when he wasn’t there, he wrote her a note saying he’d gone to the library, to look up some things, and he’d be back around ten. Unconsciously he signed it ‘Love, Angel’, and, after grabbing a packet of blood and his jacket, hurried out the door.
Willow’s travel alarm clock chirped sharply. Waking up, Willow stretched lazily, yawned, then fell back onto her pillow. “Ugh.” The single syllable left her mouth. She got out of bed, got dressed, did her normal morning routine, then walked out of the bedroom. She saw the note on the counter. “Love, Angel?” She laughed. Just then, he walked in, as she laughingly repeated, “Love?” Angel made a face that would have been bright red, if he had been human. He reached over and took the note from her.
“I don’t suppose ‘Oops’ would suffice?” He asked. “I actually wrote that? What was I on?”
Willow laughed. “Maybe you were suffering from withdrawal.” She strode across the room towards Angel’s bookshelf, noticing it for the first time.
“What’s with the Giles collection?”
“They’re my books. Don’t laugh, they took forever to find again.”
“Can I read them? Are any of them spell books?” Willow asked eagerly, turning to face her host. Angel laughed.
“I said I’d found them, I didn’t say I’d looked at them. But of course you can look at them. If you’d like to do something, go ahead.” Willow got a sly smile on her face.
“How ‘bout you show me how much you ‘love’ me and take me to the Bronze?” The embarrassed look returned to Angel’s face. The redhead laughed. “C’mon, it’ll be fun, I promise. I checked it out on the Internet this morning. No cover.” He walked towards her.
“If you insist…” He offered his hand and she took it, and together, they went to the Bronze for the night.
They stayed, like old times, until Angel saw another vampire lead a girl outside. Willow followed his line of sight, and like one, they got up from the table and slipped out. Willow watched the vampire slowly head for the girl’s neck.
“You said you’d never do that again!” She acted the part of an angry girlfriend, distracting the demon, and letting his prey escape. As the vampire headed towards her, she cried, “Angel, now would be good.”
The soul-having vampire stepped out of the darkness and with a fluid stroke, staked the undead creature heading for Willow.
“You okay?” He asked.
“Of course. He never even got close.” She smiled. “You’re pretty good.”
“Buffy’s doing.” He replied. “I’m sorry, I’ve ruined your evening.”
“You did no such thing. That vampire did it, and he’s ruined that poor girl’s too. I think he deserved to die.” She laughed. “You enjoy beating yourself up for things you don’t do. Stop it, Angel. Be happy.”
“I can’t.” He turned away. Willow clapped her hands to her mouth.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” A tear trickled down her face. “Angel?”
“Yes, Willow?” He asked tenderly.
“Take me home?” He silently took her hand and they walked home.

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