Disclaimer: They're not mine. They belong to Mr. Whedon.
Gone and Surviving
By: Nicollette Marquis McFadgen
Part 5
They sat like that for close to an hour. Neither one saying much, until Angel got up and pulled Willow to her feet as well. "We should get back."
"I, I can't. I can't be around them. Not after I almost killed two of them."
"So what are you doing to do? Stay in this forest for a week?"
"I don't know. But how can I face them? How can I..."
"They'll understand. Maybe they can catch and earlier flight home," he said as they began to head back.
"Then it'll just be me and you again. Things'll go back to the way they were."
"No, Willow, they won't. We can stay here alone for a little while longer, but then you have to go out into the world again. You're going to have to learn to control these bloodlusts."
"But if we just stay here...."
"If we just stay here, the next time someone living is near you, it'll be even harder to stop before you kill. I was wrong to let you seclude yourself like this. I thought if I could keep temptation away from you, you'd never have to deal with it. But temptation found you, and you weren't prepared."
"But I don't want to be around the living. I want to just be with you."
"Willow, I already said no. It's not like I'm shoving you out into the world by yourself. I'll be with you. I'll help you through it. In a couple years, you'll be able to control your demon so well, you'll hardly remember a time when it controlled you."
They walked in silence back to the house. When they reached the orchard, Willow stopped. "I can't face them."
"Yes, you can."
"No, no I can't. What am I going to say? Xander, I'm sorry for almost killing you by exanguination? Giles, I'm sorry I seduced you only to try and bite you?"
"Sounds good to me."
"Right."
"Willow, I'll try to see if they can't get a flight home, but you can't let them leave with things like this. They're still your friends." He took her hand and led her back to the house.
Once inside they saw Xander lying on the couch with his head pillowed on Cordelia's lap. Giles and Buffy were sitting in the overstuffed chairs. The group noticed the two vampires when they entered. Cordy helped Xander sit up.
Willow, who was half way hiding behind Angel's body and was studying the floor, spoke first. "I'm so sorry, all of you. I, oh, I don't know what came over me. Xander, you have to believe me when I say that I didn't mean to..."
"Willow, I know. It's okay. I'm not really hurt."
"Giles, I understand if you don't ever forgive me. What I did was..."
"What you did was wrong, but it's not really your fault. It wasn't you, and I know that."
"Why are you guys making this so easy for me?"
Buffy answered, "Because you're our friend, Willow."
The silence that enveloped the room faded when Angel began, "I think, in light of the circumstances, it would be best if you could try to get a flight home as soon as possible."
"Yes, yes, we'll, we will call the plane."
"Yeah, Daddy's plane's at the airport now. We can leave in the morning," Cordelia explained.
"I thought you said that it wouldn't be back for a week?"
"Um, oh yeah, well, we lied."
"Well, okay." Angel dismissed it and continued, "We'll write to you all. We're going to stay here for a little while longer, then most likely travel around the world for a bit. Willow needs exposure to some things."
"Will we ever see you two again?" Buffy asked.
"I'm sure of it. Maybe in a couple years, when things settle down, we'll go back to America and call you for a visit. By then Willow will be accustomed to the life of a vampire that has a soul. It'll be safe for us to visit."
Willow, still hiding behind Angel, walked around him and stood, leaning back against him. He wrapped his arms protectively around her slim waist. "I'm sorry, I wish none of this happened. I wish I could give you all hugs goodbye, but I don't trust myself. We'll keep in touch," she said as she turned and walked out of the sitting room.
They heard her tiny footsteps go up the stairs, then to her room. Xander stood on shaky legs and approached Angel. "Is she going to be okay?"
"Yeah, she's going to be fine. She just needs time. She's still very young." Angel looked directly into Xander's eyes, "I meant what I said about visiting in a couple years."
"I know, but we'll all be so different then," Xander stated sadly.
"That's why we'll keep in touch. Just give her a few years. She'll be able to see you all then... without biting."
~~~~~
A month had passed since the Slayer, her watcher, and Slayerettes had gone home. Willow had felt a tremendous amount of relief when it was just she and Angel again. Just when she thought that things were getting back to normal, Angel told her to pack up her stuff. She had been sitting on her bed reading a new book Angel had brought her. She looked up, with surprise and confusion written on her face.
"What?"
"You should get started packing. You can't take everything though. It seems I've gone a little bit overboard buying you things."
"Pack? Why? Where are we going?" She dropped her book as she stood up on the bed.
"I don't know. I was thinking Paris for a while, and then we could go to Madrid for a bit. What do you think about St. Petersburg?" he asked as he went about the room, getting things ready to be packed up.
"Paris? Madrid? St. Petersburg?"
"Oh, or maybe we could go to Tibet or Bangalore."
"Bangalore? India? Why do you want to go to India? And what the hell are you talking about?"
"I've never been to India. Or how about Sydney? Would you like to go to Australia?" He ignored her last question.
Fully annoyed and confused Willow screamed, "What are you talking about?" Angel stopped and regarded his red haired companion. "Why do I have to pack? Why are we leaving?"
Angel crossed to the bed and sat down. He reached up and took a hold of Willow's hands and gently pulled her back down on to the bed. He pulled her so that she was sitting on his lap. "Precious, you know why we have to pack. You know why we're leaving." He stoked her hair.
"No, I don't. We're doing fine here."
"You have things to learn. Things that you can't learn secluded in this big house."
"But," she started only to be interrupted by Angel.
"You've known since that night that we would only be staying for a little while longer."
Willow sighed, and gave into his embrace. "I know, I was just kinda hoping that you maybe would forget."
"I don't forget anything, precious."
"Hmmm. Except that I asked you not to call me that ever again."
Angel smiled. "No, I remember that. I'm just choosing to pretend that you didn't say it."
"So where are we going?"
"Where do you want to go?"
"How about Dublin?"
"Uh, well..."
"Or London..."
"Um, Willow, I'd prefer not to go to England or Ireland for a while. Too many memories for me."
"And?" she prompted after a small period of silence.
"And what?"
"There's something else. Something you're keeping from me."
"Would you stop doing that?"
"Doing what?"
"Knowing when I'm keeping things from you."
"No, now tell me."
"Well, there are two vampires, that I sired. I'd rather not be around them."
"How do you know that they are still there."
"I don't know, I would just rather go somewhere else."
"What were their names?"
"Drusilla and Spike. I'd rather not talk about this."
"You're going to have to tell me someday, you know. But it's okay, I'm not in that big of a hurry." She climbed off of Angel and lay down on her stomach, pillowing her chin on her folded hands. "Hmm. How about Greece? I've always wanted to go there."
"Greece," he repeated as he lay down on his back. "I like it. Warm weather, lots of things to see..." He turned to face Willow. "Let's go." She smiled as he brushed her cheek with his hands. She slowly crept closer to him. Her lips only inches away from his.
"I love you," she whispered. Not waiting for his reply, she covered his lips with hers.
END
