TPWFLD - Where There's A Willow, There's A Way Part 2, By Laurie Burcaw

Disclaimer: The Scooby Gang belongs to Joss and all his sleepless-cronies. (Read: the guys at Mutant Enemy.)

Where There's A Willow, There's A Way

"As soon as school was over, Giles took off in search of Buffy. I got a postcard form her saying "I sent him to Hell" over and over again the day after he left. I haven't heard from them since. It took about 2 minutes to figure out what had happened. I had given you your soul back in time for her to have to send you, not the demon to Hell. Since I felt responsible I threw myself into finding a spell to bring you back. Eventually I did and worked frantically to cast it. Unfortunately, I guess I messed up somehow in my haste, and it took three months for it to actually work. It seemed that Spike and Dru had left town, so I turned my energies to finding prophecies and preparing myself for battle. I took it upon myself to protect Sunnydale." She paused to take in his reaction.

"You're protecting Sunnydale? " Angel asked in disbelief.

"Yep. I began taking all the martial arts courses available, lifting weights, and practicing piercing the heart. " A sadness came over her then.

"What happened? " Angel could tell by the way she was sitting that a bad memory had surfaced and she didn't want to remember. He said with his eyes.

"I got surprised one night and Oz was with me. " She said shortly. Standing, she started pacing back and forth in front of Angel. " He died trying to protect me. Things just got worse from there. " Angel tried to pull her into a hug but she broke away. < No time for crying, Willow! You can't lose it now.>

"Xander and Cordelia began to ignore me because they didn't think what I was doing was right. My parents stopped trusting me because of all the late nights and lies, and then I learned about Vashna." At the mention of Vahsna Angel almost smiled.

"When is it? " he asked.

"I'm pretty sure it's this November but that's as far as I've gotten. " She replied. Angel nodded and said " So what happened between you and your parents?"

Unconsciously tears began to stream from Willow's eyes. " One night they decided to follow me to try to figure out what had changed their little girl into a cold hearted monster. " She laughed bitterly and took a deep breath. " I was in the cemetery taking on two very viscious vamps when a new one rose and killed them. I didn't even know it had happened until I was leaving. I had finally dispatched the 2 I was fighting, when the cocky fledgling decided to attack. It was over quickly and I took off for home. My parents bodies were sprawled across each other with their necks torn up. I had to carry them home and make it look like a burglar had killed them. They made the Harris' my guardians and they've allowed me to stay here on my own. " She wiped the tears from her eyes and went to her computer.

"Here's what I think we should do on Vashna ." She began pulling up all her files as Angel moved behind her. He gently put his hands on her shoulders.

"I think you should take time out and grieve. " Willow jerked form his grasp.

"What good will living in the past do me? They're gone and there is nothing I can do about it." Angel crouched to look her in the eye.

"I'm not saying you should dwell on their deaths, just that if you don't say good bye they'll always haunt you. " <Am I, the master brooder really saying this. Guess that time in hell was good for the soul.> Willow looked back at Angel thinking almost the exact same thing. They began laughing, and then sobbing in each others arms.

***

Willow awoke in Angel's arms. < This is the safest I've felt in a long time.> Trying not to wake him she lifted her head to look at him. <He looks so tortured.> Angel's eyes opened very slowly and he tried to focus on Willow, but he couldn't. His body was too exhausted.

" Are you OK? " He whispered while lightly stroking her hair

" No, but maybe someday I will be. " she answered truthfully " Come on, you need to rest. " Willow pulled him into her arms and without much help from Angel moved him to the bed. After she removed his shoes and pulled a blanket over him she went to tell him where she'd be when he woke up. He was already deeply asleep. <Oh well, what can I expect. After going to hell and back I'd be pretty tired too.> Going to her computer to finish collecting all the Vashna files Willow thought about the future.

Her heart ached with that thought. She looked at her clock " Only an hour 'till sunset, I guess I better get ready."

***

Sunset found Willow Sitting on the edge of her bed in combat boots, jeans, a sports bra, and a leather jacket with many stakes in it; waiting for Angel to wake. Her hair was in a french braid with the end tucked up so nobody could use it for a grip. Finally Angel's eyes opened and he bolted up unsure of what was going on.

" Angel relax. " Willow said gently " I'm a friend, remember?" seeing his shoulders slump and a frown form willow moved to hit him.

" I remember, I remember!! " he shouted trying to evade what he knew was coming. He stopped when he came to her desk and found drawings of all the slayerettes, his on top.

" When did you do these? " He asked sitting down at the desk

" Right after I tried the spell and id didn't work, or so I thought. I wanted something to remember everyone buy, so I made myself work on them during the day while I waited for the chance to get revenge on the monsters that ruined my life."

By now he had come to Buffy's picture and his tears started again. " Willow, I have to find her! I can't let her think that I'm forever in hell because of her. She has to know, to save her from the guilt that I know is killing her." He looked at her pleading

" I'll see what I can do, but now we have other things to attend to. The first being you going back to your apartment to shower and change.

Angel entered his apartment with trepidation. All he could think about was the way the demon had trashed the place and burned anything with Buffy's scent on it. He gasped when he saw the immaculate apartment. Not a piece of broken glass or ash anywhere in site. The bed was made with replicas of the old sheets, and the broken furniture had been meticulously repaired and recovered. Wandering in shock he finally figured it out.

" Why did you ...? " He couldn't finish because of the emotion he felt at seeing Willow's smile of accomplishment.

" Because I knew that you didn't need to be reminded of the demon's deeds, and it gave me some thing to do while I waited for you to come back. Besides, while I was cleaning I discovered your hidden stash of books and money. The money I used to pay your rent, and the books have been very helpful in my research. Now go shower, you stink!" At this she playfully shoved him into the bathroom and went to get him a change of clothes.

<Since when am I so comfortable at the thought of giving a naked man clothing!> Willow thought. She found his customary black pants and T-shirt then knocked on the bathroom door. The water was running so she figured he was already in and couldn't hear her. She opened the door intending on leaving the clothes where he could easily find them, but instead got a full view of what was in her opinion the best hunk of man she'd ever seen.

Angel had intended on getting in the shower but first he wanted to see how badly he was injured. Finding only slight cuts and bruises he turned to get in the shower, but instead found Willow staring at him unashamedly. He quickly grabbed a towel and covered himself. He cleared his throat to break her out of her reverie.

Shaking herself out of her trance at the sound of Angel clearing his throat; Willow, with more calm than she felt handed him his clothes and turned to leave. Just before she shut the door she heard Angel say "Thank you." He wasn't sure if he heard right but he thought she said, " No, thank you." as she shut the door.

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