**********************************************************************************

Angelus held a bloody axe at his side as he strolled out of the alleyway, black coat undulating around him. He glanced over his shoulder at his handiwork, gratified to see bits o’ demon were lying on trash cans and across empty boxes. Everywhere really. He smirked. This was too much fun. Nothing like carnage to add zest to a night on the town. And he still had half the city left to patrol! He’d probably get to kill again before the night was through. Then he could go back to his hotel suite where Willow would be waiting for him. This night couldn’t get much better.

*******

Willow knelt by Buffy’s grave. With a slicing motion of her hand she temporarily released the protection spell she had cast over the grave site. She wanted to protect Buffy’s remains from marauding demons who might use the Slayer’s remains in a spell or for some horrible trophy. She opened the double chocolate mocha she’d brought with her. " I got this for you." Her eyes grew watery. "I know you can’t drink it, but I think about you all the time and I wanted you to have it. " She choked back a sob. "It’s strange, little things set me off. Like drinking mochas, you and I used to do that all the time and then we’d talk. " She sighed. "Everything was so simple then. But now you’re gone, no more mochas and all day mall shopping. No more laughing ‘til my sides hurt and crying together to ease the pain." She sighed, letting the tears fall down her face. " I want you to know that I haven’t forgotten you. I’ll never forget you. I miss you, Buffy, I don’t care how many Slayers come after you. There’s only one Buffy Anne Summers and she was my best friend." She poured the mocha beside the grave. It was silly, but she felt like she was making a statement to Buffy with the gesture. She pressed two fingertips to her mouth and placed them on the headstone, a cool kiss. She stood again and then put the barrier back up before turning to walk away.

It had been a week since Buffy’s funeral. Willow had managed to go about her daily routines. The demonic activity had actually been helpful to her because it provided a distraction. Angel had been wonderful, always there by her side. He’d readily taken on all the bad things that had tried to make trouble. Lately, she’d been going over to his hotel after he was done patrolling. He listened to her talk about her feelings and about Buffy but he never voiced any of his own pain. Willow understood though, after having been in a relationship with a laconic man like Oz. She understood his need to keep that to himself.

She was also trying desperately to stifle the attraction she had to Angel. The love of his unlife had just died and she was thinking about. . .well, she was a terrible person. Ever since he kissed her the night he’d gotten his soul back Willow had been thinking about him off and on. It was so strange, she’d never thought of Angel in that way before. Sure, she admired him physically, he was a handsome man. The way she was feeling about him now was similar to her reaction to Angelus.

She had been talking on the phone with him frequently. Sometimes, after Spike had gone to bed she felt the urge to call Angel. She’d take the phone out on her balcony and had listened to the deep rumble of his voice. He was witty and sexy. . .and so much like Angelus she wanted to come to L.A. and kiss him again. Or give him a few chocolate bars until. . .bad witch!

She’d also been haunted by Angel’s comment about Spike not completely being a demon anymore. What did that mean exactly? She’d researched it on the sly and hadn’t found out any known cases of spontaneous demon reversal or whatever you could call it. She hadn’t mentioned it to Spike either. Knowing him, she’d have to keep all wooden objects away form him for a few weeks after she’d told him. Spike loved his demon qualities. Willow kinda liked them to.

It was horrible to admit having feelings for a demon. What attracted her to Spike, attracted her to Angelus. Buffy had been very angry with her because of the Angelus incident but their friendship was stronger, they had persevered. Willow had explained to Buffy that it wasn’t Angel she was attracted to but Angelus. Then she had closed her eyes and waited for the Slayer to freak out. Instead, she’d gotten a lecture from Buffy on what demons are. She could practically hear her voice now. Remember the demon the mayor turned into? That’s what Angelus would look like if he weren’t hanging out in Angel’s body! Yep, Wills, you want to get it on with a scaly snake guy.

Then there was the Spike factor. A relationship with him was proving more difficult than she thought. They had kept it secret from the other Scoobies and it was putting a strain on their relationship. But neither one of them wanted Spike to end up a pile of ashes. She couldn’t win.

"Red?"

Willow looked up, momentarily startled. "Spike." Her voice was neutral. She looked up to see him resting against a headstone. Spike had been staying with Dawn since the Slayer’s death. They had finally reached her "father" only to find that he had no memories of her. The monks had evidently left a loophole in their manufactured memories. Dawn was crushed, she felt she had no one. But Spike had stepped in, it seemed that he had grown to care about her somewhere in the middle of his Buffy obsession. He had moved in the Summers’ house and was caring for her. "How are you?"

"Fine, just fine. And you? I know that Angel is here. Rupert mentioned it to me." Spike had stopped interacting with the Scoobies for the most part, Dawn was his only concern now. He didn’t come to meetings anymore. Never even stopped by the Magic Box.

"Yes, Angel’s here. He’s been patrolling every night." She sighed, tears were starting to form in her eyes. She felt the careless facade she’d carefully constructed to mask her pain begin to disintegrate as she stared at him. "Spike. . .w-w-what happened to us? Ever since. . .ever since Buffy’s death you’ve been distant. I know that things weren’t always easy between us before. I know that we had a lot of fights, but I thought you cared enough about me to at least try. "

Spike felt his own eyes begin to tear up. He reached forward and grasped her shoulders to pull her into his embrace. She sobbed into his chest and he felt his heart break. "I’m sorry, luv, I just can’t do this anymore. I can’t stand here and let you. . ." He broke off before he said too much. He put a hand to her chin and forced her to look him in the eye to bring home his point. "Never doubt that I care about you. Always. But, I need to think about Dawn, she needs me right now." Willow felt curiously numb. He walked away from her swiftly before he lost his nerve.

********

Spike rolled his eyes heavenward, staring at the deceptively beautiful night sky. Spike had faced some harsh realities as a result of the Slayer’s death. Willow was mortal. One day she would die. She’d be lost to him forever. Losing Dru had nearly killed him, he didn’t even want to contemplate what losing Willow would do. Spike didn’t even consider the possibility of turning her. He didn’t want to. He wanted her, Willow. Everything that made her so very special belonged to the soul. The demon that would inhabit her body would merely go through the motions. And even if he did give her the soul back, she’d be doomed to an existence devoid of true happiness. Just look at Peaches. Could he really do that to the woman he loved?

Of course not. She needed to marry a normal, human man and have children. He smiled briefly, thinking of little red haired urchins. He shook his head, if she stayed with him she would never have that. It didn’t matter that the thought of seeing her walk down the aisle and say ‘I do’ to some silly human who would never appreciate her made him want to put his fist through a wall. He had to do what was best for her. Be cruel to be kind and all that. She needed to forget about him, move on. He cursed violently as he continued to walk. Spike even made up new curse words because the many words that he knew didn’t do this situation justice. He was well and truly love’s bitch.

This realization of mortality even extended to the Scoobies. Bloody hell. He was starting to care about them too. These attachments made him uncomfortable. He was used to only having Drusilla depend on him. But his dark goddess was immortal, at one time he’d though that she would never leave his side. They were supposed to be eternal, from the night she changed him she had always been there for him. Now look at him. No Drusilla and there would be no Willow either. He couldn’t suffer the agony of loss again. The only one who was safe to be around was Dawn. She was immortal, just like him. She needed him and she would never ever leave him willingly.

*******

Willow walked to Angel’s hotel in a daze. It was over with Spike. That much was clear. She couldn’t believe it ended like this, on the edge of a graveyard a few feet from her best friend’s grave. Buffy. Goddess! It was here all the time and she didn’t realize it. He was still in love with Buffy. He probably hadn’t gotten over her, she’d noticed that Spike was intense. He either loved something or he loathed it. He couldn’t have cast the Slayer from his heart so easily. Maybe Willow had been a stand-in, a way to help him get over Buffy. No wonder he’d taken her death so hard. That’s why he couldn’t seem to look her way anymore. That was it, he loved Buffy. Just like Angel.

*******

Willow knocked on Angel’s door. He answered it wearing a towel, moisture clung to his body and his hair was wet. "Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you’d be-" What? Half naked and wet? "busy."

"I’m never too busy for you. After all, you’re my friend. " He said softly. She thought she saw a devilish gleam in those black eyes of his when he opened the door wider and the towel at his waist accidently slipped an inch and a half. She looked at the opposite wall as she walked in. Poor Angel, here he was in the middle of a shower and she was bugging him yet again. She looked forward to the talks they had though. Needed them.

Angelus watched the nervous redhead blush beet red as she sat at the small table in his room. If he had known he could have provoked this kind of reaction from her so

easily he would have gotten naked a lot sooner. Deciding to test his newfound power, he walked into the bathroom and put on the white terrycloth bathrobe provided by the hotel. It left a generous portion of his chest exposed.

She looked up at him and then down again, fidgeting with her hands. "Uh, don’t you want to get dressed Angel?" Please, please, please get dressed. Before, I do something stupid.

"No, I’m comfortable. Unless I’m making you. . .?"

Uncomfortable? Hell, yes. An enticing wedge of skin was still visible. She could see moisture droplets sliding down his neck. His hair was forming small curls around his temples. "Oh. Don’t be silly, of course not."

"Good. Now, tell me what’s bothering you."

She met his eyes again and already started to tear up. "I ran into Spike. "H-he broke up with me."

Angelus reached across the table and took her hands in his own. He had tread very carefully here. "I’m so sorry, Willow." He brought her soft warm hand to his face and brushed a kiss across the knuckle. She stood up shakily, never breaking eye contact with him and threw her arms around him. Then she started to sob, really letting it out all out. She cried for Buffy and for little Dawn. She cried for Spike, and most of all for herself.

Angelus pulled her down into his lap and she didn’t protest. She just clung to him, seeking his support. She’d fallen right into his hands. Yes, this night couldn’t get much better.

********************************************************************************
"It's all my fault." Dawn said miserably.
"Nonsense." Spike intoned, sitting on the edge of her bed and patting her hand awkwardly. He was having a terrible night, wanted to run to the liquor cabinet and drink the contents of it down after running into Willow like that. He hadn't been prepared to face her yet.
But he needed to comfort Dawn. Wanted to her ease her mind."Now, I know the Slayer. She knew what she was doing. She loved you so much that she sacrificed herself for you, wanted you to go on with your life."
"That's just it, Spike. I'm not real. Not like all of you. I should have jumped." Her voice grew smaller. "Maybe just this body would have died. I-I would still be alive as The Key."
" You are just as real as any of us."
"Everyone misses Buffy like I do, I think they. . .h-hate me now. "
"They don't hate you, sweet bit. I promise. Buffy did what she wanted to do, everyone knows that. Now, you can't think about the past all you can do is focus on the future. You are immortal and you will go on, like me."
"Like you." Dawn repeated. "Spike?"
"Yes?" He could tell from the widening of her blue eyes that this question would be a doozy.
"Do you hate me because she died? I know that you. . .that you loved her."
Spike shook his head. The Slayer was long gone from his thoughts, replaced by a red haired witch that he couldn't have either. "No, nibblet, I could never hate you." He took her by the shoulders. "Not ever. And I'll be around to help you." His voice grew quieter. "You can't leave me, can't wither and die and leave me all alone. We are forever."
"Forever." She whispered. It boggled her mind. At 14, a few weeks sounded like a lot of time. "What will I do with myself?"
"Well," Spike said, seeking a way to distract her and lift her spirits. Couldn't stand anymore angst for a while. He gritted his teeth. "Why don't you put on those Back Street buggers and listen to them. Might lift your spirits." He keep quiet and endure the sugary pop songs.
"Will you stay and listen with me?"
"Yeah." He agreed reluctantly, at least it would distract them. You can't think about a beautiful red haired witch when those wankers were singing.
"Will you sing along?" Spike's face became mutinous. But she knew how to handle that. "You've got such a great voice."
The vampire's face broke out into a small smile. "Alright, for a while. Then off to bed with you."
Dawn jumped up and put on the C.D., listening carefully to the opening strains of a song. "Will you dance too?" She shook her hips. "Shake your booty?"
Spike's look spoke volumes. Something along the lines of ‘I'm a master vampire, I do not shake my booty to the Back Streets sods. I torture people for fun, I break bones and drink blood. I'm a dangerous creature.' Not that he would ever hurt nibblet, he just wanted some respect. But he only said, "Don't press your luck."
She gave him her best puppy dog look. He sighed, it was only a matter of time before he agreed.
********
Across town, Angelus was comforting the sobbing redhead . She leaned against his chest as she sat on his lap. "B-breaking up with me isn't even the worst thing he did." He patted her back, soothingly. "H-he used me."
Angelus' eyes lit with an unholy fury. Used her? As in for sex? Or to get back at the Slayer? Or to get back at his sire? "How did he use you?" He said, deadly calm, already starting to plot his childe's demise.
"T-to get over B-B-Buffy. I was a j-just a substitute. He must've hated, every m-minute he spent with me."
Angelus felt the tension drain from his body. He almost felt like laughing. Spike had obviously wanted the redhead last time he'd checked. There was zero chance of the redhead being a replacement for Buffy. Damn if he'd plead his ignorant childe's case though. This would only work to his advantage. "Willow, I'm so sorry. That must be so painful. Do you want to talk about it?" While I stroke your soft skin and hold you close?
Willow's sobs began to quiet, a combination of Angelus' soothing motions on her back and his calming tone of voice. She laid her head down on his broad shoulder."No, just being here helps. I still need to sort some things out. Thank you for being here for me though."
"You never have to thank me, Willow. I like being here for you. After all, aren't we friends?"
"Of course we're friends." She sighed, missing the catch in his voice. "It's funny, it took a visit from Angelus and you moving to L.A. to make us close."
"Angelus certainly leaves an impression." He watched her carefully, wondering what she would say about him.
"You could say that." Willow looked into his eyes, felt goose bumps begin to form on her skin. Angel had never ever watched her like this, his eyes were admiring."We never really talked about that subject."
He smiled. "Maybe because you avoided it?"
Willow ducked his all-knowing eyes. "So did you."
"I didn't want to make you uncomfortable." Or tip you off to exactly who were talking to! Angelus had never been able to speak about himself and not brag.
"You wouldn't be. I was kind of afraid you'd be mad at me."
"Why?"
"For not telling Buffy at first. For. . .uh, other things he and I did." She blushed.
He slid a hand down her leg. "Did you like what he did to you? What he made you feel?"
"Yes." The word was whispered. Almost involuntarily, she leaned closer, her lips inches from his. His mouth haunted her. It had felt so right somehow.
"Would you like to feel that way again?" Angelus' hand cupped her cheek.
Suddenly, she was aware of her position on his lap. Aware of the hard muscles of his thigh and another bulge that she wasn't going to think about. And aware of the curse. . ."N-no. I'm uh, sorry for. . .sitting on you. Not that you weren't nice to, uh, sit on. Not that I enjoyed it! I mean. . .not that it was horrible." She shook her head. "I must be very tired, Angel. That's it. We're just tired and lonely." She tried to ease off his lap but his hands stayed around her waist, holding her in place. "I should go now. G-goodnight, Angel."
"What if I don't want you to go? What if we could ease each other's lonliness?" He purred.
Willow's eyes grew wide and her breath caught. Something about that tone of voice. . .the look in those eyes. Angelus? No, the others cursed him. Truthfully, they'd all agreed not to discuss the issue further. They were still mired in their battle with Glory and dealing with a motherless Slayer. "I really have to go , Angel." She said, he was only seeking some comfort. A moment of weakness.
"No, you don't. You could stay a while." Angel brushed his lips over the corner of her mouth.
Did he try to kiss her cheek and miss or was he too afraid to kiss her mouth directly? "I have to go, Angel!" Willow said more loudly, straining against his hands.
"Alright, Willow." He let her go. She scampered to the door, but Angel's voice forestalled her. "I'm sorry, Willow. I don't know what came over me. I'm didn't mean to . . ." He ducked his head, trying his best to look chagrined.
"It's okay, Angel. We're under a lot of stress. Goodnight." Willow said softly before she left, closing the door behind her.
Angelus smiled to himself. Run while you can, little one. Sooner or later I'm going to catch you.
*******
"Cordy, have you noticed anything. . .different about Angel lately?"
The ex-cheerleader frowned as she contemplated the question. "Well, he's been shopping a lot lately. He's become a much better dresser since I started helping him."
"Shopping?" That wasn't what she wanted to know. " What about his moods, does he seem happier?"
"Well, yes. But not ‘Angelus happy.'"
"Hmm. Has he eaten any chocolate lately?"
"We've kept him away from it because of you warning." She regarded the witch carefully. "Something you want to talk about?"
She took a deep breath and blurted it out. "Angel kissed me."
"Wow, you poor girl. They should have a support group for that." Cordelia said dryly.
"You think it's a joke? Ask Buffy or Drusilla if they felt they needed a support group after some physical contact with him."
"That was after they met up with Angelus, not Angel. There's a big difference."
"Getting physical with Angel leads to Angelus! Hence, my problem with the smoochie he gave me."
"What kind of a kiss are we talking about? A deep, opened mouth one? A light kiss on the lips?"
"It was a kiss on the corner of my mouth."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Geez, we should report him for sexual harassment."
"Cordy!"
"What's the big? He was just being friendly."
"Exactly. We're just friends and he kissed me. This is Angel we're talking about, it's hard to get him to speak to you, let along some physical contact."
Cordy had witnessed the sparkage between Wills and Angel. She thought a steamy flirtation, with no big ‘happy' moments would be healthy for both of them. Help ease their pain. "He's changed since living in L.A. Maybe he's been picking up things from Wes and me."
"Does he kiss you?"
"Well, no." Cordelia said carefully. "He probably feels close to you, you're going through some things together right now, with Buffy's death."
"Maybe you're right." Willow muttered carefully. But she wasn't sure of it.
******************************************************************************

**********************
"Chicken Soup for the Soul." Willow read the front cover of the book.
"Hmmm. Soul food." Her mother had sent to her via Fedex, they weren't
planning on coming home for another month. Her mother thought it might help
Willow get through her friend's death. She certainly could use some sort of
spiritual assistance at this point. Though, she doubted the answer to her
problems when is this thin volume of stories. She put in her bookshelf
dutifully, maybe she'd read it another time.
The truth is Willow was worried. She'd really gotten in over her head
this time. In order to defeat Glory, she'd gotten into Giles' private
collection of spell books, the ones that contained dark magicks. It happened
right after Glory's minion's had taken Spike back to the god's apartment.
Willow had been sleeping when the minions grabbed Spike from the balcony off
of her bedroom. She'd heard the struggle to late, waking up only to find
them dragging him off into the night.
She'd called Buffy in a panic state, saying that Glory had taken the
blond vampire. She'd been forced to lie, saying she'd seen them take him from
his crypt. Buffy hadn't cared and Willow had been forced to remind the
Slayer that Spike knew who the key was. Buffy had been spurred into action,
vowing to find the god and kill Spike before he could blab the secret.
Willow was horrified but unable to explain that she cared about Spike. She
was afraid that she had just worsened the situation -- two blond women were
trying to kill Spike. The young witch had turned to magick to help her
situation, she knew of a book that Giles kept hidden.
So, she'd gone to the ‘Magick Box' by herself. If Willow closed her
eyes, she could still see the pages of ‘Darkest Magic' turn by themselves.
With calm resignation, she'd read the answer to her problem, found the power
source. Then, she had dragged the heavy book down the ladder and used some of
Giles' merchandise to cast a circle. After she'd lit several candles, Willow
called on the arch demon, Azriel. And then she promised him her soul in
exchange for higher dark powers. . .and he had agreed.
"Wills?" Willow was thrown from her reverie to see Xander standing there
looking at her. "You okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Why?"
"Because I've been calling your name and banging on the door for about
ten minutes and you didn't answer me. Are you ready to go?"
"I'm ready. Sorry, I was just thinking." They were going to see Giles,
apparently there had been some mysterious deaths in town. An impromptu
scoobies meeting was called. She stood up and grabbed a book that she would
need and followed him out the door.
********
When they arrived at Giles apartment, Angel was leaning against a wall
smoking a cigarette and Cordelia stood beside him. "Hey, guys." Xander
called. He hadn't seen Cordelia since the funeral. Angel's crew and the
scoobies didn't have much to talk about anymore. Conversation had been
stilted at best between the two groups and they had silently agreed to avoid
each other while also working for the same goals.
"As you can see, one of us is clearly a lady." Angel said, gesturing to
Cordy. His eyes drank Willow in. "Willow, feeling better?" The young witch
blushed and nodded silently. She looked from Cordelia to Xander and back
again. The fireworks were about to begin. She'd already seen them argue
enough in highschool, she had no desire to do it again tonight. Her nerves
couldn't take it. With an apologetic look to Angel she ran inside.
"Thanks, Angel." Cordelia said, bending an eyebrow at Xander. She
couldn't' believe her ex-boyfriend was marrying an ex-demon. It was the stuff
of nightmares. She looked at the young man. "So, where's the vengeance
demon?"
"Anya is at home, she has a cold."
"Wow, and her loss will be felt." Cordelia rolled her eyes and said
sarcastically. "We all love hearing about your sex life so much."
"She's only been human a couple of years! She doesn't know how to act
yet. And she came up with some very good ideas for defeating Glory! It was
her idea to use the troll hammer and the dagonsphere."
Cordelia didn't see a way to win this argument, so she glanced up and
down at Xander's bright clothes. "Nice ensemble, Xander. Wear did you get
it? Clown store have a ‘going out of business sale'? " With that, she walked
inside with her head held high.
Angelus, who had watched the whole exchange with interest, laughed in
delight at his beautiful assistant. He loved it when she could reduce men to
tears with just her sharp tongue. When he turned her, they would go hunting
together and he would watch her humiliate men before she killed them. But
for now. . .Angelus glanced down at Xander's dirt stained tennis shoes. "And
just a piece of advice, those don't match the rest of your tacky outfit."
He turned on his heel and went inside.
Xander walked in, muttering under his breath about ‘deadboys' and ‘prom
queens'. Giles was already beginning to lecture about the deaths. Three
witches had been murdered. They all had been within protective casting
circles and had been drained of their very lives.
"Are we sure that it wasn't some sort of a vampire?" Cordelia asked.
"I thought that at first." Giles said, putting his glasses on. He
retrieved the newspaper from his desk. "But the victims appeared to be
physically healthy at the time of death. No blood loss, no medical
conditions. They simply died.
"You suspect some kind of demonic activity?" Willow surmised.
"Yes, I think that some kind of a demon is feeding on the witches." He
looked at Willow thoughtfully. "I want you to be careful, my dear. If it
uses them as a power source, it might be after you as well. I want you to
suspend your magickal activities for now. It'll only be attracted to your
power."
"I will." Willow promised. "Is it research time, then?" Since Buffy's
demise the young witch was in control of the scoobies.
They all broke into groups. Wesley, Cordy, and Gunn sat together
researching any witchcraft practices that would attract a demon. Angelus sat
next to Willow, reading over the Watcher's Chronicles with her, searching for
some sort of reference to a demonic witch-eater . Xander and Giles
researched books on demonology. Three hours passed and still they had found
nothing.
"Well, I should go patrol." Angelus said, standing up to his full height.
He tried to keep the glee out of his voice. Killing would relax him, he
looked to Rupert. "I'll call you if I see anything unusual."
"I'd appreciate that." The Watcher said gravely.
Cordy and Wesley stood up, saying they were going back to the hotel,
Wesley wanted to cross-reference some books he'd brought with him. Gunn
pulled a mace from Giles' weapons collection. "You want some company, Angel?"
"Love some." Angelus said warmly.
Xander stood, glaring at Angel. "I'll be going home then." As the young
man reached the door, the dark vampire's voice forestalled him.
"Be careful, Xander, there are plenty of vampires out there." He flashed
a wolfish sneer. "Wouldn't want you to get bit."
Gunn looked at Angel in askance. "That guy just bugs me." Gunn shrugged
and went outside, hoping the boss would be out soon.
Willow pulled the Watcher into a corner and began talking with him in
hushed tones. Angelus couldn't make out what they were saying because he was
distracted by the Watcher's diaries. He reached over and ran his fingers
along them, noting the years emblazoned on the spines. One spanned the years
of 1780 - 1840. Perfect. He slid it into his coat. "Coming, Willow?"
She turned from the Watcher and smiled. They both looked at him
speculatively. "Yes, I'm ready." She followed him out the door. " Do you
mind more company tonight? I thought I'd stop over later, after your
patrol."
"I don't mind at all." Anxious to see him, was she? Good.
"What were you talking to the Watcher about?" Angelus asked curiously.
"Stuff." She smiled airily and then walked over to Gunn. "Ready for
some demon killing, Hellmouth style?"
Gunn looked down at the young witch, he'd grown to like her a great deal
in the short time he'd known her. She had grit and she made Angel happy. .
.but not too happy. And that was good enough in his book. "Ready as ever."
He smiled over at Angel. "You ready, old man? We need to stop and get you a
cane or something?" It was familiar banter between the two demon fighters.
"Oh yeah? Maybe we should pick up a wash cloth, you're still wet behind
the ears." Angelus strutted over to the pair.
"No, maybe we need some Bengay for those creaky old joints."
"Or some diapers for you."
"Or for you." The banter continued and all three laughed as they walked
to the parking lot.
*******
Angelus settled into bed wearing his bath robe. He and Gunn had killed a
few fledglings and killed a couple of Heqler demons. The young man was
nothing short of amazing, Angel had no qualms about letting Gunn watch his
back. They were quite an effective team. He was still keyed up from the
kill.
He cracked open the book he had taken from Giles and scanned the
reference page in the back, looking for his name. Then he began to read
aloud. "Angelus, the vampire with the angelic face." Got that right, he
rubbed his jaw. Pretty good for being 200+ years old. "Also known as the
Scourge of Europe." Now those were good times! "Sired by Darla, see page
157." Who cares about her? "Killed his entire village when he was first
turned, including his family." They tasted good. "Known for plotting out his
victims' deaths with fiendish precision." I'm nothing, if not an artist.
"Frequently–"
"Angel?" Willow called from outside the door, she rapped on it.
"Coming." Angelus called and then gave a naughty smile at his words as he
opened the door. "Hello, Willow."
"Hi, Angel." She had a bag in her hand.
"What's that?"
"Dessert for us." Angelus looked on in delight as she unloaded two
containers of ice cream from a local ice cream parlor onto the table in his
room. "For you, I got vanilla ice cream with caramel topping. Mine's
chocolate ice cream with mocha fudge and topped with pieces of oreo cookies."
Angelus' mouth began to water. "That looks good." He was eyeing her
sundae not his.
She gestured to the other seat and took out two red plastic spoons. She
popped the lid off of hers and Angelus could smell it clearly. He opened
his and groaned as he took a spoonful of vanilla ice cream in his mouth.
Flat. Tasteless. Nothing compared to the dark decadence of chocolate. But
he couldn't eat any with her here.
"What's wrong?" Willow asked, taking a bite of ice cream "Why did you
groan?"
"Hurt my leg tonight." He lied.
"Poor guy. Least you heal fast, right?" Willow took another bite of ice
cream, closing her eyes to savor the taste.
Mocha. Chocolate. Chocolate covered Willow. Licking the chocolate off
of chocolate covered Willow. How much can one vampire stand?"Yeah, I heal
fast."
She spooned up another portion, scooping the fudge from the sides of the
container. "You aren't eating yours. Doesn't it taste good?"
He followed the movements of her tongue on the spoon as it swirled
around, searching for the last traces of chocolate on the utensil. Tease!
Angelus stuck another spoonful of the confection into his mouth. Sometimes
being Angel pushed him to his limits. "It tastes fine." Make her stop!
Somebody make her stop before I throw her to the floor and spread the ice
cream all over her body and then lick her from the tips of her little toes to
the--
"You sure are quiet tonight. Wanna talk about it?"
Angelus stood up from the table. "I"ll be right back." He said carefully
as he rushed into the bathroom.
Willow grinned as she spooned another bite of ice cream into her mouth.
Hmmm. . .the subject had a very interesting reaction. More tests might be
necessary in order to prove this researcher's theory.
Angelus heaved a sigh of relief as he found his hidden stash of dark
chocolate bars hidden in a bathroom drawer. He ripped open the foil wrapper
and bit down viciously, sighing in relief as the rich substance coated his
tongue. He took another bite. Any minute now he'd have to go out there and
he'd better have a good excuse because vampires' don't go to the bathroom.
He took yet another bite. This was going to be a long, tempting and trying
night.
*********************************************************************************************

Willow looked over her shoulder at Angel. The vampire stood in the middle of Buffy’s room with a look on his face that was mutinous. "I know you don’t want to do this, but you have to deal with your grief, Angel. I want you to stay in here. Smell her perfume. Look at her clothes. Remember all the good times you two had together. Talk to her and tell her goodbye." His dark eyes were thunderous. She needed to push him so she closed the distance between them with a few forceful strides. "Don’t give me that look. It’s the only way! You’re starting to get darker, Angel. More and more in touch with your demon. If you don’t stop this you’re going to free him. Do you want more evil deeds to atone for?" With that she swung away and closed the door behind her.

Angelus fisted his hands in the pockets of his long black trench coat, the only decent piece of clothing Broody owned. Part of him wanted to walk down the stairs pull his Willow into his arms and kiss her soundly, turn her knees to jelly and make her beg to be with for all time. But that would ruin all of his plans, make the past few months worthless. She had to fall in love with him before he revealed himself to her. She would only attempt to restore his soul again if she found out who he really was. Hopefully, Willow could be as much a slave to her passions as any one else. She would be so blinded by her love for him that she would do anything in order to remain by his side. He had pushed her too fast the last time, shown his cards too soon. It wouldn’t happen again.

He hated to admit it, but he was also a little hurt by her comment. Him, Angelus, Scourge of Europe -- a demon! Hurt by the careless phrasing of young witch. Devil take it, he had only spent a few weeks being Angel and now he was starting to act like his stupid soul. And was she truly being honest? The redheaded witch never wanted to see him again? He got the distinct impression that she had enjoyed his attentions even if she wouldn’t admit it. Especially that night in The Bronze when he’d scared those catty school girls. The night he had left for L.A. they had shared a scorching kiss, he knew she enjoyed that!

Whether she knew it or night, the Angel that she had spent so much time on the phone with had actually been him. It was Angelus she trusted, not his soul. His soul had barely given the witch the time of day. Drooling over the bubble headed bleach blond when he could have the fiery warmth of the young witch. He wanted to know just what he, Angelus, had done to deserve such a disappointing unlife. Being stuck with a slut of a sire like Darla was bad enough. But when the soulling, brooding, bad fashion sense, and playing house with a Slayer was factored in -- he must have royally screwed up somewhere. He had often thought that he had being wicked down to a science. Maybe it was something he didn’t do that was the problem. Didn’t eat enough nuns? Was it because he didn’t ingratiate himself to Darla’s bat faced sire? He shuddered. Angelus would stake himself before he went around looking like that. He shook off his thoughts and scowled. Great. He was starting to brood too.

She’d better hurry up and love him, he was no one’s fool and he wasn’t sure how much of this he could continue to put up with. Maybe he could convince her to come back to L.A. with him. Or they could go somewhere else. Anywhere but here. Sunnydale was positively provincial. They didn’t even have a decent coffee house.

Willow would be waiting downstairs while he ‘experienced his grief’, she had anxiously told him that Spike and Dawn were at the Watcher’s for the evening. It had all been arranged by Giles so that he could have some private time in her room. Willow hadn’t wanted to face Spike. Angelus had been elated by that bit of knowledge. But. . .back to his assigned task. He was resolved to follow through on this charade. My thoughts, feelings, and recollections of good, ol’ Buff. Well, she hated smoking. Made her cough..

Smirking, he reached into his coat pocket and retrieves his cigarette case. He lit one with the elegant flick of his wrist and inhaled deeply. He walked over to her chest of drawers and picked up a decorative bowl with kitties on it. He flicked his ashes in it. Her perfume lay out, the cap still off. He didn’t recognize the brand, she probably purchased it at the dime store. Curious he spritzed some in the air and inhaled the scent. Smells like cat urine. He dropped it into the nearby trash can.

He walked over to the floor and retrieved something was partially visible from under the bed. He held it by one leg, raising it into the air. The tiny stuffed pink pig’s glassy eyes stared down at Angelus sappily. He searched his soul’s memories for the pig’s name. Mr. Gordo. Well, he was starting to get bored and Willow had encouraged him to talk about his feelings for Buffy. The things he did for Willow! "Well, Mr. Gordo, I hated Buffy. With a passion. She was a real, honest to Devil, bitch. I wanted to drain her die and leave her cold dead body on the Watcher’s doorstep. Or place her in a desk at her highschool, prop her up for all her friends to find. Except for Willow, of course. With the Slayer dead, I would have taken her away." He sighed. "Let’s see. What else? She dressed like a slut and acted like one too." Angel held a hand to his ear. "What’s that, Mr. Gordo? Don’t believe me? Well, let me present the evidence."

He stood up, pig in hand, and walked to her closet with determination. He sorted through her clothes and pointed out the damning clothing. "See these? Every last one of them is a mini skirt. And why did she try to show off her legs, anyway? They were skinny, looked like they belonged to a chicken. Oh, and all of these backless shirts, not to mention the see-through blouses. She was trying to get some ‘business’ from the male population of Sunnydale." He noticed a pair of black silk pumps on the floor, they were decorated with tiny red blooms. Exquisite. They easily cost over four hundred dollars and were still in the box, tags attached. They hadn’t been worn. He smiled. Buffy obviously hadn’t bought these, must have been a gift. She liked. . .pastels. He thought of Willow. . .no. These were more Cordy’s style with her fondness for black and exotic looks. He tucked them in to the large inner pockets of his coat.

"Come on, I know there’s more to see." Angelus walked back to her drawers and let the pig see her under clothes. Inside the drawer was a tangle of satin and silk. All thongs and push up bras. He pretended to listen to the pig. "Yes, she must have been to a sale at Hookers R’ Us."

A memory came back to him. He turned to look at the bed thoughtfully. "That’s where I sketched her after I lost my soul. I really should have killed her that night but I wanted to play. . . I always want to play. And I can’t anymore." Angelus tossed the pig on the bed and sat down on it carefully. He might not ever get to ‘play’ – kill again. It was a sobering thought. A life without killing. No stalking his victims. No thrill of the chase. No warm, fresh blood tinged with fear in his mouth. Angelus was astonished to find a single, silver tear streaking his face.

"Oh, Angel." Willow said from the doorway. She had been worried about him, there was no sound coming from the room. She had to check on him.

Angelus blocked his worries about the future from his mind. He would have Willow. That’s what mattered right now. He had a feeling that with her in his life, all things would be possible. He held out his arms to her, striving to look tearful. "Hold me."

Willow went over to him and took him in her arms, standing between his legs. With a sigh, Angelus buried his face in her soft breasts, which were covered only by a couple thin layers of cotton. She stroked his brown hair. "It’s okay, Angel. I promise that everything will be okay." She was oblivious to what he was doing, lost in the relief that he seemed to be his old self again. Sad and somber Angel. Angel she could handle, she wasn’t stirred up inside by the soulled vampire like she was by his demon.

Angelus nuzzled her breasts, through the cotton. Delighting in the beating of her heart and her wonderful scent. She put her fingers under his chin and made him look at her. "Are you alright?"

He smiled. "I’m feeling much better now, Willow. Thank you." And to show his. . .appreciation, Angelus placed a kiss between her breasts. He felt Willow’s heart beat pick up. Good. Now, throw her for a loop."Come on, we’d better be going before Spike gets here." He took her limp hand in his own and dragged her away.

*********