A Vacation to Remember - A/W - PG-13 - 4/?
Title: A Vacation to Remember
Author: claudia6913
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: W/A
Summary: Willow is still getting over Oz and her friends aren't helping. Angel decides she needs a little vacation.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I just play in the fields of other peoples imagination.
Distribution: My writing journal. NHA. Please ask for others.
Author's Notes: This is set during season 4 of BtVS and season 1 of AtS. It goes AU from there. This is also a re-write, though not much has changed. I've cut back on the Buffy/Kate bashing.
Chapter 4
Willow woke to the smell of bacon, delicious and wafting through the door. For a moment she was disoriented, unsure of where she was. The bed was strange, the smells stranger, and the complete darkness of the room overwhelming. Finally, her sleep addled brain caught up and she remembered. She was at Angel's. In Angel's bed, in his apartment, and they had kissed last night. A blush stole across her face as she reached, feeling for a bedside lamp, or anything to illuminate the room. Fumbling she found the light and clicked it on, closing her eyes at the brightness for a moment.
Slipping out of bed, Willow donned the old pair of jeans and gathered her toiletries and other clothes to wear and slowly opened the door. The sound and smells of cooking food met her and her stomach growled in pleasure. Peeking her head out the door, she stopped and stared in wonder at the sight before her.
Angel. At the stove. Cooking.
"Good Morning," Angel said, turning around.
Shaking herself she stuttered,"Y-You're cooking?"
"Just bacon and eggs. It's all I can make and all Cordelia will let me make," he said, taking out another strip of bacon and placing it in the hot grease. It sizzled and popped and he jumped out of the way as grease came flying towards him. "Usually I reserve this for after a night of killing and keeping my employees up all night, but I thought you might be hungry." He smiled and noticed the bundle in her hands. "The bathroom is through that hall and to the left."
Unsure of what else to say or do, Willow took off in the direction mentioned. She quickly closed the door behind her and was met with a sight that didn't quite match the rest of Angel's apartment. The bathroom was ... luxurious. Very sleek, tidy, and expensive looking. There was cream colored marble on the floor with a matching pedestal sink to her right and a functional toilet next to that. The shower was gigantic in her opinion. It took up the entire length of the far wall. Two large sliding glass doors sat in the middle and they seemed as though they were suspended from the floor and ceiling. There was a slight dip in the center of the shower where the drain sat. More shower heads than Willow had seen outside her high school shower in the gym locker rooms surrounded the ceiling and wall.
If one was to indulge in something, a shower like that was not a bad idea. She almost felt guilty for wanting to get in there and luxuriate in what promised to be a very satisfying shower. The towels were something to be admired as well. Unable to help herself, Willow reached out and felt one, nearly moaning at the softness and knowing without a doubt it would be heavenly to dry off with it. The guilt was fleeting however and the shower called to her.
**********
Bacon grease caught Angel off guard and he cursed softly as it burnt his skin before flipping the offending piece of meat over to brown the other side. He'd made three batches of bacon, unsure of how Willow would like it. One was soft, barely cooked, one medium with some crunchy bits the way Cordelia liked it, and another was burning along nicely, nearly done in the pan. The bowl of eggs sat next to him and Angel moved to prepare that when he heard the shower turn on down the hall. He smiled thinking about Willow in that particular area of his apartment. He'd heard her soft gasp when she'd walked in, and a moan (he hoped of pleasure - and didn't that bring to mind things better left un-thought) at something.
The meat done, Angel drained some of the grease and poured in the eggs and let them simmer before he pushed them around to scramble the eggs. At first Angel had been opposed to the idea of cooking. What need did he have of that particular skill? However, Cordelia and Doyle had quickly changed his mind on that one late night, or early morning depending on your view. Now the act soothed him. It brought about a sort of homey feeling, and a sense that he was indeed taking care of those around him, those he held dear, in more ways than just physical protection. Slowly but surely, Cordelia was humanizing him, as odd as that sounded. She was making him see his faults in some places, and showing him that though he was a vampire, though he was destined for a life that was full of more bumps than flat road, he didn't have to cut himself off from others. Cordelia reminded him that there were people around him who were on the same road, though sometimes briefly, that needed help over those bumps just as much as he did.
Willow had helped him over a particularly large bump, and he had done nothing up to this point to repay her for her act of kindness and near self-sacrifice. That would change, however, Angel vowed. He would show her this weekend that he had indeed appreciated her, possibly more than she knew.
The water stopped and Angel listened as Willow opened the shower stall. Quickly, he removed a plate, fork, and napkin and placed it on the table in the kitchen. Then, he retrieved two glasses, filled one with Orange Juice and another with water and placed those on the table as well. For a moment, he wished he'd had forethought to get some flowers to place on the table, then shook his head. That would have been overkill. Besides, he hadn't originally planned on Willow staying over here. How was he to have known that Dennis would take such a dislike to her.
"That's just ... wow," she said, picking up her fork. It smelled good, even for just bacon and eggs. Smiling, she took a bite of the eggs and ate them hungrily, giving a thumbs up while her mouth was full. "This is good. Thank you, Angel, but you didn't have to."
"You had a difficult first night here."
"My life is never boring," she said shrugging. Willow didn't want to bring up the kiss, not yet. She still didn't know how she felt about it. On one hand, it gave her a thrill that started at the base of her spine and worked it's way up making her shiver and smile. On the other hand ... it wasn't right. How it wasn't right was becoming a bit blurry to Willow though. At first, it had been because Angel was Buffy's. However, Buffy had Riley now. Buffy was all about Riley to the point it made others nauseous. Also, Angel hadn't looked entirely pleased to see Buffy the other night. Willow always thought soulmate meant a forever type love, something that would make your heart melt every time you saw your other half. What she had seen between them hadn't been heart melting. It had been almost menacing.
"Willow," Angel started. He folded his hands, then unfolded them and ran one through his hair. This was difficult. He needed to apologize for last night, knew he should, but ... he didn't feel bad about it. Well, only so bad as it had made Willow feel bad, but he would do it again. Already he could feel himself gravitating towards her as if she had a pull on him, invisible and taut. Shaking himself, he tried again. "Willow, I want to apologize-"
"Don't," she said, cutting him off and holding up a hand. He looked at her, confused and she sighed. While in the shower she'd had time to herself to sort out her feelings and thoughts on their kiss last night. It had not been bad. In fact, it'd been very nearly close to wonderful. Angel was wonderful, at least to her. Whatever guilt she had experienced that night had been brought upon by false information, or rather, information that was no longer relevant. Angel was no more Buffy's than Willow was Oz's. Both couples had split and gone their separate ways. True, Willow wasn't quite ready for a relationship, she wasn't about to push Angel away. He was kind, thoughtful, and very handsome. For now, she wanted friendship - and if the occasional kiss slipped in, well, she decided she was fine with that.
"There's no need to apologize."
Still confused, Angel asked, "Why?"
Shrugging, Willow ate another bite of the egg before answering. "I had some preconceived notions as to whom belonged to whom and those are no longer valid hence no need to apologize."
Angel leaned back in his chair, stunned, and tried to work through what she meant by that as she finished her breakfast.
"Oh, what time is it?" Willow asked, looking around the kitchen for a clock.
"A little after noon," Angel answered, having glanced at the time in the living room. "Cordelia and Wesley should be coming in any moment."
"Noon?" she asked in disbelief. Willow had known they had been up rather late last night with all the commotion and emotional stress, but to sleep until almost mid-day was nearly unheard of for her. She bounced out of the seat, gathered the dishes, and slipped them in the sink. As she turned to go upstairs, Willow realized there was no need. No one was waiting for her to get started on something. No one was expecting her to be in a class. School was over for the year. She was free to do as she pleased, and if that meant sleeping in until noon, well then, that was just fine.
Unable to stop himself, Angel stood and smiled down at Willow. Her brief anxiety attack had frightened him at first, but watching her realize there was no rush had been amusing. "Welcome to your vacation, Little One."
"Thank you," Willow said, smiling broadly. "This is different. I don't know what to do."
"What would you like to do?"
Willow shrugged. "You have work, don't you? I could help maybe?"
Shaking his head, Angel placed his hands on her shoulders, "No. You're on strict vacation rules. That includes no working."
Huffing, Willow crossed her arms and grimaced. "I can't just do nothing. It'll drive me insane."
"You can do anything you'd like," he contradicted.
"Anything?"
Wary, Angel eyed her. "What have you got in mind?"
Signing a zipper being pulled over her lips, Willow smiled, turned, and walked up the stairs to the main office leaving Angel just staring after her.
**********
Willow had mentally steeled herself for the coarse verbiage of Cordelia's daily vocabulary, but had been pleasantly surprised that the ex-cheerleader and menace to Willow's self-esteem had mellowed considerably. She found that she could talk more openly with Cordelia then ever she could in the past. It was a very welcoming change. Besides, Willow had all the dish on the what was what of old Sunnydale. Gossip never went awry with Cordelia and Willow had her fair share to spill.
Wesley had been a rather nice surprise as well. He had moved on from the lanky awkward watcher and held himself differently, spoke with more personal knowledge, rather than the book smarts that had not always been applicable to the situation at hand. He was genuinely happy to see her, and while he didn't particularly participate in the gossip, he had asked his own sly questions and stayed for the conversation, offering drinks and pastry's to the ladies occasionally.
Behind it all, Angel watched on with a deep sense of satisfaction and rightness about the scene. These were his friends, people who had, for one reason or another that he would never understand, stuck up for him. They had helped him when he was down, carried him when he was hurt, and cared for him when there was no reason to. Willow fit perfectly with them, melding into their group seamlessly and with such enthusiasm that Angel couldn't help but get closer to see how animated and lively she was. His fingers itched to touch her, to be a part of it.
Finally, unable to stand in the shadows any longer, Angel did join in the conversation. The topics varied, and some of it he simply could not follow and had looked occasionally to Wesley for help. However, the ex-watcher had a look of consternation as he tried to figure out the young ladies meanings.
Hours passed by, though to the group they seemed only minutes, when the door opened and a rather unsavory looking gentleman walked through the door. Willow immediately became on edge, and watched in wonder as those around her tensed as well.
"Can I help you?" Angel asked, stepping in front of Willow and his employees. The human reeked of death and decay, though his physical form held no signs of such.
"Angel?" the man asked, taking a step forward, stumbling over his feet. His voice was raspy, as though he had been screaming too long and had damaged his vocal cords. The rags that were on him were tattered and torn and stained with blood, though there were no visible wounds. "Please, my wife," the man said, reaching out to gather Angel's shirt in his hands. "Help her."
Realizing this man was not dangerous, Angel quickly helped him to the couch in the lobby and set him down as Cordelia went to grab a glass of water. The man took it gratefully and sipped for a few moments before clearing his throat. Having taken care of the water, Cordy grabbed a pad and pencil and sat on the edge of the couch, ready to write down whatever the man said.
"You're wife's in trouble?" Angel asked, prompting the gentleman when it seemed he wouldn't begin talking on his own.
The man nodded and took another drink. "She - She's being held."
"Held where?" Cordy asked, her pencil poised.
"I-I don't know, it was dark, and I barely got out. Please, you've got to help her. The screams they-" he cut off as tears began streaming down his face.
Awkwardly, Angel patted the man on his shoulder and Willow brought over a box of tissues. He took one with a meek smile and blew his nose. She pitied him and feared for his wife. She couldn't imagine what he was going through. Silently she prayed that they would be able to help him. Slowly and with much reiteration, Cordelia and Angel were able to get the details from the man. A pack of, what the man called, hopped up teens, had grabbed he and his wife on their way home from dinner last night - or at least the man assumed it was last night. He was completely unaware of the date. The man described in-human sounds, but never really got a good look at them. They were strong, he remembered, too strong for he and his wife to fight off.
Finally, exhaustion had overtaken the man and Willow grabbed a blanket from the closet Cordelia pointed to and covered him.
"What are we going to do?" Willow asked, turning pleading eyes on Angel.
Without a word, Angel walked to the telephone and did something Willow wouldn't have thought he would do after last night.
"Hello, Detective Lockley please," Angel said into the receiver. At Willow's questioning glance, he held up a hand. He would explain later, right now he had to put some difference behind him and focus on the human in need. He just hoped Kate would do the same.
"Kate?" Angel asked. "No, I'm calling because - Yes she's still - No she hasn't changed her mind - Look, I'm calling for another reason."
Quietly, Willow grabbed for the phone. Angel was going to get no where fast, she realized, and she had a hunch she knew why he had called Detective Lockley. Reluctantly, he handed over the phone.
"Detective Lockley? This is Willow, we met last night."
"I remember. Have you changed your mind about Angel?" she asked.
"No, and please, this is important so I will get right to the point. We have a man in the office who says that he and his wife were kidnapped a night or so ago. His wife is still missing. From what we have been able to gather, he is not sure on the date, however, he is almost positive that the people who did this were too strong. He said they were probably doped up on something, but you and I both know it could be that, or vampires. Now, Angel was calling, I assume, to give you a heads up in case it is just humans. That, I believe, falls in your jurisdiction. If you would like to collaborate, we will be more than willing to help and hand this over to you should it be non-demon related. However, if it is vampires or demons, I believe Angel would prefer that you leave that business up to him. Either way, we have a common goal of attempting to retrieve his wife from her abductors."
The line was quiet as Willow waited for Kate's reply. She almost didn't dare breathe.
"Fine, but I want this done my way," Kate said finally. "I want him down at my office so that I can take my own statements from him. Also, I want in on anything you find. No keeping things back."
"I can agree to most, however, I think he needs a doctor. How about we meet you at the hospital, whichever is closer to us, and we can hand him off to you there." She glanced at the man, hoping his wife was as relatively unscathed as he seemed to be physically. Though, mentally, she knew that hoping for anything other than something non-permanent was probably a moot point.
Reluctantly, Kate agreed and gave Willow the address for the hospital nearest to Angel's. The sooner they got him there the better as it the man was turning very pale and shivering. There was no telling what ordeal he'd been through. Suddenly Angel was their beside her, a hand on her shoulder.
"You don't have to go, Cordelia and Wesley can take care of him and Kate," Angel said. Her conversation with Kate on the phone gave Angel a new-found appreciation for Willow. She had grown in ways he hadn't imagined. It made her all the more beautiful to him, to have that inner strength burning inside of her.
**********
Willow opted to stay with Angel while Cordelia and Wesley went to the hospital to meet with Kate and hand the man over. Together they went over the notes Cordelia had written down, trying to guess what and where his wife could be. Certainly there was some clue sitting there, staring at them, daring them to find it. There had to be. They had to find her.
"What about this?" Willow asked, pointing to a scribbled note, barely legible on the pad.
Angel shook his head. "There are hundreds of places that could fit that description, six within close vicinity." He hated this part, the not knowing, unable to do anything but try to figure out the impossible. He occasionally looked over to Willow, watching her think, brow creased in concentration. She seemed to be taking this missing woman almost personally, and he knew the feeling, knew how it weighed on one's shoulder when someone came to you for help and you were unable to help them in the manner you thought you should.
"Six?" Willow asked.
"Within a mile of this office," Angel confirmed. He watched as her face lit up at the same moment he understood her meaning.
"He had to have been relatively close, right? I mean, for him to stumble in your door like that. What are the chances that his wife is in one of those buildings?"
Immediately, Angel was in action. He barely noticed as Willow climbed into the elevator with him, stopping himself just before he hit her with the doors.
"Where are you going?" he questioned.
"With you."
"No."
"But, Angel, I can help."
"No, it's too dangerous."
"Did you forget that I have gone out with Buffy numerous times when she patrolled and on average only come close to getting hurt five maybe six times a week? I think that qualifies me for some sort of award, maybe a lifetime achievement award for least amount of times to encounter death and survive on the Hellmouth." She smiled at his stunned expression. "Besides, I won't take no for an answer. Now get me a weapon, Mister!"
There were many things Angel could think of to do to the small redhead - any number of which he was sure would get him banished to a ring of hell that would out do the previous hell he had been in. Tying her up was not a bad idea, but he had a feeling she was sneaky enough to get out of it. Sighing, he shook his head and grabbed one of his lighter short swords and handed it to her. He supposed in the long run it was better she come with him, at least then he could keep an eye on her.
"If I say run, you run. If I say get down, drop to the floor. If I say stay, you stay."
"And if you say jump, I say how high. I get the drill, Angel. I won't get myself killed."
That statement was a little too close to his own fears to acknowledge, so instead he nodded once and opened the grate leading to the sewers. There were three buildings matching the man's descriptions not far from his own apartment, possibly only ten minutes through the tunnels. If he remembered correctly, two of those had sewer access in the basement, and the other was just next to an alley that was lucky to get sunlight at high noon, let alone late afternoon. He turned and helped Willow down into the sewer and began walking to their destination. He hated that he had not been able to convince her to stay. If something were to happen to her he would never forgive himself.
"If I had known this was part of my vacation, I would have brought galoshes," Willow whispered as she tried to stay as dry as possible. She didn't see as Angel winced at her words.
After this, he told himself, he would treat her to something nice, a night out, dinner and a movie, or something equally enjoyable. Perhaps he would buy her a new copy of To Kill a Mockingbird. He had noticed the worn and torn copy lying atop her book bag. Surely he still had a copy of it around somewhere he could re-read. It'd been nearly thirty years since he'd picked up the book shortly after it was printed. The details of it were fuzzy to him now, but he'd remembered enjoying it.
"How much further?" Willow whispered.
Silently, he cursed himself; they had passed the first building. He'd been so wrapped up in thinking about Willow and her vacation, and how it was turning out to be anything but enjoyable. The other one was just steps away however and he turned left down a small shaft to the ladder there that led up and out into the small alley way between buildings.
"Stay here until I come back and let you know it's safe," Angel said, moving the lid easily and slipping out into the pseudo-darkness.
Author: claudia6913
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: W/A
Summary: Willow is still getting over Oz and her friends aren't helping. Angel decides she needs a little vacation.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I just play in the fields of other peoples imagination.
Distribution: My writing journal. NHA. Please ask for others.
Author's Notes: This is set during season 4 of BtVS and season 1 of AtS. It goes AU from there. This is also a re-write, though not much has changed. I've cut back on the Buffy/Kate bashing.
Chapter 4
Willow woke to the smell of bacon, delicious and wafting through the door. For a moment she was disoriented, unsure of where she was. The bed was strange, the smells stranger, and the complete darkness of the room overwhelming. Finally, her sleep addled brain caught up and she remembered. She was at Angel's. In Angel's bed, in his apartment, and they had kissed last night. A blush stole across her face as she reached, feeling for a bedside lamp, or anything to illuminate the room. Fumbling she found the light and clicked it on, closing her eyes at the brightness for a moment.
Slipping out of bed, Willow donned the old pair of jeans and gathered her toiletries and other clothes to wear and slowly opened the door. The sound and smells of cooking food met her and her stomach growled in pleasure. Peeking her head out the door, she stopped and stared in wonder at the sight before her.
Angel. At the stove. Cooking.
"Good Morning," Angel said, turning around.
Shaking herself she stuttered,"Y-You're cooking?"
"Just bacon and eggs. It's all I can make and all Cordelia will let me make," he said, taking out another strip of bacon and placing it in the hot grease. It sizzled and popped and he jumped out of the way as grease came flying towards him. "Usually I reserve this for after a night of killing and keeping my employees up all night, but I thought you might be hungry." He smiled and noticed the bundle in her hands. "The bathroom is through that hall and to the left."
Unsure of what else to say or do, Willow took off in the direction mentioned. She quickly closed the door behind her and was met with a sight that didn't quite match the rest of Angel's apartment. The bathroom was ... luxurious. Very sleek, tidy, and expensive looking. There was cream colored marble on the floor with a matching pedestal sink to her right and a functional toilet next to that. The shower was gigantic in her opinion. It took up the entire length of the far wall. Two large sliding glass doors sat in the middle and they seemed as though they were suspended from the floor and ceiling. There was a slight dip in the center of the shower where the drain sat. More shower heads than Willow had seen outside her high school shower in the gym locker rooms surrounded the ceiling and wall.
If one was to indulge in something, a shower like that was not a bad idea. She almost felt guilty for wanting to get in there and luxuriate in what promised to be a very satisfying shower. The towels were something to be admired as well. Unable to help herself, Willow reached out and felt one, nearly moaning at the softness and knowing without a doubt it would be heavenly to dry off with it. The guilt was fleeting however and the shower called to her.
**********
Bacon grease caught Angel off guard and he cursed softly as it burnt his skin before flipping the offending piece of meat over to brown the other side. He'd made three batches of bacon, unsure of how Willow would like it. One was soft, barely cooked, one medium with some crunchy bits the way Cordelia liked it, and another was burning along nicely, nearly done in the pan. The bowl of eggs sat next to him and Angel moved to prepare that when he heard the shower turn on down the hall. He smiled thinking about Willow in that particular area of his apartment. He'd heard her soft gasp when she'd walked in, and a moan (he hoped of pleasure - and didn't that bring to mind things better left un-thought) at something.
The meat done, Angel drained some of the grease and poured in the eggs and let them simmer before he pushed them around to scramble the eggs. At first Angel had been opposed to the idea of cooking. What need did he have of that particular skill? However, Cordelia and Doyle had quickly changed his mind on that one late night, or early morning depending on your view. Now the act soothed him. It brought about a sort of homey feeling, and a sense that he was indeed taking care of those around him, those he held dear, in more ways than just physical protection. Slowly but surely, Cordelia was humanizing him, as odd as that sounded. She was making him see his faults in some places, and showing him that though he was a vampire, though he was destined for a life that was full of more bumps than flat road, he didn't have to cut himself off from others. Cordelia reminded him that there were people around him who were on the same road, though sometimes briefly, that needed help over those bumps just as much as he did.
Willow had helped him over a particularly large bump, and he had done nothing up to this point to repay her for her act of kindness and near self-sacrifice. That would change, however, Angel vowed. He would show her this weekend that he had indeed appreciated her, possibly more than she knew.
The water stopped and Angel listened as Willow opened the shower stall. Quickly, he removed a plate, fork, and napkin and placed it on the table in the kitchen. Then, he retrieved two glasses, filled one with Orange Juice and another with water and placed those on the table as well. For a moment, he wished he'd had forethought to get some flowers to place on the table, then shook his head. That would have been overkill. Besides, he hadn't originally planned on Willow staying over here. How was he to have known that Dennis would take such a dislike to her.
"That's just ... wow," she said, picking up her fork. It smelled good, even for just bacon and eggs. Smiling, she took a bite of the eggs and ate them hungrily, giving a thumbs up while her mouth was full. "This is good. Thank you, Angel, but you didn't have to."
"You had a difficult first night here."
"My life is never boring," she said shrugging. Willow didn't want to bring up the kiss, not yet. She still didn't know how she felt about it. On one hand, it gave her a thrill that started at the base of her spine and worked it's way up making her shiver and smile. On the other hand ... it wasn't right. How it wasn't right was becoming a bit blurry to Willow though. At first, it had been because Angel was Buffy's. However, Buffy had Riley now. Buffy was all about Riley to the point it made others nauseous. Also, Angel hadn't looked entirely pleased to see Buffy the other night. Willow always thought soulmate meant a forever type love, something that would make your heart melt every time you saw your other half. What she had seen between them hadn't been heart melting. It had been almost menacing.
"Willow," Angel started. He folded his hands, then unfolded them and ran one through his hair. This was difficult. He needed to apologize for last night, knew he should, but ... he didn't feel bad about it. Well, only so bad as it had made Willow feel bad, but he would do it again. Already he could feel himself gravitating towards her as if she had a pull on him, invisible and taut. Shaking himself, he tried again. "Willow, I want to apologize-"
"Don't," she said, cutting him off and holding up a hand. He looked at her, confused and she sighed. While in the shower she'd had time to herself to sort out her feelings and thoughts on their kiss last night. It had not been bad. In fact, it'd been very nearly close to wonderful. Angel was wonderful, at least to her. Whatever guilt she had experienced that night had been brought upon by false information, or rather, information that was no longer relevant. Angel was no more Buffy's than Willow was Oz's. Both couples had split and gone their separate ways. True, Willow wasn't quite ready for a relationship, she wasn't about to push Angel away. He was kind, thoughtful, and very handsome. For now, she wanted friendship - and if the occasional kiss slipped in, well, she decided she was fine with that.
"There's no need to apologize."
Still confused, Angel asked, "Why?"
Shrugging, Willow ate another bite of the egg before answering. "I had some preconceived notions as to whom belonged to whom and those are no longer valid hence no need to apologize."
Angel leaned back in his chair, stunned, and tried to work through what she meant by that as she finished her breakfast.
"Oh, what time is it?" Willow asked, looking around the kitchen for a clock.
"A little after noon," Angel answered, having glanced at the time in the living room. "Cordelia and Wesley should be coming in any moment."
"Noon?" she asked in disbelief. Willow had known they had been up rather late last night with all the commotion and emotional stress, but to sleep until almost mid-day was nearly unheard of for her. She bounced out of the seat, gathered the dishes, and slipped them in the sink. As she turned to go upstairs, Willow realized there was no need. No one was waiting for her to get started on something. No one was expecting her to be in a class. School was over for the year. She was free to do as she pleased, and if that meant sleeping in until noon, well then, that was just fine.
Unable to stop himself, Angel stood and smiled down at Willow. Her brief anxiety attack had frightened him at first, but watching her realize there was no rush had been amusing. "Welcome to your vacation, Little One."
"Thank you," Willow said, smiling broadly. "This is different. I don't know what to do."
"What would you like to do?"
Willow shrugged. "You have work, don't you? I could help maybe?"
Shaking his head, Angel placed his hands on her shoulders, "No. You're on strict vacation rules. That includes no working."
Huffing, Willow crossed her arms and grimaced. "I can't just do nothing. It'll drive me insane."
"You can do anything you'd like," he contradicted.
"Anything?"
Wary, Angel eyed her. "What have you got in mind?"
Signing a zipper being pulled over her lips, Willow smiled, turned, and walked up the stairs to the main office leaving Angel just staring after her.
**********
Willow had mentally steeled herself for the coarse verbiage of Cordelia's daily vocabulary, but had been pleasantly surprised that the ex-cheerleader and menace to Willow's self-esteem had mellowed considerably. She found that she could talk more openly with Cordelia then ever she could in the past. It was a very welcoming change. Besides, Willow had all the dish on the what was what of old Sunnydale. Gossip never went awry with Cordelia and Willow had her fair share to spill.
Wesley had been a rather nice surprise as well. He had moved on from the lanky awkward watcher and held himself differently, spoke with more personal knowledge, rather than the book smarts that had not always been applicable to the situation at hand. He was genuinely happy to see her, and while he didn't particularly participate in the gossip, he had asked his own sly questions and stayed for the conversation, offering drinks and pastry's to the ladies occasionally.
Behind it all, Angel watched on with a deep sense of satisfaction and rightness about the scene. These were his friends, people who had, for one reason or another that he would never understand, stuck up for him. They had helped him when he was down, carried him when he was hurt, and cared for him when there was no reason to. Willow fit perfectly with them, melding into their group seamlessly and with such enthusiasm that Angel couldn't help but get closer to see how animated and lively she was. His fingers itched to touch her, to be a part of it.
Finally, unable to stand in the shadows any longer, Angel did join in the conversation. The topics varied, and some of it he simply could not follow and had looked occasionally to Wesley for help. However, the ex-watcher had a look of consternation as he tried to figure out the young ladies meanings.
Hours passed by, though to the group they seemed only minutes, when the door opened and a rather unsavory looking gentleman walked through the door. Willow immediately became on edge, and watched in wonder as those around her tensed as well.
"Can I help you?" Angel asked, stepping in front of Willow and his employees. The human reeked of death and decay, though his physical form held no signs of such.
"Angel?" the man asked, taking a step forward, stumbling over his feet. His voice was raspy, as though he had been screaming too long and had damaged his vocal cords. The rags that were on him were tattered and torn and stained with blood, though there were no visible wounds. "Please, my wife," the man said, reaching out to gather Angel's shirt in his hands. "Help her."
Realizing this man was not dangerous, Angel quickly helped him to the couch in the lobby and set him down as Cordelia went to grab a glass of water. The man took it gratefully and sipped for a few moments before clearing his throat. Having taken care of the water, Cordy grabbed a pad and pencil and sat on the edge of the couch, ready to write down whatever the man said.
"You're wife's in trouble?" Angel asked, prompting the gentleman when it seemed he wouldn't begin talking on his own.
The man nodded and took another drink. "She - She's being held."
"Held where?" Cordy asked, her pencil poised.
"I-I don't know, it was dark, and I barely got out. Please, you've got to help her. The screams they-" he cut off as tears began streaming down his face.
Awkwardly, Angel patted the man on his shoulder and Willow brought over a box of tissues. He took one with a meek smile and blew his nose. She pitied him and feared for his wife. She couldn't imagine what he was going through. Silently she prayed that they would be able to help him. Slowly and with much reiteration, Cordelia and Angel were able to get the details from the man. A pack of, what the man called, hopped up teens, had grabbed he and his wife on their way home from dinner last night - or at least the man assumed it was last night. He was completely unaware of the date. The man described in-human sounds, but never really got a good look at them. They were strong, he remembered, too strong for he and his wife to fight off.
Finally, exhaustion had overtaken the man and Willow grabbed a blanket from the closet Cordelia pointed to and covered him.
"What are we going to do?" Willow asked, turning pleading eyes on Angel.
Without a word, Angel walked to the telephone and did something Willow wouldn't have thought he would do after last night.
"Hello, Detective Lockley please," Angel said into the receiver. At Willow's questioning glance, he held up a hand. He would explain later, right now he had to put some difference behind him and focus on the human in need. He just hoped Kate would do the same.
"Kate?" Angel asked. "No, I'm calling because - Yes she's still - No she hasn't changed her mind - Look, I'm calling for another reason."
Quietly, Willow grabbed for the phone. Angel was going to get no where fast, she realized, and she had a hunch she knew why he had called Detective Lockley. Reluctantly, he handed over the phone.
"Detective Lockley? This is Willow, we met last night."
"I remember. Have you changed your mind about Angel?" she asked.
"No, and please, this is important so I will get right to the point. We have a man in the office who says that he and his wife were kidnapped a night or so ago. His wife is still missing. From what we have been able to gather, he is not sure on the date, however, he is almost positive that the people who did this were too strong. He said they were probably doped up on something, but you and I both know it could be that, or vampires. Now, Angel was calling, I assume, to give you a heads up in case it is just humans. That, I believe, falls in your jurisdiction. If you would like to collaborate, we will be more than willing to help and hand this over to you should it be non-demon related. However, if it is vampires or demons, I believe Angel would prefer that you leave that business up to him. Either way, we have a common goal of attempting to retrieve his wife from her abductors."
The line was quiet as Willow waited for Kate's reply. She almost didn't dare breathe.
"Fine, but I want this done my way," Kate said finally. "I want him down at my office so that I can take my own statements from him. Also, I want in on anything you find. No keeping things back."
"I can agree to most, however, I think he needs a doctor. How about we meet you at the hospital, whichever is closer to us, and we can hand him off to you there." She glanced at the man, hoping his wife was as relatively unscathed as he seemed to be physically. Though, mentally, she knew that hoping for anything other than something non-permanent was probably a moot point.
Reluctantly, Kate agreed and gave Willow the address for the hospital nearest to Angel's. The sooner they got him there the better as it the man was turning very pale and shivering. There was no telling what ordeal he'd been through. Suddenly Angel was their beside her, a hand on her shoulder.
"You don't have to go, Cordelia and Wesley can take care of him and Kate," Angel said. Her conversation with Kate on the phone gave Angel a new-found appreciation for Willow. She had grown in ways he hadn't imagined. It made her all the more beautiful to him, to have that inner strength burning inside of her.
**********
Willow opted to stay with Angel while Cordelia and Wesley went to the hospital to meet with Kate and hand the man over. Together they went over the notes Cordelia had written down, trying to guess what and where his wife could be. Certainly there was some clue sitting there, staring at them, daring them to find it. There had to be. They had to find her.
"What about this?" Willow asked, pointing to a scribbled note, barely legible on the pad.
Angel shook his head. "There are hundreds of places that could fit that description, six within close vicinity." He hated this part, the not knowing, unable to do anything but try to figure out the impossible. He occasionally looked over to Willow, watching her think, brow creased in concentration. She seemed to be taking this missing woman almost personally, and he knew the feeling, knew how it weighed on one's shoulder when someone came to you for help and you were unable to help them in the manner you thought you should.
"Six?" Willow asked.
"Within a mile of this office," Angel confirmed. He watched as her face lit up at the same moment he understood her meaning.
"He had to have been relatively close, right? I mean, for him to stumble in your door like that. What are the chances that his wife is in one of those buildings?"
Immediately, Angel was in action. He barely noticed as Willow climbed into the elevator with him, stopping himself just before he hit her with the doors.
"Where are you going?" he questioned.
"With you."
"No."
"But, Angel, I can help."
"No, it's too dangerous."
"Did you forget that I have gone out with Buffy numerous times when she patrolled and on average only come close to getting hurt five maybe six times a week? I think that qualifies me for some sort of award, maybe a lifetime achievement award for least amount of times to encounter death and survive on the Hellmouth." She smiled at his stunned expression. "Besides, I won't take no for an answer. Now get me a weapon, Mister!"
There were many things Angel could think of to do to the small redhead - any number of which he was sure would get him banished to a ring of hell that would out do the previous hell he had been in. Tying her up was not a bad idea, but he had a feeling she was sneaky enough to get out of it. Sighing, he shook his head and grabbed one of his lighter short swords and handed it to her. He supposed in the long run it was better she come with him, at least then he could keep an eye on her.
"If I say run, you run. If I say get down, drop to the floor. If I say stay, you stay."
"And if you say jump, I say how high. I get the drill, Angel. I won't get myself killed."
That statement was a little too close to his own fears to acknowledge, so instead he nodded once and opened the grate leading to the sewers. There were three buildings matching the man's descriptions not far from his own apartment, possibly only ten minutes through the tunnels. If he remembered correctly, two of those had sewer access in the basement, and the other was just next to an alley that was lucky to get sunlight at high noon, let alone late afternoon. He turned and helped Willow down into the sewer and began walking to their destination. He hated that he had not been able to convince her to stay. If something were to happen to her he would never forgive himself.
"If I had known this was part of my vacation, I would have brought galoshes," Willow whispered as she tried to stay as dry as possible. She didn't see as Angel winced at her words.
After this, he told himself, he would treat her to something nice, a night out, dinner and a movie, or something equally enjoyable. Perhaps he would buy her a new copy of To Kill a Mockingbird. He had noticed the worn and torn copy lying atop her book bag. Surely he still had a copy of it around somewhere he could re-read. It'd been nearly thirty years since he'd picked up the book shortly after it was printed. The details of it were fuzzy to him now, but he'd remembered enjoying it.
"How much further?" Willow whispered.
Silently, he cursed himself; they had passed the first building. He'd been so wrapped up in thinking about Willow and her vacation, and how it was turning out to be anything but enjoyable. The other one was just steps away however and he turned left down a small shaft to the ladder there that led up and out into the small alley way between buildings.
"Stay here until I come back and let you know it's safe," Angel said, moving the lid easily and slipping out into the pseudo-darkness.