Willow sighed, entering the library at a quarter till four. "Giles? Ya there?" She called into the empty library. Willow entered the library further, slowly reaching into her messenger bag, wrapping her right hand around a stake in the bottom of the bag. A hand grasped her shoulder and she whirled around, stake raised, ready to plunge it into the unbeating heart of... "Giles!" Willow shrieked, lowering the stake to her side. "You scared the crap outta me," Willow gasped out, leaning against counter, placing her hand over her wildly beating heart.

"Sorry. I wasn't expecting you until four o'clock. I was in the teachers' lounge," Giles replied, a small smile gracing his features.

"It's okay..." Willow sighed, getting her heartbeat back to normal. "What were you doing in the teachers' lounge?" Willow asked, cocking her head to the side.

"I seem to be out of tea. I was stealing some from the lounge," Giles replied nonchalantly.

"Oh. Okay. What'd you need me for?" Willow asked, taking her messenger bag off and placing it on the counter next to her.

"I needed you to tell me the step-by-step details of your performance of the curse you performed on Angelus."

"Now, Giles? It's been nearly three months since Buffy sent Angel to hell and left for who know's where and you want to know what happened now?" Willow said, getting slightly emotional, but hiding it with annoyance.

"Well, we have been busy with slaying and all. It's as if the vampire population knows Buffy's gone," Giles replied, frowning slightly at Willow's attitude. "Why? Did you have somewhere to be?"

"Well, yeah. Home. My parents are leaving for another trip and I want to see them off," Willow replied, sighing heavily.

"Oh. Well, I suppose we can talk about the curse later," Giles relented, shifting his attention to something else.

"Bye, Giles," Willow sighed, rolling her eyes.

Willow picked up her messenger bag and slung it over her shoulder, heading towards the doors. As she exited the Library, Willow frowned, Giles' mention of Angel stirring up memories she thought she had forgotten.

In the past two months since Buffy defeated Angelus and sent him to hell via Acathala, Willow had been having strange dreams, but they seemed more like nightmares. She'd find herself in hell, or what she thought hell would look like, and be feet away from Angel, who was curled up on the floor, naked and beaten on the floor. Then there would be flashes of Angel's torture, sometimes it would be physical, other times it would be emotional. Demons pretending to be Buffy or the other Scoobies would approach him and tear him down, saying he was useless and that Buffy didn't need him. The demons pretending to be Buffy would curse the night they met, saying that she didn't love him, that he was a lousy lay. Willow would cry with Angel whenever the fake Scoobies would say such terrible things, because if someone was to tear away the exaggerations, some of the things the demons said were true. Willow would wake up, shaking and crying, her bottom lip raw or the palms of her hands bleeding from her upper teeth or fingernails biting into the soft flesh as she dreamt.

While trying to avoid the floor of memories, Willow wasn't paying attention and a car was headed right for her. She gasped, noticing how fast the car was barreling towards her. She vaguely heard a male voice cry out and strong arms grab her around the waist, pulling her to safety. While the car screamed past, Willow looked up into the handsome face of her rescuer. "Thank you...so much," Will stammered out, her heart pounding.

"You're extremely welcome. Why weren't you paying attention to where you were walking?" The tall, well-built young man replied, his gray-brown eyes meeting her emerald ones.

"Had a lot on my mind," Willow replied, blushing slightly, kicking her brown flip-flops lightly against the sidewalk.

"Well, wait till you're out of the way of traffic to do the heavy thinking," He said, smiling.

"Will do. Thanks again...what's your name?" Willow said, holding out her right hand.

"Riley Finn," The young man replied, shaking her hand.

"Willow Rosenberg," Willow said as they shook hands. "Thanks again. I owe you my life," Willow said, before turning and walking away.

Willow finished walking home, letting herself into the house, calling for her parents. When nothing but silence answered her, she sighed, dejected. "Looks like I've nothing but the sound of my voice for company until October," She said aloud. Entering further into the house, she dropped her messenger bag by the staircase and headed into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator door, Willow grabbed a bottle of water and headed into the living room. Collapsing onto the couch, Willow grabbed the remote, turning on the tv. Not three minutes into Big Wolf on Campus, Willow heard the water running upstairs. Frowning, Willow muted the tv, she had already seen this episode, and climbed to her feet. Sliding her flip-flops off her feet, she tiptoed upstairs, barefoot.

Up on the second floor, Willow could see steam leaking out from underneath the bathroom door. It's August and they're taking a hot shower? Willow thought to herself as she moved closer to the door. Willow heard the water turn off a moment later and she prepared herself to attack whoever had broken into her house to take a shower. She could hear the intruder humming to themselves faintly through the door. Steeling herself, she heard and saw the doorknob start to turn and as the door opened, letting out a large cloud of steam, Willow let out a shriek and flung herself at the towel clad man, causing them to both fall to the floor. "Squirt? What the hell are you doing?" She heard a familiar voice ask. As the steam billowed out of the bathroom, Willow looked down, meeting her older brother's green eyes that mirrored her own. Willow let out another shriek, one of sheer joy and hugged her brother tightly, not caring that she got her white, spaghetti strap tank top and faded jeans wet.

"Caleb! What are you doing here?" Willow asked as she hugged her brother.

"I came to visit...do you mind letting go? I'm kinda lacking in the clothes area," Caleb replied, clearing his throat.

"Oh...Oh! Sorry," Willow muttered, her cheeks reddening slightly as she climbed off her brother.

"I'll meet you downstairs and I'll tell you everything," Caleb said before walking into his old room and closing the door.

Willow headed back downstairs and sat back down on the couch, un-muting the television to see the last ten minutes of Big Wolf on Campus. As the credits were rolling, Willow heard Caleb walking down the stairs. She turned to get a good look at him, noticing he had had let his usually short brown hair grow out to a slightly shaggy look; he had his wire rim glasses on and wore a pair of khaki pants and a t-shirt with the Harvard logo on it. He feet were bare, like hers and he had a few wet spots on his t-shirt from his damp hair. After not seeing him for nearly a year, Willow noticed that he kinda looked like a young Hugh Grant. Caleb collapsed onto the couch, sitting next to Willow. "Now what was I supposed to do today..." Caleb mused, taping one of his slender, pianist fingers to his chin. "Oh, yeah..." Caleb said, nodding as he turned to face Willow, giving her a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Okay, now that you have that out of the way, tell me everything about college," Willow said, turning to face him, her back to the armrest.

"Well, it sucks, never go," Caleb replied jokingly, a twinkle in his green eyes.

"Oh, shut up. You've been going to Harvard for seven years. You wouldn't have stayed so long if you hated it," Willow giggled, hitting his arm playfully.

"It was really great. Hard, but great. I'm glad I graduated."

"Of course it was hard. You're gonna be a lawyer. They don't just let anybody become one...well, maybe they do. But the really good ones go to the good law schools."

"Funny, Squirt," Caleb grinned wryly.

"You know I hate that nickname. I shoot milk out of my nose once, and I never hear the end of it..." Willow said, sending him a slightly evil look.

"It was a funny joke though. You gotta admit. 'Shoot the dog'; hilarious punch line," Caleb chuckled as Willow took a drink of water.

Willow choked back a snort and began coughing as the water went down the wrong tube. "Lebbie!" Willow coughed, hitting his arm with the back of her hand. "You knew I was taking a drink!"

"I couldn't resist," Caleb chuckled.

Once Willow's throat was clear, she asked, "So how's Kelly?" Caleb was quiet for a few moments then looked up at Willow, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"We broke up. Kelly was studying to be a doctor and he thought that I was holding him back," Caleb replied, sniffling.

"Oh...I'm sorry. I thought the two of you made a really cute couple," Willow said, patting Caleb's hand.

"Well, he's in the past. Now, Nick, he's a fellow Law student. He's just...we just click," Caleb said, all sadness aside.

"Well, good for you," Willow smiled brightly.

"Anywho, we've heard enough about my love life, what about you? Has that Xander kid from two blocks over asked you out yet?" Caleb asked, propping his feet up on the coffee table.

"No. He's dating Cordelia Chase," Willow replied.

"The Cordelia Chase that you told me about? The subject of the 'We Hate Cordelia Club', that Cordelia?" Caleb asked, shocked.

"Yeah," Willow nodded slowly.

"Wow...a lot's changed in the time I've been gone."

"You've no idea."

"Well, since Xander hasn't asked you out, leaving you available, who are you dating?"

"He's a senior...well, should be a freshmen at Sunnydale U in a week if he completed

all his summer school. He was a senior when I met him. We're kinda dating."

"Any kisses stolen by full moonlight?" Caleb asked, elbowing Willow's knee knowingly.

"Eh...no. We kinda can't..." Willow replied, grimacing slightly as she remembered seeing Oz not recognize her when he was in wolf-form.

"Why not? Are you only allowed to see him during the day?" Caleb asked, frowning in confusion.

"He's kinda busy certain nights," Willow replied, not quite ready to inform her brother that vampires, werewolves and witches were real, and that she and her boyfriend were in the last two categories and she secretly was in love with someone that was in the first category. "He's in a band..." She used as an explanation.

"Bored now..." Caleb sighed once the conversation had dulled. "Wanna go out for dinner? My treat."

"Sure. Where do you want to go?" Willow asked, sliding her feet back into her flip-flops.

"Uh...how's the food at the Bronze? I'm in the mood for dinner and some dancing," Caleb replied.

"It's good. They've gotten chicken wings and this onion blossom thing that really good."

"Bronze it is, then. Lemme go slip something on my feet," Caleb said, hopping over the back of the couch.

Willow ran her fingers through her newly shoulder-length hair, untangling any knots she could feel. Caleb bounded back down the stairs, having traded his Harvard t-shirt for a plaid green button down shirt with a white wife beater tank top underneath, a pair of Doc Martens on his feet. "Ready to go?" Caleb asked, smiling.

"Should I change?" Willow asked, looking down at her faded jeans and white tank top.

"If you want..." Caleb shrugged. "In fact..." He trailed off. "I know just the thing."

Caleb ran across the room to grab Willow's hand and hauled her upstairs to his room. "This was going to be a birthday present in two weeks, but I suppose I can give it to you now," Caleb said, handing Willow a brightly wrapped box.

"It's heavy." Willow commented as she held the box in her arms.

Willow grinned, sitting down on Caleb's bed and began unwrapping the box with fervor. She pulled off the top half of the box, pushing aside the tissue paper to reveal a pair of shin-high, black leather, heeled boots, a thigh-high plaid skirt, and a long sleeved shirt made of black leather and red taffeta. "Oh my God, Caleb...this is...amazing," Willow said, unable to think of anything else to say.

"And so totally not you..." Caleb finished for her.

"Well, it's not that...well, sorta. But it's August, and you want me to wear black leather?" Willow replied, raising an delicate eyebrow.

"The Bronze is air-conditioned, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah...but the heels, they're impossibly high," Willow said, holding up one of the boots.

"They're only, like, four inches. If you have any problem with them, you can lean on me for support. Now, come on...humor your favorite brother."

"Ha-ha, there, happy?" Willow said, chuckling humorlessly.

"Not in the least. Come on, get dressed." Caleb said, leaving the room.

Willow did as she was told, brushing her hair to a shiny, soft finish, applying a hint of lip gloss and looked at herself in her brother's full-length mirror. "I look like a tramp..." Willow muttered. "That or a vampire version of me," she added.

"Are we decent?" Caleb said, knocking on the door.

"Define decent," Willow replied, staring at herself in the mirror.

"I'm sure to laugh any minute now. Now, I'm coming in whether breast or behind is showing," Caleb said, entering the room, seeing her ensemble. "There. That's sexy."

"I look like a...hooker."

"But a very cute hooker," Caleb replied, smiling.

Willow sent him an evil glare and Caleb just grinned, sitting her down at his

desk. He pulled the green eye shadow and dark red lipstick out of his pockets and set them on the desktop. Willow raised a inquisitive eyebrow as to where he got those. "Turns out Mother was quite the rebel in her younger days," Caleb explained as he applied the eyeshadow to Willow's lids. He then applied a thin layer of lipstick to Willow's mouth then had her press her lips together, to even out the lipstick. "There. Done," Caleb announced, turning Willow to face the mirror.

"Wow...I look..." Willow said, unable to form words.

"Amazing! I knew it. I should be a fashion designer instead of a boring old lawyer. But mommy dearest said that if I am to be a gay Jewish man, I might as well become a stereotype. But really, how many gay, Jewish lawyers are there?" Caleb chuckled.

"I don't know..." Willow frowned.

"Not many, I can tell you that," Caleb continued.

"Are we going to dinner or what?" Willow asked, hating to be so rude, but it seemed like Caleb could babble on about gay, Jewish lawyers for hours.

"Oh, yeah. Let's go," Caleb said, grinning.

Caleb grabbed Willow's hand and practically dragged her down the stairs to his car, a dark blue Mini Cooper. Willow eyes widened and her eyebrows climbed up her forehead. "What on earth is that?" She asked, standing in the driveway.

"It's a Mini Cooper. They're mostly driven in England. But I'm sure that they'll get big in a few years. They're really nifty."

"And it's driveable?" Willow asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. It got me from Harvard to here, didn't it?" Caleb asked, walking around to the driver' side door.

Willow smiled, walking over to the passenger's side door. "Yeah, it did." Caleb smiled and unlocked the doors. The Rosenberg siblings climbed in, buckling their seatbelts and Caleb drove off towards the Bronze.

Arriving at the Bronze, Caleb parked towards the back of the alley, where there were plenty of parking spots, due to the large amount of odd murders in the darkened alley at night. Exiting the car, Caleb walked around to Willow's door, opening it for her. Willow smiled at her brother, glad he was home. Caleb escorted Willow to the door, paying for her admission like any good brother should. Once they were inside, Caleb walked off to get drinks and something to nibble on while Willow got a table.

While Caleb was gone, Willow looked around her, suddenly realizing that she was sitting at a table just a few feet away from where she had seen Buffy and Angel kiss. Willow frowned, tears pooling up in her eyes when she thought of Angel. She vaguely heard someone call her name and Willow turned blurry eyes to see Xander and Cordelia, arm-in-arm. Grateful that it was shadowy where she sat, Willow smiled at her friends. "Hey guys, what's up?" She said, raking her fingers through her hair as she blinked the tears away.

"What are you doing here alone? Did Xander tell you we were gonna be here?" Cordelia asked Willow, sitting down across from her.

"Oh, no. He didn't. I'm here with someone," Willow replied, shifting in her seat.

"Oh, really? Oz is back in town?" Xander asked, sitting next to Cordelia.

"No, he's still in LA," Willow replied, shaking her head.

"Well, who's the lucky fella? Anyone we know?" Xander asked, smiling.

"Oh, you know him. Tall, dark hair, pretty eyes, has the taste of a gay man," Willow trailed off.

"Angel?" Cordelia hissed, her dark eyes wide. "He's back? Is he Angelus?"

"Angelus? Who's Angelus?" Caleb asked, confused as he approached the table, carrying his and Willow's drinks.

"Can I help you, guy?" Xander asked Caleb, not recognizing him.

"Yeah, you can move over a scooch, Harris," Caleb replied, rolling his eyes.

"C-Caleb?" Xander stuttered, his eyes widening.

"Took you long enough to figure it out," Caleb muttered, handing Willow her drink.

"Ohh...so that's who you meant when you said 'taste of a gay man'. I thought you meant Angel, cause he does too," Cordelia sighed, leaning back in her seat.

"Who's Angel? Is he any relation to this Angelus guy you mentioned a few minutes ago?" Caleb asked, sitting next to Willow.

"They're...brothers..." Willow stammered. "Buffy used to go out with Angel, then Angelus broke them up. Not the nicest guy..." Willow muttered.

But deep down, Willow didn't really believe that. When Angelus had her by the throat, he had her flush against him, pressing the obvious hard-on he had into her backside, showing that he was aroused by her helpless state. Even if Angelus had killed her, Willow wondered she would be dead for very long. "Willow!" Caleb half-shouted, startling her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah? Sorry, I was miles away," Willow apologized.

"I'm sure..." Caleb smirked, elbowing her gently.

After a rather unhealthy dinner of Bronze food, Xander and Cordelia had headed off to the dance floor. A rather attractive young man that had been in Willow's computer class had come up to the table, asking Caleb to dance, leaving Willow to her thoughts once more. Willow looked off at the dance floor, seeing Xander and Cordelia pressed close together, their mouths meshed together. Willow found Caleb and the boy from her class, their eyes closed, swaying back and forth to the music. Willow sighed, wishing Angel was there with her.

Willow gasped. Why did I wish Angel was here instead of Oz! Oz is my boyfriend. Angel wouldn't date me in a million years. I'm nowhere near as pretty as Buffy! I gotta get out of here... Willow mentally babbled. She climbed off her stool, landing awkwardly on her four inch heels. Not wanting to bother either couple, Willow headed for the door, stumbling slightly.

She exited the Bronze, tears stinging at her eyes. She half-ran, half-stumbled down towards Caleb's car. Leaning against said car, Willow exhaled slowly, her hands shaking. "What has gotten into me?" Willow whispered into the night. She sighed, clearly needing to get Angel out of her head. "There's only one way to do that," Willow said quietly, straightening her stature.

Halfway to the Crawford mansion, Willow had slipped off the four inch boots, her feet screaming in pain. She carried the boots in her left hand, swinging them back and forth slowly as she used the moonlight to make sure she didn't step in glass.

When she arrived at the mansion, she exhaled slowly, steeling herself to go inside. She had never been inside the mansion before. She had walked with Buffy once, after Angel had reverted to Angelus and made the comment that the mansion would be perfect for Angelus, Drusilla, and Spike after Giles had basically burned down the factory. Buffy had agreed, a strange look in her eyes. Willow found the garden entrance, and walked down the steps, squinting in the near-darkness.

She made her way into the house itself, finding the dormant Acathala statue standing in the middle of the open hall, about five feet from the fireplace. Willow dropped the boots and walked over to the statue, lightly running her fingertips over the two inch gash over the heart of the statue.

Images flashed through Willow's mind: Buffy and Angelus sword fighting, Xander rescuing Giles, Spike knocking out Drusilla, Buffy about to deliver the killing blow to Angelus and Angelus' eyes glowing as his soul was returned, their tearful reunion, the vortex opening unbeknownst to Angel, Buffy sending him to hell.

Willow gasped, tears streaming down her cheeks. "It worked, the curse worked..." Willow whispered, collapsing to her knees. She hugged her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth slightly. "What have I done?" Willow sobbed.

As she cried, one of her tears slipped down her cheek and fell onto a small dried puddle of blood. Unbeknownst to Willow, the puddle began to glow. As the glowing intensified, Willow squinted, noticing the glow. Moments later, the light filled the entire mansion, forcing Willow to cover her eyes with her hands; even then when she had her eyes closed, the darkness was lightened to a fiery red color, like when you close your eyes and look straight at the sun.

Just as soon as it had begun, the light faded, leaving Willow and one other in near-darkness. Willow opened her eyes, bright pinpricks of light appearing and disappearing in front of her eyes. When her vision finally cleared, Willow let out a little half-shriek, half-gasp. A naked Angel lay just a few feet away from her, curled up in the fetal position, convulsing. "Oh my god...Angel?" Willow whispered, barely audibly.

Willow hadn't a clue if Angel had heard her or not, but when Willow had said his name, Angel's convulsions had intensified. Knowing that convulsing too much is bad for a person, Willow shifted into a kneeling position and said softly, "Angel...Angel, you need to stop shaking. You'll hurt yourself." As she spoke, Willow slowly placed her hands on Angel's trembling shoulders. When her hands made contact with his bare skin, Angel stilled instantly, the muscles in his back bunching with tension.

The moon broke through the clouds, lighting up the room around them through the large window over the front door, revealing the numerous reddened gashes on Angel's back. "Oh, Angel..." Willow sighed brokenly, tears welling up in her eyes. Sliding her hands, light as a feather, over his shoulder, Willow let the tears spill down her cheeks. Angel, whether in his right mind or not, began growling low in his throat. Willow removed her hands from his shoulder, scooting away a few feet, watching Angel warily. Angel stopped growling the moment Willow released his shoulder, then began shaking again. Willow climbed to her feet slowly, leaving the room for a few minutes, to find Angel a blanket. She found one in a room on the second floor with a grand, king-sized bed, a dresser, and a bookshelf, all made from dark oak.

Returning to the main hall, Willow's eyes widened when she saw that Angel was no longer lying on the floor. Stepping cautiously into the moonlit hall, Willow called Angel's name softly, her eyes straining to scan the darkness that surrounded her. A soft rustle came from her right, near the fireplace and Willow turned slightly to look towards the fireplace and out of the corner of her left eye, Angel barreled towards her, tackling her to the floor, trapping the blanket between them. Willow's head smacked the marble floor with a painful thunk. Grunting softly in pain, Willow rose her right hand to the back of her head. Angel's growling ceased the movement immediately. Willow slowly rose her left hair until it was even with her right, the palms facing the ceiling.

Angel swiftly grabbed both her wrists in one hand, pining them to the floor above her head, pinning her legs to the ground by straddling her thighs. He leaned over her, burying his nose in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply. Willow felt him graze his blunt teeth over her neck causing her heartbeat to skyrocket. Willow felt like her head was hammering against her ribcage as she panted brokenly, staying as still as possible. Angel began to move, still holding her arms above her head. Angel's head lowered from her neck, making it's way down to her left breast, where beneath, her heart beat so frantically. With his free hand, Angel ripped the front of her top open, revealing her cotton-clad breasts to the cool air. Angel nuzzled her left breast, causing the nipple to pucker. Angel ran his tongue over the nipple, wetting the cotton bra slightly.

Willow's breath hitched in her throat as his free hand drifted down to her skirt, his hand sliding onto her thigh, just beneath the hem of the skirt, his fingertips inches from her underwear. Angel began to shift downwards, but was unable to reach the place that caused the delicious scent, due to his hand grasping her wrists. He shifted his hold on her wrists, pulling them down with him so they rested on her quivering abdomen as he lowered his face to her skirt-covered crotch, inhaling deeply, scenting her growing arousal and fear. Raising his free hand, he lifted the front of her skirt, revealing her plain, white panties. Angel shifted his hips, getting his knees between Willow's causing them the spread, making room for him between her legs. He laid on his stomach, his half-hard member resting against the cool marble. Nuzzling his nose against the fabric directly over her clitoris, Angel growled low in his throat as the sweet scent grew stronger. With his free hand, he stroked one finger down the fabric, lightly brushing the spot that caused the scent to strengthen. Slipping one digit beneath the band of her panties, Angel unceremoniously thrust the finger into her sex, causing Willow to cry out, having had nothing up there before. Angel moved his finger about, rubbing the inner walls, causing Willow to gasp quietly and squirm at the sensation. Angel removed his finger, raising it to his face, sniffing at it. Content that he had found the scent that was bothering him, Angel released Willow's wrists, then hurried over to a darkened corner to continue sniffing at the alluring scent on his finger, growling occasionally.

Willow climbed to her feet shakily, stumbling over to where she had left her boots, grabbed them, then exited the mansion, walking home as fast as she could. When she got home, she entered through the kitchen door, being careful to not wake her brother. She creeped up the stairs to her room, closing the door quietly behind her. She stripped down, placing the clothes in the hamper, then changed into an oversized Superman t-shirt that her brother had given her years ago. She climbed into bed, after making sure the doors to her balcony were locked.

Over the next few days, Willow visited Angel, bringing him blood from Willy's. She always visited during the day, when Angel was off somewhere in the darkness. She set the bag in front of Acathala, then exited the mansion, into the safety of the sunshine. It would be more difficult when school started the next day, but Willow decided she could go during lunchtime.

Willow unlocked the front door, entering the house. "Honey! I'm home!" She shouted into the house. When she got no reply, she set her bookbag down on the couch and walked upstairs to her brother's room. "Caleb? Don't you wanna know how my first day went?" Willow asked, opening her brother's bedroom door. She shrieked, finding her brother naked, bent over some UC Sunnydale student, then closed the door quickly, hurrying down the stairs and out the front door.

Willow walked to the Espresso Pump, ordering the usual, and found an empty table towards the back. She sat by herself, attempting to erase the memory of her brother having sex with some guy out of her mind.

A few hours later, it was starting to get dark and Willow walked home, find Caleb's Mini Cooper was missing from the driveway. He's probably out looking for me, Willow thought to herself. She shrugged, entering the house, going upstairs to change into more patrol-y clothes. She changed into jeans, and a t-shirt, pulling on a light zip-
up sweatshirt, zipping it up halfway. She heard the car enter the driveway and muttered a curse under her breath, grabbing a stake and a cross, hurrying over to her balcony doors. Exiting her room, she stood on the balcony, closing the doors behind her quietly. She climbed down the rose trellis slowly, so she wouldn't fall and break anything. When she was two feet from the ground, she let go of the trellis, landing on one knee. Standing up, Willow dusted off her knee and started for the Bronze to meet up with the rest of the Scoobies.

After a long night of extreme emotions: the usual fear of death by vampire, relief that she and her friends didn't die, Buffy's return, the fear of Buffy finding out about Angel; Willow entered the front door, regardless of Caleb being awake or not. He was and was waiting for her in the living room. "Where the hell have you been?" Caleb asked, sounding eerily like her father, when he was mad at her, which he rarely was.

"I was out. What's it matter?" Willow replied, just wanting to get to bed.

"Do mom and dad know about your little after-hours escapades?" Caleb snapped.

"Mom and dad aren't home enough to know I exist, let alone what I do after nine o'clock!" Willow shouted, balling her hands up into fists. "And what do you care about my safety! I can count how many years total that we've been together on one hand!"

"What are you talking about?" Caleb asked, frowning slightly.

"When I was born, you were seven years old, correct?"

"Yeah..."

"That was the year mom and dad shipped you off to boarding school. That was the way it was for years upon years. First through sixth grade, then junior high, then senior high. And now college! And when you weren't at school, mom and dad would ship you off to summer camp, so you'd only be home for, at most, two weeks, during the summer! It was like they were purposefully trying to keep us apart!" Willow babbled angrily, not at Caleb, but at their parents. "I feel like I hardly know you, Caleb. It's like I'm living with a stranger..." She trailed off sadly, tears spilling down her cheeks.

Caleb's face softened and he drew a crying Willow into his arms, holding her as she cried. Willow wrapped her arms around Caleb's waist, her tears soaking through his t-shirt. After a good, long cry Caleb carried the now-sleeping Willow up to her room, laying her down on the bed, taking her sneakers off her feet and tucked her under the covers.

A few nights after the zombie party at Buffy's house, Willow was sitting at her computer desk, one foot resting on the edge of her chair, the other barely touching the floor. She wore a blue and green striped shirt and jeans, her shoulder length hair loose about her face. As she typed an e-mail to a penpal of hers, she heard a soft rapping at her french doors. Climbing to her feet, Willow crossed the room to the french doors, pushing the curtain aside to see Angel standing on her balcony. Her eyes widened slightly and she let out a little squeak when his eyes met hers. She bit her bottom lip and opened one of the doors, leaning against the door a little, for support. "Hi...Angel..." She trailed off, remembering the night in the mansion not more than two weeks ago.

"Willow," Angel said as a greeting. "Can I come in?"

Willow stammered slightly, turning towards her bedroom door, "My brother's just down the hall..." She replied lamely. Angel chuckled softly.

"I promise to be on my best behavior," He said, in the voice that made Willow's insides melt.

"Come on in..." Willow sighed, stepping back so Angel could enter the room.

"How've you been?" Angel asked, sitting in Willow's computer chair as Willow sat on her bed.

"Good," Willow nodded, sitting Indian style on her bed. "I'm sorry I haven't brought you anything to eat. I've been busy...with school. Buffy's back, you know..." She babbled.

"Is she?" Angel replied nonchalantly.

"Well, yeah. She's back at her mom's house," Willow glanced over at her clock, seeing that it was a little after nine. "She's probably on her way to the Bronze if you want to catch her."

"Why are you telling me this?" Angel asked, walking over to Willow's bed, standing over her.

"The love of your unlife has returned. " Willow babbled, looking up at him. "Isn't that what you wanted to hear?" Willow asked, confused.

Angel kneeled at the end of Willow's bed, his eyes meeting hers. "The only thing I want to hear...is my name on your lips..." Angel said, reaching up and threading his fingers through the hair at the back of Willow's head, his mouth descending upon hers. Angel's tongue brushed along the seam of Willow's mouth, demanding entrance. Willow gasped softly, at the surprising action, allowing Angel's seeking tongue into her mouth. His tongue stroked against hers, which tentatively moved against his, unsure of what the kiss meant. Angel took her lack of pulling away as a sign for him to deepen the kiss.

Moving as he pressed his lips against Willow's forcefully, Angel began to push Willow back onto the bed, his hips seated snugly between Willow spread thighs, his fingers tangled in her auburn hair. Willow moaned softly against Angel's mouth, one of her hands gripping the back of his leather jacket, the other reaching under his shirt, her short fingernails digging into the smooth skin of his lower back, the whip wounds having healed with time. Angel leaned his head to the left, to mesh their mouths fully. Angel's free hand skimmed down her ribcage, sliding under her shirt, moving to cup her cotton-clad breast in his large hand, teasing the nipple, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger, making Willow whimper against his mouth.

There was a soft knock on the door and Caleb entered the room. It was his turn to gasp and have his eyes widen, seeing a man around his age on top of his sister, his hand up her shirt. "Willow, care to introduce me to your friend here?" Caleb asked, clearing his throat. Angel growled low in his throat, just about ready to rip Caleb's throat out when Willow released his jacket and pulled her hand from beneath his shirt, whispering for him to do the same.

"Caleb...this is Angel..." Willow trailed off, sitting up in bed as Angel stood up, straightening his clothes.

"Buffy's Angel? Her boyfriend?" Caleb asked, confused.

"Well..." Willow began.

"Didn't you say his twin broke them up? Angelus?" Caleb asked, glaring daggers at Angel.

"Well, yeah..."

"He doesn't seem like a guy you'd want to get involved with...not only because of his brother, but the fact that you already have a boyfriend. Or have you forgotten him?" Caleb asked, having met Oz a few days ago.

"Angel, I think it'd be best if you leave..." Willow said quietly, looking down at her hands.

Angel nodded, walking past Caleb, heading down the stairs and out the back door. Caleb took two steps into Willow's room, and began to chastize her for making out with someone who was clearly not her boyfriend. Willow grew angry, remembering the people that Caleb had been amorous with since he'd been home. "I made a mistake, okay? I'm not the only one in this house that's done a little more than kissing with a person that wasn't my boyfriend! May I remind you of the college boy from a few days ago?" Willow shouted.

Caleb began to reply, but stopped, his cheeks turning a bright pink color. Saying nothing more, he turned, exiting her room, closing the door firmly behind him, as if saying that he was still upset about her heavy make-out session with Angel.

The next evening, while Willow had stayed behind at the library to do some research about a Kirklan demon, Buffy had gone to the Espresso Pump for some much-
needed caffeine. Caleb was sitting in a far corner and saw Buffy trying to weave in and out of the filled coffee shop, looking for a seat. Caleb stood up, waving to get Buffy's attention. Seeing him, Buffy smiled and made her way over to his table, sitting across from him. "Thanks, Caleb, it's like everyone in Sunnydale suddenly needed a mocha," Buffy sighed, setting her drink down to wave her hand in the direction of the patrons.

"No problem..." Caleb smiled, patting her hand.

After a few minutes of polite conversation, Caleb laughed, "It was the funniest thing...I caught Willow making out on her bed last night." Buffy frowned slightly.

"Why is that funny? She and Oz are dating, so it's perfectly fine..." Buffy replied.

"It wasn't Oz she was kissing. It was this tall, dark-haired guy. I think you dated him...Andy...no, Angel. That was his name."

Buffy felt her heartbeat speed up then slow down to a tortuous, slow pound. "That's impossible..." Buffy trailed off.

"No...I remember Willow introducing him as 'Angel'," Caleb replied, nodding slowly.

"He couldn't have been Angel," Buffy said, vehemently. "Angel's dead."

"What?" Caleb gasped. "He sure seemed alive with his hand up my sister's shirt!"

"He...was...touching her?" Buffy began to pant softly, attempting to rein in her anger.

"Yeah. And she was gripping his jacket like there was no tomorrow," Caleb said, completely unaware how Buffy would react to seeing Willow and Angel in the same place.

Buffy grunted softly, finishing off her mocha, setting a couple dollars on the table. "I've got to go do something..." She trailed off, standing up. Without another word, Buffy exited the Espresso Pump, walking in the direction of the school.

Willow sat in the library, at the main table, in front of a computer, her fingers flying across the keyboard. Buffy entered the library, her blue-green eyes wild with anger, but she hid it well. "Willow," Buffy said, startling Willow. Turning to face Buffy, Willow smiled politely.

"Hey, Buffy. I thought you were gonna go patrol after stopping at the Espresso Pump..." Willow replied, her fingers resting on the keyboard lightly.

"Oh, I will. I just forgot a few...weapons," Buffy replied, heading over to the weapons cabinet. She jiggled the handle, finding it locked. "Hey Will, could you get the keys to the cabinet for me?" Buffy asked, turning slightly, leaning against the door of the cage.

"Oh...sure, Buff," Willow shrugged, standing up and walking over to the check-out counter, leaning over it, grabbing the keychain from under the counter.

Standing back up, Willow straightened her jeans and red and black striped tank

top, walking over to Buffy, unlocking the door. "There ya go..." Willow smiled.

"Thanks, could you help me gather a few things?" Buffy asked, gesturing for Willow to enter the cabinet.

"Sure," Willow nodded, stepping inside, looking at the numerous stakes, bolts, crossbows, daggers, and swords. "What did you have in mind?" She asked, her back to Buffy.

"How about an explanation as to where you were last night?" Buffy asked as Willow felt something sharp poked at the back of her neck.

Willow tensed up, feeling her heart jackhammer in her chest. "Oh god..." She trailed off, realizing Buffy must have ran into Caleb and he had to be the 'good' older brother and expressed his concern about his dearest younger sister. "Buffy, it's not what you think..." Willow panted softly, feeling the dagger pressing into her neck.

"Oh, really? Well, I think that Angel returned from hell somehow and just happened to be in your room, on top of you, with his hand up your shirt," Buffy snapped.

"It wasn't like that..." Willow lied. "It's true. He did come back. I found him. He was like a wild animal. I wasn't even sure he had his soul until a few days ago. I'd been bringing him blood during the day so he didn't starve. He came by last night to thank me and," Willow faked-chuckled, "As he went to hug me, I accidentally lost my footing and we fell on my bed. We were having a good laugh at it and that's when Caleb came in," Willow said, making it up as she went along.

"Is that the truth?" Buffy asked, breaking the skin, making a tiny drop of blood appear on the back of Willow's neck.

"Yes! God, Buffy, would I lie to you!" Willow gasped at the slight pain.

Buffy pulled the dagger away from Willow, taking several steps back. She shuddered slightly, her eyes clearing of her anger. "I'm sorry..." she trailed off, gathering a few things before heading out to patrol. Willow watched Buffy leave, her fingers pressing at the small puncture wound at the back of her neck, to staunch the blood flow.

A couple hours later, Willow was walking home from the Bronze, after an uneventful evening with Xander, Cordelia, and Oz. She felt bad, Willow did, for Oz. She did like him a lot, but the thing with Angel was more confusing than Chinese Algebra. She sighed, turning up the walk to her house, pulling her keys from her pocket, sliding the key into the lock. She trudged up the stairs to her room, changing into an oversized purple t-shirt with a green Celtic knot on the sternum. Not bothering to turn off the lights, Willow climbed into bed, lying on her side, facing her door, her left hand cupping the back of her neck, fingering the small wound that Buffy had inflicted. A few minutes before she fell asleep, Willow heard a familiar voice whisper her name. Willow turned in bed, seeing Angel at the open french doors. "Angel..." Willow muttered, sitting up in bed. Her thoughts going back to Buffy in the library, Willow's eyes widened with fear.

"Willow, I--" Angel began.

"Angel, you can't be here! Buffy knows you're back! Caleb told her about last night and she...confronted me and I lied to her and told her that I tripped as we hugged and we landed on the bed..." Willow babbled quietly, in case her brother was home.

"Willow, I know," Angel said, walking forward, standing over her, pressing his soft fingers to her lips.

Angel pulled Willow up into his arms, his face inches from hers. "She found me at the mansion a couple hours ago. I told her basically the same thing you did: that I came back and you took care of me and I came over to thank you. She doesn't have a clue..." Angel whispered. "In fact, she wants me back..."

"We can't be together, Angel. You have Buffy again, and I have Oz. This can never work between us...as much as I'd want it to." Willow said, hating the words that came from her mouth.

Angel shushed her quickly, his mouth swooping down the claim hers in a passionate kiss. Their tongue dueled inside the cave of their joined mouths, stroking one another, running along teeth and the bridge of their mouths. Angel's right hand tangled in her fiery tresses as the other reached down, palming her ass, grinding her hips against his growing erection. Willow moaned into the kiss, one of her hands snaking around his back, holding him closer to her, the other slipping into the back pocket of his slacks, her fingernails digging slightly into his ass through the fabric.

Their passionate, fiery kiss was cut short by Willow's need for air. They pulled away, Angel holding the panting Willow in his arms, stroking his the backs of his fingers down her reddened cheek, as he smiled down at her. "Angel..." Willow whispered when she had caught her breath.

Angel didn't give her enough time to finish her sentence and claimed her mouth once more, pushing her back onto the bed as he went. Angel slid his jacket off his shoulders, the leather rustling slightly as it slipped to the floor. Angel ravaged Willow's mouth with his own, near bruising her lips with the intensity of his kiss. Willow needed to break for air all too soon and Angel gave her breathing room, trailing kisses down her neck and collarbone, nipping at the flesh with blunt teeth through the fabric of her t-shirt.

Angel's large hands slid down her sides, skimming the bottom hem of her t-shirt, lifting it up above her hips, revealing her porcelain doll-like skin and her burgundy satin panties. Angel dropped kisses along her abdomen and slowly made his way down to her crotch, kissing her inner thighs and her lower lips through the satin. He could taste the beginnings of her arousal, vaguely remembering how good she tasted that night at the mansion. Nuzzling her clitoris through the satin, Angel smiled as Willow sighed, spreading her thighs wider, giving him better access to her center. Angel ran his tongue over her slit, making her whimper softly. Angel slid the satin fabric down her legs, tossing them behind him, onto the floor. Pressing kisses to her snatch through the auburn curls, Angel felt Willow draw her legs up onto his shoulders, moaning softly. With his tongue, Angel parted her outer lips, tasting the sweetness of her arousal. One of his long fingers slipped inside her as his tongue teased her clit, causing her to gasp.

Pants, moans, and whimpers spilled from Willow's lips as Angel worked her to an earth-shattering climax, thrusting three fingers deep inside her as he sucked, nibbled and licked her clit. "Angel!" Willow screamed as she came, her hands in his hair, messing the gelled perfection. Angel continued his ministrations, slowing down as she spiraled down from her high. Willow lowered her eyes to meet Angel's as he moved back up her body, his mouth meeting hers, his tongue drenched in her juices. Willow moaned into Angel's mouth, holding him to her as they kissed.

After a few minutes of post-coital cuddling, Angel pulled away, lowering Willow's t-shirt back over her crotch, to resist the temptation of taking her and ravaging her then and there. Angel pressed a loving kiss to Willow's mouth, promising her that he will be watching. Willow muttered something he couldn't understand, drifting off to sleep. Angel smiled, exiting her room, closing the french doors behind him, dropping down to the ground and began walking home, sucking at his index, middle, and ring fingers slowly, savoring the flavor of his sweet Willow.

The End