I choose to start this story now...
Part 1
"What's going on?"
Willow looked up at the darkness around her. She knew this wasn't a dream but she also knew she had fallen asleep in her own bed last night.
A door opened and Willow flinched at the bright light it allowed in and the squeal the hinges made. "Ms Rosenberg?" a male voice oozed.
"Uh... yes?" she said as she tried to sit up.
"Ms Rosenberg, Willow, we have a... request..."
**
Giles got out of his bed when he heard the noise again from downstairs. He slowly crept down the stairs armed with an axe. He was on the bottom step before the pain and blackness consumed him.
**
Willow raced through the hospital to room 212 where Buffy and Xander were already crowded around Giles hospital bed. "They were searching my bookshelves Buffy but I really didn't get a very good look."
"Don't you worry Giles. We'll find them."
Willow gasped and nodded. Later that morning, at home she packed a bag, took the keys of her parents car and set out for Los Angeles. She pulled up in front of the tall glass building, slammed the car door shut and stormed through the doors. She cast a repel spell around herself and no one got within 3 feet of her. She found the name on the board and got into the elevator, pushed the button for his floor and stormed into his office, the door automatically slamming shut behind her.
She'd obviously interrupted a meeting. She didn't care. The two men stood up, the woman just cast a curious gaze on her.
"You promised me, when you forced me to give you the information you wanted, that no one would get hurt!"
"Mr Giles' poor sleeping habits were unforeseen Ms Rosenberg."
She raised her hand and flicked her wrist, forcing him to sit in his wheeled chair, which rolled across the room.
He looked shocked.
"As were my powers I see. You claim to be so well informed. I should have known better but the clarity of agony persuaded me otherwise. I may be only 21 years of age but you have greatly underestimated me. You'll see me again. Pleasure to finally meet you both Lilah and Lindsey. Angel has some interesting things to say about you both," Willow said before she left the office.
"Interesting young woman Holland," Lindsey commented.
"Indeed."
"The senior partners won't be happy to know she's powerful," the younger lawyer continued.
"No," agreed the still stunned older man.
**
"Angel? There are too many rooms to search. Will you wake up and come down here already?" Willow called out from the lobby.
Angel jogged down the stairs, still buttoning his shirt. He ran his fingers through his hair a couple of times before looking up. "Willow?"
"Hi Angel. Sorry about the short-notice visit but I was wondering if I could stay here. I have some... business I need to take care of here in LA and I don't know where Cordy lives..."
"Sure. It's good to see you," he smiled and hugged her.
"It's good to be seen Angel."
"What are you here in LA for?"
Willow sighed. "I haven't told anyone. I didn't think I'd need to. I still don't understand it..."
"Start at the beginning," Angel suggested as he herded her toward a sofa in the lobby.
"A week ago I fell asleep in my dorm room and woke up on the floor of a warehouse somewhere. I was... persuaded to give a man named Holland some information. All he wanted was to know if I'd heard of and knew the location of a particular book. It hurt Angel," she whispered, "so I told them where it was, on the condition that he promised that no one else would get hurt. The man boasted of his employers and what they'd do if I had lied. I assured him I hadn't. Last night Giles was struck unconscious in his house by someone or something, possibly plural, who were searching his bookcase. A single blow but he's concussed and is likely to be in hospital for a couple more days."
"Holland you say?"
Willow nodded and swiped at her tears. "I did something foolish Angel. I went to his office today, before I came here."
"Why was that foolish?"
"He's a partner at Wolfram and Hart," she whispered.
Angel groaned. "What did you tell them?"
"I ranted at Holland that he'd broken his promise. I told Lilah and Lindsey that you had interesting things to say about them but Angel... I showed them I had power."
He hugged her while she cried. After a while she pushed away from him. "I can't stay here. I'm endangering your office and stuff. I'll..."
"You'll stay here," Cordelia Chase stated. "You can't fight them alone and we won't let you."
"C-cordelia?"
"Queen C in the flesh," the brunette smiled. "You can stay with me if you'd like. I have a ghostly houseguest but he'll keep us safe, and more importantly, you safe."
"Does anyone know where you are?" Angel asked.
"I... no. I was in such a rush... I was so angry Angel. I'd better call Buffy." She stood up and got her cell phone from her bag.
"Not Lindsey this time," Cordelia mumbled.
"No," a new voice said. "Not this time."
Willow's phone clattered to the floor and she scrambled to hide behind Angel.
"That was an impressive show Miss Rosenberg but you should know that they want you now and unless Angel can come up with something impressive himself to protect you, they'll get you."
"Why are you here Lindsey?"
"She's too young to be caught up in this."
"Boo hoo," Angel mocked. "Another brief attack of conscience?"
"Angel," Willow scolded and hit him on the arm and moved to pick up her phone. "I can take care of myself Lindsey and I've been fighting the hordes of darkness for a few years now."
"They know what it takes to break you," Lindsey reminded her.
"They *knew*. We grow stronger from our experiences Mr McDonald or else the experience was a waste. I'll die before I help them though."
"They may prefer that."
Willow looked unimpressed. "Thank you for the warning Mr McDonald. It is duly noted and discarded. We can't be sure we can trust you. Now I'm sure a smart young man like yourself knows what a door is..." Willow turned her back on him and dialled Buffy's number.
A small smile graced Lindsey's face as he turned and walked out of the building.
"That man is deadly," Cordelia muttered.
"Aren't they always," Willow mumbled. "Oh hey Buffy... I didn't mean to... Well I know who did this and I'm taking care of it... I bloody well can take care of myself and I have Angel and Cordy here anyway... Don't you dare. You stay there on the Hellmouth and make sure he stays safe... Later Buffy."
"Are your relationships strained back home Willow?" Angel asked quietly.
"Buffy thinks that the world revolves around her, you know that. She also thinks no one is safe because we know her. Me being hurt was because I knew Giles. He was my High School Librarian and that had nothing to do with Buffy. She's needed on the Hellmouth and I can take care of myself... with your help I can," she added quietly.
"Lets get your car parked and find you a room," Angel smiled.
"Stop that," Willow giggled.
"What?"
"Smiling. You're brood boy. You aren't supposed to have expressions."
Angel tried to keep the smile off his face but couldn't. "I've missed you Willow."
"Missed you too Angel."
"Why don't I park your car Willow? Come and get your bags and things out of it."
Willow nodded and followed the former cheerleader. She returned to Angel quickly carrying her medium sized bag and her laptop. "It was all I thought to bring with me. I didn't know what I'd do when I got here..."
Angel settled Willow in a room near his and told her to rest before returning to Cordelia in the office. "She's resting."
"Just spoke to Xander. He confirms that Giles will be fine but it'll be a few days before they let him go home. Xander also said that Willow has been acting strange for a week, not letting anyone touch her and panicking when she's left on her own, especially at night. No one knows anything else though so I assume she didn't tell anyone."
"A new case?" Wesley asked as he and Gunn arrived simultaneously.
"Willow was targeted for information retrieval by Wolfram and Hart. She's here because they broke their promise not to hurt anyone."
"Good grief. Who was hurt?"
"Well, Willow was when they tortured her for the information but then Giles is concussed and currently in hospital."
"What were they after?" Gunn asked
"A book. Willow didn't say which one."
"Willow is a friend?" Gunn asked.
"We knew her in Sunnydale. I went to school with her. She's Buffy's bestfriend," Cordelia explained.
"Right now all we're to do is keep her safe. Lindsey seems to have taken an interest though it was Holland, one of the partners who actually kidnapped Willow. She's upstairs asleep. She's not to be left on her own in the building at anytime."
"She's a good fighter and probably improved since I last saw her. We could use her help Angel. She wouldn't be able to dwell too much on this if we took her with us. If she's willing of course."
Angel nodded thoughtfully as he mentally digested Wesley's suggestion. "We'll need somewhere to take her if they come after her. Somewhere they don't know. See what you can come up with. Wesley I want some protection spells for her."