Wide Awake
By: Ally unewillow@hotmail.com
Rating: G
Pairing: Willow/Angel
Disclaimer: Willow and Angel are not mine. Sadly they belong to lotsa people who could sue my pants off.
Summary: Sequel to Last Dance. Willow muses over her dream.
Feedback: I'll love you forever.
Distribution: Ask and ye shall receive.
Notes: * denote thoughts. I'm playing with the events of seasons 2 & 3 to appease my muse. If you want to read 'Last Dance' go to http://homepages.go.com/~ahalterego/lastdance.html
The day had slid by Willow in a haze of colors and sounds. She had hardly paid attention in classes and feigned a headache when her friends had asked her what was wrong. In truth Willow felt better then she had in a while, and it was all because of her dream. Just thinking about it gave her a warm tingly feeling in the pit of her stomach, and even though she couldn't quite remember the dream she somehow knew that it was a sign of things to come.
*I guess Buffy isn't the only one with prophetic dreams* Willow mused inwardly as she strolled home after school. Normally she would have gone to the library to help Giles research or to surf the internet and joke around with her friends, but today she just wanted to be alone. To try and remember the dream which kept slipping through her mind like smoke through her fingers. So intent was she on her thoughts that she didn't take notice of where her feet was taking her till she almost tripped over a crack in the sidewalk.
"What…?" Willow stared at the mansion in front of her in confusion as to how she had gotten there.
*Well you walked here, duh* Willow crinkled her nose at her inner voice that had somehow ended up sounding more like Buffy then she particularly cared for. Shrugging, she walked towards the mansion, intrigued as to what she would find within. She hadn't really had a chance to explore the day they all went and discovered Angel and Buffy gone, Acathla dormant. It wasn't until a week had passed and they hadn't heard anything from either Buffy or Angel that the reality that she might never see them again set in. But at last Buffy had returned to them, and they learned that Buffy had sent Angel, not Angelus, to hell.
When Buffy told them what had happened something in Willow screamed out in anguish, but outwardly she remained the supportive friend that Buffy needed. Willow had always carried feelings for Angel, but she knew that he thought of her as nothing more then a friend. Besides, he was with Buffy, and no one would choose mousy Willow over Buffy. So, she kept her heartbreak over Angel's 'death' locked away, much as she had hid her feelings for him before.
It had taken a while, but finally, like Buffy, Willow had gotten over Angel. She had finally hit the final stage of grief, acceptance. Acceptance that he was gone. Acceptance that he wasn't hers. Acceptance that he never would be.
But then the dreams started.
At first Willow shrugged them off, thinking that they were a way for her subconscious to still have Angel around. But, then she started having the same dream every night, and each time it was a little longer, and a little bit more detailed. What started out as just dancing with Angel in a black space, turned gradually into her dancing with him in The Bronze. For the past week though it hadn't changed at all, except for the fact that Angel was just about to answer her when she would inevitably wake up.
Walking through the mansion's garden, the honeysuckle in full bloom, she pondered her latest dream. She knew that the dream had finally been completed. Everything that needed to be said had been…if only she could remember what had been said. Deciding she had spent enough time wandering the garden, and noticing that the sky had started to turn a rosy hue Willow turned to go, when she suddenly felt compelled to go into the large main chamber. She had avoided that room earlier, too many bad vibes, but now she felt as if she needed to go there.
"Only for a minute." Willow whispered to no one in particular as she entered the chamber and a surge of hurt washed over her. Slowly she walked over to where Acathla had stood and stared at the marble floors. Two fat tears flowed from Willow's eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Dangling perilously from her chin they shivered, and finally fell to the floor, the tiny splashes sounding large in the otherwise silent room.
Suddenly Willow felt herself being thrown across the room as a large blast of light opened above her. The warmth of the blast made her skin tingle, and she had to shield her eyes from the intensity of the light. But, as soon as it had begun it was over, and Willow fiercely rubbed her eyes to clear her vision.
"arrmmgg…."
Willow froze as the moan reached her ears, and looked back to where she had been standing moments before. It had to be a hallucination.
*I must have hit my head*
But even as she tried to convince herself what she saw wasn't real she found herself scrambling over to the prone naked form on the cold marble floor. As she rolled him over into her lap a million emotions washed over Willow's mind. Confusion, fright, relief, love….love. All blended together into a lump in Willow's throat.
"Angel?"
Seeing his eyes flutter open tentatively Willow held her breath for his reaction. But it wasn't the one she was expecting. Slowly Angel lifted his hand and traced a light line along Willow's jaw, the faintest smile of relief etching his handsome features. Then in a voice faint and scratchy from disuse;
"I love you Willow, thank you for bringing me home."
Angel gave Willow a smile of pure love, and then promptly lapsed into unconsciousness. Willow closed her eyes and thanked anyone who would listen, letting the tears roll down her cheeks and onto Angel's face.