Title: Giles' Daughter

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: The characters of Willow, Angel, Spike and others belong to Joss Whedon and Grr-Argh. Although if Angel and Spike ever wanted to stay with me, I'd never turn them down!

Note: This particular story has been on the go for a while. It's older than Reunion and OH but I think you'll understand why.

Note 2: Alternate Season 3.

Part One

"First things first, I have to phone Giles." Willow sighed heavily, brushing her red hair out of her eyes; her gaze fastened on the still figure in her bed, "Can't break a promise even if I am dead tired."

Rising wearily from the bed, she crossed slowly to her desk, sinking down into her chair and picked up the phone. Dialling the Watcher's number, she turned with an exhausted sigh to stare at her heavily covered windows. As she waited for the Watcher to answer, her tired eyes fell once more to the figure in the bed and her gaze softened.

"You're home now and I won't ever let you go again."

After three rings, the phone was answered. "Rupert Giles."

"It's finished, Giles. We have him safe."

"Willow! Thank God, I was beginning to get worried. Are you alright, child?"

Even down the phone line, the petite redhead could hear his sincere concern and a tired but warm smile of affection replaced the look of exhaustion for a brief space of time before fading once more.

"We're fine, Giles. Extremely tired but fine. In fact, Amy's already asleep in my spare room as we speak." She paused for a moment, drawing on what little strength she had left. "Giles, I don't want to leave him alone… I can't leave him alone."

There was a note in her voice he had never heard before. "I can be there in ten minutes."

He hesitated, unsure of how she would take it but pushed on. "Willow my dear, are you quite sure that it is…"

"Trust me, Giles, it is our Angel. I can feel it in my heart."

The simple but sure answer silenced the Watcher.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Ten minutes later exactly, his old car drew up outside the Rosenberg residence with a squeal of breaks and he emerged carrying a large sports bag. Locking his car, he turned round to find Willow leaning against the doorframe, clearly pale and exhausted. "Hello Giles."

"Good God, Willow!" He shot up the steps towards her, putting an arm around her waist steadying the small girl. For a moment, he was actually afraid that she would collapse. "Into the house, young lady before you fall."

He gently guided her into the living room, forcing her to lie down on the couch. The worn-out young woman promptly curled up against the cushions, yawning. "Angel… in my room… sleeping."

"All right Willow." He pushed her head gently but firmly onto the cushions. "Now try to get some sleep yourself. Restore your strength, little one. I'll check on Amy and… and Angel."

"You… promised me… Giles," Willow murmured as her eyes fluttered shut. "No… judging and… no… no stakes… promised."

"No stakes." Giles repeated, suppressing the stab of pain that hit him for a moment. "I gave you my word, Willow and I will keep it."

Satisfied with his response, she snuggled further into the cushions, stretching out. A final sigh fell from her lips and she stilled, exhaustion finally overwhelming her.

Once he was sure that the redhead was finally deep in sleep, Giles gently covered her with a rug that lay on the back of the sofa. He then picked up his bag and went through to the Rosenberg kitchen. Opening the fridge door, he found that the redhead had already made plenty of room for what he had brought with him.

"Now why am I surprised?" He murmured, shaking his head slightly in bemusement as he put the supplies into the fridge. "This is Willow after all."

He then went upstairs and unconsciously chose to check upon his young protégée's companion witch first. The blonde witch was actually lying face down on the bed, deep in exhausted sleep. Checking her pulse, he nodded to himself then threw a light blanket over her as well.

Leaving the spare room, he headed slowly for the open door at the end of the corridor. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself and entered Willow's room. Crossing to the bed, he looked down at the sleeping figure the two girls had expanded so much personal energy over.

"I really hope…" He began, shaking his head. "Willow… dear child, I only hope you are not wrong about him."

With a resigned sigh, he settled into the chair at the bedside, opened a book and readied himself for the long wait. From past experience, he knew and expected an extremely long wait.

Over the next thirty-six hours, he periodically checked upon each of his three sleeping charges. The blonde witch woke up first; allowing the Watcher to grab some much needed sleep himself. With a show of great reluctance, and much to Giles' amusement, Amy took his place at the bedside, clutching a cross in her hand.

The Watcher was once again in charge when the old grandfather clock in the main hallway struck six the following evening. He was making his way to the kitchen when a noise from the living room caught his attention. Moving to the doorway, the Watcher discovered that the second of his three charges had woken up.

Stepping inside, he found the still fragile looking petite redhead getting to her feet. Although awake, she still looked extremely tired and he frowned slightly, concerned. "Willow."

The redhead spun round. "Oops! Note to self, don't do that." She muttered head to hand, "Hey Giles!" Yawning, she joined him in the doorway. "How long have I been out of it?"

"About a day and a half, young lady, Amy woke yesterday evening." He replied folding his arms. "Why do I get the feeling you and I need to talk about that."

To her credit, Willow actually blushed slightly but before she could phrase a reply, a frightening and terrifying scream filled the whole house, making them both jump.

"Dear goddess, Angel!" She exclaimed. "Giles, get the supplies."

"Willow…" Giles started to say, catching hold of her arm.

A second scream stopped him though.

Willow pushed past the startled Watcher, all evidence of exhaustion gone. She dashed up the stairs to her room two at a time, concern clouding her green eyes. Inside, the vampire was thrashing back and forth, his game face in evidence and contorted in extreme agony, eyes flashing in golden fury.

True to her nature, and without a single thought for her own safety, she went straight to the bed. Sitting down, she drew the sobbing vampire onto her arms, stroking soothing fingers through his spiky hair as she murmured soft, calming phrases. "Shush Angel, hush. You're safe now; they can't hurt you any more. You're home now. Hush. I've got you."

She looked up as Giles entered his arms full of bottle containing red liquid. "Willow, here."

"Thank you Giles." She took the first bottle, then gently lifted the dark-haired vampire's head and held it gently to his lips. The vampire caught the smell of blood immediately and started to drink like a man starved.

After several bottles, he slumped against the redhead's shoulder, his human face back once again. "Why, Willow why?"

The sheer agony and horror in his hoarse voice stunned the listening Watcher and even brought a sleepy Amy from the spare room.

"Is it…?" She began before Giles shot her a warning look, a look that had her mouth closing quickly.

Angel spoke again, sobs breaking his words. "You shouldn't have done it, Willow. You should have left me there. Dear God, I tried to hurt you. I killed Jenny Callender."

The hacker immediately placed a small hand over his mouth, silencing him. "No, no, Angel. That wasn't you. That was never you. That was *Angelus*."

The sheer belief and confidence in her voice was unfamiliar to the vampire but had slowly become more familiar to the listening Watcher and witch. It had after all convinced them to help her in the plan she had devised.

"But I am Angelus." The vampire groaned.

"No! You could never do such things, Angel. It's beyond you." She answered in so sure a tone; it brought a tear to Amy's eyes.

He raised dark tormented chocolate brown gaze to her emerald green eyes. "But you, Willow… and… and Buffy…"

A look of pain did pass through the redhead's eyes at the mention of her best friend's name. She had been badly hurt by the Slayer's disappearance, something she had kept securely to herself. In fact, Giles had only just begun to realise the true extent of her feelings when she had brought the plan to rescue Angel from Hell to him.

Therefore what she said next completely surprised even the Watcher.

She laid her small hand on Angel's cheek gently wiping a tear away. "Angel, Buffy brought a lot of what happened to her on herself, she's to blame. You mustn't blame yourself for that. I won't let you."

Giles stepped forward at that point, taking the chair at the bedside. Amy followed slowly, rolling the desk chair over to join them. Neither had failed to notice that Willow was still unconsciously holding the vampire in her arms; his own linked around her small waist as if it was his lifeline.

And neither appeared to be showing any immediate sign of letting the other go.

"As much as it pains me, Angel, I must agree with Willow with regards to Buffy." The sight of the vampire's real pain and guilt, plus the small hacker's continuing (and relentless) campaign had done much to alleviate the Watcher's own anguished memories. "You really should not blame yourself for Angelus' actions."

"I am Angelus, Giles." The vampire replied the anguish strong in his voice. He buried his head against the hacker's shoulder before he realised what he was doing and pushed away from her. "Why, Willow, why did you bring me back? Please, in Heaven's name, why?"

Willow caught hold of him again with a strength that until recently no-one had realised she had. It may also have helped that Angel did not try to break away from her, unwilling to risk the chance that he might hurt the petite redhead. A fact the Watcher recorded almost subconsciously.

"Because I've missed my friend," She told him, tears sparkling in her eyes as she held them back. She did however wipe the tears from his handsome face, her fingers lingering for a moment on his cheeks, "Because the shadows are scarier now without you, Angel, than when you were Angelus."

Freeing herself, she stood up and moved away, swaying slightly as exhaustion once more settled over her, totally unaware as to how ethereally beautiful she looked – especially to the newly returned vampire. Turning to look at him again, she caught his haunted gaze with her sincere truthful honest gaze, her whole heart and soul in her eyes if she did but know it.

"Because quite simply Angel we need you."

She took a deep breath and continued, "Because I need you, Angel."

With that, she promptly proceeded to scare them all by passing out in front of them without warning.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Moving with all the superior speed of his kind, Angel caught her before she even touched the ground almost snatching her out of the air in mid fall. Turning, he carried her back to the bed and gently laid her down, brushing her hair away from her pale face. Satisfied that she was all right and merely sleeping, he swung round to face the Watcher and blonde witch.

"Giles, what's going on?" He demanded his whole manner and attitude one of concern for the unconscious girl, all evidence of his own weakness banished. "What's wrong with Willow?"

The answer however came from the unexpected direction of Amy Madison. "Oops!"

Immediately the vampire and Watcher turned to face the young woman who had a hand over her mouth. The guilty façade she presented them with gave Giles all the explanation he needed, being aware of all Willow had hoped to do.

"Amy, please tell me she didn't." He demanded removing his glasses nervously, cleaning them with his handkerchief and replacing them. "She said she would wait until the time was right, not do both."

"I, I… really wish I could, Mr Giles, but I can't." Amy stammered, moving her chair backwards. "It was as if she knew. I could see it in her eyes the moment we brought him out. Some instinct told her if she didn't do it when she had the opportunity she would never be allowed to."

The blonde witch nodded towards the vampire now sitting on the bed beside Willow. He was at present holding her small hand in his, unconsciously running the other up and down her arm. "Willow said Angel would have stopped her."

"Giles, if you and Amy have quite finished…" Angel's slightly and more surprisingly, very sarcastic tone was insistent. "Would one of you please tell me why Willow has totally passed out? What has she done? What wouldn't I have allowed?"

Giles spun back round to look at the vampire. He had now released Willow's hand, and was looking as if his demon face would emerge at any moment. At that point, he basely chose to pass the buck to the unconscious girl and apologised mentally to her. 'Sorry Willow.'

"Giles what?" Angel growled.

"Other than rescuing you from Hell, I take it you mean." Angel nodded and Giles indicated to the young woman the vampire was still unconsciously shielding with his body. "I really think that under the circumstances Willow should be the one to tell you, Angel, when she wakes up."

"Then I'll wait for her." Speaking with sincerity the Watcher had never heard before, the vampire stood up and covered the sleeping redhead with a blanket before sitting down on the floor. He leant back against the bed and closed his eyes. "After what she has done for me, I'll do anything for her for all eternity and beyond."

The note in his voice was enough to convince the Watcher. Rising, he shooed Amy out of the room, then paused in the doorway. "Call us when she wakes up Angel."

"My word on it," The vampire replied simply.

Once again the Rosenberg residence fell into deep silence as they waited for the young woman they were all concerned about to wake up from her restorative sleep. For another twenty-four hours, they watched over the petite redhead, although Amy spent a majority of the time sleeping as well, building up her own strength.

Angel never moved from his position at the bedside as he also continued to build up his strength once again following his nightmare sojourn in Hell. The only time he did move was when Giles brought him the blood he needed to physically recover from his ordeal.

Both Amy and the Watcher just happened to be in the bedroom when Willow started to stir once again signalling her return to consciousness, bringing the vampire up from the floor and onto the bed. His hand went to her pale cheek as the other two sat down.

"Wake up Willow." He said softly, running his fingers down her cheek. "Come back to me little one."

"Huh… Angel!" His name left her lips as eyelids fluttering; she came out of the deep restorative witch healing sleep. "Angel." She sighed again.

As her emerald green eyes opened completely, they looked straight up into the dark vampire's concerned chocolate brown eyes. "Tell me, Ionúin, what exactly have you been up to."

Giles' eyes widened at the Irish pet name Angel bestowed upon the redhead and in typical Watcher fashion, he mentally stowed it away. What made an even deeper impression on the Englishman was that the vampire had used the name completely and utterly unconsciously.

And for some strange reason, the Watcher found himself literally waiting to see how the petite redhead would respond.

Willow lifted her hand to the handsome vampire's face, running her fingers gently over his cheek before brushing his hair back, seemed to understand immediately what he was asking. "Angel…" She started softly. "Angel, I… I anchored your soul… permanently. You're here to stay forever, my friend."

The simple words had a profound effect on the dark haired vampire as, for the second time in two days, he found himself completely overwhelmed by his emotions. Once again he broke down in heartfelt sobs, unable to believe just how much the petite redhead had risked… and all for him.

He buried his head against her, hiding the blood red tears falling down his cheeks, his whole body shaking. The redhead's response was immediate, coming from her pure, innocent and trusting heart. She sat up, wrapping her arms around him. The vampire immediately moved his arms around her waist, burying his head against her stomach.

The Watcher found himself stunned by just how beautiful Willow looked at that moment. He was also struck by a strange feeling of deja vu as an old memory threatened to reveal itself but it quickly faded away again.

An extremely gentle smile crossed her face as she soothed the emotional vampire, running her fingers through his hair once more. It seemed to grow even more angelic as she murmured something to him the Watcher only just heard.

"Welcome home my Angel. Welcome home forever."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

And I am back, girls and boys, with my favourite of favourite pairings.

The updates on this one will not be anything like CR (those that read those ones!) but will be when I feel the chapter is ready.

So with that, looking forward to seeing what you have to say!