Title: Beginnings
Series: Changed 6/?
Disclaimer: I own nothing. All belongs to Joss, ME, and more people I will never know. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made.
Distribution: Fanfiction.net, All list archives, anyone else who wants it can have it. Just let me know where it is going.
Feedback: Much appreciated. Thank you.
Angel woke up slowly, becoming aware of the things around him. Two beautiful held in his arms. He would have liked to have stayed there, but he remembered Spike's reaction from the day before. He had done what he came to do. He had calmed Spike and by extension Xander. It was time for him to go. He slipped quietly out of the bed, and went back to the small guest bedroom he had used earlier. Taking care not to wake Xander or Spike.
Angel quickly showered and dressed before going to find Willow. He knew she must have already performed her spell, because he couldn't hear her heartbeat. He found her in the kitchen. She had slept late, and was famished. When she noticed Angel she jumped up and got him some blood from the refrigerator. "Hey Angel. Want some breakfast? You're up early." She sounded completely back to her normal babbling self today.
Angel smiled and took the blood from Willow, moving to heat it. "Thank you Willow. I adjusted to earlier hours in LA. This is pretty normal for me. What is it a little after noon?"
"Almost 1:00 actually. Angel, I saw you all, asleep. You all looked so peaceful, happy. I've never seen any of you look that way before, not even in your sleep. Was it like that before, with Spike? You don't have to answer that, I'm just curious." Willow was nervous. She wasn't sure if this was a question Angel would be comfortable with, but she did want to know. Spike would never talk about it, she was sure of that.
Angel spoke gently. It was actually something he'd been forced to think about recently. Had things ever really been good between himself and his childe. Maybe it would help to talk. "I don't know, Willow. He didn't always hate me, but I can't really say we were ever really at peace either. You said last night that you had done quite a bit of reading and then mentioned the connection between lust and blood. I just want to know how much you found out. I don't want to upset you. Give you information you didn't really want." Angel was starting to ramble. Willow was such an innocent and some of the things he was about to tell her could bring along pretty graphic imagery. He didn't know if she was prepared for that.
"It's okay Angel. Really, I have done a lot of reading. I know that vampires don't have the same gender hang-ups that most humans do. I also know that the Sire/Childe bond traditionally had a sexual component. I always assumed that you and Spike had that." Willow spoke gently, reassuring Angel that she was ready for whatever he would say.
"Dru was Spike's sire, you know. She turned him, but he was always my childe. She was in no condition to train him, I took on that responsibility, and I loved him. I still do. He is so much stronger than any other vampire I've ever known. He was my favorite childe. I cared more for him than either of my own childer. Penn was a mistake, pure and simple. He was too dependent. Dru was a fragile child, and I cared for her. Spike was my equal, my companion. The demon railed against that. I was very hard on Spike, held him to a higher standard than the others. But in the good times, a look or a smile was all I needed and I was lost, he could control me that easily. The Demon wanted him to hurt, wanted to take that power away from him. I tortured him Willow, sometimes for days. For months after he was turned, he stayed William, and he was mostly like the man before, just stronger, more confident. I made him into Spike, I broke him finally. He has never been the same after that, He has been harder, more defiant. And still he loved me. It wasn't until I abandoned him that he started to hate me. And now, I'll never be able to make what I did up to him. I can remember touching him Willow, and I want that back, but different. I want to touch my childe, with all the reverence the demon wouldn't allow me to show before. I want him to know how much I love him, but he won't allow it. It's okay, I've come to terms with that fact, but it still hurts." Angel couldn't remember the last time he had said so much at one time. He didn't think he had ever said so much about his past. The pain and regret was evident in his voice, and although he didn't realize it tears had started to trail down his cheeks.
Small warm hands were suddenly on his, holding them gently. Angel looked up into beautiful green eyes and found compassion there. "He doesn't hate you Angel. If Spike didn't love you the past wouldn't hurt him so much. Thank you for telling me. It helps me understand some things. Spike will be a good sire. He told me once that you had been a good sire. He meant what he said, but there was something in his voice that told me he would be different."
"Thanks Willow, for listening. Spike will be a good sire. He doesn't have the desire to dominate that I did. He'll do a much better job than I ever did, I'm sure. Now what are we going to tell Buffy. She's going to be champing at the bit, if she doesn't get to see Xander, but I still think it's early for that."
"Definitely too early. I think Buffy is going to have the hardest time of all of us dealing with this. Anya is taking it pretty well, and Giles will be fine once the shock wears off, but Buffy is having trouble. She never really understood that your soul has to fight the demon for control, so she thinks everything with Xander should be easy, but it won't be." Willow had always known that Buffy saw the world in front of her as absolutes. Therefore vampires were evil. Souled vampires were good. There was no grey area there. It was a limiting view. She would never be able to see Spike as anything other than a caged animal, no matter how many times he proved to them that he cared. Xander and Angel however had no dark side in her view. Angelus was a completely separate entity in her mind, gone when the soul was in place. Willow knew that it wasn't that simple. The soul restrained the demon, but it was just as much a part of Angel as ever.
Angel was impressed at Willow's understanding. She understood something he found it impossible to explain. She was able to see Angelus and Angel as too distinct people, but also to see that the demon would always be a part of him. "And you Little One, you've been a pillar of strength. I don't know how the others would have gotten through this without you."
"It had to be done. Somebody had to take charge, and no one else was. I didn't do anything special just what was necessary." Willow truly believed that. She didn't think her actions over the last two days had been anything spectacular.
The two of them sat and quietly talked, Angel's respect for the girl growing with every word. Spike and Xander woke up about an hour later. Angel heard their movements, and Willow went to prepare them breakfast. When they came downstairs, Willow already had to mugs of warm blood on the counter. Xander quickly drank his and turned to look at Willow.
"Good Morning Xander, do you remember me?" Willow asked softly.
"Willow, you're my best friend. I know you. Why isn't your heart beating?" there was wonder in his voice. He remembered, things were coming back slowly. Willow was his best friend, had been forever. He loved her.
Willow hugged Xander, "Don't worry about it, I'll tell you another time okay. Trust your best friend on this one."
The four of them spent the rest of the day and evening talking, helping Xander to remember his past. It was coming back quickly. That evening Willow called Buffy and let her know that Xander was doing fine, but she couldn't see him yet. It was still too dangerous. Buffy didn't like hearing that, but went along with it anyway. She called Anya and Cordelia essentially the same message, but they took it much better than Buffy had.
This became the pattern for their days. Angel would rise early and spend the early afternoon talking to Willow. The rest of the evenings would be spent with each of them doing what they could for Xander. Spike calming him when the hunger was painful in its intensity, giving him his own blood when the need to bite was too strong. Angel helping with the questions that came. Willow helping him to remember who he was. It was comfortable and they were all enjoying their time together.
Things changed after about a week. Xander's memories were now nearly completely restored. The demon was well under control. His soul had asserted itself. One evening, he sought out Angel alone. When he found him he spoke quietly, "Angel, first I want to thank you. I've never been very nice, actually I've been outright hateful to you. You didn't have to help me. Now, I want to ask you about the things I know you came for. Willow is still shielding her heartbeat from me, probably a good idea. But, I can feel her warmth, Angel. A part of me wants to take her, to drink from her. I won't do it. I have better control than that, but I want to just the same. How do you deal with that? Push the guilt away."
"Xander, I wanted to help you. You don't have to thank me. As for the guilt, you don't. You can't make it go away. Wanting to drink is who you are now, the soul makes you regret that. You just have to keep control of your life. Don't let the guilt control you or consume you. Willow told me once, that she thought more of me as a person, because, I was tempted than she would if I just no longer wanted to do the things that vampires do. She's right, it takes strength to resist the demon, that makes us better people. You'll get used to it, the guilt always nagging at the back of your mind. I'll be here to help you if it gets to be too much." Angel wanted to reassure Xander, let him know that things would get better, but he couldn't lie to him. The guilt would always be there, you just had work through it.
After that, Xander began to spend a portion of each evening with Angel, discussing the unique issues his soul created for him. The rest of the gang was getting impatient, they wanted to see him, but he wasn't ready yet. After another week had passed Willow reversed the spell that had hidden her heartbeat from him. It terrified him at first, how much he wanted to drink from her, but Angel was right, you got used to it, pushed it to the back of your brain. A few days later he talked for a few minutes with Cordelia and Giles who had come to replenish the blood supply. Things were getting easier. He still didn't want to see Buffy though. He couldn't explain it, but he wasn't ready to face her. He didn't know if he could do it. Anya though, he was ready to see her. He loved her and needed to see that she still loved him. He went to Willow, Spike, and Angel and told them his decision. Willow was meeting the girls for lunch the next day and agreed to let them know.
When Willow arrived at the small cafe, she found Anya, Cordelia, and Buffy waiting for her. "Hey guys, am I late?" Willow was fairly certain she wasn't, but it was unusual for the others to be there before her.
"No, no we're just anxious for news. How is Xander?" Cordelia answered her. It was simply amazing to Willow how much Cordy had changed since high school. She really seemed to care about the people around her. She was definitely still Cordelia though. She still had the same caustic tongue, that could humiliate people with a word.
"Xander is fine. He has some news actually. Cordy, he'd like it if you came by tonight. He has some ideas he would like to run by you. I don't know what it's about, he wouldn't tell me."
"Great, I haven't really had a chance to talk to him, since I got here. I've missed him Willow." Cordelia was sincere. She had missed Xander. Missed how his since of humor could lighten even her darkest mood, and missed how his quiet courage and strength was transmitted to the group as a whole.
"What about the rest of us. When do I get to see Xander?" Buffy demanded.
"I don't know Buffy. Xander says he's not ready to see you yet. He's frightened of your reaction. He'll come around but he has to fight his own natural instinct to fear you. Just give him some time." Willow tried to keep her words gentle. She knew Buffy wasn't going to take this well, but she wanted her friend to understand.
"What the hell, is this. Everyone gets to see Xander except for his girlfriend and me. I've saved his life more times than I can count and now he's afraid of me." Buffy was angry.
"Actually he wants to see Anya tomorrow. That was the other part of my message from him. He's kept her away, because of the lust factor. Sex and blood are very closely tied for a vampire. He thinks he will be able to control that now. He won't be alone with her for a while yet, but he is ready to see her. Buffy, you have to understand, his reaction to you is instinct. You are the slayer, your destiny is to kill his kind. So he is afraid of you." She was still being gentle. Still hoping that Buffy could understand.
Cordelia was more direct, "Besides, Buffy, It's not like you've been Miss Sensitivity all these years."
"This is ridiculous. I refuse to listen to anymore of it. I'm leaving." Buffy got up and stormed away from the table. Leaving three rather flustered girls behind.
"Well, she took that about as well, as I expected." Willow said calmly.
Anya and Cordelia both laughed out loud at that. "Yeah, that went real well. Oh well, we are going to see him." Cordelia was ecstatic at the prospect of seeing her friend in a few hours.
"Tomorrow, I'll finally get to see him, to touch him, tomorrow. God, the waiting has been hard." Anya sounded wistful, she'd been waiting a long while now, for this.
"I know it has. Anya, are you going to be okay with this. It has changed him you know. He's not the same as he was before. You too Cordy. I just want you to be aware." Willow's voice was serious. She didn't think she could stand it if Xander were hurt by the reactions of his friends.
"I expected it to change him. I mean come on, he died, that has to be a perspective-altering experience doesn't it. It'll be okay, because all of the things that made him Xander are still there. We'll deal." Cordelia spoke for both herself and Anya. They had discussed this before.
"That's good, now let's eat. I can't tell you what it's like to be the only one who has to eat real food in that house." Willow laughed. They enjoyed a nice lunch and then Anya went home while Cordelia went back to Willow's house with her.
When they went inside Cordelia was struck by the atmosphere. When she had been in the house before, it had seemed sterile somehow, now she could feel the sense of family there. Odd, that 3 vampires and one witch could create more a feeling of family that the 3 rather ordinary humans that had previously occupied the house had ever managed. Spike was sprawled across the sofa watching talk shows. Angel and Xander were sitting in another corner of the room talking quietly. All three men rose when they noticed Cordelia and Willow enter the room. Xander raced to the two girls hugging them both happily. Spike was right behind him, slipping an arm around Willow and placing a light kiss on her cheek. Angel walked at a much slower pace across the room and gave Willow a quick hug eliciting a low warning growl from his childe. Willow simply giggled at all of their enthusiastic responses to her return. Cordelia meanwhile watched the scene with wonder. It was quite obvious that Spike and Angel were both seriously, head over heels in love with Willow. It might take her a few days to process this information, but count on one thing, before she went home tonight she was going to talk to Angel, get some answers about what was going on in this house. And tomorrow, she and Willow were going to have some serious girl talk.
"So Xan, what did you want to talk about?" Cordelia asked as soon as she had extricated herself from his tight hug. "It's good to see you by the way."
"Uhmm, actually, I wanted to talk about Anya. Willow told me you were getting to be pretty good friends and I just want to know what to expect tomorrow night." Xander sounded like a little boy, practically pleading. "Please?"
Cordelia laughed a little, "Come on, you. Lets talk. Where's a good spot around here that the glimmer twins over there won't listen to us in."
"There really isn't one, but if we leave Willow out here, they won't pay any attention to us anyway." Xander said in a teasing tone.
"Xander, that's just silly. You two go in the Kitchen we will not listen. Will we guys?" Xander had been teasing her about the other two vampires for days now. She thought he was out of his mind.
"Sure, pet, I'll be a good boy and keep my ears shut." Spike answered obediently.
"I don't spy on people Willow." Angel spoke seriously.
Cordelia laughed again. "Okay, I guess it's to the kitchen with us then."
Series: Changed 6/?
Disclaimer: I own nothing. All belongs to Joss, ME, and more people I will never know. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made.
Distribution: Fanfiction.net, All list archives, anyone else who wants it can have it. Just let me know where it is going.
Feedback: Much appreciated. Thank you.
Angel woke up slowly, becoming aware of the things around him. Two beautiful held in his arms. He would have liked to have stayed there, but he remembered Spike's reaction from the day before. He had done what he came to do. He had calmed Spike and by extension Xander. It was time for him to go. He slipped quietly out of the bed, and went back to the small guest bedroom he had used earlier. Taking care not to wake Xander or Spike.
Angel quickly showered and dressed before going to find Willow. He knew she must have already performed her spell, because he couldn't hear her heartbeat. He found her in the kitchen. She had slept late, and was famished. When she noticed Angel she jumped up and got him some blood from the refrigerator. "Hey Angel. Want some breakfast? You're up early." She sounded completely back to her normal babbling self today.
Angel smiled and took the blood from Willow, moving to heat it. "Thank you Willow. I adjusted to earlier hours in LA. This is pretty normal for me. What is it a little after noon?"
"Almost 1:00 actually. Angel, I saw you all, asleep. You all looked so peaceful, happy. I've never seen any of you look that way before, not even in your sleep. Was it like that before, with Spike? You don't have to answer that, I'm just curious." Willow was nervous. She wasn't sure if this was a question Angel would be comfortable with, but she did want to know. Spike would never talk about it, she was sure of that.
Angel spoke gently. It was actually something he'd been forced to think about recently. Had things ever really been good between himself and his childe. Maybe it would help to talk. "I don't know, Willow. He didn't always hate me, but I can't really say we were ever really at peace either. You said last night that you had done quite a bit of reading and then mentioned the connection between lust and blood. I just want to know how much you found out. I don't want to upset you. Give you information you didn't really want." Angel was starting to ramble. Willow was such an innocent and some of the things he was about to tell her could bring along pretty graphic imagery. He didn't know if she was prepared for that.
"It's okay Angel. Really, I have done a lot of reading. I know that vampires don't have the same gender hang-ups that most humans do. I also know that the Sire/Childe bond traditionally had a sexual component. I always assumed that you and Spike had that." Willow spoke gently, reassuring Angel that she was ready for whatever he would say.
"Dru was Spike's sire, you know. She turned him, but he was always my childe. She was in no condition to train him, I took on that responsibility, and I loved him. I still do. He is so much stronger than any other vampire I've ever known. He was my favorite childe. I cared more for him than either of my own childer. Penn was a mistake, pure and simple. He was too dependent. Dru was a fragile child, and I cared for her. Spike was my equal, my companion. The demon railed against that. I was very hard on Spike, held him to a higher standard than the others. But in the good times, a look or a smile was all I needed and I was lost, he could control me that easily. The Demon wanted him to hurt, wanted to take that power away from him. I tortured him Willow, sometimes for days. For months after he was turned, he stayed William, and he was mostly like the man before, just stronger, more confident. I made him into Spike, I broke him finally. He has never been the same after that, He has been harder, more defiant. And still he loved me. It wasn't until I abandoned him that he started to hate me. And now, I'll never be able to make what I did up to him. I can remember touching him Willow, and I want that back, but different. I want to touch my childe, with all the reverence the demon wouldn't allow me to show before. I want him to know how much I love him, but he won't allow it. It's okay, I've come to terms with that fact, but it still hurts." Angel couldn't remember the last time he had said so much at one time. He didn't think he had ever said so much about his past. The pain and regret was evident in his voice, and although he didn't realize it tears had started to trail down his cheeks.
Small warm hands were suddenly on his, holding them gently. Angel looked up into beautiful green eyes and found compassion there. "He doesn't hate you Angel. If Spike didn't love you the past wouldn't hurt him so much. Thank you for telling me. It helps me understand some things. Spike will be a good sire. He told me once that you had been a good sire. He meant what he said, but there was something in his voice that told me he would be different."
"Thanks Willow, for listening. Spike will be a good sire. He doesn't have the desire to dominate that I did. He'll do a much better job than I ever did, I'm sure. Now what are we going to tell Buffy. She's going to be champing at the bit, if she doesn't get to see Xander, but I still think it's early for that."
"Definitely too early. I think Buffy is going to have the hardest time of all of us dealing with this. Anya is taking it pretty well, and Giles will be fine once the shock wears off, but Buffy is having trouble. She never really understood that your soul has to fight the demon for control, so she thinks everything with Xander should be easy, but it won't be." Willow had always known that Buffy saw the world in front of her as absolutes. Therefore vampires were evil. Souled vampires were good. There was no grey area there. It was a limiting view. She would never be able to see Spike as anything other than a caged animal, no matter how many times he proved to them that he cared. Xander and Angel however had no dark side in her view. Angelus was a completely separate entity in her mind, gone when the soul was in place. Willow knew that it wasn't that simple. The soul restrained the demon, but it was just as much a part of Angel as ever.
Angel was impressed at Willow's understanding. She understood something he found it impossible to explain. She was able to see Angelus and Angel as too distinct people, but also to see that the demon would always be a part of him. "And you Little One, you've been a pillar of strength. I don't know how the others would have gotten through this without you."
"It had to be done. Somebody had to take charge, and no one else was. I didn't do anything special just what was necessary." Willow truly believed that. She didn't think her actions over the last two days had been anything spectacular.
The two of them sat and quietly talked, Angel's respect for the girl growing with every word. Spike and Xander woke up about an hour later. Angel heard their movements, and Willow went to prepare them breakfast. When they came downstairs, Willow already had to mugs of warm blood on the counter. Xander quickly drank his and turned to look at Willow.
"Good Morning Xander, do you remember me?" Willow asked softly.
"Willow, you're my best friend. I know you. Why isn't your heart beating?" there was wonder in his voice. He remembered, things were coming back slowly. Willow was his best friend, had been forever. He loved her.
Willow hugged Xander, "Don't worry about it, I'll tell you another time okay. Trust your best friend on this one."
The four of them spent the rest of the day and evening talking, helping Xander to remember his past. It was coming back quickly. That evening Willow called Buffy and let her know that Xander was doing fine, but she couldn't see him yet. It was still too dangerous. Buffy didn't like hearing that, but went along with it anyway. She called Anya and Cordelia essentially the same message, but they took it much better than Buffy had.
This became the pattern for their days. Angel would rise early and spend the early afternoon talking to Willow. The rest of the evenings would be spent with each of them doing what they could for Xander. Spike calming him when the hunger was painful in its intensity, giving him his own blood when the need to bite was too strong. Angel helping with the questions that came. Willow helping him to remember who he was. It was comfortable and they were all enjoying their time together.
Things changed after about a week. Xander's memories were now nearly completely restored. The demon was well under control. His soul had asserted itself. One evening, he sought out Angel alone. When he found him he spoke quietly, "Angel, first I want to thank you. I've never been very nice, actually I've been outright hateful to you. You didn't have to help me. Now, I want to ask you about the things I know you came for. Willow is still shielding her heartbeat from me, probably a good idea. But, I can feel her warmth, Angel. A part of me wants to take her, to drink from her. I won't do it. I have better control than that, but I want to just the same. How do you deal with that? Push the guilt away."
"Xander, I wanted to help you. You don't have to thank me. As for the guilt, you don't. You can't make it go away. Wanting to drink is who you are now, the soul makes you regret that. You just have to keep control of your life. Don't let the guilt control you or consume you. Willow told me once, that she thought more of me as a person, because, I was tempted than she would if I just no longer wanted to do the things that vampires do. She's right, it takes strength to resist the demon, that makes us better people. You'll get used to it, the guilt always nagging at the back of your mind. I'll be here to help you if it gets to be too much." Angel wanted to reassure Xander, let him know that things would get better, but he couldn't lie to him. The guilt would always be there, you just had work through it.
After that, Xander began to spend a portion of each evening with Angel, discussing the unique issues his soul created for him. The rest of the gang was getting impatient, they wanted to see him, but he wasn't ready yet. After another week had passed Willow reversed the spell that had hidden her heartbeat from him. It terrified him at first, how much he wanted to drink from her, but Angel was right, you got used to it, pushed it to the back of your brain. A few days later he talked for a few minutes with Cordelia and Giles who had come to replenish the blood supply. Things were getting easier. He still didn't want to see Buffy though. He couldn't explain it, but he wasn't ready to face her. He didn't know if he could do it. Anya though, he was ready to see her. He loved her and needed to see that she still loved him. He went to Willow, Spike, and Angel and told them his decision. Willow was meeting the girls for lunch the next day and agreed to let them know.
When Willow arrived at the small cafe, she found Anya, Cordelia, and Buffy waiting for her. "Hey guys, am I late?" Willow was fairly certain she wasn't, but it was unusual for the others to be there before her.
"No, no we're just anxious for news. How is Xander?" Cordelia answered her. It was simply amazing to Willow how much Cordy had changed since high school. She really seemed to care about the people around her. She was definitely still Cordelia though. She still had the same caustic tongue, that could humiliate people with a word.
"Xander is fine. He has some news actually. Cordy, he'd like it if you came by tonight. He has some ideas he would like to run by you. I don't know what it's about, he wouldn't tell me."
"Great, I haven't really had a chance to talk to him, since I got here. I've missed him Willow." Cordelia was sincere. She had missed Xander. Missed how his since of humor could lighten even her darkest mood, and missed how his quiet courage and strength was transmitted to the group as a whole.
"What about the rest of us. When do I get to see Xander?" Buffy demanded.
"I don't know Buffy. Xander says he's not ready to see you yet. He's frightened of your reaction. He'll come around but he has to fight his own natural instinct to fear you. Just give him some time." Willow tried to keep her words gentle. She knew Buffy wasn't going to take this well, but she wanted her friend to understand.
"What the hell, is this. Everyone gets to see Xander except for his girlfriend and me. I've saved his life more times than I can count and now he's afraid of me." Buffy was angry.
"Actually he wants to see Anya tomorrow. That was the other part of my message from him. He's kept her away, because of the lust factor. Sex and blood are very closely tied for a vampire. He thinks he will be able to control that now. He won't be alone with her for a while yet, but he is ready to see her. Buffy, you have to understand, his reaction to you is instinct. You are the slayer, your destiny is to kill his kind. So he is afraid of you." She was still being gentle. Still hoping that Buffy could understand.
Cordelia was more direct, "Besides, Buffy, It's not like you've been Miss Sensitivity all these years."
"This is ridiculous. I refuse to listen to anymore of it. I'm leaving." Buffy got up and stormed away from the table. Leaving three rather flustered girls behind.
"Well, she took that about as well, as I expected." Willow said calmly.
Anya and Cordelia both laughed out loud at that. "Yeah, that went real well. Oh well, we are going to see him." Cordelia was ecstatic at the prospect of seeing her friend in a few hours.
"Tomorrow, I'll finally get to see him, to touch him, tomorrow. God, the waiting has been hard." Anya sounded wistful, she'd been waiting a long while now, for this.
"I know it has. Anya, are you going to be okay with this. It has changed him you know. He's not the same as he was before. You too Cordy. I just want you to be aware." Willow's voice was serious. She didn't think she could stand it if Xander were hurt by the reactions of his friends.
"I expected it to change him. I mean come on, he died, that has to be a perspective-altering experience doesn't it. It'll be okay, because all of the things that made him Xander are still there. We'll deal." Cordelia spoke for both herself and Anya. They had discussed this before.
"That's good, now let's eat. I can't tell you what it's like to be the only one who has to eat real food in that house." Willow laughed. They enjoyed a nice lunch and then Anya went home while Cordelia went back to Willow's house with her.
When they went inside Cordelia was struck by the atmosphere. When she had been in the house before, it had seemed sterile somehow, now she could feel the sense of family there. Odd, that 3 vampires and one witch could create more a feeling of family that the 3 rather ordinary humans that had previously occupied the house had ever managed. Spike was sprawled across the sofa watching talk shows. Angel and Xander were sitting in another corner of the room talking quietly. All three men rose when they noticed Cordelia and Willow enter the room. Xander raced to the two girls hugging them both happily. Spike was right behind him, slipping an arm around Willow and placing a light kiss on her cheek. Angel walked at a much slower pace across the room and gave Willow a quick hug eliciting a low warning growl from his childe. Willow simply giggled at all of their enthusiastic responses to her return. Cordelia meanwhile watched the scene with wonder. It was quite obvious that Spike and Angel were both seriously, head over heels in love with Willow. It might take her a few days to process this information, but count on one thing, before she went home tonight she was going to talk to Angel, get some answers about what was going on in this house. And tomorrow, she and Willow were going to have some serious girl talk.
"So Xan, what did you want to talk about?" Cordelia asked as soon as she had extricated herself from his tight hug. "It's good to see you by the way."
"Uhmm, actually, I wanted to talk about Anya. Willow told me you were getting to be pretty good friends and I just want to know what to expect tomorrow night." Xander sounded like a little boy, practically pleading. "Please?"
Cordelia laughed a little, "Come on, you. Lets talk. Where's a good spot around here that the glimmer twins over there won't listen to us in."
"There really isn't one, but if we leave Willow out here, they won't pay any attention to us anyway." Xander said in a teasing tone.
"Xander, that's just silly. You two go in the Kitchen we will not listen. Will we guys?" Xander had been teasing her about the other two vampires for days now. She thought he was out of his mind.
"Sure, pet, I'll be a good boy and keep my ears shut." Spike answered obediently.
"I don't spy on people Willow." Angel spoke seriously.
Cordelia laughed again. "Okay, I guess it's to the kitchen with us then."