Part 4: Friend Indeed
Buffy's mother was at the art gallery still when Buffy arrived home, so she called Willow. The witch came over immediately.
"What's wrong Buffy?" she asked anxiously. Angel was human, Buffy shouldn't be crying her eyes.
"It's Angel," she choked out between sobs. Willow pulled Buffy to her, cradling as she sobbed. "He...he...he's ch...changed." Willow stopped rocking Buffy as ice cold dread crept into her stomach.
"Changed. As in," she gulped involuntarily, "Angelus?" Buffy's even louder sobbing confirmed her suspicions. But then a thought occurred to her. "Buffy, calm down. Angel's human, right? Then Angelus can't possibly still be in there. It's probably Angel's subconscious getting used to no background noise. Yeah?" Buffy ceased crying, and thought about Willow's suggestion.
"You're right. Angelus was a vampire. Angel isn't a vampire anymore. It was just a residual effect," she repeated, unsure. Willow picked up on it and smiled.
"Why don't I go round there now and see, yeah?" Buffy nodded, giving her friend a hug.
"Thanks Will," she said sincerely. Willow smiled before she left for Angel's mansion.
She stormed in, angry that her friend had been hurt.
"Angel!" she yelled out, before realising that might not have been the best thing to do if Angel truly was evil. There was a groan and a thump in the direction of the bedroom, before Angel's half-naked body appeared in the doorframe.
"Willow? What are you doing here? What's wrong? How in hell did I get here?" he asked. From his tone of voice she could tell it was Angel, not Angelus. She was about to begin her tirade when his last question hit her.
"You don't know how you got here?" she asked him. He shook his head.
"I was walking with Buffy in the park, I had a really bad headache, then you're yelling my name. I feel so confused," he murmured. Willow frowned.
"Let me fill you in. You went walking in the park when you got a headache. All of a sudden, you turn into Angelus on Buffy, before walking off. D'you know how upset she is? It's hardly a thing to joke about Angel!" Angel stood there, dumbfounded.
"Angelus?" he spluttered. Suddenly his head began to hurt again, and he rubbed his temple with the heel of his hand.
"Angel, are you alright?" Willow asked nervously.
"No," he mumbled, his head bent. Slowly he stood up again, and Willow sucked in a horrified breath. "Well well well! If it isn't the little witch? My, you are brave, coming here for Buffy even with your own fears. I am impressed." He began walking towards the redhead in slow steps, and she in turn moved back.
"Angel, I...I know you're still in there," she said, trying to reach the soul. Angelus laughed, I cold short cackle.
"You don't honestly think that's going to reach the pathetic wimp, do you?" he asked with a cruel smile. Willow's eyes went as wide as dinner plates as her legs hit the sofa. Angelus noticed this, and his smile grew. Without warning he lunged at her. Willow jumped over the sofa onto the other side and aimed to run about it. Angelus also ran in that direction, halting when she did. She tried the other way, and he did the same. Suddenly he launched himself over the sofa. Willow sprinted out of the doors, with Angelus hot on her heels. He stopped just before the sunlight, forgetting for a moment that he was human. It was a moment that allowed Willow to run across the street. Angelus watched as she fled, a smile still playing on his lips before he turned and went back inside.
Buffy's mother was at the art gallery still when Buffy arrived home, so she called Willow. The witch came over immediately.
"What's wrong Buffy?" she asked anxiously. Angel was human, Buffy shouldn't be crying her eyes.
"It's Angel," she choked out between sobs. Willow pulled Buffy to her, cradling as she sobbed. "He...he...he's ch...changed." Willow stopped rocking Buffy as ice cold dread crept into her stomach.
"Changed. As in," she gulped involuntarily, "Angelus?" Buffy's even louder sobbing confirmed her suspicions. But then a thought occurred to her. "Buffy, calm down. Angel's human, right? Then Angelus can't possibly still be in there. It's probably Angel's subconscious getting used to no background noise. Yeah?" Buffy ceased crying, and thought about Willow's suggestion.
"You're right. Angelus was a vampire. Angel isn't a vampire anymore. It was just a residual effect," she repeated, unsure. Willow picked up on it and smiled.
"Why don't I go round there now and see, yeah?" Buffy nodded, giving her friend a hug.
"Thanks Will," she said sincerely. Willow smiled before she left for Angel's mansion.
She stormed in, angry that her friend had been hurt.
"Angel!" she yelled out, before realising that might not have been the best thing to do if Angel truly was evil. There was a groan and a thump in the direction of the bedroom, before Angel's half-naked body appeared in the doorframe.
"Willow? What are you doing here? What's wrong? How in hell did I get here?" he asked. From his tone of voice she could tell it was Angel, not Angelus. She was about to begin her tirade when his last question hit her.
"You don't know how you got here?" she asked him. He shook his head.
"I was walking with Buffy in the park, I had a really bad headache, then you're yelling my name. I feel so confused," he murmured. Willow frowned.
"Let me fill you in. You went walking in the park when you got a headache. All of a sudden, you turn into Angelus on Buffy, before walking off. D'you know how upset she is? It's hardly a thing to joke about Angel!" Angel stood there, dumbfounded.
"Angelus?" he spluttered. Suddenly his head began to hurt again, and he rubbed his temple with the heel of his hand.
"Angel, are you alright?" Willow asked nervously.
"No," he mumbled, his head bent. Slowly he stood up again, and Willow sucked in a horrified breath. "Well well well! If it isn't the little witch? My, you are brave, coming here for Buffy even with your own fears. I am impressed." He began walking towards the redhead in slow steps, and she in turn moved back.
"Angel, I...I know you're still in there," she said, trying to reach the soul. Angelus laughed, I cold short cackle.
"You don't honestly think that's going to reach the pathetic wimp, do you?" he asked with a cruel smile. Willow's eyes went as wide as dinner plates as her legs hit the sofa. Angelus noticed this, and his smile grew. Without warning he lunged at her. Willow jumped over the sofa onto the other side and aimed to run about it. Angelus also ran in that direction, halting when she did. She tried the other way, and he did the same. Suddenly he launched himself over the sofa. Willow sprinted out of the doors, with Angelus hot on her heels. He stopped just before the sunlight, forgetting for a moment that he was human. It was a moment that allowed Willow to run across the street. Angelus watched as she fled, a smile still playing on his lips before he turned and went back inside.