Author's Notes: This is the last chappy, as saved on my computer. However, I love to cater to the wishes of my readers, and thus, a new chapter will be out soon with the much-prolonged Parker-Angel confrontation. And please, send feedback with love.
He picked up his shirt from where it had been thrown and rested on the floor next to Willow's bed and followed her out the door. Slipping his arms through the sleeves, he closed the door to the dorm room and looked back at the girl, who stood nervously before a bench in the hallway.
"Err... Bench," She said quickly, "Where we can sit."
Angel smiled and then, still buttoning his shirt, walked to the bench and sat down, leaning his head back against the wall. Willow hastily followed his lead took a seat next to him,
"So, you wanted to talk?"
He picked his head up and frowned, "Yeah. I was wondering... Is everything okay? With Buffy, I mean?" Seeing the look on her face, he rushed to explain, "She's just so thin, and she looks so tired. Exhausted, even."
Willow interrupted, "Yeah. Believe me, I know."
"So what's going on?"
The redhead's eyes widened, "What do you think is going on?"
He cocked his head, puzzled.
She sighed and exclaimed, "She's been missing you so badly!"
Angel's eyes narrowed, "But why is she not eating?"
Willow gaped at him, irritated. The vampire quickly ran over the conversation in his mind and came to a startling conclusion, "She wasn't eating because she missed me?"
Her anger growing, Willow said loudly, "Yes, and boy do I have a bone to pick with you about that!"
"Why would she... I didn't think it would affect her like that."
Suddenly loquacious, Willow yelled, "You don't get it! I mean, you always sort of thought that her love for you wasn't... What? Wasn't as strong as yours? Just because she's so young? Angel, after you left- you didn't see her. You didn't see how...broken... she was. I mean, she acted fine, but I was the one who heard her sobbing at night, comforted her when she called out your name in her sleep. And Giles and I were so scared, scared that one night she'd just go out there and not care! We had to follow her around, Angel, when she patrolled. Just in case."
"Willow, I didn't... didn't know."
Willow jumped off the bench and stood over her, yelling, eyes full and wet, "No, you didn't! And you'll never know what it's like! To convince your best friend that there's something worth living for- that's the most... You'll never understand. But Giles and I did, and every once in a while you can just see..it.. in her eyes. That she's missing you, badly, so deeply nothing that we do can fix. And we had to beg her to eat. And to sleep- Angel, she couldn't sleep because every time she did, she'd have these dreams where you were hurt or dying and calling out for her..."
Willow trailed off as they both saw Buffy standing in the doorway. Angel thought perhaps she had never looked so young, so vulnerable- sleep in her eyelids and lingering behind her eyes, newly-found black and white cow pajamas hanging off her too-thin frame. She shuffled towards him silently.
Once she reached him, though, she ran one hand down his face and broke into loud, raucous sobs. He quickly rose and pulled her into his arms, murmuring generic words of comfort. Willow and Angel exchanged confused glances while he stroked her back.
She pulled back to look at him, tear streaks clearly visible. After a moment, she whispered brokenly, "I woke up and you weren't there."
(idiot. idiot. Idiot. must not hurt my Buffy, must not leave my Buffy)
He caressed her cheek, kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry. But I'm still here, see? I won't leave you, ever again."
The blonde clutched him tighter, "Promise?"
Angel smiled down at her, "I promise."
Buffy stretched up on her tiptoes, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. He grinned widely and swept her up off her feet inside of giving her the kiss she expected, striding into the dorm room and closing the door.
A minute later he poked his head out and started to speak, but Willow laughed and interrupted, "I'll be gone for a while, I promise."
He smiled, a big-teeth, full mouth grin and shut the door.
He picked up his shirt from where it had been thrown and rested on the floor next to Willow's bed and followed her out the door. Slipping his arms through the sleeves, he closed the door to the dorm room and looked back at the girl, who stood nervously before a bench in the hallway.
"Err... Bench," She said quickly, "Where we can sit."
Angel smiled and then, still buttoning his shirt, walked to the bench and sat down, leaning his head back against the wall. Willow hastily followed his lead took a seat next to him,
"So, you wanted to talk?"
He picked his head up and frowned, "Yeah. I was wondering... Is everything okay? With Buffy, I mean?" Seeing the look on her face, he rushed to explain, "She's just so thin, and she looks so tired. Exhausted, even."
Willow interrupted, "Yeah. Believe me, I know."
"So what's going on?"
The redhead's eyes widened, "What do you think is going on?"
He cocked his head, puzzled.
She sighed and exclaimed, "She's been missing you so badly!"
Angel's eyes narrowed, "But why is she not eating?"
Willow gaped at him, irritated. The vampire quickly ran over the conversation in his mind and came to a startling conclusion, "She wasn't eating because she missed me?"
Her anger growing, Willow said loudly, "Yes, and boy do I have a bone to pick with you about that!"
"Why would she... I didn't think it would affect her like that."
Suddenly loquacious, Willow yelled, "You don't get it! I mean, you always sort of thought that her love for you wasn't... What? Wasn't as strong as yours? Just because she's so young? Angel, after you left- you didn't see her. You didn't see how...broken... she was. I mean, she acted fine, but I was the one who heard her sobbing at night, comforted her when she called out your name in her sleep. And Giles and I were so scared, scared that one night she'd just go out there and not care! We had to follow her around, Angel, when she patrolled. Just in case."
"Willow, I didn't... didn't know."
Willow jumped off the bench and stood over her, yelling, eyes full and wet, "No, you didn't! And you'll never know what it's like! To convince your best friend that there's something worth living for- that's the most... You'll never understand. But Giles and I did, and every once in a while you can just see..it.. in her eyes. That she's missing you, badly, so deeply nothing that we do can fix. And we had to beg her to eat. And to sleep- Angel, she couldn't sleep because every time she did, she'd have these dreams where you were hurt or dying and calling out for her..."
Willow trailed off as they both saw Buffy standing in the doorway. Angel thought perhaps she had never looked so young, so vulnerable- sleep in her eyelids and lingering behind her eyes, newly-found black and white cow pajamas hanging off her too-thin frame. She shuffled towards him silently.
Once she reached him, though, she ran one hand down his face and broke into loud, raucous sobs. He quickly rose and pulled her into his arms, murmuring generic words of comfort. Willow and Angel exchanged confused glances while he stroked her back.
She pulled back to look at him, tear streaks clearly visible. After a moment, she whispered brokenly, "I woke up and you weren't there."
(idiot. idiot. Idiot. must not hurt my Buffy, must not leave my Buffy)
He caressed her cheek, kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry. But I'm still here, see? I won't leave you, ever again."
The blonde clutched him tighter, "Promise?"
Angel smiled down at her, "I promise."
Buffy stretched up on her tiptoes, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. He grinned widely and swept her up off her feet inside of giving her the kiss she expected, striding into the dorm room and closing the door.
A minute later he poked his head out and started to speak, but Willow laughed and interrupted, "I'll be gone for a while, I promise."
He smiled, a big-teeth, full mouth grin and shut the door.
