Authors note: A belated thanks to tariq. Angel answered the stranger's questions for two reasons 1. He has done it before in: Untouched, City Of, Ring, etc (so it is in character). 2. He is sad and panicked. We all know what a dramatic effect Darla's rebirth had on him (particularly in Dear Boy), why wouldn't Buffy's death have a similarly significant impact. Also I will occasionally refer to Stella, as Stell, this is a Nickname not a typo.

Willow POV
January 2008,

I was brushing my hair, when I heard Stella's small feet squeak behind me. I whirled around, and found myself staring at her legs, which were waving around in my face. Stella was doing a handstand on my bed. She had only learned how to do one properly, a couple day's ago, and she was proud of her achievement. So proud, that she had done a handstand in the tower right near the ledge, and almost given her poor daddy a heart attack (well it would have if he was alive). The repercussions of the tower handstand were lectures all around.

"Can we go up to the tower Mom?" Stella whined.

"Sure" I said. Spike had occupied the hotel for three years now, and our attempt's at reclaiming the Hypernion, were futile because of the sheer number of vampires that had rallied around Spike. So Angel and I (after camping out at Wesley's for far too long), bought an old fire station, complete with bell tower, and refurbished it. Stella, and I lived on the loft like second floor, and angel lived in the tower room. The Bottom floor was of course devoted to the detective agency.

The tower, were the fire bell once hung, was open at the top, with no child safety barricades. It was Stella's favorite place in the world, but she wasn't old enough to go there alone.

"Willow" Angel yelled, we had installed an intercom a year ago; angel has yet to use it.

"Coming" I bellowed back "later Stell. Later" I said, as I walked over to the pole and slid down. I managed to land on my feet after the slide, a rare event. Then I entered. Angel's office.

Sitting in a chair across the table, from my favorite vampire, was Wesley and a tall gangly woman with gold hair. Angel Introduced me as I entered "willow this is Elizabeth, Elizabeth meet my partner Willow"

Angel's people skills had approved over the years. Slightly.

"So anyways" Elizabeth said, "A group of Vampires, have began to meet at my bar. Regularly, and they are scaring off all my paying customers. So, I was wondering, if you could come in this Friday, and dust them. I would pay you of course."

Angel and I nodded are response, but Wesley (blushing) stammered the word "s-s-su-re". You would think that after all this time, he wouldn't be quite so obvios, about who he found atractive. But apparently not, while Angel and I had grown darker, and more mature, the others, particularly Cordy had stayed the same.

Elizabeth stood up and left the office, after scribbling down her pubs address on a post it note. We would see her again, tomorrow at ten o'clock, at the Fourth Durango.

Pub Night

Wesley showed up, at the office an hour before sunset, three hours before Elizabeth expected us. He had a new haircut, fresh breath (thank goodness), contacts (even though I think he looks better, in glasses) and a suit.

"Wesley"

"What, Willow?"

"Why are you wearing a suit? Are you suddenly too good for cotten and plaid?"

"Does it look good?"

"It looks symphony good" Wesley smiled and I realized that I had said the wrong thing. "But not pub crawling to kill vampires good. It's more of a dean martin Sinatra suit (oh willow, stop yourself from babbling), then a nerdy (stupid willow stupid) I didn't mean nerdy I Meant sophisticated stu. . ."

Angel stopped my babbling then, by coming up behind me and gently stroking my shoulder.

"You should wear, a nice black cashmere turtle neck" Angel observed "your less likely to look like a mortician then".

"Yes" I said, silently thanking my momentary savior, "You can Borrow one of Angels"

"No" Angel declared.

"But" I insisted, "it's perfect."

"No" Angel repeated.

"Fine" I said, "then you have to give Stella the talk when the time comes"

Angel didn't even comment, he just went back to his office as I led Wesley upstairs.

Three and A Half Hours Later:

I hoped Cordy was taking good care of Stella, while we were out. Not sucking the brain out of her head, with seventeen, or even worse Cosmo. Ugh. I panicked and reached for my cell phone. Angel stopped me "It's ok willow, really, three call per night, is enough".

I nodded, and then noticed, one of Elizabeth's customers vamp out. I would have screamed, but Elizabeth took care of it for me with an enormously loud war cry. Now that's a good woman.

Angel leapt at the vampire with his stake in his hand, the vampire tried to defend himself with a quick punch. Angel easily deflected the punch and staked the vampire. That's when the fight got really messy.

Six other seemingly harmless patrons had similarly put on there game faces. One was right next to me. I grabbed the stake from my coat pocket, and I stabbed at the vampire's heart. Instead I stabbed him in the stomach. The Khaki clad vampire winced, but didn't disenagrate.

I tried to grab the stake back, but it was lodged in the Vampires chest. I pulled harder and the vampire had begun to start laughing, at my futile attempt to get the piece of wood back. Then He pushed me to the floor, and went for the neck. Then he fell backwards; At this point everything was happening so fast I didn't know what was going on. But I knew enough to pray. Neo Pagan or not, Stella needed a mother. Suddenly a dust cloud surrounded me. Hopefully not Angel.

Slowly the dust cleared, and I saw Angel. His shirt slightly torn, helping a girl up, from the floor. So Stella's parents had survived to see another day. But if we stayed in this line of work, one of us would inevitably die, and not of old age. Not that dieing of old age will ever be an option for Angel.

Please Review: I desperately need to know whether or not I should make Willow/Angels relationship romantic or keep it plutonic. Are the time shift's o.k? I am planning to cover most of Stella's life in approximately ten chapters, Is that too long?

P.S. I probably won't update till the fifth, because I will be away on vacation without Internet access.