author: Lucinda

content may be similar to the series, with violence involving humans and nonhumans, moderate sexuality, and alcohol, though it probably won't be as serious.

pairing: Willow/Doyle, mentions of past tense Willow/Tara

seventh in 'Lucky Charm'

disclaimer: I own nobody from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel the Series.

distribution: WLS, NHA, Bite Me please, Wic, anyone else just ask.

notes: AU. Hero never happened. Cordelia hooked up with Wesley, and Doyle's crush on her faded.

Willow hung up the phone with a wistful sigh. Talking with Doyle was nice, and she missed him. If she could only be in LA with him right now...

But she was here, in Sunnydale. She was taking the responsible path and staying here a little longer so that she could move there and build a stronger future. Next week she'd be moving to LA, transferring in to a different college. The fact that it happened to be close to her boyfriend was a benefit.

She hadn't expected to think about things like that again, after Oz had left. To have a boyfriend factor. When she'd become involved with Tara, everything had tilted, and while she wasn't alone, she walked through life with a different perspective. A pair of girls holding hands and kissing got different reactions than a girl and a guy. Tara had been all soft curves and shy smiles, not like Oz had been.

She still loved Tara, even though the chaos of Sunnydale had been too much for Tara. In the aftermath of Glory, Tara had broken up, teary eyes and with many apologies, and moved away. She's said something about New York, and made a weak joke about looking for the White Queen, but it had hurt. Even though Willow understood that Tara just couldn't face the horrors and dangers of the Hellmouth every day, even though they'd promised to try to stay friends, it hurt. Every day.

She still loved Oz, even though he'd cheated on her and left. Even though he'd slept with Veruca, lied to her, tried to hide his infidelity. Even though he hadn't tried to work things out, had taken the easy way and left. She didn't think she'd ever be willing to trust Oz with her heart again, though she still cared about him. She wished that he'd write, or send a postcard, a phone call once in a while to know that he was still alive. Nothing ever came, and she hoped that Oz was still alive in more than her memories.

Her former hopeless crush on Xander had faded, and while she loved him, it was only as a friend, or maybe like family. She doubted that he'd ever figured out how much she'd wanted them to be more. Considering the way things had turned out, she wouldn't ever tell him. At least he'd write and stay in touch with her.

The phone rang again, an annoying distraction from her melancholy thoughts. Picking it up, she sighed, "Hello?"

:Willow? I was trying to figure out where you were going to be staying.: Cordelia's voice came through clearly.

"Well... Buffy thinks I should get a dorm room, though I'm not sure why," she sighed, and gave a little chuckle. "I checked with the college, and not only are all the dorms full, it would run me about the same as an apartment, and the ones here not only don't have a kitchen, but the walls are really thin and I can hear everything the neighbors are doing."

:Is that everything or everyone: Cordelia's question held a bit of bite.

"Both, and I don't want my neighbors hearing either one," Willow retorted. "I think I'm going to take Angel up on that offer and take over one of the rooms at the Hyperion. He said I can toss in some researching or the mystical mojo on occasion instead of paying money for rent. Much better than paying rent in blood, which was Xander's not so funny joke. Or maybe he was being all concerned, I'm not sure. He made me promise to take a copy of the soul spell, leave another copy here with Giles, and another one with him, and I had to find two Orbs of Thesullah before Xander agreed to help me move."

:Two? The ritual only takes one: Cordelia asked.

"One to take with me, and another to leave here in Sunnydale," Willow explained. "He's just trying to keep me a little bit safer, and he's really, really glad that me dating Doyle means that I'm not dating Angel."

:I guess that might not be a bad idea. And hey, once you stay there long enough, the hotel suites get nifty little personal space anti-vamp barriers. I can show you the best places to go shopping for newer furniture, and some better clothes.: Cordelia offered.

"New clothing, yay," Willow muttered. "Seriously, it's nice of you to offer, I don't know my way around LA. But I still want to look like me, not me in someone else's clothes."

:You've been good for him, you know.: Cordelia's statement had no connection to clothing, and there was an odd wistfulness to the words.

"What? Who…" Willow tried to sort out what Cordelia actually meant. "Do you mean Doyle? He's been a sweet-heart from the start."

:Sweet… I guess so. But he doesn't complain as much about the visions now.: Cordelia paused, and there was the faint sound of words directed elsewhere. :He used to drink. I think after his divorce, he was afraid that nobody would ever be able to love him, because of his father.:

"That's ridiculous! He's great. Maybe not perfect, but neither am I, so that's fine. He's smart, and sweet, and caring, and loyal and brave…" Willow paused, taking a breath to calm herself. "He's everything I didn't think I could find in a man. I don't know what I'd do without him, and I hope I never have to find out."

:That's sweet.: For a moment, there was quiet and a soft sniffle. :We can help you move your stuff into a nice room on the third floor of the Hyperion. The guys have been making sure it's all fixed up and perfect looking. We're all looking forward to having you in LA with us.:

"I'm really looking forward to being in LA. And not just because of Doyle, I think I could have talked him into moving somewhere with me if I'd tried," Willow chuckled. It still seemed extremely weird that she was looking forward to moving close to Cordelia. But it wasn't to be near Cordelia, or to help fight evil, it was to be with Doyle. She would attend a better school, have people that would understand Sunnydale, and be away from her painful memories of Oz and Tara and all the death and pain they had suffered.

:I'm glad you didn't try: Cordelia's voice was softer than normal. :I'm glad the two of you found each other. If you weren't so sweet together, I'd be jealous.:

"We were lucky. Admit it, you and I both have seen some spectacularly unlikely stuff happen, why not have something good happen for once?" Willow smiled as she thought about Doyle.

:Yeah, lucky. I'll see you this weekend: Cordelia hung up the phone.

Willow smiled as she put the phone down. She really was lucky to have found Doyle. He was everything that she'd wanted, and he loved her. Now, the only thing left to hope was that nothing came along to ruin their happiness.

End Lucky Charm 7: Call it Luck.