Summary: Angel calls Willow with some bad news.
A/N: this is set sometime between Shells and Underneath.
It had been a very long two days. It was worse now, the pain. Now that he was sitting and thinking and doing nothing. Now that he could hear Wesley as he cried in his sleep. He had fallen asleep on the couch in Angel's office. Now, at least, he wouldn't be alone for the night. But there was still one more thing to do. So he picked up the phone and dialled in a number.
"Hello, Dawn speaking,"
"Hi Dawnie, it's-"
"Angel?"
"Yeah it's me,"
"Oh, hi! I'm so glad you called, I've been meaning to call to say thank you for the birthday present. I loved it! But Buffy's been busy and she kept forgetting to give me your number, and when she tried to call she got onto ritual sacrifice or something, so it was like, well, yeah. But thank you! The dress fits perfectly!"
"That's great Dawn. I was wondering, do you have Willow's number? Because I really need to get in contact with her. Something's hap – there's just something I really need to tell her."
"Sure, I think we have it somewhere here. But why didn't you just call Giles? He's supposed to be staying near Willow and Kennedy, in Brazil or something."
"I tried, and he – he didn't have it."
"Oh, ok. Well I've found it. Just dial in the international code for Brazil then 5 then 8926 7294. Is everything alright over there? You sound – weird"
"Just lost something is all. Thanks Dawnie. Good night."
"Good morning over here. Ciao Angel!"
He hung up feeling a little better than before. Dawn usually had that effect on him. Ever since he'd met she'd been the sweetest kid, and the biggest tattler. He'd watched her grow up, mostly from a distance, and missed her. From what he'd heard, her Italian was going well. And he hadn't talked to her for about a year, not since he'd called to apologise for hanging up on her as Angelus. And, that was after the whole Hellmouth collapse. Willow had told him what was happening in good old SunnyD, the short version, so he figured he'd better not mention the Angelus thing or the reign of fire until the Summer's had a little less on their plates.
"Angel, who were you talking to?" Angel turned to see that the conversation had woken Wesley up. His oldest friend was the personification of tragedy, his eyes red, and visible tear tracks betrayed he had cried in his sleep. Angel saw, or was it heard, Wesley's heart flutter as he remembered why he was hurting so much.
"Don't worry. Do you want to spend the night here Wes?"
"No, I think, perhaps, h-her apartment. I'll go to her apartment." He said as he wandered out, looking like the boy who lost the world.
He dialled much slowed this time. Five then 8926 7304…Hi! You've reached Willow and Kennedy, we're currently out of the world, so please leave a message, or, if it's important, shout really loud!"
"WILLOW? THIS IS ANGEL! I HAVE TO TELL YOU SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT! PLEASE PICK UP, YOU REALLY NEED TO -"
"Angel?"
"WILLOW?"
"HI! You can stop yelling now,"
"Oh, sorry, just got a bit carried away,"
"Sorry I took so long to answer, I was just on the other line to Dawn. She said you called to get my number. She said you had something to tell me, that you'd lost something. 'Cause if that's the case I'm totally your girl! I can do a locator spell like that and zappo! Found!"
"Yeah, we lost something, but I don't think you'll be able to find it…So, yeah, I need to tell you something. God, I really don't want to do this over the phone…"
"Angel…everything's not alright over there, is it? I mean, Dawnie said you sounded strange, but out of those two, well, Buffy was the one who could read you. It's bad isn't it?"
"It's worse, I just thought you needed to know Willow,"
"If you don't want to tell me over the phone I have a feeling I'll like hearing it even less. I'll be there in…" the phone went dead. Angel sighed, he would wait until Willow arrived, and until then he could think of what he was going to say. But for –
"Now!" He turned and found Willow standing behind him. "Nice place you've got here," she said. He hugged her, and surprised, she hugged him back.
"Willow, you better sit down,"
"Long face…come on Angel, the next apocalypse can't be that bad. I mean, it's not like someone's dead -" She stopped when she saw his face change.
"Willow, I wanted to tell, needed to let you know that, that, F-Fred, s-she, she got sick. And – we, we didn't win this time," Have you ever stood out in the rain and felt like the world was crying with you? Tears rained down in the Wolfram and Hart office from the roof and mingled with those running down the cheeks of those who were left behind. This wasn't crying.
"I can bring her back! I've done it before, Angel, its okay, I can bring her back!"
"You can't, her soul, there's nothing left Willow."
The Heavens wept with the Goddess, and all hope was washed away. Wesley tasted salt in the rain which had suddenly started. As he walked he could see a convulsing glow in Angel's window. She was so loved, but heroes can fail. Sometimes, even love can fail.