Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters here in. They belong to BVTS and it's creators Joss and WB. Don't hurt me for barrowing them. They needed to come out and play....
(thoughts in Italics)

Pine Valley: Angel's

Willow woke up slowly and shivered. She turned over and realized with some shock that she was alone. Oh yeah, Angel is in the other room. She yawned and then swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Willow stood and marveled at the handmade rag rug on the floor. Its colors picking up those in the bedspread and curtains. She leaned over her suitcase which had been set up on a luggage stand and pulled out her toiletries. Whatever Angel hadn't packed for her the night of their hasty departure, he had picked up for her last night on their store run. He had purchased everything she had even glanced at, even things she never would have bought for herself.

Willow looked around the room and smiled, she was right, this room had a bath of it's own as well. It can't be like Angel's. That would be too much. She stood and holding the toiletries in one arm made her way over to the bathroom. She opened the door and stared at the room in surprise. It was the same room she realized, the same bathroom. So the two main rooms are connected by the bathroom. Willow smiled devilishly, he hadn't mentioned that last night, but then he was most likely still in shock over their dinner last evening. Willow chuckled to herself. She wasn't really sure what she had thought she was doing. Not that Angel had appeared to mind, to the contrary he seemed to enjoy her humor and laughter, and flirting. She still couldn't believe that she had been flirting with him. What the hell where you thinking Rosenberg. Don't encourage this. He belongs to Buffy, but somehow the thought fell short. She had to remember Buffy, her best friend and Oz, her boyfriend...ex-boyfriend.

She tried not to feel bad about what happened with Oz. Tried not to blame herself, but it didn't work. Her obsession with getting Angel out of hell had driven Oz away. Well that wasn't exactly true. She hadn't been obsessed with getting Angel out of hell, hadn't even done so until after Oz had bailed on her, with his oh so sweet and gentle I wanna still be friends speech. It was easer to pretend that Oz had left because of her instead of for someone else. Wake up girl. Oz didn't want you why the hell would Angel? He might seem interested now, but once all the entanglements caused by the prophecy and the spell wore off, what would he feel then?

Angel...

Breathing a soft sigh, Willow quickly moved to undress figuring to shower and explore, before all good little vampires even thought of waking. She would have to remember to be back by dusk however. No need to draw attention to herself. Two weeks before the new of the moon. Two weeks before *they*would attempt to open the way. Don't think about it Will. She smiled sadly knowing all the while that there was a good chance that someone could die before this was over. The fact that, that someone might be her sat awkwardly on her mind. She had been shown, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that darkness and light need each other, that nature keeps them in balance.

The shower was warm but not hot and soothed her nerves. This whole thing was making her crazy. There was so much that Angel didn't know. So much that he needed to know. This thing between them seemed to have taken on a life of it's own. Her feelings rapidly changing, making little or nonsense to her. She had always been like Elinor in "Sense and sensibility" and now suddenly she was behaving like Marianne, not that she didn't love Marianne, she did. It was just that, Marianne had so much heartache because of her nature. So full of sense, so deeply feeling. She had to run in the rain, to chase that patch of sun, there had been no other way for her. Here she was, Willow Ann Rosenberg, standing at the edge of some great ravine, contemplating the pros and cons of jumping, only somehow she thought she was already falling....Oh heaven hot water.

The showers spray called her mind back to the matter at hand. She turned off the water and wrapping herself in another one of those shamelessly, fluffy towels she made her way back to her room. She smiled as she pulled clothing from her suit case. Check it out? Angel can match colors.

Willow pulled on her cloths and ran a brush quickly through her long hair. She pulled a light coat from her suitcase. She smiled this should be a lot of fun... Down the stairs and out the front door. Willow inhaled deeply asa cool October breeze whispered over her bare face. She moved down the street noticing the lack of activity on them. Angel said this was a haven for creatures of the night.

Willow stopped to look at one of the front yard gardens, impressed by the wealth of flowers that still grew there. The things you can do with magic. She smiled softly as she felt the nature of the spell that held the plants in perpetual spring. Willow studied the huge roses that hung heavy on their stems. They were the most beautiful color she'd ever seen, so dark and intense that they looked almost black.

The young woman moved off, window shopping as she ambled down the street. She saw a sign that hung over the side walk boasting in large letters the words Aradia's Web......Aradia Goddess of all witches. Daughter of Diana, granddaughter of Hecate. Now this was a place she needed to see.

Willow picked up her slow pace and hurried towards the door. She stared at the strange wrought iron work. It looked like wildly growing vines painstakingly molded from the metal, the young red head was sure she could see different creatures of fantasy wafting in and out of the multitude of patterns. Willow pushed the door open slowly, hearing the hinge give a light groan of protest, just as a large brass bell let out a soft pattern of tingling rain drops.

Willow drew in a slow easy breath, her nose assailed by the scents of bayberry and rum, cinnamon and sandalwood and some other scent she didn't quite recognize. She stopped and looked over at the first set of book shelves as she came through the door. The top two shelves of the unit, were rows of books, arranged spine out, ranging from common titles on witch craft to the slightly more obscure titles available on demonology. She pulled a title from the shelf. Earth, Air, Fire, Water , by Scott Cunningham.*

"Hi." said a cheery voice from behind her. She jumped."Sorry, " the voice apologized and then continued. "I thought I might see you here. That's a great book. Have you ever read anything by him before?" "No, " Willow managed and faced the voice. What was her name? "Cassie." the young woman smiled at the shocked expression on Willow's face, " and your Willow, and no I didn't read your mind. Don't worry. I just figured that you didn't remember because you had that frantic name search look on your face." She smiled at Willow, putting the hacker at ease. She was all right after all.

"Well the name of the place intrigued me, I confess. I was wondering what it would be like in here."

"Well if you're looking for commercialized nonsense, you've come to the wrong place, deary." said another voice from the back of the store, "You know, I didn't think that color came from a bottle. But then the things they can do these days." Willow turned and stared at the other woman. She was about 30 to 35 Willow guessed. She smiled sweetly at the woman and spoke. "You can't get it from a bottle. I am afraid that the gods will have to take the blame for this particular shade."

The other woman smiled seemingly pleased with her words. "You're a strong little thing aren't you? Got to be all those Irish genes."said the older woman with amusement.

"As for commercialized nonsense I've seen enough of reality to know that reality is far more unbelievable than any movie I've ever seen." Willow responded knowingly. Remembering some of the things that had happened on the Hell mouth.

"Very good." said the older woman as she looked into Willow's eyes. Her own eyes widened as though she realized that Willow was aware of a great deal more than most her age. Then getting back to the subject at hand she said, "Cunningham is one of the best." Willow picked up the other book next to it and said in a soft voice. "I'll take these two then." turning to the younger girl she said, "Cassie?"

"Yeah?" responded the young witch.

"Where can I find something that resembles food around here?" Willow asked.

"Oh there's lots of places, I'll take you if you'd like the company and someone to talk to." offered the younger girl.

"Yeah, I'd love that." Willow and Cassie walked up to the front counter and she paid for her books.

They walked out the front door of the shop. She smiled at her companion taking in the other girls appearance. She was tall and well built Willow guessed, not as strong as Buffy but she glowed with power and strength. Willow's own heightened senses had named her a sister long before her own words had.

"So what's he like, I mean he's changed since the last time I saw him, not how he looks but his eyes, you know." Willow looked over at the other woman wondering how much she knew about Angel and how much about what had happened to him she could tell without betraying the secrets between them.

"Yeah I know. He's always sad, now." Willow said smiling a little wistfully.

"You make him happy." said the other girl knowingly.

"Me? No. I'm a friend and I've been there that's all."Willow hurriedly corrected, feeling a slight blush claim her cheeks.

"That in itself is a lot more then he usually is given, and more then he expected from you, from anyone." Cassie said. Certain that she knew what was happening here. Willow may not consider herself in the spotlight, but Cassie had never seen Angel's eyes light with laughter as they had the night before.

"You know him pretty well?" Willow asked curiously.

Cassie searched for an explanation of her relationship with Angel and finally gave the analogy, "He's rather like a book that I've read a few pages of."

"Oh!" said Willow not quite understanding.

"He's complicated and very difficult to understand. " Cassie continued smiling at Willow gently.

"Yeah tell me about it." Willow nodded her head in understanding. Then added in a decidedly dreamy tone, "He does make life interesting though, doesn't he?"

"Yeah. Okay so enough about the gorgeous guy you get to go home to tonight." said Cassie with a mischievous smile.

"It's not like that." Willow gasped shocked that...that She would think that.

"Well it should be." What?!?! Willow stared at the other woman shocked. What was it with everyone. Buffy thought she was sleeping with Angel, Xander thought that there was something there and now Cassie. Not fair!! "What?!?!" Willow finally managed to sputter.

"You're just what he needs." Cassie said, looking at her as she opened a door in front of them. She smiled and taking her new friends hand led her into the restaurant. They catered to everyone and everything. Cassie led Willow to a booth off to the side and ordered for them both as soon as the waitress arrived, sending her back to the kitchen quickly so that they could finish their conversation in private. The restaurant was deserted except for a couple that sat across the way from them.

"No...see Angel needs someone like Buffy. Only not Buffy, cause well she's... Anyway it just wouldn't work between them." Willow stammered after a moment.

"She's the Slayer." Cassie responded softly. Intuitively sensing that there was an intense reason why it wouldn't work.

"Yeah." said Willow sadly.

"I could see that being a problem." Cassie said in commiseration.

"You don't understand. She's my best friend. I can't love him." Willow gasped out. She was almost in tears, looking at the woman across from her. The young witch looked at her new friend intensely for a moment and then said astutely.

"I think perhaps it's a little too late for that."

"I don't think that it will matter anyway. Why would he choose me when he knows that he can be with Buffy?" Willow said miserably.

"Because he's not some foolish teenage boy, he knows true beauty when he sees it."

Willow started laughing. Unable to stop herself from giving in to the need to laugh. The waitress returned with their drinks and salads as Willow laughed. Telling the two young girls that their orders would be ready in a few minutes. She went over to the couples table, leaving the two young girls alone again.

"You don't think so?" Cassie said curiously. Realizing at last that Willow while powerful and confident in her magic, didn't have very high self esteem about her appearance. She also obviously didn't know that Angel was already in love with her.

"No, I do. It's just that...oh, he's...he's Angel."Willow stuttered again.

"Yeah he's Angel." agreed Cassie gently. Then she decided to give the girl some relief by changing the subject to something safer."So how about this. What has it been like, learning magic? I'm not anywhere near as powerful as you and I can tell." concluded the young woman.

"It's strange, I confess. I can't seem to understand some of it. I certainly didn't know what to think when it all started. I mean it came looking for me not the other way around." Willow said and then gestured with her hands, not having the words to explain she wasn't looking for the power it was looking for her.

"Yeah I know how that is, believe you me." Cassie replied understandingly.

"Yeah I guess being born a witch is kind of strange." Willow replied thoughtfully, "I mean, you know things about people that you don't even know. It can be bad too though, sometimes you wish you didn't."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Cassie replied with a sigh. "So come on, you wanna play?"

Cassie asked holding up her hand.

Willow watched as a ball of energy formed in the young woman's hand and began to take on shape and form. She smiled as the shape became more recognizable. A long stemmed rose. Silver and ethereal looking. Willow reached forward, expecting the flower to disappear and she drew back in shock when her fingers encountered the soft, dewy, solid petals.

"Oh my gods how'd you do that?" Willow said in amazement."I well, like this...." Willow watched in wonder as another rose formed in the woman's palm. She shook her head in amazement. True Willow knew she had power, she had more power than most humans, fae, or any other creature had ever had, but she was still learning and she realized she could learn from this girl.

"Tell me." Willow demanded quietly.

"Oh it's simple, mind manipulating matter or energy in this case. You hold the image of what you seek in your mind. You give it dimensions, smell, life, feel, and reality. You make it surround sound." Willow nodded her head slowly, and closing her eyes, she concentrated on one object that she wished she had more then anything else. She clearly remembered what it's slight weight felt like in her palm. The silver flash of it when it caught the sun. The smooth texture and the solid feel of the handle in her hand. She smiled as she felt the weight become real. She heard Cassie gasp.

"What?" she asked worriedly, "Was that wrong?"

"No it was right, but you pulled that out of space." Cassie said in astonishment.

"What?" said Willow not understanding.

"That is your athame yes?" The younger woman confirmed. At Willow's nod she continued, "Well, wherever it was you just transported it here, using your mind. I can't even do that. Wow...."

The waitress returned carrying there orders. Willow smiled up at her softly while quickly concealing the impressive dagger. She looked over at Cassie a little nervously, wondering just what the witch had ordered for her.

The young hacker smiled, as Cassie began to tell her about one of her first crash courses in witchcraft. "I made it rain inside and my mom and grandmother wanted to hang me I think. Nanna kind of laughed it off the way she always does when I make a mistake. You know like she thinks it's to be expected, mom was always kind of looking at me like I wasn't good enough. The sad part is she'll never see what I have become."

"What happened?"Willow asked gently, sensing that she hadn't talked much about what ever it was.

"My mom was careless, and got power crazy I think she attempted to summon something a lot bigger then her and died in the attempt. I never really knew what to think, you know, her soul was trapped in between. Then last Samhain I managed to free her and send her on. It hurt though. What about you? Living on top of a hell mouth has got to be well, hell?"

Willow smiled sadly. She had been so naive when this had all begun was it really only two years ago. Willow shook her head dazedly. Now she knew of things she never dreamed had existed, not in the real world anyway. She'd watched someone she had grown to consider a friend killed by another friend. Giles being the Ripper. Buffy the Slayer, Xander lying and not telling Buffy about the spell. Oz and his being a werewolf, Angel and his being a vampire, but it seemed now looking back that perhaps the strangeness had always been there, just beneath the surface.

"Well let's see first Jenny died." said Willow thoughtfully.

"Who?" Cassie asked.

"One of the teachers I really liked. She was a techno-pagan." Willow explained.

"What happened?" Cassie asked curiously.

Willow smiled, a bittersweet smile that didn't reach her eyes. In that instant her eyes looked too old for her body. "You remember what I said about Angel and the Slayer, well they tried to be together." Willow stammered uncertain of how to explain what had happened.

"I don't understand." Cassie said.

"Angel turned back into Angelus, Angelus tried to kill the Slayer, Xander, me and Giles and he did kill Jenny. She was looking for a way to restore the Angel we knew. A way to restore his soul." Willow explained trying not to feel the remembered pain.

"Oh my god, but that Angel...the Angel I knew...." stuttered the young witch.

"Yeah he came back. I found the spell Jenny had created and I gave him his soul back but it was too late. He was already gone." Willow couldn't help it. A single tear ran down her face as she looked at the other girl.

"Already gone?" asked Cassie perplexed. "He's not gone. He's here. I saw him last night."

"I brought him back. He was hanging out in hell...or a demon dimension...whatever you want to call it...I wasn't going to leave him there...he didn't deserve that...so I brought him back...." the young redhead continued stammering over her explanation.

"Willow?" Cassie said after taking a moment to absorb everything she had just heard.

"Yeah." Willow said weakly.

"How'd he get there?" asked Cassie intensely.

"Buffy...the Slayer stabbed him, through the stomach and threw him into the portal between here and the other dimension. Then she ran away. When she came back we found out, well she told us anyway. I knew though, cause when Angel became Angelus, my power made it's first appearance. When he went to hell I knew he was gone."

"My goddess...you're the Summoner and that would make Angel...the western King." The young witch gasped out in amazement.

Willow looked down at the plate of rapidly cooling food. One thing she knew was that almost every witch she had met seemed to be aware of the fate that had been given to Willow. Willow thought to herself angrily why am I the last one to know? She finally responded to Cassias statement.

"Yeah, but he doesn't know." Willow said somewhat morosely.

"You need to tell him." Cassie said urgently.

"No. He knows he's the Western King, and it's already tearing him apart inside." Willow said, then continued decisively, " I won't tell him the rest till the time is right. I can't."She bit her lip in a fashion that Cassie was beginning to understand. Now it all made sense.

Willow didn't know what to do with the emotions the prophecy was seeming to create between them. It was only seeming to though. Magic can't make people feel emotions like that. It was there before, long before now.

"He's gonna have to know sooner than later, what if..." Cassie began. Willow smiled softly at the other woman. "It's not up to him to protect me. Prophecy's are devious little creatures, they lead you astray with whispered half-truths, I know that. I know what I see. I know what I am." Her words though spoken softly, were given with the utmost certainty.

"Maybe my Nanna can help. She's been around for a while, with her age comes power and knowledge maybe she'll know what to do. The Summoner is just a story told to follow and lighten the tradition, to prove that they have not forgotten us, there children."

"I know, but because of this, it's been twisted. Giles doesn't know the whole thing, he thought the Summoner was the Slayer."

Cassie stared at her shocked, the Summoner was always fae. Willow smiled as her new friend took it all in. Explaining to someone who had never met the shy, timid Willow, why it was so hard for her friends to believe that their Willow was the Summoner of legend, was rather hard. When she got to the part about Angel and Buffy, Willow steeled herself against the guilty feelings that welled up within her when she thought of her best friend Buffy.

She had known that Buffy felt betrayed by her actions and that when they returned there was going to be trouble. The Slayer needed to understand that Willow wasn't someone to overlook or take for granted any longer. and if when this was all over Angel wanted her, Willow wasn't at all sure she would push him away. Her resistance had been weak before this had even begun, partly because of the dreams. Dreams so vivid that she awoke gasping, crying, sometimes in fear, but mostly in sadness.

"Willow, " She looked up as the other woman spoke." You've got a ways to go and I know that Angel most likely told you that the nights here, although mostly safe, there are a few who prey on the unwary. Willow looking down at her wristwatch, shook her head shocked, five thirty. Where did the day go? But she knew she had explored and talked and let her food get cold. She chuckled. "Yeah I better go, wouldn't want to worry him."

Standing up, Cassie set the appropriate amount of cash on the table, smiled her thanks at the waitress, and ushered Willow out of the diner. Turning at the street corner they walked in silence for sometime when Cassie suddenly spoke up. " My stop." she said with wry humor."Meet me here tomorrow, say noonish and we'll see what Nanna says, humm."

Willow nodded her head in agreement and impulsively hugged the other woman."It'll be all right, " Cassie said into Willow's hair. Willow smiled wistfully Cassie would make some small child a good mother. She quickly squashed the tinge of guilt that she would never see her own eyes staring back at her.

She untangled herself, somewhat embarrassed, from the other girl. She headed toward home. Home to Angel. Hey wait, since when is....oh yeah it's not the house it's the occupant. She smiled in a self deprecating way.

Cassie was right about that at least it was to late, and she hated herself or it. Hadn't Xander taught her enough about unrequited love. Loving a fool who was in love with Buffy. True, after the other night Willow wasn't at all sure that he would still love her.

Angel would most likely hate her for keeping the truth of the prophecy and their connection a secret. She hoped not, she could deal if he didn't love her, his hate though would be worse then anything else she could think of. Ohh Gods what am I going to do? Willow continued to walk watching the sky worriedly. It was getting darker earlier because of the time of year.

Fall turning slowly to winter, she could feel the slight nip of winters hand in the air. You're just what he needs.

She shook her head the notion set of little tingly sensation in her head, strange magical waves of rightness, she knew what she felt, sensed when she was near him, knew even before, but could it be true? More then a heart wistful dream?

Just what Angel needed, and perhaps what he wanted as well?

SUNNYDALE:

"Hi Giles, " Buffy called good-naturedly, she was in a better mood. She wasn't even going to think about the fact that Angel was somewhere with Willow. Willow was her best friend and she wasn't going to let a guy come between them. If only Willow were here. Then I would know for sure. She watched as her Watcher took in her seemingly good mood. What? Can't I be happy?

"How was patrolling last night?" Giles asked figuring that she had taken her frustrations out on the vampire population of Sunnydale.

"It was dead, I didn't see a single corpse, believe me I was disappointed I stayed out really late." Buffy said nonchalantly, "Mom got a little rattled over that, but you know..."

"Not a one? You saw nothing?" Giles questioned, with increasing agitation.

"No Giles. Nada, nix, none, as in no people with little pointy teeth."Buffy said in an exaggerated fashion.

Giles turned back to his tomes, seemingly distressed by the news. "This is bad, because?" Buffy finally asked.

"Well if they were not out hunting then they were somewhere else doing something."

Buffy looked down realizing what Giles was worried about. If the vampires were not out doing their normal destructo thing that meant that they were probably up to something.

"And you think maybe they are planning something, that they might be after Willow and Angel." Giles turned to look at his student.

"I am hoping that where ever Angel has taken them it's safe, but vampires are everywhere and we know nothing of the one attempting to open the gate, so I am worried that something will go wrong. Willow is so young and she hasn't been given the training you have, we don't even know if she's manifested completely. She could be weak from the spell, she could be hurt, we just don't know."

Buffy looked at her Watcher and she felt bad. She knew that Giles though he never really said so, considered them his kids, he certainly behaved like an overprotective parent.

"Giles I am sure that we'll hear from them again and soon. I don't think Willow will leave us in the dark." Giles looked over at the Slayer impressed by how mature she was being about the whole thing. He just worried about what would happen when Buffy learned that what seemed to be drawing Angel to Willow wasn't the prophecy or Willow's spell. Giles hadn't understood what it was that he was trying to tell himself with his constant nitpicking over memories until, he remembered the night that they had been trapped in the boiler room by the invisible girl. Angel had been holding Willow. He'd helped the rest of them but even when the rest of them had come around he'd held her. Staring down at her with such a look of utter concern. When Giles had questioned Angel about talking to Willow about Ford, he'd absently said that Ford was an excuse, and at the time it hadn't made sense. Only now did Giles begin to understand. Even then Angel had been fighting the pull. Giles smiled sadly, one might as well fight the moons pull on the tide, as to try fight Willow's pull. She drew people to her with her very nature, she was sweet and gentle accepting and giving to a fault. Hell, she'd brought Angel back and forgave him for what had been done.....Gods I only hope I can do the same when the time comes.

"Earth to Giles, " Giles looked up at Buffy's voice, "I was thinking that I would make the rounds, head in a little early, see my Mom, try to smooth those ruffled feathers and then head out again to make sure that Xander makes it home safely."

"Oh yes, " said the Watcher distractedly. Buffy smiled sadly, Giles reminded her of a father who's daughter was on her first big date. She headed out the door leaving the Watcher to his thoughts. "Buffy?"He turned, oh dear. He smiled ruefully to himself. This was not happening at all as he had been taught to believe it should.

Willow, quiet, shy, vastly intelligent and sweet was the shield between the worlds. Research that he had to check with Xander. Oh that feels strange, Xander and research. In the same sentence.

Giles turned back to the book that he had been reading before Buffy had traipsed into the library. Willow, Willow, where are you Willow. Reading the passage aloud to himself, "Willow is also known as Saille It is sacred to Hecate, Circe, Hera, Europa, and Persephone, as well as the muses. This is definitely a lunar creature, the fifth letter in the Druidic tree alphabet, this name represents the emotion, water sign; a liquid, moving, loving, moon-driven name." Well that's certainly fits. Even her name gives her power. Giles put down that volume and, after picking up another, continued reading. He began to see a pattern emerging in all of the writings.

The western kings' name seemed to always be shrouded with secrecy, yet the summoner was as clear and simple as things like the tree that weeps, a willow everyone knows those references or they should. It was becoming frighteningly clear that Willow was the one that was strong and powerful. Two months ago calling Willow powerful would have seemed strange, but now it seemed only to fit. I hope she's ready because she's going to be protecting herself and the vampire.