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"H-hello?" Willow called out tentatively as the door she had knocked on pushed open. "Wesley? Are you here?"
Willow had come to LA for the summer to help Angel or at least that is what she told herself. She had really come to get out of Sunnydale. As she stepped into Wesley’s apartment and looked around her thoughts drifted to the last two weeks since the defeat of Adam. Buffy had taken Riley to go visit her father for most of the summer, Giles was going to England to see Olivia and Xander was always with Anya. Willow had thought she was going to spend the summer with Tara. She smiled ruefully as she recalled the scene that had happened a week ago. Tara had told Willow that her grandparents were coming to get her to take her home for the summer. Willow remembered how sad she had felt that Tara would be going away, but also excited about meeting Tara’s grandparents. That was until Tara said she couldn’t. Willow hadn’t understood at first, but then Tara had explained. Her grandparents didn’t know about her practicing Wicca or her sexual preference. To them Willow was Will, a boy. When she had learned this Willow was devastated. She had given up Oz and had somewhat freaked her friends out while Tara had pretended she was a boy! When Tara said that she wouldn’t tell her grandparents the truth Willow had ended it. She had spent the next day going between extreme anger and profound sadness. Then Angel had called and asked for her help. She had been more then happy to get out of Sunnydale for the summer.
She had left early that morning in the car her parents always left at the house and was in LA in a few hours. She had followed Angel’s directions to Cordelia’s house. Once there and after the customary greetings had been exchanged, Angel had filled Willow in on what had been happening there with the explosion at the office, Wolfram and Hart and the recovery of the scroll, The Prophecies of Abargian.
Willow had also filled them in on the end of The Initiative and how everyone was doing, leaving out everything about Tara. Angel had then told her that Wesley had the scroll and Willow had volunteered to go and get him so Angel had written direction and told her he would call Wesley and tell him she was on her way.
And now here she was, standing in the living room of Wesley’s apartment wondering if he had already left.
"Willow?" the soft British voice brought Willow out of her musings.
"Oh, Wesley," Willow gasped in surprise as she spun to the direction his voice had come from. Once she saw him, however, she was frozen in place. He had apparently gotten out of the shower right before she arrived and he was standing in a doorway in just a pair of jeans. As Willow took in his wet hair and broad chest she felt herself flush. She didn’t remember Wesley being so handsome. But then again, the last time she saw him he was Wesley, the unwanted replacement of Giles. She had disliked him before she had met him and never even thought to look at him any other way. Now he was Wesley, friend of Angel and Cordelia and he was definitely what Buffy would call a ‘hottie’.
"Are you alright, Willow?" Wesley asked as he saw her flush.
"Oh, um, yeah," Willow stammered, quickly averting her eyes. "I must just be a little tired from the trip."
"Well then," Wesley smiled, "why don’t you sit down and I will be ready in a moment and we can head out."
Willow didn’t trust herself to speak so she just nodded and sat down. She smiled tentatively at Wesley and watched as he went back through the doorway.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Wesley quickly went about finishing getting ready. He went to his closet and grabbed a shirt and hastily put it on. His mind wondered to the girl sitting in his living room. This last year had apparently been very good to Willow, he mused. She looked much more mature and confident then he remembered her being. If he would let himself think about it he would have admitted that she was stunning. He checked his appearance on the mirror and then headed back into the living room.
He found Willow right where he had left her on the sofa, but she was now reading one of the texts he had left on his coffee table. Her brow was furrowed in concentration and Wesley couldn’t help but think how charming she looked. He cleared his throat and moved closer to her.
"Ready?" he asked as he offered his hand to help Willow stand.
"Oh, yes," Willow replied with a shy smile. "Thank you."
Willow sat the book back on the table and allowed Wesley to help her stand.
"Do we need to take any of these back to Angel’s?" she asked gesturing to the table.
"No," Wesley responded. "Those are just pleasure reading."
"This is what you read for pleasure?" Willow giggled.
"Well, yes," Wesley snipped.
"I’m sorry," Willow said, repressing a laugh. "We just need to get you out more if you think Demons of the Ming Dynasty is pleasure reading."
"Fine," Wesley sighed. "It can be your goal for the summer, to get me out more."
"Deal," Willow smiled. "By the time I head back to Sunnydale you are going to be able to differentiate between work and fun."
"Why can’t work be fun?" Wesley countered.
"Well, some work can," Willow shot back, "but I KNOW what you do and if you find it to be fun all the time it usually means you have some serious problems. Not that I think you have any problems, but if you don’t get out and have some fun once in a while you might explode. Well, not literally explode then again maybe I do mean literally depending on the situation, but you know what I mean and I’m babbling aren’t I?"
"Yes you are," Wesley smiled.
"Sorry," Willow said sheepishly. "I always hoped I’d grow out of it, but no such luck."
"Nothing to apologize for," Wesley smiled. He caught himself before he told her how bewitching she looked when she babbled.
"I’ll just get the scroll and we can be off," Wesley said as he grabbed his bag and moved to open the front door. "Shall we?"
"We shall," Willow agreed.
Wesley smiled at Willow as they left his apartment.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Part 2
Angel had been sitting in Cordelia’s living room watching her since Willow had left. Ever since he had almost lost her he had been filled with the need to protect her, make sure she was okay. He kept telling himself it was because of the events of the last two weeks, but that wasn’t true. Those events had just brought these feelings to the forefront.
Cordelia bristled as she felt Angel’s eyes on her. She couldn’t go anywhere without his eyes following her. She knew he was worried about her, but this was too much. She admitted that it wouldn’t be half as bad if she didn’t have a MAJOR crush on him, but she still didn’t need him watching her constantly.
"Angel?" she asked softly.
"Yes Cordelia?" Angel responded quickly.
"Why do you keep staring at me?" she asked as she turned to look into his eyes.
"Well, um, I just," Angel sputtered. Her question had flustered him. "I just worry about you."
"Didn’t you worry before?" Cordelia questioned.
"Well, of course I did," Angel stated.
"But you never watched me like this," Cordelia pointed out.
"I almost lost you," Angel whispered, as if that should answer all her questions.
"But you almost lost Wesley too and you don’t watch him like this," Cordelia pressed.
"I’m sorry," Angel said as he stood up. "I’ll stop."
"Don’t even try it," Cordelia demanded.
"Try what?" Angel asked.
"Go all broody on me so you don’t have to answer any questions," Cordelia stated. "It’s not like I entirely mind you watching me or anything, but you do it all the time. Like my floor is going to open up and swallow me or something."
"I just want to protect you," Angel sighed walking towards her.
"And I want to be protected, believe me," Cordelia agreed. "However, it’s not like what we do for a living can be safe and I’m not going to stop doing it. You don’t understand what it was like feeling all that pain and anguish that is out there. They all need help and you, Wesley and I are the only ones that can help. I still have nightmares about some of the things I felt and saw. It was horrible…"
Cordelia’s voice trailed off as she started to cry. Angel quickly moved to take her in his arms and hold her while she cried. He had been waiting for this. Ever since she had been released from the hospital she had refused to allow herself to hurt for all the pain she witnessed, finally she was letting it out.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"So you became a Rogue Demon Hunter?" Willow asked as she listened to what had happened to Wesley since he had left Sunnydale.
"For a very brief while," Wesley chuckled. "That is how I came across Angel. We were both tracking the same demon and our paths crossed. We finished the case together and we decided I should stay and help. I really don’t miss it. I kept the motorcycle, but got rid of all the leather pants."
"Leather pants?" Willow squeaked as her mind was flooded with images of Wesley in leather.
"Yes," Wesley said with a rueful grin. "I guess I was rebelling against everything I had learned as a Watcher."
"Giles sings," Willow laughed.
"Excuse me?" Wesley asked, sure he had misunderstood her.
"He sings," Willow repeated. "At the coffee house. Plays guitar too. He’s not bad. Plus he has a girlfriend, Olivia. She’s from England."
"I guess we all rebel in our own way," Wesley murmured.
"Here we are," said Willow as she parked in the lot behind Cordelia’s building.
Wesley grabbed his bag and they headed up to the apartment.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
PART 3
*KNOCK*
"Come in," Angel called from the sofa. He had Cordelia firmly wrapped in his arms. She had fallen asleep after ten minutes or so of crying. He didn’t want to disturb her.
"Geez, Angel," Willow laughed as she opened the door, "I thought you knew better by now then to…"
Her voice trailed off as she saw Cordelia asleep in Angel’s arms. She could tell from Cordy’s face that she had been crying.
"What happened?" Wesley asked softly.
"She finally dealt with the pain she experienced," Angel responded. "She cried herself to sleep."
"Poor Cordy," Willow murmured as she gazed at the sleeping girl.
"I think she’ll be better now," Wesley reassured Willow as he squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.
"I hope so," Willow murmured. "I know what happens when you keep things bottled up. Bad things happen. Buffy kissing Spike things happen."
"What?" both Angel and Wesley asked at her last statement.
"I said that out loud, didn’t I?" Willow asked. "Well, you see, when Oz left I got a little depressed and instead of dealing with stuff I thought I’d do a spell and fix it, but the spell went wrong and Buffy and Spike ended up in love, Xander was a demon magnet and Giles lost his sight. I was a bad, bad Willow. D’Hoffren even tried to recruit me as a vengeance demon because of the chaos I caused. Buffy and Spike still remind me how disgusted they are to know that they had kissed and groped each other."
"I’ll have to remember to mention that to Spike next time I see him," Angel chuckled.
"Don’t you dare!" Willow squealed. "He’ll kill me! Well, he can’t kill me, but he will be SO mad."
"How about I promise to wait 100 years?" Angel bargained.
"Fine," Willow acquiesced. "After I am dead you can tell him you know."
"I never realized you were that powerful," Wesley confessed. "I know Giles said you were learning, much to his chagrin I might add, but he never said you were that powerful."
"Well I am the one that restored Angel’s soul," Willow pointed out.
"Yes, yes, of course," Wesley agreed, "but Giles had led me to believe that was a sort of, um, fluke so to speak."
"A fluke?" Willow fumed. "A fluke? Hey! I can float pencils, do guiding spells, levitate roses and a whole lot more stuff!"
"I’m sure you can, Willow," Wesley assured her. "I am sure that Giles just didn’t tell me because he hadn’t wanted me to inform the council. They have a tendency to like to study witches."
"Oh," Willow said, seeming appeased. "That’s okay then. Well, shall we get started or do you want to wait till Cordy wakes up? I don’t want to disturb her."
"Yes," Wesley agreed. "I think Cordelia could use her rest."
"Why don’t the two of you go into the kitchen and start," said Angel. "Wesley, you can explain to Willow about what we have already found."
Wesley nodded and led Willow into the kitchen.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
An hour later Wesley had finished showing Willow what he had been able to ascertain from the scroll. Willow had been very attentive, taking in all the information.
"So Angel is destined to become human again," Willow said with wonder. "Wow, that’s a good reward."
"Indeed it is," Wesley agreed. "Unfortunately it doesn’t appear that it will happen in our life time."
"But we don’t know that," Willow reminded him. "The prophecy is very vague. For all we know Angel could save the world 100 times in the next year."
"Yes," agreed Wesley, "I suppose that is true."
"Always the optimist," a soft voice came from the doorway.
"Cordy," Willow smiled as she turned. "Have a nice nap?"
"Very," Cordelia answered. "I feel much better."
Cordelia moved and sat across from Willow at the table. Angel followed her and sat in the empty seat to her left.
"So are you all up to date?" Angel asked Willow.
"Yep," Willow answered. "Wesley was just finishing up everything he has translated. What do you want me to do?"
"We were hoping to use your computer skills to find out more information," Wesley replied.
"So when do we start?" Willow asked cheerfully.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"I need to go shopping," Cordelia muttered as she closed the fourth book she had read.
"Shopping?" asked Angel.
"Yes shopping," Cordelia replied. "I haven’t been shopping in weeks. It relaxes me."
"Then maybe you and Willow should go," Angel smiled.
"What?" Willow’s head shot up from staring at her computer when she heard her name.
"You and Delia should go shopping," repeated Angel.
"Oh, um, well, I guess that would be okay," murmured Willow.
"You both could use a break," Wesley agreed. "Angel and I can keep researching and then maybe meet you out for dinner."
"You want to go out to dinner?" Cordelia asked, her voice laced with shock.
"Willow and I made a deal," Wesley smiled at Cordelia’s tone. "I’m just trying to help her along."
"I think that would be a very good start," Willow grinned. "Baby steps and all."
"Baby steps to what?" asked Angel.
"I told Wesley that by the time I return to Sunnydale I will have taught him the difference between work and fun," explained Willow.
"Oh, well good luck," Cordy smirked. "Wesley can make Giles look like a hippie."
"So where and when should Angel and I meet you?" Wesley asked, ignoring Cordelia’s comment.
"How about Hard Times at 8?" responded Cordelia. "The sun should be set by then."
"We’ll be there," agreed Angel.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
PART 4
"This would look SO good on you," Cordelia gushed as she held a forest green sundress up against Willow.
"Isn’t it a little, um, short?" Willow asked when she felt the hem hit her upper thigh.
"Please," Cordelia sighed. "You’re in LA for a vacation, right? So live a little, do something different."
"Fine," Willow groaned. "I’ll try it on."
"Good," Cordelia smiled triumphantly. "It would really catch Wesley’s eye."
"What?" Willow’s head snapped in Cordelia’s direction.
"Like I couldn’t notice the little glances you kept giving him?" Cordelia laughed.
"Oh God," Willow moaned. "He didn’t notice did he?"
"I don’t think so," Cordelia responded. "He was too busy glancing at you too."
"He was not!" Willow squealed.
"Whatever," sighed Cordelia as she headed in the direction of the fitting rooms.
"He really was?" Willow asked as she followed Cordelia.
"Yep," Cordelia smiled.
"Well, I noticed a few glances of your own in Angel’s direction," commented Willow.
"Yeah, well, you have your private crush and I have mine," Cordelia sighed. "However, mine is hopeless."
"Why would you think that?" Willow asked.
"You want the list?" Cordelia laughed bitterly. "There’s the happiness clause, for one. Buffy for the other."
"But Buffy has Riley," Willow pointed out. "And Buffy told me the last time she came to LA, with the whole Faith thing, that he had thrown her out of LA and then even when he came to apologize there wasn’t much love lost between them."
"Maybe," Cordelia acquiesced, "but I’m not ready to get my hopes up."
"Same here," Willow agreed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Cordelia and Willow arrived at the restaurant at 8:01. As they got out of Willow’s car, Willow adjusted her dress for what seemed like the hundredth time. Cordelia had convinced her to not only buy the green sundress, but to also wear it tonight.
"Are you sure is looks okay?" asked Willow, still fidgeting with the hem.
"You look amazing," Cordelia assured Willow again. She smiled at how good her friend looked. The dress was the perfect shade of green to set off Willow’s hair and it hugged her body closely without being clingy. The hem fell about half way down her thigh and the scooped neck showed just a hint of décolletage. "How about me?"
"You look gorgeous as usual," laughed Willow.
Cordelia had ended up buying a pair of black leather pants and a deep purple cropped shirt emblazoned with the words Bite Me in metallic silver. Just a little inside joke between friends.
"They’re already here," pointed out Cordelia, indicating Angel’s car. "I hope they got a good table. I look good tonight and if Angel isn’t going to do anything about it, maybe someone else will."
"That’s the spirit, Cordy," Willow chuckled. "Same for me. We’re just here to have fun."
With that decided the two girls headed into the restaurant. They spotted Angel and Wesley sitting at the bar and headed in their direction. Cordelia and Willow both smiled as they regarded the men who hadn’t noticed their arrival yet. The girls had spent the afternoon commiserating about their love lives. Willow had told Cordy all about what happened with Tara and Cordelia had told Willow all about Doyle. Cordy had even confided in Willow about the kiss she and Wesley had shared before the battle with the Mayor.
"Miss us?" Willow asked when they were in earshot.
Wesley turned at the sound of Willow’s voice and nearly spit out the drink he had just drank. Willow looked stunning. His eyes took her in from her tousled hair to the delicate brown sandals on her feet.
"You look amazing," he murmured, his eyes never leaving Willow.
Angel was having a similar problem when he looked at Cordelia. His eyes blazed a trail from her feet to her shirt where they settled on the words across her chest.
"Bite me?" chuckled Angel.
"Just a little joke," Cordelia smirked. "Is our table ready?"
"In a few minutes," Wesley answered, his eyes still glued to Willow.
For her part Willow was both embarrassed and exhilarated by the attention that Wesley was quite unabashedly paying her. She blushed and lowered her eyes to the floor.
"Want something to drink?" Cordy asked Willow, trying to break the slight tension.
"Oh, um, yeah," Willow stammered. "I’ll have a coke."
"Geez, Will," Cordy sighed. "Live a little. You’re on vacation, get a real drink."
"Fine," Willow glared at Cordelia, "I’ll have a sex on the beach. Happy now?"
"Very," Cordy smiled triumphantly. "Angel, would you order us a sex on the beach and a rum and coke."
Angel nodded and placed the order with the bartender and handed the drinks to the girls when they arrived. The spent the rest of the time till their table was ready discussing what the girls had done that day.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
PART 5
"So did you learn anything new on the prophecy front?" Willow asked once they were seated at there table.
"Not really," Wesley said, his voice tinged with disappointment.
"I’m sure we’ll find something tomorrow," Willow encouraged as she patted Wesley’s arm fondly. "If Cordy gets the urge to shop tomorrow I’ll just send Angel with her and I’ll man the computer."
"Me? Shop?" Angel choked out.
"Yes you and yes shop," Willow laughed. "It isn’t that difficult. You follow Cordy around and tell her how stunning she looks. Think you can handle that?"
"Hey," Cordelia protested, "I AM sitting right here, ya know."
Thankfully the waiter chose that moment to approach their table to take their orders. Willow ordered the sautéed chicken with spring vegetables, Cordy decided on the marinated sea bass, Wesley ordered the crab stuffed chicken breast and Angel chose the veal picatta.
"I don’t think I have ever seen you eat," Willow said to Angel.
"He doesn’t really eat," Cordelia replied. "He orders the food, pushes it around on his plate, maybe takes a bite or two and then brings the rest home for Wesley or I to eat the next day."
"Would you rather I just sat here and stared at you while you ate?" Angel asked with a smirk.
"And that would be different from the recent norm how?" Cordy shot back.
"I’ve apologized about that," Angel sighed.
"Are they always like this?" Willow asked Wesley.
"Well, since I can count the number of times we have been out like this on my thumbs I would have to say yes," Wesley confirmed.
"They’re like an old, married couple," Willow giggled.
"They have their moments," Wesley concurred with a smile.
"Hey!" Cordelia snipped. "We are sitting right here!"
"I think they know that, Cordy," Angel said as he patted her hand reassuringly.
"Is this going to be a theme for the night?" Cordy scowled good naturedly. "Warn me now if I am going to spend the evening being talked about rather then to."
"I’ll behave," Willow said with a pout.
"We will too," Angel answered for himself and Wesley.
"I love this song," Cordelia cried and turned to Angel. "Dance with me?"
"But I…" Angel began.
"Fine," Cordelia cut him off, "I don’t want to force you to do anything. I’ll just find a willing partner."
With that Cordelia began to scan the restaurant for a dance partner. She finally saw a small group of guys in the corner of the bar.
"Target sited," Cordelia grinned evilly. "Want to come, Willow?"
"Sure, why not," Willow agreed. After finishing her drink she was feeling a bit bolder then normal.
"We’ll be back," Cordelia said to Angel and Wesley as the two girls left the table.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After the second song Angel began bristling in his seat as he watched Cordelia dance with some college pretty boy. He almost winced as he watched Cordelia rub her body against the guy.
Wesley was having a similar problem while watching Willow dance with another of the men. His eyes grew wide as he watched the Neanderthal try to paw Willow right in the middle of the dance floor.
"That, that should be illegal," Angel spat to Wesley as he watched the bump and grind before him.
"Quite so," Wesley agreed.
Both men visibly tensed when a new song came on, a slow song. As the watched these boys begin to take Willow and Cordelia in their arms, Angel and Wesley shot out of their seats.
"Maybe we should dance," Wesley murmured, already moving in Willow’s direction.
"Just once," Angel agreed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
PART 6
"May I cut in?" Angel growled once he reached Cordelia.
"Well," Cordy smirked, "I didn’t think he was your type, but if you insist."
And with that Cordy started to turn away from Angel and a very confused pretty boy. Angel’s hand quickly shot out and pulled Cordy into his arms and looked down into her laughing eyes.
"Not funny, Delia," Angel murmured into her ear as he began moving to the music.
Cordelia just smiled smugly as she lay her head on Angel’s shoulder.
Meanwhile, Wesley had quickly dispatched the man dancing with Willow by implying that he and Willow were married.
"Honey the kids are fine?" Willow laughingly repeated what he had told the guy she was dancing with.
"It’s the first thing I thought of that wasn’t confrontational," Wesley insisted.
"Ever heard of may I cut in?" Willow giggled.
Wesley started to blush so he pulled Willow closer so she wouldn’t be able to see his face.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"He told the guy you two had kids?" Cordelia laughed after Willow had told she and Angel how Wesley had cut in. "Gee, all Angel did was growl."
"He growled?" Willow asked as she quirked an eyebrow in Angel’s direction
"Just getting my point across," Angel defended.
"And that point would be?" Willow asked sweetly.
Angel could have thanked God when the waiter arrived with their food. They ate in relative silence with just mild chit-chat. True to what Cordelia had said, Angel ate about two bites of his chicken while everyone else ate their food. They all decided to head back to Cordelia’s for coffee so Angel quickly paid the check and they left the restaurant. Cordy couldn’t resist one last wave to the guy she had danced with before Angel propelled her out of the restaurant.
End