A Vacation to Remember: Chapter 8
by claudia6913
Title: A Vacation to Remember
Author: claudia6913
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: W/A
Summary: Willow is in desperate need of a vacation and Angel is more then willing to help out.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, Joss and Co. do. Lucky bastards.
Distribution: NHA, SoG, redsoulmates, angelusmate, and anyone else I post to. All others just ask. All of my work is archived on my site. http://www.angelfire.com/vamp/claudia6913
Warnings: Buffy and Kate fans, you may not want to read. I do not portray these characters nicely.
Author’s Notes: I’m a little slow on this fic, I know, I’m sorry.
Feedback: yes please! ghotztstarz@yahoo.com


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Chapter 8

Willow had come back quickly enough from her errands, and Angel decided to cook her dinner. They ate in companionable silence, both of them thinking about why they might be here and what Giles wanted with Willow. Angel still couldn’t help but think that something was off.

“So,” Willow said, pushing her empty plate away, “I guess I should call Giles now huh?” Angel nodded, still lost in his thoughts.

“Right. Well, I’ll go make that call then.” Getting up from the table she made her way to the phone in the living room and dialed a number she’d never forgotten. She was just a little apprehensive about talking to Giles. It wasn’t that she blamed him for Buffy’s attitude, but she couldn’t help but feel a little unwanted. Giles hadn’t even called to see if she was okay, or if she needed anything. Willow knew that Giles loved her like a daughter, but there was still that small pang of pain.

“Hello?” the familiar voice of her mentor asked.

“Hey Giles. It’s me, Willow.”

“Oh, Willow, yes. Nice to hear from you. I take it you got into town alright?” Giles asked. He was extremely happy to hear Willow’s voice. He’d missed her this last month, not only for her exceptional research skills but also because she was a ray of sunshine herself; someone to make the long nights during the meetings more enjoyable.

“Amazingly enough, even with Spike driving.”

“Yes, well, I was afraid of sending him, but Buffy insisted.”

“Oh?” Willow asked, curious. ‘Why would Buffy of all people, want Spike to help her in any way?’ she wondered.

“It was, well, against my better judgment.”

“Right. I don’t blame you for not wanting to send Spike, but that’s not why I’m calling. I’m actually curious as to why you need me here?”

Angel sat at the table, listening closely to Willow as she spoke to Giles on the phone. He could tell she missed him, and he was sorry about that, about keeping her from her loved ones.

“Well, that is somewhat difficult to explain over the phone,” Giles said. “It might be better if you were to come over to the apartment. I could better explain it to you by showing the text.”

“Another prophecy?” Willow asked, no longer excited by it. There was a time when she would literally start bouncing in her seat at the prospect of uncovering another riddle, but now, it just was another thing to expect on the Hellmouth.

“Why, yes. How did you know?”

“Lucky guess. So, when should we come over?”

“We?” Giles asked, perplexed.

“Yeah, Angel and me.”

“Oh, well I wasn’t aware that Angel would be coming with you. Buffy had said he would stay in L.A.”

“I just bet she did,” Willow said bitterly. “Well, Angel is here and he’s coming with me. So, I guess we will see you after sundown.”

“That is fine, Willow. I will see you and Angel later. Have a good evening.”

“You too, Giles. I missed you. Talk to you later.”

“As I you, good bye,” Giles said, and hung up.

Willow placed the receiver lightly on the cradle and sat there on the couch thinking. There was a prophecy, Giles didn’t know Angel was coming, and he didn’t sound too happy that he was here. She couldn’t help but think that somehow the prophecy was related to her in some way. It would explain why she had to be here, but not why Buffy and Giles didn’t want Angel to come with her. There were just too many things that didn’t make sense to her, and she didn’t like that. Hopefully when they went to Giles’ he would show her the text and she could begin to make sense of everything. Until then, she was going to enjoy her time with Angel until they had to leave. Maybe they could watch a movie?

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Time had moved too quickly for Angel and Willow. They’d watched a movie, ate some popcorn, snuggled and talked. Going over everything, they knew neither of them could understand what could be so important that Willow absolutely needed to be there. One thing they did agree on was that it probably had to do with magick. While Giles was competent, Willow had more raw power. They both assumed that what was needed was some serious mojo. Willow was a little excited about that prospect, but Angel was guarded. He’d seen over the years how corrupting magick could be to untrained users and he was worried about Willow’s safety.

Walking hand in hand, they slowly wound their way through the streets of Sunnydale towards Giles’ house. They both felt the air of apprehension that hung around them. Steeling herself, Willow knocked on the door.

It was immediately opened by a smiling and happy Giles. Quickly he pulled her into the house and into a hug. Willow was a bit perplexed by this show of affection. She knew that Giles cared for them as his children, but this was…not very Giles-like. Angel stood uncomfortably outside the Watcher’s threshold, having been uninvited and never given an invitation since. He shifted from foot to foot, not sure if he should say something.

Finally Giles let go of Willow and began to escort her further into his apartment, not even looking at Angel. Angel had had enough and cleared his throat. Willow turned a startled and guilty face to him then looked at Giles to see what he would do.

With a pronounced stutter and an uncertain tone, he said, “Oh, uh y-yes. Do, uh, d-do come in Angel.”

Stepping into the apartment, Angel saw that they were facing the entire Scooby Gang. Buffy was planted firmly on Riley’s lap, showing off. Xander and Anya were arguing over something, but Angel didn’t catch what they were saying. Unconsciously, he moved closer to Willow as Giles went to go sit the dining room table, which was littered with books. No one said anything to them.

Willow was nervously playing with the hem of her shirt, twisting it and knotting it in her hands. No one said anything. Anya and Xander had stopped their conversation and stared at Willow and Angel.

Xander went to stand up. Buffy, however, shot him a dirty look and he sat back down quickly. Willow was crushed by that simple move alone, and tears began to pool in her eyes. Xander crouched, half-standing and half sitting, as if undecided about where his loyalties lied. Then, before she knew it, Xander was on his feet and she was wrapped in his familiar, brotherly arms. She hugged him back enthusiastically and shed a few tears.

Once the happy reunion was over, they all made their way silently to the table where the books lay open and waiting in front of Giles. Angel placed his hand on Willow’s shoulder and maneuvered her to the opposite side of the table as Buffy.

Angel got to the point immediately. “What did you need Willow for?”


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