starlit_desires | FIC: Near Death 3/? (Reply)

This part was written for velvetwhip who wanted the next installment "now" and I think wanted a confrontation with Buffy. This part is not very favourable to Buffy in general. Also there's another nasty cuss word in it. I promise that there will be some Willow/Angel soon...

Title: Near Death 3/?

Author: Sweetness (aaronlisa@gmail.com)

Pairing: Angel/Willow

Rating: PG-15

Disclaimer: It all belongs to Joss Whedon and company.

Notes: Set during BTVS S.6/ATS S.3, for the sake of the story the Connor storyline didn’t happen. Also this is dedicated to velvetwhip for her support in this story.

            As he made his way back to Willow’s house, Spike’s words kept repeating in his mind. He was shocked at Spike’s callous behavior, but he was more shocked at Willow’s friends. They had thrown her out because she was addicted to magic. When trying to force her to give up magic had failed, they had thrown her out claiming that she was a danger to them all. He had to wonder if Giles knew, and he didn’t believe that the former Watcher did. He wanted to believe that if Giles knew that Willow was addicted to magic, that he would have helped her. Sent her to a coven to get help, Angel knew that the former Watcher would know how destructive a magic addiction was and just how crucial it was for the addict to get help. Willow needed help to overcome her addiction, not the hostility and distrust that her supposed friends had given her. He softly growled at the thought that her suicide attempt could have been the result of being abandoned by her friends, the people that he knew that she considered to be her true family. And since none of her friends seemed to want to help or care enough to get her help, he would step in and make sure that she got the help that she needed. Someone would have to help before things went to far and the magic started to eat at her from the inside, he just had to hope that it wasn’t to late to help her.
            After he had finished with Spike, he had checked in with the Cordy and Wes at the hospital. Willow was finally conscious and they were trying to convince the doctors to release her into their care. He had absolute faith in the fact that if anyone would be able to manage that feat then it would be those two. While they were doing that, he had agreed to go back to Willow’s house to get her some clothes. Although Cordy had suggested it would probably be easier to just get her clothes in LA, Wes had made her see the sense in at least making sure that Willow had a few basic necessities. Angel would have preferred for Cordy to select clothes for Willow, but he also knew that it might make Willow a bit uncomfortable to have her former high school enemy going through her things. Plus he needed Cordy at the hospital to make sure that Willow would be released from the hospital tonight.
            He walked in the front door and was on his way up the stairs when he saw her sitting on the couch. He sighed in frustration, the last thing he needed right now was a confrontation with Buffy over this. If what Spike had told him was true, then he blamed Buffy’s selfishness for what had happened earlier. Furthermore, he just didn’t have the time for the confrontation. There were only a few more hours of night left and he needed to spend them getting back to LA, and he would rather do that driving rather than in the trunk of his car.
“What are you doing here Angel?” Buffy asked as she stood up to face him.
“I’m getting some things for Willow,” he responded as he started to walk up the stairs.
“Why can’t she do that herself?”
”Because she can’t, so I am doing it for her.”
”Why?”
”Because I need her help on a case back in L.A.,” Angel lied.
“I don’t think Willow is the best person to help you,” Buffy said as she followed him into Willow’s room.
“That’s fine, but unfortunately, she’s the only person who can help. She was in Cordy’s vision which means it has to be her,” Angel lied again as he started to gather some of Willow’s clothes.
“You know she’s addicted to magic, I hope that you’re not going to be asking her to cast any spells. She’s quite dangerous,” Buffy said as she handed Angel one of Willow’s bags.
“So I’ve heard, but I think I can handle someone with a magic addiction.”
”What’s that supposed to mean?” Buffy demanded.
“It means exactly what it sounds like it means. I can handle the situation.”
“Are you implying that I can’t? I know about your little visit with Spike.”
”Look Buffy, the fact is that Cordy had a vision and Willow was in it. To find redemption, I have to follow the clues in Cordy’s vision. That’s what I’ve been doing for the last three years. I thought we were clear on this, I had a hard time finding Willow and I thought Spike could help.”
”So you shoved him onto a cross, and burned him?”
”He wanted to do it the hard way, not me.”
”Are you sure this has nothing to do with the Spike and me?”
”Buffy, you told me yourself three years ago to get over myself, I am telling you now, get over yourself. We’re over. You made that clear when you were with Riley. There’s no us, no matter what, there can’t be an us. I would have hoped that you could have found happiness with a human but I guess you’re just drawn to the dark. I don’t know and it’s not my place to be upset. Spike wanted to be difficult, I did what any other vampire in my position would do.”
”What try to kill him? I can’t believe what you’re saying,” Buffy said and looked up into his eyes.
“You can’t have it both ways, Buffy. You can’t tell me to not be jealous of your relationships and then expect me to be insanely jealous. You told me yourself to move on, that our lives were separate. Furthermore, you keep wanting to forget that I am a vampire and that I have a different set of rules for relationships than you do. If I had the time I’d explain it all to you. But I can promise you that what happened between Spike and I in the cemetery had nothing to do with you. Now if you don’t mind, I have to get back to LA.”
”Where is she?” Buffy asked, quickly changing topic.
“She’s with Cordy and Wes, getting some supplies that we will need.”
“I don’t believe you about what you said about Spike,” Buffy said as she trailed after him down the stairs.
“Believe what you want Buffy. But what you do is your business. That’s what you wanted, I am only here because of Cordy’s vision.”
            Angel walked away from her and it hurt him to do so. He wondered how they had gotten so far apart from one another. But he realized that he had meant every word that he had said to her. There had been a time when he would have gone into a rage if he found out that she was sexually linked to Spike, but now he just didn’t care. He seemed to only have feelings for Willow. He sighed as he put her two suitcases in his trunk, as he closed it and turned to the car door, he bumped into Buffy.
“Angel, I only do it to feel alive,” Buffy said with tears in her eyes.
“Look, I don’t care why you fuck Spike, alright. That’s your business. Right now, I have something more pressing to take care of.”
”So you only care if your precious Cordelia has a vision?”
”No, I am not saying that. But when she has a vision, I usually only have so long to take care of things. It’s not as if I can say to the Powers That Be, do you mind waiting while I take care of this personal crisis. It doesn’t work that way Buffy, it never has. I have a job to do, just like you do as the Slayer.”
“You’re going to regret just brushing me off. And you’re going to regret using Willow to help you, she’s just a junkie.”
            It took everything in him not to rip her throat out for her selfish behavior; if it hadn’t been for Willow she wouldn’t be standing there in front of him. He knew that she had never asked for Willow to do what she did, but he knew that Willow had only done it for her best friend. Instead of saying anything to her, he just got into his car and drove away from her. His primary concern was for Willow, when she was better and healthier, then he would deal with Buffy, but not before then.

**TBC**