starlit_desires | FIC: Lost & Found 3/? PG-15 (Reply)

Still not 100% sure with the pairing as it can still go either way.

Title: Lost & Found 3/?

Pairing: Angel/Willow

Rating: PG-15

Disclaimer: The Buffyverse belongs to Joss Whedon and company.

Notes: An alternate universe following the events in BTVS S.3’s “Lover’s Walk.”

            When Angel arrived in the library, the grim and determined faces of Cordelia and Giles greeted him. He could remember happier times when Buffy and her friends could be found in the library arguing over the last jelly donut while they researched the latest threat to Sunnydale. Now they were all separate because of his wayward childe. He refused to believe that Willow and Xander sharing a kiss, or even several kisses, had led to the great divide that had occurred. But he had been unable to find any other cause for it.
“Where’s Willow?”
“She’s sleeping in Giles’ office. What did you say to Buffy?” Cordelia bluntly asked.
“Cordelia,” Giles said tiredly.
“It’s alright, Giles. I ended up talking to her the other night and I found out that they all think that Willow preformed some type of lust or love spell on Xander.”
”You mean, Buffy thinks that.”
”Cordelia, please!”
“Well it’s true. If Buffy said that the moon was green, Xander would believe it,” Cordelia said in exasperation.
“I suppose that is somewhat true,” Giles admitted.
“If by somewhat you mean always, yes it is true. Anyhow, Angel what did you really say to Buffy about Willow because she practically accused Willow of trying to steal you away from her.”
“It’s a long story,” Angel said as he looked away from them.
“Well perhaps you should inform us of that story,” Giles said as he started to polish his glasses.
            After had Angel had reluctantly told Giles and Cordelia of his encounter with Buffy, the three sat at the table in a grim silence as they thought about what Buffy’s belief that Willow had purposely tried to cause harm.
“There has to be a reason for Buffy’s sudden change,” Giles said.
“There should be, but I can’t find one.”
”What did Spike say to the two of you?” Willow asked as she came out of Giles office.
“Nothing that could explain her drastic change in behaviour,” Angel said as he looked at the redhead with concern in his eyes.
“Are you sure?” Giles asked.
“He told us that we could never be just friends, and that we would always be in love. And some rubbish about love not being brains and that type of stuff.”
”Well unless Buffy has a problem with that, it makes no sense,” Cordelia said.
“It’s not that,” Willow said as she sank in the chair beside Angel.
“Now Willow you can’t say that for sure,” Giles said.
“Actually I can. I spoke to her at the hospital and she told me what Spike had said to her. And she laughed it off and said that it was just some garbage of his to try to make things difficult.”
”Uh if you knew why did you ask?” Cordelia asked.
“I wanted to make sure that she didn’t omit anything when she told me.”
“Then it must be a supernatural. Maybe she’s possessed,” Cordelia suggested.
“It seems quite odd that she would be possessed, especially since her behaviour only changed over night.”
“But it has happened before, look at Xander and the hyenas.”
”It does but I don’t think that’s the case this time.”
”Plus you need to factor in Faith,” Willow said quietly.
“I don’t see where you’re going with this,” Giles said.
“Buffy’s always been so reserved and Faith’s not, perhaps she’s just seeing her duty as a Slayer in a whole new light.”
”Hmmm… enough to abandon her duty and to threaten you?” Giles murmured.
”Perhaps we should call it night?” Angel asked, “We might be able to think about this more tomorrow with clearer heads.”
“That might be a good idea,” Giles responded.
            Angel walked Cordelia and Willow to the brunette’s car and watched as they drove off. There had to be something more profound than Spike’s casual words and Faith’s lifestyle to have altered Buffy’s attitude. He doubted that it was possession, since Buffy was seemingly acting normal to everyone else but Willow. Her attitude towards Cordelia wasn’t that unusual since the two had never been best of friends in the first place. He was also worried about how Buffy had threatened Willow with retribution. He was tempted to search Buffy out to see if he could get to the bottom of her mysterious behaviour. However, Angel doubted that she would open up to him, especially after their confrontation.

**TBC**