ct15

Chapter Fifteen

The airport was crowded as Angel lead Willow and the rest to the baggage
claim. It had been decided that it would be a lot easier to fly with the
amount of people that were going. Otherwise they would have to take two
separate cars. The group weaved through the airport, all lost in their own
thoughts that they didn't notice the stares they received from other
travelers.

To watch them move as one, all confident and sure. A sense of power and
determination radiated off them. The leader never broke his pace, a hand on
the lower back of a stunning redhead. Followed by another couple, eyes locked
in front of them, yet always aware where the other was. Two separate males
were in the back, one walked with arrogance alert to his surroundings. The
other not as intimidating as the rest of the group, but no one would mistaken
him as weak.

Angel stopped at the luggage carousal. "We have two hours till sunrise. We
need to get our bags and find a hotel." Angel looked impatiently at the
opening where the bags should be coming at any moment. They had all packed
light, the brute of the baggage had been weapons. Willow had cast a spell
that would make anyone inspecting the bags think they saw the normal
traveling gear; clothing and toiletries.

Willow looked around the crowded airport, studying the faces in the crowd.
They were so close to seeing Buffy, Giles and Dawn again, and the stress of
the upcoming reunion was tying her stomach in knots. She could feel Angel
take her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze.

When the luggage finally came Angel grabbed the heaviest bag that contained
the chosen assortment of weapons they brought. The rest took their own bags,
as well as the one that Angel packed for himself. Finding a cab had been a
chore, but finding two was a nightmare. With time being an issue for Angel he
Willow and Wesley took the first available cab they could get, agreeing to
meet up at the hotel.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Angel there's only three rooms left." Willow whispered handing Angel the
keys that the creepy little man at the front desk had given her. The hotel
was run down, and generally gave Willow the creeps.

Angel was glaring at the greasy man behind the desk, that was looking a
little too intensely at Willow. "That's fine. Lindsey and Cordy can have one,
Wes and Gunn. And if you don't mind we can take one. Or I can bunk with Wes
and Gunn." Angel looked back over at the pathetic excuse of a human that was
licking his lips towards Willow's direction. He sure hoped that she didn't
mind, because he would hate to have to sleep in her doorway.

"Mind? No...not at all. I mean it's not like we haven't slept together
before." Willow answered nervously. Angel cocked an eyebrow at her choice of
words. "Well not *sleep* sleep together, but you know sleep...I'm just going
to shut up now." Turning away from the smirking vampire she sat in a torn and
dusty old chair. "Where did Wesley go?"

"He said he was going to find something to eat." Angel walked over and sat on
the arm of Willow's chair. "So are you excited about seeing Buffy again?" He
had been avoiding the B subject, but knew that he couldn't pretend any longer
that the slayer would be a part of their lives again.

"Um yeah sure...I mean of course, she was...is...was my best friend."
Willow's face reddened. "It's just weird is all. So much has happened. I'll
always love her, but things are different now. Cordelia has in a way taken
Buffy's place, but the friendship is different. With Buffy I was just her
tagalong little pal. With Cords I'm an equal." Angel nodded, understanding
what she was trying to say. He had seen the difference in the Willow from
years before, and the Willow of today. Angel knew it wasn't just because of
her getting older and maturing, but of being taken from the back burner.

The lobby doors opened with a creak, and Cordelia waltzed through wiping her
hands off on her jeans after touching the dirty door. "Well, at this place is
cleaner then the cab, which by the way stuck like Xander's locker in High
School." Willow rolled her eyes and took Angel's offered hand as he helped
her up from the chair.

"Those were his *lucky* gym shoes. He swore that whenever he wore them the
bullies left him alone." Willow giggled at the memory.

"Well, yeah, who would purposely get close enough to him with those rank
shoes." Cordelia rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile. For the
hundredth time she wished that it was Xander they were meeting instead of
Buffy.

"Here's your keys." Angel handed out the keys, and Cordelia wiggled her brows
toward Willow when she realized the little witch and vampire would be
shacking up for the night, possibly more. After the long night of travel they
headed off for their rooms, agreeing to meet up at sunset. Angel looked over
his shoulder at the disgusting clerk who was still leering at Willow. If that
little pest didn't stop Angel decided that he would have to teach him a thing
or two on how to treat a lady.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Willow are you ever coming out of there or have you drowned?" Angel pounded
on the door, growling in frustration. He wished he hadn't agreed to little
the little water nymph take the bathroom first. I swear if you don't answer
me I'm coming in. One..Two..Five." Angel turned the handle and peered into
the steamy bathroom. Looking around he spotted Willow asleep in the tub, the
bubbles from her bath reduced to a filmy layer that hugged onto the top of
the water.

With a groan Angel walked in and grabbed a towel. He could do this. He could
lift her from the bath, wrap her in a towel and get her dressed in the night
clothes that were sitting on the counter. Who was he kidding he couldn't
handle this. "Willow?" He whispered. Getting no response from her he cleared
his throat and treid again. "Willow?"

Sucking in a deep breath he grabbed a towel and tossed it over his shoulder.
Taking another step to the bath he dipped his hands into the water and
gripped onto her slippery body, avoiding any parts of her body that were sure
to set him off. Lifting her effortlessly from the bath he kept his eyes
trained on the shower tile, and leaned her body against his so he could get
the towel around her.

When she was safely wrapped, he picked her up and brought her to his lap as
he sat on the edge of the tub. Letting out the breath he held trapped in his
lungs, he waited for a second before starting the next step ... dressing
Willow for bed. He could feel his arousal already straining against his
jeans, and willed it away, but like always it had a mind of its own. Leaning
to get her clothes, her body was pressed firmly against his, and he nearly
moaned out loud.

Shirt first...shirt first. He chanted taking the baby pink top and struggled
to get it over her head. After succeeding with that, he worked her arms
through the holes. Grinning at his accomplishment, he stared at the panties
that were neatly folded on top of her PJ bottoms. "Oh God no." His cock
hardened even more. He couldn't do this, he should just wake her. But then
she'd be embarrassed, and he would be embarrassed. Picking up the flower
printed panties with his finger tips he couldn't help but think how utterly
Willow they were. Cotton, with pink and blue small flowers all over. Slipping
her feet through the holes he shifted her on his lap and pulled them higher
up her legs. Her long smooth beautiful legs. 'Stop.' He scolded himself. He
almost had them up over her hips when he ran into trouble. The way she was
situated he couldn't pull them any higher, he was going to have to move her.
If there was a time for her *not* to wake up it was now.

Sitting her up a little and wrapping an arm around her waist he pulled up one
side. The towel was in the way, and he couldn't get the other side up without
moving it, exposing flesh. 'I can do this...I am *not* a pervert...I'm just
helping a very tired friend get ready for bed. A very tired, utterly sexy
friend that I'm in love with.'

Moving the towel he couldn't stop his eyes from moving to the exposed flesh
of her right cheek. Starting to pull the panties up his eyes bulged at the
tattoo before him. It was his tattoo, smaller but he would know it anywhere.
Willow had tattooed herself with his marking.

Angel couldn't suppress the smile that tugged on his lips. So this was the
tattoo that Cordy was threatening Willow to tell him about. Smiling at the
beautiful young woman in his lap, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Alone at last." Lindsey walked behind Cordelia and wrapped his arms around
her waist.

Cordelia smiled and leaned back. "I need a shower." Walking out of Lindsey's
embrace she took her overnight bag and headed to the bathroom. Looking over
her shoulder at his pout she purred to him. "Want to wash my back?"

Lindsey straightened and advanced on her pinning her up against the bathroom
door. "No. But there are other places I wouldn't mind washing." Nuzzling her
neck, he let one hand trace down her body, stopping at her ample breasts.
Cordelia moaned and leaned into his touch. "I can be persuaded." Lindsey left
her neck and sought out her lips. His hand slipped under her shirt and he
pulled her bra down to have better access to her hardened nipple. Pinching it
between two fingers he loved the throaty moans he could draw out of his love.

"You were saying something about a shower?" Lindsey pulled away from Cordelia
and walked past her into the bathroom. Cordelia growled in frustration and
followed him in. She'd teach him who was the best at playing these games.