ct21

~~~Part 21~~~

Angel glanced over the dinner�s table at Willow. She hadn�t said a damn word to him since they got up that afternoon. The moment he felt her wake up, she was up and out of bed within minutes she was gone from their room, he didn�t see her again until sunset.

The others feeling the tension between Angel and Willow did what all-good friends would do in that situation... they ditched them. Hoping that privacy would solve whatever tiff they were in. Angel wished that he knew what had happened between last night and this afternoon. Did he talk in his sleep? Say things that he shouldn�t have said perhaps? Looking over at Willow sipping her soda I felt like shaking her until she told him what was wrong.

�Willow if I did something wrong I�m sorry.� Angel leaned over the table and took her hands into his.

Willow tried to yank her hands free, but Angel wouldn�t let her have any of that. �Angel it�s nothing.�

�You�re a terrible liar.� Letting go of her hands he sat back. They sat there like that for several moments, the waitress dropping off Willow�s salad and refilling drinks. The silence was getting to Angel, usually silence between them was the comfortable kind, but this was killing him.

A couple walked into the dinner, their arms laced around one another as they whispered into one another�s ears laughing at the other�s words. Willow looked up and couldn�t help but glare in the couple�s direction. The two were apparently happily in love, nothing like the heart tearing love that she had. How many nights had she slept by Angel�s side now? Too many to count. And how far had they gotten? He kissed her neck, yippee. Maybe she was wrong; perhaps what they had was a very close friendship...

Angel watched as Willow glowered at the happy couple and sink into a deeper funk. What now? �Willow will you just tell me what I did wrong?� Willow glowered at the vampire. �Okay a hint?� Willow stabbed a piece of lettuce. �Throw me a line here Red, I�m lost.�

�Angel, it�s nothing. Please let it drop.�

�I would if I thought there was nothing wrong, but there is I can feel it.� Angel�s frustration mounted.

Willow put down her fork and stood from the table. �If I have to tell you then trust me...*it�s nothing*.� Grabbing her jacket she was about to walk out when Angel grabbed her hand.

�Willow stop acting like a child. Tell me what�s going on, it�s the only way that I can fix it.� His words were a little harsh from being in the dark about Willow�s odd behavior.

�Angel if I have to tell you then it really doesn�t mean any-...Did you just call me a child?� Willow�s eyes flashed and she pulled forcefully from his grasp.

Angel sighed. He knew the second he called her that he only made the situation worse. But damnit she was acting like a pouting brat. �You wont tell me what�s wrong, you sit there pouting and you think that makes you a grown up.� He growled under his breath. Willow narrowed her eyes at him, her palm itching to slap his smug face.

�If I�m such a *child* then why bother with how I feel?� Willow could feel the blood pounding in her temples, and in the back of her mind she tried to figure out how she went from being upset with Angel for his lack of physical attention to this.

Angel pursed his lips together and controlled the rude and uncalled for responses from being spoken. �Damnit you�re being such a ...a...women.�

�Duh! You stupid vampire!� Willow spin and stalked out the diner leaving the rest of the occupants to stare at him.

�I forgot out anniversary.� He answered lamely, throwing money on the table and rushing out after her.

~~~*~~~

Lindsey rubbed his hands together and looked toward the bathroom door, making sure that he could still hear the sound of splashing water, signaling that Cordelia was still taking a bath. Placing the candles he picked up that afternoon around the room, he hurried so that everything was perfect. He wished that he could wait until they got back to the beach house to do this, but with so many people under one roof this was his and Cordy�s first chance at actually being alone.

Picking up the bowl of rose petals he sprinkled them over the bed and on the floor. Taking a nervous look around the room he tried to think if there was any other way he could transform the cheap room into paradise. Walking over to the night stand Lindsey pulled the top drawer open, checking for the forth time that the ring box was still in there.

Everything was ready, now if he could just get his heart rate to decrease a little before he had a heart attack. Taking a few deep breaths he sat on the edge of the bed. He wished that he could offer Cordelia more. A stable home, steady income but they lived a different life now. One that was never offered at career day when he was in High School. Lindsey grunted at where his thoughts were running. Focus he needed to focus on making this the most perfectly romantic night of Cordelia�s life.

Could she spend the rest of her life with a guy like him? Knowing what he had done in the past, but letting it go. He had tried to kill her, even though he really hadn�t known her it what he had done would�ve constituted as murder anyhow. With a growl he stood and to a look at the room again. This was wrong; he didn�t deserve to have a perfect night with Cordelia, or a life with her for that matter.

He was tempted to pick up the room and forget his plans for the future, but the sound of the bathroom door opening and the small gasp from his love�s lips brought him back to the moment. Looking into Cordelia�s watering eyes he knew. She would forgive him for anything. She was his savor not only from his past but also from himself.

�Lindsey?� Cordelia looked around in wonder. �Is this all for me?�

Lindsey chuckled and walked over to stand in front of her. �It would be pretty silly if it was for me.� Cordelia took another look around the room and then back at the man in front of her.

�Lindsey it�s perfect.�

�I wish I could give you a four star hotel, but just as long that you�re with me we could be in the worst hotel in the world and it wouldn�t matter.�

Cordelia threw her head back and laughed. �We are in the worst hotel in the free world, but I don�t care.�

Lindsey wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body to press against his. Dipping his head forward he was inches away from her lips when a persistent knocking came at the door. Cordelia moved back slightly and Lindsey growled. �Ignore it, who ever it is will go away.� Pulling her back his lips brushing lightly on hers the knock came again, but this time with the pitiful voice of Willow.

Lindsey let Cordelia go, knowing that until they found out what was wrong they would never get on with the night. Cordelia kissed his cheek and hurried to the door, letting the redhead in. �Willow what happened? Why are you crying?�

�Men are jerks.� Willow gushed moving past Cordelia into the room. �Well vampires are jerks.�

Lindsey and Cordelia exchanged looks, and her eyes widened as she took in his attire. Here Willow was pacing angrily in their room and Lindsey was only dressed in his boxers. Looking down Lindsey blushed and hurried over to his bad and pulled out a pair of sweats.

�I mean you�d think that he�d have a clue. He�s been alive for like ever. But nooooo, he�s just as big a boob as the rest of the male population that walks the earth.�

�Angel?� Cordelia tried to follow the conversation, but with Willow�s pacing it made it hard.

�Yes Angel! You know what makes it worse? Seeing all these couples happily in love, walking around holding hands laughing at one another�s stupid jokes.� Cordelia and Lindsey looked down at their clasped hands and let go. �It makes me sick.�

�Yeah well.... Willow I�m not following you here. I thought you cared for Angel.� Cordelia wanted to solve the redhead�s problem, get rid of her friend and get back to Lindsey.

�I *do*. But what is he waiting for? My Goddess I�ll be old and gray before he makes his first move.� Willow stopped pacing to glare at her friends.

�Ohhh, that�s what this is all about.� Lindsey looked questioningly at his girlfriend wishing she�d spare a little hint. Looking at Lindsey Cordelia could see that he had no clue.

�Men are so dense I swear. Willow you�re frustrated.�

�Really Cordelia missed that.� Willow sat on the bed oblivious of the scattering of petals.

�Hang with me Wills, cause I�m trying to cause you the least amount of embarrassment here. You are frustrated...� Cordelia held her hands up to silence another retort form Willow. �You care for Angel, and you�re not *mad* at him you are frustrated with him for not *doing* something.� Lindsey�s brow creased as he tried to decode Cordelia�s words and his face turned red as he figured it out.

�Huh? Cordelia you�re not making.�

�Dear God Willow you�re sexually frustrated.� Cordelia let out. Willow�s face turned red.

�Don�t you have to actually have had sex to be frustrated?� Willow couldn�t believe that she was talking about sex in front of Lindsey.

�Noooo, explanation right there, no need to go on.� Lindsey put a hand to his face to cover the smile that would only rile the redhead more.

�Oh. So I�m not mad at him for calling me a child?� Willow�s temper lessened and Lindsey saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Just a few more minutes and Willow would leave and patch things up with Angel.

�He called you what??� Cordelia�s eyes widened and she went and sat next to Willow, disturbing more of the rose petals to the floor.

�He said I was acting like a child because I wouldn�t tell him what was wrong. I was so mad when he said it, but he was right. He�s just so...perfect. I�ll never be any match for him.� Cordelia put an arm around the redhead to comfort her friend as Lindsey watched in horror as his plans started to go up in smoke.

�No he�s not good enough for you. Why do men do that? They don�t get what they want then accuse us of being childish.� Cordelia glared at the only male in the room and Lindsey went to sit down knowing that an act of God couldn�t salvage that night, not when you got to very passionate females talking about the stupidity of men.

Willow nodded and leaned her head on Cordelia�s shoulder, �Stupid men... I think I love him.�

�I know. I think he loves you too if it helps.� Cordelia smiled.

Lindsey felt as though the room was closing in on him, being stuck in the middle of girl talk. It was any males worst nightmare.

Willow wiped her eyes, her temper spent. Looking around the room, then at the way Cordelia and Lindsey were dressed and blushed. �Oh my Goddess I�m so sorry. Why didn�t you tell me that you were in the middle of something?�

Lindsey looked at Cordelia how gave him a look to remain quiet. �I�m always her for you Willow you know that.�

Willow stood from the bed and hurried to the door. �I�ll just let you two...you know do what ever it was you were *doing*.�

After the door closed behind Willow Cordelia turned back to Lindsey. �Where were we?�

~~~*~~~

Angel got back to the hotel and went straight to his and Willow�s room. He had some things to apologize for. No matter how upset they were with one another he knew better then to let for walk away in the middle of the night mad at him. Something could�ve happened to her, and he wouldn�t have been there to keep her safe. �You�re well over two centuries old and you still can�t stop yourself from saying stupid things in the middle of a fight can you?� Angel berated himself.

Going straight to their room he had found it empty. Angel panicked thinking the worst. Hurrying to Wes and Gunn�s room only to find that they hadn�t seen Willow since they left to get something to eat earlier. Cordelia. Of course she�d go to her friend. Going to her room he pounded on the door only to hear Lindsey�s outraged cry.

The door swung open and Lindsey stood there glaring at the vampire. �She�s not here.�

�Did she come.-�

�She let about two minutes ago... and I swear to all that is holy Angel if you step one foot into this room I will tie your ass to the nearest utility poll and laugh when the sun comes up.� Angel looked past Lindsey�s shoulder at the lit candles and rose petals.

�Sorry. Do you know where she went?� Angel ignored the glare that Lindsey aimed at him.

�She went back to your room.� Cordelia yelled from inside. �You probably just missed her.�

Angel nodded and started to walk away when Lindsey grabbed his arm and said in a low voice. �From one male to another she�s frustrated.�

�Huh?�

Lindsey rolled his eyes, Cordy was right the male race really needed a wake up call. �Please don�t make me say it man. I had to endure a twenty-minute girl talk session.�

Angel looked at Lindsey pointed stare when he understood. Smiling like an idiot Angel hurried away. He was right... Willow was such a women.

~~~*~~~