mb8

chapter Eight

"You're awake." Willow heard Angel's voice and paused for a moment, her heart
skipping a beat. After he left the bed in such a hurry, she hadn't been able
to get back to sleep. After the effects of deep sleep and some good pain
killers wore off, Willow felt embarrassed at how comfortable she had been
wrapped in Angel's arms.

"Yeah couldn't get back to sleep. Is Cordy all right?" Willow shifted on the
bed, wincing in pain as she felt the pull on her stitches.

"Willow stop fidgeting or you're going to tear your stitches open." Angel
scolded her, moving toward the bed and helped her into a sitting position.
Fluffing the pillows behind her head he stepped back making sure she was
comfortable. "Let me get your medicine."

Willow let out a long sigh, not liking the fact that she was practically an
invalid. Plus having Angel wait on her hand and foot made her feel awkward.
"You didn't say if Cordy was ok."

"She had a vision." Angel answered from the bathroom as he read the
instructions the doctor had left. "I'll have to leave tonight, but Delia will
be here." Willow noted the nick name he had for the ex-cheerleader and
wondered if perhaps the two were closer than she expected. <No, if they were
he wouldn't have crawled in bed with me.> Willow's face reddened when she
realized she had felt a pang of jealousy went she thought of Angel and Cordy
in that sort of way. That she would think of him in anyway.

"Here, take these." Angel walked back into the room and handed her a glass of
water and a handful of pills. "So as I was saying Delia had a vision,
something to do with a Homecoming dance and a demon. Lindsey and I are going
to fight it, but after that I'll be back."

"Lindsey? I don't think I know her." Willow looked down at the fistful of
pills and groaned. How was she going to choke all these down?

Angel chuckled. "She's a he, and he used to work for Wolfram and Hart."
Willow shrugged her shoulders, showing Angel that she had no idea who they
were.

"You know the big evil Law firm I've been fighting for almost two years now."
Willow shook her head slowly. "Sorry doesn't ring any bells."

"I can't believe you guys don't know about Wolfram and Hart." Angel stood
puzzled, and a little alarmed. Had they gotten that out of touch? "Lindsey, I
cut his hand off."

"Oh wait! Cordy did email me something about that. I'm sure he deserved it."
Willow felt almost guilty for not knowing the happenings in Angel's and
Cordy's lives. But wasn't it Angel that left without a glance back? Leaving
everything and everyone. He may have had a good reason, leaving town to let
Buffy get on with life. But still the least he could have done was say
good-bye. <No, the least he could do was just leave. And he did that pretty
well.> Cordy had been the same. It's not as though she left any forwarding
addresses. They wanted a fresh start, and that's just what they got.

Angel could see the gears going in Willow's head. "So I hear that things in
Sunnydale are pretty intense."

Willow looked away from Angel. "You could say that."

"How bad is it?" Angel sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out and taking
the redhead's hand.

"We can't win. No matter what we do, or how we do it we always lose. I mean
not even Spike and Buffy together can put a dent into Glory. She's a God. How
are we supposed to destroy a God? Are we supposed to?" Willow slumped back
feeling guilty that she was here in LA while her friends were trying
desperately to find a way to stop Glory. "I should be with them."

"We are not going through that again. Bed rest, it's what the doctor said you
needed, and that's just what you are going to get." Angel stood. "I'm going
to let you get some sleep, I'm sure that the medicines will be kicking in
soon."

"Angel?" Willow yawned.

"Yes, Willow."

"Thanks for letting me stay here. I hope I'm not too much of a bother."

"You'll never be a bother." Angel returned to the bed, leaning forward and
kissing Willow lightly on the forehead. By the time he stood up the little
witch was already asleep.

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

"Angel Investigations we help the....*what* are you doing calling here?"
Lindsey looked up from the pile of invoices Cordelia had him going through at
the venom in her voice.

"Spike I don't have time to trade insults with you." Lindsey shifted some
papers, pretending not to listen.

"If it wasn't for you and your pathetic love life I wouldn't have been
impaled by a piece of metal. I have a scar thank you very much."

"Something wrong Delia?" Angel walked down the stairs feeling the tension
rolling off his seer.

Lindsey shrugged and looked back at the pile in front of him. It was really
rather fascinating the jobs Angel's group did. There were at least four
demons that they had fought in the last month that not even he had heard of.

"Listen to me you pathetic bleach blond idiot I will not stand here and-."
Angel walked over and took the phone from Cordelia's hand.

"What do you want Spike?" Angel nearly growled into the phone.

"Well, hello to you too Peaches. How'd you know she was talking to me and not
to Buffy?" Spike's voice answered back over the line.

"Just a wild guess. What do you want?"

"I called to see how the little witch was doing and find out when I can come
and pick her up." Angel tensed when Spike mentioned coming to take Willow
from LA.

"She'll be fine. But the doctor wants her to get some bed rest. And we both
know that if she goes back there now you'll never keep her in bed."

"Don't know about the others here mate, but I know I could keep her in-."

"Shut up Spike. I'll tell Willow that you called." Hanging up the phone Angel
turned to find Cordelia glaring at him. "What?"

"I just can't believe that you sired him." Cordelia sat down at her desk.

"I didn't Dru did."

"Angel do you really want to go there?" Cordelia rolled her eyes and Lindsey
tried to keep the laughter from spilling out.