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~~~3~~~

The bell announced Willow�s arrival, as she walked through the back door of the bookshop. Balancing a donut on top of her piping hot coffee, she used her foot to shut the door behind her. Calling out a welcome, Willow smiled when she heard no reply. She loved having a few minutes alone in the morning before the store opened. It wasn�t as though customers were knocking the door down for old musty books. But their clientele was enough to keep the shop going and her on salary.

Walking to the office and setting down her breakfast, Willow went around the shop turning on lights and replacing any stray books. Running her hand over the spines of the leather bond volumes Willow was reminded of the library back home...before it blew up.

�Kaddy?� Maddy�s voice rang out.

�I�m in the front.� Willow took a look around and took a deep breath. So much for being alone.

�Please don�t tell me that this donut and coffee is all your having for breakfast!?� Maddy�s dismayed voice questioned as Willow tried not to laugh. As long as she had worked for the older woman, she got the same lecture every morning. If Willow were to be totally honest with herself she would admit that she was deathly sick of her donut breakfasts. It was the concern that Maddy showed every day that she craved.

�I�m telling you Maddy you are missing out on one of life�s treasures. Jelly filled powered donuts.� Licking her lips Willow�s eyes almost sparkled in mischief.

Maddy grinned back, noticing that �Kaddy� was almost healed from the trauma that happened almost a year ago. The dejected shell of a human that found her way to Maddy�s steps was nothing like the young woman she was today. It didn�t take a genius to know that the Goddess placed the young girl in her care until the time was right to put her back into the world again. She knew that �Kaddy� was meant for something more than some small bookstore. Soon �Kaddy� would be gone. So Maddy cherished everyday knowing that their time together was defiantly limited.

�If you don�t behave I won�t let you help me with that new arrival you�ve been drooling over.� With a clucking sound Maddy went through her morning chores.

Willow sat down behind the desk and choked down her breakfast.

A few hours latter, both Maddy and Willow were knee deep in leather bond volumes. Reading the titles like with glee. Each book they pulled out of the large chest was a new treasure to behold. Willow looked down into the wooden box and gasped in shock when a symbol on one of the books caught her attention. With shaking hands Willow reached in and pulled out the old book.

It was the sign of the Watcher Council, she�d know that sign anywhere. �Maddy who exactly was this guy?�

�Oh some older gentleman that came over from England a few years back. He never really socialized with the rest of the town. Boy did he have a lot of visitors though.� Maddy was wiping the covers of the dusty volumes. �Biggest bunch of tweed wearing anal-retentive pricks I�ve ever met. They stopped in here a time or two. All whispering together like little old woman.�

Willow bit the side of her cheek to keep from laughing at the older woman�s description of the man that had to be Watchers. Looking down into her lap at what had to be a Watcher�s journal Willow couldn't� resist opening the book and start reading through it. What she saw made her eyes bug out. Closing the cover again, to look at the age of the book, Willow dropped it like it was some sort of snake ready to bite her.

�Kaddy?� Maddy�s worried expression caught Willow�s attention. �What on Mother�s Earth got into you? �You�re as pale as a ghost.�

�Did this...guy from England travel a lot?� Willow�s voice trembled, as she stared at Maddy intently.

�Well the first few years, but then he fell ill. Why?� Maddy picked up the book from Willow�s lap and let out a long use of profanity. �I don�t believe it. But it does explain a lot. I take it you recognize the marking from your days in Sunnydale?�

Willow felt a moment of nostalgia. �Yeah, Giles tried his hardest to keep them locked away. But no matter where he hide them Buffy and I were able to hunt the books down. But that book...it�s-it�s about us, my friends.� Opening the front cover of the book for Maddy to see the first page she waited for the older woman�s reaction.

�Well I�ll be. It�s about you and your friends.�

�He followed us.� Willow whispered. �That�s just...creepy.�

Maddy flipped through a few pages and stopped on the last page. �Oh my. Oh my! Willow look!� Maddy handed the book back with shaking hands. �Tell me that my old age isn�t catching up with me.�

Willow read the last page twice and then a third time to make sure she hadn�t been mistaken. �This has to be a mistake. The Watchers would never keep this from us, after everything we went through.� Willow�s angered voice sounded raw even to her own ears. The room seemed to start spinning as she gulped in deep breaths. �They wouldn�t would they?�

�Willow the Watcher�s haven�t always been known to be the most intelligent people known.� Maddy�s patted Willow�s hand.

�But to keep something like *this* a secret. It�s almost seems cruel.�

�Well what are you going to do with it?� Maddy watched Willow carefully, judging her emotions.

Willow reread the heading one more time and wiped at her watering eyes. �I�m going to do what�s right. Angel deserves this, he deserves to be happy.� Maddy nodded in total agreement. �It�s a great early Christmas present.�

�It�s what any ensouled vampire wants for Christmas. Their very own soul for eternity.� Willow looked up her eyes sparkling. Looking back down at spell that took up the last page in the book, Willow felt the urge to jump up and down in joy.

The only damper to this was that she wouldn�t get to see Angel�s face when he read it.

~~~*~~~

�Angel Dear Lord what is it? You look paler than usual.� Wesley watched as Angel stopped in the middle of the hotel lobby with a package in his hand.

�I got a package.� Angel�s voice was barley above a whisper.

�I hope my Mom didn�t send you a fruitcake.� Fred apologized. �I keep telling her that no one really likes fruitcake for the holidays...� Pausing Fred felt everyone looking at her again.

�I liked fruitcake.� Angel tried to reassure Fred. �I-I got a book.�

�Yeah like we don�t have *lots* of those.� Rolling her eyes Cordelia went back to trying to get Patrick to walk while holding onto her fingers.

�It�s from Willow.� The room went deathly still. They had been so far unsuccessful in their attempt at locating their redheaded witch.

�Please tell me that you aren�t trying to get a sense of humor again. Because if you are that�s a *very* bad joke.� Cordelia picked Patrick up as she hurried over to Angel�s side.

�It�s no joke. It�s from Willow.� Impatient for Angel to explain, Cordelia snatched the letter that Angel had been reading and started to read aloud.

Dear Angel and all,

I�m really not great with this whole letter writing thing. I mean how do you start a letter to people that you love with your entire heart but haven�t seen for so long? I�m sure that you�ve heard about the horrible things I did, and in no way shape or from am I asking for your forgiveness

I found this book, or perhaps I should say it found me. And I knew just who should have it. I�m sure once you take a look at the symbol on the front you�ll recognize it as a Watcher�s Diary. It�s a very special book, unlike any diary we�ve seen so far. It�s about us...the original Scoobies. We had our very own Watcher by the name of Walter Strickland, who wrote down our first couple of years together. This isn�t a book about the slayer, or about the Scourge of Europe. But us. Xander, Cordelia, Amy, Oz and even Angel. I read the book cover to cover. I laughed and cried, but every page kept me enthralled, reminding me of the closeness we once all shared.

Now before you start reading I want you to know a little about Walter Strickland. With this Diary I also had his personal journal. Mr. Strickland was from a long line of Watchers. He believed firmly in the old belief that a Watcher should see and not be heard. He followed us through our everyday lives, never interfering when things got too tough. It wasn�t until the end that he was torn on whether or not he should break his sacred oath, but he suffered a major stroke and the decision was made for him.

Though I�m sure you would all love this book as I did. The last page is my Christmas gift to Angel. Please know I give it out of Friendship and love. And hope that you someday find happiness, you deserve it.

You�re in my thoughts,

Willow

Angel discarded the box the book was in, and opened the book slowly. Cordelia stood on tiptoe as Angel opened to the last page and let out a cry of delight. Angel just stared a single tear forming in his eye.

�Well don�t leave us hanging.� Gunn prodded.

�It�s a spell to anchor Angel�s soul.� Cordelia smiled brightly in his direction.

�Are you to tell me that a Watcher had this spell and never did anything about it?� Gunn looked over at Wesley as though he�d have the answer.

�Don�t look at me. Had I known there were a spell to ensure that we�d never see Angelus again don�t you think I would have found it?� Feeling the need to defend himself because of his past days with the Watcher�s council.

�This is the best Christmas gift you could ever get!� Cordelia hugged Angel�s stiff body tight. Stepping back when he didn�t respond. �Angel?�

�She doesn�t think we�d ever forgive her, but she sends me this.� Angel held the book up a little higher. �She gave me a soul, and now she�s giving me a way to keep it forever.�

�This is a good thing Angel. I know that happy times in your life are few and far between. But the usual response at a time like this is sometimes a smile.� Studying his face Cordelia felt her heart sink at the sadness she saw.

�I know. I am happy...really I am.� He tired to convince Cordelia. �I just want Willow back. I want her to know that we miss her. That no matter what we could forgive her. I just want Willow for Christmas.�

Cordelia nodded. Knowing what Angel meant. It had taken awhile, but she had learned that it wasn�t the material things in life that made it worth living. But the friends you met on the way. Willow was one of those people that just made life a little brighter.

Fred watched as Cordelia and Angel whispered to one another. �Did you get a look at the box?� Wesley asked from behind. Fred took one last look in her friends direction before answering.

�Yes. The postmark was out of Portland Maine.�

�So now we need to look into this Watcher guy, and maybe we can draw a line to Willow.� Gunn joined their conversation .

�I hope this works. It�s just a few weeks before Christmas.� Fred said anxiously, as the three climbed up the stairs to the room they had dubbed �Operation Willow for Christmas�. The were hell bent on locating the missing girl *and* getting her back to LA by Christmas.

�Now that we have asolid lead I�m sure something will come up.� Wesley smiled down at Fred.