| ~~Thanksgiving 2002~~ “We’re here why?” Cordelia unfastened the child seat and lifted Patrick into her arms. Making a funny face at the infant to make him laugh. Angel stood behind her, the baby bag already slung over his shoulder. “Because, we’ve been so busy this last year we haven’t even talked to everyone here.” Angel sighed, the words had been repeated a dozen times over the last week. He really didn’t want to be here anymore than she did, if it weren’t for the fact that they hadn’t heard from Willow in over a year he wouldn’t have bothered forcing Cordelia to make the trek with him. He would’ve just stayed in LA, spending the day with the gang there. The last year had been a blur of diaper changes and feeding schedules. Not just for him, but for everyone. It had just seemed natural for them all to take a hand in raising Patrick. At one time or another they all took turns walking the hotel hallways to calm down his cries. Many outfits ruined by baby puke. But none of them minded. Patrick had stolen a piece of each of their hearts. It seemed like yesterday that they brought Patrick home on that horrible rainy night, and here it was a year later. Boy how time flew. “We haven’t seen or heard from Willow in over a year. I thought it would be a great opportunity to visit with her.” “She could’ve come to LA you know.” Cordelia’s words were softened by the sound of Patrick’s giggles. “One meal, that’s all.” “Yeah, that’s what they said to...” Cordelia bit her tongue. She knew that Angel felt guilty about ditching Willow like they had. The last time any of them had heard from the witch was when Buffy came back. “Okay let’s get this over with.” Angel walked up to the familiar door and knocked. After a moment Dawn answered, her eyes darting from Angel to the baby that Cordelia was holding. “He’s perfect!” Dawn went to take the baby from Cordelia’s arms, but seeing the teens intentions Cordelia blocked the advance with her body. “She’s a little over protective;” Angel hugged Dawn as he sent a warning glance in Cordelia’s direction to behave. “Just as long as I can hold him some time tonight.” Dawn opened the front door to allow Angel and Cordelia into her home. “Spike just got here, he and Buffy are arguing upstairs right now.” “Oh yeah Angel did you hear that? You get your very own family reunion.” Cordelia’s fake smile had Angel questioning his sanity for a moment. This had been his idea... right? Perhaps he should’ve listened to Cordelia and invited Willow out to LA. “Deadboy.” Xander came walking out of the kitchen, “Long time no see.” “Xander.” Angel tried to greet the boy as graciously as he could, while taking the baby form Cordelia so she could take her jacket off. “So this is the little guy...he doesn’t bite does he?” Angel felt his body tense at Xander’s thoughtless words. He had been avoiding the Sunnydale group because he didn’t want to encounter questions like this. Patrick may have been born from two vampires, but he was one hundred percent human. “I don’t know Xander, care to find out?” Xander paled at Angel’s smirk and took a step back. “Angel!” Buffy stood at the top of the stairs, her face flushed at the sight of him. Her eyes traveled to Patrick and dimmed slightly. Spike stood behind her, his face void of emotion but Angel knew better. He had spent more than enough time with William to know that his childe was furious. “I didn’t hear you come.” Cordelia rolled her eyes and grabbed Patrick away from Angel stalking off to the living room to find a safe place for the curious baby to roll around. “We just got here.” “I thought that Wes, Gunn and that girl was going to come.” Buffy started to descend the steps; her gaze looked with his. Angel felt trapped. It was nice to see Buffy again, but it would be better if she’d just let the past alone. “Her name is Fred and no they decided to have their own special holiday.” “So, Pops how’s my new little brother?” Spike followed Buffy. Angel didn’t let Spike’s flippant question bother him. Deep down he knew that Spike really felt like an older brother. Over the last year the bleach blonde had sent several odd, yet touching gifts to Patrick. “He’s doing great. He’s almost walking now.” Angel beamed like any new Father would. Buffy seemed to pout a little, but quickly dismissed the unattractive look. “You should see the spread we’ve been cooking all day.” Grabbing his hand she hauled him toward the kitchen. A very pregnant Anya was arguing with Dawn over the correct way to make mashed potatoes, as Xander snatched quick tastes from the stove. Angel looked around for the one person they came to see, disappointed that she hadn’t been there to greet him. “It smells good.” Angle offered as he eyed the destructive state of the kitchen. “WHAT!?” Cordelia’s voice bounced off the walls followed by a startled cry from Patrick. “Angel...ANGEL!!!” Yanking his hand from Buffy’s death like grip Angel hurried to the living room where Cordelia stood her chest heaving, her eyes dark with rage. Angel went to pick Patrick up, hushing away his sons startled tears. “What’s going on in here?” He demanded as he looked from Cordelia to Spike who was lounged back on the couch with out a care in the world. “Don’t ask me. Cheerleader here started asking questions about Red, then got into a snit.” Spike arched his brows in mock innocence. “Tell him.” Cordelia’s words were edged with hysteria, her hands visibly shaking. Buffy, Xander, Anya and Dawn had gathered in the doorway. Their expressions a mixture of irritation and dismay. “Spike I thought we agreed that we wouldn’t tell them.” “No Luv, I think your words were ‘Tell him and die’. You said him, nothing about *her*.” Spike gave an evil leer. “Will someone tell me what’s going on?” Angel started to get angry. “They kicked her out of Sunnydale.” Cordelia turned on her heal and left the room, only to return a moment later with their jackets. Angel was still waiting for someone to elaborate. It wasn’t until Cordelia took Patrick from him and started bundling up the wiggling tike that she continued on. “I asked Spike where Willow was, seeing that she’s the person we really came to see...” Angel inwardly groaned as Buffy cut him a hurtful look. “That’s when he informed me that Willow’s powers seemed to have gotten the best of her last year and went through a little episode.” “Little! She almost killed Dawn.” Buffy screeched in indignation. “Anyways,” Cordelia continued on ignoring Buffy. “Spike says...and god let me tell you who wrong that sounds... that Willow left about this time *last* year.” “Willow got addicted to magic and was a danger to us.” Xander repeated the words Buffy had said to him on the nights he cried over the loss of having Willow in his life. He sounded like a programmed robot, and Cordelia snorted in disgust. “Oh shut up Zapper.” Spike was enjoying the turmoil he had created. In fact he had been fighting with Buffy just moments before Gel boy and the little seer arrived, that it was time to fess up. But in true Buffy form she wanted to push away anything that might ‘darken’ the *special* time she got to spend with Angel. “Before she left Willow wasn’t a harm to anything but the toilet and the boxes of Kleenex she cried into. She went a month without so much of a twitch of her nose. It wasn’t until you all asked her to do that itty-bitty little spell to help with that chaos demon.” Angel mind went blank for a brief moment until anger gripped at him. “You all make me sick.” Angel refused to look any of them in the eye as he grabbed the diaper bag from next to the couch. Cordelia, who already read his intent, was halfway out the door and almost to the car. “You can’t leave...you haven’t even eaten yet.” Buffy stopped Angel at the door, her eyes brimming with tears. “I don’t eat.” Angel tried to move around her and out into the night. ~~~*~~~ “Kaddy I insist that you come over this instance.” Madeline’s voice was filled with concern. Willow could hear talking and laughter in the background. “It’s not right for you to be alone for Thanksgiving. If you’re not going to go home and visit you should at least come here.” “Madeline thanks, I really appreciate it. But I really want to be alone right now.” The background noise that came over the telephone line was tearing her heart into a million pieces. It sounded like home. Bursts of laughter from inside jokes and shared stories. Memories recalled, and tales exchanged. There was no way she could survive a night with all that around her, making her missing life even more painful to recall. “Kitty Fantastico the second and I are in the middle of a very interesting book right now.” Reaching out her hand and stroking the kitten, Willow’s lips tugged a little at its hearty purr. “I’m not going to win am I.” The older ladies voice was laced with concern and exasperation. “Resolve face.” “Fine. I may have lost this battle but I will win the war. See you in the store tomorrow?” “You’re darn-tootin, biggest shopping day of the year.” Willow stood from her couch and stretched. The hardwood floors cold beneath her feet. “I really don’t think that a rare bookstore is where the crowds will be. Perhaps we can go through that box that arrived the other day from the Strickland estate.” They bid one another goodnight; Willow promising that if she got too lonely she’d stop by. Setting the phone on its cradle, Willow walked over to the window to look out on the harbor. The moon hung in the sky, beckoning to her to come out and play. The sound of the water below lapping at the piers was calming to her raw nerves. Rushing to the door and grabbing her jacket from the peg, Willow left the small studio she had been living to be a part of the night. She had found this place purely by accident. Madeline said that it was meant to be. That she was supposed to end up here, Camden Maine, where the tourists flocked in the summertime, and left as the last leaf fell from the trees. Willow wondered if perhaps Maddy hadn’t been right. It was the only explanation for her having found a witch who could help her through her horrible nightmare, and making magic a beautiful thing again. Madeline had taken her in when he father’s sedan decided that it was done traveling. Giving her a job at the rare bookstore, plus a friendship that got Willow through the bleakest hours of her life. Though Willow freaked when she found out her new boss was a witch, nearly running from the store, literally in terror. It had taken two very painfully long months to rid her body of the swirling magic that had taken up residence inside her. She didn’t want to go back to that place she had fought so hard to get away from. But Maddy sensed this, sharing her own story of magical abuse. It was a long night of tears and anguish, as Willow spilled her heart out to her new friend. It was like her mouth opened and words just flew out. She told the other woman about the slayer and the rest of the gang. Bits and pieces of Masters and demons they had seen and fought over the years. She talked the longest about Angel, of his tortured soul and how he became the warrior for the PTB. The longer she rambled the better she felt. It wasn’t until the next morning that emotional exhaustion made her stop. Maddy had stood from the table, announcing that Willow was past the first step of healing. The next part was learning her magical boundaries. Willow had sat blinking at the old woman as though she were daft. Maddy had scoffed at her look, as she explained that the blame for the burn out wasn’t completely hers. That the Watcher of all people knew how important it was to properly train a novice witch, especially one who showed such potential. That magic if done properly and by a trained witch could do some pretty amazing things. But there were limits. There was a reason a slayer had been created and not some witch appointed to do vampire duty. The amount of energy need to fight the forces of evil on the daily basis was too dangerous for any witch no matter how well trained they were. There are levels that a witch must go through, instead of jumping in with both feet. And if Willow wanted, her training could begin the following day. Madeline was a relentless teacher, but after a year Willow had finally found the inner peace she had been craving. Finding magic in everything and everyone around her. The only thing now that was missing was her friends. Not the people she left behind a year ago, those people seemed like strangers. It was the ones she knew in High School. The cheerful Buffy, the wacky Xander, the Father like Giles, Oz, Cordelia the tact girl, and of course Angel. The people from that timeline were tough, and stuck together through anything. But the perfect picture seemed to have cracked, and pieces started falling away. One by one they either left or changed so radically Willow no longer recognized them. Stopping at the end of the pier Willow took a deep breath. Just one more holiday to get through, then the hardest part of the year would be over. |
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