SPOILERS: This takes place after Angel loses his soul but before Becoming, which never happened in my 'verse. I will keep and discard Buffy lore as I see fit.

Part 7

"Um, Willow?"

"Yeah Buff, it’s me."

"Oh, hey. So, uh, how have you been? Giles filled me in on what’s been happening… are you, you know, dealing okay?"

"I’m dealing about as well as can expected I suppose. After all that’s happened to me so far, none of this is really surprising. I’m getting used to expecting the unexpected. I just wish I could put all of this behind me, you know, finally begin to start my life again. Too bad Angelus has other plans for me… Buffy, you still there?"

"Yeah, I’m still here. I just… I’m sorry Willow. This is all my fault. I should have killed Angelus long before he ever went after you. I just… I didn’t know."

"It’s okay Buffy, I don’t blame you. You couldn’t have known what was going to happen. And, after all, you loved him."

"… Still do… Anyway, Giles is waving crazily for me to give him back the phone. I think he wants to talk to Lydia again so he can sigh and get that dreamy look in his eye for the rest of the day. Give me a call sometime soon. I miss hearing from you."

"Okay, I will Buff. I miss you too."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Willow hung up the phone then went back to her seat besides Lydia in one of the Council Headquarters main conference rooms. Her conversation with Buffy had left her unsettled, as just about all their conversations over the past 6 months tended to do. Though they talked regularly, just about once a week, the conversations were never long and almost always uncomfortable. The strain with which the two former best friends now spoke to each other troubled Willow. It was as if each conversation was overshadowed by the questions Willow knew were burning behind Buffy’s friendly inquiries into Willow’s state of mind. They had never spoken of the night Buffy had rescued Willow, or of the weeks Willow had been imprisoned. Willow knew Buffy wanted answers, wanted her questions answered, and the fact that Willow wouldn’t be able to give Buffy the reassurance she wanted left Willow feeling awkward and anxious whenever they spoke. Buffy was still in love with Angel, despite the fact that with each passing it day it became more and more unlikely the Angel she had known and loved would ever be coming back. And it didn’t matter that it had been Angelus, the demon, who was now fixated on Willow. In Buffy’s eyes it would always be the man she loved obsessing over her best friend, and so now their friendship could never be the Neil.

Lydia handed Willow the book she had been reading from. "You’ll be happy to know that, though it has taken me a few days, I think I may have found the right spell."

Willow closed the book briefly so she could have a look at the cover title, then, being careful with the brittle, yellow pages, read the spell. Willow nodded as she finished reading. "This sounds like it should work. If done correctly, I will be protected in sleep and waking from psychic attacks on both my mind and my body." Willow considered the spell for a moment. "It sounds good Lydia."

Lydia nodded, "I know, thank God. I was really starting to get worried we wouldn’t find anything quite right but this is perfect. Now you’ll be protected from him while you sleep. As for physical protection, I know you said you didn’t see any reason to leave London but I feel I need to protest just one last time. Humor me." Lydia added when Willow moved to protest. "Now you know I love having you with me and if I thought it was safe then I’d keep you here indefinitely. I want you to stay with me and, hopefully, go to Oxford and begin your training as a Watcher." Willow couldn’t help but smile at that. Though Willow no longer had any idea what her future would bring, Lydia was always campaigning for Willow to enroll in oxford and become a Watcher. She said that with Willow’s "field" experience and knowledge of vampires and demons, she was a natural choice for becoming a Watcher. Willow would always laugh off Lydia’s remarks. At 17, Willow wasn’t quite ready to make a lifelong commitment to the Council.

Lydia continued, " I’m not saying you still can’t do these things, Willow, or anything you want. But right now I’m afraid London isn’t the safest place for you. Angelus obviously has something planned for you, and if the spell works and he finds he can no longer reach you from Sunnydale then he could very well come to London to find you. Just because he’s left you alone the past few days doesn’t mean this is all over." Willow bit her tongue as Lydia repeated Willow’s lie back to her. Just last night, like every other night for the past week, Angelus had visited Willow in her dreams, but Lydia didn’t know that. For reasons Willow was uncomfortable admitting even to herself, she had begun to lie about Angelus visiting her. As far as Lydia knew, Angelus had temporarily taken a break from his torments.

A noise behind the two women caused Lydia to break off as they both turned towards the doorway. Colin O’Hara, Neil waters, and Adrian Carrington, three Council members, stood at the entrance to the conference room looking hesitant. Willow bit her lip on a smile. She knew all three of the Watchers, especially Adrian who Willow knew harbored a not so secret crush on her, and was glad to see them. The past week, Lydia and Willow had been so wrapped up in their research that Willow had found little time to spend with any of her new friends in London (which consisted mainly of Council members). She was glad to see them, especially since their interruption saved Willow from having to repeat her lies to Lydia. Willow glanced over at Adrian and found her was starring openly at her, a secret little smile on his lips. Automatically, Willow blushed and looked away.

‘I hope we’re not interrupting anything Lydia." Neil walked over to stand between Lydia and Willow as he spoke, "but there’s some matters I need to discuss with you." Neil turned towards Willow. "I’m sorry dear, but I must steal Lydia away from you for the moment, but I do promise to be as quick as possible."

Willow smiled brightly at Neil. With his salt and pepper, neatly groomed hair, thin framed tortoise shell eyeglasses and kind eyes, Neil always reminded Willow of her grandfather. "It’s no problem Neil. I could use a break from Lydia’s endless thirst for research anyway. I was starting to think the head Watcher was actually a slave driver in disguise." Laughing good-naturedly, Neil and Lydia turned to each other and quickly fell into deep and boring conversation over various Council agenda. With a quick hello to Willow, Colin soon joined in the conversation.

Tuning out the watchers, Willow glanced sideways at the doorway where Adrian was casually leaning against the frame, arms crossed over his chest in a look that was slightly at odds to the tailored black suit that adorned his well built frame. Though his eyes were downcast, the smirk on his lips let Willow know he was very much aware that he commanded her attention. Willow couldn’t help the blush that crept into her cheeks and made her face burn, but at the same time she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him.

There was no doubt about it. Adrian had a commanding presence, due, in no small part, to his smoldering good looks. He was in a sense, similar to Angel/Angelus in that way. Both men (or all 3, depending on your point of view) had a way of draining your attention to only them when in a room, and they both were blessed with a breathtaking beauty that in no way diminished from their masculinity.

There was no denying Adrian’s beauty. Willow would have to be blind not to notice it. Seeing him was like a shock to the system, as if each time was the first. Looking at him was like a dip in a chilly pool on a hot summer day. It left your body feeling more refreshed and alive, your every nerve end tingling like they never had before. Angelic and perfect were words often used to describe him by women.

There was, first and foremost, his hair. It was the color of midnight- not true midnight, but the kind of midnight people associated with the word. It feel to just below his ear, level with his jaw, in soft waves of silk. If he tilted his head a certain way, the light would dance off the strands and reflect haunting rainbow lights, much like the wing of a raven. Other times, when there was moonlight reflecting on his hair, blue glints would appear, complimenting the crystalline color of his eyes. Liquid blue pools of crystal; the kind of eyes girls drowned in. Then there were his lips. Pale pink, strong, and sensuous. They were just full enough so that he always appeared as though he’d just been kissing some lucky girl till she fainted. When he smiled his lips oozed sensuality.

Then there was his body. All six feet, one inch of slim muscles and light olive toned skin. He wasn’t beefy like other guys, but you could tell just by looking at him how strong he was. His presence was strong and domineering, perhaps just as domineering as Angelus’ though his frame wasn’t as wide. Willow had seen him only once without his shirt on, at a pool party Lydia threw for her birthday, and Willow had almost strained her eyes starring at Adrian's half naked body. Willow often found herself comparing him to an Adonis without any hyperbole. And thought Adrian was outrageously classy, his wardrobe the epitome of cutting edge fashion and runway chic, the glint in his playful blue eyes and the sparkle from the single diamond stud he wore in one ear revealed Adrian’s wild streak.

When Willow first met Adrian she had found it hard to believe he was a Watcher. Well, watcher in training to be specific, but still. Adrian was young, outgoing and a bit wild. In Willow’s mind he was the antithesis of Giles and the other stuffy, traditional Watchers. But Willow knew Adrian was a symbol of the changing times, a new era of the Council being ushered in by Lydia. Even though Adrian came from a long line of Watchers. Willow knew it was Lydia’s influence that allowed for Adrian to remain so different from the other Watchers.

Adrian ran a hand through his hair, long slim fingers brushing the strands away from his face as he raised his head and looked at Willow. "So Will, how have you been the past week?"

Willow felt her insides flutter as she fell into the endless core of is eyes. They were as wildly beautiful and innocent as Nordic Fjords. "I’ve been pretty busy, you know, researching." <Good way to state the obvious Will. >

Adrian merely smiled charmingly. "I hope you haven’t forgotten about my promise to take you out to dinner. I’m still waiting for you to take me up on the offer."

Willow’s heart began to thump loudly in her chest. "Yeah, well… " There she was blushing again. As much as Willow had changed in the past 6 months, her inability to flirt with guys, especially one as gorgeous and self-assured as Adrian, had yet to leave her.

Adrian pushed propelled himself forward and away from the doorway. His suit jacket fell open to reveal white dress shirt that clung to his chest like a second skin. Willow couldn’t help but stare at the definition of his chest as he walked towards her. He extended his hand towards her invitingly. "Well, how about lunch then. I know for a fact that you and Lydia have been locked in this room all day, so you must be starving."

Willow felt the panic begin to grow inside her chest, as it always had since her time with Angelus, when any guy got physically close to her. Her throat would constrict and her palms would sweat. All of a sudden she’d be right back in that windowless, empty room. Her body weak from loss of blood and unbidden desire; a whirlpool of conflicting emotions: shame, disgust, desire, longing, terror. Willow would begin to feel trapped, and even the most innocent of invitations, like the one Adrian was presently extending to Willow, would throw up all her emotional walls.

Willow tried to get her lips to form a no around the tight vise of her constricted throat, but before she could say anything, Lydia was speaking. Apparently she had heard Adrian’s offer over the din of Neil and Colin’s voices. "That sounds like a wonderful idea Willow. You must be famished. I would take you to lunch myself but I must attend to some matters with Neil. Roger can drive you and Adrian wherever you’d like to go. In fact, you don’t have to be back till 6. I’m going to send a messenger to collect the supplies we need for the spell and we’ll cast it tonight. Until then you’re free to enjoy yourself." Feeling the matter was settled, Lydia rose from her chair, squeezed Willow lightly on the shoulder, and left with Neil and Colin in tow.

Before she could say a word of protest, Adrian’s slim fingers fixed a firm grip on Willow’s wrist as he gently lifted her from the seat and followed the others out of the room. "Great, I know a wonderful place for lunch. I’m sure you’re gonna love it."