Title: Moments Can Make You
Author: Laura Fones
E-Mail Address: rb46528@aol.com
Distribution: You need but to ask.
Spoilers: None
Rating: PG-13 (I think)
Summary: Buffy dies, Willow tries to save her. Whoops.
Disclaimer: I own nothing in relation to the show Buffy the Vampire slayer, Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own all except for the story idea
Feedback: I love it. I thrive on it.
Author's note: This story is incomplete, more coming soon, I promise.




Part 1:



Willow pushed the key into the lock and opened her door. She stepped inside her house and turned on the light.
Her jacket found peace on a chair next to the door after she checked her machine for messages. None. As always her parents were out of town and not even bothering to check on her. She sighed as she walked up the stairs and entered her room.
She flipped on the light, relieved to finally be back in a place she knew was familiar. Her hair was mangled from the hurricane-like wind that the weatherman called 'a light breeze.' She walked slowly into the bathroom and combed out her hair.
Willow searched through her drawers and found her journal, she took out a pen and wrote:

July 16, 2000

Dear Journal,

The hellmouth is quiet; Buffy hasn't seen a vampire in weeks. Except for Angel, she's still having trouble accepting our relationship, although she found plenty of comfort in Oz. I almost cried a month ago when I found them kissing. I know how Buffy must have felt when she found Angel and I. The heartbreak quickly subsided though, I had Angel and I was no longer in love with Oz although the pain of losing him in that way, to Buffy, was difficult. I'm over it now, but it took a little while. I couldn't even speak to her. I wonder if she was just doing it to hurt me, making a trade. Oz for Angel. Maybe that's it, but I don't know. I'm supposed to meet Buffy at the Bronze later and Angel should be coming soon, the sunset a few minutes ago.

Love,
Willow

She set the book down and laid her face in her hands. She was still a little upset with Buffy, but she'd get over it, soon. She played the heartbreaking scene over again in her mind, then turned on the radio to drown out her thoughts.
"Oh," She thought aloud, "No Doubt." She laid back into the pillows as the lyrics of 'I'm just a girl,' belted out of the speakers, if that didn't drown out her thoughts, nothing would.
Soon after Angel tapped on her French doors and waited for Willow to open them. Willow turned off the radio and hopped off the bed. She opened the door for Angel and he stepped into her room.
"Hi," Willow said sweetly. She wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I missed you," He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. She smiled teasingly.
"You haven't seen me in less than 24 hours and you missed me?" She giggled softly and rubbed her nose against his.
"You sound surprised." He cupped her chin and kissed her nose. She nuzzled against his chest and closed her eyes.
"You're sweet." Willow smiled.
"So are you." He petted her red hair against her back.
"Oh," Willow lifted her head, "Buffy, Bronze, remember."
"Right," He nodded, "But we don't have to go just yet." He planted feather-light kissed over her eyelids and moved toward her mouth.
"No," Her lips met his mouth, "We don't."

"Giles is in total train-mode," Buffy stirred her drink absentmindedly with a straw, "You know, his 'it's always calm before a storm theory.' He wants me to meet him again in an hour." Xander nodded.
"8 o'clock training with the G-man," Xander murmured, "How exciting." Buffy nodded glumly and sipped coke through her straw.
"What I don't get," Cordeillia chimed in, "Is why you have to do it everyday, I mean, can't you get a day off. Even postal workers get vacation time."
"Why vacation," Xander quipped, "When you have your very own hellmouth?" Cordeillia shot him an annoyed look. Then moved her gaze to the dance floor.
"When are Willow and Angel going to get here," Buffy glanced at the door, willing them to walk through it.
"What about Oz," Cordeillia asked, "Why is he a no show?"
"Band," Buffy mumbled, "He says they suck, so, practice."
"Hmmm." Xander nodded and looked over at Cordeillia, whose gaze was locked on the dance floor. Actually at a particular blond guy sitting in the shadows.
"Cordy," Xander said, hoping to get her mind of 'blond guy,' "Dance with me, now." Cordeillia followed him onto the dance floor, leaving Buffy to stir her drink, alone.
Buffy willed Angel to walk through the door. She watched the doorway for a couple minutes then watched Xander and Cordy dance. She sighed, then noticed the blond guy who was standing in the shadows over by the dance floor.
Her spider-sense tingled. She couldn't make out the guy's face, but would know that hair anywhere. < Spike. >
She slipped out of her seat cautiously and made her way over to the wall, where Cordeillia and Xander were dancing.
"Buffy." A hand rested on her shoulder; she whipped around, only to realize it was Willow. She looked back to Spike, but he was gone. She then noticed him heading out the door. < Damn it. >
"Will, Angel," Buffy was anxious to follow Spike, "Giles, patrol, I need to go." She jogged toward the door.
"See you tomorrow," Willow made a little waving motion. Buffy couldn't hear her, of that she was sure. Willow let out a disappointed sigh.
Angel saved the almost awkward silence by saying, "Want to dance."

Buffy silently crept behind Spike as he made his way down the street next to the park. She could tell he was going to the factory. Spike stopped for a moment, fearing she'd been found out, Buffy froze.
"To eat or meet up with Dru," He mumbled to himself, "What to do." Buffy realized he hadn't noticed her and crept behind a bush two feet behind Spike and poised a stake ready.
He turned around, his face fully vamped, "Hello cutie."

"Do you know why Buffy left so early," Willow asked Xander after they'd all gathered back at their table.
"Giles," Xander responded, "Boring training session. She'll probably be gone all night." He rested his head on his hand, "Although she'll probably have more fun than us."

"Spike." Buffy said in way of response. She held her stake behind her as she walked over to him.
"I think I'll eat first," Spike growled and grabbed her neck. She kneed him in the stomach and caused him fall to the ground. She leapt on top of him and held her stake up.
"Tell ya' what," Buffy lowered the stake a little, "You leave town right now, and I won't kill you."
"Hmm," Spike twisted her wrist hard, making her drop the stake, "No." He grabbed her neck and bared his fangs.
She grabbed the stake just as Spike sunk his teeth into her neck. He was draining her; she brought the stake to his back and pushed it in as hard as she could. He turned to dust, while she fainted from the blood loss.

Willow drummed her fingers on the table, "Okay," Willow looked over at Angel who was more than bored, "Enough Bronzing for one night."
He quickly nodded his head and whispered, "God, yes. Thank you."
"See you guys tomorrow," Willow said to Xander and Cordeillia. They gave a little wave and were left alone in annoying silence.
"Wanna dance," Xander said trying to break the dull quiet.
Cordeillia sighed and responded, "Sure."

Willow and Angel created a steady rhythm with their steps. Hand in hand they walked down the road that led to her house, and the park.
"Do you think we should go to the library and help Buffy translate Giles speak," Willow asked Angel as they rounded a corner and approached the park.
"I'm 200 years older than him," Angel smirked, "And I have yet to understand him." Willow giggled. Angel loved the sound of her laughing and chuckled to himself.
Angel stopped short for a second and sniffed the air. He could distinctly smell blood.
"What's wrong?" Willow looked at him curiously, "Angel, what's wrong." He was still sniffing the air; he could recognize the smell of… < Buffy? >
"Oh god." Angel ran down the park's pathway, Willow ran after him, but Angel was much faster than she and was quick out of sight.
"Angel," Willow screamed after him. She finally located him behind a shrub kneeling over something.
"Angel," Willow whispered, "What is it." He turned to meet her gaze and she noticed tears were falling from his eyes. She moved to comfort him and realized what he was kneeling over.
"Oh god," Willow resisted the immediate urge to wretch and run screaming down the street, "Oh my god, Buffy?" She knelt next to him and brushed hair away from her neck, only to see blood streaking down her neck from the two puncture wounds Spike had inflicted. She then, too, broke out in tears.
"She's dead," Angel said softly, almost not to be heard. Willow glanced at Angel and realized it hurt him more than her. The hurt in his eyes was almost unbearable; she quickly turned her head away.
"You still loved her," Willow said, not angrily, not sadly, but emotionlessly. Willow knew he loved her, but Buffy still would always have a special place in his heart.
"We've got to tell Giles," Angel stood up and offered his hand to Willow, she gratefully took it and they walked in silence to the library.

By the time they had gotten to the library Angel had regained his composure, but Willow's body still racked with sobs as her mind raced through every memory and thought she'd had of Buffy. Especially when she'd died that night at the hands of the master. Both images of Buffy drowned and Buffy mangled compared in her mind. Only this time she'd stay dead.
Willow followed Angel in through the library doors only to find Giles pacing, mumbling something about Buffy never being on time.
"Finally, Buffy…" He looked up and realized it was Willow and Angel. Then realized Willow was sobbing almost hysterically.
"Oh god," Giles rushed over to her and studied her face, "Willow, what happened?" Willow looked into his eyes, then started sobbing hysterically again. Giles looked to Angel for an answer, but was only to see his eyes were filled with unspoken pain.
"Angel," Giles asked, "What's going on?" Angel looked at the floor, then at the worried librarian in front of him.
He drew in a deep breath and started, "Buffy… We found her," His eyes welled, but tears never came down, "She's…She died." The librarian's eyes went blank, and seemed to glaze over.
"What?" Giles looked almost dead, Angel was sure a part of him was.
"Buffy's," Angel didn't want to repeat it, "Dead." A lump rose in his throat and he couldn't seem to swallow it. He bent over to Willow and hugged her for comfort, hers and his own.
Giles eyes were tearing. This news made even a grown man and a 200- something vampire cry.
Giles held his face his hands, "No," He whispered softly and retreated to his office. They heard loud sobs erupt the air after the door had been closed. Willow looked into Angel's eyes and searched them. She found pain, frustration, guilt; every emotion that she was feeling now.
"We should leave him alone," Angel moved out of the library, with Willow by his side, "He needs time, to make sense of all this."
Willow's eyes' teamed once again as she said, "So do we."
Angel nodded, "We all do."

Part 2:


Willow wasn't sure how, she'd been zoning out the entire time, but they had gotten to Angel's apartment and basically sitting wordlessly by the fire.
"What happened to her?" Willow asked herself out loud. Angel looked up at her, internally debating if he should discuss it.
"She was bitten," Once again he stated the obvious, "Too bad we couldn't go back and find out." Willow's ears perked up, < I wonder if Amy could…>
"Yeah," Willow replied, "I wish." < Maybe she could cause a time rift…>
Angel looked down at his hands then back at her, "You should probably go," He brushed his hand along her hair, "Giles might call." Willow snapped back to reality.
"Yeah," She replied thoughtfully, "I should." She stood up and kissed Angel's cheek, then walked out. < I'll call Amy...> While Willow was think up a plan and getting more excited the more she thought of it; Angel was wondering about her, < It's probably just the pain of it all, it'd make me like that too. >

"Amy," Willow replied happily, "You can."
"It's a simple little time rift, no sweat." Willow was practically dancing around her room with glee.
"Great, you can come over, my parents are gone," < As always. >
"Cool, see you in a couple of minutes." She hung up the phone and hopped around her bed, she was going to save Buffy. She was going to save her best friend and kick the living daylights < Actually nightlights…> out of the vampire that did this to Buffy.

20 minutes later Amy appeared at the door with a bag in hand. Willow let her in then curled her nose up when she smelled the contents of the bag.
Amy noticed her reaction and reached into the bag, "Asphodel root," Amy held up the root.
"I figured," Willow held her nose then motioned up to her room, "We can do the ritual in my room." Amy gave the 'lead the way' gesture and followed her to her room.
Amy set up her herbs and anthem on Willow's ritual set up with a pentagram clearly drawn. While Amy set up the rite, Willow sat quietly on her bed envisioning what they would do after they'd created the time rift.
"Done," Amy said and showed her work, "You'll have to sit in the circle with me, the spell's always more powerful when two witches work it." Willow hopped off the bed and sat next to Amy.
"What do you want me to say?" Willow held Amy's hand to help generate the power they held.
"Let me do the chanting," Amy used her free hand to light candles and began to chant.
All of a sudden Amy's eyes became black as she continued to chant the incantation, "Uh, Amy." Willow whispered as Amy finished the spell.
"Ostendo vox vocis!" Amy's eyes grew red, "Monstro via!" On cue, Willow began to get dizzy. Her whole room started spinning and then turned black.
Several minutes passed and Willow regained her composure, she opened her eyes. What she saw almost made her pass out again, she was on a hill over looking a small town.
Amy sat beside her bewildered, "Oops." She said finally, "I did cause a time rift, the question I have is where we are and when we are." Willow's eyes were completely open.
"I can't tell you the exact date," Willow said almost mechanically, "But we're in Galway, Ireland." Amy looked shocked at Willow's claim.
"How do you know?" Amy reviewed her surroundings.
"I've been dating Angel for over a year," Willow replied, "It's only so long until you get into the childhood stories." Amy looked practically dumbfounded. She brushed back her blond hair and stared at the petite redhead beside her.
"You mean we're in Ireland," Amy said, "In Angel's time." Willow nodded and looked at Amy.
"This spell," Willow said hopefully, "Doesn't happen to wear off maybe, does it."
"Only if we do what we wanted to do in the time," Amy replied, "A time rift is created to right a wrong and then send you back, so until we save Buffy, we're stuck."
"Okay," Willow thought quickly, "We'll conjure some money and clothes right for this era and then get a room somewhere and figure out what we're doing."
Amy nodded, "Okay," She waved her hand and chanted, "By the way, do you like purple or blue?"

Willow and Amy had reached the inn and said they were sisters who came in from America. They had found out it was 1753, Willow remembered that was the year Angel was turned. The innkeepers daughter, Cecile, had helped Willow and Amy get some clothes, since they had to make up the story that they'd been robbed; Willow was supposed to see the constable the next morning to make an official police report.
"You know," Willow laid flatly on her bed, "Maybe if we saved Angel, it would be righting a wrong and we'd get sent back." Amy looked at her and cocked an eyebrow.
"You want to save your boyfriend," Amy said accusingly, "But if you saved him now, you'd never have met him in the future."
"But if we did save him," Willow replied wistfully, "He'd be able to have a family and we'd be rid of Spike and Drusilla. He could be happy and the hellmouth would be just a tad bit less hellmouthy."
"If you want to save your boyfriend, then go ahead," Amy sat into a meditation position, "But I'm gonna try to get us out of here. And don't you remember, Angel was kinda a crappy human being. Local drunk, male ho to every barmaid in the continent." Willow glared at her for a second, then remembered what she'd read about her beloved before he was turned, and unfortunately Amy was right.
"Well," Willow said, "You are right, but if I do run into him by chance, I have every intention on saving him." Amy looked and her resolve-face and giggled gently.
"You're gonna stalk him," Amy smiled, "Aren't you."
"Only in a literal sense." Willow laid back onto the quilt laying on the bed and thought of what Angel might have really been like before he was turned, she wondered if the books were right and if he had such a reputation as the watcher's diaries suggested.

After breakfast and hours of listening to Amy tell he the reasons she shouldn't interfere with Angels changing, she'd finally made her way to the constable to fill out the report.
"Miss. Rosenburg," the constable had been making small talk for a while before the prisoners were released from the night, "This one's probably not the man you're looking for, but he does have quite a reputation here, especially with the ladies." Willow was glad they were finally on the last of the men, but nothing could have made her think of who would walk out of that cell.
Angel, well more correctly, Angelus, stepped out and greeted the constable, "Ah, Angelus, someday you're going to lose your life in those fights you start at the tavern."
"Not as long as you're here to lock my hide up when I do." Angelus glanced over at Willow and winked at her while the constable's head was turned.
< My future boyfriend is flirting with me, freaky. > Willow filled out the police report, making it as detailed as possible to stop them from catching an innocent man. It had just occurred to here she had wrote out a perfect description of Xander.
As Willow walked out of the constable's station, she realized Angelus was following her. She quickly turned around and faced him.
"And you are following me because…" Willow looked at his face. He was actually tan, well okay not tan, but not as pale as her Angel.
"Well," He flashed a grin that reminded her way too much of soulless Angel, "A gentleman always escorts a lady to her home, she shouldn't be walking alone." < You know, that Irish accent is kinda cute…>
"And I've heard," She replied with an involuntary smile, "I should be better walking home alone than with you, Angelus." Angelus looked a bit taken aback; no one had ever rejected him like that, or at all, come to think of it.
But this girl's resistance made Angelus all the more interested in getting to know this rather strange woman.
"One shouldn't make judgements," Angelus said back matter-of-factly, "You don't even know me yet." < If he only knew, > Willow thought amused.
"Well," Willow smiled playfully, "I suppose I should get to know you, then." Angelus made his oh-so-famous gentlemanly gesture of offering his hand to the lady.
Willow took it gratefully, but couldn't get over how his body was warm, when she was so used to Angel's cold skin.
"And where might I be leading you milady," Angelus smiled in a way Willow had never seen Angel do.
"The Inn next to the lake." Willow fought the urge to call him Angel, < Habits are so hard to break, especially when the have the face of an (Author's note: okay everybody with me now) Angel. >
"If it's not too much to ask," Angelus said in his oh-so-sexy deep Irish accent, "I never did ask your name."
"Willow," Willow said, "Rosenburg." Angelus nodded.
"I'm Angelus Boyle," He then inquired, "Rosenburg; you're not from around here, I would've noticed you, and your accent?" Willow blushed slightly at the compliment.
"Well," She searched her mind for a valid excuse, "My sister, Amy, and I came from the Americas." < I hope he buys it. > "I was born there, so I have a rather American accent, I will admit."
"Ah," He ran his fingers along her hair, "But there just might be some Irish in ya', for your hair couldn't come from anything else." < Not with dye in my time, > Willow held back a snicker.
"Perhaps there is," Willow tried to change the subject, the fingers through her hair were making her uncomfortable, < He reminds me more of Angelus than Angel, never a good thing, > "Angelus; interesting name."
"I should say the same for you, Willow," Angelus snuck his hand back into hers, "But I was named after the St. Angelus. My parents liked the name, I suppose." < He smiles a lot more than Angel, god he has a sexy smile. > Willow wondered if he noticed her hand was sweating a little more than it should have.
"Well," Willow said to try to take her mind off how incredible Angel, or Angelus looked in the sunlight. "I'm named after a tree I think, or it might have been a family name, I don't know." < Oh god, he's squeezing my hand, this feels way too good, Bad Willow; what did Amy say, 'whoring lay-about,' not my Angel. >
< But you still think he's hot, don't you? >
< Stop it. >
Angelus chuckled lightly (Author's note: you know he has a sexy chuckle), "Like to think don't you." Angelus roused her from her internal reverie.
"You say it like it's a bad thing," Willow said teasing. Angelus cocked an eyebrow, she was like no other noblewomen he'd ever met, she could joke, make intelligent conversation, and his flirting attempts weren't working, plus she wasn't all…frumpy.
"Just rather odd," Angelus replied, "I haven't met many people who do, especially not women. They're aren't supposed to."
"Chauvinist pig," She mumbled under her breath, then more loudly, "I'm not like most women." < Not for your time anyway. > She noticed the Inn was merely steps away.
"No," Angelus agreed, "You're not." < No, Willow, you most definitely are different. I like that. >
Willow slipped out of his grasp and headed towards the Inn's main entrance, but Angelus stopped her.
"Might I call on you again?" Angelus was fascinated with this woman, and wanted, most definitely to learn more.
< Call? Oh yeah, that's like a date back when they lacked multiplexes. >
"I'd love to," Willow said, even though every fiber of common sense told her not to mess with Angel's time line.
"Tomorrow then? Noon?" Angelus asked.
"Perfect." She smiled and entered the Inn.
Willow noticed Cecile hiding behind the window, spying on she and Angelus.
"You shouldn't be seeing Angelus," Cecile warned, "He has quite a reputation." Willow gave her an almost amused look.
"I'm aware." She stated simply and walked up the stairs to her room, leaving Cecile to look somewhat confused by her response.

Willow entered the room to find Amy staring at her from the bed.
She was flopped on her back with her head dangling upside-down and resting against the top of the floor. She had that look on her face that made Willow aware that Amy had seen everything she'd done with Angelus.
"I told you not to mess with his life," Amy said, "And now you're going to go on a date with him and screw up the timeline even more." She popped up and dangled her feet in her heads place.
"I'm not doing anything bad," Willow retorted and sat down on her bed, "I just ran into him." Amy gave her an 'I'm sure' look and shook her head.
"I know you want to save him," Amy said, exasperation hinted in her voice, "But, well, let's just say he doesn't get turned, when you leave it'll kill him 'cause you know that if you even see him again you'll get romantically involved; well, then you'll have to leave. He'll fall in love with you, human, vampire or whoring lay-about, and you can't just stay here. It'll break his heart if you left, more than if you let him be turned." Willow turned the words over in her head and considered it.
"Maybe we can just be friends," Willow offered, she'd do anything to get to know human Angel, and in truth, she kind of liked him all not broody.
"You'll never be just friends," Amy smiled rather painfully, "You'll be in love forever, I know you two." Amy sounded more like a mother than Willow's had ever been, and she sounded freakishly like Giles.
"Love makes you do the wacky," Willow smiled at herself, "Like making you go after your vampire lover 200 years before you met him." Amy turned from comforting to cautious.
"I'm just saying," She said, "If you become involved, you might not be able to help, but hurt." Willow knew Amy was probably right. Amy then turned playful.
"And you'd never get to see Angel in those hot leather pants," Willow and Amy erupted in a fit of giggles.




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