Title: Betrayal by the Heart

Author: Jozzy

see disclaimers in Part 1

Part 12

"Buffy! Xander! What are you guys doing here?"

Xander's face was dark, a frown carved into his features. "You know damn well why we're here Willow."

Buffy put a hand on his shoulder, "We are just here to talk Wills. We both feel bad about what's been going on. We want to make up. We've missed you."

Hope flooded the red haired teenager. They wanted to make up, to be friends again. And what if Xander looked like he was ready to kill someone; or that it was the middle of the night. Or that just a few hours ago Buffy was giving her looks that could have felled an elephant at twenty yards. None of that stuff matters. They want to be friends again. That is what's important, the only thing that's important.

She stepped back and let the two enter. Xander bumped into her on his way to the house, but didn't apologize. 

After her guest were all inside she closed and bolted her door.  She found Buffy and Xander in the living room. Buffy standing by the mantle, peering at some photos of the Rosenburg family. Xander sat on the couch, his gaze locked on the coffee table. His eyes were slits and tension swam from his body. This isn't going to be easy.

*******

Angel moved through Sunnydale with a grace only his supernatural status could supply. Silently he stalked closer to the Rosenburg residence. Willow was in danger. A sense of dread had settled like irons chains around his heart producing godlike speed within his legs.

Buffy is the slayer, she couldn't hurt Willow. Yeah right, she's a hormonal teenage girl who thinks her best friend slept with her boyfriend. She's capable of a lot more than just hurting Willow. Run boy run, before your too late.

 Images of Willow's small body splintering in Buffy's hands zipped through his mind, fear clenching his abdomen. Willow was small and fragile, even for a human, and Buffy was the epitome of human strength. If she placed so much as a bruise on the naive child/woman he would kill her.

As the dark night picked up speed the lines that distinguished his legs blurred.

*********

Buffy's natural presence arose and she spoke first. "Look I know the past few months have been...strained between us all, but that ends now. We're the Scooby Gang, we don't fight. Well we do fight, just not with each other."

Willow eagerly nodded, "Everything has just been crazy. I don't like it when we fight, it makes my stomach do weird things and then the crying starts and everything just goes down hill."

Xander stood, moving towards Willow. "So Buffy and I decided to let it go. I mean you and Angel aren't so bad." Buffy eyes misted slightly at his words. "If your happy we're happy, you're are Wills and Angel can't change that."

Willow shook her head back and forth. "You guys there isn't anything between Angel and I. We're just friends."

Buffy's eyes darkened, her voice slithering into a deep growl. "Look Wills, you guys aren't fooling anyone. We know there's something going on, its so obvious. In know what its like when Angel starts his entire 'I must protect you' thing. Majorly easy to fall for. I wouldn't blame  you if you know in the heat of the moment...something happened."

Willow's nose wrinkled slightly, "You guys really don't believe me do you? You think that that I would lie to you. Well I'm not lying. Angel and I are just friends. We've only ever been friends. We'll never be more than friends."

Xander turned to Buffy, " I told you so. She'll protect him till the end."

Buffy shrugged, a wicked smile descending onto her face. "Like it matters. We'll just switch to plane B."

********

Angel wiped the dust from his jacket. Crouching above a too pale body in the alley he placed two fingers on the girls pulse. There was something, very faint, but there. She would need medical attention and soon.

Screw her. Go get Willow.

I can't just leave her here, she'll die.

If you  don't leave now Willow will die.

If Willow knew that I saved her at the cost of this girl's life she would want to die.

I hate this soul shit.

Angel scooped the potato sack body into his arms. The residential neighborhoods weren't far away. He could drop the teenager off at the first house he saw. And pray that he didn't run into any more demon attacks.

Of course he was a vamp and this was Sunnydale. Prayers were never answered for him. And Sunnydale turned the simplest plans into epic adventures.

********

End

Continued in Intended Amnesia