I smiled to myself as she came into the main room, there was still a certain reluctance in her movements as though she was doing
something she thought she should not be. I offered her a smile trying to put her at ease. I never understood what it was that put her so
on edge. She came to me, and she wanted to be here she’d never missed a date. Okay so they really weren’t dates, we played cards and
watched movies and talked and hang out together, not dated. She was fast becoming one of the most important people in my unlife.

I had only recently begun to go on patrol with any one of them and Giles normally stuck me with Willow. I think he feared that I might
try and rekindle my relationship with the slayer if only he’d known what he was creating. Then of course I hadn’t known what he was
slowly creating what we where slowly becoming.

Willow’s bright eyes where studying me and I realized I had gone off in my own little world once more. I smiled at her and lead her into
the next room, and grabbed my jacket, she looked from me to it questioningly and I smiled, "where going out," I reminded her gently.
She looked at him oddly and I wondered if she had changed her mind, we normally stayed in and I found myself wondering if she was
worried about Buffy and Xander finding us together. That certainly made it sound sordid, it wasn’t as though we had done anything
wrong, we were friends.

"Okay," she said brightly, "where are we going?" She asked as she followed me toward the front door. As I opened it, I moved aside to
let her pass before me. She smiled her thanks and headed out into the deepening dusk.

I slipped my arm around the hacker’s shoulders and continued to walk with her into the darkness. I watched her out of the corner of my
eye wondering what she was thinking, normally I was treated to at least one ramble about her day and what was happening with the gang.
Of course she had only begun doing that once she was convinced that I wouldn’t mind hearing about it.

"What’s the matter Willow?" I asked her finally deciding that if I wanted the answers I would have to ask because for some reason she
wasn’t being very forthcoming with information.

She looked at me with that patent I don’t know what you mean look, she had only to have it fall away as I stopped walking.

She looked down and I felt my heart constrict terrified that she had decided that we couldn’t continue our days and evenings together,
she would spend at least one non school day with me a week and two or so evenings with me when we were not patrolling together. I was
struck with an irrational fear that one of these days she was going to remember that it was me who had, had my hands wrapped cruelly
around her neck. That she would realize that I was the same monster that had killed Jenny Calender.

Willow had offered her friendship to me and I was terrified that she would take it back that somehow she didn’t realize who it was she
spent all her time with. She smiled at me seeming to sense my sudden unease and reached up and linked her arm with mine.

"It’s not you," she assured me, "it’s them I got yelled out for spending too much time with you." She looked down at her feet and began
to fiddle with a piece of her lengthening hair. "Giles understands that I have to see you when we patrol, but he thinks I shouldn’t see
you like this." She finally said. She wasn’t looking at me and that same fear returned that Giles had convinced her to stay away from me,
yet she was here now.

"So I told Giles that he was wrong that you wouldn’t hurt me and that I wasn’t in any danger with you and that who better to protect me
then you" Willow said her eyes meeting mine. I realized she was begging for me to tell her it was okay.

"Of course, it’s okay Willow." I assured her gently drawing her closer. She slid her arms around me her touch a little tenitive and she
snuggled against me for a long moment before she pulled back slowly she smiled at me.

"Okay, so we are going?" she asked me. I nodded and began to lead the way not wanting us to be late.

I had been thinking about this for a while I thought that she might be uncomfortable in this setting. It was sort of romantic at least it
might seem that way to her, but when she had begun to gush about the open air theater that was coming to the neighboring town. I
decided I had to take her to it.

I liked Shakespeare as it was and doubted that I would run into another person who would appreciate Shakespeare as Willow did."Come
on," I said taking her hand in mine and giving it a gentle squeeze. She looked at me questioningly, I smiled warmly at her and dragged
her toward one of the dark building a block from the mansion. I opened the pull up door with ease and ushered her into the shadows. She
looked at me worriedly.

I offered her warm smile and moved over to the passenger side of the dark blue car within. She glanced at it and smiled widely.

"Somehow I didn’t think you drove." She said as she settled into the leather passenger seat. I laughed softly, wondering how she thought
I got around.

"Well, I can’t fly so getting from point a to b sometimes does require a car."

She giggled softly as I got into the driver’s seat and started the engine. The car purred to life and I put it in drive.

I found us a spot beneath a large tree toward the middle and out of the way. She set next to me on the blanket I bought as I handed
her a glass of sparkling grape juice which she took a single sip of and started to laugh."Thank you."

I shook my head as we turned to watch the stage. Her eyes got this far away look in them and I wondered where she really was what was
she seeing on that stage surly not the players. She didn’t turn to look at me during the entire play and while I would never admit it out
loud I watched her more then I did the play. Although I couldn’t deny that I found myself likening Willow to Kate. Slowly she turned to
face me, her eyes had the threat of tears and without knowing what was bothering her I drew her into my arms, I held her close. She
nestled against my chest and after a few moments her silent sobs drenched my shirt. She snuggled against me, and after a moment looked
up at me.

"Sorry, I didn’t mean to get sad." Willow said. I wanted to know what it was that was upsetting her so much. I cared, I wanted to know.
She set back from me wiping angrily at her tears. I looked into her eyes and waited as she composed herself. The shadows hiding some
of her tears in the shadows, her bright eyes locked on his.

"I didn’t realize what play it was." Willow said softly, "I mean I read the play bill and all but I forgot and it made me remember." She
laughed sadly then."This play was the last thing I dragged Jessie Xander and I to see the summer before Buffy." Willow whimpered. I
held her closer as her tears started again. I understood it was her last memory of doing something completely normal with her best
friends in the world one of which she had lost not long after.

When the tears finally stopped, she pulled back from me her eyes rimmed with red from crying. She stared at me for a long moment I
simply opened my arms hoping she would take the offered comfort and not try to be strong, I knew she was she didn’t need to pretend
with me. She sighed and throw herself into my arms her hands going around my waist and hands clutching at my back. I shifted myself
slightly so that I could lean easily to one side as I watched the other patrons slowly leave the park. I was suddenly in no hurry.

Her breathing deepened and to my surprise I realized she was sleeping. She was snuggled against my chest her breath coming in small
little gust that brushed against the bare skin of my neck, I hadn’t even realized until that moment how close I had allowed her. Vampires
as a rule don’t exactly bare their neck to someone else.

My hands had begun to play listlessly with the silky strands of red hair that fell over her back, my fingers tangling in it before
allowing it to slip through them. She sighed and arched into his caressing fingers. "Hey Angel, sorry didn’t mean to fall asleep." She
whispered sleepily, I held her in place, I didn’t want to move yet. My fingers wond into her hair again caressingly. I told myself to let
her go, so she could raise the crowd was nearly gone and the park was empty only a few stragglers remained in the park. She drew back
slowly, her eyes locked on mine for a long moment and her cheeks flushed slightly as she settled on the blanket beside me. Glancing at
the sky I reluctantly knew I should be getting Willow back to where she belonged as much as I was wanting to keep her. She could only
get away with crashing at my place on a week end and this unfortunately was a school night. Sighing regrettably I started to stand and
watched as Willow did the same.