Angel's Bunny for velvetwhip Soul Provider

[jasonsnene]

Title: Soul Provider

Author: jasonsnene

Pairing: Angel/Willow

Rating: R

Warnings: Violence

The Bunny:
For velvetwhip:  
Pairing: Angel/Willow
Preferred Rating: R-NC-17 would be nice, but I will take any rating.
Summary of Bunny: I'd like to see something angsty...how about involving Willow managing to give Angel back his soul the first time she tried. Other than that, I am not going to be all picky and specific. 

A/N:  Written for the above bunny for the Angel's Bunny Challenge at strip_off_angel 

 

Willow was determined to make this work. The vampires were fighting all around her, but she ignored them. Ignored Giles screams for her to run, to get out. She kept going. Everything was riding on this and they were so close, she was so close to finishing. She saw Kendra battling three vampires at once, Giles holding his own with another. Xander was struggling behind her.

 

She kept reading. Chanting the words that would return Angel’s soul and stop him from sending them all to hell. It was the least she could do. And Giles was right, they would know the moment it worked. She knew. She could feel the power flow through her, then out through the night until it found Angel.

 

Xander came hurtling over the railing and knocked her chair over. Willow scrambled to her feet. Cordelia screamed from among the racks and Xander managed to gain his feet again. His arm was twisted at a funny angle, but he fought anyway, keeping the vampire away from Cordelia.

 

Willow heard the door open again and prayed it was Buffy coming to their rescue. She couldn’t have been more wrong. It was Drusilla and from the glare she was sending Willow’s way, she knew exactly what Willow had just accomplished. 

 

Kendra tried to block her but Drusilla fought her off and then, to Willow’s horror, she put the new Slayer in a trance and slit her throat. Willow screamed and Drusilla turned back to her.

 

She clapped her hands and all the vampires with her paused to wait for their instructions.

 

“Enough.” The word sent chills down Willow’s spine. The vampire fighting Xander shoved him between the shelves. Then he pushed and the case toppled over onto Xander. Willow whimpered and backed away. 

 

She heard another thump and turned to see Giles being knocked out by another of Drusilla’s vampires.

 

“Let’s get what we came for dears.” The vampires moved and gathered Giles underneath his arms. Willow backed away as Drusilla stalked closer to her. “And you, my pretty, are coming with me.”

 

Willow knew she didn’t stand a chance and didn’t fight as Drusilla grabbed her arm and drug her from the library. Angel was better now, he would save her. Buffy, too. With one last look over her shoulder, Willow tried to see some movement from Xander. Then she was out the library doors.

 

Angel and Buffy arrived at the library moments later. By the time Angel realized what was going on, he’d feared it would be too late, and by the looks of the library, they were. Angel heard Buffy cry out and drop to the side of another girl. Angel knew she was dead. He hurried into the bookcases, where he could hear a faint heartbeat.

 

He lifted the case carefully and found Xander’s unconscious form beneath the tumbled books. Angel looked around for the others. He didn’t know who else would be here but it looked as if Drusilla had been successful in her mission. Giles was no where to be seen.

 

And neither was Willow.

 

Angel heard footsteps rapidly approaching and before he could call out a warning to Buffy, police officers had stormed the doors and had their guns drawn and pointed at her. He didn’t have time to deal with them. Angel hoped Buffy would understand.   He turned and ran out of the library and back towards the mansion.

 

He approached the doors cautiously, knowing that Drusilla would sense his presence. Angel moved slowly towards the door and then moved through. He could hear Drusilla ranting inside. She was enraged and the sounds of fists hitting flesh were enough to make Angel move faster. 

 

Drusilla was punching Giles repeatedly and the Watcher was nearly unconscious. Two minions were holding Willow and forcing her to look at Giles while he was beaten. Angel didn’t think he would ever be able to forget the devastation he could see on Willow’s face as each punch landed with deadly accuracy.

 

“ENOUGH.” His shouted word drew everyone’s attention. Drusilla paused in mid swing and turned to him. “Mmmmm….Someone’s been gathering nasty old souls gain.” Angel started towards her. 

 

He felt, more than heard, movement behind him and spun around in time to see Spike’s fist. He wasn’t fast enough to move out of its way and the blow sent him flying. It wouldn’t have been a problem if he hadn’t landed against one of the stone pillars that graced the mansion. His head rebounded and Angel saw stars. It was enough of a delay that Spike and several minions were able to grab Angel.

 

Another hard punch to his head and Angel was out. Drusilla shoved Willow towards Spike. “Take her out of my sight. I want to deal with this one.” She turned back to Giles and leaned seductively over him. “He has secrets hiding in his eyes.”

 

Spike grabbed Willow and gestured for the minions to follow with Angel. They were both shoved in a room and the door clanged shut. Willow heard the locks tumble into place before she turned and knelt by Angel’s side. 

 

She gently reached out a hand and ran it over his head. He was bleeding badly. Willow carefully lifted his head and laid it in her lap. She really didn’t know what to do but she knew she needed Angel. There was no way that she and Giles were getting out of here alive without him.

 

Willow only knew of one way to get Angel better. She rubbed her wrist into the blood on his head and then placed it over his mouth. “Come on, Angel. I need you to eat, drink, whatever! Just do it, and I really hope it doesn’t hurt much but if it does, I understand. But you need to wake up and get us out of here.”

 

Angel stirred slightly and then he face crunched and changed and Willow felt his fangs sink into her wrist. She gasped at the pain but continued to rub his hair and talk softly to him. After a moment, he pulled away and his eyes blinked open.

 

“Willow? What did you do?” 

 

“It doesn’t matter, Angel. Just, wake up, okay? I’m really scared and I don’t know what to do.”

 

Angel sat up and winced when the movement caused his head to pound. “What happened?”

 

“Spike hit you a couple times and you kind of hit one of those post thingies. You weren’t conscious when they brought us down here.”

 

“Giles?”

 

Willow let out a quiet sob. “Drusilla said he had secrets in his eyes. Does that mean what I think it means Angel? Cause I really don’t want to think about what I think that means.”

 

Angel didn’t answer and Willow knew that her worst fears were probably reality for Giles. Heck, her worst fears probably weren’t even close, even though she’d always had a really good imagination. But not for that kind of thing.

 

Angel was at the door, testing its strength. “I think I can get us out of here. Just stay behind me and when you can, run. Okay?”

 

Willow nodded and Angel kicked the door. It flew open and he ran out. She followed, trying to keep up. But she was kind of dizzy from the lack of blood and couldn’t go as fast as he was.

 

Spike heard the ruckus behind him and turned to Angel. “Oi! You try to talk some sense into her. She wants to bloody well pick up where you left off and open the bloody gates of hell.”

 

Angel kept an eye on Spike and moved to Drusilla. “Drusilla, baby, you really don’t want to do that. Where will all the lovely people go then? Where would we get you your dinner?” She turned golden eyes to him and started chanting under her breath.

 

“Come on, Dru. Daddy doesn’t want you to open it anymore, okay? Be my good girl and come here.” Drusilla started moving towards him and Spike growled and stepped closer as well. Her nails swung out and caught Angel across the face. His blood splattered across the demon and it started to shimmer and move.

 

Giles crawled towards Willow. “Run, Willow.” She’d stood frozen, listening to Angel, hoping for a way to get Giles out. She ran to his side now and helped him up.

 

“It’s too late, isn’t it, Giles? The gate is going to open now.” Giles looked back towards the statue and saw the blue light swirling from the mouth. 

 

“Angel’s blood will close it. I have to stop it.” Giles tried to move back towards the vampires but he stumbled and fell. 

 

Willow moved slowly, like she was in a trance. She saw Spike and Drusilla backing away from the swirling light, even as she moved closer to it. Angel turned and looked at her. His blood still covered one side of his head from his injury.

 

She stepped up to him and put her hands on his chest. He looked at her, confused.

 

“Willow? What?”

 

She shook her head and laid her hand gently over his lips as she guided him backwards. “It’s okay, Angel. We can stop it.” She ran her hand through the blood on his head. It now covered her fingers. She hoped it was enough.

 

When they were close to the swirling light, Willow looked up at him. She leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to his mouth. Angel drew back in surprise. Then he leaned forward and kissed her back. 

 

Willow reached her hand out towards the light and kept her eyes on him. “Don’t let me go, Angel. Please don’t let me go.” 

 

He tightened his hold on her and suddenly seemed to realize exactly what she was doing.  “Willow, no!”

 

It was too late though. Her hand went into the light and she felt the pull. Angel’s arms wrapped around her tightly and he tried to fight the forward movement. They were being sucked into the vortex and Angel didn’t think he could stop it. 

 

“Don’t let go. Don’t let go.” Willow was sobbing now as she felt her body sliding into the light. She clenched her arm around Angel’s and felt his grip tighten even further. She kicked out with her feet, trying to find something to stop their momentum. 

 

Angel realized he couldn’t stop and with one last burst of energy, he twisted his body around and flung them out of the way. They landed in a heap beside the statue and Angel looked over his shoulder to see the light slowly closing. When it was gone, he pulled himself off of Willow and scooped her up in his arms.

 

“You crazy fool. What were you thinking? You give me back my soul and try to save the world?” Angel hugged her tightly to him.

 

“You didn’t let go!” 

 

“Well, of course, I didn’t let you go. I would never let you go.” He lifted his hand and cupped her face. “You’re still a crazy fool.”

 

“I couldn’t let it open, Angel. I had to stop it. I couldn’t let you die.”

 

“Never scare me like that again. Got it?” 

 

She nodded tearfully at him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. “Never lose your soul again, got it?”

 

He looked doubtful on that one. She smiled through her tears. “Oh! I forgot to tell you. I fixed it. Well, I didn’t fix it so much as fiddle with it just a little bit.   I mean, you can still be cursed and be happy right? You’re saving the world and everything and you feel really bad about all that stuff you did. So, I kind of made it so you can be happy. I think. I mean, I’m pretty sure it worked. I mean, it worked. I know it did. It had to have worked.”

 

Angel leaned forward and kissed her again, if only to shut her up. He’d worry about his happiness clause later, after he got her out of here and to safety. As soon as he finished kissing her…

 

END