Angel and Willow walked quietly through Sunnydale. Angel was tense and constantly scanned their surroundings as if wary of an attack. Willow struggled for something to say. Anything to break this awkward silence. "Angel?" Willow asked uncertainly, "How long have you been . . . um, back?"

Angel thought for a moment. "I got out right after school started I think. I'm not sure exactly. I wasn't exactly with it when I first returned." "What were those first few days like?" Willow leaned against him and absently Angel put his arm around her waist.

"It's kind of vague. I went on instinct more than actual thought. I don't remember much of anything until I killed that monster in the back of the school." Willow looked at him wide eyed. "*You* killed him?" "Yeah, I came in and he was about to kill Buffy. But everything is so fuzzy. Willow," Angel paused and drew a shaky breath, "Hell is more terrible than you cold imagine. I wasn't much more than a wild animal when I got out." Willow looked away guiltily. "It's my fault, Angel. If I had restored your soul the first time, Buffy wouldn't have had to send you to Hell."

Angel stopped abruptly and turned Willow towards him. "You restored my soul? Nobody told me." "Please, don't be mad. I know it's my fault and -" She was cute off when Angel swept her into a hug, lifting her off the ground. When Angel finally released her, he knelt in front of her and took her chin firmly in his hand. "Willow don't be sorry, I owe you my life." "But-" "No buts. I owe you everything. Period. End of sentence. thank you so much," he whispered gently. Willow hesitated a moment, then smiled glad that he wasn't angry with her. "You're very welcome, Angel." Angel stood and again Willow leaned against him. They walked in comfortable silence to Willie's.

When they returned to Willow's, Angel fed and the both climbed into bed, and fell asleep in each other's arms. Willow rose quietly when the sun did and booted up her computer. She didn't know what was happening between them, but she cared too much to let him suffer for eternity. Willow knew what she had to do . . . find a way to anchor Angel's Soul permanently. Willow worked quickly and quietly, contacting all of her best sources, and surfing the net for information.

Finally after several hours she hit pay dirt. Her most trusted contact had come through. *Oh God, this is it.* she thought as she read the spell. She glanced at Angel. She would just go ahead and do it while he slept. *I can't tell him about it, he would never let me do it. He'd be too afraid that I'd get hurt.* She scrolled down and found that the spell was simple and that she had the necessary ingredients already in her possession . *This can't be this easy,* she thought. *Oh and it isn't. I have to get him to drink the potion and the chant the spell. How am I gonna get him to drink it?*

Willow decided that she would cross the bridge when she got there. She prepared the potion and moved to stand beside the bed. Angel's sleep was restless. The poor thing was having nightmares no doubt. *Maybe if I wake him up, he'll be confused enough to drink it without a fuss.* Willow shook him gently and Angel sat bolt upright his eyes wide with terror. His eyes focused on her. "Willow? Where am I? What's going on?" "Sshhh. Drink this and everything will be all right. Trust me." Angel hesitated and then drained the entire glass. Almost immediately, he collapsed back into bed, sound asleep. Willow brushed his hair from his eyes and picked up the print out of the spell.

Willow watched as an unearthly glow surround Angel, he tensed for a moment as his body shivered convulsively, and then lay still. *Okay, now all I have to do is wait for him to wake up and hope that he's not mad a t me* It turned out to be a long wait.

The sun hat set by the time that Angel began to wake. Willow wanted to touch him, reassure him, but kept her distance, fearing that he would be angry.

Angel opened his eyes and somehow he knew. He knew what she had done. He wasn't angry but afraid. Angel glanced nervously around the room and relaxed when he say Willow standing nervously by the computer. "Willow?" He tried to standup, but was hit with a wave of dizziness and nearly collapsed. Willow was at his side in an instant. She pushed him back down on the bed. "Careful, Angel. It'll take a few minutes for things to clear up."

"Willow! Are you crazy? You could have gotten hurt!" Angel grabbed her arms and forced her to look him in the eye. "It would have been worth it. But I'm fine, Angel. And now you can be happy, your soul belongs to you forever." Angel couldn't believe the depth of the gratitude he felt. He knew he should scold her for her recklessness, and not telling him of what she was doing, but he was too damn happy. "Why Willow?"

Willow took a deep breath. "Angel, I don't know what's happening. But I care about you. A lot. A-and I can't stand to see you unhappy."

"Oh, Willow." Angel sighed and pulled her down so that he could embrace her. When Willow straightened her eyes were drawn to his , and then to his lips. She gazed at him, his soft lips beckoning her. Slowly she leaned down and kissed him.

Angel pulled her on top of him and returned the kiss passionately. He didn't understand it, the only thing he knew was that it felt right.

Outside, Buffy knocked on the door and was worried when no one answered. They hadn't heard from Willow all weekend. Buffy decided to enter when she saw the lights on upstairs. She climbed the stairs to Willow's room and peeked in the door. What she saw, hit her like a ton of bricks. Angel and Willow kissing, on Willow's bed.

"Oh, God."