information and disclaimers in part one =20 Title: Dreams? 6/11 =20 Lately the rain, or more precisely patrolling in the rain, had been one = of Buffy's favorite topics of conversation. Willow could barely = restrain herself, as they were clearing the living room of the mansion = for Willow's martial arts lesson, from reminding Buffy that the rain had = been keeping the vampire population mostly inside. <She didn't even = patrol AT ALL last night. Buffy has spent the last three weeks trying = to get involved in my training! > Instead the slayer was getting in the = way. =20 The slender redhead was fully aware that Buffy was pursuing dual goals. = The first -- pretending that Willow hadn't changed, that the Slayer = hadn't somehow missed something. The second -- trying to rekindle her = romance with Angel. <All she does is tell me to be careful, distracting = me, or flirt with Angel. > =20 =20 Cassandra walked into the room, wearing close fitting exercise clothes. = She wasn't part of Willow's training in this area. She was going = jogging before sword practice. It had become habit -- Cassandra and = Angel would sword fight while Willow worked on her computer. Angel was = handling the martial arts training completely. Which made him happy, and = Buffy clearly unhappy. The Slayer's thoughts currently went two = directions. Partly she disliked the training because she didn't like the = idea of Willow fighting. <If she's fighting she's in danger. Danger = bad." At other times she seemed to be more interested in flirting with = Angel and to be worried about the strong friendship between the witch = and vampire. <Why are they so close?! Why didn't Willow tell me they = were friends? > =20 "Thank you for helping clear the room. Willow is meeting you to shop = this afternoon, isn't she." Cassandra's tone was outwardly polite, but = the lack of a questioning tone made it clear that she wasn't interested = in talking to Buffy. The Immortal was tired of the Slayer hovering over = her student. Buffy completely ignored Cassandra's polite and subtle = hints that she was getting in the way. Instead she plopped down by the = fireplace to watch Angel and Willow. Cassandra forced herself to not = roll her eyes and left. =20 Practice went much as it had for the past three weeks. By the fifth = interruption Willow was ready to strangle her former best friend. Buffy = got up off of the fireplace. Angel had moved to hold Willow's shoulders = and correct her posture. Fighting off a wave of jealousy, the Slayer = had moved to get there first and do it instead of him. Willow hadn't = missed the jealous look and bit her tongue, struggling to not loose her = temper. =20 However, Angel's much strained patience finally snapped. "You're in the = way." Angel's voice was flat and cold. "If you're' truly worried about = Willow's ability to take care of herself LEAVE!" =20 =20 The blond stared at Angel stunned; he had never spoken to her like that = before. At least not when he had his soul. Always, he had been polite = to her. She had always been sure that he had just been restraining his = emotions because they couldn't be together. Abruptly she was no longer = so sure of that. Buffy looked at Willow for support. The slender = redhead had carefully avoided her former best friend's eyes. Buffy had = left in a huff, seriously put out. =20 Angel and Willow stood quietly for a moment after the Slayer had stormed = out. Then Willow got back into the defensive stance that Angel had been = showing her, signaling that she was ready to start. =20 =20 <I really do still care what happens to Buffy. She is still important = to me. We've been through a lot together.> Willow reflected. <But = we're just not all that close anymore; we haven't been since graduation. = I can't pretend that we are.> The redhead sighed. <Why won't she admit = that? All she wants to talk about is Angel anyway -- or the latest = nasty she has taken out. > =20 =20 The Slayer had never wanted to talk about her friend's training and = would change the subject when it was brought up. That was a change she = wanted to ignore. Willow sighed and turned away from her contemplation = of the water running down the window. She winced as she plopped onto = the couch, discarding the medical text Cassandra had given her to study = and suddenly remembering the bruises she'd gotten in her training = session with Angel. He was proving to be a demanding teacher and wanted = to make sure she could take care of herself. After a few minutes the = muscles bruised during the morning's practice began to loudly protest = her curled up position. Stretching, she got up and moved to lean = against wall by the window, Willow could see that it was still raining = heavily. Willow and Buffy were supposed to have gone shopping again = that afternoon, but the Slayer had not shown up. Willow had attempted = to study, but hadn't been able to concentrate. So instead, she was = figuring out why being ditched by Buffy hadn't hurt. =20 Lately the only flaw in Willow's current existence was Buffy and = Xander's refusal to accept the distance that had develop in their = formerly close group. <It's been there for awhile, but they finally = caught on that I wasn't a part of the little group anymore. I grew away = from them, and they didn't see it. > Xander was actually accepting the = changes fairly well and was simply worried about her safety. <Xander = just hovers, but Buffy insists on trying to return us to two years ago. = > She always wanted Willow to go out with her, especially at the times = Willow was supposed to be training with Angel. <We can't go back. I = don't want to go back.>=20 =20 The sound of the phone ringing, in that loud insistent tone phones get = when you're busy, pulled Willow away from her review of the morning. =20 =20 "Hello?" =20 It was Cassandra. "Willow, can you to come over to the Mansion? A = friend of mine, Joe Dawson, arrived this afternoon, and I'd like you to = meet him. He brought some old things of mine you'll find interesting." =20 <How old, precisely? > Willow wondered. "Sure, I'll be there in a = little bit." The redhead pulled on her jacket, grabbed her backpack and = an umbrella, and headed out the door into the soggy March afternoon = nearly humming with curiosity. =20 The walk was pleasant one -- even with numerous mud puddles. Although = wet, the March air was fresh and clean, and Willow spent her time = wondering what the old belongings Cassandra had described as interesting = were instead of analyzing her relationship to her friends. <I wish = Angel could walk with me. > The slender redhead sighed at that wistful = thought and bounced up to the door of the Mansion, noting the unfamiliar = car parked at the curb as she let her self inside. Angel was, as = always, waiting for her inside the door. =20 "I thought you had plans." His half grin, something the otherwise dour = vampire reserved for her, let her know that he was no way upset that she = had come to the mansion instead. =20 =20 "Yeah, I was supposed to go shopping with Buffy again. She wanted to = find something for that frat party Friday, but she never showed." = Willow grinned to let him know it was okay. =20 The smile vanished from the dark-haired vampire's face anyway. "Is it = because of what I said this morning? Are you okay?" He had been only = tolerating Buffy's flirting because she was Willow's friend. <How could = I have lost my temper?! The Slayer is Willow's friend. > Angel feared = that in doing so he had hurt the person dearest to him. =20 "I'm fine --- she and I just aren't that close anymore. Buffy was more = angry that I didn't support her this morning." Willow gave a slightly = exasperated sigh. "She doesn't like that I've changed so she denies = that the changes have happened at all." =20 =20 Angel didn't look quite convinced but opted to let the matter slide. = After, all Willow really seemed more annoyed - with Buffy - than upset = with him for getting mad. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the = main room.=20 =20 "Willow, you got here quickly." Cassandra smiled as her student walked = over. In only three weeks Willow had regained all of the energy she'd = lost in February. Her green eyes sparkled and she walked with a = distinct bounce. Her enthusiasm for existing translated itself to those = around her; around her even the solemn Angel would grin and laugh. = <That seems to shock the Slayer even more than the handholding. Which = those two don't seem to even notice they're doing. > Cassandra thought = with a wry grin. =20 =20 "Willow, I'd like you to meet Joe Dawson." =20 The whole room lit up when the witch was in it. Joe certainly noticed. = He had found the vampire interesting and rather serious, just as = Cassandra had described him. Cassandra had also described Willow in = great detail. The intelligence was obvious. The green eyes were alert = and missed nothing. An observer could almost hear the wheels turning in = her head. <This one will do well in the Game -- smart and alert. > But = Cassandra had been hard pressed to describe the effect the young witch = had on the people around her. Joe could now understand why. <She = almost glows. No wonder Cassandra said that her friends would go to any = length to protect her. > He smiled at the young woman and shook her = hand. =20 Introductions finished, Cassandra began to point out some of the volumes = that Joe had brought from the storehouse in Europe where the Immortal = had been keeping them. They were all old. =20 <I saw some of these in the dreams. > Willow thought as she looked at = the ornately decorated covers of some of the books, excitement tingling = up her spine. <Giles would just love to get his hands on these. > = Cassandra had been delighted with Giles' collection of books, finding = books that were new to her or that she hadn't seen in a long time. = Willow grinned and then was lost in her fascinated study of the = treasures spread out on the coffee table. "Oh, look at this one Angel!" = =20 Seeing that her student's attention was completely occupied by the = books, and that the vampire's attention was all fixed on her student, = Cassandra moved to the kitchen, motioning Joe to follow her. =20 =20 "Did you have any trouble finding the sword I wanted." She asked = quietly. The sword she mentioned was the one she had picked out for her = student -- when the time was right. The Immortal hoped that time = wouldn't come for a while yet. =20 "Yeah, no problem. It's in the car. I figured you didn't want her to = see it just yet." Joe paused a moment. He had a feeling Cassandra = wouldn't like what he had to say next. "I left something else in the = car. Another book." =20 Cassandra looked at him curiously. He looked remarkably uncomfortable. = =20 "Um, there was kind of someone listening into that conversation a few = weeks ago." =20 "Who, Duncan?" Cassandra felt her stomach sink as the Watcher managed = to look even more uncomfortable. =20 "Um no. It was Methos." =20 "What!" Cassandra yelled. In the next room Angel and Willow looked up = from their study of the books (and each other) to realize that the = Immortal and her guest had left the room. =20 "What wrong, Cass?" Willow asked, green eyes full of concern. =20 =20 "Joe just told me that as old acquaintance of mine - Methos - was = eavesdropping when I called to tell him that I'd found Willow." = Cassandra watched as Angel vamped out, clearly not liking the idea of = anything even remotely resembling a threat to Willow.=20 =20 "He's not a threat to Willow. He's been staying out of the Game for the = last few centuries or so." She reassured him; now that the initial shock = was over she began to think about what he would considered important = enough to send with Joe. Her student, however, was curious about other = things. =20 "Why don't you like him? You're upset." Concern filled the green eyes. =20 "He's changed a lot; at least he seems to have changed." Cassandra = paused, clearly remembering some unpleasant memories. "He was the one = who killed me the first time, so my gut reaction is hate." =20 "He - he, k-killed you" Willow's jaw dropped. Angel, who had just eased = into his human face, vamped back out.=20 =20 Joe watched the process with a researcher's fascination. "He has had a = lot of time to change, Cassandra." =20 The Immortal glared at him for a moment then relented. "Yes, he has = changed," she acknowledged. "But that still does not mean I like him." = Her tone was level but clipped. =20 "How long is a long time?" Angel asked with remarkable calm. Cassandra = might claim that Methos wasn't a threat to Willow, but the Immortal also = said that he had killed her.=20 =20 "He's the oldest Immortal. Methos is about five thousand years old." =20 Willow's jaw continued to hang open, and her eyes became incredibly = wide. She tried to speak and failed. Angel, too, had been stunned into = silence. =20 "Joe, would you please get the book out of the car. We might as well = find out what it is." He walked out to the car to get the small book = that Methos that had insisted he bring. <I think he would have tailed = me here if I didn't agree to bring it, > the Watcher consoled himself.=20 to be continued . . . =20