Her first guest to arrive was Xander. He immediately saw the changes in the house.

“So dead-boy is  really staying here?”

“Angel is staying over just like you. And remember, behave. You promised.”

“Fine...I will.”

“Good, then I can still give you your birthday present tomorrow,” she replied with a smile.

“So what have you and Cordy planned?” he asked happily as they walked to his room.

“*Angel*, Cordelia, and I have planned something you never would have imaged,”  she said, emphasizing Angel’s name.

“Angel?”

“Yep, actually he did most of the planning. If not for him, never would have happened.”

Xander remained quite, thankful to hear the doorbell ring.

“Second room to the left,” she said as she raced back downstairs.

“Aunt Gertrude’s room? Great”

Xander entered the dark room as Willow greeted her second guest.

“Willow, you seriously need a new decorator,” Cordy said as she entered the dark living room.

“Angel’s coming over.”

“You convinced him?”

“He didn’t really have much of a choice. Come on, let me show you your room.”

“Willow, can we talk privately later?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks.”
 
Willow showed her to the room, but soon left as the doorbell rang once more. She opened the door to find her last guest.

“Hi.”

“I found it amazing that when I got home from patrolling last night that my *new* apartment had a rodent problem.”

“Angel, that’s terrible,” she replied, giving him the most innocent look she could muster.

 “But what really amazed me was when I called the exterminators, they said they wouldn’t be able to come over and do the job until two weeks from now.”

“That’s horrible. Do you need a place to stay?”

He grinned at her as his eyes narrowed a bit.

“If you have room for one more person,” he said, knowing nothing was a coincidence. She pulled him in the house and closed the door behind him.

Angel looked around the house and noticed how conveniently dark it was.

“I have one room left,” she said as she took one of his duffel bags from him.

 “Willow, that’s the...”

“Red wine? No problem. I’ll stock some in the fridge and some in a cooler in your room.”

She left the bag on one of the chairs as she pulled him up the stairs to her parents bedroom. He smiled as he saw the accommodations.

 “You have a bath, with extra clean towels. The button drawer is empty if you want to unpack, and I put a cooler with a lot of ice next to the bed. You know where everything is, remember, mi casa tu casa.”

She was about to rush out of the room when she heard the doorbell, but Angel’s hand stopped her.

“I would have come over,” Angel said with a smile.

“I know, just wanted to make sure,” she replied, returning the smile.

He pulled her in for a hug, placing a kiss on top of her head.

“Thank you.”

“No need. Friends never have to thank each other. Uh, gotta get the door.”

She pulled away and left him alone in the room. She hurried to the door as she fumbled to take out her money from her pocket. To her complete surprise is wasn’t the pizza delivery man.

“Willow.”

“Giles, I didn’t expect you ‘till tomorrow, but I can prepare the room for you right now, no problem...”

“Actually, Willow, I can’t stay.”

She invited him in and offered him a seat on the sofa. She didn’t like the look on his face.

“Is something wrong?”

“No...well, yes..I’m leaving for London tonight.”

“Why? What happened?”

“My sister’s become rather ill and I haven’t seen her for some years...”

“I understand. Don’t worry, we’ll take care of everything till you get back.”

“I was hoping you would say that.”

“Of course, family remember. Let me get the rest of gang. Don’t leave ‘till I get back.”

Willow rushed up the stairs, leaving the Giles alone in the living room. He remembered back to when he had first heard her use ‘family’ to describe them.  It had been a rough time since Buffy had left before summer. They had encountered all sort of demons and vampires, almost losing Cordelia and Xander the first couple of fights.
Then Angel come back, and it got easier, all to the help of the red hacker. It was true, it was still hard for him to look at Angel and not quiver as he tried to push back memories of his time as Angelus, but with Willow’s help, the group was accepting him little by little.

“We have to stick together. We’re family.”

How true her words are, he thought. The slayers absence had caused them to relay on each other. There, their bonds had been created. Giles was awoken from his thoughts by the rush of voices coming from the stairs. To his complete surprised,  they all carried presents. Willow was the first to go up to him and hand him his. She couldn’t help herself and hugged him, surprising the librarian.

 “Merry Christmas, Giles. I’m sure everything will turn out good. Be careful.”

 “Thank you, Willow.”

He reached into the bag he had carried in and handed her her present.

“Happy Hanukah.”
 
Cordelia followed Willow, wishing him a good trip and exchanged presents.

Xander shook his hand and handed him his.
 
“We’ll take care of the place while your gone.”

“Thank you, Xander.”

Xander accepted his gift anxiously.

“I’m sure everything will be fine. Have a good trip, Giles.” Angel said as he handed him his gift, never expecting the gift Giles handed him.

“Thank you, Angel. I hope everything will be well. Remember to close the library every night, and keep researching the prophecy.”

“We will.”

Giles packed up his gifts in his bag and left, once more wishing them a Merry Christmas and New Year.

Angel had decided to take a shower as the rest of the gang ate. It was still a little hard for him to be around them, even if Willow reassured him he was accepted, hell, it was still hard for him to understand why someone like Willow would want to be his friend, but that she was and for that he was grateful. His life in Hell had been
terrible, every pain, every torture he had endured. He had a lot of time to think, to feel, to regret. And Hell can
change a man, any man. Willow had given him a second chance to walk among the living, and with each passing day, he was now realizing he may have some right to happiness, and with each day he spent with Willow, he was.

Once the pizza was done, Cordelia and Willow left Xander alone, telling him they needed to talk about girlie things like, douche. Xander immediately understood and let them leave without a further complaint. The girls left, locking themselves in Willow’s room. Over the past months, Cordelia and Willow had become strong friends. After a
couple of near death rescues from both sides, they looked past the surface and had found a friend.

Xander wasn’t sure what to do. He didn’t like Angel, didn’t get along with him, but this he was the only person who would help him. He looked at the empty pizza box, wondering what he should do.

Part 4

“Cordy, are you sure?” Willow asked surprised.

The girls had closed themselves in Willow’s room, finishing up the last details for Xander’s birthday bash.

“Yep, I’m ready,” Cordelia said, with excitement and nervousness in her voice.

“Have you told him?”

“Hinted it to him a bit. I want it to be his present.”

“Are you scared?” Willow asked curious.

“A little. It’s supposed to hurt, not looking forward to that and where both inexperienced, I’m not going to know what to do, so I’m relying on him.”

Willow couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Will, you wouldn’t have....you know...like..something that can help me out?”

It took her a couple of seconds to realize what it was that she was talking about.

“You mean...well I haven’t updated my porn collection,” she replied with a blush.

The girls giggled.

“I just thought, you know, if I saw....how it happened then....it might be...a little...”

Willow understood. Her suggestion had shocked them both.

“Did you want to...rent one?”

Cordelia wasn’t sure what to say.
 
“A porn?”

“That would be the last resort, but maybe, you know those videos in back of magazines - “Get the right orgasm”. Something like that.”

They both burst out into laughter.

“Can we do it?” Cordelia asked a bit embarrassed.

“Let’s go.”

Willow got up from the bed and grabbed her jacket.

Angel was sitting on the bed, putting on his shoes when he heard the knock on the door. He was shocked to see the person on the other end.

“Can I talk to you?” he asked, uneasy.

Angel was in complete shock. He stepped to the side, letting him into the room. Xander took a seat on the bed, his eyes clued to the floor. Angel remained silent, not sure what Xander wanted.

“I need advise,” Xander mumbled.

“Well, if there’s anything I can help you with.....” Angel began to say, not sure how to react about his request. He rarely talked to Xander and to be frank this was freaking him out.

“I know you have experience about this...I don’t know anyone who could help me....my dad’s either passed out or has completely gone blind to my existence....and Willow is my best friend....so...”

Angel sat down in a chair in the corner, wondering what it was that Xander needed advise in.

“Shit....It’s just...damn..I really don’t want to have this conversation with you....but.....” Xander began to battle with himself.

“You don’t have to tell me anything...”

“It’s just....”

“Then just blurt it out,” Angel told him, sensing his apprehension.

“I want to sleep with Cordelia.”

This wasn’t what Angel expected.

“Okay....I think Cordelia might be...I mean...might want to...”

“That isn’t it...Geez, never thought I’d be here asking for advise from a dead guy...” Xander muttered.

Then it hit on Angel.

“Your a virgin!” Angel said surprised.

“I’m not sure they heard you in Alaska, Angel,” Xander said mad.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.....I just thought....”

“Nope, not once. Pathetic isn’t it?”

“I don’t think so. Is Cordelia...?”

“Of course she is,” Xander replied a bit high. He felt uncomfortable talking to Angel was about this, especially about Cordelia.

“And you want....?”

“I’m sure you’ve slept with virgins before, you were probably one once too, and since I really don’t know what to expect...what I should do for her....I thought...some pointers here and there...I don’t want to make myself look like a jackass as I usually do.”

“Um...what is it that you want to know?” Angel asked, feeling a bit uneasy about talking to him about this.

“Anything you can think that can help me.”

“Okay....well...um...the most important thing you should know is that the first time you penetrate her, it’ll hurt her. She’ll bleed, it’s normal. You have to be patient with her.  Fear will a major emotion for her. Re-assure her, let her know you love her. If she wants to stop or slow it down....”

Angel and Xander remained talking for two hours, something that amazed them both. Xander asked questions as Angel answered them as best he could.

 “That looks like it hurts,” Cordelia commented as they  watched the TV.

Willow and Cordelia had gone to the video store and gone to the adult section.  They were horrified to see the clerk was a fellow schoolmate. After a rush of a panic attack passed, Willow placed her resolve face on and picked the videos they wanted. She walked to the counter, and with a little help of her magick, managed to rent the
videos for five days. Willow left the counter mortified. She would now be known as the closed door pervert.

“It looks like she’s enjoying it,” Willow replied as they tilted their heads to the side to get the better view.

The next scene was set up with a view of complete instructions.

“Harmony tried that.”

“How do you know?”

“She told us. Joshua.”

“No!, the quarterback.”

“Said he was small,” Cordelia said with a slight giggle as she nodded her head yes.

“How would she know, unless.....” Willow trailed off, too embarrassed to finish the thought.

“...never thought about that....”

The girls watched attentively as the woman in the video finished her oral fixation.

The next scene appeared filled with sound affects.

“Can we even sound that way?” Cordelia asked, not sure she would be able to sound that way.

“Maybe it’s the heat of the moment,”

Cordy was about add to the comment, but instead jumped off her chair and shot a panicked look to Willow. Willow almost tumbled off the bed as she heard the knock on the door.

Angel walked down the hall, fearing his hearing was off. The closer he got to Willow’s room the clearer the sound of moans that he could hear. He gently knocked on the door, confused to hear the voice of an unfamiliar woman talking. He heard a sound of someone falling and knocked louder. He then heard the moaning grow louder
then stop.  He was about to knock a third time, but Willow opened up the door a jar. He smiled as he noticed
how red she was.

“We have to go and patrol,” he told her.

“Patrol...yes...that sounds great...I’ll meet you down stairs with Cordy.”

Before Angel could reply, Willow closed the door.
 
 
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