TITLE: Christmas in New York 2/?
AUTHOR: Claudine
EMAIL: claudine423@yahoo.com
PAIRING: W/G, W/E
RATING: PG
FEEDBACK: If I beg ???? :-)
NOTES: Future-fic
DISCLAIMER: Permission to use these characters relating to BtVS & AtS has not been given. Joss, Twentieth Century Fox, UPN, WB & Mutant Enemy own TM and copyrighted them. Nor do I own the rights to The Grinch or any of the other stories/songs I mention. Gimme a freakin' break Mr. Copyright man - I'm merely a humble fan havin' some fun. No infringement is intended. Say goodnight, Gracie.....

Ethan walked slowly, barely a fraction of an inch in front of Willow, his lead cutting a path through the massive crowd.

"This is insane - I don't think there's a bar in Manhattan that has room for us." Willow was dreading her decision to spend time alone with Ethan Rayne. "Maybe we should just..."

His words cut her off, "Now, now - that's a defeatist's attitude. Surely there must be someplace. Come hither," he said playfully and tugged gently on her scarf, the unexpected contact only a minor concern to Willow.

They had literally walked until they could walk no longer. The cold and the crowds had taken a toll on the both of them. Willow was just about to tell him that she'd changed her mind when Ethan turned to her and said, "Ok, I give - this is insane."

She paused and looked around as an awkward silence filled the space between them.

"I've got an idea!" He leaned close, a little too close, when he spoke. Willow pulled back instinctively. Though the instinct had less to do with Ethan in particular and more to do with intimate contact in general, he noticed the gesture and had to comment. "Don't worry - I don't bite," Ethan teased, "...at least not on the first date." Truth be told - her actions hurt his feelings, but a man like Ethan Rayne couldn't expect to be trusted without paying some dues, first, and making amends. Willow's trust would be difficult to gain, but since the moment she walked back into his life, hours before, he had thought of nothing but proving himself to her.

Willow was torn. She didn't really want to be alone, not with the constant reminder of the families and groups of friends gathered all around her in the crowded city. Her purpose in the world, though an important one, lent itself to loneliness. But Ethan? Is Ethan Rayne someone she wanted to find solace in on one of the most magical nights of the year? If nothing else, he reminded her of Giles and, if she couldn't be with him, then Ethan was the closest thing. Her decision to join him came with a disclaimer, "You know that if you try anything..."

"You'll liquefy my entrails." The corners of his mouth turned up slowly as his eyes met hers.

"Well, I'm out of practice, but expect something equivalent." She actually smiled. And, though she would never admit it to herself, she was blushing.

"Follow me." Ethan pulled out a set of keys and reached for the door to an apartment building they just happened to be standing in front of.

"Uh...no." Willow stood glued to her spot. "This is just a coincidence? Ending up in front of your building?"

Ethan walked back over to her. "Look, we can't get into one bloody bar in the entire city. Every inch of this town is buzzing. Besides - I don't think you want to be alone, and I sure as hell know that I don't want to be alone on Christmas Eve. Trust me?"

Willow just shook her head no and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ok," Ethan said. "Well, it's much too soon for this, but I can see there's no other way." He took her hand in his. "I promise this won't hurt a bit." His thumb moved slowly over the crest of her knuckles before he gently tugged on the fingers of her glove, one by one, to remove it. He moved closer and looked deep into her eyes while he placed her hand over his heart and covered it with his own. "Have a look inside - I know you have the power."

She couldn't believe what she was feeling. Every inch of her body was tingling. Ethan never appealed to her before, what with the worshipping of chaos and all that. But now, in the moment, in the cadence of his voice and the glint in his eye, she caught a glimpse of this humbled man and all her defenses fell. "No, it's ok," she whispered, afraid to peer into his heart and find something that would spoil the moment.

He stood close to her for the next few moments, the heat of her gaze warming every inch of his body. "Come with me."

He led her to the door. When they stepped inside Willow's breath caught in her throat as she looked around. Though it may have been an apartment building at one time, now it was Ethan's home. And it was grand.

She stepped further into the room, her eyes trying to take in everything at once. There was a Christmas tree in the center of the room that looked almost as big as the one at Rockefeller Center. The banister of the old, circular staircase in front of them was lined with holly and red bows and lights. "Ok - wow would be an understatement."

"It doesn't always look like this - I just threw a party last night. I wish I had known you were in town, I would have invited you." He spoke over his shoulder as he crossed the room. "Will you excuse me for just one minute - I need to make a call."

"Ok." Willow was still in awe of her surroundings. Her own flat was decorated for the holiday, but not nearly as elegantly as Ethan's place.

Ethan reached into the breast pocket of his coat and pulled out a cell phone. He pressed a few buttons and then held it to his ear while he stepped behind a mahogany bar and searched one of the cabinets. "Nicky!" he said. "It's Ethan. Listen - I need a favor." He pulled a bottle of cognac out and then ducked down, searching for glasses for the two of them. Apparently there weren't any. He left the liquor on the bar and then turned and walked through a set of french doors.

Willow could no longer see or hear him. She reached up to her neck to remove her scarf but, as soon as she did, Ethan broke through the doors again with two glasses and clicked his phone shut before he dropped it back into his pocket. "No, no," he said when he caught her about to remove her scarf, "Leave it on."

"Aha!" She said, "No heat - I knew there had to be something wrong with this place. It's too good to be true."

Ethan smiled as he approached. "No - there's heat. But not where we're going." He nodded to coax her along with him. "Incidentally there's nothing wrong with this place. It's fit for a king." He stopped and leaned in close to her, his voice almost lascivious as he added, "And someday, perhaps, a queen."

They climbed the staircase together, Willow's conscience playing the broken Giles record over and over and over in her mind. "Are you mad? Ethan Rayne? He's evil. Have you forgotten about that Halloween? And the candy? And the demon he turned me into? Ethan Rayne - the harbinger of chaos. How could you let yourself be lured into his home?" She tried to ignore the voice, but not before it got one final "pillock" in.

The stairs wound up through four floors, though Ethan never paused long enough for Willow to get much of a look. But at the top the stairs opened up into a solarium. There were poinsettias and evergreens mixed in with normal foliage. The entire place was lit with twinkle lights. It felt like a dream.

"Well? What do you think of my humble abode?"

Willow took his arm as she climbed the final two steps but let go quickly when she was steady on her feet again. "Not so humble."

Ethan poured two generous glasses of cognac before he replaced the lid and set the bottle down on the floor. He walked over to Willow and handed her a glass. The urge to take her hand was so strong that he couldn’t fight it. After a deep breath he reached out and touched her hand lightly, his motion tentative until he felt her acceptance. He laced his fingers through hers and led her to the door to the balcony.

The view took her breath away. They could see for miles. The entire city was sprawled out before them, the sounds of the masses below barely a murmur now. "Wow - this is..." She just couldn't speak. Vampires and demons were the farthest things from her mind. Even Giles was a distant memory.

"This keeps me grounded." He motioned out over the city with his hand that held his drink. He brought it to his lips and sipped slowly, the alcohol a familiar, comforting burn as it rolled over his tongue and palate. "Reminds me of how little I am in the grand scheme of things." He stared off into the distance, appreciating the view as if he were seeing it for the first time. "London is a lot of things, but this city, right here and now, New York is the place to be."

"I know. Sunnydale could fit in New York's pocket." Willow said, finally letting go of his hand before she sipped her own drink. "This is a great place - you're lucky."

He regarded her for a second or two and added, "Yes, I am."

She felt herself blushing and quickly turned away from him, afraid to show her attraction to him. But he never looked away, his gaze remained fixed on her until she turned back and met his gaze. They looked deep into each other's eyes like old lovers, Willow's heart actually fluttering, her fingertips tingling.

"So," he said, walking over to the edge of the balcony, "You have questions. I've got answers. What do you want to know?"

The moment, and whatever had passed between them, was broken. Willow thanked whatever force it was that separated their bodies before she did something she might later regret. She found it much too difficult to think with him standing so close. If she wasn't so enthralled by the magic of the holiday she would have thought Ethan had put a spell on her. But something told her he was sincere, his actions genuine.

"Well," she thought aloud, "You claim you're a changed man. Am I supposed to believe that you just woke up one day and realized: Evil? Not so good after all."

"Yes."

"So what happened then, well in New York they say that Ethan's small heart grew three sizes that day?" She mocked him with his own words.

He found her reference appropriate and charming. "Something like that." He took a deep breath. "You find it unfathomable and yet, when Ripper turned his life around, you all welcomed him. Some of you with open arms."

Willow's eyes grew. Did Ethan know about her and Giles or what he just toying with her. "Well..." She searched her heart for the answer. "We never knew Giles when he was...you know."

"Continue," Ethan said, amused at the irony of this whole discussion.

"He was all tweedy, nose-in-a-book, do-the-right-thing guy when we met him and we didn't know those things about him."

"Yet when you learned of his past you dismissed it, forgave him, assumed he was a changed man." He sipped his drink.

"Yes. That's right. His past stayed in his past since it didn't involve any of us. But you? You're all evil, chaos-worshipping, demon-loving, every-time-you-come-to-town-wreak-havoc..."

"I get the picture," he interrupted. "What about you, Willow? News travels, you know. Sunnydale may have been devoured by the hellmouth, but not before it whispered its secrets to the underworld." He closed the gap between their bodies. "You fell victim to the power. When your friend died, when the grief hit you and sucked the marrow out of your very bones, the darkness and its power overtook you...just as it had overtaken me. And Ripper, at one time." His voice was comforting, though his words stung. "You're not unblemished." He reached up and stroked the side of her face softly, his fingers numb from the cold. "But your friends welcomed you back, forgave you for your mistakes....And when I look at you, when I look into those big, brown eyes...I see the goodness in you. I see the strength it takes to fight the darkness. I see regret and remorse for the things you did. So if you want to cast me aside before getting to know me a little better, ask yourself if it's a fair assessment." He smiled. "People change, darling Willow. I woke up one day and looked in the mirror and said 'Ethan - you've fucked up your entire life - it's time to be a man'."

"And?" Her voice quivered, though she wasn't sure if it was the weather or Ethan's energy coursing through her.

He took her hand in his again, placing it softly over his heart for the second time that night. "Close your eyes and see for yourself."

Willow's own heart skipped a beat. Ethan's breath was warm and sweet as it spilled over her skin when he spoke. She flattened her palm against his body, his heartbeat steady on her hand, and she closed her eyes.

This gift, this power, was one she never learned to control. Sometimes she saw too much, sometimes not nearly enough. But Ethan was so willing to give himself over to her, that the flood of emotion and information coursing through her body almost brought her to her knees.

He felt her weakening so he pulled her hand away from his body. "Well?" He took another step back and searched her eyes for the answer.

NEXT