Angel walked into the living room from the dinning room where he
and Welsey
had been reading up on the box. Or many kinda of boxes as the case
may be.
He stepped in and looked on the couch. Laying stretched out was
Willow, a
book on her chest as she slept.
"Angel, I think --" Welsey came up from behind.
"Shh." Angel hushed. "She hasn't been sleeping well. I want her
to get as
much as she can ," he whispered. Angel lead him into the kitchen
to talk.
"I think I know what the box is for. According to some records,
a box of that
size with those engravings is used to bring forth a beast from
another
place." He showed him the picture inside the book.
"But why do they need to summon a beast?" Angel asked." Like we
don't have
enough of them already." He looked over what each inscription meant,
the last
couple on the page being torn a bit so it was unreadable. "Welsey?"
"Yes?"
"Is this an only addition?"
"I know a group in San Francisco that might have a copy of the inscriptions.
Why?"
"The last few are torn. I think I need them to tell what's in that box."
"No!" They heard Willow scream from the couch. Angel ran over with
Welsey on
his tail and just as he sat on the edge, Willow jumped up awake.
He instantly
took her into his arms and she clung to him.
"You're okay. It was just a dream. You're fine." He cozen. When
she finally
calmed down he pulled her arm length away." What did you see?"
"You," she paused and took in a breath. "Angelus." Another breath.
"He was
kissing me and touching me. But he wasn't doing it for pleasure,
or mine
anyway. It was like torture."
"Sounds like Angelus."
"Then he forced me to obey as he changed me into a slinky dress."
"Slinky?"
"Seductive, okay? It's the first word I thought of." She sighed.
"Anyway.
Then Angelus and Darla --"
"Darla? Now this can't happen because she's dust."
"And we're not dead and our blood isn't drained."
"Excuse me?" Welsey asked.
"Minions were going to bring back the master with a ceremony that
needed the
blood of those present at the death. Xander, Giles, me, Angel and
Buffy were
present for Darla's death."
"I believe I've heard of such a ceremony." Welsey said, taking the
scroll and
heading to the research room.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Angel asked her.
"I don't know what to be sure of anymore," she commented, looking
down to her
hands.
"Hey," He replaced his hands on her's and caressed it. "You can
be sure of a
couple things. For one I'm here if you need anything. Second, I'll
protect
you. Nothings gonna harm you."
"You say that now. But it'll change when you're Angelus." She got
up and
walked away hurrily to her room."
* * *
Willow ran and yanked the door open but it was hopeless. Every door
she
opened lead to another room she'd been in. It was like the rooms
were
rotating to each same one over and over in a sequence.
She placed her hand on the knob and took a deep, soothing breath
before
opening the door. This room wasn't what she was expecting. It was
different.
Flowers, night jasmine, bloomed in pots framing the room. Many different
black and red assorted flowers scattered the floor in vases and
in the middle
sat on a table-like platform was a single crystal vase with a single
half
bloomed, perfect white rose. Walking closer and giving a more detailed
inspection of it she could see the tips of the rose petals had
red to them.
She reached a hand out to touch it and she felt a body closely mold
to her
from behind and a hand stretch out as hers was. She grazed her
tips against
the top of the rose petals and the hand behind followed, doing
the same.
"Leave me alone," she whispered. It came out almost as a plea.
"Why do you wish for me to leave you alone?" came Angelus' seductive
voice in
her ear from behind. She moved her hand and her finger dragged
across a
thorn. She pulled her arm back up and Angelus' arm followed as
a shadow. He
molded his hand to hers, his fingers folded over in-between hers.
Slowly he
pulled her hand up and over her shoulder just barley to his lips.
"Why when I
know you want me so badly?" He raised the blood dripped finger
to his lips,
sucking on it.
"I don't want you," she whispered, shuttering at his touch.
"Don't lie, Little Red. I know you," he whispered in her ear, starting
to
kiss at her neck.
"Angel was better." Angelus bit into her shoulder and she hissed in pain.
Willow jumped awake and grabbed at her neck. Nothing. She looked
around at
her surroundings and realized where she was.
The room was situated as an office. Two chairs set adjacent to a
large desk
and a large leather chair. The desk was barren, not a paper or
object on it.
Behind and to the left and right of the desk, against the wall,
were two
cherry oak stands. One contained bar refreshments, the other had
a desk lamp
with a green glass shade. Behind the desk strait out was a window
covered by
blinds.
Standing, she walked over and pulled the curtain and saw how high
up the room
was. At least thirty-six floors. She wasn't going that way.
She turned to the desk and shuffled through it, finding only pencils
and
unmarked note pads.
She jumped when she heard the door shuffle and as it opened she
tossed a
pencil in a spiral and Angelus' hand caught it seconds before it
made it to
his heart.
"Cute Red," he commented before the rest came in.
* * *
Willow woke to a knock at her door. "Come in," she called groggily.
Angel
opened the door and stepped inside.
"Sorry to wake you. Welsey and Cordelia are gonna be around here
if you need
anything. Their numbers are on the counter."
"Where you going?" she asked, sitting up as he sat on the bed.
"San Francisco. Welsey gave me the names of a group who have the
key to the
inscriptions on the box."
"Let me go," she said. "I'll be alone here if you don't take me."
"What about your car? What if the guy shows up?"
"I doubt he will. Come on, please Angel?" she plead.
"All right. Pack some things. I'm leaving in an hour,"
"What time is it?" She asked, getting out of bed.
"Midnight. I want to get there before the sun comes up." He left
her alone to
back.
* * * * *