Touch of Evil

AUTHOR: Amanda

RATING: R/NC-17 overall (some parts are mild)

DISCLAIMER: While I have taken the liberty of adding a few characters of my own creation, all of the original BtVS characters and their world belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and The WB. The lyrics used in this part are from the song "Elderly Woman Behind A Counter in a Small Town" by Pearl jam and belong to them. All are used without permission and no copyright infringement is intended.

SPOILERS: This takes place after Angel loses his soul but before Becoming, which never happened in my 'verse. I will keep and discard Buffy lore as I see fit.

SUMMARY: This is the story of the cat and mouse game Angelus plays with Willow, and the romance that follows.

DISTRIBUTION: if you want it, it's yours, just let me know where it's going. I give it freely to Witch Fan Fic, Charity, Samantha, Butterfly, Sunnyhell, Syrenslure's FanFic, Fever of Fate, Angel of Mine, TNPWFLDs and Serendipty- if you guys want it :) My stories, including Touch of Evil, can be found archived at my webpage- Love is Immortal at http://members.tripod.com/~PoizonnIvy/willang.html

FEEDBACK: I live for feedback so if you want more of this story please send feedback and boost my ego. And thank you to everyone who has sent feedback so far. if I haven't responded yet please be patient cause I will shortly. Every little bit of feedback is greatly appreciated :)

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~Prologue~

November 17, 2004

Willow couldn't help but wonder what she was doing at the Bronze. Though the club hadn't changed much in the years she'd been away, she no longer felt comfortable within its walls. It was still a teenage club and she was no longer a teenager. Not that Willow looked out place. At 23, she still looked young enough to fit in. Too bad she didn't feel the way she looked.
Inside, Willow felt as if she had lived three lifetimes, and if the amount of pain she lived with counted as anything, she probably had.

She sat at her corner table and watched the strange, youthful faces passing by her. She knew no one in the club, not that she had expected to. Everyone she had known and loved had left Sunnydale, like her, years ago. Her motivation for coming here hadn't been out of the hopes of seeing someone she knew. She supposed it had been nostalgia that had drawn her there. She wanted to sit and remember the way things had been, before life had intervened and changed things.

Willow sipped her coffee slowly. There was no band at the bronze tonight, though Willow didn't mind. The DJ they had hired had a rather classic taste in music. Many of the songs he was playing had been popular when she in high school. At the moment, an old Pearl Jam song, Willow vaguely recognized as one Oz had loved, was playing. Willow's body swayed as she let the lyrics wash over her.

**I seem to recognize your face
Haunting, familiar, yet I can't seem to place it
Cannot find the candle of thought to light your name
Lifetimes are catching up with me
All these changes taking place, I wish I'd seen the place
But no one's ever taken me

Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away... **

Willow watched the couples dancing with sad eyes. Her eyes latched on to a trio of youths, no older than 17, dancing off to the side of the dance floor. They could have easily been her, Buffy and Xander. Willow's throat constricted painfully as memories washed over her. <I miss those days so much. Things were so much simpler then. Sure we had vampires and demons to deal with, but we had each other. We were best friends, inseparable. The slayer and her faithful slayerettes. I thought nothing would ever tear us apart. How naive I was. >

Willow blinked back tears, her eyesight blurring. In her mind's eye, she could picture Buffy and Xander, as they had been 6 years ago. The image was so clear it was almost as if they were standing there beside her.

When Willow's eyes spotted the tall figure near the entrance of the Bronze, she thought he was part of her mind, a hallucination like that of Buffy and Xander. It was only when he turned to face her that she realized he was real and not some apparition from her past. She paled visibly, her body shaking in recognition.

**I swear I recognize your breath
Memories like fingerprints are slowly raising
Me, you wouldn't recall, for I'm not my former
It's hard when you're stuck upon the shelf
I changed by not changing at all; small town predicts my fate
Perhaps that's what no one wants to see
I just want to scream...hello...
My god it's been so long, never dreamed you'd return
But now here you are, and here I am

Hearts and thoughts they fade...away... **

Willow's heart beat a staccato rhythm in her chest, her eyes widening in disbelief at the sight of him. He looked the same as he had the last time she had seen him. <Of course he would. It's not like he's aged at all. He'll always look that way, long after we're all dead and buried. He will always be the same eternally beautiful angel. >

Willow's eyes hungrily took in his dark, sable soft hair, the liquid brown warmth of his eyes. His face was all planes and angles, a study in architecture. His lips, Willow had always loved those lips, were full and pouty. Willow always found it remarkable, but also incredibly sexy, that a guy's lips could be pouty. She had always thought that particular feature was reserved for girls.

Willow could feel her body warming with desire as she took in his clothing. As usual, his shirt and pants were black. The velvet and cotton materials hung loosely on his body in a look that was incredibly flattering on his muscular frame. He looked just as good as he did in skintight leather. <Hell, who am I kidding, he'd look that good if he was wearing a burlap sack. He's too naturally gorgeous to ever look anything but. >

It was with faint horror and embarrassment that Willow realized that he was starring back at her. The expression on his face and in his eyes was unreadable to Willow. <Did he know that I was here? Is that why he came? Is he happy to see me or was he hoping we'd never see each other again? I can't blame him if he felt that way. Truth is, I've been secretly dreading
and hoping for this day since we parted all those years ago. What should I do? Should I go over to him? Will he come over to me or will he pretend he doesn't see me? Oh God, why did we have to meet like this, on tonight of all nights. >

These questions and doubts raced through Willow's mind in a millisecond. Now that they were finally being reunited, Willow didn't know what to do, how to feel, how to act, what to say. Her heart constricted painfully in her chest. <God he looks so good, I don't think I realized how much I missed him till this moment. >

All the love Willow had felt for him long ago, the love she had been repressing while they had been apart, swelled up painfully in her chest. Her instincts were to run over and throw her arms around him; to bury her face in his chest and wrap herself in his protective arms. To surround herself with his reassuring presence and bask in his love. Of course, she couldn't do that now. For all she knew, his love for her had died long ago.

His face shifted, an emotion Willow couldn't identify flashing across his face. Then, before Willow could even react, he began to cross the club towards her. Keeping her face as neutral as possible, Willow waited for him to reach her table. He avoided her gaze until he was directly in front of her. When he looked up, Willow gasped at the naked emotion shinning from their depths. "Willow," he breathed, his voice husky with pent up feeling.

Willow smiled timidly, afraid she might be misreading his eyes, yet hopeful nonetheless. Her voice quivered as she opened her mouth to speak and she realized she was on the verge of tears once again.

Before she could say anything, he surged forward, pulling her into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, unashamed as the tears began to fall. Burying her face into his shoulder, her cheek rubbing against soft velvet she let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding, "Angel."

~Part: 1~

Sunnydale, July 23, 1998

Willow supposed it was her fault that she was in this situation. She had known the dangers of being out alone at night in Sunnydale, yet she had gone against her better instincts and left the library without an escort. Her walk home was only five minutes away from school. Still, she should have waited for Buffy. But did she do the smart thing. Noooooo, of course not. Willow, the brains of the slayerettes, had done something incredibly stupid and now she was going to pay the price.

<Why did I have to be so dumb? If I had just waited for Buffy to get back from patrol she would have walked me home and everything would have been all right. Now, look at where I am. > Willow glanced down at the chains binding her feet. She tugged at her arm chains though not with any real force. She knew it was hopeless. She wasn't a slayer, she couldn't break the handcuffs and so she was stuck here, left to the fate of whatever Angelus had planned for her.

Willow decided to spend her time getting acquainted with her surroundings. It had already been a few hours since she had awoken to find herself tied to a bed. She had done the crying thing, now it was time to do the planning her escape thing.

Willow's eyes roamed over the four walls that held her captive. Though the room wasn't exactly small, she could see she was going to develop a serious case of cabin fever if she had to stay in here. There were absolutely no windows and the only door was one of heavy iron that looked as if it was a good 2 tons of steel. The only furnishings in the room were the bed she laid on, a dresser, a bare desk with a chair, and an armchair in the corner. <Jeez, you'd think Angelus would be more considerate of where he keeps his prisoners. A little courtesy, is that too much to ask for? >

Willow knew her thoughts had a surreal, almost insane quality to them but she was on the brink of a nervous breakdown and this was the best way to stave off insanity. <Gotta keep the thoughts lighthearted. Who knows how much longer I have left to live? >

Now that Willow thought about it, she had no idea how long she had been chained up in this room. She had no idea what day it was or how much time had passed. The last thing she remembered was Angelus attacking her when she was a few blocks away from home. Before she even knew what was happening he had knocked her unconscious. The last thing she could remember was him saying "ready to have some fun little tree." Then, a few hours earlier, she had woken up in this room, but this could very well be days later. <Everyone must be so worried about me. I just hope that Angelus doesn't flaunt my death in Buffy's face. She's gonna blame herself enough, she doesn't need to carry even more guilt around with her. >

Willow jumped at the sound of metal scrapping metal. Her ears perked up as she realized it was the sound of a key turning in the lock. <Uh oh, am I supposed to be happy that I'm no longer alone or terrified cause I'm no longer alone? I'm thinking terrified. >

Willow moved to cover her ears against the noise of the door being opened but was hindered by the handcuffs. Willow struggled against her bonds as the door opened to reveal Angelus framed by the doorway. Willow's heart beat like a jackhammer in her chest. <Oh God, I don't want to die this way. Not at Angelus's hands. I wonder what he'll do to me. Hopefully nothing too painful, but judging by these chains and knowing him what he has planned for me is bound to be a fate worse than death. >

Angelus leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed against his chest, grinning at his captive. "Well, well, well, look who's finally woken up. I was beginning to think you were out for good and we weren't gonna be able to have any fun. You sure are a deep sleeper, little tree."

Willow tensed as he shoved the door closed effortlessly. He crossed the room with the stalking, languid grace of a natural born predator. Willow's body tensed as he reached her side and sat down at the edge of the bed, leaning over her. Angelus chuckled at her response. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you... much."

Fear gripped Willow's heart and she wondered if perhaps she'd have a heart attack before Angelus could do anything to her. Willow almost hoped that would happen, for it was certain to be quicker and less painful than what Angelus would do to her. <Maybe Buffy will save me. She'll find where Angelus is keeping me and stop him before he hurts me. > These thoughts did nothing to ease Willow's fear. Deep down she knew Buffy wouldn't be able to find her. Angelus was too smart to have stored her somewhere Buffy could discover her. Then there's was that crack about her being a deep sleeper. Willow suspected she had been unconscious for awhile, which meant that if Buffy was going to discover and save her she would have done it by now.

As if reading her mind, Angelus chuckled and said, "Don't get your hopes up about some great rescue from the slayer. Nobody knows this hiding place, not even Spike or Dru. I could keep you here for years and no one would ever find it, so if you're hoping for some brilliant rescue by your blonde knight don't bother. It ain't happening babe."

Willow couldn't help the question that formed on her lips, "What are you going to do with me?"

Angel cocked his head to the side as if considering the question. He smiled a slow, Cheshire cat grin. He placed a cold palm on Willow's thigh, stroking the skin through her stockings with strong, nimble fingers. "All in good time Willow dear, all in good time." Willow's leg bucked in response to his touch and he laughed. "That's right, fight me hacker. I don't want you to lose that fire. It'll only make my victory so much sweeter when I do conquer you." Angel brought his other hand up to pluck a strand of her hair between two fingers. "Hmmm, hot like Fire and lava. I wonder where else on you I can find that fire." As he spoke, the hand he had placed on her thigh crept higher, slipping under her skirt to give her inner thigh a hard squeeze.

Willow's eyes widened in unabashed terror as she realized what he meant. Fear gave Willow renewed strength as she continued to struggle helplessly against the bonds, trying desperately to jerk her body out of his reach.

Angel shifted with Willow's movements. Placing a hand on her stomach he pushed her body down with one hard thrust that kept her lower body still as he climbed on to the bed and straddled her legs. His pelvis rested comfortably against her upper thighs. Draping his upper body over Willow's, he nestled his face in Willow's throat, applying delicate, feather light kisses to the skin below her ear. Willow continued to struggle against her captor but this only served to delight him further. Willow could feel his erection pressing against her leg.

<This can't be happening to me, this is just not happening to me. I know; I'm really at home in bed and this is some horrible dream. All right, wake up, Willow, wake up now. Dream's over. >

As Willow's mind went through the process of denial, Angelus continued his oral assault of her throat. "Hmm, so soft. Has anyone ever told you that, how soft the skin of your throat is." His lust filled eyes roamed up to lock on to Willow's terror filled ones. "Have I ever told you what turns me on Willow? I mean besides the fear and struggles of my victims." He waited for Willow's response, his eyes sparkling mischievously as she shook her head limply back and forth. "Innocence. I love to play with a lily-white youth whose soul is so pure it shines brighter than the sun. Nothing thrills me more than to break the spirit of someone who possesses the charms of youth and innocence. A person just like you, Willow." As his hand crept up to caress Willow through her panties, Willow screamed. "Help! Somebody please help me!"

Willow screamed at the top of her lungs for about 2 minutes before her dehydration made her voice grow hoarse and she was forced to stop. Gasping for breath, Willow realized that Angelus was making no move to stop her, but was merely smiling down at her in amusement. "You can scream as much as you want Willow. You'll only succeed in further exhausting yourself. I assure you the room is quite soundproof and the area isolated. There's nobody to save you; there will be nobody to save you. I'm afraid you're just gonna have to accept the fact that you're stuck here with me."

Willow gasped for the breath to whisper, "Where is here?"

Angel wagged his finger dismisively, clucking his tongue. "Now, now, that would be telling." Angel moved to lay on top of Willow, his knees and thighs measuring up to hers, his pelvis pressed against her. Propping himself up on to his elbows, he stared down at her, drinking in her terror. Willow yelped in surprise as he thrust his lower body against hers. "Don't worry Willow, this won't hurt... much."

His lips descended on to her throat once again. Trailing kisses down the ridge of her jaw, he settled his mouth directly over her pulse point. Willow shivered at the feel of his cold tongue licking her skin. Then, before Willow's brain could even process what was about to happen, she felt a sharp stinging as his fangs pierced her throat.

Willow's eyes fluttered shut as pain over took her. Angel's lips were barely brushing against her skin, yet his teeth were firmly lodged in her throat. It was nothing like getting your blood drawn at the doctor, or like having a cut from which your blood gushes forth. His mouth created a forceful suction as he suckled her throat. Her blood burned as it churned through her veins, flowing towards her throat and into his mouth.

Willow grew more languid with every passing second. The pain slowly subsided as her senses dulled. Willow stopped struggling against Angelus simply because she no longer had the strength. As Willow slipped into unconsciousness, her last thoughts were of Angel and she wondered if she'd be joining his soul, wherever it was.

~Part: 2~

Throughout the remainder of the night and the following day, Willow moved in and out of consciousness. At times, nonsensical dreams pervaded Willow's mind. Familiar faces: Xander, Buffy, Oz, Giles, slipped through Willow's thoughts but she could never hold on to them. It was like trying to grasp grains of sand from the breeze. However, there was one dominant image that kept returning. Every time she slipped into deep unconscious sleep Angel joined her.

Her eyelids weighed heavy against her cheeks, but Willow could see farther than the boundaries of optical darkness. Foregrounded in her mind and her sight was Angel. Throughout her sleep, he comforted her. He wrapped Willow's mind and soul with his essence. She wiped the tears from his eyes when he cried and apologized for getting her into this situation. Willow tried to wipe the guilt away along with those bloody tears. She could never blame him. Not in this place where their souls met, where there could be no pain. She felt none of the chains of human emotions. Nothing but love pervaded her soul's existence.

The pain only came when Willow slipped into consciousness and out of the dream state where love and Angel existed as one. As the dreams faded, Angel faded along with them, leaving Willow's memories and her thoughts empty, only to be filled by the painful aching of her sore body.

It wasn't until the next evening that Willow was pulled out of her dreams for the last time. It took her several minutes before she could open her eyes and when she did there was a red haze that colored her vision making it almost impossible to see.

Willow tried to stretch and felt every muscle in her body screaming in protest. <Oh no, I'm gonna be feeling this for at least a week. >

As Willow's vision cleared, her other senses began to return. Willow's brain slowly processed the scent of roses. Confused, Willow blinked and looked around the room, trying to find the source of the wonderful scent. Pulling herself slowly into a sitting position, Willow realized that she was lying in a literal bed of roses. Cupping a handful of multi-colored rose petals, Willow let them slip lazily through her fingers, to mix once again with the pile around her. <Who would have done this? >

Willow continued to stretch and with surprise she realized she was no longer handcuffed to the bed. Her arms and legs were free. Of course, her body still pounded out a steady rhythm of pain and so she doubted she could even use this advantage farther from relaxing her sore muscles. She was pretty certain she wouldn't be able to get out of bed anytime soon.

Gazing around the room, Willow saw she was alone. Her eyes fell on to the dresser next to the bed. A tall, inviting glass of orange juice lay just out of reach. Willow's mouth began to water. As Willow clucked her tongue, trying to clear her mouth of the incessant dryness, she carefully rolled closer to the dresser, her fingers grasping for the cool glass. With great effort, Willow pulled herself into a semi-sitting position and brought the glass to her mouth. Each sip revitalized her, spreading like liquid ice through her veins, chasing away bits and pieces of lethargy. <I never knew Orange Juice could taste this good. It may be my favorite drink after this whole experience. >

When the juice was finished, Willow allowed herself to slump down into the comfortable pillows, her body's movement displacing the roses. Willow could feel sleepiness lurking at the recesses of her mind, waiting to snatch her up again, but first, Willow had some things she needed to consider. Memories of the other night, however long ago that night had been, danced through her mind. Willow was still very much afraid of Angelus. He may not have killed her then but she harbored no illusions that she might be saved or that he'd develop a heart and let her go. His very nature was evil and so it was only a matter of time before he killed her, or worse.

<There's always the chance he vamps you, or drives you crazy like Drusilla. > Willow shuddered at the thought.

Willow jerked her head up, wincing at the pain from her sore muscles, at the sound of the heavy iron door being pushed open. Spiky brown tufts followed by a flash of dark, mischievous eyes filled Willow's vision as Angel stepped into the room, carelessly shoving the door closed behind him as if it weighed nothing. His eyes smoldered as he stood casually by the door, taking in Willow's frozen form. "It looks like my little birdie is finally awake. What say thee raven, was your sleep a peaceful one?"

Willow blinked as she tried to gage his mood. As usual, it was unreadable. His voice was a silky purr that gave the illusion of pleasure, but his eyes flashed with a fire that took Willow's breath away, chilling her to the bone. Whatever he was thinking, he definitely had something in mind for her tonight. She could tell by the way he stalked the perimeter of the bed, each step purposeful and well timed.

That was something Willow had begun to notice, and even appreciate about Angelus. He exuded a calculated control and calm, at least when he wasn't in a rage, that impressed Willow. Angel had always been the strong, silent type. Angelus, by contrast, was sharp-tongued, and obviously quite clever. Every movement, every word, every look, seemed to be calculated for efficiency of motion and of result. It was obvious to Willow that a brilliant mind lied in the fathomless depths of his eyes. It was a shame, really, that it was used entirely for evil. Willow couldn't help but wonder at the accomplishments Angel would have made in the world, for the world, if it hadn't been for Darla.

Angelus stopped once he reached Willow's side and took a seat at the edge of the bed, his body angled so that he hovered over her. He didn't say anything, and Willow realized he was waiting for her to answer his question. "I'm fine," she croaked, fearful of the predatory glint in his deep-set eyes. <There's another thing you gotta appreciate... not everyone is gifted with such gorgeous, expressive eyes. Too bad they're not expressing a plan to leave me alone for the night. >

"My poor Willow, you're throat is all hoarse. Now what on earth could have caused that?" A slow, deliberate smile complimented the sarcasm in his voice, and Willow felt her temper flare despite her fear. <What the hell does he think he's doing, patronizing me, why, if my limbs weren't so weak right now... and, uh, if he wasn't a sadistic vampire who killed at a moment's notice, I'd slap him. >

Angelus ignored Willow's fuming and placed a hand onto her stomach and, for the first time, Willow realized that she wasn't wearing any clothes. Sometime, while she was unconscious, Angelus must have undressed her, because all she was wearing now was her black lace bra and matching panties. Willow felt the heat rising in her cheeks as her eyes took in the bra she had brought on a whim a few weeks ago with Buffy. The only reason she had put it on was because she had been planning to see Oz the other night and well, the bra had made her feel beautiful. All it did now was make her painfully aware of how much skin she was exposing. Her nipples were readily visible through the lace pattern for anyone to gaze upon, and, at the moment, anyone counted as Angelus. His gaze was lascivious as his eyes roamed over her chest. His deft fingers traced circles on her stomach, making her shiver.

Angelus lowered his head until Willow could feel his cold lips against her bare skin, grazing the valley between her breasts. "Has anyone ever told you how much black lace suits you Willow. The contrast with your pale skin is really quite stunning... enough to take a man's breathe away."

Willow drew in a sharp breath and tried to scamper out from under Angelus, but she soon found it impossible. His body was now on top of hers, holding her captive. While Willow struggled futilely against Angelus, he continued his oral exploration of her breasts. His tongue darted between the lace, suckling at the warm skin with infantile exuberance. He carefully avoided her nipples, preferring to tease her through denial of what she wanted.

And she did want it. Without meaning to, Willow's body was responding to him. Her breathing and heart rate had quickened, and not just from fear, but becoming an irregular, uncontrollable testament to her desire. When his tongue danced across one of her nipples on it's way to her other breast, Willow couldn't stop the moan that escaped from her lips.

Willow knew it was wrong to be feeling this way, especially with Angelus. Not only did she have a boyfriend, not only was this Buffy's ex-boyfriend, but this was a demon. The only pleasure he knew was that which he sought for himself, sadistically stealing it from others, and so she shouldn't be feeling pleasure from him. Her mind knew this much, but her body responded to a different sort of logic. The desire that coursed through her veins at his presence was one as old as man, one as old as animals.

At this moment in time, reason abandoned Willow and she lusted for him.

<All right, I'd better stop this before things get out of hand... before I let him do something to me that I... > Before Willow could even finish her thought, her mind shut down; all rational, comprehensible thought held ransom by the fire that was flaring throughout her body. His lips had abandoned her breasts to his hands, moving on to explore the flat contours of her lower stomach.

Willow began to writhe beneath Angelus, one hand gripping the bed sheets beneath her, the other hooking itself onto the silky strands of Angelus' hair. His tongue had sensitized Willow, causing the pads of her palms to tingle at the feel of his hair beneath them. <Oh my God, if only his tongue can do this to me, I don't think I can handle anything else. >

Abruptly, Angelus broke all contact with Willow's body, gracefully rising from the bed in a single movement. A feral light shone in his eyes, his lips curled in a cruel, self-satisfied smile. "Well, well, well, looks like Willow the cat is alive. My little alleycat in her black lace bra and panties." Chuckling, Angelus left, leaving a flushed and panting Willow alone in her bed of roses.

~Part: 3~

Days passed, though how many Willow wasn't sure. Being stuck in a windowless, clockless room didn't make it easy to keep track of time. She supposed if the amount of time Angelus had visited her was any record, then she had been his captive for a couple of weeks.

Not that it mattered anymore. Time no longer existed in Willow's universe. Her world was dominated by the strong, hard body of Angelus; by sharp fangs and dark, piercing eyes. By bottles of champagne and silver platters of strawberries. By handcuffs and forceful assaults on her body that would always leave her feverishly hot and unsatisfied. In the past week, Angelus had explored just about every inch of her body with his tongue, at least, every inch of her body above her waist. He would spend up to an hour getting her worked up, despite her reservations, and then leave her on the peak, denying her any form of release.

The previous night, Willow had gotten so desperate she had flung her pride aside and resorted to begging. Pulling herself onto her knees, Willow had reached for Angelus' retreating form, crying out for him to stay. Sneering, he'd pushed her onto her back and taken her, his mouth enveloping her nipple, his fangs piercing the skin of her breasts. The last thing Willow remembered were her tears mixing with the bloody rivulets dripping from Angelus' mouth as he kissed her into unconsciousness.

Now Willow was alone. As always, she had awoken to find a tray of food and orange juice by the bed. Only a few hours had passed since then and she had yet to touch it. Instead, she lay with her head buried beneath the pillows, trying hard not to think of anything at all, less her thoughts lead to tears.

It was now that Willow realized what Angelus meant to do with to her. He wasn't going to torture her with a chainsaw and knives; none of that conventional stuff would do. No, he was going to drive her crazy with her own wanton desires. He would make her want him by appealing to the purely animalistic desire that existed in her, and it would work because, after all, she was only human.

Already it was working. He had Willow begging; he had her quivering under his touch. He had her waiting for his visits, wondering if this time he would finally make good on the promises his tongue made. The heat of his touch was driving Willow insane. Though it brought her shame during the daylight hours, when she was left alone to contemplate her actions, Willow couldn't help her body's response to his various caresses.

And now, after the previous night's behavior, Willow was forcing herself to deny the one comfort she had. The past week, her saving grace from total insanity had come while she was sleeping, spending her daylight hours in dreams where Angel was constantly at her side to comfort her. Her visits with Angelus during her waking hours were almost inevitably followed by visits with Angel while her body was unconscious, trying hard to recover from the damage Angelus would inflict. Those dream moments with Angel, where he would comfort and talk to her, helping to stave off the insanity over her present situation, were what helped her during those lonely daylight hours. Only now, Willow couldn't even have that. After last night, Willow couldn't face Angel. Not when she had shoved her pride and dignity aside for sexual desire. Willow was doing a good enough job berating herself over her actions and desires, she couldn't face Angel's recriminations and disappointment in her.

So, in order to avoid Angel, Willow had to avoid sleep. It was difficult, especially after the amount of blood Angelus had taken from her the previous evening. He would be back that night, and he would drink from her again. And if she didn't get any rest during the day there was no way her body would be recovered enough to handle the loss of more blood. To make matters worse, not only was Willow denying herself sleep, but she couldn't eat. Just looking at food was enough to make her throat fill with bile. Willow had taken on the responsibility of punishing herself and she wasn't going to back down, even if it meant pretty much signing her own death warrant. Tonight's visit with Angelus, with her already so weak, would be too much too handle. But maybe that was for the best.

With each passing hour, Willow grew weaker, until she no longer had the strength to remain conscious. As her eyes fluttered closed, Willow had one last thought. <I only hope Angel forgives me. I didn't mean to be attracted to Angelus. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. >

********

Angelus was restless, though why, he wasn't quite sure. His plans for tormenting the slayer couldn't have been going better. The usually spunky slayer had undergone a drastic personality change in the weeks since Angelus had kidnapped the little witch. As the days morphed into weeks, most of the life had drained out of the slayer. She now sported regular bags under her eyes, was showing physical wear around the edges, and her usual biting quips hadn't been quite up to par. Each of these signs Angelus drank in with relish, knowing he was the cause. The indomitable Buffy was crumbling under what she considered her failure. Her failure to protect Willow and then her failure to rescue her. Angelus knew that it would only take a couple of more weeks before Buffy had a total breakdown. He chuckled deep in his throat, satisfaction and the taste of victory lifting his spirits immensely.

Yet the satisfaction of his imminent triumph over the slayer wasn't the only thing Angelus was feeling. Beneath the satisfaction and devilish glee ran deeper emotions, ones the demon preferred not to dwell on. Thoughts of his captive witch brought a burning rage to the demon. The demon knew he was getting attached to the witch, each visit with her affecting Angelus in ways beyond the expected sexual pleasure. There was no doubt about it, Willow had an amazing body. He would never understand why she continually chose to keep it hidden under all those baggy clothes of hers. Angelus received great pleasure in viewing Willow's naked flesh. Unlike the slayer, who was all hard muscles and toned physique, Willow was pure woman. Every inch of her flesh was soft and pleasing to the touch. She was all sensuous curves and beguiling femininity. Angelus could lose himself in the soft curve of her throat for hours. With each passing day she was holding him as much captive as he was her,

Enraged at the thought, Angelus shot up from the satin sheets of his bed and began to pace before the huge mahogany doorway to his bedroom. Angelus wasn't quite sure what this hold Willow had over him meant, but he did know one thing. The demon in him didn't like it. There was no doubt in his mind. The girl would have to be killed. As soon as he was through using her to destroy the slayer, he would drink from her for the last time. He just hoped that by then it wouldn't be too late.

Pushing that thought away, Angelus emerged from his bedroom to begin his night of slayer terrorization. But first… a quick visit with the witch couldn't hurt. He was hungry, and a vision of cypress eyes and creamy skin was haunting his mind. Smiling, Angelus headed towards the cemetery.

Ten minutes after leaving the mansion, Angelus received the shock of his life. He knew the moment he descended underground, below the carefully selected crypt that housed the entrance to the special room Angelus had built just for Willow, that something wasn't right. With the trained eyes of a predator, Angelus glared at the fresh track marks laid by feet too small to be his own. Feeling his entire body tense, Angelus lifted his head to sniff slightly at the air. Beneath the smell of damp earth, a subtler, sweeter scent permeated the air. Angelus immediately recognized it as Lilacs. With what would have been described as panic in anyone else yet, of course, Angelus never panicked, the demon tore down the earthen tunnel, trying to tell himself that the scent could not be from Buffy's perfume.

When he was 50 feet away from the door, Angelus knew for certain that the witch was gone. He could see the heavy iron door was open, which Willow could never have opened on her own, even if Angelus hadn't been feeding from her nightly for weeks. Angelus ran the remaining distance and burst into the room.

Aside from the open door and the fact that the room was now empty, there weren't any other disturbances. Everything was exactly as he had left it the previous night, minus one red headed witch. The sight of the bare bed helped bring the rage that had been building inside of him, sparked by the scent of Buffy's perfume, to the surface. The fact that he could still pick up the lingering scent of Willow's blood only added to his fury as he proceeded to trash the room, a mixture of animalistic growls and quite human expletives pouring from his mouth.

In his mind's eye he saw the slayer, not as she usually looked, but the way she would when he got through with her. When he had her coughing up bone splinters and begging for her pitiful life. Then he would make the little witch pay for trying to escape him. He'd been holding himself back when he was with her, enjoying the torture he inflicted by denying her an orgasm at his hands. Now he wouldn't reign himself in. When he had her back he was going to fuck her till she couldn't walk. He didn't give two shits if she was a virgin. He was going to tear the walls of her vagina and make her scream with pleasure. Then, maybe just for the hell of it, he'd turn her so he could spend centuries, taking his sweet time, to punish her. The thought was satisfying and the demon went out to begin his hunt with the sound of Willow's screams filling his mind.

~Part: 4~

Six Months later
Watcher's Council Headquarters London, England

Willow stood beside the immense stain glass windows that dominated the north end of the library. She stared straight out into the crimson tinted city streets that surrounded the beautiful red brick town house that doubled as the London based Watcher's Council headquarters. The sun had only just set an hour ago, and already Willow was on guard; positive, as she was every night, that this would be the night he would come for her. A dark prince emerging from the shadows to possess her once again. Taking on shape and form as he stepped through the barrier of her nightmares and entered her reality. Willow was so mesmerized by the passing cars and pedestrians, she failed to notice the sound of someone entering the room.

Willow jumped as the intruder laid a hand upon her shoulder. The scream died in her throat as she spun around and found herself face to face with Lydia Briggs, head Watcher and chairperson of the Watcher's Council, not to mention self imposed Watcher and friend to Willow.

"Willow…" Lydia's usually lilting voice was heavy with concern. "I'm sorry I startled you. And I'm especially sorry I've taken so long. I had no idea the meeting would end after dark or I would never have asked you to accompany me to headquarters today. I know you're still skittish about being out at night."

Willow fought to slow her still racing heart. Taking slow, even breaths, she tried to focus on what Lydia was saying. Glancing out the window once more before responding, Willow bit her lip. "Well, luckily it's not too late yet. I mean, the sun only just set an hour ago. I know I haven't wanted to go out at night before, but, well, I'm going to have to eventually, so why not tonight." Willow attempted a smile but it faltered beneath Lydia's appraising, sympathetic stare.

'We could always spend the night here at headquarters." Lydia offered, "Almost every member of the council has done it at some point in time. It's the reason why we have bedrooms here."

Willow shook her head vigorously as she felt a steel resolve settle within her. "No, we should go. I know you have some things to attend to at the house. As for me, I want to go out. It's been 6 months already. I've allowed myself to be held hostage by my fears for too long. Besides, if I expect to start school back up again, then I've got to get used to travelling at night again, or else I'll never have my life back. If I keep allowing myself to be terrorized by the memory of Angelus then I'm still his captive and he will have won."

Lydia placed a reassuring hand on Willow's shoulder. "You're right. That doesn't mean the threat of Angelus isn't real. We all know how dangerous he can be. But if you want my honest opinion, I don't think he's going to be coming after you. It's been awhile and if you were his prime target then we would have heard from him by now. As it is, he's too busy playing cat and mouse with Buffy. I think it's safe to say she was his true target, as always."

Willow nodded as Lydia spoke words Willow had thought to herself many times before. <She's right, Buffy was always his obsession. I was just a pawn in his game to torment her. > Willow should have been reassured by the thought, but a small part of her, deep inside- a part that had changed since her time spent as Angelus' captive- ached at the rejection. Shame filled Willow at the irrational twinge and she shoved it aside once again.

Lydia was already making her way across the massive library, one perfectly manicured hand waving over the back of her right shoulder. "Come now, dear. If we are going to make it home we must hurry. Roger has already brought the car around." Willow sprinted to catch up to Lydia's quickly retreating form, trying hard to ignore the mercurial nature of her own feelings.

To Willow's relief, the drive back to Lydia's sprawling country home was uneventful. Still, Willow couldn't help the flood of relief that washed over her as Roger, Lydia's faithful driver and bodyguard, pulled the car through the black wrought iron gates and around the circular driveway towards the front entrance.

Sometimes Willow couldn't believe 6 months had passed since Giles first brought Willow to the Watcher's Council for protection. Ever since that time, Willow had been staying with Lydia at her enormous home in the countryside surrounding London proper. The moment Giles had first introduced Willow to Lydia, she had taken an immediate liking to the Watcher. Willow had been surprised to find that Lydia, at the rather young age of 32, was the head of the entire Council. With so many stodgy old British men on the Council, Willow could have bet even money that one of them would be in charge. As it turned out, Lydia's late father was the previous Council head, and in honor of his memory and last wishes, the Council elected Lydia as the new leader. Ever since appointed, Lydia had been slowly but surely bringing the centuries old Council into the 20th century. Despite the circumstances of Willow's stay with the Council, she was thrilled to be around during these changes. Willow was witnessing first hand the breaking down of centuries old traditions, and seeing the motion of bureaucracy that would have it's final effects on Buffy and the way she did her job. Not to mention the fact that being involved with the Council helped keep Willow's mind off all that had happened.

Willow still had trouble recalling her rescue. As Angelus's prisoner, Willow had grown weaker and weaker until the days blended into the nights and the only times Willow felt alive were the times Angelus was with her, inhaling the essence of her life through his lips.

Willow didn't much like to think of those weeks. The shame she felt over everything that happened was too much for her to handle. Everyone kept telling her it wasn't her fault Angelus had targeted her and kept her locked up- and she knew that much was true. Nor was it her fault he had drunk from her nightly, not to mention the other uses he had found for her body. No, that wasn't Willow's fault. Her enjoyment and pleasure, on the other hand- well, Willow was definitely to blame for that. No matter what Lydia said (she was the only one Willow had or would confide the whole truth to), Willow would always blame herself, and she couldn't help the disgust she felt with herself for falling victim to Angelus' seductions. Not to mention the fact that she had done all those things with Buffy's boyfriend <Okay, ex-boyfriend, but still.>

Willow wasn't sure how aware Buffy was of the things Angelus had done to Willow while holding her captive. When Buffy had broken done the door to Willow's prison, Willow had been passed out on the bed, emotionally and physically drained from the previous night's activities. So Buffy had found Willow on the bed, unconscious and naked. Wrapping Willow in a blanket, Buffy had carried Willow all the way back to the library where Giles was waiting. It wasn't until many hours later that Willow finally awoke, confused and disoriented. Before she knew what was happening, Giles was insisting Willow be taken out of Sunnydale immediately, before night fell and Angelus realized Willow was gone.

So by that night, Willow'' bags had been packed, her parents reasoned with, and Willow deposited on a plane to London with Giles as a companion. Giles had believed it was the safest place for Willow, and Buffy had agreed. Willow hadn't voiced much of an opinion one way or the other, being too drained too do much beyond quiver in fear at every sight and sound. Shock and disbelief that her nightmare had finally come to an end had left Willow mute. She refused to talk about what happened, and after a few attempts to get her to open up, Giles had let it go. It wasn't until Willow had spent a month with Lydia that she had begun to speak of the nightmare that still haunted Willow's nightly dreams.

Under the Council's, and more specifically, Lydia's protection, Willow had begun to slowly move on with her life. The nightmares in which Angelus came to reclaim what had been taken from him were coming less frequently, and Willow's courage was slowly returning. Three months ago Willow would have had a hysterical fit if she'd been forced to leave Lydia's home after sunset. But now, here she was arriving home well after dark. And of course, nothing was happening to her. Just as Lydia had predicted. It helped that they heard from Giles at least once a week for updates on the Angelus situation. The last update had come 3 days ago, during which Angelus had been at home in Sunnydale, wreaking the usual havoc. Willow was safe in England, for now.

Willow followed Lydia up the stone steps to the front entrance. As Lydia lingered in the foyer, talking to the house staff on the day's events, Willow kissed Lydia good night and headed up to her bedroom.

Willow adored every aspect of Lydia's family home. Upon first laying eyes upon the centuries old mansion, Willow had fallen under the spell of its charm. The house had history, having been in Lydia's family forever, and there was so much to explore

Willow's bedroom was located halfway down the hall on the second floor. A couple of doors down was Lydia's own room, much to Willow's comfort. Though it was only 10PM, Willow was tired. Perhaps it was the sweet summertime scent carried on the breeze through Willow's open window, or the rhythmic chirping of the crickets outside but within moments of entering her bedroom, Willow was sprawled face down on her bed, her eyes drifting closed as she succumbed to sleep. Willow relaxed, the giddiness she felt over having safely ventured outdoors at night subduing to gentle sleep.

~Part: 5~

That night, for the first time in a week, Willow dreamt of Angelus, only this time her dream didn't end in savage feeding and death. In this dream, Angelus stood on the balcony beyond the glass doors of her bedroom. With both palms against the glass, he gave a gentle shove and they flew open, the sheer violet drapes billowing upwards with the summer breathe. He whispered into the wind, "Invite me in Willow"; and Willow, too mesmerized by his beauty and the soothing tones of his deep voice, complied. With slow deliberate steps he entered the bedroom, circling the canopy bed which held Willow.

Willow laid casually against the mountain of pillows, her hair sprayed out against the white satin like a fan, her arms resting limply at her sides. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Willow noted that she was wearing a short, sexy, white satin nightgown- one that revealed parts of her body the old Willow would have kept hidden. That was one thing that had changed since Willow's experience with Angelus. Gone were the days of hiding behind baggy sweaters and pants. Willow's new style, though not quite as risqué as Buffy's wardrobe, was noticeably sexier. Since there was no one in England who would notice the change, Willow scarcely thought about it. Now she did. Willow knew she looked alluring and inviting and that didn't bother her one bit. She also knew this was only a dream and she felt no animosity or fear towards Angelus. She knew what he was capable of, but that was part of his appeal. Willow could feel sparks of desire simmering inside of her, and a hunger for this man and what he could give her.

Angelus stood at the edge of the bed and ravished Willow with dark, hooded eyes. He took deliberate care as he looked over every inch of her body, his eyes drinking in the pale, smooth skin of her upper thighs and the pale expanse of skin above her chest. Willow stared back hungrily into his eyes, holding his gaze as his right hand began to caress its way up her leg. When his firm grip reached mid thigh, giving her leg a lingering squeeze, Willow closed her eyes and moaned with anticipated pleasure. Arching her back with the languid grace of a cat, Willow lifted her leg further into Angelus' grip.

Willow felt his hand close over her eyes, his fingers tracing the eyelids in an unspoken command for her to keep them shut. His fingers then forged a trail down the front of her body till they joined his other hand on her upper thigh. Then, suddenly, they were both gone and Willow had to fight the instinct to open her eyes. Instead, Willow kept them shut and found herself growing excited over her inability to see where he was or what he was preparing to do. As her arousal moistened her panties, Willow whimpered. She heard Angelus chuckling, followed by the beginning chords of a song Willow couldn't quite place, though it was familiar.

Willow could sense Angelus close to her, but he refused to touch her. Then the lyrics began to flow.

**How can I just let you walk away
Just let you leave without a trace
When I stand here taking every breath with you, ooh ooh
You're the only one who really knew me at all

How can you just walk away from me
When all I can do is watch you leave
Cause we've shared the laughter and the pain
And even shared the tears
You're the only one who really knew me at all

So take a look at me now
There's just an empty space
There's nothing left here to remind me
Just the memory of your face
So take a look at me now
There's just an empty space
And you coming back to me is against all odds
And that's what I've got to face

I wish I could just make you turn around
Turn around and see me cry
There's so much I need to say to you
So many reasons why
You're the only one who really knew me at all

So take a look at me now
There's just an empty space
There's nothing left here to remind me
Just the memory of your face
Now take a look at me now
Cause there's just an empty space
But to wait for you is all I can do
And that's what I've got to face
Take a good look at me now
Cause I'll still be standing here
And you coming back to me is against all odds
It's the chance I've got to take.

Take a look at me now**

As the last chords of the song died away, Angelus lept on top of Willow, covering her body with his. Willow yelped in surprise as she felt Angelus' naked form measuring up against her own. The yelp quickly turned into a moan as his erection brushed against the wet crotch of her panties. Willow wrapped her arms around Angelus' waist, clasping onto the small of his back so she could grind him closer to her aching mound.

As their lower bodies performed an erotic dance, Angelus lowered his mouth to the base of Willow's throat. His tongue snaked across the length of her neck, moistening it as surely as his cock was moistening her sex.

Willow found herself panting as a result of Angelus' ministrations. Her vagina felt like it was on fire and an ache was beginning to build within the lower half of Willow's tummy. She brought a single hand up to run through the silky strands of Angelus' hair.

Angelus began to moan Willow's name against her throat, over and over. After awhile he added whole sentences that Willow didn't understand. Then she realized he was speaking another language, and though Willow had never heard it spoken before, she knew it was Gaelic. Eventually, he added some English sentences to the Gaelic, each whispered word raising the hairs on her neck. "You're mine Willow. I let you get away from me once but I won't let it happen again. We belong together. I didn't realize it at first but it's been revealed to me. I was meant to find you, and now I mean to never let you go. Never. Forever." Angelus nuzzled the patch of skin just below Willow's ear. 'Say it Willow, say you're mine… only mine… forever… and it will be so."

Willow felt shivers of emotion carried along a wave of intense pleasure as Angelus continued to grind his lower body against hers. His words penetrated like swords through the fog of pleasure that had wrapped itself around Willow's mind. She felt them settle inside her, into a place reserved deep in her soul that only he fit into. She couldn't have said no even if she wanted to. But, of course, she didn't.

"I'm yours Angelus, always and forever."

Willow felt his smile against her neck. A moment later she felt his fangs as they penetrated the thin skin of her neck and latched onto a vein.

As Angelus sucked her warm, virginal blood into his mouth, Willow exploded in an orgasm so intense, darkness flooded her mind as she passed out.

***********************

Willow later awoke to find the moon riding high in an inky blue sky, flooding her room with iridescent light. Lifting her head off the pillows, Willow squinted towards the digital alarm clock she had placed on the nightstand beside her bed. The red numbers, 2:43AM, flashed before her eyes as her head hit the pillows in an attempt to resettle into sleep. In the moments of restlessness before sleep reclaimed her, Willow tried to remember what she had been dreaming about but the memory slipped through her mind, as insubstantial as the wind. There was nothing in her memory for her to latch on to.

As Willow began to drift into sleep her ears picked up the soft, mellow chords of a piano. Jerking back to consciousness, Willow lifted her head and stared at the stereo system in the far right corner of the bedroom. Even from that distance, Willow could see the red power light and the orange glow from the revolving CD compartment. The piano chords faded away leading to the whirls and clicks of the stereo preparing to repeat the song. Suddenly the room was filled once again with the sadly lilting chords of the piano.

Confused, Willow rose from the bed and padded over to the stereo, the lyrics following her as she reached for the stop button.

**How can I just let you walk away
Just let you leave without a trace
When I stand here… **

Willow hit the power button, stopping the song mid-sentence. Crawling back into bed, Willow tried to remember turning the stereo on before going to sleep but she just couldn't think past her body's exhaustion. As Willow sank into the soft folds of the satin sheets, one last thought surfaced before disappearing into oblivion. <Since where do I have a Phil Collins CD? >

~Part: 6~

Willow awoke the following morning feeling more relaxed and refreshed than she had in weeks. Stretching languidly, Willow slowly arose and made her way into the bathroom adjoining her bedroom. Willow smiled a secret grin meant only for her as she realized she as in dire need of a good shower. Whatever her dreams were of last night, she knew they had been good ones. The physical evidence lay between her legs and on her panties.

Willow carefully stripped out of her sweaty nightgown and damp panties and stepped into the shower. The hot water felt great against her skin and Willow took time and care in washing her body with the scented oils and bath gels Lydia kept stocked in each bathroom. It was an indulgence Willow didn't normally partake in, but she found that, every once in awhile, it worked wonders on making her feel sexy and beautiful. Today it worked on making Willow feel as if she was a different person. She felt different, as if today was the first day of the rest of her life. Willow knew she was on the road to recovery.

Stepping gingerly out of the bathtub, Willow dug her toes into the white shag carpet and wrapped herself in a huge terrycloth towel. Using the palm of her hand to wipe the steam off the ornate, gilded mirror, Willow stared at her reflection for a moment before reaching for her brush. Humming softly, Willow began to gently comb the tangles from her long hair, brushing the strands away from her face. Willow quickly became lost in thoughts of what the rest of the summer would bring and whether all her credits would transfer over to her new high school in London when she began the fall semester. She was jarred back to the present by a small trail of blood that had begun to form on her neck. Panicked, Willow gathered a wad of toilet paper from the roll and quickly smeared the blood away, leaving the porcelain white skin of her neck tinged rose.

A deadly calm stole over Willow as she raised trembling fingers to lightly caress the twin bite marks that marred her flawless skin. With each brush of her fingertips, flashes of memory eclipsed all other thoughts. Images revealed themselves in succession, dropping like stones in the clear pools of her mind. Strong hands on her body, dark eyes filling her field of vision. Fingertips on her eyelids; an all consuming fire building from the point of contact of Angelus' thrusting erection and Willow's quivering vagina, spreading though out her belly until her entire body felt as if it was going up in flames. And finally, the familiar burning as fangs pierced her skin and blood flowed like wine.

Willow rubbed at the twin wounds, feeling baffled by their presence. Last night had only been a dream, hadn't it? Willow could have sworn it had been, but then that didn't explain the physical evidence to the contrary. <Maybe I'm just hallucinating. Yeah, that could be it. To many moccachinos before bed- that always does it. >

As Willow relived the previous night's dream in her mind, the memories of her brief waking moments before dawn came back to her. Bursting through the bathroom door and back into her bedroom, Willow raced over to her stereo and, fumbling, pressed the CD eject button. Her breaths coming in ragged bursts, Willow could only stare at the silver Phil Collins CD starring up at her. As a numb shock coursed through her veins, making her blood run cold, Willow automatically closed the CD player and, after 2 quick movements, waited numbly for the song to begin.

Willow let the song play as she quickly dressed in clothes she found strewn against an armchair in the corner of the room. Barefoot, Willow left the room in search of Lydia. Though Willow was on the verge of hysterical terror over what all these signs might mean, she refused to break down until she had spoken to Lydia. Even if Lydia did not give her the answers she wanted to hear, she would be able to calm Willow down, as always.

Willow found the Watcher curled up on the red damask sofa that adorned the mansion's main living room. She was engrossed in the readings from a standard manila file folder, undoubtedly the latest update from Giles, possibly even copies of his recent entries into the Watcher's Diary. Lydia would never let Willow read them, though she always let Willow know any pertinent Angelus information they contained. Willow wondered if there was any new info now.

"Lydia…" The Watcher glanced up at the young witch, removing her eyeglasses as she closed the folder and placed it on the table beside her. When she had her attention, Willow continued. "Have you heard from Giles this morning?"

"Why no Willow, I haven't. But I wasn't expecting to. Why do you ask?"

Willow's let out a trembling breath, her words strained. "Well, could you please call him and ask him if Angelus has left town in the past couple of days?"

Lydia, realizing how upset and serious Willow was, immediately reached for the phone and began to dial. She kept the conversation short, without the usual flirting and quick repartee that usually accompanied Lydia and Giles' conversations. When she hung up, Lydia turned to Willow. "Angelus is still in Sunnydale. Buffy last had an encounter with him last night. There is also no talk of him planning any trips of any kind and no unusual movements on his part. In other words, there is no sign that he suspects where you are hidden. Now, do you feel like telling me what's gotten you so upset this morning or would you rather not talk about it?"

Willow knew Lydia wouldn't press the issue, but she wanted to tell her, to try and make sense of the whole thing. Allowing what Lydia had said to sink in, Willow sat down and collected her thoughts before speaking. More confused, and perhaps more terrified than before, Willow told Lydia the whole story, leaving out only the part about her pledging herself to Angelus.

Willow had never admitted to Lydia the desire Angelus invoked inside her; or the fact that there were times, late at night, when Willow would think about Angelus and feel that familiar kindling of desire that only his touch could induce. Or that, mixed up with her hatred, and fear, and self disgust, lay an insane, irrational, and powerful schoolgirl crush on a creature that could be described as no less than a monster, a transference of the attraction she had always felt for Angel. Willow knew better than anyone that there was no changing Angelus' nature. He was a creature who didn't know the meaning of compassion or gentleness. But it was the same old tale, one that women had fallen victim to for ages: the taming of the wild beast by the beautiful maiden. Though she'd never admit it, and she doubted anyone would ever believe smart, shy, little Willow could have such foolish fantasies, in her silly romantic heart, Willow ached to be Angelus' lover and demon tamer. She had never been able to compete with Buffy for Angel's affections, no matter how much she had wanted to, but maybe, just maybe, she could when it came to Angelus.

Not that those secret desires prevented Willow's rational mind from working. She knew they were only part of a fantasy- one she didn't think she'd ever even want to fully act on. They were the dreams of a romantic heart, born from the repressed part of Willow's psyche that craved danger and excitement; that kept Willow close to the slayer despite the life threatening existence it supplied. There was a wild and sexy aspect to Willow's soul that was just waiting for the right moment, or the right person, to open the door and release it into the wild. The part that Angelus had begun to tap into with his games. The part that couldn't help but become turned on when Angelus had handled her roughly and drained her to the point of unconsciousness.

Last night, that side of Willow had taken control, which was okay if it had all just been a dream. Dreams didn't have to affect your regular life and so a person could give themselves over to unbidden desires, as Willow had. As Willow finished telling Lydia her story, she waited anxiously for Lydia to reassure her that everything was all right and the old, reliable Willow had nothing to fear from her brazen counterpart.

When Lydia finally spoke, her words came out slowly, as if she was carefully considering each thought. "It sounds to me like a form of magic. We know Angelus couldn't have been in Sunnydale last night and in your bedroom this morning, at least, not physically. The only way he could have done what he did is by some form of magic. I've heard of stories such as this one before. I'll have to pull up the accounts from the Council database. Typically, the person performing the ritual to project themselves across space and time is an experienced witch or at least has a witch in their service. Most of the accounts are almost identical to yours- young women who were visited in the night by a vampire who proceeded to seduce them in order to steal their blood. The women always thought it was a dream but the following morning they'd awake to find bite marks on their skin. The last account I can recall of this ritual actually being used is centuries old, but again I'll have to search out the specific reference from the database." Lydia paused to collect her thoughts. "What worries me about this is the fact that, despite all our knowledge, we've underestimated Angelus once again. For one, it is obvious he has a very powerful witch in his service. Second, we've kept you physically from him but now even physical distance is not keeping you safe. And finally, I think we all underestimated your importance in Angelus' eyes. We assumed that you were merely a pawn in his game to pay Buffy back, and that if you were taken out of the picture then he'd just use some other way to get to her. But it seems that's not quite the case. Angelus is obviously not letting you go. He's obviously considering you property that was stolen from him. Also, from what you've told me of last night's encounter, it appears he's became quite attached to you during your captivity, but then who can ever really believe anything a demon says. That could have just been another game to torment you."

Though Willow was listening quietly, her thoughts were racing a mile a minute. She didn't say anything but, deep down, Willow knew Angelus had spoken the truth to her. She had felt the truth of his words as he had said them. Lydia went on.

"I'm very worried about this Willow. I'd like to go straight to headquarters where I can consult with the other Council members and do some research. Then we can sit down and decide how you want to handle this. If you want to leave here, I'll understand and make sure we find a safe place for you, but no matter where you go we're gonna have to find a spell to shield you from any magic Angelus may try to use on you."

Willow nodded, not saying anything because she really wasn't sure what to say. Her mind was still jumbled with all that was happening. After 6 months of being haunted by nothing more than the demons in her own mind, Willow was too shocked to believe this was all real. Without saying a word, Willow followed Lydia out of the living room to prepare for the drive in to London.

~Part: 7~

"Um, Willow?"

"Yeah Buff, it's me."

"Oh, hey. So, uh, how have you been? Giles filled me in on what's been happening… are you, you know, dealing okay?"

"I'm dealing about as well as can expected I suppose. After all that's happened to me so far, none of this is really surprising. I'm getting used to expecting the unexpected. I just wish I could put all of this behind me, you know, finally begin to start my life again. Too bad Angelus has other plans for me… Buffy, you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm still here. I just… I'm sorry Willow. This is all my fault. I should have killed Angelus long before he ever went after you. I just… I didn't know."

"It's okay Buffy, I don't blame you. You couldn't have known what was going to happen. And, after all, you loved him."

"… Still do… Anyway, Giles is waving crazily for me to give him back the phone. I think he wants to talk to Lydia again so he can sigh and get that dreamy look in his eye for the rest of the day. Give me a call sometime soon. I miss hearing from you."

"Okay, I will Buff. I miss you too."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Willow hung up the phone then went back to her seat besides Lydia in one of the Council Headquarters main conference rooms. Her conversation with Buffy had left her unsettled, as just about all their conversations over the past 6 months tended to do. Though they talked regularly, just about once a week, the conversations were never long and almost always uncomfortable. The strain with which the two former best friends now spoke to each other troubled Willow. It was as if each conversation was overshadowed by the questions Willow knew were burning behind Buffy's friendly inquiries into Willow's state of mind. They had never spoken of the night Buffy had rescued Willow, or of the weeks Willow had been imprisoned. Willow knew Buffy wanted answers, wanted her questions answered, and the fact that Willow wouldn't be able to give Buffy the reassurance she wanted left Willow feeling awkward and anxious whenever they spoke. Buffy was still in love with Angel, despite the fact that with each passing day it became more and more unlikely the Angel she had known and loved would ever be coming back. And it didn't matter that it had been Angelus, the demon, who was now fixated on Willow. In Buffy's eyes it would always be the man she loved obsessing over her best friend, and so now their friendship could never be the same.

Lydia handed Willow the book she had been reading from. "You'll be happy to know that, though it has taken me a few days, I think I may have found the right spell."

Willow closed the book briefly so she could have a look at the cover title, then, being careful with the brittle, yellow pages, read the spell. Willow nodded as she finished reading. "This sounds like it should work. If done correctly, I will be protected in sleep and waking from psychic attacks on both my mind and my body." Willow considered the spell for a moment. "It sounds good Lydia."

Lydia nodded, "I know, thank God. I was really starting to get worried we wouldn't find anything quite right but this is perfect. Now you'll be protected from him while you sleep. As for physical protection, I know you said you didn't see any reason to leave London but I feel I need to object just one last time. Humor me." Lydia added when Willow moved to protest. "Now you know I love having you with me and if I thought it was safe then I'd keep you here indefinitely. I want you to stay with me and, hopefully, go to Oxford and begin your training as a Watcher." Willow couldn't help but smile at that. Though Willow no longer had any idea what her future would bring, Lydia was always campaigning for Willow to enroll in the fame school and become a Watcher. She said that with Willow's "field" experience and knowledge of vampires and demons, she was a natural choice for becoming a Watcher. Willow would always laugh off Lydia's remarks. At 17, Willow wasn't quite ready to make a lifelong commitment to the Council.

Lydia continued, " I'm not saying you still can't do these things, or anything you want. But right now I'm afraid London isn't the safest place for you. Angelus obviously has something planned for you, and if the spell works and he finds he can no longer reach you from Sunnydale then he could very well come to London to find you. Just because he's left you alone the past few days doesn't mean this is all over." Willow bit her tongue as Lydia repeated Willow's lie back to her. Just last night, like every other night for the past week, Angelus had visited Willow in her dreams, but Lydia didn't know that. For reasons Willow was uncomfortable admitting even to herself, she had begun to lie about Angelus visiting her. As far as Lydia knew, Angelus had temporarily taken a break from his torments.

A noise behind the two women caused Lydia to break off as they both turned towards the doorway. Colin O'Hara, Neil Waters, and Adrian Carrington, three members, stood at the entrance to the conference room looking hesitant. Willow bit her lip on a smile. She knew all three of the Watchers, especially Adrian who Willow knew harbored a not so secret crush on her, and was glad to see them. The past week, Lydia and Willow had been so wrapped up in their research that Willow had found little time to spend with any of her new friends in London (which consisted mainly of Council members). She was glad to see them, especially since their interruption saved Willow from having to repeat her lies to Lydia. Willow glanced over at Adrian and found he was starring openly at her, a secret little smile on his lips. Automatically, Willow blushed and looked away.

"I hope we're not interrupting anything Lydia." Neil walked over to stand between Lydia and Willow as he spoke, "but there's some matters I need to discuss with you." Neil turned towards Willow. "I'm sorry dear, but I must steal Lydia away from you for the moment, but I do promise to be as quick as possible."

Willow smiled brightly at Neil. With his salt and pepper, neatly groomed hair, thin framed tortoise shell eyeglasses and kind eyes, Neil always reminded Willow of her grandfather. "It's no problem Neil. I could use a break from Lydia's endless thirst for research anyway. I was starting to think the head Watcher was actually a slave driver in disguise." Laughing good-naturedly, Neil and Lydia turned to each other and quickly fell into deep and boring conversation over various Council agenda. With a quick hello to Willow, Colin soon joined in the conversation.

Tuning out the watchers, Willow glanced sideways at the doorway where Adrian was casually leaning against the frame, arms crossed over his chest in a look that was slightly at odds with the tailored black suit that adorned his well built frame. Though his eyes were downcast, the smirk on his lips let Willow know he was very much aware that he commanded her attention. Willow couldn't help the blush that crept into her cheeks and made her face burn, but at the same time she couldn't tear her eyes away from him.

There was no doubt about it. Adrian had a commanding presence, due, in no small part, to his smoldering good looks. He was in a sense, similar to Angel/Angelus in that way. Both men (or all 3, depending on your point of view) had a way of draining your attention to only them when in a room, and they both were blessed with a breathtaking beauty that in no way diminished from their masculinity.

There was no denying Adrian's beauty. Willow would have to be blind not to notice it. Seeing him was like a shock to the system, as if each time was the first. Looking at him was like a dip in a chilly pool on a hot summer day. It left your body feeling more refreshed and alive, your every nerve ending tingling like they never had before. Angelic and perfect were words often used to describe him by women.

There was, first and foremost, his hair. It was the color of midnight- not true midnight, but the kind of midnight people associated with the word. It fell to just below his ear, level with his jaw, in soft waves of silk. If he tilted his head a certain way, the light would dance off the strands and reflect haunting rainbow lights, much like the wings of a raven. Other times, when there was moonlight reflecting on his hair, blue glints would appear, complimenting the crystalline color of his eyes. Liquid blue pools of crystal; the kind of eyes girls drowned in. Then there were his lips. Pale pink, strong, and sensuous. They were just full enough so that he always appeared as though he'd just been kissing some lucky girl till she fainted. When he smiled his lips oozed sensuality.

Then there was his body. All six feet, one inch of slim muscles and light olive toned skin. He wasn't beefy like other guys, but you could tell just by looking at him how strong he was. His presence was strong and domineering, perhaps just as domineering as Angelus' though his frame wasn't as wide. Willow had seen him only once without his shirt on, at a pool party Lydia threw for her birthday, and Willow had almost strained her eyes starring at Adrian's half naked body. Willow often found herself comparing him to an Adonis without any hyperbole. And thought Adrian was outrageously classy, his wardrobe the epitome of cutting edge fashion and runway chic, the glint in his playful blue eyes and the sparkle from the single diamond stud he wore in one ear revealed Adrian's wild streak.

When Willow first met Adrian she had found it hard to believe he was a Watcher. Well, Watcher in training to be specific, but still. Adrian was young, outgoing and a bit wild. In Willow's mind he was the antithesis of Giles and the other stuffy, traditional Watchers. But Willow knew Adrian was a symbol of the changing times, a new era of the Council being ushered in by Lydia. Even though Adrian came from a long line of Watchers. Willow knew it was Lydia's influence that allowed for Adrian to remain so different from the other Watchers.

Adrian ran a hand through his hair, long slim fingers brushing the strands away from his face as he raised his head and looked at Willow. "So Will, how have you been the past week?"

Willow felt her insides flutter as she fell into the endless core of his eyes. They were as wildly beautiful and innocent as Nordic Fjords. "I've been pretty busy, you know, researching." <Good way to state the obvious, Will. >

Adrian merely smiled charmingly. "I hope you haven't forgotten about my promise to take you out to dinner. I'm still waiting for you to take me up on the offer."

Willow's heart began to thump loudly in her chest. "Yeah, well… " There she was blushing again. As much as Willow had changed in the past 6 months, her inability to flirt with guys, especially one as gorgeous and self-assured as Adrian, had yet to change.

Adrian used the muscles of his back to push against the door frame, propelling himself forward and away from the wall. His suit jacket fell open to reveal white dress shirt that clung to his chest like a second skin. Willow couldn't help but stare at the definition of his chest as he walked towards her. He extended his hand towards her invitingly. "Well, how about lunch then. I know for a fact that you and Lydia have been locked in this room all day, so you must be starving."

Willow felt the panic begin to rise up in her chest, as it always had since her time with Angelus, when any guy got physically close to her. Her throat would constrict and her palms would sweat. All of a sudden she'd be right back in that windowless, empty room. Her body weak from loss of blood and unbidden desire; a whirlpool of conflicting emotions: shame, disgust, desire, longing, terror. Willow would begin to feel trapped, and even the most innocent of invitations, like the one Adrian was presently extending to Willow, would throw up all her emotional walls.

Willow tried to get her lips to form a no around the tight vise of her constricted throat, but before she could say anything, Lydia was speaking. Apparently she had heard Adrian's offer over the din of Neil and Colin's voices. "That sounds like a wonderful idea Willow. You must be famished. I would take you to lunch myself but I must attend to some matters with Neil. Roger can drive you and Adrian wherever you'd like to go. In fact, you don't have to be back till 6. I'm going to send a messenger to collect the supplies we need for the spell and we'll cast it tonight. Until then you're free to enjoy yourself." Feeling the matter was settled, Lydia rose from her chair, squeezed Willow lightly on the shoulder, and left with Neil and Colin in tow.

Before she could say a word of protest, Adrian's slim fingers fixed a firm grip on Willow's wrist as he gently lifted her from the seat and followed the others out of the room. "Great, I know a wonderful place for lunch. I'm sure you're gonna love it."

~Part: 8~

Adrian ended up taking Willow to an outdoor café that specialized in American food. That meant that just about everything there was fried and the majority of the customers were tourists. Willow had learned the hard way that the English weren't quite as oblivious to their health as Americans were.

They sat outdoors and ordered a basket of fried chicken, French Fries, mozzarella sticks, and large cokes, eating and watching the people passing by on the sidewalk besides them. Just south of their seats Willow had an amazing view of The Tower of London.

They lingered long after they had finished the last fry, milking their cokes as the conversation flowed as easily as water. Willow had never talked to Adrian for this long or this easily before. She supposed it was a combination of her having avoided any long lasting conversations with Adrian in the past, and her unfair judgement that anyone as good looking and self assured as him must not have all that much going on in the sensitivity and intelligence departments. Today, Willow was finding out she couldn't have been more wrong.

They covered every topic imaginable, excluding the Angelus incident, as Willow had begun to refer to it. Willow told Adrian all about growing up in Sunnydale with her absentee parents and two of the greatest friends she'd ever known, Jesse and Xander. He told her about growing up in both Paris and New York, then moving first to Venice where his father was the official Watcher of Buffy's predecessor, then to London where the Council enfolded them into their ranks at the young age of 17. He had always been meant to join them, but it became official earlier than planned due to the tragic death of his father, Dante, and the slayer, Gabrielle, in battle.

Willow told him about how empowered and special she had felt being part of the Scooby Gang. How meeting Buffy had helped Willow to discard the shell she had lived in for years as a product of her mother's repeated rejection; how, as a part of the Gang, Willow had stopped feeling lonely and began to live life to the fullest under the mantra "Carpe Diem."

Adrian spoke about his father, the bravest, most honorable man he knew. He spoke about his dedication and loyalty to the Council, which his father instilled in him at an early age. He spoke of remembered battles, of his father swinging a sword or some other ancient weapon as he led the slayer into combat, always right besides her on the front line.

Finally, they spoke of lost loves.

Willow told him about both Oz and Xander: Xander, her first love as a young girl; Oz, her first love as an older, somewhat wiser young woman. But no matter what the circumstances, they had been her firsts and in the memory of her mind they stood like bright twin beacons of light- standards in bravery, honesty and decency.

In turn, Adrian told Willow about Gabrielle. A hushed awe would color his voice as he described her: tall and slim as a tree, with haunting hazel eyes and a delicate manner of holding herself despite her tall stature. On first meeting her, Adrian hadn't believed her strong enough to defend herself, let alone the world. Gabrielle had quickly proved him wrong, and though she would often indulge in quiet tears late in the night while he cradled her in his arms, she never wavered while in combat.

When Adrian had lost the two people he loved most, his world had collapsed. It was the Council, and his responsibility to honor the memory of his father and Gabrielle, that saved him. And now, almost three years later, Adrian was still trying to heal old wounds.

Since they first left for lunch late in the afternoon, dusk began to fall before they knew it. Willow was so enraptured in their conversation she barely even noticed until Adrian pointed out the orange and pinks of the horizon as the sun set. When Adrian suggested he drive her home, Willow was reluctant to end their afternoon together. The comfort and ease with which she was able to talk to Adrian felt like magic, and she was afraid to break the spell.

A relatively quiet drive back to Lydia's brought Willow's fears to fruition. As Adrian steered the black Lexus through the city streets, and then the countryside, Willow began to reflect and, as a result, withdraw. It was as if the eerily quiet stillness of the passing countryside was creeping into Willow's soul, blanketing her thoughts in a cold fear.

Willow was smart enough to recognize the feelings inside her that had begun to take root. The seeds had been planted six months earlier, when she first met Adrian, but only now were they nudging outwards, reaching tentacles towards Willow's heart. She knew she had to stop them before they succeeded in capturing it. At that point, there would be no turning back, and Willow couldn't let things get that out of hand, because no matter where she was, what she was doing, or who she was with, Willow couldn't escape her own personal demon.

Angelus.

He was coming to retrieve her. Sometime soon- he had revealed that much to her. As far as Angelus was concerned, Willow belonged to him, and anyone that tried to come between them would meet the furious hand of his anger. If Willow allowed her relationship with Adrian to become anything more than friendship, that someone would become him. Therefore, Willow was going to do what she had to stop her feelings for Adrian from growing anymore out of control.

But there were other reasons, besides her concern for Adrian's safety. Though she was loathe to admit it, part of Willow believed Angelus' whispered words to her. It was the same part of Willow that had stopped telling Lydia about her nightly dreams, afraid to admit the strong feelings Angelus invoked within her. Maybe she was meant to be Angelus' life mate, as he claimed. Some malignant twist of fate had crossed her path with his, and part of her burned with desire to follow the twists in that path. She was like the Bride of Frankenstein, or the bride of the Devil, to be more exact; meant to be by the side of a demon for all time- that is, if Angelus had his way. Maybe Angelus was right when he said he was the only one meant for her; the only one who could satisfy her and fulfill those deeply hidden needs and desires she admitted to no one. If all of it was true, then Adrian would only end up getting hurt by her, and Willow, the part of her Angelus didn't control, wouldn't allow that.

By the time Adrian pulled into the circular driveway of Lydia's home, Willow's course of action was resolved. She would politely, but firmly, make it clear to Adrian that all she could offer him was her friendship. She would do her best to squash any feelings she may have for him and to not notice how cute he looked with a few silky strands of his hair falling around the curve of his ear, not to mention the curve of his behind. <No, bad Willow. Think clean thoughts. >

Adrian held the passenger side door open for Willow, and his eyes couldn't help but glance appreciatively at her legs as she swung them out the door. Adrian made a move to take hold of Willow's hand as they walked up the stone staircase to the front entrance but Willow managed to evade Adrian's grasp. Hurrying ahead, Willow searched her bag for her keys, hoping to escape into the house as quickly as possible.

Luck wasn't on her side when, in the midst of her fumbling to open the door's locks, Adrian caught up with Willow and placed his hand lightly on the small of her back. Willow immediately tensed.

"Willow?" She turned to face him as he spoke, her heart constricting at the confused, sorrowful expression marring the perfect features of his face. Willow stared at the ground, hoping it would make things easier. "What's wrong? Things were so great at lunch, but then I could feel you withdrawing in the car. I don't understand what went wrong. Was it something I did, something I said?"

Willow shook her head, not trusting herself to speak.

"Then what is it?" When Willow began to shake her head once again, Adrian cupped Willow's chin with the side of his hand, and tilted her head so he could stare into her eyes. "I really like you Willow. I've never told anyone most of the things I told you today. I did it because of the way I feel towards you- because I think I could very easily fall in love with you."

Willow melted at his words and the soft touch of his hand on her skin. When he lowered his mouth to hers, she didn't resist. The kiss opened like a slow blooming flower, and for a moment, Willow lost herself in the pure emotion of the experience.

The panic set in when Adrian cupped Willow's face in his hands and moved in closer in an effort to deepen the kiss. Willow broke away from his grasp, stepping as far back as she could, until her back was pressed against the front door. Her emotions a conflicted mess, Willow felt more confused than ever. Without meaning to, Willow found herself remembering another kiss. Angelus, his body pressed intimately close to hers, closer than any man had ever been, his fangs dripping bloody tears onto her face. When he kissed her, Willow tasted the tangy sweetness of her own life's blood on his lips and in his mouth. The sensation had pushed her over the edge, propelling her into her third orgasm of the night. When she'd awoken the next morning, she had still been able to taste her own blood in her mouth. When Willow had realized it was only another dream, disappointment had weighed heavy on her body, followed by shame and self-disgust at her own arousal. Willow didn't want to compare the two kisses but she couldn't help it. Adrian definitely evoked deep feelings inside of Willow. However, she was still, against all reason, dangerously attracted to Angelus.

"Adrian, I can't do this. I'm sorry, but I'll only end up hurting you. Let's just end it here before something bad happens. Please don't say anything or ask me to explain. Let's just drop it." Then, before Adrian could respond, Willow turned and went into the house.

~Part: 9~

Willow stood in the foyer for awhile, pushing aside the heavy velvet drapes so she could watch Adrian out the window. He stood for awhile, starring at the door looking stricken and melancholy, like an eager puppy that had been kicked in the ribs by it's master. Willow's heart constricted when Adrian stared at the house, his eyes haunted and shattered. She almost went to him but an inner strength she hadn't known she had helped her hold her ground. It didn't, however, keep the tears from falling. Willow was being torn in two. She couldn't help but be cliché and imagine how she would have laughed, a mere eight months ago, if someone had told her she would one day find herself falling in love with a gorgeous, courageous, perfect guy who felt the same way for her, while simultaneously nursing a demonic attraction to Angelus.

Willow stayed at the window long after Adrian drove away, her sobs racking her small body. How long, Willow wasn't quite sure, but eventually Lydia found her. Thankfully, Willow's tears had long since dried. It was one less thing to explain to Lydia. Willow hated it but the recent events in her life were taking their emotional toll on her, and a direct result was her continuing withdrawal from her closest friend.

"Willow, is everything all right?"

Willow plastered a bright smile on her face for Lydia's benefit. "Of course, why wouldn't it be?"

Lydia smiled, obviously relieved. "I'm glad to hear it. How was lunch?"

"It was good. I had fun." At least it wasn't a total lie. Willow had been having fun for most of the afternoon.

"Lovely. So how do you feel about performing the protection ritual. I've gotten everything we need."

The truth was, Willow wasn't feeling incredibly eager to begin the ritual, but it wasn't exactly a feeling she could explain to Lydia. Willow wanted to be able to feel safe again, but deep down she knew that would never again be possible. Especially since part of her looked forward to her sleeping moments with Angelus.

Willow kept those feelings to herself. 'All right, let's do it."

In the days following their kiss, Adrian and Willow avoided each other. Willow did it because she couldn't stand to see the unvoiced sadness and longing in Adrian's eyes, nor feel its counterpart in her own heart.

As for the ritual, the whole procedure lasted about an hour and, as evidenced by her undisturbed and peaceful, albeit lonely sleep of the past few nights, Willow deemed the spell a success.

One morning later that week, Lydia entered the main library of the watcher's headquarters to find Willow casually flipping through her high school's orientation guidebook, which had just arrived in the mail the previous day. Willow spoke without looking up from the catalogue. "Did you know they offer classes in ancient mythology and folklore, and C++ programming. They even have film classes. I thought they only had those kinds of classes in college. Xander loves movies- he was always making me watch old films at his house. He used to get such a kick out of Chaplin. He'd love a class like that. Maybe I should take it and broaden my horizons. I mean, I am trying to begin a new life, right."

"Willow." Lydia quietly interrupted Willow's babbling. Looking up, Willow saw she wasn't alone. Neil was with her, but also John Doyle and Sebastian Chabrol, two Watcher's high in the Council ranks. One look at their expressions informed Willow that something was wrong. Judging by the tears brimming from Lydia's eyelids, very wrong.

Lydia, apparently too choked up to speak, gestured to Neil. The sympathy, evident on his face as he took a seat in the armchair besides hers, chilled Willow to the bone.

He placed a comforting hand over Willow's as he spoke. "I'm so sorry Willow. We just received some news from Sunnydale. It's about your parents. They've been murdered."

Willow supposed she was in some form of shock because, though Neil kept talking, Willow didn't consciously hear another word he said. Sometime later Lydia was speaking, but Willow didn't hear her either. She just stared straight ahead, her eyes cast with a distant shroud of pain. Willow was looking backwards, remembering the time when she was eight and her father took her to the horse farm just south of Sunnydale. She could remember every instant of that day because it had been one of the happiest of her young life. She had been daddy's little girl, and though he wasn't always around as often as she would have liked, when he was he dotted on her. And now he was gone, but Willow couldn't really comprehend that. Her mind refused to process the information but instead opted to replay that day with the horses, over and over like a recorder programmed on an endless, repetitive loop.

Somehow Willow had been moved into the conference room, and still the tears wouldn't come. Somewhere in the back of Willow's mind she noted that she hadn't cried nor spoken for hours, but the hours seemed to pass like minutes. Lydia was saying something about protecting Willow from Angelus. It was Angelus who had done this, apparently a result of his realizing that he could no longer get to Willow. The knowledge had sent him into rage, a consequence the Council had failed to count on. Willow took in all the information, but she couldn't process it. All she could see was the green grass of the California countryside and the black satin mane of the horse she had been riding.

Cool, slim fingers on her arm broke through the fog in Willow's mind. Willow's own sad, green eyes locked on to sympathetic blue ones. Kneeling in front of Willow's chair, Adrian moved his hands up to her shoulders, his firm grip comforting Willow. Feeling safe for the first time that day, Willow was finally able to indulge herself in the emotional breakdown that had been hovering just below her consciousness all day. Sobbing hysterically, Willow threw herself into Adrian's embrace, burying her face in the soft fabric of his shirt. She clung to him with all her might, reduced to a quivering mass of tears, babbling incoherently as she soaked his shirt with her tears. Adrian allowed her this breakdown, holding on to her as he whispered soothing words, giving her comfort by just being there for her.

When Willow wouldn't calm down after a good half-hour of clinging to Adrian, Lydia suggested Willow be taken home. Adrian insisted on accompanying her, though no one had even thought of protesting since Willow refused to let go of Adrian. She kept her arms firmly wrapped around his waist and her face buried in his chest. Swinging her into his arms, Adrian carried Willow out to Lydia's car, who graciously sat up front with Roger so Adrian could pillow Willow in his lap.

During the drive home, Willow's tears slowly subsided until the gentle lull of the car's motion and the soothing feel of Adrian's fingers stroking her hair led Willow into a deep sleep.

When Willow finally awoke, night had fallen and she was in her own bed, cradled in the recesses of Adrian's arms. Nothing had ever been as comforting as the feel of Adrian's arms wrapped around her. His whole body was strong and reassuring to her, a pillar of strength she could hold on to.

Turning her face towards his, Willow found he was awake and watching her quietly. They stared at each other for awhile, not saying anything. Willow wasn't quite sure who made the first move, and it didn't really matter. Suddenly they were kissing, their lips moving expertly together as if this wasn't only their second kiss but one of a thousand. She knew Adrian- deep in her soul knew him. He was familiar, but at the same time every moment with him was a discovery. Willow wasn't quite sure what it meant, and she didn't care. Right now all that mattered was the feeling of Adrian's lips and body against hers. Being close to him filled the emptiness inside her, made her begin to feel almost complete again.

Adrian was the first to break away. His lips grazed her forehead as he whispered, "I love you, Willow."

Tired of denying what she was feeling, Willow admitted, "I love you too."

They kissed for awhile longer until Adrian reluctantly pulled away and suggested they find Lydia, who was very worried about Willow. The mention of Lydia reminded Willow once again of her parents. She'd been able to block out the memory while with Adrian, instead focusing all her energy and emotion on her newfound love. Now there was no ignoring it. Her parents were dead, by Angelus' hands, and suddenly the threat of Angelus coming after Willow was guaranteed. Something had to be done before Willow lived to regret it. <Or not live… cause we all know what Angelus is capable of. >

Stopping off to splash some cold water on her face, Willow followed Adrian downstairs, where they found Lydia in her study. She and Neil were sitting at the small conference table, papers and photographs concealing the wooden tabletop beneath it. They were bent over a stack of glossy photographs when Willow and Adrian entered the room. Immediately, Lydia stood and hurried over to embrace Willow.

"Oh darling, I'm so, so sorry. How are you holding up?"

Willow breathed in the strong, commanding scent of Lydia's perfume as the Watcher held her close. It was a nice scent, and languishing her attention on such small, insignificant details would allow enough distraction to keep her sane.

Willow considered her answer and opted for honesty. She'd kept so many of her feelings secret recently, she felt Lydia deserved the truth. "I'm devastated, Lydia. I never thought it would feel this way. I mean, I know my parents weren't the most involved. Well, my dad tried, even though his career made it hard, but my mom just never seemed to put much effort in getting to know her own daughter. Still, they loved me. I know that. And I loved them so much. I just can't believe they're gone. It's like there's this hole inside me now, and it's never going to go away no matter what I do to try and fill it. But right now we need to move on and plan what we're going to do next. I'm ready for that."

Lydia nodded, her eyes filled with the grim understanding of someone who's been through the same experiences and lived to tell about it. Willow had seen the same look in Adrian's eyes earlier, and she saw a shadow of it in Neil's. It came with being part of a worldwide club who knew the secret- that life was an unfair game and people were sometimes taken out of it before you were ready for them to go.

After a moment of silence, Lydia walked back to the table where she resumed her seat among the mountain of papers. There were things to be done, so the pain would have to be stored away in the name of practicality and self-preservation. Willow had already accepted this fact. Instinctively, Willow extended her hand behind her and felt a surge of strength when Adrian took hold of it. They followed and took their seats across from Lydia and Neil. The latter was starring at her, perhaps noticing the fierce determination shrouding her emerald eyes, and his respect and admiration were obvious. "You're quite a woman, Willow. I just want you to know that."

Willow felt a surge of pleasure at the compliment, and the smile on her face was genuine. "Thank you, Neil."

Neil smiled back, then glanced at Adrian before reaching for a stack of photographs. Neither Lydia nor Neil said anything about Adrian's presence, which made Willow wonder at how much they knew about their relationship. It was still so new to Willow, yet how much did other people realize her dependency on him.

Willow's wandering thoughts were reined in by the content of the photographs on the table. She reached for one and drew in a sharp of breath of surprise. Willow used the hand holding the photograph to gesture to Lydia. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Angelus took them Willow. Buffy found them in his room at the mansion, or, more accurately, plastered all over the walls of his room. All of these photos, actually. Buffy went to the mansion early this morning but Angelus had already skipped town. All that was left were these photos, a sort of makeshift shrine."

Willow flipped through photo after photo of the same subject- her. "How did you get these so fast."

"Well, these are copies, obviously. I had someone in Sunnydale scan them and email them here where we reprinted them this afternoon."

Willow looked at Lydia skeptically, "Giles didn't do it." It wasn't a question, merely a statement of fact.

Lydia couldn't help but laugh. "Of course not, I sent computer specialists in to handle the situation. Once Buffy told me what she had found I wasted no time in getting all the information documented and sent here. There's quite literally no time to spare since we can't pinpoint when exactly Angelus left Sunnydale. All we have is a wide time frame of sunset last night, which is when he visited your parents," Willow couldn't help but wince at Lydia's wording and wondered if she'd be receiving a similar visit sometime soon, "and around sunrise this morning when Buffy discovered he was gone. Now, worst case scenario: Angelus left Sunnydale in the very early evening yesterday and is already well into his second night of travelling to England. In the best case scenario, he didn't leave Sunnydale until much later in the evening and still has some ways to go until he arrives here. Either way you look at it, Angelus is on his way to see Willow, but the more time we have on our side before that happens, the better."

Willow nodded absently. She was still looking through the mountain of photographs. The first pile she had looked through were ones taken during her captivity in Angelus' special prison. She had never even imagined photos from that time existed, but there they were, in revealing black and white. Shots of Willow, spread eagle on the bed as Angelus stood before her, his hands roaming over every inch of her body. Shots of Angelus, lying on top of Willow with his fangs buried to the hilt in her neck. Shots of Willow, alone and crying, the tears causing strands of hair to stick to her cheeks. There were even photos of Willow on her knees, grabbing Angelus as he turned to leave. Willow's cheeks turned bright red at the thought of Lydia and Neil, not to mention Adrian, seeing such private and degrading moments of Willow's life, but she shoved them aside, her fear having a much firmer hold on her than her embarrassment.

The other photos were even more shocking. There were photos of Willow before she had been captured by Angelus, of her life in Sunnydale, which made her realize he had been planning her abduction for a long time. There were scenes from school, sitting in class, at the Bronze, in the library. A couple of photos of her in her bedroom, changing for bed, were mixed in.

Another pile contained photos from Willow's life in London. Willow recognized events from months back. There were day and evening shots, which meant the pictures had been taken by a human. Most probably some unsuspecting detective who's been paid a ton of money to follow around a teenage girl. He'd probably assumed she was a runaway. Willow's heart skipped a beat when she caught sight of the latest photos. They were pictures of her and Adrian, seated at the outdoor café. Adrian leaning forward to whisper something in Willow's ear. Willow with her head thrown back in laughter. Then, two figures on the front porch of the house, their bodies melded together. Her red hair made her unmistakable in the picture, even though her face was obscured. In those pictures, black magic marker defaced the photo. Angelus had all but obliterated Adrian's image from most of those photos. It was as if Willow was kissing a black hole. In some, Adrian was visible through the huge black X marking his figure. The markings gave the photos a life of their own. They were suffused with Angelus' hatred and jealousy. Just looking at them, and what he had done to the image of Adrian, chilled Willow to the core.

Adrian stared at the pictures, his face a mask of fury over the photos, concrete evidence of the total invasion of Willow's private domain. When he saw the photos of their kiss his expression didn't change. There was no fear, which Willow supposed some would consider foolish, but Willow found it incredibly brave and romantic. Adrian's main concern was for her. She knew how hard it would be for him to protect her from Angelus, but his eyes told her he would die trying. In that moment, her love for him expanded to fill her entire heart.

Lydia patiently waited for Willow to look through all the photos. When she was finished, Lydia continued speaking. "Buffy said the besides these photos, Angelus had some of your belongings on a dresser top. There were also some occult supplies Buffy couldn't identify, but she did recognize them as ingredients that would be used in a spell. Giles is working on identifying the materials. It's obvious they were used in spells relating to you, though."

A mental image took hold of Willow. Angelus, standing before his makeshift alter as he stared at her photos, creating scenes in his mind of their inevitable reunion as he worked magic to bring that day closer and closer. The scene was straight out of a made for TV movie of the week made to warn single girls about the dangers of getting involved with strange men. A Stalker's Obsession: The Willow Rosenberg Story. Willow bit back a hysterical giggle.

"Needless to say, we think it's imperative you leave London as soon as possible, Willow. Tonight even."

Willow frowned. She knew it was what had to be done, but she had no idea where she was going to go. Would it even matter? If Angelus was this obsessed with her he was going to find her wherever she went.

Neil seemed to read her mind. "We know it'll be hard to find a place that's safe for you, but I've already contacted some people I know in Italy. We already have a residence for you. It is quite well hidden, deep in the countryside of Italy, just north of Venice. The people who reside in the town will not give you away, and there is absolutely no vampire activity there. To guarantee your safety, Lydia and I have discussed providing you with a Watcher, and under the circumstances, we think it would be best if that Watcher was Adrian."

Adrian appeared startled. "You want me to be Willow's Watcher?"

Neil nodded. "I know you are still in training, but that is merely a technicality. You were more than ready to be a Watcher when you were only 13. You know as well as I do that you are more than capable of fulfilling the duty."

Lydia interrupted quickly, "Besides, how could we separate two people so obviously in love as you two." She winked at Willow, and the two women shared smiles. "Now, as long as everything's settled, we'd like to get you two packed and on a plane before morning. All the arrangements have been made. I'd say if there are no other questions we might as well go pack."

Saddened at the prospect of leaving, but nonetheless aware that it was a necessity, Willow nodded her agreement. Adrian said nothing, and Willow knew it was because, in his mind, there was no question as to where he was going. He would remain at Willow's side for as long as she wanted him, perhaps long after that. The four discussed some last minute details, then slowly rose and went their separate ways to prepare for Adrian and Willow's journey.

~Part: 10~

Four months later

There was something about techno music, with it's pounding incessant beats, that freed a person's souls, driving away whatever anchored it. It contained a wild, primitive purity that managed to siphon those dancing to it off from reality. You couldn't help but give yourself over to the fierce beauty of the music. It was a secret Willow was only just learning, and it thrilled her, making her heart pound erratically to the beat of the music.

Another secret was that you could dance as spastically as you wanted and nobody cared. Even the worst dancers were decent when gyrating to the synthetic rhythm of techno. As Willow danced within the sea of the nameless, faceless crowd, she felt absolutely unselfconscious. That usually didn't happen while Willow was dancing.

Panting slightly from the exertion of her nonstop dancing, Willow looked around for Adrian. It was hard to focus her eyes on any one object for long since the dizzying changes of the strobe light kept her eyes in constant dilation, but she eventually caught sight of him not far from where she was dancing. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, his mouth turned downwards in an angry pout. He'd been in pretty much the same position since they'd arrived. It had been Willow's idea to come here, and Adrian had been far less than enthusiastic. He didn't want to come here- not to a bustling underground club in the center of Venice, where they would be around strangers all night.

"That's exactly the kind of element we should avoid. It's the kind of place vampires like to frequent- and any vampire could be a tie to Angelus. Do you want Angelus to find you just because you had to go dancing one night?" Willow had already known every excuse Adrian gave. He was right- going dancing was precisely what she should not be doing if she wanted to remain undiscovered by Angelus, but that still hadn't stopped her. They'd been in Italy for 4 months and they'd spent all of it hidden away in their small cabin in the countryside, their only company, aside from each other, being the small village 4 miles east of their house. It wasn't that Willow didn't enjoy spending all that time alone with Adrian. She just needed a night out, without worrying about vampires and demons out to make you their immortal brides. Besides, Willow just couldn't bear being so close to Venice, a city she had often dreamed about visiting when she was stuck in Sunnydale, and not spending some time enjoying it.

When Willow had insisted on coming, her resolve face firmly in place, Adrian had been left with no choice but to accompany her. "But I won't enjoy it. And I definitely won't be dancing." Adrian, having laid down those conditions, was making sure he firmly abided by them.

Annoyed and distracted by Adrian's refusal to loosen up, Willow danced her way over to where he was standing. She had to maneuver her way around a group of young Italian beauties who, she couldn't help but notice, were all checking out Adrian, throwing admiring glances his way which he steadfastly ignored. Willow took great pleasure in slithering up to Adrian, sliding her arms up and around his neck and drawing his lips to hers for a passionate kiss. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the pack of girls glaring at her, openly jealous. Willow couldn't help the pleasure it gave her. <Imagine that. Five Venetian girls, beautiful enough to be models, jealous of little old Willow. My, how things change. >

When they pulled apart, Adrian's expression had softened a bit, but not much. Willow had learned there were few people as good at being stubborn as Adrian. Of course, Willow was pretty good at it herself, which led to some pretty interesting arguments between the couple.

"So, does this mean you've gotten this yearning to let loose out of your system and you're ready to go?"

Willow smiled seductively, shaking her head so strands of her hair whipped back and forth. Grabbing hold of his hand, Willow pulled Adrian into the crowd. "Dance with me." It was a command, not a request, and before Adrian could open his mouth to protest, Willow had spirited him into the center of the dance floor and had her body pressed intimately against his. It wasn't exactly the right kind of music for full body contact, but Willow didn't care. She was tired of Adrian's temper tantrum, and she was gonna do whatever it took to cheer him up. Besides, Willow never shied away from an excuse to be close to Adrian.

He resisted at first, remaining stiff and unmoving, but he wasn't able to resist for long. What, with Willow backside brushing up against Adrian's crotch and her hands running up and down the side of his legs. In no time, Willow was able to feel the effects of her dancing, as his arousal pressed into her back. Knowing he was beat, Adrian wrapped his arms around Willow's waist and began to move with her body. He buried his face in her neck and she heard the barely audible groan escape his lips as she pressed her body even closer to his.

They danced that way for awhile, each enjoying the feel of the others body. Willow had never fully realized the sensual nature of dancing before. The friction between their bodies was making Willow ache with unreleased longing. The music went from driving, techno beats to the slow, insinuating rhythms of reggae. The friction became a pleasurable agony when, copying the moves of other couples, Willow turned around and straddled Adrian's leg as they continued to move against each other. Each thrust of his thigh against her crotch sent pulses of heat through her sex and up towards her abdomen. Though their movements were slow and deliberate, the effects were leaving Willow panting for breathe, her body moistening from sweaty desire.

The rest of the room died away, leaving only Adrian and Willow. Not caring who was watching, Willow's lips met Adrian's, her delicate hands grasping the back of his head, pressing his lips hard against hers.

Becoming more and more aroused by the feel of Adrian's body against hers, Willow felt her need growing stronger than ever before. For four months Willow had been holding steadfast in her moral resolve to wait for her wedding night. Not that she had been playing the vestal virgin all this time. Many a night they had fallen asleep, naked and spent from intensely passionate couplings. However, Willow never allowed things to go too far. What she was waiting for, though, she couldn't exactly say.

As always, a powerful cloud of lust began to overshadow Willow's reservations. She felt her body being carried on a wave of intense sexual desire. Before they got too out of control, Adrian disentangled himself from Willow and led her silently out of the club.

As they made their way out of the club headed for the privacy of their car, neither noticed the dark haired figure standing within the corner shadows of the club, watching their hurried retreat. Silently she followed them, an invisible shadow seen by no one.

Inside the plush interior of the Mercedes, Adrian and Willow fell into each other's arms. The dark corner of the parking lot gave them shelter from the curious eyes of passerbys, though they were barely thinking of such matters. Driven by an animalistic lust, Willow barely noticed the various pieces of clothing she was quickly losing as their embrace became more and more heated.

Adrian nibbled on Willow's earlobe, causing her to shiver in delight. "You're so beautiful, Willow." Adrian's whisper held an intensity of emotion that penetrated straight to Willow's heart. "I thank the Gods everyday that you came into my life. Without you I'm nothing."

He moved his lips down to caress the soft skin of her jawline, his words carried on the warm kisses he placed there. "I know I don't tell you this enough. You deserve to hear it every moment of everyday. I don't know what I'd do without you. I couldn't go on. If you were gone then I would be gone." He moved his face upwards so it was level with Willow's own, his forehead resting against hers, their mouths mere centimeters apart. "I'm not saying this well, I know. I just can't find the words to make you realize how important you are to me."

Willow silenced Adrian with a kiss, a mere brushing of her lips against his. "I know, Adrian. You don't have to explain it to me because my heart knows deep down, even if my mind doesn't always. I know because I can feel the counterpart of everything you're saying inside myself. I feel you in my heart because it's where you've always belonged. You were in my heart before we ever met. It's always been you, and it always will be."

Eyes radiating love towards each other, they didn't even kiss. It was enough just to hold each other, and Willow knew why they weren't rushing to have sex. The emotion was so strong it sustained and filled every desire.

They stayed, kissing and embracing in the backseat of the car until the club closed its doors and the street surrounding the club was near empty. Reluctantly, they moved back to the front seat to prepare for the long drive back to the villa.

Merging with the shadows that lurked around the edges of the parking lot, Angelus stalked his prey with a cunning and stealth that was all part of his nature. He watched as the couple got in their car, the woman's red hair igniting the vampire's passion like a flare. His expression darkened as the couple quickly melted into an embrace, their bodies melding to form one, lascivious entity. Enraged by the sight, Angelus reached for the nearest object to him and found himself crushing a discarded liquor bottle in his bare hand. Starring with detached interest, he watched the blood dripping in thin rivulets from the wounds on his palm. Halfheartedly, he licked the blood away enjoying the fiery path it burned down his throat.

His rage combined with the blood lust, and before he had even decided on his course, he was across the lot, ripping the car door open. Grabbing the redhead by her hair, he sank his fangs into her throat, tearing the skin open with an animal abandon. Effortlessly, he knocked her lover aside. When he had drunk his full, he discarded her lifeless body to the dirty street and reached for the unconscious man. Blood poured from a wound on his head, a product of the steering wheel Angelus had flung him against. In moments, Angelus had drained the couple, the empty husks of their bodies that had been full of life only minutes before now lay side by side on the hard concrete beside their car.

Kicking the girl's body so she lay on her back, Angelus stared at the pale beauty of her face. Death's mask colored her lifeless skin an opaque white, paler even than she had been in life. Even the red of her hair was becoming lackluster, the color drained away with her life's blood. Only the green of her eyes retained any brilliance.

Sneering, Angelus licked his lips, enjoying the remaining blood lingering on his fangs. The ringing of his cell phone broke into his triumph over his conquests. Reaching into his jacket pocket he pulled out the tiny electronic device he was regretting having purchased. "What," he barked into the phone.

"Sorry lover, did I catch you at a bad time?" The voice on the other end rippled with suppressed laughter, which only served to enrage Angelus further. If it had been anyone but Elena, he might have killed them for that laughter. Of course, he might still do it to Elena, even though she had always been one his favored fledgings.

"As a matter of fact Elena, I was just reveling over my latest kill. It was one of my favorites, a red haired beauty if I've ever seen one. Now that I can't enjoy her death, you'd better tell me what you want. I told you never to call me on this wretched device unless it was an emergency. Now, I hope whatever this is will be worth your punishment when we get home tonight."

Elena laughed, knowing full well how much it rattled her sire. She always had enjoyed his anger, especially since it always led to her nude body being chained to his bed. "Well, I figured you'd like to know that you're favorite red head just left La Traviatta with her Watcher consort. They're parked outside the club right now, steaming up the windows of their car pretty heavily. Hmm, if my vampiric sight isn't failing, I dare say she has presently lost her blouse."

Angelus clamped the phone closer to his ear, an all too human reflex reflecting his disbelief in what he was hearing. "I swear Elena, if you're lying to me right now I am going to make the bone splinters fly when I find you. Is Willow really there, right now?"

Elena giggled, enjoying the rage and excitement her news was producing in the all powerful Angelus. She wasn't quite sure what hold this girl had over Angelus, but it was certainly a first. Elena had often seen her sire become obsessively attached to young mortal women. She herself had been one of these women. But it was different with this one. The red headed witch was causing the impeccably cool Angelus to lose his control, and that was something Elena had never thought she'd live to see. Nope, never had Angelus been this obsessed. In fact, wasn't he right this second near the remains of another redheaded victim who had done nothing wrong but resemble this young Witch. Countless girls had fallen victim to similar fates in the past four months. Their body's lay all over Europe.

Angelus growled a warning as Elena continued to giggle. "Yes, I'm serious. While you were enjoying you're carbon copy across town, Willow has been dancing the night away with her lover, and now they're about to partake in an older form of dancing, though I can assure you the club is no longer playing music of any kind. Now, are you going to spend the rest of the night yelling at me over the phone or are you going to claim the prize you've been searching all over Europe for. If you'd like my advice, I'd suggest getting over here before she drives out of your life… again."

Angelus growled a final time before slipping the phone back in his pocket. The newly acquired blood burned in his veins as he hurried over to his car. He slammed the door, barely missing his leg. He didn't even care. He was furious with himself. While Willow was all the way across town he had been wasting his time at this club, reveling in the blood of a girl that looked like her but wasn't her. If he missed capturing the little witch because of this preoccupation he'd end up killing Elena, just for having seen her when Angelus hadn't.

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