Distribution: TPWFLD; otherwise please ask.
Disclaimer: Angel, Willow, and the others don't belong to me. They belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement intended.
Rating: PG-13 (future parts may vary)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Prologue:
It had been three months since Willow found the spell to rescue Angel from Hell. Naturally, Xander didn't want to help, but she had convinced him it was in his best interest to help her. Since Buffy was still gone, they would need Angel's help to fight the growing number of vampires that were preying on Sunnydale.
The spell had been
relatively simple, and Angel was returned, although he was badly injured.
Once out of Hell, his accelerated healing had him back to normal within
days. But, they soon realized he wasn't the same Angel that they had known.
This Angel was a hard man who had built up a wall around his emotions,
and refused to let any of them in. Xander couldn't help but say 'I told
you so', and promptly distanced himself from Angel and the entire situation.
Willow knew Angel was suffering nightmares, but he refused to talk to her
about them. Angel told her that she should've left him where he belonged.....in
Hell. Then, he walked out----never once looking back.
Willow stretched
and shut off the computer. The library was quiet, and her mind began wandering.
Willow hadn't seen Angel since the night he returned. She had gone to his
apartment repeatedly, but he refused to answer the door. Angel had shut
himself off from everything and everyone.
Willow grabbed her
stake, and holy water, and left the library. As she walked home, Willow
felt a prickle on her neck, it felt as though she were being watched. A
quick look around revealed nothing, but she instinctively quickened her
pace. Once she reached her house, she turned again. Willow saw no one,
but the feeling that someone was watching her increased. And she became
frightened. She didn't think it was a vampire, if it was he'd just attack,
not follow her. Willow also knew it wasn't Angel, he'd avoided her like
the plague. Besides, whoever was out there was giving her the creeps, and
she hadn't even seen him yet.
The man watched from
the shadows. She would be easy pickings now that her little friends weren't
around as much. The man shoved his hands into his leather jacket and smiled.
He had waited a long time for her, and she would be his soon. There was
no one who could stop him from taking what he wanted. No one! The man walked
away, knowing that his obsession was within reach.
Ryker watched the
young woman leave for school. He had watched her long enough to know everything
about her, even about her nocturnal activities. So far he hadn't been able
to get close to her. She was always with the blonde or that stupid boy,
but now that had changed. The blonde had left town, and the boy was too
busy with his snobby girlfriend.
It had been six months earlier at the Bronze. He very seldom went to places like that, since he was a lone wolf. But, he felt like getting out. Ryker noticed Willow as soon as she had walked in. Her quiet beauty had left him breathless. He knew most men would prefer the blonde or the brunette that she was with, but not Ryker. From the moment he saw her, he knew that she would be his. And from that night on, he had followed her every move, memorizing everything. He was surprised when he learned about vampires, and the Slayer. It sounded like some horror flick, but he'd soon realized that it was very real. However, he never interfered, nor would he, unless one of them tried to hurt Willow.
Ryker watched Willow
enter the school, and knew she would be there until sometime that night.
That would give him time to make his final preparations. He would make
his move tonight, and if everything went according to plan, she would finally
be his. There was no one who could stop him. Willow had to force
herself not to turn around. She had been having the feeling that someone
was following her again. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself
she was over-reacting, the feeling wouldn't go away. And it was scaring
her to death. If there was someone following her, who was it? And more
importantly, what did they want?
"Hey, Will! I got
news."
"Hi, Xander. Good
news I hope."
"Could be. Giles
got a lead on Buffy. It sounds promising, so Giles left this morning to
go check it out. He'll probably be gone a couple days, but he'll call as
soon as he finds out anything."
"I hope it's her."
"Me too. Are you
okay?" Xander asked, noticing how pale his friend was.
"Yeah, just tired."
"Good. Look, I gotta
find Cordy to get details for tonight."
"What's going on
tonight?"
"Oh, Cordy's dad
got us concert tickets. We're leaving right after school. Then we'll be
spending the weekend in L.A."
"Sounds like you'll
have fun."
"Are you going to
be okay alone this weekend?"
"I'll be fine. I've
got tons of work to do. Just have a great time."
"Sure thing. I'll
even bring you back a souvenier. See ya Monday."
Willow watched Xander
run down the hallway. She was glad she hadn't mentioned her worries to
him, he would've wanted to cancel his plans. Besides, it was probably nothing.
And since she'd had the feeling during the day, she knew it couldn't be
a vampire, so that was good. Willow shook her head, then headed to class.
School flew by without incident, and after school Willow went to finish
up some research in the library. She had hoped to be finished before dusk,
but had lost track of time. Gathering up her things, Willow headed home.
Ryker waited in the
park. He knew Willow always took the same route home, and she would be
here soon. The excitement was building, and he was growing impatient. In
just moments, she would be in his arms. And there she would stay.
Willow was walking
through the park, with her stake in one hand. She never heard the man approach
from behind her. Ryker grabbed Willow, pulling her back against him. His
one hand covered her mouth, and the other pressed intimately against her
stomach. He was amused at her attempt to struggle. Willow had dropped the
stake when the man grabbed her, so she had no weapon. She fought against
him, trying to free herself, but he was too strong.
"You may as well
stop struggling, I'm not letting you go. I've waited a long time for you."
Ryker said, then dropped his head to her neck.
Willow prepared herself
for the pain, but he didn't bite her. Instead, his lips began kissing her
neck, up to her throat. His hand moved slowly from her stomach up to her
breasts, then back down again. <Oh, God, NO! I've got to get away from
him.> Willow panicked, he may not be a vampire, but he was still evil.
Willow renewed her fight, finally bringing her foot down hard on his foot.
The movement surprised the man and his grip loosened briefly. Willow tried
to run, but he knocked her to the ground.
"That was very stupid,
Willow."
<He knows my name.
I wasn't imagining things, he was the one following me.>
Ryker straddled the
girl, her attack had surprised him. He had to admit he liked her fire,
even though she'd have to pay for hurting him. He pinned her arms above
her head, and lowered his mouth to hers. Roughly, he kissed her. One of
his hands lowered to her shirt, ripping it. His hand began caressing her
skin. So busy with his assault, Ryker didn't hear the approach of another
person.
"You're intruding
on my territory."
Ryker turned to the
person who dared to interrupt him. He found himself facing a vampire, who
looked rather amused. Ryker turned back to Willow.
"Now don't go anywhere.
I'll take care of this disturbance, then we'll finish this at home." Ryker
said, then turned to the vampire.
Willow watched as
the man fought against the vampire. <Home? I know I don't like the sound
of that.> Willow pulled her shirt together, trying to decide if she could
make it to her house, but decided it was too far. <Where can I go?>
Then it came to her. Angel. His apartment was only a block away. Willow
waited till she knew the man was fully focused on his opponent, then ran
as fast as she could. <Please, let him help me.>
Willow ran to the
abandoned building, and stopped. A quick look told her that the man hadn't
followed her. She entered the building and knocked on Angel's door. No
answer. Willow began pounding on the door, calling Angel's name. Still
no answer. Willow leaned against the door, and slid to the floor. She knew
she'd never make it home, that man was still out there somewhere. Willow
began sobbing hysterically. She was afraid, and she was alone.
Willow sat there
for what seemed like hours, when she heard the outer door open. Pushing
herself into a corner, Willow drew her knees up and buried her head. <Please,
go away. Leave me alone!> Willow heard footsteps coming closer to the door,
but she didn't look up. She wrapped her arms more securely around herself.
The footsteps stopped, and Willow knew someone was standing right in front
of her.
"What are you doing
here?"
Willow didn't acknowledge
the question. Her mind tried to tell her that the voice didn't belong to
the man who had hurt her, but her body wasn't accepting that. When a hand
reached out to touch her shoulder, Willow tried to back away.
Angel crouched in
front of the young woman. When he first saw her sitting outside his door,
he had assumed she was there to try to get him to talk to her. She had
been trying that for months. But, when he tried to touch her, her response
had been one of fear. He noticed now that she was shaking badly. Angel
couldn't see her face, and she had yet to answer him. Something wasn't
right.
"Willow, it's Angel.
What's wrong?"
Still she said nothing.
Angel reached out to push the hair out of her face, and when she tried
to turn, he forcefully made her look at him. He gripped her chin, and raised
her head so that he could see her face. Willow's face was extremely pale,
and streaked with dirt and tears. He gently wiped the tears from her cheek.
"Willow, do you know
who I am?"
Willow blinked repeatedly,
trying to focus on the person talking to her. She found herself looking
into the face of a friend.
"Angel?"
"I'm here. What happened
to you?"
Willow was so glad
to have found Angel, that she threw herself into his arms. She wrapped
her arms tightly around Angel's neck, and refused to let go.
Angel fought to keep
his balance. As he wrapped his arms around her waist, he could feel her
whole body shaking. Angel realized when he tried to untangle himself from
Willow, in order to stand, that she wasn't about to let go. So, he pushed
himself into a standing position, bringing her up into his arms. He carried
her into the apartment.
When he sat Willow
down on the couch, he pulled her arms away from him. Angel knelt in front
of Willow, holding her hands on her lap. It was then that he noticed her
appearance. The wild hair, ripped shirt, dirt and grass stains on her jeans,
and the beginning of bruises on her arms. Angel had his suspicions about
what happened.
"Willow, look at
me."
Slowly, Willow raised
her eyes to look at Angel. The look on his face brought the tears flooding
back. She tried to pull away from him, but Angel held her in place. His
hands moved to grip her shoulders.
"Willow, were you
raped?"
Willow shook her
head. She tried to talk, but found that she couldn't form the words she
wanted to say.
"But someone did
try to hurt you, didn't they?"
Willow nodded, then
turned her gaze away from Angel.
"Who?"
The tone of Angel's
voice made Willow look at him. His expression had become dangerous, but
he was still in control of his demon. Willow shrugged her shoulders.
Angel could see that
Willow was exhausted. He would have to wait to find out exactly what happened.
In the meantime, she would have to stay with him. He wasn't about to let
her go until he knew who attacked her.
"Let's get you cleaned
up, then you need to sleep."
Willow didn't protest
as Angel lifted her, and carried her into the bathroom. He gave her a shirt
to wear, and left her to shower in private. When she came out of the bathroom,
Angel put her into his bed. Willow gripped his hand when he got up to leave.
"I'm scared." The
words came out as a whisper, but Angel heard them clearly.
"You're safe here.
I'll take care of you." Willow nodded, then drifted off to sleep.
Angel sat on the
side of the bed, holding Willow's hand, long after she'd fallen asleep.
He had tried so hard to push everyone away when he came back, but Willow's
constant visits had begun wearing down his resolve. Even though he never
opened the door or spoke to her, he had heard every word she had said.
Now, he blamed himself for the attack. <Could I have prevented this?>
As he sat watching her sleep, Angel made her a vow. He would find the one
responsible and make him pay. <You came to me, even after I turned my
back on you, and I swear to protect you from now on.> Angel took his vow
very seriously, and remained by her side the rest of the night.
Ryker was furious.
That damn vampire had ruined everything. Ryker's military and martial arts
training had come in very handy, and the vampire hadn't been much of a
challenge. But, the diversion had allowed Willow the chance to escape.
He had underestimated her, never once thinking she'd have the courage to
run. Once again, she had surprised him. Ryker had gone to her house, but
she didn't return there. <This isn't the end, Willow. You may have gotten
away from me this time, but I won't make the same mistakes again. Sooner
or later, you will come back home, and I'll be waiting. No one will get
in my way this time.>
Willow woke up, sore
and disoriented. As she stretched, memories of the night before surfaced.
Willow looked around nervously, not sure where she was. She sat up, and
pushed back against the headboard. In her hand, she held the pillow in
a death grip. Then she remembered that she was at Angel's, but the fear
was still there. Someone had attacked her, someone she had never seen before.
"Willow?"
Willow jumped at
the sound of her name. She looked toward the doorway, and saw Angel leaning
against the door. Concern evident on his face.
"Are you okay?"
Willow couldn't speak,
so she just shook her head, then buried her face in the pillow. She felt
ashamed, and dirty. The shower last night had done nothing to erase the
feel of that man's hands on her body.
Angel watched Willow
withdraw into a shell. She looked so small and fragile, but she was stronger
then she looked. After all, she had escaped her attacker, and made it to
safety. Angel walked over and sat on the side of the bed, careful not to
scare her.
"Willow, I need you
to tell me what happened last night."
"I can't."
Angel reached over
slowly, and touched Willow's arm. She raised her face and looked at him.
"I can't help you
if I don't know what happened."
Willow knew Angel
was right, but she wanted to just forget last night. She knew it wasn't
that easy. The man had said he'd been waiting for her, that she belonged
to him. It sounded like he wasn't planning on giving up.
"I was walking home
when a man grabbed me. He started touching me......" Willow's voice trembled.
"It's okay, take
your time. Was it a vampire?"
"I don't think so.
He was human. I think he's been following me."
"Why do you think
that?"
Willow told Angel
about the times she felt like she was being followed. Then she managed
to finish telling him what happened the night before, ending with the fact
that the man had been fighting a vampire.
"Maybe he was killed."
"I saw him fight,
Angel. If anyone was killed, it was the vampire. This guy was fighting
like one of those characters in martial arts movies."
"And you don't know
who he is?"
Willow shook her
head. The realization that someone was stalking her chilled her to the
bone. She'd read enough stories to know that once a stalker picked his
target, he didn't give up. Willow began trembling, the thought of that
man ever touching her again, made her physically sick.
Angel reached out
and took Willow into his arms. He held her until the trembling stopped.
As he stroked her hair, Willow's hand gripped his other hand.
"He's still out there,
Angel. And he'll come after me again, won't he?"
"He won't have a
chance. I'm going to find him, and take care of him. He'll never hurt you
again."
"You don't even know
who he is."
"No, but he'll show
himself, and I'll be waiting. In the meantime, you aren't going to be left
alone. Where's Xander and Giles?"
"Out of town."
"Both of them? They
left you here alone?" Angel asked.
"I never told them
that I was worried. Xander went to L.A. with Cordelia, and Giles got a
lead on Buffy's whereabouts."
Angel wouldn't let
himself dwell on Buffy, he'd had plenty of time to think about her the
past few months. The only thing that mattered right now was keeping Willow
safe.
"What about your
parents?"
"Gone on business."
Angel couldn't believe
that everyone had left Willow to fend for herself.
"Then you'll stay
here till they come back."
"I can't."
"Yes, you can. Tonight
I'll go out and try to find this guy, but the only way I can protect you
during the day is if you're here."
Willow thought about
the situation. She knew she'd feel safer if she wasn't alone, but another
thought popped into her head. If this man had been following her, he may
have followed her to Angel's some other time. And if that was true, he'd
be able to get to her when Angel went out searching for her attacker.
"What if he followed
me here before?"
That thought hadn't
occured to Angel. Since it was a possibility, he knew he wouldn't be able
to leave Willow alone. It would be too easy for the creep to get to her.
"Then, until I find
him, you'll have to stay with me. And that means going with me when I try
to find him. But, if we do find him, you have to promise to go straight
to the police. I don't want to take the chance that he'll destroy me and
take you. Understand?"
"Yes."
"Okay, try to get
some more rest."
Willow slid back
under the covers, and closed her eyes, but sleep eluded her. Too many thoughts
were running through her head. She had never thought about the danger to
Angel. After all, she'd seen the man fight. He was ruthless. But Willow
believed in Angel, he would keep her safe. And besides, Angel could be
a ruthless fighter also. Turning onto her side, Willow prayed for the nightmare
to end.
Ryker sat in the
shadows outside Willow's house. It had been several hours since she'd gotten
away from him. He was a patient man, but he was becoming aggitated. He'd
had her in his grasp and she'd slipped away. In the time he'd been watching
her, she'd been to many different places. Any one of which she may have
run to. But, his best bet was to wait right where he was. He knew her parents
were gone, so as soon as she calmed down, she'd return to her home. Then
he'd finish what he started.
As the night turned
to daylight, he made sure he was well hidden. He certainly didn't want
nosy neighbors calling the cops. Not that they'd be able to do anything.
Ryker was a trained killer, and he was very good at what he did. The military
had taught him all kinds of interesting tricks, and he knew how to be invisible.
His time with the SEALS had fine-tuned the skills he'd already had. <Hell,
even the damn military can't find me.> That thought elicited a menacing
laugh.
Six months ago, Ryker
had been on shore leave, but had never returned to his base. He had become
tired of the rules and regulations, so he had decided to put his talents
to better....more profitable uses. His plans had altered only slightly
after seeing Willow for the first time. He still planned to go ahead with
his new career, but he'd make sure she was by his side. They would go someplace
where no one would ever find them.
Ryker didn't know
what it was about the young woman, but there was something that had captured
his attention. She was always in his thoughts, in his dreams. And he planned
to make those dreams reality. If someone had told him a year ago that he'd
be stalking a 17 year old girl, he'd have laughed in their face. Of course,
Ryker would never acknowledge that his actions were that of an obsessed
man. They were the actions of a determined man. Besides, he was confident
that Willow would fall in love with him eventually.
Since the time he
was a child, his father had taught him to go after what he wanted. To let
nothing and no one stop him. And at 25, Ryker always got what he wanted.
Although he looked like the All-American boy-next-door, people soon learned
that appearances could be deceiving. He had killed more people then he
could remember, some during his years in the Navy, some just because they
had made the mistake of pissing him off. Ryker didn't take rejection well,
nor did he like to lose.
Willow would have
to be punished for making him look like a fool. No one humiliated Ryker,
not even the woman he loved. Then he would make sure she understood her
place, and her duty. She was his property now, and the sooner she accepted
that, the better it would be for her.
Ryker leaned back
against the tree.....and waited. His thoughts turned to what would happen
once he had Willow back. She would learn how close pain and pleasure really
were. His lips curved into a cruel smile, and he let himself sleep.
Only a couple hours
remained until dusk, and Angel was already getting impatient. The sooner
he found the creep who had hurt Willow, the better he'd feel. Angel leaned
back on the couch. He'd already decided that the man wouldn't leave Sunnydale
alive. The guy was a psycho, and Willow wouldn't be safe from him until
he was dead.
"Angel?"
Angel turned to Willow.
She wore only the t-shirt he'd given her. Her face was still pale, but
she appeared to be a bit more rested.
"How do you feel?"
Willow walked over
to sit next to Angel.
"Better, I guess.
Angel, about tonight."
"Don't worry about
that. I'll find the guy."
"You have a better
chance of that if you let me return home.....alone."
"Not a chance!"
Willow turned to
look at Angel. She knew he wasn't going to like her idea, but what choice
did they have. The sooner they found her attacker, the sooner she could
begin feeling safe again. And they had a better chance of that happening
if Angel was out of the picture.
"At least listen
to me. I don't mean for you to let me go alone, just make it look like
I'm alone. You'd be hiding in the shadows. That way, he'd think it was
safe, and he'd make his move. Then you'd be there to grab him."
"You're talking about
being bait for a rapist. Do you have any idea what he'll do to you if he
gets his hands on you again?"
Willow stood up and
walked to the wall. She kept her back to Angel.
"I know very well
what he will do. But this is the only way to catch him. You can't be there
24 hours a day, every day, for the rest of my life. Sooner or later he'd
find me alone. At least this way, it'll be over."
"You don't know what
you're suggesting."
"Yes, I do. And I'm
scared to death of seeing him again, having him touch me. But, I know you
won't let anything happen to me. I trust you, Angel."
Angel walked over
and pulled Willow back into his arms. His hands rested on her stomach,
and he dropped his chin to her head.
"Are you sure about
this?"
Willow nodded. They
stood silently, neither one moving. Angel hated the idea of Willow putting
herself in danger, but she was right. She couldn't live in fear the rest
of her life, and he couldn't watch her all the time. If she was ever to
be free of this maniac, it would have to end. And this would be the quickest
way.
"I won't let him
hurt you."
"I know." Angel was
touched by her confidence in him. He'd make sure he didn't let her down.
"Alright, we'll leave
as soon as the sun sets."
Willow walked home,
careful to stay where she knew Angel could see her. She wasn't sure exactly
where he was, but she knew he was close. That was the only thing giving
her the courage to keep walking. Willow had faced a lot of horrible things
living on the Hellmouth, but nothing had scared her as badly as this. She
could handle dealing with vampires, demons, and witches, but this was different.
This man didn't want to kill her, he wanted to.... Willow was unable to
finish the thought. She couldn't think about that.
As she reached her
front steps, she was grabbed from behind. Willow struggled, but tried to
keep herself calm. Even when the man pressed her back against him, so kept
her composure. At least on the outside, inside her guts were clenching
with fear.
"You didn't really
think you'd get away from me, did you Willow?"
Willow refused to
answer, confident that Angel would be there any second. Ryker reached in
front of her and pushed the door open. Without a backward glance, he pushed
Willow into the house, then up to her bedroom. Willow was beginning to
panic, something had gone wrong. They were never supposed to have entered
the house. <Angel! Where are you?> Then she realized that he had known
where her room was. But how?
Ryker guessed what
she was thinking, then laugh as he threw Willow onto her bed. She jumped
off the bed, and huddled into the corner. She had to stall, give Angel
time to get to her.
"How did you know
where my room was?"
"Oh, Willow. You
are so incredibly naive. Do you really think this is the first time I've
been in your room?" Willow felt sick.
"When?" Willow whispered.
"Several times. I'd
come in sometimes while you were at school, lay on your bed. Imagine you
were there with me. But the times I'll treasure were the ones when you
were here with me."
All the blood rushed
from Willow's face. She didn't want to know anymore.
"You never knew I
was here, did you? I'd hide in the closet, and watch you. And I'll tell
you, it took all my self-control not to show myself when you'd come in
and undress. But, I knew I had to be patient. And my patience is about
to be rewarded."
Willow had never
felt so violated in her life. This man had invaded her privacy. She shuddered
thinking about what he had done, and what he had seen. She knew she'd never
feel safe in her house again. He had stolen that from her, and she hated
him for it. Willow attempted to run for her door, but the man caught her.
Once again he pushed her to the bed, then covered her body with his own.
"Nice try, but not
good enough. We'll be leaving first thing in the morning, but tonight we're
going to spend getting to know each other."
Willow struggled
with a strength fueled by fear, but it did no good. The man was too strong.
<God, Angel, where are you?>
Angel crouched in
the shadows outside Willow's house. He never took his eyes off her slight
frame. So far he had detected no one around. He was beginning to think
the man wouldn't show, until he caught a movement near the door. He watched
as a figure jumped out of the shadows, and grabbed Willow. Angel was about
to attack, when he was grabbed from behind and thrown backwards.
"What the...." Angel
cursed as he rolled to his feet.
"The mighty Angelus
has stooped to spying on women from the shadows. How very sad."
Angel shifted into
his 'game face' as he faced one of Spike's flunkies.
"I really don't have
time for you right now. So why don't you just run along."
The vampire responded
by launching an attack. Angel countered, knowing he wouldn't be able to
help Willow until he got rid of this pest. <Hold on Willow. I'm coming.>
Angel continued to counter his opponent's move, until the fool gave him
the opening to stake him.
The vampire exploded
in a cloud of dust, and Angel ran to Willow's house. He headed immediately
for her room. As he approached the doors, he saw the man holding Willow
on the bed. Angel's fury exploded as he kicked open the doors. However,
he was unable to enter. <Damnit, she has to invite me in.>
Ryker jumped up at
the sound of the doors crashing open. He grabbed Willow up in front of
him, and covered her mouth with his hand. He faced the man who stood there.
"Well, what do we
have here? A friend of yours Willow."
Willow watched Angel,
realizing that he couldn't enter. She had to try to get the man's hand
off her mouth.
"What are you waiting
for? An invitation?"
Angel glared at the
man. Angel had no idea if the man knew that was exactly what he was waiting
for, or if he was just being a smart ass.
"Let her go, bastard."
"I don't think so.
And the name's Ryker."
Ryker wasn't sure
what was going on, the man had yet to come into the room. What kind of
trick was he trying to pull? The man didn't look like he'd be too much
of a threat, but Ryker wasn't about to make a mistake.
"Fine, Ryker. Let
Willow go, and I let you leave. I'd hate to kill you in front of the lady."
"Big words for a
man standing way over there. You have no right to be here. Willow belongs
to me."
Willow tried to struggle,
but her arms were pinned by Ryker's arms. There had to be some way to get
him to release her mouth. It was then that Willow remembered a scene from
a movie she'd seen, and thought it might work. With all the force she could
get, Willow brought her head forward and then slammed it backwards into
Ryker's chin.
Ryker's head turned,
and his hand slipped from Willow's mouth. Ryker rubbed his chin.
"Angel, come in!"
Willow yelled.
Angel didn't hesitate,
he launched himself at Ryker. Ryker turned, and was surprised to see the
man coming toward him.
"What the hell?"
Ryker found himself
shoved back on the bed. Angel pulled Willow behind him, and turned to face
Ryker.
"You were saying?"
Ryker pushed himself
up, and attacked Angel. Angel countered and threw Ryker outside, then followed
him out.
"Lock the doors.
Don't open them until I tell you."
Willow did as Angel
told her, but watched through the glass. Ryker hadn't realized that Angel
was a vampire, but he was still holding his own. Using the moves she'd
seen before, Willow watched as Angel was knocked to the ground. Ryker was
proving to be a challenging opponent.
Angel was getting
mad. Ryker was using that karate crap, and it was too damn effective. Angel
was stronger, but Ryker's moves were keeping him alive. Angel decided to
use a favorite tactic of Angelus'. He began taunting Ryker, playing mind
games with him. And Ryker responded just as Angel thought he would. The
man's anger began making his attacks messy.
"You spineless little
worm. Did you really think you could handle Willow? She deserves a real
man, not a poor imitation. That's why she came to me."
Ryker threw himself
at Angel. No one talked to him like that.
"Not anymore!"
Ryker's actions had
become more irratic, more sloppy. He had lost his control over his emotions,
and that proved to be a fatal mistake.
Willow's nightmare
had ended, but the fears had not gone away. Ryker had taken away her sense
of security. Even though she knew he was gone, she couldn't help looking
over her shoulder all the time. It would be a long time before she felt
safe again. And she swore she'd find a way to overcome those feelings.
Although her friends noticed the change in Willow's behavior, she never
spoke about what happened that weekend. She didn't want her friends sympathy
or understanding, she just wanted to forget the whole incident. If she
gave in to her fear, then Ryker won. And she would be damned if she'd let
that happen. She wouldn't be his victim anymore.
Questions continued
to plague Willow. She wanted to know why Ryker had picked her out. What
had he planned to do if he had been successful? Maybe if she knew the reasons
behind what he did, it would help her deal with it and put the past behind
her. But, those answers had died with Ryker, and she would be left with
many unanswered questions.
She'd never asked
Angel what he did with Ryker, but when she heard on the news that a man
had been found beaten to death in an alley, she knew it was him. The report
went on to say that robbery was suspected as the motive, but that the victim
had been wanted for questioning in a murder investigation. It seemed Ryker
had gone AWOL right after the murder. Unofficially, people speculated that
his murder had been in retaliation for one of Ryker's crimes. It seemed
he had no friends, but a lot of enemies.
Willow hadn't seen
Angel since that night, although she knew he checked on her every night.
The incident with Ryker had brought them closer, but neither one of them
were ready to deal with those feelings. Angel was still dealing with his
feelings for Buffy and her continued absence, and his return from Hell.
And Willow had to deal with what happened to her. Maybe, once they had
both dealt with their own issues, they would find a way to be together,
but for right now it wasn't possible. They both had a lot of healing to
do, and they needed to do that alone. But, Willow knew he was nearby if
she needed him, and vice versa, and that was a comfort to both of them.
Willow returned home
from school to find a package waiting for her. She took it up to her room,
then opened the card.
Willow-
I found this in Ryker's
hotel room, and I thought you should have it. I know you wanted answers,
and maybe this will provide them. You don't have to look at it now if you
don't want to. It will be hard for you to read some of the things in there,
so be warned. He was a very sick man, and he wrote everything in detail.
After reading it myself, I wanted to kill him all over again. I wanted
to get this to you before I left. I need time away to clear my head. There
are too many memories and distractions here, but, I will check in with
you often to make sure you're all right. And I'll come back if you need
me. Take care of yourself, Willow. And after our time apart, we will sit
down and talk about everything that's happened.....to both of us.
~Angel
Willow pulled the
book out of the wrapping, and flipped through the pages. It was Ryker's
journal. She knew the answers to all her questions were in that book, but
she couldn't read it. Not yet. Angel was right about needing time away.
They both needed that.
Willow placed the
journal into the bottom drawer of her desk, then went to talk to her parents.
She would ask them to let her visit relatives out of state for awhile.
It would be the best way for her to rebuild what Ryker had destroyed. And
when she came back, she would read the journal. And be thankful that Ryker
was stopped before he could follow through with his plans. And she'd thank
God every day for a friend like Angel.
As Willow left the
room, she allowed herself a small smile. <And maybe someday he'll be
more than that.>
The End